Introduction to Haki Training

Morning sunlight filled the courtyard in Marineford. A cool sea breeze brushed past, carrying the salty, damp scent of the ocean.

Roy stood in the middle of the courtyard with his arms folded, watching the two people before him intently—Bellemere and Ace.

Not far away, Luffy was chasing a butterfly, shouting "Waaah!" over and over. Every now and then, the butterfly led him on a wild chase that sent him tumbling across the grass.

"Haki is just a general term for a kind of power."

Roy raised his right hand, and pitch-black Armament Haki flowed over his entire arm, giving it a faint metallic sheen in the sunlight.

Bellemere's pupils narrowed slightly as she held a cigarette between her lips. "Is that... Armament Haki?"

Ace's eyes lit up, and he clenched his fists. "That's amazing! I want to learn it too!"

Roy nodded slightly. "There are three types of Haki: Armament Haki, Observation Haki, and Conqueror's Haki."

As he spoke, he casually picked up a stone and tossed it into the air, then met it head-on with his Haki-coated arm—

"Crack!"

The stone shattered instantly like a crisp biscuit, while his black arm didn't budge.

"Armament Haki Hardening is the most basic application, but once you've mastered it to the utmost, you can even catch cannonballs barehanded."

Roy shook out his arm, his gaze calm. "And on the Grand Line, Armament Haki is the most important weapon against Devil Fruit Users."

A look flashed through Bellemere's eyes. Biting down on her cigarette, she murmured, "Even those legendary Devil Fruit Users... can be suppressed?"

Roy smiled. "In the second half of the Grand Line, that's just common knowledge."

Information in the East Blue really is too limited...

"Observation Haki lets you sense the presences and sounds around you, and even predict the path of an opponent's attack."

As he spoke, he closed his eyes, as though entering a meditative state.

"Give it a try. Close your eyes and don't rely on your eyes or ears. Instead, sense the 'presences' around you."

Ace clenched his fists tightly and tried to calm himself.

Roy said evenly, "Focus. Feel the flow of the wind, the breathing of people, and every faint pulse of life."

A few seconds later—

"Phew..."

But Ace looked frustrated. "Damn it! Why can't I feel anything?"

Roy walked up to him and lightly touched a finger to his forehead. "Because you're too impatient. Once your mind is calm, you'll naturally be able to sense presences."

Ace froze, then slowly closed his eyes, his breathing gradually evening out.

Just then, footsteps suddenly sounded at the courtyard's back gate—

"Thud."

Ace's eyes snapped open, and his gaze locked precisely onto the gate. "Someone's coming!"

The gate was pushed open, and Nojiko peeked in at the three of them.

Roy smiled and nodded. "Good, Ace. Observation Haki doesn't require strength, but a calm mind."

Bellemere looked thoughtfully at Roy. "So training in Haki isn't just about training your strength. It's also about cultivating your inner self?"

Roy said seriously, "That's right. If you want to become truly strong, your mind must be calm and your fists steady."

At that moment, Luffy suddenly pounced over. "I want to learn that skill for sensing presences too!"

Ace planted a hand on his head. "Wait until you stop running all over the place!"

Meanwhile, Nami and Nojiko leaned over a nearby windowsill, watching Roy teach with envy.

Ace suddenly raised his hand. "What about Conqueror's Haki?"

Roy glanced at him, his tone calm. "That's a gift possessed by very few people. Only one in a million has it."

Ace lowered his head thoughtfully after hearing that, but his fists clenched even tighter.

"Now, start by trying to feel the power inside you."

Roy's voice was low and steady. "Imagine your blood boiling and your muscles contracting. That power has always been hidden deep within your body. You've just never truly called upon it."

Bellemere sat cross-legged in a corner of the training ground, an unlit cigarette in the corner of her mouth and her brows tightly furrowed.

"The power inside me..." she murmured to herself, closing her eyes. The cigarette swayed slightly, seemingly in rhythm with her breathing.

