Flames Entwined! Observation Haki Training

Aside from looking a bit cooler, the flames currently wreathed around the blade didn't offer much of an improvement.

Dunn exhaled and pulled up his digitized status panel.

[Body Digitization: Your vital points have vanished. Upon being attacked, damage is converted into a deduction of HP. Panel attributes will change based on your actual strength. You will not die until your HP reaches zero.]

[Current Physical Age: Fourteen]

[Constitution: 21 (Rapidly transforming due to certain influences)]

[Current HP: 100% (Recovering; consuming food will accelerate recovery)]

[Inherent Talent (Indomitable): When HP reaches zero, enter a brief empowered state. All your physical attributes increase tenfold; your HP will no longer decrease; all negative status effects are cleared. Current duration: ten minutes. Cooldown: one day.]

[Abilities]

[Mera Mera no Mi (Proficient): A powerful Logia-type fruit ability. Grants the power to transform into and manipulate flames. Continuously strengthens the body. Fruit drawbacks have been removed (weaknesses and soul-inhabitation). Current fruit development (13%)]

[Swordsmanship (Proficient): You have mastered the basic techniques and training methods of swordsmanship.]

The improvement to the fruit wasn't much, only increasing by 4%. However, compared to a month ago, his constitution had risen by a full 11 points, and the notification regarding the rapid transformation still hadn't disappeared.

This meant that his physical growth was still ongoing.

This was a good thing.

However, as for the Devil Fruit, it wasn't convenient to attempt full-scale development here, at least not for now.

After the flames on the sword in Dunn's hand completely retracted, he sheathed his blade, and the sweltering heat in the room gradually dissipated.

"It seems I'll have to make other plans."

Relying solely on imagination made it impossible to rapidly develop the power of a Devil Fruit; it required a place where he could unleash his abilities to their full extent.

He had originally intended to train here until he became a master swordsman, which Dunn estimated would take several years.

But now, if staying here would hinder the development of his fruit, he couldn't remain for that long.

Once he mastered two types of Haki, it would be time to head out and explore.

Still, there shouldn't be many people who know about his fruit's abilities.

Dunn narrowed his eyes, thinking of the pirates he had sent to the 16th Marine Base.

Of course, he didn't take it too much to heart.

The next day.

Inside the Isshin Dojo, Dunn gripped the longsword he had named Flame and practiced his basic sword movements with earnest focus.

Even though the blade had a dull luster, its imposing appearance still drew the gazes of many.

Kuina and Zoro would occasionally let their eyes linger on the sword in Dunn's hand.

Not far away, Shimotsuki Koshiro nodded to himself.

He believed that Dunn would surely achieve great things in the future, and this was precisely why.

He was neither arrogant nor impetuous; even though his strength far exceeded the others, he never showed the slightest negligence toward basic training.

"How many times have you won your fights against Zoro?"

Kuina was swinging her bamboo sword beside Dunn when she suddenly heard his question.

"1,995 times!"

Kuina replied upon hearing this.

On the other side, Zoro's face turned beet red at the mention, but a loss was a loss.

Dunn nodded.

It seemed the time of Kuina's original death was drawing near.

Since he was here, Dunn naturally intended to prevent that from happening. It wasn't difficult for him; he just needed to pay a little attention.

This was also the reason he wanted to learn Observation Haki first.

As soon as training concluded, Zoro, clearly still mindful of Dunn's earlier question, challenged Kuina once again.

And for Dunn, his training in Observation Haki began.

In a quiet room, Shimotsuki Koshiro looked at Dunn with a smile.

"Since you know about Haki and are aware of one way to train it, you should know what Observation Haki is, right?"

He didn't start with a direct explanation, but instead posed a question.

What is Observation Haki?

Dunn lowered his head slightly in thought.

His understanding of Haki was limited to what he had learned from the work before he transmigrated, but for someone like him who had never been exposed to such power before, it was all rather abstract.

He could only do his best to try and grasp it.

However, Dunn was able to provide an answer to Shimotsuki Koshiro's inquiry.

"Is it perception?"

Dunn remained silent for a moment before offering his answer.

"Heh, perception? Is that how you view Observation Haki? Though, that is not an incorrect way to understand it."

Shimotsuki Koshiro said with a beaming smile.

"Everything has a breath. Whether you listen or feel, you must perceive their breath—be it the wind, the water, the trees, or even steel.

Of course, that also includes people.

After all, Observation Haki is not directed solely at living things; it also encompasses those that are inanimate. You will need to understand this for your future swordsmanship training."

Dunn nodded slightly, having understood the words, though he found them somewhat abstract.

Seeming to read Dunn's thoughts, Shimotsuki Koshiro smiled and continued, "In truth, Haki is a power that everyone possesses, but it lies dormant within the human body and must be awakened through training.

Naturally, once it is awakened, you must continue to train to make that Haki stronger."

"I know all of that," Dunn nodded. "So, is Conqueror's Haki the same?"

"Conqueror's Haki is different. That is a truly one-in-a-million talent; it is not something everyone possesses."

Shimotsuki Koshiro shook his head immediately, seemingly realizing that this conflicted with his previous statement that everyone had Haki, and he clarified further.

"I am not very knowledgeable about Conqueror's Haki myself, but I do know that on this vast sea, the number of people who possess it is extremely small."

The underlying implication of these words was that it was far too early for Dunn to be talking about such things.

Dunn nodded, choosing not to interrupt Shimotsuki Koshiro.

"In fact, you have already awakened Observation Haki, only you have yet to realize it—or perhaps, you have yet to perceive this power."

Shimotsuki Koshiro's words left Dunn stunned, and he looked down at his own hands.

"You said Observation Haki is perception. Then, based on your understanding, try to perceive everything around you. Try to perceive the breath of everything in your surroundings."

Upon hearing this, Dunn closed his eyes and attempted to focus his spirit.

Suddenly, a lethal killing intent rushed toward him.

The violent killing intent caused goosebumps to erupt across Dunn's skin instantly.

Almost instinctively, Dunn was about to turn into his elemental form to resist this murderous intent.

But the killing intent came as swiftly as it vanished.

The source of that intent was none other than Shimotsuki Koshiro, who was sitting not far away.

Within Dunn's perception, it was as if a blood-red figure had suddenly appeared sitting on the ground before him, resembling a blood-red demon.

He snapped his eyes open and looked at Shimotsuki Koshiro across from him.

"Did you feel it?"

Shimotsuki Koshiro asked with a smile.

"The aura I released was very subtle. If one is not sensitive enough to aura or breath, they would be unable to perceive it. Do you remember that feeling from just now?"