Shane's fingers struck like rain.
The electricity and force bursting from his fingertips could punch through the ship's planks from a distance!
A human body would have been riddled with bloody holes!
Every time Shane dodged an attack, he relied on perception and speed.
Whenever he could evade with Kami-e, he contorted his body.
When he couldn't, he combined his Hybrid Form with Iron Body!
Gradually.
Perhaps he had used it too many times, or perhaps he had reached a threshold again.
Shane's Finger Pistol not only carried the properties of Tempest Kick.
It even carried the hardness of Iron Body!
Bang!
At that moment, Shane was like an actual electric gun, bombarding without pause!
Though he had to grit his teeth, blood seeped out drop by drop, and his body couldn't stop trembling.
If he relaxed his concentration even slightly.
He would immediately be knocked back into human form!
"Brat, just what do you think you're provoking? I am one of the Five Elders!"
Saint Saturn hated pirates most of all, especially ambitious pirates who followed an ancient will.
Adventurous pirates who merely pursued freedom were of little concern.
The frightening ones were those like Joy Boy, who tried to challenge the entire world's order!
The very existence of such people, even their every word and action, threatened this world!
To a large extent, they couldn't even be called pirates.
They were more like a pack of madmen!
Madmen who didn't know their place, who tried to touch the sky while standing on the ocean floor!
"You have no idea how vast the gap is between you and the strongest people at the world's summit."
"Even if you surpass the limits of the human body, even if you possess a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit, even if you attack with your life on the line."
"You're still nothing but a somewhat stronger monster. Without Haki, you aren't even qualified to wound me!"
Wounds kept appearing on Saint Saturn's body, only to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye!
Compared with Saint Garling, who had a human body but terrifying Haki!
Saint Saturn, who had developed his Devil Fruit to its limit and possessed a nearly immortal body, was even more frightening.
Because even the strongest Haki user would eventually grow old, with declining condition and stamina.
Rayleigh and Garp were both examples.
Only a Devil Fruit that granted powerful vitality could keep them at their peak for long periods!
The likes of Kaido and Linlin had no such concerns at all!
Even as they aged, their condition wouldn't decline, because their fruits could compensate for the passing years.
Shane kept attacking.
The sounds ringing in his ears weren't Saint Saturn's taunts.
They were the flow of blood within his body, the breathing of his cells!
Haki!
That's right.
Without Haki, there was no way to claim a high position on the seas.
Those truly powerful fighters, especially Zoan Devil Fruit users.
Their bodies recovered like cockroaches that refused to die.
Some even possessed special Lineage Factors!
Charlotte Linlin's Iron Balloon, Kaido's undying dragon scales.
Saint Saturn's super-healing speed, and later, Marco's phoenix flames.
How could he make them taste death?
To break through their defenses, to disregard their super-healing speed!
He had to possess powerful Haki and deal real damage!
The terrifying part was.
To reach that level, he had to develop his Armament Haki to an advanced level and master advanced techniques!
Shane knew perfectly well.
Never mind combining advanced Haki with advanced techniques.
He hadn't even mastered the most basic Haki!
From awakening Armament Haki to mastering Armament Haki Hardening.
Then expanding it to full-body Armament Haki Hardening already required a long time and many battles.
And even that only fell within the scope of ordinary Armament Haki!
What others call ordinary and advanced is so far beyond my reach!
If I want to go farther, I at least have to take the first step.
Haki lies deep within the human body. It's potential. It's an aura!
But this step of awakening Haki alone is so difficult that most people spend their whole lives trying.
Once they're old and weak, awakening Haki becomes even less possible, and they've lost the time to develop it further.
Youth is the best time to awaken Haki!
And I'm young right now!
Shane's fingertips stabbed at blinding speed, purple electricity dancing like arcs.
There seemed to be a thread tugging at his heart, constantly pouring in, then running through his bones, organs, skin, and flesh.
"Come out! Haki!"
Shane thrust out another strike.
A sinister smile appeared at the corner of his enemy's mouth.
Shing!
Advanced Armament Haki covered his chest!
Blocking Shane's attack!
"That body of yours is exceptionally strong. Those dragon scales are already beyond what ordinary Haki can damage."
"Fortunately, I can do it easily!"
Saint Saturn drove his cane into the ground with one hand.
As the stone was pierced.
His other hand curled into a claw, wreathed in Advanced Armament Haki!
Once again, it formed an invisible barrier at a distance.
"You're far too lacking!"
"Haki requires not only potential, but bloodline!"
"The Celestial Dragons are the gods who created the world."
"The ancestors of every elite Celestial Dragon lineage were true kings!"
"Noble King's Blood flows within us, too!"
