Observation Haki

Inside an office at Marine Headquarters.

"Garp, why have you been running around everywhere lately? Ever since Roger died, the seas haven't been peaceful."

Sengoku sat in his office chair while Garp, covered in dust from travel, looked as though he had just returned.

"I was stretching my legs and caught a few pirate crews that didn't know their place."

Garp sprawled carelessly in a chair and, with a chuckle, pulled out a bag from behind his back.

"You bastard, you steal my rice crackers the moment you get back!" Sengoku cursed, spittle flying.

"Don't get mad. I want to discuss something with you. In a few days, I'm heading back to East Blue."

"Going back home?" Sengoku asked, looking at him in confusion.

Garp nodded. A trace of complicated emotion flashed through his eyes. That child had to be dealt with soon.

"It's fine to make a trip back. But your promotion to admiral..." Sengoku considered.

"Forget it. Being an admiral like you is exhausting. I'd have no time to have fun. I'll stay a vice admiral." Garp hunched his shoulders and burst into laughter.

"You really are something else." Sengoku sighed, helpless against him.

"Buru buru buru..."

The Den Den Mushi on the desk suddenly rang, and Sengoku picked up the receiver.

After listening closely for a moment.

Bang!

He slammed a palm onto the desk. The office desk creaked and nearly collapsed on the spot. Furious, he roared into the Den Den Mushi, "What did you say? Say that again! Two prisoners from Level 6, Eternal Hell, have vanished without explanation?!"

"What the hell have you people been doing?! Golden Lion's successful prison break not long ago already made the World Government lose all face! Are you trying to make my headache worse?!"

Sengoku was truly enraged. Prisoners disappearing from Impel Down's other levels would have been one thing, but it had to be Level 6!

The prisoners of Level 6, Eternal Hell, were true criminals of the world! Their danger level was terrifyingly high!

"Haha, Sengoku, have some rice crackers. Didn't they fail to escape? This can still be contained."

Beside him, Garp showed no concern as he grabbed a handful of rice crackers and stuffed them into his mouth.

Sengoku could not be bothered with him, though most of his anger had faded. Keeping his tone as calm as possible, he asked, "What are the files on those two prisoners?"

Before long, the information sent by Impel Down was printed out.

Sengoku adjusted his glasses, picked it up, and read it carefully.

Ye Qiong, eleven years old, male. Suspected Paramecia-type spatial Devil Fruit user. Abilities include teleportation, creating circular spaces, and more. Exceptional in hand-to-hand combat. Imprisoned for assassinating two CP9 members on Ohara Island, rescuing scholar Olvia afterward, and severely injuring Marine Vice Admiral Sakazuki. Imprisoned in the year 145 of the Sea Circle Calendar. Eternal Hell prisoner.

Wate Fuje, seventy-eight years old, male. Created the Dark Night School and dominated the Four Blues. Publicly recognized as the world's strongest swordsman and the first owner of the world's strongest black blade. Titled "Black Blade Night Emperor." Had always been a pirate hunter. Reason for imprisonment unknown. Imprisoned in the year 141 of the Sea Circle Calendar.

"Ye Qiong, Wate Fuje..."

Sengoku muttered to himself, his expression growing uglier by the second. It was actually these two.

Unable to hold back, he slammed his palm onto the desk again. The office desk could no longer withstand the abuse and collapsed completely with a crash.

"Send people to Impel Down and conduct a carpet search, level by level! Deploy heavy guards during this period and make sure Impel Down is absolutely secure!"

Sengoku roared into the Den Den Mushi.

"A gifted little monster and an old man who's a legendary swordsman... Impel Down is really lively now." Garp shook his head and sighed, then tossed another handful of rice crackers into his mouth.

Before long, many Marines conducted a strict investigation of the prisoners and turned Impel Down upside down, yet they found not the slightest trace.

Ye Qiong and the Night Emperor seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving behind no evidence that they had ever existed.

Warden Magellan concluded that the two prisoners were still inside Impel Down, but there was no way to locate them for the time being.

Just as they had expected, Ye Qiong had not taken the Night Emperor directly out of Impel Down after escaping Eternal Hell. Instead, he had hidden within Impel Down, in a place no one else could search.

Impel Down, the unknown Level 55.

There was an expansive space here, located between Level 5, Freezing Hell, and Level 6, Eternal Hell.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Ye Qiong stretched his limbs, his bones crackling all over. He moved with the vigor of a dragon and tiger, pouring sweat into his training.

He was bare-chested. The wounds on his body had healed and shed their scabs, leaving his skin smooth and almost completely bronze. A green vine tattoo took root at his navel and extended around his limbs, lush with green.

