Feeling Haki

Aboard the Moya Adventure Group's ship

Moya stood outside Hawkeye's room, about to knock, then lowered his hand, looking hesitant.

"Come in," Hawkeye's cold voice called from inside.

Observation Haki really was useful. It let you sense everything, everywhere.

Moya opened the door and entered Hawkeye's room.

"Hawkeye, sir!"

"I'm going to teach you how to awaken and use Haki. First, tell me how much you know about it."

"Haki is a force that breaks through the body's limits. It's also connected to mental strength and willpower. Armament Haki and Observation Haki can both be acquired through training, while Conqueror's Haki, which only one in a million possesses, requires innate talent!"

"Correct. I can teach you Armament Haki and Observation Haki. I can't teach Conqueror's Haki, either, though I know Shanks's Conqueror's Haki is very powerful!"

"Hawkeye, sir, could I experience your Haki directly?"

"Hmm? Sure."

Hawkeye didn't ask why.

"Grrr..."

Hawkeye's hand turned pitch-black, gleaming darkly and radiating menace. Moya felt the threat to his life as plainly as if he were standing naked before it.

Suppressing his sense of danger, Moya grabbed Hawkeye's black fist, which was infused with Armament Haki. It felt hard and aggressive.

Moya activated his Devil Fruit ability, but it had no effect on Hawkeye at all. Moya was a little disappointed.

He'd hoped to steal a little of Hawkeye's Armament Haki as a template for training, just as he'd stolen a seed of Luffy's Conqueror's Haki.

He hadn't expected Hawkeye's Armament Haki to be so sturdy and flawless that Moya's Slip-Slip Fruit was completely useless against it.

"Hawkeye, your Armament Haki is incredibly solid. Could you reduce its amount and strength? I'd like to experience a beginner's level of Armament Haki first."

"Hmm?" Hawkeye's sharp gaze fixed on Moya, as if he could see right through his little scheme.

"You get one chance. Make another request, and I'll kill you!"

"Please calm down, Hawkeye!"

Moya's heart lurched, and he was nearly scared out of his wits.

Still, Hawkeye did as Moya had asked, changing the blackened Armament Haki into a more basic Haki coating.

Moya pushed his Slip-Slip Fruit ability to its limit, doing his best to sense the Haki coating on Hawkeye.

Under Hawkeye's impatient gaze, Moya finally managed to draw a trace of Hawkeye's Armament Haki into his own hand. He focused on the feeling of Haki's presence and analyzed its composition.

Using that trace of Haki as a template, Moya concentrated on the strongest parts of his body, searching for something similar. He hoped to locate his own Haki, then develop it and train with all his might.

The trace of Hawkeye's Haki in Moya's hand had already dissipated, and he still couldn't find any similar energy within his body. It seemed his body wasn't strong enough yet to produce Haki continuously.

Only in moments of danger or anger could he occasionally trigger its awakening.

He seemed to have awakened it once when he'd fought El Drago, in a fit of anger.

Even so, the sensation of Haki had been etched into Moya's mind. Once his body became strong enough to produce Haki, he wouldn't be groping around in the dark, wondering what it was.

It also confirmed what he remembered about Haki from Buggy's memories.

After that, Moya asked Hawkeye how to train Armament Haki, careful not to make any more requests.

He also asked about training and awakening Observation Haki, as well as swordsmanship.

After reluctantly answering some of Moya's questions, the cool and distant Hawkeye leaped aboard his Coffin Boat and sailed away into the night without looking back.

"Phew! That grim reaper finally left. Captain, did you get anything out of it?"

Buggy patted his chest, let out a sigh of relief, and hurried over to ask.

"I did, just not as much as I'd hoped. Still, it'll be enough to handle most problems in the East Blue."

"Everyone, get some rest. We'll take two days to recuperate, then head to Nami's hometown and help her solve her problem. Her village is in danger, so you'll all need to work extra hard and help Nami drive the enemy away!"

"Moya... are you sure we can do it? Should we wait a while, until you're a little stronger?"

Nami longed for Moya to free her home, but she was also worried that something might happen to him.

"Relax. Arlong's just a nobody. As long as we keep him out of the sea, we'll be fine. But we should still prepare for the possibility that he might jump in.

"We've got plenty of crewmates. What's there to fear? He has three top officers. So do I! Hahaha!"

"Right, Captain! We're no pushovers, either. We'll beat those rotten Fishmen for daring to bully our Nami!" El Drago shouted.

"Thank you, everyone..."

Tears welled in Nami's eyes. Bell-mère, I've finally found where I belong.

"Good. Get some rest. Tomorrow, we'll come up with a plan to keep the Fishmen out of the sea. That's all for now!"

"Moya, I want you..." Nami lay alluringly on Moya's bed.

Moya didn't hesitate. It was a passionate and indescribable night.

In the next room, Kaya and Maddie tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. Rika heard some sounds in a half-asleep daze, then drifted right back off.

The following morning

"Ha! Hah!"

Moya trained with a dumbbell weighing several thousand pounds.

The officers and squad leaders were also practicing Silent Step. Even the girls were working out.

At sea, you had to be ready to grow stronger.

Nami slowly woke up in bed. Hearing the training sounds outside, she blushed. It was all Moya's fault for being so vigorous; she was only just recovering.

Nami left her room and went out onto the deck. The moment she appeared, Kaya and Maddie, both sporting dark circles under their eyes, looked at her enviously.

Feeling their gazes, Nami was both embarrassed and proud. As expected, Moya likes me best.

"You're awake. Here, have some water."

Moya stopped training, took a bottle of water, and leaped to Nami's side.

"Thanks, Moya. You're tired, too. Have some."

After taking a sip, Nami handed it to Moya.

Moya didn't think twice. He took it and drank, making the single men groan in despair.

"Moya, I'll train, too. That way, I can stay by your side all the way to the end!" Nami declared firmly.

Moya didn't object. He didn't want his women to hold him back, either.

"I'll see if I can find you some powerful Devil Fruits!"

"Moya, we'll get stronger, too!" Kaya and Maddie said in unison.

"I believe you!"

Moya looked at the two women in surprise. Had last night made them jealous? He smiled, finding the thought rather amusing.

"Big Brother Moya, me too! I want a Devil Fruit, too!"

Rika raised her hand, speaking on behalf of the grade-schoolers.

"Sure! If we find good Devil Fruits, there'll be one for everyone!" Moya said warmly.

"Then let's keep training! I want everyone above squad-leader rank to learn Silent Step and Basic Swordsmanship!" Moya shouted.

"Yes, Captain!"

And so, the Moya Adventure Group's enthusiasm for training continued to grow, raising the strength of the whole group.

Two days later

"Let's go! Cocoyasi Village!"

"Prepare plenty of fishing nets!"

This would be a real battle—and a fight for the survival of the Moya Adventure Group's cannon fodder. They would face more than a hundred Fishmen, each ten times stronger than a human. The battle would put the Moya Adventure Group through a harsh culling.