Bogard's face was full of embarrassment.
He had originally planned to show off in front of Bai Yu.
He had never expected to crash and burn outright.
"Ahem, Bai Yu, you can't blame Mr. Garp for this. You know how awkward his position is. He only did this to avoid any appearance of impropriety."
Bogard gave a dry cough and hurriedly changed the subject.
"But before I teach you Haki, I'd like to know whether you learned your swordsmanship from a renowned master or taught yourself."
This question had been weighing on Bogard's mind all along.
He was also a Swordmaster who wielded a blade.
He had also learned from Garp that Red-Haired Shanks, one of the Four Emperors, had once visited Windmill Village.
Now, Bogard only wanted to find out where Bai Yu's swordsmanship had come from.
"Mr. Bogard, rest assured. I worked out my clumsy swordsmanship all by myself. It's nothing fit to show in public, let alone something taught by a renowned master."
Bai Yu had anticipated this question long ago and hurriedly trotted out his prepared explanation.
"Nothing fit to show in public?"
Bogard froze, then spoke with a hint of helplessness.
"Bai Yu, teaching yourself to this level is enough to qualify you as a genius. If even that isn't fit to show in public, never mind the swordsmen out there-even I, an instructor, would be unbearably ashamed."
"But now that you're willing to join Marine Headquarters, I'll formally teach you how to use Haki."
"First, you need to understand the nature of Observation Haki and Armament Haki, as well as how they're used."
"Haki is actually the power of a kind of energy circulating within your body. Once we sense that energy and can put it to use, we've successfully taken the first step."
"Armament Haki makes the energy within your body tangible. Coating your body with it forms armor impervious to blades and bullets. Coating a blade with it likewise strengthens the blade's toughness, and it can even inflict tangible damage on Logia Devil Fruit users."
"The legendary Black Blades are the result of nurturing blades with Haki until they undergo a transformation."
"Observation Haki, put simply, involves spreading the energy within your body outside it to sense the presence of living creatures within a certain range. Once honed to a certain degree, it can even predict changes in a target's emotions, anticipate and evade attacks, and so on..."
A stream of explanations about Haki poured from Bogard's mouth.
As a reincarnator, Bai Yu already had some knowledge of Haki.
However, this was his first time hearing such a systematic explanation.
Right, apart from the base template, that beginner gift pack I just received seemed to have other things in it.
Bai Yu raised an eyebrow. Remembering those three talismans, he hurriedly opened the system interface.
Talisman of Insight: After use, greatly enhances the host's comprehension of a particular thing. Talisman of Awakening: After use, awakens the power hidden within the host's body.
It can enhance comprehension?
Will it work on Haki?
Bai Yu was surprised. It seemed that anything produced by the system was guaranteed to be top quality really was an eternal law.
Still, faced with something that clearly did not belong to the Sea King world, Bai Yu crushed the Talisman of Insight with an experimental mindset.
Buzz!
Bai Yu felt a clear reverberation ring through his brain.
His already fairly quick mind suddenly began racing as though he had taken stimulants.
If Bai Yu's brain had had 2 GB of RAM a moment ago, it now had 5 GB.
Whether it was processing and summarizing streams of information or sensing and controlling the minute details of his body.
In that instant, all of it shot up a hundredfold.
The points he had still found somewhat difficult to understand after listening to Bogard's explanation suddenly became clear, as though a blockage had been swept from his mind.
The energy within his body began circulating freely as well.
"What's wrong? Is there something you don't understand? I'll demonstrate it for you first."
"Haki is relatively difficult when you first start learning it. Even Mr. Garp took half a month to master Armament Haki, so don't be discouraged if you don't understand it the first time. Just find time to practice more."
Seeing Bai Yu lost in thought, Bogard could not help asking.
This was a piece of unpolished jade. Even Bogard could not help nurturing him with care.
Of course, if Garp had seen this, he would definitely have showered him with scorn.
This genius in your eyes has taken at least a hundred beatings from me.
Bai Yu came back to his senses and exited the system interface.
Under Bogard's doting gaze, Bai Yu really did feel his scalp prickle, uncomfortable all over.
Still, he rubbed the tip of his nose and spoke.
"Mr. Bogard, it's not that I don't understand. Actually, I've already learned it."
"You said you've learned it?"
Bogard was dumbfounded, but his expression quickly turned stern.
"Bai Yu, you should approach learning with humility and a willingness to accept instruction. Now is not the time for jo...king!"
The final word had barely left his mouth when Bogard saw a layer of ink-black keratin coat Bai Yu's arm.
That deep color, gleaming like metal, made Bogard swallow back the whole speech poised on his tongue.
He swore that, of all the things in his life, the scene before him was the one he least wanted to believe.
After hearing it explained once, Bai Yu had successfully executed Armament Haki to perfection.
Teach him, my ass!
At that moment, all Bogard knew was that his lofty ambitions had been badly wounded.
After giving Bai Yu one more look, he turned and left.
Watching Bogard vanish from sight in a flash, Bai Yu helplessly took a swig of strong liquor.
He really had not been confident that he could successfully execute Armament Haki on his first attempt.
But now, it seemed he had still underestimated just how amazing the Talisman of Insight was.
With just one talisman, he could instantly learn Haki that others spent months, or even a year or two, painstakingly cultivating.
Although he had not yet reached the level of Ryuo.
It still matched the results Luffy had achieved after two years of training under Rayleigh in the original story.
"Did I hurt Mr. Bogard's feelings too much just now and let his kindness down? Looks like you really can't be too honest. Revealing all your trump cards is a little frightening."
Bai Yu took a swig of liquor and, after pondering for a moment, spoke.
"When we practice Observation Haki later, I'll have to act a little dumber to make it up to Mr. Bogard's fragile heart."
"Right, that settles it. For now, I'll use the other Talisman of Insight and master Observation Haki first."
As he spoke, Bai Yu flipped his hand and crushed another Talisman of Insight he had taken from the system.
As a faint reverberation sounded in his mind, Bai Yu continued brainstorming about Observation Haki.
Meanwhile, Bogard, who had originally been brimming with enthusiasm to instruct Qi Bai, pushed open the bustling tavern's door as though he had lost his soul.
He walked briskly toward Garp, who was possessed by Young Master Zhao.