"Haha, another Devil Fruit!"
Roy picked up the fruit happily. "Judging by the color and pattern, it's most likely a Paramecia. I just don't know what ability it has."
I really don't get it. The Giant Axe Pirates had a Devil Fruit and didn't eat it. Now I'm the one who gets to benefit.
I already have the Telekinesis-Telekinesis Fruit, and Tesoro's the only one on the ship who hasn't eaten a Devil Fruit. I could save this one for him.
But I don't know what ability it has. If it turns out to be a mediocre one, it could limit Tesoro's development instead.
After all, the future "Gild Tesoro" relied on the Gold-Gold Fruit.
"I'll put it away for now. We can talk about it once I figure out what it does, or find a more suitable one..."
Over the following days, the pirate ship White Dove, a name proposed by Stella and approved by Tesoro, continued toward the Endless War Country.
After eating the Bird-Bird Fruit, Stella had grown increasingly sensitive to weather and magnetic fields. At Roy's suggestion, she had also begun physical training.
Tesoro was even more fired up. Aside from helping sail the ship and learning a little navigation from Stella, he spent all his time training on the deck. The intensity of his efforts was frightening to see.
Roy hadn't been idle either.
During the day, he practiced swordsmanship on the deck. Frost Snow, the long sword he had bought from the weapons shop on Maple Leaf Island, sliced through the air in his hand. The shopkeeper had boasted that it was a Skillful Grade Sword, and Roy had bought it because it felt decent in his hand.
He had no fixed moves. He simply tried to work out how to incorporate his Telekinesis into his sword techniques. At the same time, he began studying Armament Haki, using the principles behind Tekkai from the Six Powers.
At night, he focused on meditation, honing his mental power and developing his fruit ability. Fine control of his mental power, expanding its range, and improving the precision and force with which he manipulated objects were all areas he studied.
He even tried combining Telekinesis with Conqueror's Haki. Progress was slow, but the occasional trace of pressure that leaked out was already enough to make Tesoro and Stella's hearts tremble.
One day, the sky was a clear blue, and a gentle sea breeze was blowing.
Roy finished a round of sword practice and watched Tesoro doing weighted squats on the deck, following the illustrations in the booklet. In just over ten days, Tesoro's muscles had become much more defined, and his gaze had grown sharper.
"Tesoro, come here." Roy beckoned him over.
"Boss, what do you need?"
Instead of answering directly, Roy looked at Stella, who was adjusting the sails. "Stella, where are we now? How far are we from the Endless War Country?"
Stella brushed the dust off her hands, felt the wind and currents, then checked the Log Pose and navigational chart. "Captain, at our current speed and course, we should reach the target waters in about five days. But we'll have to ask around once we get there to find out which island the Endless War Country is actually on."
"Five days..." Roy nodded, turning his gaze back to Tesoro. "Your basic physical fitness has improved quickly. It's time to move on to the next stage of training."
Tesoro's eyes lit up with anticipation.
"Boss, teach me!"
Roy raised a finger, a faint wisp of black substance curling around its tip. "Haki is an ability every top-tier powerhouse in this world needs. There are three types: Observation Haki, Armament Haki, and Conqueror's Haki. Conqueror's Haki is innate and can't be learned through training. You either have it or you don't. But Observation Haki and Armament Haki are powers that exist in everyone's body and can be mastered through training."
He paused, then continued, "Observation Haki lets you sense presences, anticipate attacks, and even read other people's emotions and thoughts. Armament Haki increases your defense and attack power. It can also reach the physical bodies of Logia users, making it the key to dealing with them."
Tesoro listened with excitement surging through him, his breathing growing rapid.
"My Observation Haki is a little special. After eating a Devil Fruit, I could give my mental power physical form," Roy said.
"Now, I'll guide a trace of my mental power into your body and let you experience what 'perception' feels like. Remember the feeling, then try to capture it yourself and awaken your own potential for Observation Haki."
With that, Roy gently touched his fingertip to the center of Tesoro's forehead.
Tesoro shuddered as a cool, gentle force flowed into his mind. In an instant, the world around him seemed different. He "saw" the gentle presence radiating from Stella nearby, "heard" the water moving as schools of fish swam beneath the surface, and could even vaguely sense Roy's calm, focused emotions at that moment.
The wondrous sensation captivated him.
"Remember this feeling!" Roy's low voice rang out in his mind.
Tesoro hurriedly composed himself, concentrating fully on remembering and experiencing it.
A few minutes later, Roy withdrew his finger. Tesoro felt dazed for a moment. The wondrous perception faded, but it had left a deep imprint on his mind.
"Thank you, boss!" Tesoro said excitedly.
"This is only a guide. Whether you can awaken it and how far you can go is entirely up to you," Roy said seriously.
"From now on, spend half your time each day calmly sensing your surroundings and trying to recapture that state of perception. Spend the other half practicing the Six Powers, then continue strengthening your body. A powerful body is the foundation for bearing Haki. As for Armament Haki, I'll teach you once your body is stronger, or after you awaken Observation Haki."
"Yes! I'll work hard!" Tesoro nodded vigorously, then hurried off to one side. He closed his eyes and eagerly began trying to train his Observation Haki.
Stella watched it all, a hint of envy in her eyes.
Roy noticed how she felt and smiled. "Stella, your fruit ability has enormous potential too."
"Zoan users already have excellent physiques and recovery, and your ability to fly and sense the weather is irreplaceable. Try combining your perception with your fruit ability while flying. You might gain something unexpected. There's more than one way to fight."
Stella considered his words, then broke into a smile. "I understand, captain. I'll work hard to develop my ability."
After instructing the two of them, Roy took stock of his own abilities. There wasn't much to say about his swordsmanship; he still had no idea how to become a master swordsman. He had also used his powerful mental strength to draw Armament Haki out of his body, though it was still very weak.
But with the aid of Observation Haki, his Telekinesis could also invade other people's minds. In the future, it might even be possible to alter the perceptions of opponents with weak wills.
Of the Six Powers, he had chosen to practice only Soru, the high-speed movement technique. What? You mean Life Return, the method of channeling mental power into the body to gain complete control over it?
With Roy's immense mental power, he had learned a technique like that as soon as he saw how to train it.
Roy now considered himself frighteningly strong!
Even if a Marine Vice Admiral showed up, he could take him on. Even if he couldn't win, escaping wouldn't be difficult. Garp didn't count.
As the sea breeze swept across the deck, he looked at his two companions, each working to grow stronger in their own way, and felt even greater anticipation for the Endless War Country they would soon reach!
"Bullet... I hope you won't disappoint me." Roy gazed out at the distant sea, murmuring under his breath.