Fists Against Gion, Kicks for Tokikake

"Wah!"

Tokikake let out a miserable scream. Still airborne and not yet having landed, he opened his mouth and spat out a crimson spray of blood. Then, like a cannonball fired from its barrel, his body spiraled backward through rings of air before crashing headfirst into the Plaza ground.

As the sound of a heavy object hitting the ground rang out, cracks spread from where Tokikake had landed like pythons slithering outward. The Plaza split apart like a dried-up riverbed, web-like fissures spreading everywhere as clouds of dust surged up through the cracks and formed pillars that shot toward the sky.

"Is this Conqueror's Haki Coating?"

Lying in the deep crater, Tokikake felt his eyelids grow unbearably heavy, making it difficult to open his eyes.

His head felt as though it had been struck by a mountain. Pain tore through it, and the world spun around him.

This feeling was very similar to when Rosen had previously intimidated him with Conqueror's Haki, but the difference in power was like heaven and earth.

If simply releasing Conqueror's Haki had a power level of 10, then using Conqueror's Haki Coating had a power level of over 100.

It fully unleashed the power of Conqueror's Haki.

It was no longer merely the qualification of a king, nor was it a skill for clearing fodder.

It was the symbol of becoming king.

"Can't get up?"

Over on the other side.

Gion used her sword as a crutch and rose from the ground. Seeing Tokikake take a hit of Conqueror's Haki Coating from Rosen and immediately collapse like his health bar had been instantly emptied, unable to get back up, made her heart tighten.

Although she had only known Tokikake for a day, they were both as tall as Admirals, and they had both learned Armament Haki Coating Hardening within a single day. She had a very clear understanding of Tokikake's strength.

He was no weaker than her.

But now?

He had gone down after taking just one kick.

In other words.

If she had been in Tokikake's position and taken a hit of Rosen's Conqueror's Haki Coating, she would not have fared much better.

"So this is Rosen's strength?"

"Teacher Zefa."

"You were wrong. Even two against one is still the greatest unfairness to us!"

Gion looked toward Rosen, who stood proudly at the center of the Plaza.

For the first time, she felt what absolute oppression was.

Even joining forces with Tokikake, they had still been utterly crushed and defeated by Rosen.

"Let's see."

"Just how much can battle improve Haki?"

"No, I should say, just how great is the effect of Qi Body Origin Flow?"

After punching Gion and kicking Tokikake, Rosen lowered his leg and stood still. He did not continue attacking the two of them. Instead, he poured his consciousness into the Haki within his body.

The moment he looked, he discovered that the Three Colors of Haki, which had originally resembled three balls of light occupying his upper, middle, and lower dantian, had all undergone visible changes.

After real combat, whether it was Observation Haki, Armament Haki, or Conqueror's Haki, the surfaces of all three masses of Qi had transformed into Qi Infants of three different colors, each occupying one of his upper, middle, and lower dantian.

By pouring his consciousness into the Qi Infants, Rosen could clearly sense the three of them making movements similar to breathing.

After every breath, he found that all three of his Haki types improved slightly.

Not only that, after the Three Colors of Haki transformed into Three-Color Qi Infants, they could cultivate on their own and steadily increase the strength of his Haki over time. The effect of battle on improving Haki strength had also received an enormous boost.

Just like now.

Your comprehension is heaven-defying. Through your first battle, combined with the cultivation of Qi Body Origin Flow, the strength of the Three Colors of Haki has increased.

Armament Haki strength increased by 30%.

Observation Haki strength increased by 20%.

Conqueror's Haki strength increased by 20%.

A stream of information surfaced in Rosen's mind.

He fell into thought.

Was it because Armament Haki had been used the most times during the battle?

Was that why, among the Three Colors of Haki, Armament Haki had received the greatest increase in strength?

After personally experiencing the effects of Qi Body Origin Flow, Rosen was incomparably satisfied with the Haki cultivation method he had created.

It had only been one battle.

Yet all Three Colors of Haki had improved visibly.

What if he did this a few more times?

Moreover, he had discovered that battle was not the only thing capable of producing immediate improvements in the Three Colors of Haki. The Qi Infants' independent cultivation could do the same.

