The combat instincts of Kenpachi Zaraki within Lin Xuan grew sharper and deadlier with the support of his new power.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Three pebbles shot out in a triangular formation.
Not one missed.
As several small splashes burst across the surface, a few more dead fish floated in the waves.
Each pebble struck a fish precisely in its gills or side fins, the most vulnerable points when a creature moved.
"Phew..."
Lin Xuan slowly exhaled a stale breath, a thin sheen of sweat seeping from his forehead.
Maintaining this all-encompassing perception was not easy. His mental energy drained far faster than his physical stamina, but the excitement in his eyes had not diminished at all.
In just ten minutes, with the help of the system's items, he had crossed a threshold that ordinary people needed years of arduous training to reach, beginning to engrave Armament Haki and Observation Haki into his instincts.
The sea breeze blew past, tousling his somewhat disheveled black hair.
Just then, Lin Xuan keenly sensed a wild, powerful presence rapidly approaching along the path. It was utterly overbearing.
On the distant path leading to Foosha Village's tavern, the red, high-energy signature that had originally been blurry in his sensory network was now like a cannonball fired from its barrel, brutally smashing through every delicate line of airflow along its route.
Without needing to look, Lin Xuan's mind had already automatically sketched a moving image: each time those heavy military boots landed, they stirred a faint ripple of dust; the coat representing the Marines' justice was pulled taut by the rapid movement, its snapping even drowning out the waves.
Too fast.
And that presence was terrifyingly heavy.
The fish he had sensed earlier had presences like tiny streams, while Garp's approaching presence was practically an erupting volcano.
That pressure, woven purely from vitality and Haki, made Lin Xuan's senses buzz from hundreds of meters away, almost overwhelming them.
"Is this the presence of a top-tier powerhouse...?"
Lin Xuan felt his temples pounding.
But he did not cut off his perception. Instead, he unconsciously licked his somewhat chapped lips. It was Kenpachi Zaraki's instinct, an uncontrollable reaction to encountering someone strong.
He did not have to wait long.
A few breaths later, that tall figure appeared at the end of the pier, bringing the smell of alcohol and a trail of dust.
Garp did not shout as he usually did. He stopped with both hands in his pockets, his perpetually smiling eyes now frighteningly sharp as he stared fixedly at the boy sitting cross-legged at the end of the planks.
The old man's gaze swept over the pebbles beside Lin Xuan, then the dead fish floating on the sea, before finally settling on the boy's somewhat pale face, which shone with an unusual light.
The air between them grew heavy.
Lin Xuan could feel Garp's freely radiating presence rapidly drawing inward, becoming more condensed and hiding beneath the surface.
Lin Xuan let out a long, stale breath, calming the blood surging in his chest.
In his mind, the golden starlight formed by the [Insight Talisman] had not dissipated. Instead, upon encountering Garp's vast, complex presence, it seemed stimulated and began vibrating at an even more mysterious frequency.
The Observation Haki network, which had originally only been able to sense "intent" and "position," seemed to touch a deeper barrier at that moment.
Through that barrier, he seemed able to see vague points of light indicating "weaknesses" and "blind spots," flickering within Garp's seemingly flawless aura.
Was that a more advanced application? Or the [Insight Talisman]'s true, as-yet-untapped potential?
Finally, Lin Xuan's tightly shut eyes slowly opened, a barely perceptible gleam flashing deep within his dark pupils.
Chapter 10: I Thought of You as an Uncle, and You Actually Want to Cut Me Down?
That mysterious perception settled down, but it had already become part of Lin Xuan's body.
This was intermediate Observation Haki.
He no longer needed to make a deliberate effort to listen.
The direction of the wind within thirty meters, the paths of fish swimming underwater, even the rustle of a seagull's wings fifty meters away-all were clearly projected into his mind, forming a three-dimensional sensory world without blind spots.
The feeling of having everything under his control was intoxicating.
Lin Xuan licked his somewhat dry lips and turned his gaze back to the translucent panel in the corner of his vision.
In his inventory, the golden paper talisman named [Awakening Talisman] was still quietly flickering.
According to the system's explanation, this item could deeply uncover the latent traits within the host's bloodline or soul.
If the [Insight Talisman] had helped him push open the door to Haki, this talisman might be the key to testing that conjecture.
Conqueror's Haki.
In this world, it was the kingly potential to stand above a million people.
Kenpachi Zaraki might be a battle maniac who only knows how to cut people down, but that spiritual pressure of his could bring lieutenant-level Soul Reapers straight to their knees. Translated into this world, there's no reason it wouldn't be Conqueror's Haki, right?
Lin Xuan's heartbeat involuntarily quickened.
Ambition rose from the depths of his heart. His finger was already hovering over the talisman, almost pressing down.
However, just as his finger was about to press that illusory button, his newly acquired Observation Haki suddenly sent him an intense danger signal.
There was no warning.
A violent mass of life energy was charging straight toward him from the tavern at an absurd speed.
Too fast.
Several times faster than Bogard had drawn his sword earlier.