She began trying the method Roy had described: guide, compress, awaken.

After a moment, faint shadows appeared on the surface of her arms, like a thin mist condensing. Some kind of power could be dimly felt stirring.

"Hmm..."

That power suddenly fell into disorder, and the patterns scattered as though shattering, like a freshly formed mirror of water blown apart by the wind.

Bellemere's eyes snapped open, a trace of surprise and unwillingness flashing through them. "What was that?!"

"You caught a hint of it on your first try..."

Roy stepped closer, his gaze falling on the shadow that had flashed across her arm, and nodded gently. "Although you couldn't bring it into form, you're already on the right track."

"Many people spend a whole week without feeling anything, but on your first attempt, you got that presence to respond. That's already excellent."

Bellemere gritted her teeth, her gaze darkening. "That feeling... it was like something roaring in my bones. I almost had hold of it, but it slipped through my fingers."

Roy smiled, a little more warmth and approval in his eyes. "You've found the door. What comes next depends on whether you can tame it."

Bellemere gave him a sideways glance, her lips curling into a defiant smile. "There's nothing I haven't been able to tame in my life."

Ace watched from the side with shining eyes, then came over, his face full of envy. "I want to learn too. I want Haki too!"

"Don't rush."

Roy put a hand on his head and ruffled his hair with a smile. "Don't rush. First learn how to draw on the power in your body, then learn how to use Haki."

Bellemere stood and looked at Roy's fists, determination in her eyes. "As long as I have that ability, I can smash pirates' heads like rotten watermelons without relying on a gun."

Roy nodded slightly, his gaze steady. "A wise choice, but you should also think carefully about whether to focus on hand-to-hand combat, or try swordsmanship, or..."

"My fists do the talking." Bellemere spat out her cigarette, her tone crisp and decisive.

Ace watched her with his teeth clenched, looking as though he wanted to catch up too.

"All right, that's enough for today."

Roy smiled and withdrew his presence. "Bellemere, I'll take you to the headquarters training ground this afternoon. After systematic Marine training, I believe you'll accomplish something..."

Bellemere tugged at her sleeves and grinned. "Sure. I'll show you how tough a woman from the East Blue can be."

The moment she finished speaking—

"I want to learn too!"

Luffy leaped onto Roy's back and hung there, his eyes sparkling. "Teach me! Teach me!"

Roy helplessly grabbed Luffy and lifted him up. "When you're a little older."

Luffy puffed out his cheeks and pouted. "That's not fair! Ace gets to learn!"

Ace proudly raised his chin and planted his hands on his hips. "That's because I'm older than you!"

Nami jumped down from the windowsill with a clatter and put her little hands on her hips. "I want to learn too!"

Nojiko came stumbling out, looking as serious as a little adult. "I-I want to learn too!"

Roy watched the group of kids surround him in an instant and pressed a hand to his forehead in complete resignation. "Old man Garp... you really did leave me a fine job..."

In the afternoon, Bellemere changed into a smart Marine uniform, and her whole bearing changed.

Roy handed her a document, his expression calm and serious. "The headquarters Training Camp has a systematic Haki course, and the Elite Camp is personally supervised by Instructor Zephyr."

Bellemere took the document, a flicker of confusion in her eyes. She looked up and asked, "Roy, why did you choose me?"

Roy's gaze fell on the children chasing and playing in the courtyard, his voice low and firm. "Because we need more... people like you."

He turned and walked toward the gate, his departing figure steady. "Come on. Let 'Black Arm' Zephyr see what East Blue fists can do."

Bellemere paused for a moment, then broke into a confident smile and strode after him. "Sure, let's show him!"

Just then, a familiar little head suddenly appeared over the wall. Ace gripped the top with both hands, his eyes shining. "Wait for me! I want to go too!"

Roy turned and smiled helplessly, though a moment of tenderness passed through his heart. "Since I've been given this chance, I want to try to change this world completely..."

"Perhaps they really can uphold the banner of justice."