Jackson had reached a crossroads in his training. His body was stronger, more resilient, but he knew that to truly survive in this world, he needed more. He needed techniques, skills that went beyond brute strength. He couldn't rely on just swinging a sword or swimming in the ocean forever—he needed to develop abilities that would set him apart from the countless other warriors in this world.
It was then that he remembered something from his past life—something that would become his path forward: Rokushiki.
The Rokushiki was a set of six powerful techniques used by the World Government's elite forces, the Marines, and certain powerful individuals. The techniques were known for their ability to enhance the physical body beyond normal human limits, granting users the ability to perform feats of strength, speed, and agility that defied imagination. These techniques were revered for their incredible power, and anyone who could master them would be a force to be reckoned with.
Jackson had only learned of the Rokushiki through his previous knowledge of One Piece, but it was clear to him that this was the key to his survival. If he could learn even a fraction of these techniques, it would make him far more dangerous than he could ever become by traditional training alone.
The Rokushiki consisted of six basic techniques, but there was a seventh—the ultimate technique, which could only be mastered by a true master of the Rokushiki. Jackson didn't know the specifics of every technique, but he was already familiar with the basics of a few. And that was enough for him to begin.
The first technique that Jackson was determined to master was Tekkai, which allowed the user to harden their muscles, turning their body into a near-indestructible shield. It was the foundation of Rokushiki—training the body to withstand nearly any attack by making it as tough as steel. Jackson knew this was essential. His body had already become stronger, but with Tekkai, he could take it a step further. He would need to push his muscles beyond their limits, forcing them to endure even the most brutal impacts without breaking.
The second technique Jackson focused on was Soru, a technique that allowed the user to move at blinding speeds. It was a key part of both attacking and evading attacks. From his knowledge of One Piece, Jackson understood the principle behind Soru: the user kicked off the ground at least ten times in the blink of an eye, achieving speeds that defied the eye. This move would be crucial in both offense and defense, allowing him to close gaps instantly or dodge attacks with near-instantaneous reflexes. The idea of moving at such incredible speeds felt surreal to him, but the potential was undeniable.
Jackson didn't know how to begin training these techniques, but he knew where to start. He would have to rely on the basics of his own body and intuition—just as he had done with his physical training. The road ahead would be difficult, but he couldn't afford to hesitate. If he wanted to make a real impact in this world, if he wanted to be someone who could stand toe-to-toe with the powerful figures he had learned about, he had to push past the limits of what was considered possible.
The next morning, Jackson found a quiet spot near the edge of the village, where he had plenty of room to practice. He had already started with his basic sword training, but now, he needed to focus on the first of the Rokushiki techniques.
Tekkai.
He began by standing firm, planting his feet in the sand and taking a deep breath. He had read about the technique, but he had never seen it in action. Tekkai required intense focus and concentration—focusing all of the body's energy into hardening the muscles to the point of invulnerability. Jackson gritted his teeth as he pressed his fists into his sides, concentrating all of his mental energy on his muscles.
At first, nothing happened. He couldn't feel any changes, no rush of power flowing through him. But he didn't stop. He kept pushing, kept concentrating, forcing his body to adapt, to grow tougher. His arms tensed, his legs began to shake from the effort, but the feeling of resistance—the sense that his body was becoming harder—was faint, yet real.
He wasn't there yet, not by a long shot. But the faint sensation was enough to tell him that he was on the right path. He had to keep working at it, day by day, pushing his body until it became stronger and tougher.
After a while, he moved on to Soru. He knew this technique was more about speed and agility than sheer physical strength, but it still relied on the same kind of explosive power that would come from his legs.
Jackson stood at the edge of the beach, facing the open sand. He took a deep breath and then—without thinking too much about it—he kicked off the ground with all of his strength. For a moment, he felt weightless, his feet barely touching the sand before he landed, a few steps farther than where he had started. It wasn't much, but it was a start.
He repeated the motion, over and over again, trying to replicate the speed and explosiveness he'd read about. Each time, he moved faster, feeling the wind rush past him as his legs burned with the effort. It was like a race against time, pushing himself harder to achieve the impossible.
It wasn't anywhere near the speed of the masters he had seen in his mind, but Jackson could feel his speed increasing with each attempt. It was a gradual process, and he knew it wouldn't happen overnight. But the progress was there, and that was what mattered.
As the sun began to set over the horizon, Jackson stood there, panting, his body aching from the day's training. He had made progress, but it was clear that the road ahead would be long. Tekkai and Soru were only the beginning. There were still more techniques to learn, more strength to gain, and more challenges to overcome.
