Haki Techniques, a Peaceful Resolution

"Is the ultimate solution still strength and speed?"

Zephyr chuckled for a moment. Since the other party's 'partner' had already contained the impact of the battle within the volcano's area, it meant that while pursuing his dream, this kid was also considering minimizing the impact on ordinary people.

For the strong in this world, this is already incredibly rare! Zephyr's original intention was to instruct Luffy on the techniques of projecting Armament Haki during the battle, but—

Instead of calmly using techniques to defeat the enemy, this kid directly activated the extremely violent 'transformation' skill, leaving Zephyr amused and exasperated.

"That's right, in many situations, absolute strength and speed can indeed solve most problems."

"But humans are inherently incomparable to those ferocious beasts, Sea King, or even many gifted monsters. Skill is the key to victory for the 'weak'."

Facing Luffy, who had activated 'Fourth Gear' and possessed speed exceeding 'Gear Second', strength exceeding 'Gear Third', and a towering four-meter-tall physique, Zephyr showed no fear, but instead shook his head in disappointment.

"Come on, kid!"

"Your move is clearly a trump card that consumes a lot of resources! Let me teach you a lesson—"

Boom!

Boom!!

Boom!!!

"Luffy alright?"

By continuously maintaining its 'Ice-Ice ability' to stabilize the volcano before it, Nami averted a natural disaster that could have destroyed Sekken, a city at its foot renowned for its hot springs. Nami looked worriedly at the summit.

An explosion that shot into the sky, a deafening roar that shook the earth!

If Roman and Nami hadn't used their Ice-Ice ability to stabilize the mountain and their gravity abilities to control the falling rocks, the number of dead and injured would have been countless.

"No problem,"

On Nami's Marine Admiral's cloak, a crouching white dove tilted its head.

"Putting aside the fact that Zephyr and Luffy's grandfather Garp are old comrades of the same generation, even considering Luffy's actions, I don't think Zephyr would go so far as to kill him."

Luffy is certainly not a perfect saint, but on this high seas, calling him a 'good guy' is definitely not an exaggeration.

You could even say that Luffy is more like a chivalrous knight-errant who would go to great lengths for his friends and help those in need than a pirate.

It's important to understand that the first reaction of most powerful individuals in this world when dealing with a problem is. "Have you eaten? If not, take this punch!" It's safe to say that any pirate who hasn't shed the blood of ordinary people is extremely rare. After all:

I could strangle you with one hand, why should I listen to your nonsense?

Whatever you want, give it to me!

Not everyone is Shanks, who can laugh it off after being spit on by a beer bottle from the Bandit King.

"Don't worry, Zephyr's intentions were partly to test Luffy and partly to teach him Haki techniques. However..."

Roman hadn't anticipated Luffy immediately activating Luffy Fourth Gear. Well, Roman was prepared to step in at any moment. However:

"This is brute force developed to deal with wild beasts, isn't it? It won't be able to deal with me!"

At the center of the deafening explosion stood Zephyr, unyielding.

"Sky-Dominating Solo Defense!"

Zephyr released an invisible Armament Haki enveloped him like a tough sphere, making it the ultimate defensive technique! Especially when combined with the huge Seastone weapon in his right hand, it appeared unbreakable, and the consumption of his own Haki was not high.

"Your explosive technique must consume a lot of your Haki and stamina,"

Despite Luffy Fourth Gear attack, which possessed immense power capable of splitting mountains and shattering seas, Zephyr remained impenetrable. He seemed rooted to the earth, refusing to retreat an inch no matter how much Luffy charged up his attack.

"Damn it, what kind of weird skill is this?!"

While Gear Fourth Gear is undeniably powerful, Luffy becomes somewhat helpless against opponents with high defense. For example, a drunken Kaido described Luffy's Fourth Gear attack as a "sobering-up punch"...

Zephyr certainly doesn't have Kaido's monstrous physical defense, but his unparalleled Armament Haki is still able to deal with this kind of straightforward attack.

"Watch closely, kid!"

"This is an advanced application of Armament Haki. Don't underestimate the wisdom that humanity has accumulated over thousands of years."

As the battle progressed, Zephyr became increasingly indistinct, as if viewed through a fog, his appearance and figure beginning to distort. This was due to the distortion of light caused by his extremely powerful external Armament Haki, making it appear as if he possessed a "Shield-Shield Fruit ability."

Of course, unlike the rule-based 'Shield-Shield Fruit,' Zephyr's surrounding Haki doesn't offer any absolute defense, but it can significantly reduce all attacks that approach him! No matter how strange or unusual the ability, it's extremely difficult to penetrate his outward-emitting Armament Haki.

"By gathering Armament Haki in your hands or on your weapon and releasing it, it directly transforms into substantial offensive or defensive power. It can unleash a powerful impact to blast enemies away, or it can form a protective barrier."

"Don't look down on me, old man—"

"Gomu Gomu no King Kong Gun!"

Thump!!

The punch that could split mountains and shatter seas struck Zephyr's Seastone weapon once more. Instantly, the solid, frozen volcano trembled like waves, the earth shook, mountains crumbled, and ice cracked! Countless strands of black light radiated outwards in all directions.

At first glance, it may seem unremarkable, but the power it contains is absolutely terrifying! Even a tiny fragment, as thin as a hair, is enough to shatter a elite naval officer and kill him instantly. Even a field-grade officer would be severely injured and cough up blood. The aftershocks alone would require at least an admiral to withstand!

Despite Luffy having the advantage in terms of both presence and size (4 meters), there was no sign of ease on his face.

