Six Powers Training (1)

Deep within the primeval forest.

Whoosh, whoosh... Surrounded by countless wild beasts, Colin's figure flashed back and forth without pause.

Reg stood on high ground, watching without blinking... Though his eyes still struggled to keep up with Colin's movement speed when using Shave, his Observation Haki managed to track him.

Facing so many huge, continuously roaring beasts... Colin showed no fear at all.

At times he used Shave; at times he used Moon Walk to hang in the air; at times he used Iron Body to withstand attacks head-on. Finger Pistol and Tempest Kick struck in tandem... It was a showcase of the Six Powers.

Whimper... Howl... Unfortunately, the good times did not last. The beasts finally recalled the terror of being dominated in the past: these damned men in black had slaughtered far too many of their brethren!

"Hmph... A bunch of bullies who only pick on the weak."

Returning to Reg's side, Colin shook out his hair and elegantly adjusted his tie, looking utterly high-spirited.

Though he felt a little embarrassed, Reg still put on an admiring expression. "That was amazing, Teacher!"

"Of course. This is a powerful martial art born from the accumulated experience of countless predecessors!"

Colin took his coat and draped it over himself. "Let's start by learning Paper Art."

"Okay."

Reg swept his gaze around... The forest, which had been bustling just moments ago, had fallen completely silent after leaving behind so many corpses.

It seemed that for quite some time, these beasts would rather die than come near this place again.

"You already understand the principles of Paper Art very clearly. With your current abilities, learning it won't be difficult... Attack me next, and carefully feel the changes in my body."

Reg nodded and followed Colin onto a cleared patch of snow before launching his attack.

A straight punch... Colin's shoulders drew slightly inward, and parts of his body compressed as though they were breathing.

A left hook... Colin's right shoulder swayed in response, deforming with the force of the punch as if it were paper blown by the wind.

A side kick... Colin's waist suddenly shrank several sizes, becoming slender as his legs and arms tilted together.

High kicks, combinations, spinning kicks, roundhouse kicks... Reg attacked one after another, while Colin effortlessly used Paper Art to evade every single blow.

Reg, whose Observation Haki had already reached the level of the priests, calmly memorized every change in Colin's body... Paper Art truly lived up to its name. Like weightless paper, it drifted unpredictably, making it impossible even to touch.

Ten days later.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh... They were still in that same primeval forest, except Colin had become the attacker.

Under Colin's continuous barrage, Reg was now like Colin had been ten days ago, his entire body soft as a sheet of paper.

A few minutes later, Colin stopped attacking Reg. "Good... You've grasped the basics already. Your transitions are still a little stiff, but more practice will fix that. Let's move on to the next one."

"Yes, thank you, Teacher."

Reg thanked him earnestly... Since he had not chosen any other classes, Colin had been personally accompanying him as he practiced the techniques of Paper Art.

"Next is Shave. In 0.6 seconds... you need to stomp the ground at least ten times. Only the explosive force produced that way can make most people unable to react."

"Next, I'll use Shave once every five seconds. Pay close attention to the rhythm of my stomps and my muscle movements... Shave may be the simplest of the Six Powers, but it also requires the most time to polish." Colin rolled up his pant legs without minding the cold and seriously instructed Reg.

"Yes, Teacher."

Reg replied... As expected, Shave was not something he could master through blind practice alone.

Although Luffy had learned it after watching it a few times, Reg understood... he was not a single-celled organism. He could not be that single-minded.

One month later.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh... Bang, bang, bang!

Two rapidly moving afterimages continuously collided throughout the forest... fists, legs, palms.

Each time, they separated the instant they made contact... Shave to open the distance, Shave to close it, then they continued fighting at that rhythm.

The snowy world gradually faded and melted away without notice... Hints of spring green began to dot the primeval forest.

"Bang... Good kid, you can already match me in technique... Observation Haki really is convenient." After another clash, Colin stopped attacking.

"It's all because you taught me well."

Reg smiled and scratched his head... Colin's Observation Haki had not awakened, but by drawing out his body's potential through Paper Art, he could still manage its basic applications.

"Of course... All right, let's learn Tempest Kick." Colin replied with a smile.

"Yes, Teacher."

Reg answered with great energy... He had not been foolish for nothing. His years of unceasing effort had allowed him to master two of the Six Powers in just one month.

The reason he did not learn Moon Walk first was because it was the most difficult of the Six Powers and consumed the most stamina.

Moon Walk used the same operating principle as Shave, briefly stomping the air to gain propulsion for aerial suspension and high-speed movement.

This technique placed high demands on one's footwork: stamina, explosive power, and understanding of airflow.

The Paper Art Reg had already mastered used the airflow produced by an opponent's attacks to evade.

But Moon Walk required one to stomp on the ever-present "air." One was active, while the other was passive. Their principles might seem similar, but the difference between them was enormous.

Unlike "Tempest Kick," it used the contraction and extension of the leg muscles to generate momentum. In an instant, the leg lashed out, compressing the air before it into a vacuum-like, razor-sharp slash.

This was an active application of air. If he learned it first... then combined it with the passive application of Paper Art, learning Moon Walk would become much easier.

That was Colin's teaching method... arranging everything as reasonably and effectively as possible, progressing step by step.

"The key to learning Tempest Kick lies in the movement of the leg muscles and explosive power maximized in an instant... I'll demonstrate the muscular changes as slowly as possible. Watch carefully." Colin slightly raised his right foot.

Reg nodded, his eyes opening as wide as they could. At the same time, his Observation Haki sensed the other side of the leg that he could not "see."

Whoosh... thump, thump, thump... whoosh... At such close range, the sound of blood flowing, the swelling and contraction of muscles as they filled with blood, all of it was deeply etched into Reg's mind: there were five months left until the appointed time.

Bang...!

Having completed the preparatory motion, Colin instantly raised his leg and swept it in a semicircle... a crescent-shaped transparent slash shot forth, cleanly severing the trees within its range.

"This is the most basic application... Tempest Kick isn't the only one. The other Six Powers also have derivative techniques that need to be developed according to the individual... This is my Tempest Kick: Wild Wind."

Colin's right leg moved once more... whoosh!

This time, the semicircular slash waves that appeared were like chaotic winds, moving irregularly as they sliced apart the ground and trees all around them.

"Amazing..."

Seeing it with his own eyes, Reg stood there dumbfounded... It was different from those flashy techniques in his memories. Only after witnessing it firsthand did he understand just how terrifyingly destructive slash waves that did not travel in straight lines could be.

"Alright... back to the main topic. First learn the straight-line Tempest Kick. Once you've mastered it, then you can consider the rest." After showing off a little, Colin pulled Reg's thoughts back on track.