Lin Xuan's scalp instantly prickled.
This was not merely pressure brought on by speed. It felt more like something terrifying had set its sights on him, leaving him unable to breathe.
His Observation Haki worked at full capacity. Within his sensory field, the rapidly moving human-shaped target did not slow down at all.
That energy suddenly condensed upon coming within ten meters of his back.
Immediately afterward came an undisguised intent to attack.
It was purely a test, carrying no killing intent, yet brimming with aggression.
"You've got to be kidding..."
Lin Xuan's pupils abruptly contracted to pinpoints.
In the instant he froze, that figure had already appeared behind him.
It was so fast that he could not even hear footsteps. Sound had been left far behind.
Had this been Lin Xuan five minutes ago, that presence would probably have already pinned him in place.
But things were different now.
Within his sensory world, time seemed to slow.
He clearly "saw" a callused fist rapidly growing larger.
A layer of pitch-black Armament Haki coated the fist, even denser than what Bogard had demonstrated earlier.
If that punch landed squarely, forget a concussion-the entire pier would be smashed to pieces.
Has this old man gone crazy?
This is the fucking "Fist of Love"?
It's clearly the "Send You to Your Grave Fist"!
His body moved faster than his brain.
Driven by both the lingering effects of the [Insight Talisman] and Kenpachi Zaraki's combat instincts, Lin Xuan's body reacted.
He neither turned nor blocked.
Just as that black iron fist was about to touch the hair at the back of his head, Lin Xuan sharply dropped his shoulders and twisted his right ankle outward at an uncanny angle.
The fist, wrapped in wind pressure, skimmed past Lin Xuan's ear.
In that instant, Lin Xuan could even feel the knife-like sting of the fist's wind scraping his outer ear, along with the heat it carried.
Garp, whose attack had missed, clearly had not expected this.
He had put thirty percent of his strength into that punch, combining it with a high-speed surprise attack using Soru. He had intended to force the brat into using Armament Haki Hardening to defend himself again under desperate circumstances, verifying Bogard's account.
But this brat... didn't defend?
Not only did he not defend, he predicted my attack and slipped away like a loach.
Forces acted in opposing pairs.
Garp had thrown the punch too hard to pull it back in time. Carried by his enormous momentum, he shot straight through the opening Lin Xuan had dodged out of and off the edge of the pier like a cannonball.
"Whaaat-?"
In midair, he only had time to leave behind a strange cry filled with shock.
Boom!
There was a tremendous crash.
The huge black reef jutting above the water in front of the pier was smashed to pieces on the spot by Garp's head.
Shattered rock accompanied a towering column of water, pattering down in a shower of stones.
Then came the splash of something heavy falling into the water.
After that string of sudden events, the seaside fell briefly silent.
Only a few seagulls that Lin Xuan's pebbles had startled earlier circled overhead, squawking as though mocking the drenched figure below.
Lin Xuan remained crouched sideways, his heart still pounding like a drum in his chest.
He slowly straightened and looked at the bubbling sea before him, his gaze still somewhat blank.
Did I... just dodge the Marine Hero into the sea?
"Pwah-!"
The surface broke open as a soaking-wet figure abruptly emerged.
Garp wiped the seawater off his face, half a waterlogged cigar still clenched in his mouth. The coat representing justice now clung wetly to his back, leaving him looking bedraggled.
But he paid none of that any mind. His large, bell-like eyes were wide open as he stared fixedly at Lin Xuan, who stood on the pier looking innocent, as though he had seen a ghost.
"You little brat! Did you... did you grow eyes in the back of your head just now?"
Garp wiped the water off his face again. Rather than coming ashore, he stayed there treading water and shouted, "I used Soru just now! How could you possibly dodge it?"
If it had been Armament Haki, that could still have been chalked up to extraordinary talent.
But that split-second dodge had clearly anticipated the path of his attack.
That was an advanced application of Observation Haki-prediction.
How could a brat who had never even been to the Grand Line awaken both types of Haki?
Looking at Garp soaking in the water, Lin Xuan helplessly spread his hands, just the right amount of confusion appearing on his face.
"Old man, isn't that a pretty unusual way to say hello? If I hadn't been about to study that strange energy inside my body, with all my attention focused, that hit would've cracked my head open."
Lin Xuan pointed at his temple and said, mixing truth with falsehood, "For that instant, it felt like a picture suddenly appeared in my mind. Like... like I could see you were going to hit me. My body just moved on its own."
"A picture... appeared in your mind?"
Garp paused in his treading, sinking a little farther until only his head remained above water.
Of course he knew what that was.
It was a typical sign of awakening Observation Haki.
And judging from the brat's description, it had already formed clear moving images.
How was this a genius?
He was a monster reborn!
Garp opened his mouth, and the remnants of his cigar drifted away with the current.
As he looked at Lin Xuan's young face, Bogard's utterly despondent expression surfaced in his mind again.
If Bogard found out that this brat had not only learned Armament Haki Hardening, but had also casually unlocked Observation Haki a few minutes later...
Before you continue