Cultivating Dual Haki

The principle behind training Observation Haki is to shut down the ability to see and strengthen the ability to 'hear.'

This 'hearing' isn't done with the ears, but felt with the heart.

All things possess a unique 'sound' that belongs only to them, a 'sound' that can only be felt and 'heard' with the heart.

At this moment, Morito deliberately covered his eyes, shutting down his Byakugan.

The Byakugan could see through objects, so a simple blindfold was useless. However, Morito still chose to cover his eyes, this was to hide his dōjutsu.

The Byakugan was Morito's secret, and also his trump card.

Besides him, only the dead would know.

The training method for Armament Haki is to activate and grow it through combat.

The prerequisite is that the physical condition must be up to par; otherwise, no matter how many battles one goes through, it's impossible to master Armament Haki.

Morito's situation was slightly different. He was in the introductory stage for both Observation Haki and Armament Haki.

In other words, Morito could use both types of Haki.

It was just that the strength of his dual Haki was insufficient.

Zephyr's training objective was to strengthen Morito's dual Haki, elevating him from 'can use' to 'proficient,' 'mastered,' and even higher stages.

A simple classification of Haki levels could be divided into: introductory, low-level, mid-level, high-level, top-level, and awakened.

His eyes were covered by a thick, dark cloth, and his Byakugan vision was sealed.

Morito was now completely blind, a true sightless man.

"During combat, sense the 'sound' my body makes, predict my attacks, and dodge them."

"If you absolutely cannot dodge, then use Armament Haki to defend."

Zephyr gave his final reminder before making his move.

If you don't want to get hit, dodge with all your might; exercising Observation Haki during the process of dodging.

The essence of Observation Haki is to remain calm.

If your mind is in chaos, you won't be able to hear the sounds.

It's fine if you can't dodge and get hit; Armament Haki grows through the process of taking hits!

Whether you dodge or don't dodge, you'll gain training.

"Are you ready?"

Zephyr asked.

Morito nodded slightly.

Instantly, Zephyr stomped the ground and charged out with powerful strides. In the blink of an eye, he covered over ten paces, his fist clenched and aimed directly at Morito's face.

A terrifying surge of power washed over Morito, which even his not-yet-proficient Observation Haki could clearly sense.

What's this old guy's deal? The sheer force of his punch is making my cheeks sting!

Training doesn't require this much seriousness, does it?

Why does it feel like this old guy Zephyr just wants to beat me up?

With no time to think further, Morito quickly leaned back.

As if anticipating his movement, Zephyr's fist changed trajectory sharply, smashing down directly towards Morito's chest.

Morito's expression shifted slightly. With a subtle shift of his feet, he altered his backward-leaning motion.

Soru!

With a whoosh, Morito's figure instantly vanished from his original spot, reappearing twenty paces away!

As expected, this kid's Soru isn't ordinary Soru!

Is he developing new techniques?

Zephyr's eyes flashed, secretly astonished.

Morito's Soru was incredibly fast.

"You are forbidden from using the Marine Six Styles during training!"

During training, whether using Tekkai for defense or Soru for evasion, the desired training effect would not be achieved.

Just as Zephyr's words fell, his second attack arrived.

He gave Morito no chance to catch his breath.

Today's training, besides strengthening Morito's dual Haki, also aimed to test the limits of Morito's true capabilities.

Zephyr's attacks were not light, but he held back some strength.

If Morito were truly unable to endure, he could retract his attack at the last critical moment.

The fist's power tore through the air, shredding it.

Morito suddenly felt all the hairs on his body stand on end. He almost instinctively activated his Byakugan to counterattack.

But in the end, Morito held back, forcing himself to calm down.

Observation Haki is about listening to the 'voices' of all things with one's heart, and its power can only be fully unleashed in a very calm state.

"Don't be impatient, stay calm."

Morito kept telling himself this internally.

Zephyr's attacks were fierce and powerful. While dangerous, these straightforward, head-on punches were also relatively easy to predict.

Fist-fighting styles have always been direct.

However, prediction was one thing; actually dodging was another.

Morito chose to dodge and defend simultaneously, shrouding his arms in Armament Haki, raising his hands in a cross to protect his vital areas, and constantly shifting his feet to sidestep.

"The force behind the heavy punches is strong, so it's easy to predict, right?"

Zephyr grinned. He eased up on his punch, and following Morito's sidestep, swept a hook towards him.

Clang!!

Armament Haki clashed against Armament Haki, emitting a dull metallic sound.

Zephyr's body sank, his feet rooting into the ground like ancient trees. His power surged from the earth, and his force erupted once more.

Morito's body suddenly shot into the air, as if he weighed nothing.

Mid-air, Morito remained unfazed. He twisted his waist and legs, adjusting his posture.

Thump!

Morito landed firmly on his feet, but the residual force of the powerful hook hadn't disappeared, sending him staggering back more than ten steps before he finally stopped.

"Is this what true Armament Haki is like?"

"We're not even on the same level."

Morito shook his sore arm. He didn't need to look to know it was definitely bruised.

There were differences even between Armament Haki and Armament Haki.

The sheer power of Zephyr's Armament Haki was something Morito's beginner-level Haki couldn't withstand.

If he hadn't retreated along with Zephyr's force, his hands would be far more than just bruised right now.

"Hoo."

Morito endured the soreness in his arm and resumed his fighting stance.

Seeing this, Zephyr surged forward again.

He threw a punch without any fancy moves, no need to attack from blind spots; he just needed to hammer Morito head-on.

Without using Soru, Morito could barely dodge.

But how could Zephyr's attacks be easily dodged?

Most of the attacks landed on Morito, with the majority being defended against and a few hitting him directly.

Morito's Armament Haki wasn't enough to fully defend, and less than half an hour into the training, he was covered in bruises.

Complain that Zephyr was hitting too hard?

There was nothing to complain about.

Wasn't this the result he wanted?

The reason he'd made such a splash in the Training Camp's final exam, revealing his strength and talent, was precisely to make Garp and Zephyr take him seriously.

To survive and thrive in this chaotic sea, one had to become strong.

Becoming strong wasn't achieved overnight; it was a process of perseverance. Besides innate talent and effort, it also required immense resources for cultivation.

Morito's display of sufficient talent was meant to catch the Naval Academy's eye, leading them to pour vast resources into his development.

Zephyr was the Chief Instructor of the Naval Academy and a former renowned Admiral of Marine Headquarters.

His combat prowess and teaching abilities were beyond question.

To receive one-on-one sparring and guidance from Zephyr on Dual Haki cultivation was the kind of resource allocation Morito had hoped for.

Anyone else would be grinning from ear to ear.

Morito's mouth was also split open, but not from grinning – from being punched.

He licked the wound at the corner of his mouth.

The taste of blood stimulated his taste buds.

Morito seemed to forget the pain, a wicked smile flashing across his face. This time, instead of defending, he pushed off the ground and charged straight at Zephyr.

Being passively beaten wasn't his style!

Even if Zephyr had hammered him ten times, landing just one blow back would be a win!

"Finally lost your patience?"

Zephyr raised an eyebrow, already growing impatient.