Listening to Oneself

Was Long Yi's ability to sense killing intent considered Observation Haki? The answer was naturally yes.

After activating the Wave Imprint, Long Yi would naturally lose his sight and open the Wave Eye, allowing him to control the waves within his body and the outside world.

However, in Long Yi's view, the power of waves differed from Observation Haki.

Observation Haki could sharpen a person's five senses, detect the presence and emotional changes of nearby living beings, and even foresee and evade danger. When cultivated to a profound level, it could even "read minds" or "see the future."

Yet Long Yi's power of waves could not accomplish those things. Even if he cultivated it to the extreme in the future, comprehending the waves of all things and controlling everything, it still could not replace the role of Observation Haki.

Therefore, he needed to fuse these two similar yet distinct systems into a power unique to himself.

Fujitora would be an excellent teacher for him.

"Kid, are you ready? I'm starting."

In the wilderness, Fujitora spoke in a low voice as the sword within his cane slid slightly from its sheath.

"Come on, Uncle Issho. Let's see how much I've improved!"

Long Yi, who had only just recovered from his injuries, held Purple Pill in his hand, his eyes brimming with anticipation.

"Very well. Then let's begin."

Without another word, Fujitora drew his cane sword and gripped it in reverse. The tip lightly tapped the ground as he murmured.

"Gravity Suppression."

Life and death could be decided in an instant; victory and defeat hinged on a single thought.

With a hum, Long Yi felt as though he had been struck by lightning. Before he could even activate the Wave Imprint, an invisible immense force crushed his entire body, slamming him straight into the dirt.

"Damn!"

Cursing inwardly, Long Yi no longer dared to slack off. Fujitora's attack was nowhere near as gentle as he had imagined.

The power of waves within his body abruptly spread outward, weakening the force field around him. Moments later, his eyes turned into a cloudy white.

A profound Wave Imprint spun above his head. Gritting his teeth, he endured the abnormal gravity around him and struggled to rise from the ground.

"Not bad. It seems you've grown much stronger."

Seeing that Long Yi had not yet lost the ability to move, Fujitora offered a quiet word of praise.

Not just anyone could stand up under double gravity.

"Thanks for the compliment! Evil Light Slash!"

Under twice the gravity, Long Yi's expression was slightly twisted.

Waiting helplessly for death had never been his style. Raising an arm that felt as though it had been filled with lead, he desperately slashed out a silver-white sword aura that shot directly toward Fujitora's face.

The sword wind tore through the air with a piercing howl.

"Armament Haki Reinforcement."

Faced with Long Yi's Evil Light Slash, Fujitora neither dodged nor evaded. After black Haki covered his entire face, he actually smiled.

He took the slash head-on without suffering the slightest injury.

"It seems double gravity still isn't enough for you. Then how about this?"

Fujitora's hand did not move at all, yet Long Yi was pressed back into the dirt by gravity.

Under triple gravity, let alone swinging his sword, even moving a finger was incredibly difficult.

"Damn it, is this the power of a Devil Fruit?!"

Even in such dire straits, Long Yi had to admit that while swordsmanship and physical arts were the foundation of the strong, when it came to cheat-level abilities, nothing compared to the various Devil Fruit powers.

Not to mention those Logia Fruits capable of destroying heaven and earth—even Fujitora's Paramecia Fruit, the Press-Press Fruit, was an exceptionally powerful one.

Even without considering swordsmanship or Haki, under Fujitora's gravity manipulation, Long Yi could only be utterly beaten down.

"He's strong like a monster."

Only now that Fujitora had revealed a hint of his edge did Long Yi truly understand how people would judge Fujitora in the future. This burly blind uncle fully deserved the title of monster.

"But that's exactly what makes it interesting!"

The refusal to admit defeat in his bones made Long Yi attempt to stand once more. He knew that since he had chosen this path, one day he would face the Four Emperors, beings on the same level as Fujitora.

Those enemies would not be as "gentle" as Fujitora.

"Get up!"

The low roar from his throat seemed to grant Long Yi strength. Even moving the slightest bit required every ounce of his strength.

Fujitora remained unmoving as a mountain, merely watching Long Yi struggle within the pit.

"Ha!"

With a sharp shout, Long Yi finally pushed himself up, kneeling on one knee.

Mud and dust covered his entire body, while his plain cloth clothes were completely soaked with sweat, leaving him utterly bedraggled.

"Continue. If you can't break through your limits, you'll spend your entire life being pressed to the ground by others."

As Fujitora finished speaking, quadruple gravity descended.

"Urgh!"

Letting out an incoherent cry of pain, Long Yi collapsed again. This time, he could not move no matter what he did. Even breathing became abnormally difficult.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

His powerful heartbeat gradually weakened. Long Yi had never expected a single training session to bring him to the brink of death!

"I cannot see, so my Observation Haki has only 'hearing.' That is all I can teach you."

Sensing Long Yi's agony, Fujitora remained expressionless. He still held his sword against the ground, maintaining the quadruple-gravity field.

If one wanted to gain something, one had to pay something in return.

This was the iron rule on the path to becoming stronger!

The earth fell silent, and all things sank into stillness. Long Yi's consciousness began to scatter.

Under the overwhelming gravity, he was like a small boat amidst wind and rain. One moment of carelessness, and he would be crushed to pieces.

Yet even within this life-and-death predicament, Long Yi had not gained nothing. At the very least, he could now hear sounds he had never heard before.

The creaking of his bones, the instinctive wails of his body, the faint beating of his heart, even the sound of blood quietly flowing through his veins.

"If you wish to listen to external things, you must first learn to listen to yourself."

Though his methods were cruel, Fujitora had imparted all of his own insights without reservation. As for how much Long Yi could gain, that depended entirely on his comprehension.

Only by breaking could one rebuild; only after destruction could one stand anew. The youth struggled desperately beneath the gravity.

A massive warship left Marineford, cleaving through the wind and waves as it sailed toward the distant North Blue.

The Navy flag fluttered in the wind. Standing on the warship's deck, Zephyr gazed into the distance.

The azure sea stretched endlessly beyond the horizon.

"No matter how many years pass, this sea has never changed."

He wore sunglasses, his purple-gray hair dancing in the wind.

Although his burly frame and savage mechanical arm added a hint of fierceness to the old man, an unmistakable air of age could not be suppressed around this former Navy Admiral.

No one knew his physical condition better than himself. Unlike the carefree Karp, Zephyr understood that he had grown old.

"At the very least, before I die, I must leave something more behind for the Navy. Only then can I rest in peace."

Muttering to himself, the old man who had devoted his entire life to the Government and the Navy walked down from the deck.

Teaching Long Yi was the final job Zephyr had chosen for himself.