The prerequisite was that they needed something.

Nutrition.

An enormous amount of nutrition.

At that thought, Rosen suddenly felt an urge.

No more classes. He would take a trip to the cafeteria first.

"That's enough for now."

"Let's go to the cafeteria and eat something."

"I've already had someone prepare meat from Sea Kings for you..."

Seeing Gion raise her sword and prepare to fight again, Zefa spoke up to end the sparring session.

Tokikake was already lying there, and Gion was not in good condition either. Continuing the sparring would not have much effect. It would only injure their bodies.

They might as well rest, replenish their nutrition, and continue practicing Haki techniques in the afternoon.

Of course.

That was the arrangement for Gion and Tokikake. Rosen was different.

Just as Zefa had said from the start, this was the last class Gion and Tokikake could attend together with Rosen.

"Meat made from Sea Kings."

Hearing that, Rosen's heart immediately stirred.

Sea Kings.

They could be said to be one of the defining features of the pirate world, as well as the true strongest race of these seas.

Even the most ordinary Sea King was rarely less than a hundred meters long.

Some supermassive Sea Kings could only be measured in kilometers. Giants were like miniature toys in front of them.

The Sea King meat Zefa mentioned naturally could not have come from supermassive Sea Kings, but even ordinary Sea Kings possessed nutrition far beyond imagination.

They were most suitable for the cultivation of Qi Body Origin Flow.

"You're still alive, right?"

"Expert."

Zefa walked over to Tokikake, looked down at him, and did not forget to tease him.

"Teacher Zefa."

"You were wrong."

"Even if Gion and I fought Young Man Rosen together, it would still be the greatest unfairness to us."

Tokikake pushed himself up with both hands, rose to his feet, shook his still-dizzy head, and wore a miserable expression.

"Come to think of it, this is all because I misjudged you."

"I never expected it."

"The strength of an expert like you is far, far lower than you claimed."

Zefa was still dwelling on Tokikake calling himself an expert earlier.

Tokikake could only smile bitterly.

I'll never show off again.

Especially when Rosen was around.

"Let's go."

"Time to eat."

Although Zefa was teasing Tokikake, he still carefully examined his body.

Only after confirming that Tokikake had no serious injuries did he lead Rosen and the other two toward the cafeteria.

Inside the Marine cafeteria.

Whether they were instructors eating or staff serving food, everyone stared without blinking at the mountain-like stacks of plates on a nearby table.

More precisely, at the black-haired youth seated before two mountains of plates.

"Ten minutes! He's eaten a full hundred pounds of meat."

"And he's still eating."

"Is his stomach connected to the sea?"

"Although Mr. Sakazuki, Mr. Borsalino, and Mr. Kuzan all had huge appetites when they attended the Military Academy, none of them were this outrageous!"

Watching Rosen devour a hundred pounds of Sea King meat in ten minutes and continue eating—no, it would be more accurate to call it sweeping the food away—the people present grew increasingly shocked.

"Eat more slowly."

"There's plenty of meat."

Seeing that Rosen's sweeping speed had not slowed in the slightest, Zefa could only add that.

Upon hearing that there was plenty of meat, Rosen finally slowed down. At the same time, he had enough spare attention to notice Gion and Tokikake beside him.

"Why aren't you eating?"

Seeing that both of them held utensils while the space before them remained completely empty, he asked curiously.

"I want to eat too!"

"But every time a dish is served, I have no idea why, but that plate of meat has already ended up in your stomach."

Veins bulged across Tokikake's forehead.

After getting kicked by Rosen with Conqueror's Haki Coating, he had wanted to replenish himself in the cafeteria.

But after sitting there for a full ten minutes, aside from seeing the meat with his eyes, he had not been able to eat a single bite.

"Call in a few more chefs."

Seeing this, Zefa could only use his authority as both Head Instructor and principal to summon several chefs.

With the addition of fresh manpower, the speed at which food was served improved immediately.

After Rosen had eaten around a hundred and fifty pounds of food, Gion and Tokikake finally received their first bites of meat.

"Seventy percent full!"