Awakening Observation Haki

"Argh, he got away! Damn it!"

Bullet stepped through the air with Geppo, glaring resentfully at the pink figures fleeing in three different directions.

Just moments ago, when their fight had been at its fiercest and most exhilarating, that bastard had suddenly split into four copies and fled in different directions.

Startled, he had chased one down and blasted it apart with a punch, but the other three had already gotten far away, and he couldn't tell which one was real.

"What kind of ability is that? Are Mythical Zoan Devil Fruits really that powerful?"

For some reason, the moment he saw those copies, the first thing that came to mind was the face of the man who always wore a smile.

Unlike Wood Clones, however, Pink Mantis's copies were all afterimages with no substance, and they dispersed on contact.

Irritated, Bullet shouted down at Luokesani, who had become a "blood mantis." "Look up! Your man left you and ran!"

Left you and ran, you and ran, ran, ran. The words traveled through the air and washed into Luokesani's ears like waves.

"What? Impossible!"

Luokesani squinted through her blood-smeared eyes and looked up. When she saw that the familiar pink figure really was gone, her expression changed at once.

"That bastard, he! He actually... ah!!"

With her mind in turmoil, the female mantis finally faltered after defending herself for so long. After all, it was her husband who had run away, not the husbands of these marines.

Ogden spotted an opening in the defense of her two forelimbs. He rushed in with Shadow of the Dancing Leaf and drove a Konoha Rising Wind through the gap, kicking Luokesani in the chin.

In sheer force, his kick was slightly stronger than Benson's. The enormous female mantis's feet left the deck, and she hung in midair with her fearsome chin tilted upward.

Yet her gaze still seemed fixed on the direction Mantoudiya had fled, her eyes filled with hatred and a jumble of memories.

Why?

No one answered Luokesani's cry from the heart. Instead, six marines with grim expressions leaped to her side and plunged their long blades into her heart, throat, and other vital points!

[Thud—]

The enormous mantis body crashed back onto the deck, but this time, six blades pinned her firmly to the floor as blood spread beneath her.

As her breathing gradually ceased, Luokesani's body quickly returned to normal from its mantis form. The betrayed woman lay dead in a pool of blood, her face covered in tears and her eyes still open.

The atmosphere froze. Apart from the roar of the waves, everyone fell silent.

Bullet also descended from the air and looked at Luokesani's corpse with mixed feelings, because he knew very well what betrayal felt like.

[Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!]

Steady, forceful applause rang out, and more, quicker clapping soon joined it.

Rear Admiral Dewitt was the first to speak. "A remarkable performance. With only forty-five people, you took down a pirate crew with twice your numbers and a bounty of over ten million Beli."

Although they had let the biggest target escape, and although they were a little stronger than ordinary marines, neither could diminish the value of the Three-Three System Tactics!

Only then did Benson, Ogden, and the other members of the Konoha Squad come to their senses. They stared blankly at the woman's corpse at their feet, then at their own hands.

They had really done it!

The six marines who had personally run Luokesani through with their swords felt a surge of excitement that was almost impossible to contain.

They were only privates first class, yet they had killed a pirate with a twelve-million-Beli bounty with their own hands!

"All right, come back, everyone. You don't have to trouble yourselves with the cleanup. I've already had the cooks prepare a meal. Eat and drink your fill, then get some rest," Rear Admiral Dewitt said with a smile.

"Don't worry. Every bit of your achievement will be reported to Vice Admiral Cornell. You'll be famous soon!"

"Hahahahaha!" The marines behind him burst into laughter, sweeping away the earlier atmosphere.

Down below, Bullet shook his head slightly, thinking that it wasn't really them who would become famous, but that man.

The thirteen-year-old boy looked up at the white clouds in the sky, as if he could see Little Enel and the others.

Time to go back. There are people waiting for me at home.

Far out at sea, beneath the hazy horizon, a mighty sea breeze swept across the vast blue expanse, carrying a salty, briny scent.

A pink figure cut an abrupt pink streak through the wind.

It was Mantoudiya, who had just escaped, a user of the Mythical Zoan Bug-Bug Fruit, Phantom Mantis Form!

He called his special ability "Mimicry." At its core, it controlled the light and shadows around his body, allowing him to turn invisible or create afterimages.

"I'm sorry, Luokesani. If I ever get the chance, I'll avenge you!" Mantoudiya muttered through gritted teeth.

He really did like Luokesani. After all, there were very few women who looked good and were also Bug-Bug Fruit users!

Who knew when he would meet another?

But he had no choice. No matter how much he liked her, she wasn't more important than his own life!

"More importantly, I need to find somewhere to land, or I'll be in trouble if I fall into the water."

As Mantoudiya flew, he scanned in every direction, trying to find something on the endless sea.

An island, a ship, even a floating wooden crate would do!

His ability to fly was temporary. After a while, he had to rest, so he couldn't compare with Bird-Bird Fruit users.

If there really was nothing around when the time came, he would most likely fall into the sea!

"Huh!"

Sure enough, before long, Mantoudiya spotted a vessel appearing on the horizon.

It was a particularly small boat, one that might feel crowded with even ten people aboard, but to him, it was a godsend!

"Perfect. I don't care who's aboard. That boat is mine!"

A cruel smile appeared on Mantoudiya's face. The thin wings on his back beat faster, and his speed surged.

On the small boat, Vidal sat cross-legged on a wooden table with his eyes closed, breathing long and slowly beneath the sunlight.

Sure enough, sparring at full strength with an evenly matched opponent brought enormous benefits to his own strength.

His battle with Yixiao had yielded tremendous gains, including the Observation Haki he was carefully sensing at that moment.

During the fierce battle, he had finally succeeded in awakening Observation Haki, leaving behind the hazy feeling he had experienced before.

In the world of Observation Haki, he "saw" another side of the world. It was wonderful, as if everything gave off its own unique presence.

But Vidal knew he had only grasped the basics. He still needed to spend more time using and training it, making it sharper and expanding its range!

"Hm?"

Just then, he suddenly noticed something enter his world of Observation Haki, flying at high speed in his direction.

"What is that?"

Dear readers, have any of you created a book list? If you have, could you please recommend this book? I'm begging you!