Besides that, there was Armament Haki, which could increase a person's defense and attack power, acting like invisible armor. It could also be developed into an offensive power to contend with Devil Fruit Users, even allowing one to touch the physical bodies of Logia Devil Fruit Users. It was known as the only means in the world of fighting them.
But according to the text, Armament Haki could only grasp a Devil Fruit User's physical body; it could not take away their abilities like seastone.
There were two ways to use Armament Haki.
1. Coating: Applying Armament Haki to one's fists or weapons to attack, like the punch Luffy used against a PX when he appeared after two years in the story. (Suitable for people skilled at attacking with weapons or lacking sufficient physical strength.)
2. Hardening: Applying Armament Haki to the body, turning the skin pitch-black and giving the affected area a metallic sheen. During hardening, the skin first turned orange-red from the inside out, as if being heated by fire, before turning black. The color differed from person to person.
For example, in the main story of One Piece, Luffy and Smoker had a white sheen, while Doflamingo and Vergo's leaned toward purple. In the movie, Byrnndi World's was a darker gray. Hardness increased with the strength of the Haki. (Suitable for people skilled at attacking through the strength of their whole body or individual body parts, as well as control and coordination.)
Lastly came the description of Conqueror's Haki.
Conqueror's Haki was an exceptionally powerful ability because its possessor could use it to attack without lifting a finger. Only one person in millions possessed it.
Moreover, people who awakened Conqueror's Haki could also bring out their various latent abilities. But unlike Observation Haki and Armament Haki, Conqueror's Haki was innate and could not be learned. It could only be awakened when a person reached a certain level. It was the user's own force of spirit, and its attack power grew only when the user became stronger.
Conqueror's Haki also had different levels. The booklet contained little information on them, but they could generally be divided into two stages: simple application, and the more powerful use of incorporating it into attacks. As far as he knew, everyone who reached the latter stage had attained the level of the Four Emperors.
The Conqueror's Haki of Shanks, one of the Four Emperors, could cause actual damage; he had once cracked Whitebeard's warship with it. Big Mom could also incorporate Conqueror's Haki into her voice, unleashing tremendous, irresistible power. There was also the Red Count, a character created by Oda himself, who could incorporate it into his attacks.
But few gods in Birka had awakened Conqueror's Haki, and almost all of them had done so spontaneously. They did not know how to train it either, so God's Notes contained no method for doing so. He could only awaken it on his own, and Luo Chen could not even be sure whether he possessed the ability, so he skipped it and trained in the other types of Haki.
Luo Chen began by training his Observation Haki. The notes recorded two methods for training Mantra, or Observation Haki:
The first was to blindfold oneself, greatly enhancing the perception of the body's other senses, gradually adapting and eventually awakening the ability. However, this method took a very long time to produce results. One could have others attack and constantly dodge their blows to improve one's perception more quickly. That was how Dark King Rayleigh had taught Luffy on Four Seasons Island: he had begun by hitting Luffy with a wooden stick and making him dodge, then later had Luffy blindfold himself and fight those ferocious beasts, avoiding their attacks.
The second was to gain understanding and further insights in battle, taking one's ability to the next level. In the original story, Luffy's fight with Katakuri had allowed his Observation Haki to glimpse fragments of the future, and he had ultimately defeated Katakuri.
Since he was not very familiar with the god guards aboard the ship, Luo Chen decided to first meditate on Observation Haki and see whether he could skip the other steps and awaken it on his own.
After closing his eyes, he felt somewhat unaccustomed to it, but quickly adjusted. His other senses grew much sharper.
Luo Chen spent two whole days in darkness. Although he was still a long way from awakening Observation Haki, his body's other senses had all improved greatly.
"Lord Luo Chen, we're almost at Sky Island. Please come to the bow," a god guard said, running over to inform him.
"Mm, understood. I'll go right away," Luo Chen said, rising to his feet.
"Are we almost at Sky Island?" Luo Chen asked as he walked over to the bow.
"Oh, you're here. We're almost there. Once we pass through that gate and enter the Express Lane, we'll reach our destination, Sky Island," Enel said, turning toward Luo Chen when he heard the question. He stood at the bow, tossing an apple in one hand.
Luo Chen looked at the magnificent, enormous gateway before them, bearing the words Heaven's Gate, and the gigantic waterfall plunging straight down behind it. He nodded without saying anything, evidently stunned by the sight.
At that moment, a short old woman with a face as wrinkled as a pickled plum came out with a camera. She photographed their group and questioned them.
"I'm Amazon, an inspector of God's Country. Are you here to tour or to wage war?"
"Oh! What happens if we choose to tour, and what happens if we choose war?" Enel asked with interest.
"If you're here to tour, it's one hundred million extol per person."
"And if we're here for war?" Enel asked again.
"Then you don't have to pay, but our Kingdom of God will regard you as enemies."
"Hahaha! Then this god chooses war. I won't pay a single penny," Enel said arrogantly and disdainfully.
"Is that so? I understand. Then please take the Kingdom of God's specialty, the Express Shrimp, into our country." With that, Amazon, the priestess guarding the gate, took out her camera and photographed Luo Chen and the others one by one.
Enel and the others did not react. They had come to seize the position of god in God's Country anyway, so the photographs made no difference to them.
