This marked the official start of Tony's apprenticeship.
Rayleigh seemed to enjoy being called that, and Tony followed him as they walked toward a dense forest.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Tony's Sharingan picked up on a massive figure rapidly charging toward them from deeper in the jungle.
Suddenly, a blue giant ape, over 10 meters tall, emerged from the trees. Its muscular body was imposing, and it roared angrily, clearly hostile toward the intruders. The ape's eyes were wide with fury, and it charged straight at Rayleigh.
Seeing the real thing for the first time, Tony felt his heart race. The visual shock was indescribable—it wasn't something ordinary that could be explained.
"Danger! Rayleigh! Danger! "
"Flame Fist!"
Tony quickly activated his Flame-Flame fruit ability, clenching his fist. A powerful flame erupted and shot toward the giant ape, enveloping it in fire.
The flames surrounded the giant ape, halting its movement.
But just as Tony thought he had successfully restrained the beast, the ape let out a furious roar. It swung its fists widely to either side, creating a powerful shockwave that dispersed Tony's flames. Only a few burns remained on its body.
It was powerful—just by using brute strength, it blew the flames away. This was on a whole different level compared to regular beasts.
The giant blue ape glared with ferocity, its bloodshot eyes clearly showing its anger. Tony's actions had completely provoked it.
Enraged, the ape charged again, its massive fists coming down toward Rayleigh.
But Rayleigh remained completely unfazed, his back still turned to the approaching beast.
"...Don't worry, Tony. Focus and watch closely. Haki is divided into two main types. It's a latent power that all humans possess in the world. This power is innate. When you manipulate these invisible feelings—momentum, killing intent, and the desire to fight—your willpower can be turned into a weapon."
"The ape's left fist is coming down from above to strike my head."
"Next, its right hand will attempt to grab and crush me."
"The left fist will continue attacking from the right side..."
Rayleigh spoke calmly, describing the ape's attacks while easily dodging its strikes.
"Impressive..."
Tony watched Rayleigh effortlessly handle the situation, his admiration rising from the depths of his heart.
He studied every change in Rayleigh's movements carefully. For Tony, mastering Haki was incredibly important. In this world of pirates, Haki would be a key skill in the future.
"Tony, did you see that? This is Observation Haki. It sharpens your five senses, allowing you to sense the presence and emotions of nearby creatures. It's useful for predicting and avoiding danger. Although your eyes seem to have a similar ability, if you want to become a true powerhouse, you must learn to feel your enemy's presence through your senses."
"This power, when taken to the next level, can allow you to sense the position, number, and next move of enemies outside your line of sight. It can even allow you to foresee the future! But reaching that level is difficult. However, for someone like you, I believe it's possible in the future."
Rayleigh had high hopes for Tony and gave him an encouraging evaluation.
"Also..."
Rayleigh turned, covering his entire arm with Armament Haki. A layer of pitch-black armor materialized on his arm.
He grabbed a part of the Giant Ape's massive arm, and with just a single grip, the ape was frozen in pain, unable to move.
"This is Armament Haki!"
"It's like an invisible armor that's even harder than steel. Not only does it boost personal defense, but it can also be used for offense. You can wrap it around weapons to enhance their attack power."
"Moreover, Armament Haki is the only way to counter Logia Devil Fruit users. Against their nearly invincible, intangible bodies, Armament Haki can be used to capture their physical form. In the future, you'll definitely come across other Logia users who share your powers."
"As Armament Haki strengthens, it can reach a high level where you can destroy the internal organs of a target without even touching them."
"Like this!"
Rayleigh released the ape, then raised his hand toward its chest. Before he even made contact, the Giant Ape was sent flying tens of meters away, its body crashing to the ground in pain, clutching its chest.
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T/N:
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