The principle behind training Observation Haki was to shut off the ability to see and strengthen the ability to "hear."
This "hearing" had nothing to do with the ears. It was about sensing with the heart.
Everything had a unique "voice" of its own, one that could only be sensed and "heard" with the heart.
Morito willingly covered his eyes, shutting off his Byakugan.
The Byakugan could see through objects, so simply covering his eyes was useless. Even so, Morito chose to cover them to conceal his ocular technique.
The Byakugan was Morito's secret, and his trump card.
Only the dead could learn of it besides himself.
Armament Haki was awakened and strengthened through combat.
That required a body that was physically up to the task. Otherwise, no matter how many battles someone fought, they would never master Armament Haki.
Morito's situation was a little different. He was still at the beginner stage with both Observation Haki and Armament Haki.
In other words, Morito could use both Observation Haki and Armament Haki.
His Two-Color Haki simply wasn't strong enough yet.
Zephyr's goal was to strengthen Morito's Two-Color Haki, taking him from "able to use it" to "proficient" and "masterful," or even higher.
Haki could be divided into six simple ranks: beginner, low, intermediate, advanced, top, and Awakening.
Morito's eyes were covered by thick, dark cloth, and the Byakugan's vision was shut off.
Now, Morito was in total darkness—a genuinely blind man.
"Sense the 'voices' my body gives off during combat. Predict my attacks and dodge them."
"If you really can't dodge, use Armament Haki to defend yourself."
Zephyr gave him one last reminder before attacking.
If Morito didn't want to get beaten up, he had to dodge with all his strength. Dodging would train his Observation Haki.
The key to Observation Haki was staying calm.
If his mind grew unsettled, he wouldn't be able to hear the voices.
It didn't matter if he couldn't dodge and got hit. Armament Haki grew stronger through taking blows!
Whether he dodged or not, he would still get some training.
"Are you ready?"
Zephyr asked.
Morito gave a slight nod.
Zephyr immediately stomped down and charged forward. He covered the dozen or so paces in an instant, then drove a fist straight at Morito's face.
A terrifying rush of force slammed into Morito. Even his still-unpracticed Observation Haki could sense it clearly.
What was this old man thinking? The force of his punch alone was making Morito's cheeks sting!
There was no need to take training this seriously, was there?
Why did it feel like this old man Zephyr simply wanted to beat him up?
Morito had no time to think. He hurriedly leaned backward.
As if he had anticipated Morito's move, Zephyr's fist abruptly changed course and smashed toward his chest.
Morito's expression shifted. He stepped to the side, immediately changing his backward lean into a different movement.
Shave!
With a whoosh, Morito vanished from where he stood. He reappeared twenty paces away!
So the kid's Shave really wasn't an ordinary Shave!
Had he developed a new technique from it?
Zephyr's eyes flashed with surprise.
Morito's Shave was too fast.
"Using the Marine Six Styles is forbidden during training!"
Using Iron Body to defend or Shave to dodge would prevent Morito from getting the intended results from his training.
Zephyr had barely finished speaking when his second attack was already upon Morito.
He didn't give Morito a moment to catch his breath.
Today's training was meant to strengthen Morito's Two-Color Haki, but Zephyr also wanted to test where his true limits lay.
Zephyr wasn't holding back, but he was keeping some strength in reserve.
If Morito truly couldn't take it anymore, Zephyr could pull back at the last moment.
His fist tore through the air, shattering it.
Morito felt every hair on his body stand on end. He almost opened his Byakugan and counterattacked on instinct.
But in the end, Morito held back and forced himself to calm down.
Observation Haki meant listening to the "voices" of all things with the heart. Only in an exceptionally calm state could he bring out more of its power.
"Don't panic. Stay calm."
Morito kept repeating this to himself.
Zephyr's attacks were fierce and powerful. They were dangerous, but the straightforward, head-on punches were also easier to predict.
The Iron Fist style had always been direct.
But predicting an attack and dodging it were two different things.
Morito chose to dodge while defending at the same time. He covered his arms in Armament Haki, raised them to protect the vital parts of his body, and shifted diagonally to the side with a quick series of steps.
"Those heavy punches have plenty of power, so they're easy to predict, right?"
Zephyr grinned. He eased up on the force of his punch, followed Morito's sidestep, and swept out with a hook.
Clang!!
Armament Haki collided with Armament Haki, producing a muffled metallic clang.
Zephyr's body sank. His feet planted into the earth like the roots of an old tree, holding him firmly in place. He drew strength from the ground, and the force of his punch erupted a second time.
Morito suddenly lifted off the ground and flew backward as if he weighed nothing.
He didn't panic in midair. He put strength into his waist and legs and adjusted his position.
Thud!
Morito landed steadily on both feet, but the powerful hook's force hadn't dissipated. It sent him stumbling back more than a dozen paces before he finally came to a stop.
"So this is real Armament Haki?"
"It's not even in the same league."
Morito shook out his aching arm. He didn't need to look to know it was badly bruised.
There were differences in strength even between users of Armament Haki.
Zephyr's Armament Haki was far beyond what Morito's beginner-level Haki could withstand.
If Morito hadn't gone with the force of Zephyr's blow and retreated, his hands would be in far worse shape than just being bruised.
"Whew."
Morito endured the pain in his arm and got back into his fighting stance.
Seeing this, Zephyr charged at him again.
He threw a plain punch. There was no need to target a blind spot; he could just hammer Morito straight on.
Without using Shave, Morito could only barely dodge.
But Zephyr's attacks weren't so easy to avoid.
Most of them struck Morito. He blocked the majority, but a few landed on his body.
Morito's Armament Haki wasn't strong enough to fully protect him. Less than half an hour into training, bruises were already scattered across his body.
Complain that Zephyr was hitting too hard?
There was nothing to complain about.
Wasn't this exactly what Morito wanted?
Hadn't he made a stunning impression at the Training Camp exam, showing off his strength and talent so that Garp and Zephyr would take him seriously?
If he wanted to live comfortably in this chaotic sea, he had to grow stronger.
Becoming strong didn't happen overnight. It took perseverance. Besides talent and hard work, it also required vast resources for training.
By showing enough talent, Morito had made the Naval Academy notice him and devote plenty of resources to his development.
Zephyr was the Naval Academy's chief instructor and the former poster admiral of Marine Headquarters.
There was no question about his strength or teaching ability.
Getting personal guidance from Zephyr as he trained his Two-Color Haki was exactly the kind of investment Morito had hoped to receive.
Anyone would have been grinning from ear to ear.
Morito's mouth was a mess too, but not from grinning. Zephyr had beaten it bloody.
He licked the wound at the corner of his mouth.
The taste of blood stung his taste buds.
It was as if Morito had forgotten the pain. A wicked smile crossed his face. This time, he didn't take a defensive stance. Instead, he pushed off the ground and charged straight at Zephyr.
Just taking hits without fighting back wasn't his style!
Even if Zephyr pummeled him ten times, landing one slap on Zephyr would make it worthwhile!
"Finally had enough?"
Zephyr raised an eyebrow. He was starting to grow impatient.
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