Slow Heartbeat's Probe

The third day after the transaction was completed.

Early in the morning, the fog was very thick. The port of Hachinosu was shrouded in a white fog, with visibility less than fifty meters. On the Training Ground, Zephyr's roar rang out as usual, but it was a little softer than usual—the fog was too thick, and he was afraid of shouting too loudly and losing his voice.

Ginny held her sniper rifle, aiming at the target 500 meters away. Her eyes glowed purple; the power of her Glint-Glint Fruit allowed her to see through the thick fog and clearly discern the pattern on the bullseye. Her arm was much steadyer, and her breathing was much calmer.

"Bang--"

The bullet hit the bullseye.

She lowered the gun, a slight smile playing on her lips, but quickly suppressed. Not enough. Zephyr said, one had to be able to hit the bullseye in any weather, any environment, to be considered a master. Today it's foggy, tomorrow it's windy, the day after tomorrow it might rain. She needed to practice until she could hit the bullseye no matter the weather.

Lin Yuan stood in the center of the Training Ground, his eyes closed. Zephyr's wooden sword swirled around him.

"What about your Observation Haki? It allows you to perceive my intentions."

Lin Yuan took a deep breath. Zephyr's heartbeat was steady, and his breathing was even. But his right hand was twitching slightly—not the movement of the wooden sword, but a sign that he was about to swing it.

"Left."

"Snap—" The wooden sword struck on the right.

"No. Try again."

Lin Yuan gritted his teeth.

Just then, his Spatial Perception detected an anomaly.

It wasn't a ship, it was a person. Standing motionless in the harbor. Their body temperature was very low, much lower than normal. Their heartbeat was very slow, only eight beats per minute.

Lin Yuan opened his eyes.

"Instructor, someone's coming."

Zephyr's wooden sword stopped in mid-air.

"Who?"

"That guy on the Rocks Martin. Codename: Slow Heartbeat."

Zephyr's eyes narrowed. "That person... I didn't see him when Ochoku came last time."

He came alone this time.

Lin Yuan planted the wooden sword in the ground and walked towards the port. Ginny put down her sniper rifle and followed behind him, making circles with her fingers behind her back, her eyes gleaming with purple light.

"Lin Yuan, my Glint-Glint Fruit... I can't see him."

"What's the meaning?"

"Is the fog too thick? No... I can't see him. But I can see the harbor floor, the seawater, the wooden posts on the dock—just not a person."

Lin Yuan stopped in his tracks. "Then how did you know he was there?"

"What you just said."

Lin Yuan was silent for a moment. "Use the Glint-Glint Fruit to see my location. Can you see it?"

Ginny focused on him. "Yes. Very clearly."

"Then it's not a problem with the fog. It's him—he has methods of interference, specifically targeting the observation of Observation Haki and Devil Fruit abilities."

Ginny's expression changed. "Then why didn't we notice him standing at the harbor just now?"

"Because his interference methods aren't always on." Lin Yuan turned and continued walking. "He lets us discover them only when he does. When he doesn't want us to discover them, we can't see them."

Ginny followed behind, her fingers trembling.

In the harbor, a person dressed in a long black robe stood in the fog.

He was short, with gray hair and wrinkles etched like knife cuts on his face. His hands were tucked into his sleeves, his eyes closed, and he remained motionless. The sea breeze blew through his robes, causing the hem to flutter, but he stood like a statue, not even his hair moving.

Heartbeats: eight per minute.

His body temperature was 10 degrees Celsius lower than normal.

Lin Yuan stood three meters in front of him. Ginny stood three meters behind Lin Yuan, making a circle with her fingers, her eyes gleaming with purple light—she was still looking, but the person was still not in her field of vision. She could only see Lin Yuan, the ground of the harbor, and the fog, but she couldn't see the person in the black robe.

"You can see her," Lin Yuan said. "And she can see you. But you have the ability to make her unable to see you."

Her Slow Heartbeat, and she didn't open her eyes.

"Your Spatial Perception allows you to see me." His voice was low and deep, as if it came from underground, "But your Observation Haki can't sense me. Your subordinate—the one with the Glint-Glint Fruit —can't see me either."

"Why?"

"Because my heartbeat is too slow and my body temperature is too low. In the eyes of Observation Haki and the Glint-Glint Fruit, I am like a stone." Slow Heartbeat opened his eyes.

Gray pupils, vertical pupils like a snake.

"But your Spatial Perception is different. You don't look at your heartbeat or body temperature; you look at space. If I occupy a space, you can see me."

Lin Yuan remained silent.

"Your Devil Fruit ability is far superior to your Observation Haki," Slow Heartbeat said. "It's a pity you don't know how to use it."

"You know how to use it?"

"Heh heh heh..." Slow Heartbeat chuckled, his deep, guttural laugh like the grinding of a stone. "I can't. My abilities are different from yours. But I know that your fruit can do far more than you can do now."