But Jackson had always believed that nothing worth achieving came easy. And with every step he took forward, he could feel the power within him growing.
He was on the path to mastery. And he wasn't going to stop until he had reached the top.
Jackson had always known that the path to true strength required more than just physical power. He needed to tap into every resource available to him, every hidden potential, and there was one power that had always intrigued him—Haki.
From his previous life, Jackson had come to understand that Haki was a mysterious and rare ability that could grant its user extraordinary feats. It was born from the user's willpower, harnessing their spiritual energy to perform superhuman feats. In this world, Haki was not common, especially in the Four Blues, where only a select few had the ability to awaken it. In the New World, Haki users were far more common, and it was clear to Jackson that if he wanted to stand any chance of facing the true monsters of this world, he needed to master it.
The technique Jackson was most interested in was Observation Haki. Unlike the other forms of Haki, Observation Haki allowed the user to sense the presence of others, even if they were hidden from view. It granted the user heightened awareness and allowed them to dodge attacks with incredible precision. Luffy had trained with Rayleigh during the time skip to hone his Observation Haki, and Jackson knew that mastering it would give him an edge in a world where danger lurked around every corner.
But the tricky part was that Observation Haki wasn't something you could just read about in a book or study in a safe environment. It had to be trained. It required a deep connection to one's own spirit, and while Jackson was confident in his willpower, the true challenge lay in unlocking that hidden potential.
He didn't know how to train it precisely, but he knew the principle. If Observation Haki was based on perception and awareness, then he could practice it by shutting off one of his senses to heighten the others. He could learn to perceive the world not with his eyes, but with his other senses.
So, Jackson took a piece of cloth and tied it around his head, covering his eyes completely. It wasn't easy at first. He felt a sense of vulnerability when his vision was cut off. The world around him became a blur, and everything felt strange, disorienting. But he understood the value in this—by depriving himself of his sight, he would force his other senses to grow stronger, forcing him to rely on feeling rather than seeing.
At first, it was hard. He stumbled often, running into trees and tripping over rocks, struggling to maintain his balance. Training with a blindfold was frustrating. He could hear the sounds of the village, the rustling of the wind, the calls of birds in the sky, but it wasn't enough. He could still feel the uncertainty in his movements, his body still conditioned to rely on sight. But he knew this was part of the process. It had to be.
Jackson would spend hours every day with the cloth wrapped around his eyes, slowly learning to attune himself to the sounds and movements around him. He began to listen carefully, tuning into the rhythm of the world. His footsteps, the sway of the trees, the flow of water in the river, even the distant sound of people going about their daily business—all of it became a part of his world. He focused on the small details—how the air shifted, how the ground felt beneath his feet—and tried to gauge what was happening in the environment without relying on his eyes.
He practiced his sword swings, trying to feel the world around him before each strike, to anticipate movements before they happened. Each day was harder than the last, and some days, Jackson felt like giving up. He would feel overwhelmed, his frustration building. Why was it so difficult? Why couldn't he just feel it, like the way Luffy or Rayleigh must have? But no matter how hard it became, he didn't give in.
He kept training. Day after day.
He would take short walks with his blindfold on, trying to find the natural rhythm of the world. Sometimes, he would sit in silence, listening to the vibrations of the air, the sounds of distant footsteps or the rustle of leaves, trying to sense the subtle shift in the environment that signaled something was about to happen. Slowly, his senses began to sharpen. He could feel the changes in the air when someone walked past him. He could tell when someone was approaching, even if they were far away.
The process was slow, painstaking, and at times, it felt as though he was making no progress at all. But he persisted.
Then, one day, while he was practicing in the woods, something changed. Jackson could feel the shift in the air before he heard the approaching footsteps. He wasn't just hearing the sound; he could feel the presence of someone else moving near him. His heart raced, and without thinking, his body reacted. He dodged to the side just as a figure passed by, his movements instinctive, guided by something he couldn't quite describe. It was like a pulse, a sensation, a connection to the world around him that didn't require sight.
He froze, his breath catching in his throat.
It wasn't perfect. He had only sensed the person in a fleeting moment. But it was the first sign that he was on the right path. He had tapped into something—something that allowed him to perceive his surroundings in a way that went beyond his physical senses.
Jackson took a deep breath, feeling a surge of satisfaction. It wasn't mastery yet, but it was progress. The world was still a blur, but he was beginning to see it differently—through a lens of awareness that only those who had unlocked Haki could experience.
This was just the beginning. But Jackson could feel it in his bones—he was one step closer to unlocking the true potential within him. Observation Haki would be his, and with it, he would see the world with a clarity that no one else could.