And so, an enormous blue-green Express Shrimp, a Sky Island specialty, picked up their ship and carried it swiftly against the current, up the waterfall toward God's Country.
Splash! Splash! Splash! The Express Shrimp swam rapidly, constantly throwing up great sprays of water that splashed across everyone's faces. Luo Chen wiped the water away and watched the scenery flash past, feeling immensely excited and exhilarated.
Finally, after a long while, the Express Shrimp carried the ship out of the cloud current and into God's Country. It brought the ship alongside a stretch of land made of, then dove back into the cloud current and returned.
"Hahaha, we're finally here! This is God's Country. Now this is where a god should live! This place will become my territory, the territory of Thunder God Enel!" Enel laughed as he looked at the prosperous, peaceful country before him.
"So, are you going to take over the position of god now? Do you need my help?" Luo Chen asked, turning to Enel, curious about the prosperous land.
"You want to go see the sights here? Then go ahead. After today, this place will be my territory. Go see what's so special about the land ruled by the old god. We don't need your help here," Enel said, waving Luo Chen off when he saw how excited he looked.
"He's so carefree. I'm really envious of him," the four priests said enviously as they watched Luo Chen leave.
"What, do you want to go take a look too?" Enel asked.
"No. Rather than that, we'd rather follow in your footsteps and conquer this land," the four priests said, shaking their heads and looking resolutely at Enel.
"Hahaha, then let's go. I hear some little insects seem to be heading this way."
"God, have you discovered someone, my lord? Please leave them to us. We won't disappoint you," the god guards beside him declared loudly, professing their loyalty.
At that moment, a black speck appeared in the distance and steadily drew closer.
"They're here!" The four priests had closed their eyes to sense their surroundings when Enel said he had found some insects. Now they all opened their eyes and spoke in unison.
"Mm, Lord Enel, a man wearing a bull-headed mask is approaching."
"Is he an enemy?"
"He's one of the little insects Lord Enel mentioned. Leave him to us," three god soldiers said, stepping forward and walking out to face the masked man.
Each of them was shaped like a ball and looked very jolly. They were Satori of the Forest's younger brothers, and their strength was second only to that of the four priests.
"This god remembers you. You're Satori's younger brothers, aren't you?" Enel said, recalling who they were as he looked at them.
"Yes, we're Satori's younger brothers. We're honored that you still remember us," the three said excitedly.
"Then let me see your performance."
"Yes, sir!" After saluting, the three quickly assumed fighting stances, ready to meet the masked man's attack.
Whoosh! A young man wearing a bull-headed mask and carrying a rocket launcher on his back appeared before them. He pulled the trigger and fired a rocket at them.
Whoosh! Trailing flames, the rocket sped toward them, but no one aboard the ship panicked.
"Hey, hey, hey, I can't let that pass!"
A bald swordsman aboard the ship spoke as he leaped up and split the rocket with a stroke of his sword. It exploded on either side of the ship, the surging blast rocking the vessel. The swordsman landed safely on deck, rested his sword on his shoulder, and smiled at the man.
"Tch!" Seeing that his attack had failed, the masked man switched to close combat. He jumped onto the deck, then leaped again, charging at Enel, whom he took to be the ship's leader.
"Ball Cloud!" a voice rang out beside his ear. The man dodged instinctively as a ball-shaped cloud brushed past him and exploded nearby. The three blocked his path and spoke.
"Hey, we're your opponents!"
"Tch, stay out of my way. Cloud Impact!" The mysterious man planted his feet, thrust out his hand, and shouted at them.
Boom! The impact rang out, filling the air with dust and smoke.
Whoosh! The man went past them again, charging toward Enel.
"Cough, cough! Damn it, he ignored us again. Oh no, Lord Enel's in danger!" Several hands swept away the dust and smoke before them, and they turned and shouted.
Damn it, why? Why is he still smiling? Does he have something to rely on? he thought, seeing that Enel's expression had not changed.
"Die, invader! Gas Dial: Gas Lance!" He took a Gas Dial from his waist with his right hand and a long wooden pole with his left. He brought his hands together, assembled the two, and pressed the gas button, then gripped the lance with both hands and thrust it at Enel.
The gas emitted by the Gas Dial was only a foot long, but it was incredibly dense. It stabbed toward him like a spear, the dense, sharp gas lance piercing straight through Enel's head.
"Huh? What... what's going on? Why aren't you dead?" The man had been thrilled when he pierced Enel's head, but soon realized that Enel was still standing there, letting him pierce his head, the smile on his face unchanged.
At last, the mysterious man grew so nervous that sweat ran down his face, while wisps of electricity flowed along his lance.
"What? Want to try again?" Enel finally spoke, addressing him.
Clang!
Damn it, what kind of ability is this? Never mind, I'll get away first. The mysterious man pulled out the lance and turned to leave.
Unfortunately...
"Leaving just like that? How could I, Thunder God Enel, save face? 30 Million Volt: Hino!" The calm words sounded in the man's ear, and a lightning beast charged at him.
The area around him was engulfed in an instant. Lightning swallowed his entire body as a roar rang out without end.
"Hm, it's over already? How boring!" Hearing the man's voice fall silent, Enel shook his head and turned to leave, ordering his subordinates to sail toward God's Land.