Three Ways to Awaken Haki (Combined Chapter)

"Did you hear? That new little maid snagged herself a rich patron!"

"The deluxe cabins? Which one?"

"That handsome little guy with black hair!"

"Damn it, I had my eye on him first! Wait, how did you know?"

"Didn't you hear all that noise coming from the room yesterday afternoon? Big Sis came back red-faced and changed into a new set of underwear!"

"That's so unfair!"

"What's that compared to this? I heard that guest outright bought out the new girl. She's living in the deluxe cabin now."

"Ah!!! Damn it!! bites handkerchief Are they glued together every minute? She must be rolling her eyes in bliss!!"

"Are they still hiring?"

In just one day, the rumors gradually spread among the maids and waitresses.

Inside the deluxe cabin, sunlight streamed brightly in. The bed and the bedding spread out on the floor were both neatly arranged.

In the open space before the bed, Hina still wore that specially designed maid outfit. Barefoot, she stood before a small blackboard, her long legs wrapped in semi-sheer white stockings as they stood in the light, vibrant and breathtakingly beautiful.

At that moment, one hand rested on her hip while the other pointed at the blackboard. She really did roll her eyes.

"What are you thinking about?"

"There have always been many theories about the soul, but none of them can be proven."

"So what we usually discuss is the 'heart.' What people call Haki is the power of the 'heart.' Understand?"

On the blackboard, "Observation Haki" was written on the left, "Armament Haki" on the right, and a large "Heart" in the middle.

Jogo sat upright with a notebook in hand, rapidly taking notes.

"Understood. Please continue, Teacher Hina."

God knew why a deluxe cabin had something like a blackboard. All he could say was that wherever the mafia had a hand in things, the entertainment industry was simply too advanced.

Unfortunately, Hina was unwilling to put on the matching special teacher outfit with its tight pencil skirt and black stockings.

That was a slight pity.

Of course, this was still nice. Jogo had not gotten tired of looking at her yet.

Hina continued her explanation.

"According to the most widespread belief on these seas."

"The 'heart' is a power everyone possesses. It's just that some people never become aware of its existence in their entire lives, and so they can never use Haki..."

"Conversely, once you become aware of the existence of the 'heart,' you can immediately awaken the power of Haki!"

"So your understanding has always contained a misconception."

"Haki isn't something you train into existence. It's something you 'comprehend'!"

Jogo nodded repeatedly.

That made sense!

There were plenty of people in this world who trained diligently, yet very few managed to develop Haki.

"And the reason so many people believe that constant training and tempering their bodies will awaken Haki is because training truly is one of the proper paths toward awakening!"

"But most people choose the wrong direction, which is why their Haki awakenings can only be described as accidents."

"Today..."

Hina stood with one hand on her hip. She hooked Jogo's notebook down with her toes, then planted the tip of her foot on it, displaying the elegant lines of her long leg.

"Hina will teach you three ways to awaken Haki!"

"Teacher Hina is truly noble!"

Jogo did not show the slightest dissatisfaction.

As long as he could learn Haki, forget stepping on his notebook—she could step on him if she wanted!

Hina tilted her chin up slightly and gave a huff.

Perhaps she was still angry about yesterday.

"The first method is personal training."

"Borrow the vigorous vitality of physical growth, and seek the location of the 'heart' through training that repeatedly pushes you close to your body's limits."

"This method is reliable, but slow to show results."

"You could also say it means piling up time and trial and error."

"Dull people might fail to comprehend it for their entire lives. And if you cannot comprehend the existence of the 'heart' during the period when your body is rapidly growing, then once your body declines with age, it becomes difficult to awaken through this method again."

Jogo respectfully moved Hina's foot aside. He took notes while pondering her words.

He had trained for so long, yet he had never felt any power of the "heart."

So it probably was not merely a matter of being slow.

"Could it be that I, a Haki genius who independently awakened Conqueror's Haki and possesses the Otherworldly Soul Trait, am actually a dull person?"

"The second method is battle!"

Hina continued.

"Not sparring where both sides hold back, but a battle to the death."

"This is the method many strong people choose."

"In battle where you endlessly approach death, a person's concentration becomes intensely focused."

"The body, consciousness, thoughts, instincts... they are all continually pushed higher, continually colliding and blending to create sparks."

"Under such circumstances, it becomes extremely easy to touch the power of the 'heart' in an instant."

"Of course, Hina doesn't need to tell you that this depends rather heavily on luck."

Jogo deeply agreed.

A deathmatch was already an extremely dangerous thing. The longer the battle lasted, the more likely he was to kick the bucket.

By then, he might die before comprehending Haki.

"What about the third method?" he asked.

"The third method..."

Hina folded her arms and said naturally, "Naturally, it's luck!"

"Huh?"

"What's so hard to understand about that?"

