"Honestly, I can't understand your thought process."
Uta looked at the country bumpkin with disdain, glancing down at the water stains on the ground. "It's all your fault—I got my clothes wet!"
The two of them returned to the tavern, drenched. Shanks and the other pirates were already inside, laughing and drinking.
"Luffy, Uta, did you fall into the water?" Shanks chuckled at their state.
"It was Luffy who fell in! He doesn't know how to swim, and Uta had to save him!" Uta rolled her eyes.
"I'm going to take a shower!" Uta said through gritted teeth.
"Shanks, come teach me swordsmanship!" Luffy picked up a broom from a corner of the tavern, his eyes sparkling as he stared at the sword hanging from Shanks' waist.
"You promised me yesterday!"
"Did I? Alright then." Shanks grabbed a pair of chopsticks and waved them around in the air.
"Let's see what you've got! I'll teach you swordsmanship through real combat."
Luffy charged at Shanks with all his might, but his wooden stick couldn't even advance against Shanks' chopsticks.
Shanks was treating this like a playful encounter with a child.
The surrounding pirates cheered for Luffy, shouting, "Come on, hit him in the middle!"
"Go, Luffy!"
"You're so close! Just a little more to hit Shanks!"
They cheered wildly for Luffy, completely ignoring their captain's image.
"Shanks, is this really how you teach swordsmanship?" Luffy asked, a bit skeptical.
After a while of struggling, he had exhausted himself.
"What do you think swordsmanship is, Luffy?"
"Isn't it swinging around and slicing through everything with a sword slash that can reach hundreds of meters?"
Luffy envisioned Mihawk slicing through glaciers and felt a surge of excitement.
To protect the beautiful world of the second dimension, he needed that kind of power!
"Nope, swordsmanship is simply the skill of defeating others." Shanks said with a laugh.
He demonstrated some basic movements with the chopsticks. "Like this, and like this, and then this…"
Shanks drew a horizontal line, then a vertical one, followed by a diagonal cut.
"Swordsmanship is about this, Luffy. I've taught you everything."
"That's it?"
"That's it." Shanks shrugged.
What about everything else, like breathing techniques or cutting through steel…?
Nothing!
At the very least, he should have given me a flashy line to say, right? Luffy suspected that Shanks was just humoring him because of his age.
Pirates with names would usually not pick on kids, but whether they'd genuinely teach them was another question entirely.
Even his grandpa, Garp, was like that.
When Luffy wanted to train and asked his grandpa for awesome techniques, Garp just taught him Tekkai and proudly claimed it was a technique that made him stronger just by taking hits…
And here he was, half-believing he was hit by a wild boar.
Seeing Luffy's doubtful expression, Shanks ruffled his hair. "All techniques are simple. The rest is just about strength and application."
"Luffy still needs to train his body."
"Then… is there a technique that can unleash powerful moves without exercising?"
Luffy thought it through. Without a strong body, techniques wouldn't matter much; it was better to solidify his foundation.
But then he remembered Haki.
Shanks was rumored to be an expert in Haki, especially in Conqueror's Haki.
He needed to think of a way to get him to teach it!
"Well… there is a way, Luffy… you might just have that talent."
Shanks pondered about Garp's strength.
"Haki is a latent power that all humans possess. It's an inherent ability, akin to 'aura' or 'intimidation.' It exists like an instinct; however, most people aren't aware of this power, and some may never manifest it throughout their lives.
Among them, Conqueror's Haki is the rarest, possessed by only one in hundreds of thousands. It's a 'kingly' aura that signifies the ability to stand above others. Unlike the other two types, Conqueror's Haki cannot be strengthened through training; it only grows as the user themselves matures… This uniqueness makes its manifestation very random, even a young child can unleash this power during emotional outbursts…"
Shanks recalled his insights on Haki as he spoke to Luffy.
"I want to learn that! Teach me, Shanks!"
Luffy exclaimed immediately.
He was sure he had that power—after all, he was Luffy!
"Uh, I don't really know how to train that power. Maybe you'll just trigger it by getting excited?"
Shanks shrugged, unable to provide guidance.
"This power is tied to one's heart, will, and emotions. The only shortcut to unlocking it is through strong emotional stimulation. The likelihood increases after experiencing the pain of losing something important…"
"Do you want to be a king?"
Shanks joked.
"If being a king means having happiness and freedom, then of course!" Luffy declared, giving a thumbs up.
He started to contemplate the conditions for unleashing Conqueror's Haki.
As long as he had the talent, Conqueror's Haki should be easy to master. Even Doflamingo, as a child, had unleashed that power; it could even be a passive ability released unconsciously.
For kids, the triggers for such an outburst were often… facing life-threatening situations or extreme emotional states?
It reminded him a bit of the Eye Clan in Legend of the Eyes.
Luffy seriously considered what extremely strong emotions he had.
Theoretically, he was already on the verge of unleashing Conqueror's Haki; he just needed to stir up the right emotions.
After all, Ace had used that power for Luffy when he was younger.
Facing life-threatening situations wasn't strictly necessary; intense emotions were the key.
Urgency! Just like a cornered dog, if he could get himself worked up, he could instinctively tap into that power…
Let's give it a try. After all, I am Luffy!
Luffy closed his eyes, brewing up his emotions.
Uta had just finished her bath, donning a fresh outfit.
She walked out looking like a princess, confidently flipping her hair back to let her fragrance waft into the air, only to find everyone gathered around Luffy.
Luffy was deep in concentration, eyes shut tight.
Hmm— Uta tiptoed closer, not wanting to disrupt the atmosphere.
What's he doing?
Pfft— Luffy suddenly opened his eyes and released a pent-up fart.
"Hahahahaha…"
The once-quiet tavern erupted in the joyful laughter of the pirates, startling the birds in the surrounding forest into flight.
"
Unbelievable, I didn't feel anything!" Luffy stared incredulously at his hands.
This can't be right; I'm a genius! This body is destined to be a king!