"And at most, your potential can only take you to the starting point of our inherited gifts!"
Saint Saturn thrust his five fingers!
Pale black flames formed!
Shane's fingertips began to hurt, his bones even fracturing!
The defense of Advanced Armament Haki was too strong!
It could block all the purple electricity and Finger Pistol attacks from a distance.
The gap in their strength was far more than a mere two levels.
The member of the Five Elders before him not only had an awakened fruit, but also advanced Haki and countless battles' worth of experience!
For Shane to think he could bridge that gap by putting his life on the line was undoubtedly to scorn Saint Saturn's hundreds of years!
"I've killed far too many fools like you!"
Whoosh!
Black flames burned on his five fingers.
Like the Grim Reaper's scythe.
Shane clenched his five fingers, turning his Finger Pistol into a fist.
The thread deep within his heart had already stretched to the surface of his skin.
Where his gaze rested.
Even if it was only a thin layer.
It was still proof of the human body's potential.
"What are you talking about?"
"My limit is your starting point?"
"Will you still dare say that when everyone has Haki?"
"This punch is my starting point!"
"The summit of the seas! I've taken my first step!"
Shane shouted himself hoarse.
An invisible aura flowed over his fist, not even reaching the level of Armament Haki Hardening.
But it was still his strongest blow!
Bang!
The simplest Armament Haki met advanced Haki.
It couldn't even break through the defense of that invisible barrier!
Yet Shane grinned from ear to ear.
"No wonder those guys always love shouting when they fight. This feels amazing."
Whoosh!
Saint Saturn watched Shane with a dark gaze.
Until his five fingers pierced Shane's side!
"Ushi-Oni! Five-Finger Flame Soul!"
Splash!
Blood sprayed.
Shane was sent flying sideways into the deep ravine.
The pain went beyond his nerves' perception and reached straight into his soul.
Once again, it hurt so badly that Shane ground his teeth.
Boom!
A huge crater was smashed into the ravine.
Shane lay embedded within it, feeling his whole body convulse in pain.
His Hybrid Form reverted to human form.
The exhilaration of awakening Haki for the first time.
Intertwined with the agony of being wounded nearly to death.
Simply breathing no longer did any good.
Shane's vision was a white haze, and he couldn't see anything clearly.
His consciousness gradually blurred, but a figure lifted him onto her back.
"Stussy, you scumbag, you're actually saving someone!"
Flame Flower kicked a marine away.
Flower Snake's tail shielded her, blocking the hail of bullets.
"This brat's physique makes him the ideal test subject!"
Stussy hoisted Shane onto her back, her blond hair brushing across his cheek.
Bang!
The instant the three left.
A Haki-coated cane stabbed straight into the spot Shane had occupied!
"Who is it? Who dares interfere with my battle!"
Saint Saturn breathed as he gave chase.
A barrier promptly blocked his path.
"The captain said this brat is an Apprentice Crew Member, so he still has value."
Kurozumi Semimaru intervened again.
For the Rocks Pirates, profit came before everything.
Stussy, with her scientific knowledge, recognized Shane's value as a test subject.
Kurozumi Semimaru, who wanted revenge on the Kozuki Clan, also believed Shane had fighting strength and potential.
That was enough for him to seize the opportunity to intervene!
"You won't escape!"
Many of Saint Saturn's wounds had healed on the surface, but the bloodstains remained.
His sluggish movements and exhausted body were proof as well.
Even an Awakened Zoan user had limits!
He was indeed far weaker than before and needed time to recover.
Shing!
Just as he charged after them.
The barrier vanished in an instant.
A man with his hair flying appeared in the valley.
The man's appearance made both Saint Garling and Saint Saturn freeze.
"Go, Kaido!"
Almost in an instant.
Linlin seized the opportunity to fly over on her thundercloud and hoisted up Kaido, whose injuries had worsened.
"Rocks!"
The sight of him made Saint Saturn and Saint Garling gnash their teeth.
But they snapped back to their senses a moment later.
Impossible!
Rocks was fighting in the distance, taking on a host of powerful opponents.
How could he suddenly appear here?
"Hee-hahahaha! Fools!"
"Did you wet your pants, Saturn?"
The witchlike Kurozumi Higurashi reverted to her original appearance.
Enraged, Saint Saturn thrust at her.
Saint Garling followed up with a sword slash.
"Sister! Let's not take risks at a time like this!"
Kurozumi Semimaru blocked the attacks with a two-sided barrier.
The sister and brother both let out cackling laughter.
They swiftly retreated!
"The Rocks Pirates are all lunatics! Lunatics!"
Saint Saturn threw back his head and roared. He was nearly dying of rage!
Before you continue