"Whether you train yourself or fight powerful enemies, in the end, you're only increasing the odds of comprehending the 'heart.'"

"And some people are simply lucky. They might casually work out, teach a Wild Dog by the roadside a lesson, or even lie in bed sleeping... and suddenly awaken the power of Haki."

"Call it luck or talent, but that is simply the truth!"

"That... makes sense!"

Jogo rubbed his chin and fell silent.

His Conqueror's Haki had awakened by accident.

But looking at it this way, the three methods were either slow, dangerous, or dependent on luck... There did not seem to be any good way to awaken Haki quickly.

Hina seemed to see through his thoughts. She bent down, raised one finger, and told him seriously.

"Don't think about rushing it."

"How could gaining power possibly have shortcuts? Taking shortcuts always comes with a price!"

Like Devil Fruits.

They granted all sorts of miraculous abilities, but in exchange, you lost the ability to enter the water for the rest of your life.

"So how does the Navy usually train?"

Jogo asked humbly.

"All three at once!"

Hina raised three slender jade-like fingers.

"Training, combat, and meditation."

"Unify body and mind. Always be ready to seize the opportunity to seek out the 'heart'!"

Jogo's expression turned solemn as he seized on the key point. "Then please teach me how to meditate, Teacher Hina!"

Though it was called meditation, it could also be described as cultivating the mind.

In this world where all kinds of techniques flourished, even methods of cultivating the mind came in countless strange and varied forms.

Take the sword-users, for example.

Some believed in "shaping one's character through the etiquette of the sword." Zanshin, Mushin, Fudōchi... all arose from this form of mental cultivation.

Using the rules of swordsmanship to discipline and temper themselves was their method of meditation.

Others believed that "becoming one with the sword, uniting sword and path" was the true essence of cultivation.

Thus, wielding the sword with one's body and tempering the way of the sword through one's own will was their method of meditation.

Then there were practices such as the "entering stillness" promoted by temples of the International Charity Alliance, or the "prayers" offered in churches across various regions. Those were all methods of meditation as well.

Naturally, the Navy also had its own method of meditation.

Its effects could not be considered the best, but it was extremely simple to learn and broadly applicable.

"Follow Hina... focus on your breathing... empty your mind of distracting thoughts... place your awareness on your body, imagine strength flowing through your muscles... feel the existence of 'strength'... inhale... breathe..."

A few minutes later.

"Why are you looking at Hina?"

Hina and Jogo stared blankly at each other.

Jogo suggested, "Go change into another outfit."

"Why?" Hina's delicate brows furrowed.

"The way you're dressed right now is affecting my meditation a little!"

Women really only slowed down my cultivation!

Hina froze for a moment, then the corners of her lips curled slightly upward.

Hmph~

The following days were filled with productive training!

Every morning, before dawn had even broken, Jogo would appear on the top deck on time and temper his body alone in the sea breeze.

The Navy's meditation method was highly practical.

Other than the beginner stage of getting a feel for it, it did not require long periods of sitting still.

Instead, it required the user to adjust their breathing during movement and seek that state of calming the mind, locking onto strength, and emptying away distracting thoughts.

Jogo called it the "Navy Breathing Method"!

According to Hina, everyone in the Navy who possessed real strength had already integrated this state into their instincts.

The closer they came to the limits of their stamina, the calmer their minds became.

Not only could it increase the chance of awakening Haki, it also greatly aided daily combat, helping people remain calm even at their limits.

Although Jogo had only just begun, he could clearly sense, through each round of training, that his control over his body was rapidly improving.

As for the power of the "heart"...

It felt as though he sensed something, yet also as though he sensed nothing.

Something so mysterious and intangible was truly difficult to explain.

A full round of comprehensive training usually took up Jogo's entire morning.

At times like this, Hina was usually not in the room either.

"Among the goods the Capone Family transferred out of Dark Harbor, a portion was sent onto this ship."

On the night they moved in, Hina had explained the purpose of her trip.

"I need to investigate where they are, then observe where they will be sent!"

"This shipment has only one buyer. Hina will catch them red-handed!"

So she would earn another merit, right?

"You're alone?"

Jogo did not quite understand the Navy's methods.

"This ship is so large. Why did they send only you?"

And disguised as someone in this profession, too. Was she not afraid of encountering someone formidable who would simply take advantage of the situation and have his way with Hina?

"Hina sneaked out on her own!"

Hina did not feel that anything was wrong. She even looked a little proud.

"The major only knows the target of the operation. He doesn't know which ship Hina is on!"

You're seriously incredible!

Jogo did not want to say anything more. He silently mourned for the major for two seconds.

The madness of Navy recruits far exceeded his imagination!

And just like that, three days passed in a flash.

Aside from lessons, indoor combat sparring, and the occasional relaxed conversation, even though the two shared a room, they somehow failed to spark even the slightest sensual chemistry.

