Armament Haki!

A gap suddenly tore open in the sky, thick with branches and leaves.

A dazzling slash pierced through layer after layer of obstacles and shot into the clouds.

After delivering that slash, Milers did not even check the result. He simply flicked his blade out of habit, then returned it to its sheath.

Before him, a brown bear remained frozen in its pose for a long moment.

Then blood suddenly burst from its neck, and it fell to the ground, lifeless.

Such was a swordsman's power and confidence.

Once he drew his blade, his enemy had already lost!

Milers stepped forward and took a Yellow Ring from the brown bear.

Then he silently headed deeper into the forest.

One Yellow Ring was not enough to guarantee victory over his two rivals!

He needed more!

A tremendous roar suddenly rang out.

That roar was filled with pain and fury!

Even Randall, hiding nearby, could not help shuddering.

He had just watched the gorilla deftly maneuver around the moon bear, then seize the moment when it stiffened to slam a pair of enormous fists into its back like colossal, heaven-shattering hammers.

The fight was about to be decided!

But in the next instant, Randall's eyes suddenly widened.

He had seen something he could scarcely comprehend!

A flash of black!

A flash of black had just appeared on that brown bear's claws!

Immediately afterward, its terrifying metal claws turned completely pitch-black!

Holy shit! Randall screamed inwardly.

That's fucking Armament Haki!

Armament Haki itself was nothing unusual.

What was unusual was the creature using it!

Randall had thought these giant beasts were already absurdly powerful.

He had never expected that to be only part of it! They could use Armament Haki too!

"This is..." Randall lowered his eyes. "This is... fantastic!"

He immediately focused all his attention on the beasts' movements.

The moon bear used Armament Haki first, swinging its pitch-black claws.

A dark streak flashed through the air, seemingly about to tear space apart.

Every hair on the gorilla's body stood on end, and its silver-gray fur took on a shade of black!

The gorilla could actually use Armament Haki too!

Claws met fur, yet the clash rang out like metal striking metal!

The two giant beasts began their second round while Randall hid nearby, freeloading off their "Armament Haki lesson."

Randall could clearly see every detail of how the beasts used Armament Haki.

All he had to do now was replicate that process in his own body.

"Come to think of it, Armament Haki is energy from the body. It's actually pretty similar to Qi. Since I can cultivate Qi, Armament Haki should be easy for me too."

Randall flexed his fingers, trying hard to sense his own body.

A moment later, a trace of strange energy, distinct from Qi, appeared on his raised index finger and hovered over its surface.

Seeing how smoothly it went, Randall curled his lips.

"Sure enough, it's a piece of cake for me."

He had already been just one step away.

Now that he had watched Armament Haki in action up close, he had taken that step!

"Good! Next comes coating. Coating!"

Under his control, Armament Haki gradually wrapped around his entire hand, then his arm, his chest, and finally his whole body!

"Hmm, this feels pretty easy!

Why can't that guy Aequus learn Armament Haki?"

As he spoke, a wicked grin appeared on Randall's face.

This guy knows how gifted he is.jpg

"Now that the coating is done, next comes hardening!"

A shade as black as night appeared at Randall's fingertips.

Then it gradually dyed his right hand pitch-black.

He clenched his fist, then lightly tapped the ground.

He swore he had not used his full strength.

Yet a crack several meters long appeared in the ground!

One light punch had split the earth!

This was Randall's strength after mastering Armament Haki.

Then his left hand was coated in black as well.

He knocked his hands together, producing a metallic clang.

"Man, I can't test how tough it is all by myself.

It'd be great if I had an opponent to fight.

Where can I find one?"

Randall muttered to himself, and finally his gaze settled on the two giant beasts still beating each other up.

"Hehe, aren't there a couple of opponents right here?

Little monkey, bear, here I come!"

Randall emerged from his hiding place and slowly walked up beside the two Ferocious Beasts, ignoring the fierce winds whipped up by their clashes.

"Hey, stop fighting!"

But the two giant beasts were in the thick of battle. How could they spare any time for this little runt?

"Honestly, I didn't want to lay a hand on you, but you're forcing me!"

Randall gave an exaggerated sigh, then vanished from the spot a second later.

When he reappeared, he was already between the two Ferocious Beasts.

Then...

Armament Haki · Iron Fist: Impact Steel!

Double!

Two thunderous booms erupted almost simultaneously.

Then both Ferocious Beasts went flying as though struck by a massive hammer.

They sat stunned for a long moment before climbing up from the ground, each clutching its forehead.

Everything swam in double vision, and their heads felt like bells that had just been struck.

They staggered a few steps before finally steadying themselves.

A huge grin spread across Randall's face as he admired his handiwork.

Before, his Iron Fist: Impact Steel had only knocked the gorilla back a few steps, leaving it none the worse for wear.

Now he could send it flying.

Hehe, little monkey, you sure had fun chasing me earlier.

Now it's my turn!

It took the two Ferocious Beasts quite a while to figure out what had happened.

They had been hit!

And the culprit...

Two savage gazes locked onto Randall at once.

Before, Randall would have panicked under those stares.

Now, however, he felt nothing but excitement.

The moon bear threw back its head and roared, its foul breath gusting outward.

Little runt, you're asking to die!

But the gorilla was faster than the moon bear.

With a push of its powerful forelimbs, it was already in front of Randall.

"ROAR—"

Its thick arm crashed down like a toppling pillar that held up the heavens.

Faced with such a terrifying attack, Randall chose not to run.

Wasn't testing the strength of my Armament Haki the whole point of fighting these two Ferocious Beasts?

Then why dodge?

Take it head-on!

At Randall's thought, a vast amount of Armament Haki instantly swept over his entire body.

He turned completely pitch-black.

Then he crossed his arms before his chest and met the enormous fist that blotted out the entire sky.

A dull thud rang out.

The enormous fist slammed into Randall, then continued without the slightest pause and hammered straight into the ground.

At that moment, the earth seemed like an enormous drum.

And the gorilla's fist was the drumstick that sounded the drum of the earth!