Haki Training, Home in the Deep Sea

Clang! Clang!

The bells rang throughout the harbor. Everyone who heard them set down their work and moved the small boats originally docked at the port aside, leaving enough space for a large warship to berth.

This island was where Nereus had settled the slaves he rescued. Over the years, the people he had saved and brought here, together with the new generation born after they settled down, numbered tens of thousands.

By the standards of this sea, it already counted as a small nation, with Nereus as its uncrowned king.

"Lord Nereus! Welcome home!"

"Lord Nereus! Did your trip go smoothly? We didn't see any news about you in the papers!"

Although there was a Calm Belt nearby, it did not seal the island off as tightly as Amazon Lily's did. The gaps left behind were enough for News Coos to deliver newspapers here.

"Everything went smoothly. Spread the word—we'll be heading to the South Blue soon. Anyone whose hometown is in the South Blue can come with us.

"We also brought back quite a few newcomers this time. Arrange places for them to stay, and explain the island's rules to them."

"Yes, Lord Nereus. Leave it to us."

The island's rules were simple: no stealing or hurting others, treat every race equally, and never discriminate against anyone.

The island provided housing, assigned suitable work, and ensured that everyone could make a living.

The first people to settle here had long grown used to this. They already had a well-practiced system for receiving newcomers.

This time, Nereus also left behind a large number of accompanying personnel, along with a warship.

Those people were not combatants to begin with, so they would be safer staying here.

A small group whose hometowns were in the South Blue and who still intended to return home boarded Nereus's warship.

Most of the time, Nereus would not personally take everyone home one by one. It was a rather time-consuming voyage, so he usually sent people back only when it was along the way.

After all, there was a fellow member of the Fishman Race in the South Blue whom he needed to bring back, and other matters also required Nereus to make a trip there.

Everyone had to undergo an inspection before leaving the island, to prevent them from carrying a Permanent Log Pose to the island.

Because the island was not located on any ordinary route, normal Log Poses could not detect its magnetic field. There was no way to find it.

Nereus had only discovered the island through a fortunate coincidence. As long as no Permanent Log Pose was smuggled out, outsiders would have little chance of finding this place.

After leaving some people behind, Nereus and the others set sail again. During the voyage, he also resumed his duties as an instructor.

His main students were Nanamo and Amphitrite.

Teaching Nanamo was part of her regular lessons, while Amphitrite had come to him on her own for one reason only—to become stronger.

"Amphi, do you have some kind of... strange tendency?"

"Strange tendency?"

"This is the first time I've seen someone smile while learning Haki from her dad!"

Amphitrite had not known Haki before. Apart from the rare few who were born with Awakened Haki possessing special abilities, everyone else had to master it through training.

The method of learning Haki was not particularly complicated. With a skilled Guide, all one needed to do was get beaten up.

Nereus was extremely strict during lessons. On this sea, personal strength was crucial. The stronger his family and friends were, the more at ease Nereus could be when handling other matters.

A Steel Balloon could withstand guns, cannons, blades, and swords, but it could not withstand Nereus's fists. Even Nanamo found the lessons troubling at times.

But Amphitrite was different. From the day Nereus said she could join the training, she had been visibly excited.

Though she had never studied it before, Amphitrite had an excellent foundation—she could even be called a genius.

Not only could she endure Nereus's intense training, but after just a few days, she had begun to touch upon the threshold of Armament Haki under his guidance.

"Isn't becoming stronger a good thing?"

Amphitrite looked at the faint Armament Haki covering her hand. Emitted Armament Haki itself was colorless, but once it coated the body or a weapon, it took on a pure black color.

Though she was still unskilled in using it, her Armament Haki could indeed already serve as armor.

"Do you know what it means to initially master Armament Haki?"

"It means I can begin the next stage of training?"

"It means Dad can hit you even harder!"

In a sense, Amphitrite was right. First, one took a few beatings to initially grasp Haki. Then, one took even more beatings to become proficient with it. That was the process of training Armament Haki.

Their different upbringings gave them entirely different views of the same thing. Nanamo was still a little young; even if she did not resist training, she still wanted to play.

She simply could not understand this overly driven "junior" of hers, Amphitrite.

During the several days at sea, Nanamo had made some progress, but she always felt that her life had somehow become even more miserable.

After several days of sailing, the ship had approached the Red Line. The craftsmen aboard gradually got to work, brushing a special liquid over the vessel.

"That's coating liquid made from Yarukiman Mangrove resin. Only after being coated can a ship dive down to Fish-Man Island."

Fish-Men themselves were not afraid of water, but many things aboard the ship could not be submerged. On top of that, some of the human crew lacked that talent, so coating was still essential.

However, the people aboard did not need to wait the whole time. They could swim down directly. Nanamo was among those who could not wait, and she immediately called for Nereus to head back with her first.

"Big Sister Amphi, wait on the ship for now. We'll go down first. See you in a while."

"How long does it take to swim from here to Fish-Man Island...?"

"A coated ship takes around three hours. If we swim, it should only take about an hour. It'll be quick."

"If it's only an hour, I don't need to wait. I can swim down with you."

As she spoke, Amphitrite stretched her body, seemingly preparing to swim. When the Fish-Men nearby heard her, they looked at her in disbelief.

"Little girl, I'm not trying to dampen your enthusiasm, but you may not understand Fish-Man Island well enough. It lies ten thousand meters beneath the sea, and Miss Nanamo said one hour."

Sebastian removed his sunglasses, seemingly wanting a proper look at whether this little girl who habitually dressed like a mummy was talking nonsense.

"I heard you correctly, and I'm not trying to show off. Though I can't breathe underwater like you can, I can endure an oxygen-free environment for a while. I can hold my breath for two hours, so there's more than enough time."