Awakening at Last

Time always slipped away silently when no one was paying attention.

It had been two months since Zephyr last explained Three-Color Haki.

Over those two months, Ye Chen and the others had undergone complete transformations.

At first, they trained their Armament Haki and Observation Haki like mad. Ye Chen's ten-meter range began to shrink, becoming nine meters, eight meters, six meters, then three meters.

In the end, he finally grasped that special sensation.

And at the very instant his Observation Haki awakened, Ye Chen seized hold of his Armament Haki as well, like a warm current. Now, he could form an invisible layer of armor around himself.

Bang!

Their fists collided, seemingly shrouded in an invisible force. Ye Chen and Vergo appeared in midair, then kicked at the same time, crashing into each other.

They fell to the ground, both looking somewhat disheveled. Yet their expressions were filled with excitement.

"This kind of power is truly intoxicating."

Vergo looked at the power covering his fist and, unusually, smiled.

"If only I could be like Brother Ye Chen and Vergo."

Nearby, Hina and the others gathered around, pouting with envy.

For now, only Ye Chen, Vergo, and Smoker had awakened both Armament Haki and Observation Haki. As for Hina, Shu, and Very Good, they had also awakened both types of Haki. Their Observation Haki had awakened, but their Armament Haki was unreliable and unstable, so they still needed to work hard to stabilize it.

"Don't be discouraged. You simply haven't fully mastered it yet. More practice will do the trick."

Smoker was in a good mood. Though his Haki was not as refined as Ye Chen's and Vergo's, it was still not to be underestimated.

Clap, clap.

Just then, Zephyr clapped his hands from not far away. He wore a rare smile as he walked over.

"Instructor Zephyr."

They straightened up and gave Zephyr a military salute, their gazes filled with respect. Even Ye Chen showed gratitude.

This man had given him a push on his path toward strength, saving him much time and helping him avoid many detours.

"You've done even better than I expected."

Zephyr was greatly pleased. Though he had not watched them every moment over the past two months, seeing them train desperately from time to time still made him happy.

Achievements that took others half a year or even a full year to reach only took these fellows two or three months.

The sweat they had poured into it was undoubtedly double, perhaps even triple, that of others.

Zephyr was not surprised by their current rewards, because he had expected them long ago.

Setting everything else aside, Ye Chen and the other five were the students Zephyr had placed the highest hopes in.

They were also the students he was proudest of having trained.

Even compared with those three monsters, including Sakazuki, they were no worse. Vergo and the others might not be able to defeat them yet, but Zephyr firmly believed they would become the pillars of the Navy in the future. As for the outcome, there were many possibilities and impossibilities.

In short, Zephyr was full of anticipation and praise for Vergo and the others.

"I hope you maintain the perseverance you've shown these past few months. Remember, if you don't advance in training, you fall behind."

Zephyr lowered his hand, signaling that they did not need to be so formal. He had them sit down where they were and began sharing his experience with Ye Chen and the others.

He spoke of certain aspects of the Six Powers, how to make better use of Haki, and even some combat techniques. Ye Chen and the others absorbed these intangible things like sponges.

If these experiences were revealed to the outside world, they would definitely cause an uproar. Countless people would fight to obtain them.

Zephyr spoke slowly, pausing from time to time.

Gradually, many things Ye Chen had failed to understand suddenly became clear.

He focused even more intently, unwilling to miss even a single word.

Zephyr spoke for a full half hour. There were probably still many parts that remained hazy, but Ye Chen memorized them all.

Whether he understood them or not, he only knew that remembering them could never hurt.

"One month from now, I'll leave Marineford again. During that time, if there's anything you don't understand, you can come ask me."

After finishing, Zephyr stood up, dusted himself off, and smiled at Ye Chen and the others.

"Instructor, I have a presumptuous request."

Seeing Zephyr about to leave, Ye Chen gritted his teeth and stopped him.

"You?"

Zephyr remembered this quiet youth deeply. Before Haki had awakened, Smoker had been the strongest among the six due to the advantage of his Logia ability.

But now, Zephyr firmly believed that among the six, this taciturn, cold-natured fellow who only buried himself in training was the strongest.

Smoker might not even have a chance at second place, because Zephyr thought more highly of Vergo.

"Instructor, do you have any weighted accessories that can be worn for long periods? The training ground only has one-ton weights. I want to switch to something heavier."

Zephyr narrowed his eyes, somewhat surprised. "How heavy do you want them?"

Zephyr's answer made Ye Chen's eyes light up. As expected, the Navy was different.

"Ten tons."

Thud!

Shu and Very Good nearly fell to the ground.

My brother, are you trying to ascend to heaven? Ten tons is twenty thousand jin. An ordinary person would be crushed to death on the spot.

"You certainly have a big appetite. The Navy only has five-ton weights, and they still need to be made. It'll take at least half a month. Once you can carry five tons and still live normally, you can head out to sea and find other training methods yourself."

"Thank you, Instructor."

Ye Chen was slightly excited. Though there was some disappointment, five tons was still within his acceptable range.

After all, becoming accustomed to five tons—and accustomed enough to live normally—was no simple task. It might take one or two years and still not be completed.

What did normal life mean?

It meant treating five tons as if it did not exist, whether bathing, brushing his teeth, eating, or doing anything else.

The difficulty of that was immense.

Right now, Ye Chen could train while carrying one ton. But with five tons, even walking might become a problem, let alone training normally or eating.

Even while lying down to sleep, five tons would still be pressing on him. Just thinking about it was terrifying.

The higher the weight climbed, the heavier it became. Sometimes, once one exceeded the limit of what one could endure, even a few extra grams could make one collapse to the ground. That was the limit.

"Instructor, I need five-ton weights too. Please."

When Ye Chen made his request to Zephyr, Vergo's eyes also lit up.

"And me!" Hina raised her hand eagerly, still not quite understanding what carrying five tons meant.

"You three aren't ready yet. One ton is your limit. Anything beyond that will damage your bodies."

Zephyr shook his head as he looked at Hina, Shu, and Very Good.

"As for you, Smoker, you need to act within your limits. Don't force yourself."

After evaluating them one by one, how could Zephyr's experienced eyes fail to see their limits?

Don't think that simply breaking through one's limits was enough. If it was called a limit, did they think it would be so easy to surpass? One careless mistake could get someone killed.

"I'll get them for you within a month. Remember, training blindly is not necessarily a good thing. Sometimes, you need to relax. Only by balancing tension and rest can you go farther."

After giving them one final reminder, Zephyr left. In truth, the Navy had weights exceeding five tons, but Ye Chen and the others' bodies could not support them yet, which was why Zephyr had not agreed to Ye Chen's request for ten tons from the start.

More importantly, Ye Chen and the others had not received the same attention as Sakazuki.

Only once Ye Chen's true value was revealed might things become different.

Zephyr's words made Ye Chen fall into thought. Perhaps he should take a break today.

Everyone, don't compare reality to the world of One Piece. A single punch there can destroy an island—is that even reasonable?