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"So, you're interested in learning about Haki? No problem, ask away. I'll tell you everything I know," Rayleigh agreed readily. Having decided to assist at Sabaody Archipelago, he certainly wasn't going to act superior when it came to guiding a promising newcomer.
"But this means that Rayleigh will be your teacher," Shakky added shrewdly, blowing out a smoke ring.
She had seen tremendous potential in Zyhark and wanted to bind him closer to Rayleigh. Whether out of simple admiration or strategic consideration, it was a win-win situation.
As one of the most savvy pirates of the last era, Shakky's sharp eye didn't miss a thing.
"That would be an honor," Zyhark accepted without hesitation.
Setting aside the reputation of "mediocre teacher" for a moment, forging a relationship with Rayleigh, the former first mate of the Pirate King Roger, could only benefit them in their upcoming New World adventures. It was an added layer of security.
"Then come with me. There's an uninhabited island nearby, home to many dangerous beasts. They may not pose much of a threat to you, but it's an excellent place to train."
Rayleigh set down his tea and stood, leading the way out of Kuja Castle.
Zyhark and his crew followed closely behind.
"Wait!"
Just as they were about to leave the hall, Hancock, the ruler of this island, called out, her expression conflicted.
"Hancock, is something wrong?" Rayleigh turned back, his eyes, hidden behind his round glasses, showing a hint of curiosity.
"I want to see if this man truly deserves to be Lady Aqua's captain."
Hancock, her long white legs partially visible beneath her purple cheongsam, strode boldly to Zyhark.
Though she had already reached a conclusion, she couldn't resist the urge to test him herself.
If her overwhelming beauty couldn't sway this man, then the only thing left was...
Her overwhelming presence as a conqueror!!
Buzz!
Without giving Zyhark a chance to reply, Hancock's long black hair fluttered as her eyes, the same shade of blue as Aqua's, unleashed an overwhelming surge of conqueror's Haki.
The air around them instantly grew heavy, as if the very color was being drained from the world, leaving behind only the dark red lightning that crackled like a storm throughout the hall.
This was the Haki of the Pirate Empress!
The sheer pressure bore down on Zyhark, testing his mental fortitude. For a moment, it was as if the woman before him wasn't the most beautiful in the world, but a ferocious beast with razor-sharp fangs!
"Going straight to conqueror's Haki on a guest, you really live up to the title of Pirate Empress..."
Zyhark remained unfazed in the midst of the storm.
Hancock's Haki was strong, but she was only nineteen, far from the level of seasoned veterans like Figarland Garling.
She wasn't even close to making him bend his knee or take a step back!
In terms of pure strength, Hancock wasn't a match for him.
And who would fear the Haki of someone weaker than themselves?
So, Zyhark simply stood there, his expression calm, letting the winds mess up his hair.
Behind him, Rayleigh, Shakky, and Elder Nyon exchanged knowing looks and shook their heads in amusement.
Aqua and the others looked equally nonchalant. Even Meowth, who used to be easily knocked out by conqueror's Haki, stood firm.
Hancock's eyes met Zyhark's, and after several seconds of intense staring, she finally retracted her Haki, realizing the truth she had sought.
With a haughty humph, she turned away, flipping her hair back as she resumed her place on her pet snake.
Her actions, though wordless, made her stance clear.
"Let's go," Rayleigh resumed his stride, pushing open the heavy door.
As Zyhark and his crew followed Rayleigh out of sight down the streets of Amazon Lily, Hancock, still seated on her snake, bit her thumbnail in deep thought.
"Shakky, Elder Nyon, that man... he's probably the one who actually killed the Celestial Dragon at Sabaody, isn't he?" she asked, her voice filled with complexity.
Elder Nyon, leaning on her cane, looked at the former slave of the Celestial Dragons and replied, "You already know the answer, don't you? If I'm not mistaken, that's what the newspapers reported."
"Be careful, Hancock. A man like him could be very dangerous for you," Shakky added, her words layered with meaning.
"Extreme Evil Thunder, Zyhark..."
Hancock shrank into herself, biting her thumb harder as she pondered.
...
On the uninhabited island of Rusukaina, located to the northwest of Amazon Lily, Zyhark and his crew embarked on a week of intense training, preparing for their journey into the New World.
Zyhark focused on refining his Haki, especially conqueror's Haki.
Meowth and King continued their training in the Six Powers, clashing daily with the island's fierce beasts.
Meowth managed well enough, but King took a beating.
Even though King insisted this was his true strength, Meowth remained convinced, and deeply moved, that King was just "pretending" to spare his weaker companion's feelings.
It was mostly because King's intimidating face was just too deceptive.
Throughout their journey on the Grand Line, King's calm demeanor in the face of stronger opponents had been all too real.
As for the foolish goddess Aqua, she quickly forgot her earlier bravado after some rigorous training, slipping back into laziness and wandering the island's forests with Kanna.
Along the way, she managed to get herself chased by wild beasts and even nearly flooded the island, leaving Rayleigh utterly dumbfounded, as his understanding of the limits of "idiocy" was redefined.
Midway through the training, Hancock, unable to contain her restless thoughts, sailed to Rusukaina on the Perfume Yuda, under the pretense of bringing food, just to see the man who lingered in her mind.
After a series of shy, imagined romantic scenes, she readily accepted Zyhark's invitation to stay and train Haki alongside them.
Zyhark's suggestion was, of course, motivated by Hancock's immense potential.