He turned around and walked towards the sea.

He stood on the sea.

It wasn't a Devil Fruit ability, nor Haki; it was something much stranger. The sea beneath his feet was as hard as the ground, without sinking, without ripples, without even a footprint.

Ginny's fingers trembled violently. "He—he's walking on water?"

"Hmm," Lin Yuan said.

How did you do that?

"Have no idea."

He Slow Heartbeat for about ten meters, then stopped without looking back.

"Rocks asked me to ask you a question."

"Ask."

He said, "If one day he attacks Mary Geoise, will you open the door?"

Lin Yuan watched his retreating figure.

"Open."

"Why?"

"Because I want to play too."

The Slow Heartbeat paused for a moment.

"Heh heh heh..." he laughed, "You're more interesting than Rocks said."

He continued walking.

Ginny frantically drew circles behind her back, the purple light in her eyes growing brighter and brighter. "Lin Yuan, I still can't see him! He's clearly on the sea, but my abilities just can't detect him!"

"No need to look anymore. He's gone."

Ginny lowered her fingers, panting heavily. Her eyes stung, and tears streamed down her face.

Who exactly is he?

"I don't know." Lin Yuan turned and walked towards the Training Ground. "But the Rocks used him means he's useful."

On the Training Ground, Zephyr stood in the center, holding a wooden sword.

"They've left?"

"They're gone."

"He's very strong."

"I know."

"Can your Observation Haki sense him?"

Lin Yuan was silent for a moment. "No. His heartbeat is too slow, his body temperature is too low. In Observation Haki, he looks like a stone."

What about your Spatial Perception?

"I can sense it. I can sense that he occupies a space."

Zephyr nodded. "Then use your strengths. Your Devil Fruit ability is your talent; don't give it up just because you're training Haki. Haki compensates for weaknesses, Devil Fruits enhance strengths. You need both."

Lin Yuan was taken aback. This was the first time Zephyr had told him to "use your strengths."

How far can your Spatial Perception cover?

"Two kilometers. But accuracy decreases with distance."

"Practice. Practice until you can cover five kilometers without losing accuracy. Practice until you can cover ten kilometers," Zephyr said. "Your Observation Haki isn't as good as others, but few can match your Spatial Perception among Devil Fruit abilities."

Lin Yuan nodded.

"Now, continue practicing your Observation Haki. If you don't address your weakness, your strong Spatial Perception will be useless against someone with Slow Heartbeat —because they won't give you time to use Spatial Perception."

Lin Yuan closed the upper limit.

"Snap—" The wooden sword struck his back.

"What about your intention perception? Where should I aim my knife?"

"... back."

"That's right. But it's too slow. Let's try again."

"Smack--"

Training ended in the evening.

Eight people sat on the edge of the Training Ground, drinking water, wiping sweat, and catching their breath. Ginny rubbed her eyes; she had been using the Glint-Glint Fruit all day, and her eyes were so sore she could barely open them. Inazuma handed her a damp towel.

Are your eyes alright?

"It's nothing. It just tastes sour."

Kaido, gnawing on meat, looked at Lin Yuan. "Lin Yuan, that person— Slow Heartbeat —just who is he?"

"Have no idea."

Aren't you curious?

"Curious. But curiosity is useless." Lin Yuan took a sip of water. "He's Rocks' men. Rocks wants to attack Mary Geoise. We'll open the door for him once. The rest is fine."

Bullet sat beside him, his fingers bandaged. "When he walked on the water, I couldn't sense his Haki. Not that it wasn't there, but I just couldn't feel it."

"Because his Haki isn't on the surface," Inazuma said, tracing lines in the air with his fingers, "It's inside his body. My abilities can't cut it. And your Haki can't be sensed."

Moria huddled in the corner, hugging his knees. "That person... he's not human, is he?"

Kuma sat silently on the far side, not saying a word. Then he spoke.

He is a human being. But he may not be a normal human being.

No one responded.

Zephyr walked over, holding a wooden sword in his hand.

"Enough. Stop guessing. You can't beat him now. Train until you can."

No one objected.

Late at night.

Lin Yuan sat on the Castle roof, looking at the moon. Ginny came up, carrying two glasses of water.

"You don't drink?"

"I won't drink."

"You're such a boring person."

"Living a long time is more important."

Ginny handed him the water and sat down next to him.

"Lin Yuan, who exactly is this person with Slow Heartbeat?"

"Have no idea."

Aren't you afraid?

"I'm afraid. But being afraid is useless." Lin Yuan took a sip of water.

"What if he's lying to us? What if Rocks attacks Hachinosu instead of Mary Geoise?"

Lin Yuan looked at the moon.

"Then we'll fight back."

Ginny paused for a moment, then laughed. "You can be really scary sometimes."

"Hmph..." Lin Yuan chuckled softly, "It's not that it's scary. It's that I'm ready."

(End of Chapter 64)