As sweat streamed across his chest, the vine tattoo shone like emerald leaves bearing pearls, brimming with life.

Ye Qiong's blood and vitality had fully recovered. His spirit was vigorous, and his physique, rebuilt after destruction, had risen to another level. His First-Stage Vajra Body showed signs of reaching perfection, while the mysterious plant tattoo constantly supplied his body with life force. He could practice boxing for half a day without feeling tired.

"My body has finally fully recovered."

After completing several sets of punches, Ye Qiong withdrew his fists and rested. Drenched in sweat, his eyes were full of delight.

"Brother Ye!"

A youth in prison clothes ran over. He had thick brows, large eyes, and long black hair falling over his shoulders. Most striking of all were his unusual white eyes.

He looked about fifteen years old, yet he was shorter than eleven-year-old Ye Qiong. Calling him brother did not seem strange at all.

"Crow King, how are things outside?" Ye Qiong asked. The Marines had been searching the area above them these past few days.

"I dug this space much deeper, and Lord Night Emperor's Observation Haki is concealing it. They won't discover this place." Crow King scratched his head and grinned.

"That's good."

Ye Qiong smiled. If they were discovered, another difficult battle would be unavoidable. If they were captured again, they probably would not simply be thrown back into Level 6.

"Brother Ye, should I expand the space farther in every direction?" Crow King asked.

Ye Qiong thought for a moment, then shook his head. "This space is already large enough. There's no need to waste more effort." He patted Crow King on the shoulder, silently marveling at his own good fortune.

After escaping Eternal Hell with the Night Emperor a month earlier, Ye Qiong had known that it would be impossible to charge straight out of heavily guarded Impel Down. They could only find somewhere to hide.

Based on the original description of Impel Down, he knew that a certain passage could lead to the Level 55 interlayer space. Relying on R, he had searched through Level 5, Freezing Hell, and only then managed to find this place.

What he had not expected was that the Okama King had not moved in here yet. There was only a juvenile prisoner from Level 5 named Crow King.

As a Zoan-type pangolin Devil Fruit user, he could easily use his powerful burrowing ability in beast form to carve out an interlayer space here.

"Disciple."

The Night Emperor slowly approached from afar. He was slightly hunched over, but his hair and beard had long since been trimmed. He looked refreshed, and his eyes were bright and sharp.

"Master." Ye Qiong greeted him.

"Lord Night Emperor." Crow King gave a slight bow.

"Though my limbs have been crippled and my physique is no different from an ordinary person's, thankfully my Observation Haki has not deteriorated. Those Marines truly can't find this place." The Night Emperor smiled.

"Master, your Observation Haki alone is frightening enough." Ye Qiong waved a hand and teased him.

"You brat, is your body better? If it is, we'll begin training Observation Haki. Crow King, you'll train too."

"Yes." Ye Qiong was immensely interested in the power of Haki.

The Level 55 space was spacious enough, and they had gathered quite a few supplies from outside, as well as meat from the snow wolves of Freezing Hell. It was an excellent training ground within Impel Down.

"Observation Haki comes from the heart and moves with the heart. You must be meticulous enough to sense everything around you..." As the Night Emperor explained, he covered their eyes with cloth.

"Remember, abandon your five senses and feel with your heart..."

Whoosh!

"Ow!" Crow King fell flat on his back, clutching his forehead and crying out in pain. "Lord Night Emperor, why did you hit me?!"

"Dodge it."

Whoosh!

"Damn it."

A stone struck Ye Qiong in the forehead. The force was not heavy, yet it bypassed the surface and directly injured him within, causing a burning pain that made him suck in a breath.

It was a stone infused with a trace of Armament Haki.

"Master, could you not hit my face..."

Ye Qiong spoke helplessly, only for another pebble to strike his lower abdomen. He clutched his stomach and cried out miserably.

"Do not use your five senses. Use your heart to perceive all directions—the surrounding environment, everything about your enemy..."

The Night Emperor's aged voice rang out.

"The training in Observation Haki will only be finished once you manage to touch me."

Hearing this, Ye Qiong and Crow King rushed in that direction, swinging their hands forward.

"How naive. Don't you know sound can mislead you?"

The Night Emperor's voice emerged from another direction, then became elusive and uncertain, as though his duplicates stood in every corner around them.

Whoosh, whoosh!

Two stones flew out in arcs through the air. Ye Qiong and Crow King were struck down. Their bodies were strong, so they were not seriously injured, but the pain was unbearable.

"Hey, don't hit our faces!!!"

Ye Qiong's wail echoed through the space.