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Under a tree snapped in half, Zyhark struggled to his feet from a pile of fallen leaves and dust, his neck slightly dislocated and his head spinning as if he'd just ridden a roller coaster.
As the blood and energy in his body surged to heal the trauma caused by the bear's powerful blow, the stars in his vision gradually faded.
"Cursed beast, that was a heavy hit," Zyhark muttered as he tracked the path carved by his body across the ground, looking towards the triumphant bear swinging its arms.
Had his body's healing and defense not been enhanced by the wish, that blow might have skewed his head right off!
No wonder both Garp and Shanks had said that without reaching a certain physical threshold, one couldn't train in both types of Haki.
Indeed, such a "quick-fix" training method could prove lethal.
"So..." Zyhark shook his head to clear his thoughts, extended his right arm towards the bear, and taunted, "Come at me, then!"
The bear, basking in its brute strength, couldn't tolerate such mockery from a perceived weakling.
With a roar, it charged at Zyhark at breakneck speed, its massive body like a hurtling boulder causing the ground beneath to tremble with each step.
Facing the impending danger, Zyhark stood his ground, closed his eyes, and focused, using the bear's first attack as a testament that his defense could withstand the bear's force, sparing his life.
This time, more composed, he sensed the bear's attack coming from the left.
Judging the moment, Zyhark opened his eyes and leapt to the right.
"Damn, too early?!" With the bear still half a meter away and leaping into the air, Zyhark saw the bear's paw enlarge in his field of vision.
Thud!
Once again, Zyhark was slammed to the ground without resistance.
Fortunately, such damage was not lethal to him, feeling akin to falling down stairs from the second floor.
"Again, I refuse to believe I can't master this mere Observation Haki!"
Zyhark brushed off the dirt, undeterred, and continued to challenge the bear. Predictably, he was sent flying several more times, ending up next to a smirking Aqua.
"So, Zyhark, your idea of training is to stand still and get hit?" Aqua, perched on a rock, chuckled down at Zyhark, "What a revolutionary training method."
"I hope when I master Observation Haki and dodge attacks with my eyes closed, you won't come crying to me for lessons."
Brushing off the mud, Zyhark gasped for air - the continuous battering, despite his robust defenses, began to take its toll.
"And, do all goddesses go commando?"
It wasn't intentional, but from his angle, he saw more than he should have.
"You're a complete pervert!"
Aqua, unfazed by what would embarrass most women, disdainfully glanced at Zyhark.
Though unbothered, she hopped off the rock to stand firmly on the ground.
"I don't know what this Observation Haki you're trying to practice is, but avoiding that bear's attack with eyes closed seems easy enough!"
By the time Zyhark recovered from what he'd seen, the overconfident Aqua was already walking towards the bear, turning her back to it.
"Fool! That beast is strong; you'll cry if it hits you!"
His warning came too late.
Angered by Aqua's dismissive stance, the bear didn't care about goddesses, swinging its paw towards her head!
This idiot goddess!
Just as Zyhark reached for his hidden pistol, intending to intervene, something astonishing happened.
Aqua simply squatted, dodging the bear's paw aimed at her head, her hair billowing in the wind caused by the swing.
She actually dodged it?!
Stunned, Zyhark couldn't believe his eyes.
Was it luck? But as he knew, Aqua's luck, tied to her intelligence, was abysmally low.
Perhaps sensing doubt in Zyhark's eyes, Aqua, having successfully dodged, scoffed and closed her eyes, facing the bear again.
The infuriated bear launched a relentless assault, but Aqua retreated and dodged, perfectly predicting its every move.
"See, Zyhark, wasn't that easy?"
"Though if you beg me, I might consider teaching you~"
Even amidst this, she found time to mock Zyhark.
Watching Aqua's smug victory dance, Zyhark's mouth twitched.
Suddenly, learning Haki didn't seem so appealing.
"But don't be too sad. After all, the gap between a mere mortal's potential and a goddess's is vast."
Aqua grew more proud by the second, unaware she was backing towards the river.
"Hey, Aqua, watch your back," Zyhark warned, his advice falling on deaf ears.
Ignoring him, Aqua continued her show-off dodges until she inevitably fell into the river...
Thankfully, as a water goddess, she could breathe underwater and stood up unharmed.
But then, the bear's paw swept across the water, sending her flying in an elegant arc, only to crash headfirst into a muddy bank, leaving her flailing legs exposed.
(End of Chapter)