—There was no time!

Jogo was busy training and comprehending the power of the "heart."

Hina was busy investigating and sorting through useful information in the account books.

The two of them were like some workhorses of a new era who had lost all drive to reproduce. Every day, they woke up bleary-eyed and left separately to do their own things. Each was busier than the other. At night, they returned to the cabin exhausted, exchanged greetings, and collapsed into bed.

Their eyes met, both filled with exhaustion.

Jogo was starting to suspect that he was not living in a deluxe cabin at all, but in some electronics factory dormitory.

Of course, from an outsider's perspective, this married couple was still excessively intimate.

"Did you hear that? There's so much noise coming from their room every day!"

"Young people sure have strong bodies!"

"Hasn't that kid been sucked dry yet?"

"Damn, I really want to join in!"

"Do you even have what it takes? And you want to join?"

Naturally, Jogo and Hina noticed nothing amiss. It was only when they occasionally ran into the maid-uniformed waitresses that they found the suggestiveness in their eyes growing stronger.

"Please give the little sister more time to rest."

"After working so hard, don't make her run around everywhere."

Sometimes, when she happened to run into Hina while she was out investigating, she would also make a tactful plea to Jogo.

"If you're lonely, big sister wouldn't mind either~"

Jogo, with training on the brain, stared at her in shock and blurted out:

"You know Haki too?"

Afterward, realizing that was not what she meant, he hurriedly refused her outright.

Thus, the direction of the rumors quickly changed again.

"Did you hear? That young guy in the luxury cabin is a pervert!"

"How so... Wait, I'll go get some snacks..."

"He booked that pretty young girl, then makes her go down to the lowest level every day."

"What's perverted about that?"

"Think about it. What kind of people are on the lowest level? Laborers, handymen, sailors... a bunch of rough men who work themselves to the bone all day, stink of sweat, and are repressed as hell...

Then a pure, pretty girl with a great figure, dressed so scantily, shows up there and stays from morning to night. What exactly do you think she's doing?"

"Gasp, could it be..."

"And someone saw that girl go back exhausted every time. Then, after she returned, intense slapping sounds would come from inside the room..."

"Oho~~~"

"That means that kid likes that sort of thing!"

"Too perverted!"

"He looks so refined on the surface, but he's actually that kind of pervert behind closed doors?"

"Damn it, tomorrow I'm going to the lower decks to protect that girl!"

"Me too!"

"Pull up your pants before you say that!"

In any case, amid the increasingly strange looks from everyone, Hina finally made a discovery on the fourth night.

"Wake up!"

Dressed in casual clothes, Hina shook Jogo awake in bed.

Jogo sat up, still bleary-eyed.

"What is it?"

"This ship suddenly changed course!" In the darkness, Hina's excited eyes were faintly visible.

Jogo frowned and quickly sobered up.

According to the cruise ship's original itinerary, in another day, they would stop at a famous tourist island in the West Blue before continuing toward the waters near Reverse Mountain.

The schedule was tight.

If they were going to change course, they would definitely notify him in advance as a luxury-cabin passenger.

Yet there had been no notice during the day, and they had secretly changed course in the middle of the night.

It seemed the people controlling this ship now were no longer its original masters.

"The Capone Family's gangsters made their move?"

Jogo asked,

"What are they planning?"

"It must be a delivery!"

Hina said happily,

"These people don't dare trade on land, afraid the Navy will discover them again. They can only make the delivery at sea!"

"Hina finally caught them!"

"Let's go!"

She excitedly pulled Jogo up to the top deck.

The deck was silent. The moon was hidden behind the clouds, and the world was pitch-black.

The low roar of the waves came from beneath their feet. The ship rose and fell almost imperceptibly, as though the entire vessel were sailing over the underworld itself, filling them with dread.

Jogo and Hina hid behind the railing and looked down.

On the bow deck below, someone held up a lamp, flashing it on and off as though sending some kind of signal into the distance.

After a long while, a point of light also lit up in the distant darkness.

On, then off, answering the signal.

"They're here!"

Hina said happily, then turned to look at Jogo.

"We agreed that you'd help Hina if there's a fight!"

Jogo nodded. "No problem."

For the sake of the Navy Breathing Method she had taught him, and the time she set aside every day to spar with him and guide his hand-to-hand combat, he had to help her with this no matter what.

Just like that, the distant light drew closer and closer, gradually revealing a massive, savage silhouette in the darkness—it was even larger than the luxury cruise ship beneath their feet!

But Jogo did not care about that.

"Are we sneaking aboard?"

He was already prepared.

There was no response from beside him.

Jogo turned his head and discovered that, at some point, Hina's face had gone pale.

"What's wrong?" Jogo asked.

"It's the Happo Navy!" Hina's tense voice came from the darkness.