If she dedicated herself to training, she might even master the advanced form of conqueror's Haki, not having to rely solely on her Devil Fruit abilities to be a formidable force!
After all, in the original story, Hancock's potential was somewhat overshadowed by her powerful Devil Fruit.
Comfort breeds complacency, and with the status of a Warlord of the Sea, Hancock, who had awakened conqueror's Haki early, had little reason to push herself further.
Others in similar situations included Doflamingo, another Warlord, and Katakuri, protected by Big Mom.
All three had the potential to become Emperors of the Sea!
If Hancock, who had fully allied herself with them, could master the advanced form of conqueror's Haki, the benefits would be immeasurable!
Time passed quickly as they trained, with most of the amusement provided by Aqua's antics.
Soon, the day of their departure arrived.
At the port of Amazon Lily, the docks were filled with women of all kinds, the Kuja Pirates and warrior guards all gathered to see the Endless Dream set sail.
"Rayleigh, thank you for everything. We'll remember this debt," Zyhark and his crew stood on the deck, waving goodbye to Rayleigh and Shakky.
Even Aqua, who had been nothing but arrogant, had come to respect Rayleigh, going so far as to appoint him as a Grand Instructor in the Axis Cult.
It seemed like recognition, but it was really just a forced conversion, making Rayleigh a devout follower of the Axis Cult.
It was a bit of a backhanded gift, very much in line with the foolish goddess's style.
"Climb to the top of this world. The New World will be your greatest stage!"
Rayleigh smiled, drawing his sword and unleashing a subtle wave of conqueror's Haki as a heartfelt farewell.
Amidst the dazzling red lightning that filled the shoreline, the Endless Dream shifted into submarine mode and slowly submerged beneath the calm waters.
—For a ship made from Treasure Tree Adam and enhanced with Meowth's technology, the Endless Dream didn't need to stop at Sabaody for a coating.
So, Zyhark's plan was simple and direct—they would dive straight to Fish-Man Island!
As Zyhark and his crew disappeared beneath the waves, Rayleigh glanced around, puzzled.
"Speaking of which, where's Hancock?"
"She's in bed with a high fever. Elder Nyon's looking after her," Shakky replied calmly.
"A fever?"
Recalling Hancock's energetic state over the past few days, Rayleigh's expression changed. "Is it the Amazon Lily Emperor's condition?"
"Exactly. I warned her—getting close to that man is dangerous." Shakky sighed, exasperated.
Rayleigh's mind flashed back to his younger days with Shakky.
"It's quite a memorable affliction..." he said with a chuckle.
Meanwhile, the Endless Dream continued its descent, soon reaching a depth of 4,000 meters.
At this depth, light from the surface was nearly nonexistent, and the only thing visible was the endless, unsettling darkness.
Occasionally, massive Sea Kings would swim past, their movements sending shockwaves that rocked the tiny Endless Dream.
With only glimpses of their massive scales or crimson, vacant eyes, the hidden monsters of the deep were enough to make even the most fearless shudder.
But not Zyhark and his crew.
"A cow-headed eel... Who would've thought there'd be such strange fish in the deep sea?" Aqua, standing on the translucent deck, looked around like a curious child, her sky-blue eyes scanning everything.
Her divine eyes had the power to see through all darkness, in simple terms, night vision was one of her specialties.
"Hey, Zyhark, can we eat that?"
Kanna, unable to see the cow-headed fish Aqua mentioned, tugged at Zyhark's pants with a look of curiosity.
"It's edible, but it's too big to store on the ship."
Zyhark patted Kanna's head as he crouched down.
Though he lacked Aqua's divine eyes, his combination of Haki and nearly unmatched electricity-based senses allowed him to perceive a vast area around them.
But then again, why were these ferocious Sea Kings being so docile? Shouldn't they be attacking the ship?
While he pondered, the foolish goddess had already started her mischief.
"Hey! You big guys out there, I command you to come over here and put on a show!"
Though her voice wasn't particularly loud, it had an immediate effect, causing the Sea Kings around them to freeze.
The next second, as if summoned, these rulers of the deep sea began moving rapidly towards the Endless Dream.
The resulting currents made the small ship rock violently.
"In the time it took me to blink, you've already started causing trouble again? Do you think this ship isn't sturdy enough?!"
Zyhark snapped, delivering a powerful chop to Aqua's head.
With a large red bump on her head, Aqua immediately shrank back, crouching in a corner with teary eyes, "I'm really sorry, Zyhark-sama!"
The gathered Sea Kings, seeing this, seemed to show a surprisingly human-like expression of shock before scattering in all directions.
The Endless Dream stabilized and continued its descent into the deep.
After scolding Aqua, Zyhark sat down in the tea area on the deck, lost in thought.
Mischief aside, he hadn't expected that Aqua, after her increase in divine power, could now command even the Sea Kings.
Before Alabasta, she had shown some talent in this area, but she could only control the most common fish. If she could now command even the massive Sea Kings of the deep sea, did that mean Aqua was effectively the ancient weapon Poseidon?!
Setting aside her troubling intellect and penchant for chaos, the water goddess had some incredible advantages in the One Piece world.
This unexpected discovery added yet another card to Zyhark's hand in his battle against the World Government!
With Aqua properly chastised, the Endless Dream continued its descent.
Navigating through volcanic eruptions, deep-sea currents, and moving reefs, they finally reached a depth of 9,000 meters.
All that remained was to follow the downwards current directly to Fish-Man Island!
(End of Chapter)