After the evening training concluded, Barron gathered Hall, Kane, and Eric together. He sat on a large stone, his longsword resting flat across his knees, eyes calm and composed.
"Our current strength is decent—comparable to a field officer in the Marines.
But if we want to truly survive in the Sea of Abyss, brute strength and weapons won't be enough. We need something more." Barron's voice carried a hint of gravity.
"And that 'something' is Haki," he continued, lifting his gaze to the others. "There are three types: Observation Haki, Armament Haki, and Conqueror's Haki."
"Sounds mysterious," Eric scratched his head, a bit puzzled. "Is this something we can actually learn?"
Barron gave a slight smile. "Learning it isn't the problem. I believe all of you can grasp it eventually. What really matters is awakening it—and mastering it."
He paused before going on.
"Observation Haki is a sensory ability. It allows you to detect enemy movements, attacks—even, so they say, to perceive the future.
Some of the world's strongest have trained it to that level. It can be awakened through rigorous training focused on reaction speed and sharpening perception."
Kane, leaning against a table, spoke in a low voice, "So Observation Haki is more like an instinctual awareness of your surroundings?"
"That's one way to put it," Barron nodded. "As for Armament Haki, it's a kind of invisible armor. It boosts your offense and defense.
With it, you can strike Logia users or withstand powerful attacks. But the method to awaken it is unclear. For now, I don't have an answer."
"And what about Conqueror's Haki?" Hall looked up, curiosity flickering in his eyes. "I've heard it's extremely rare—something you're born with?"
Barron nodded. "Yes. Conqueror's Haki is a king's power—it can't be acquired through training.
They say only one in a million is born with it. It can overwhelm enemies with sheer will. While it's rare, one thing's for sure: not everyone who lacks it is weak, but those who awaken it are never weak."
"That sounds awesome. I bet you'll awaken it someday, Young Master," Eric grinned. "But I guess for now, we start with Observation Haki?"
"Exactly," Barron rose to his feet, gripping the hilt of his blade.
"To awaken Observation Haki, you need intense focus and quick reflexes. I'm going to start us with evasion drills—force you to react under pressure until the sense awakens."
Kane raised an eyebrow. "What kind of training, exactly?"
Barron sheathed his sword, his gaze sharp.
"Starting tomorrow, we'll begin high-intensity evasion exercises. I'll be the attacker. Your task: evade without using any weapons. If you get hit, you start over."
Hall smirked. "Sounds like you're targeting Eric. He's not exactly the nimblest among us."
Eric stood up defiantly and cracked his knuckles. "Don't underestimate me, Hall. My fists are tougher than your little knives."
Barron's tone turned serious. "Don't take this lightly.
In real battle, staying calm and sensing your opponent's intent is the only way to survive. Awakening Observation Haki is the first step toward reaching the next level."
Kane glanced down at the long-barreled rifle in his hands and nodded. "If that's what it takes, I'm all in."
Hall spun his dagger lightly, chuckling. "Alright then. Just don't make the training too boring."
Eric clenched his fists, eyes firm. "Young Master, I won't let you down."
Barron's eyes swept across the three of them. His voice was calm but resolute.
"You know something? I'm only seventeen. Eric, you're eighteen. Hall, twenty-five. Kane, twenty-three. We're all still young. Our potential... it's only just beginning."
(Just think—some cowardly king took barely two years to go from weakling to mastering Advanced Haki. That's just ridiculous)
Eric grinned. "Young Master, you're more experienced than all of us."
Hall twirled his dagger lazily. "Age doesn't matter. Strength does."
"You're right," Barron nodded. "From tomorrow, we'll not only train Haki—we'll double down on combat training too. Without real strength, we won't last long in the Sea of Abyss."
Kane adjusted his hat, speaking calmly. "You've already got a plan, don't you?"
"Of course." Barron smirked slightly. "Observation Haki is our top priority. As for Armament Haki, we'll have to discover that through actual combat."
The next morning, Barron led the trio to a wide-open training field.
The area was already set up with an array of training gear—swinging sandbags, spinning logs, and straw dummies laced with spikes.
"From today on, all of you will undergo evasion training." Barron unsheathed his blade, its gleaming edge catching the morning sun. "Your objective: don't get hit. Not even once. Evade until you begin to sense my attacks."
Eric cracked his knuckles, flashing a confident smile. "That's nothing to me, Young Master."
Barron smiled faintly, then suddenly slashed. The blade swept toward Eric's face—he barely twisted aside in time, the edge grazing his cheek and leaving a shallow cut.
"Too slow," Barron said coldly. "In real battle, you'd already be dead."
From there, the training only grew more intense. It evolved from simple blade dodging to darting between dozens of moving sandbags. Everyone was pushed to their physical limit.
Hall, nimble and quick, managed to avoid most strikes, though occasional misjudgments left him bruised.
Kane was steadier—his footwork precise, maintaining the optimal distance for both attack and defense. Even when struck, he never panicked.
Eric relied on his enhanced physique from his Devil Fruit, enduring through sheer toughness. But when it came to sensing the direction of attacks, he still had a long way to go.
Barron—whether due to his otherworldly origins or sheer force of will—seemed to possess an unexplainable awareness. Still, it felt like he was missing something… just one step away from grasping it fully.
Two weeks later, Barron escalated the challenge once more. This time, he blindfolded Hall, forcing him to rely on sound and instinct to dodge the swinging sandbags.
Hall stood still, eyes covered, sweat soaking his brow.
He listened intently—then suddenly leapt to the side. A sandbag whooshed past his shoulder, narrowly missing him.
"Not bad. But faster," Barron said coldly. His sword flashed again—Hall ducked and rolled just in time, barely avoiding a clean strike.
"Awakening Observation Haki starts with moments like this," Barron said as he sheathed his blade, a trace of satisfaction in his expression.
That night, Hall sat in the corner of the training field, quietly wiping his dagger.
Memories of past assassination missions played through his mind—those critical, split-second decisions. He now realized how crucial Observation Haki would be for him.
Kane trained alone at the shooting range. He took aim with his long-barreled rifle and fired—bullseye.
He reloaded swiftly and fired again, his face cold and focused. In his mind, there was only one truth: in this world, precision was survival.
Eric was on the far side of the field, adapting further to his Devil Fruit powers.
His fists wrapped in iron knuckles, he effortlessly lifted a boulder, hurled it into the air, and shattered it with a punch. He stared down at his fists and murmured:
"I have to get stronger."
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