Marco's Surprise

There was silence on the other end of the phone. You could hear the sound of wine being poured into a wooden barrel, followed by a long sigh, heavy with the weight of time and helplessness.

"Never mind." The Whitebeard's voice lowered a few decibels. "That kid's always been stubborn. I should have known better."

He stopped dwelling on Ace and changed the subject, getting straight to the point. "Armament Haki, simply put, is the ability to concentrate the energy within the body onto the surface of the body or a weapon."

Don't believe in those fancy techniques. The most basic thing is to take a beating—take the hardest beatings, feel the force of each attack landing on your body, and then force your internal energy to fight back. When you can withstand a cannonball without getting hurt, you've entered the beginner level."

"The next level is to imbue your attacks with Armament Haki, allowing you to strike the physical body of Logia Fruit user. Beyond that is Ryuo, which allows you to project ki into the enemy's body and destroy them from within. This can't be rushed; it requires years of accumulated combat experience."

"As for Observation Haki, it's even simpler. Close your eyes and feel everything around you—the movement of the wind, the rise and fall of the sea, even the vibration of ants crawling across the ground."

"Feel the presence of every living thing, anticipate their movements. Practice to the extreme, and you'll be able to hear the thoughts of others, even see glimpses of the future."

Whitebeard's voice was straightforward, without any reservations, all based on his life's experience. "Remember, whether it's Armament Haki or Observation Haki, you need a good body as a foundation. Especially Armament Haki, forcing yourself to train will only ruin your body. By then, you won't even be able to stand up, let alone become stronger."

"I understand, thank you." Natsu carefully wrote down every word.

After hanging up the phone, he looked out the window at his tribesmen sweating profusely on the Training Ground, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Physical condition? That's the least of your worries.

With the added benefit of the "Time Traveler" tag, all Uchiha members have been subtly integrated into the rules of this world, and their physical strength has long surpassed that of the Ninja World era.

In addition, the Uchiha's inherently strong physique and regenerative abilities mean that almost everyone can master Armament Haki if they train systematically.

As for those with exceptional talent, such as Fugaku and the few Jonin in the clan, it won't be long before they reach the threshold of Ryuo.

He turned and walked to his desk, spread out a sheet of white paper, and wrote down the cultivation method the Whitebeard had described, word by word.

Once the compilation is complete, it will be printed and distributed to the entire clan. From today onwards, the cultivation plan of every clan member will include the element of Haki.

Two years.

Give him two years, and the entire Uchiha Clan will be completely transformed.

At that point, not only the Navy, but even the World Government itself, wouldn't be able to stop them from baring their fangs.

On the deck of the Moby Dick, the salty sea breeze swirled fine spray of waves against the mottled hull.

Whitebeard slowly put down the Den Den Mushi in his hand, his knuckles unconsciously rubbing the cool shell.

He grabbed the gourd beside him and took a big gulp. The pungent rum burned his throat, but it couldn't suppress the heavy unease in his heart.

Teach is a very cunning guy. He dared to kill and rob on his ship and betray the entire pirate crew. He must have been planning this for decades.

Ace is too straightforward and values loyalty more than life itself. Chasing after him alone like this is too easy for him to stumble.

"Pops?"

Marco's voice came from behind.

He had a crumpled medical record tucked under his arm, and the hem of his white coat fluttered in the wind. He had heard the commotion on deck from the infirmary and thought Ace had finally returned the call.

Whitebeard glanced back at him, took another swig of sake, and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Not Ace. It's Uchiha Natsu."

"Uchiha Natsu? Which Uchiha Natsu?" Marco frowned.

Morgans ' newspapers are always a step behind; they've been circling the Calm Belt these past few days, avoiding naval patrols, and haven't even seen a single newsbird, so naturally they've never heard of the name.

Even Whitebeard himself only knew that this was a friend Ace had made by chance.

Just then, the hatch was suddenly pushed open, and Diamond Jozu rushed in, holding a rolled-up newspaper still smelling of ink, his voice loud enough to shatter glass. "Pops! Look! Something terrible has happened! A tough guy has appeared in the West Blue!"

"Oh? How ruthless can it be?" Marco didn't even look up, casually flipping through the medical records as he replied, "One hundred million Beli? That's about all the newcomers can do these days."

Jozu grinned, revealing two rows of White Fang: "Not one hundred million."

"Not one hundred million? Then two hundred million? It can't be three hundred million, can it?" Marco shook his head helplessly, looked up at him, "Stop keeping me in suspense, Jozu, just tell me already."

Whitebeard didn't take it seriously and picked up the gourd again to pour some into his mouth. Marco frowned immediately upon seeing this and reached out to press the gourd's opening. "Pops! Your body can't keep drinking like this! The doctor said your heart can't withstand any more alcohol."

"Gulu la la la la!" The Whitebeard laughed and slapped his hand away. "What's there to be afraid of! What's the point of life without drinking!"

He said he didn't care, but a hint of warmth flashed in his eyes. Being looked after by his son was troublesome, but this concern was more precious than anything else.

Jozu didn't interrupt the father and son's bickering. He silently handed over the newspaper, his voice brimming with barely suppressed excitement. "Not two hundred million, not three hundred million. It's three and a half billion Beli."

"Okay, thirty-five..." Marco replied casually, the pen in his hand falling to the ground with a "clatter" the next second, and he sprang up from his chair. "How much did you say?! Thirty-five billion?!"

Screams echoed throughout the Moby Dick.

Keep in mind, even the "World's Strongest Man," Pops, only had a bounty of just over 5 billion. How could a complete newcomer, whose name has never been heard of, directly receive a staggering 3.5 billion bounty?

Marco snatched the newspaper from Jozu's hand, his eyes wide and his fingers trembling. He quickly scanned the headline, cold sweat trickling down his forehead and dampening his blond hair.

"' Void Demon Tamer ' Uchiha Natsu... 3.5 billion Beli... The entire Marines were wiped out, and Admiral Kizaru retreated in disarray..." His voice trembled more and more as he read, and he suddenly looked up at Whitebeard, his voice distorted, "Pops! It's that Uchiha Natsu just called you!"

The Whitebeard, who had been leaning back in his chair, finally sat up straight.

He reached out and took the newspaper, his rough fingers tracing the scarlet Gunbai logo before landing on Natsu's cold profile.

The sea breeze ruffled his long golden hair, and for the first time, a solemn expression appeared in his eyes, which had seen through the ways of the world.