"Before my 'Sky-Dominating Solo Defense,' even the strongest pure power will be weakened. Even an old man like me can easily withstand your punch. — If you still only know how to use brute force, your journey ends here, King of the Pirates!!"

With his left fist clenched and brought to his waist, Zephyr wasn't just someone who could take a beating; the name 'Black Arm' came from his powerful Armament Haki.

"Sky Walk!"

As Zephyr unleashed a punch towards Luffy from afar, even though the fist hadn't touched Luffy yet, a Haki, like a tsunami or a collapsing mountain, struck from the air!

When it reached him, there was no real impact or clash whatsoever. Instead, it bypassed Luffy's Armament Haki invisibly, penetrating his entire body and even reaching deep into his bones and internal organs.

"Puwa—"

A mouthful of blood gushed out; even Luffy's strong physique couldn't withstand that punch! Combined with the previous battle, his burly body shrank and evaporated rapidly like a leaky vent, returning to his 1.7-meter-tall 'third-class disabled' state as he knelt on the battlefield.

"Cough, cough..."

Luffy, coughing up a bunch of blood Luffy, raised his head and looked at the burly old man in front of him without fear.

"You're really amazing, uncle."

"Isn't it too late to soften your tone now?"

Upon hearing Zephyr's words, Luffy had stood up again, wiped the corner of his mouth.

"I'm just stating the facts—but our battle isn't over yet!"

?

"That's interesting,"

Click, click,

As Zephyr nodded, his right Seastone arm, after a series of stiff grinding sounds, finally:

Clang!

The massive weapon fell to the ground, revealing Zephyr's right hand—which, of course, was also a mechanical arm.

"I never expected you to have learned to 'Armament Haki' in battle."

"Hehehe, after taking so many punches from that uncle, even a monkey should understand by now, right?"

··········

Sorry, but it's impossible for any normal person to suddenly grasp the opponent's Haki and advanced techniques while playing a game, right?

The white doves circled in the sky; the battles elsewhere were over, after all, Zoro and Sanji were far stronger Ain and Binz. As for those 'Pacifista,' they were clearly no match for the rest of the Straw Hat crew.

All that's left is the battle between Zephyr and Luffy—

Soon, the rapidly depleting stamina turned the battle into:

Bang!

Thump!

You punch me, I punch you.

"Phew~~"

"Huff... huff..."

Although Zephyr seemed to handle Luffy with ease before, he is actually quite old. Unlike Luffy, a young man who can "recharge," Zephyr is already 74 years old, and:

Unlike normal breathing, Zephyr's breathing was accompanied by a distinct phlegm sound, a sign that his 'asthma' was starting to flare up.

"Kid, you've already got the Straw Hat, why are you still fighting me?"

The two figures, exchanging blows, moved slower and slower, their movements becoming increasingly feeble. One was old and seriously ill, the other was on his deathbed. Their fight was less a battle and more a clash of beliefs.

"You're a pirate, aren't you? Even if you defeat me, no one in this world will thank you!"

Knowing when to quit while you're ahead and assessing the situation is what makes a pirate.

"So what? I just want to do things my own way!"

Luffy, staggering backward, answered without fear.

"I can't become the King of the Pirates if I don't defeat you."

"... Is that really all there is to it?"

Zephyr's aged voice seemed to be questioning, or perhaps answering itself.

What a remarkable young man! Passionate, resilient, responsible, and kind-hearted... Even more remarkable is his strength and comprehension—he's the best I've ever seen! Even his grandfather Garp, at that age, wasn't nearly as outstanding. However:

"Do what you want to do?"

?

"Haha, what I want to do now is:"

Zephyr's fist, the size of a clay pot, was covered in Zephyr Armament Haki, yet a smile appeared on his face.

Bang!

With a single Luffy, he sent Luffy flying. Facing Luffy back up, Zephyr strode forward and swung his fist again! Even the piercing pain in his chest was not enough to shake him in the slightest.

I'll beat you to a pulp!

Bang!

Bang!

BOOM!!!

In hand-to-hand combat, Luffy was no match for Zephyr, but even as he staggered and staggered, even after taking several punches before he could retaliate, Luffy did not fall until:

Snap,

Exhausted and falling forward, Luffy clung Luffy to Zephyr's belt to prevent himself from collapsing completely to the ground. Even though he couldn't even lift his fist, his defiant gaze remained unwavering on his raised face.

!?

Thump,

Before Luffy to the ground, Zephyr fell backward first, his sunglasses falling to the side, revealing a pair of old but peaceful eyes.

"Looks like... I'm getting old too,"

Not just physically, but also mentally!

Seeing such outstanding juniors, even the former "Black Arm" Admiral couldn't bring himself to throw a punch.

"It's a pity that happy times always pass too quickly..."

Slowly sitting up, looking at Luffy standing in front of him, Zephyr had lost all motivation to continue fighting.

"If you want to pursue your dreams, you must overcome all obstacles and keep moving forward."

Teaching newcomers is ingrained in Zephyr's very being. If the sea could truly be calm, then:

"Take my hat and my life with me!"

When faced with Zephyr, who was already prepared to face death calmly, Luffy just chuckled.

"I don't care about your life, I've already had my fun!"

······

"If you still want to fight, I'm happy to oblige."

Faced with Luffy's cheerful smile, Zephyr shook his head after a few seconds of stunned silence.

"No, I have no reason to throw a punch anymore."

"Luffy!" X7

"Teacher Zephyr!" x2

With the arrival of other members from both sides, this battle of convictions came to an end.