Dunn's eyes filled with surprise.
A new ability had appeared on his digitized status panel.
[Observation Haki (Preliminary Mastery): You have a preliminary sense of the energy of all things in the world]
He had mastered it just like that?
It had come so easily that Dunn could hardly believe it, which was why he was so surprised.
"Energy?"
Dunn keenly noticed the explanation of Observation Haki on the digitized panel.
"Energy? That's a good way to put it."
Hearing Dunn's quiet words, Shimotsuki Koshiro paused, then fell silent for a moment before speaking with a smile.
"That's a description of what you sensed. Whether you call it breath or energy, it represents what you understand. It seems you really did grasp it."
As Shimotsuki Koshiro spoke, his tone was tinged with emotion.
His earlier conversation with Dunn's father had left him with the vague impression that Dunn had awakened his Observation Haki.
But Dunn's behavior now clearly showed that he had already sensed this power.
His speed of mastery was humbling.
Even Koshiro himself had first started with swordsmanship, and only gradually sensed the breath of all things before mastering Observation Haki.
"Thank you."
Dunn closed his eyes again. When that strange sensation returned, he opened them and offered his thanks.
"Now that you've mastered Observation Haki, Armament Haki may not be too difficult for you."
Shimotsuki Koshiro did not waste time. He actually planned to explain Armament Haki next.
"Back in my homeland, Armament Haki is called Ryuo. It's a power born within your own body. If your physique isn't strong enough, it's difficult to draw out this power.
"It's a power that can flow and be controlled. Once mastered, it can grant you tremendous defensive and offensive strength. It can even let you fight against certain powerful Devil Fruit Users."
As Shimotsuki Koshiro said this, he gave Dunn a meaningful look.
A scorching sensation sometimes came from Dunn's room.
Shimotsuki Koshiro, who had mastered Observation Haki, could sense it clearly.
"So Observation Haki senses the energy of things outside yourself, while Armament Haki is actually the use of some kind of energy within your own body?"
Dunn had figured it out.
The explanation of Observation Haki mentioned energy.
Then, according to Koshiro's explanation, this might be the same thing.
If it was hard to understand, he could think of it as inner energy, which was easier for him to grasp.
Of course, there might be some differences, but that was probably the general idea.
"Hmm... perhaps that's right."
Shimotsuki Koshiro fell silent for a moment, considered Dunn's explanation, then nodded.
"My abilities are limited, so I can only explain it according to my own understanding. There are many people on these seas stronger than me, and perhaps my explanations of Observation and Armament Haki aren't entirely accurate."
Shimotsuki Koshiro cautioned him.
"You're too modest, dojo master. You're very strong."
Dunn shook his head slightly.
In the original story, Luffy encountered many powerful opponents along the way, and most of them gave Monkey D. Luffy a hard fight. But in truth, those opponents were only a small fraction of the strong people on the seas.
And a Top-tier Swordsman was already one of the very best on the seas.
"Everyone has their own strengths. My talent is limited, and I can see where its limits lie. But you, Dunn... I can't see what your future holds."
"Is that a compliment?" Dunn smiled.
"No. I'm merely stating a fact. This world isn't peaceful. I know you may understand this world very well, so you should know what it's like."
As Dunn listened, he gradually sensed that something was off and immediately raised a hand.
"I've heard Armament Haki is a power that has to be drawn out. Do you imagine that you're wearing an invisible suit of armor?"
A clumsy change of subject.
Shimotsuki Koshiro naturally noticed.
He also knew he had said a little too much.
He had a feeling that Dunn might one day become a figure of great importance on these seas.
And someone like that could affect the whole world, no matter what he did.
"You're right!"
As Shimotsuki Koshiro spoke, he raised his arm in front of him.
Dunn narrowed his eyes. Through his Observation Haki, he sensed something covering Shimotsuki Koshiro's arm.
"This is the most basic use of Armament Haki. Once you have enough Haki, it'll look like this."
As Shimotsuki Koshiro spoke, his arm seemed to be covered in a layer of dark purple armor.
"And like this!"
Koshiro reached out and picked up the cup on the table in front of him.
Dark purple spread over the cup.
"Emission, or Ryuo—these are all ways of using Armament Haki."
Dunn nodded lightly at his words.
"I understand."
"If you understand, you can try drawing out your own Armament Haki later. But it isn't easy. Many people spend their entire lives without ever drawing out this energy.
"Of course, for you, it shouldn't be difficult."
Dunn lowered his head and looked at his hands. He tried a little, but nothing happened.
It seemed he would need to put in more effort.
"There's one thing I need to remind you of: your Haki is limited, not infinite. If you use too much, you'll need time to recover it.
"The time it takes varies from person to person, and so does the amount of Haki they have. It all depends on your physique."
"I understand. I'll remember that."
Dunn nodded.
"In that case, you can head back for now and try it on your own. Starting tomorrow, I'll spar with you myself. If you want to quickly understand how to use your sword and Haki, fighting is the best way."
Shimotsuki Koshiro said with a smiling face.
There was something a little ill-intentioned in his tone.
Of course, Dunn wasn't afraid of him.
After getting to his feet and taking his leave, Dunn departed.
Once outside, Dunn took out a silk scarf and tied it over his eyes. He was still unpracticed, but he activated his Observation Haki.
Either way, it couldn't hurt to use it more.
If using too much Haki affected his body, Dunn could completely ignore that drawback.
Kuina practiced her sword swings alone in the dojo, while behind it, in the woods, Zoro swung a bamboo sword with a stone tied to it in both hands.
Dunn returned to his room and tried to draw out his own Armament Haki.
At dusk.
An unremarkable merchant ship slowly approached Shimotsuki Village, then docked at the pier.
The people who disembarked wore gray cloaks that hid their faces.
One of them, though, had an unusually large head.
"Move quickly. Once we've gathered the food, we'll leave. Our identities are rather sensitive."
A deep voice rang out, and the others all nodded.
The group hurried along in silence. Before long, they reached Isshin Dojo, where Shimotsuki Koshiro was already waiting.
"The food is all ready."
Shimotsuki Koshiro still spoke slowly and calmly. He had clearly arranged everything with these people in advance.
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