"You want to start Haki training?"
Zephyr was caught off guard by Nao's request. The alcohol buzz faded from his eyes as he blinked in surprise.
"Yes, Instructor," Nao nodded. "I've already mastered the Rokushiki (Six Powers), but I still feel like my strength isn't enough. My swordsmanship's at a plateau for now, so I figured it's time to work on another path."
"Not that—"
Zephyr rubbed his slightly foggy head, wincing. "I mean, Haki's not something you just decide to train whenever you want. Armament Haki, in particular, puts serious strain on the body. It's not your time yet—you've barely been in the camp for how long now?"
Still young. Still rushing.
Even those destined for greatness had to take it step by step when it came to physical training. You couldn't rush this kind of foundation.
"Almost a year, Instructor," Nao shrugged. "But I believe my body's ready. If you don't believe me, you can test me however you like."
"Oh? Confident, are we?"
Zephyr gave him a look. He knew Nao wasn't the type to bluff. If the kid dared say that, he was probably serious.
"All right then—come with me."
He stood up… and stumbled forward with a drunken lurch after just a few steps.
Garp, still tipsy himself, tried to help him up but tripped before even reaching Zephyr—face-planting with a dramatic thud on the ground.
What the hell? This is "Admiral-level" drinking tolerance?
Nao was about to roast them internally when his eyes flicked to the massive bottle still on the table. The label: 76% ABV.
…Okay, never mind. Shutting up now.
He followed Zephyr out to the training yard just outside the office.
"Brandon!"
As soon as they arrived, Zephyr turned and shouted toward the instructors' housing.
A man with grass-green hair and a shiny bald forehead came running out of a nearby building, snapping to attention with a salute.
"Here, Zephyr-sensei!"
"This kid wants to train Haki. Check if his body's up to the task."
Waving lazily, Zephyr slumped down onto a large stone nearby, sitting back-to-back with Garp, both of them trying to steady themselves like they were posing for some weird Marine emblem.
They looked exactly like the "Kappa" emoji.
"No problem, Zephyr-sensei."
Brandon turned to Nao and gave him a curious look. "Not bad, kid. Ambitious, huh? Already thinking about Haki?"
"I'd like to, yeah," Nao said with a relaxed smile. "But that's up to you to decide, isn't it, Instructor Brandon?"
They knew each other pretty well, so Nao's tone was casual.
Brandon was one of the elite camp's instructors. Back when Zephyr was promoted to Vice Admiral, Brandon had been his right-hand man. Later, when Zephyr stepped down from Admiral rank, Brandon voluntarily retired with him.
He used to hold the rank of Captain—an easygoing, respectable guy, laid-back most of the time but deadly serious when it came to training.
The only thing that made recruits groan about him was his constant bragging about the "glorious battles" he'd "witnessed" during missions with Zephyr and Garp—despite having mostly played background support.
Oh, and he had a twin brother named Brannew, who worked in Marine HQ's admin division. You know—the one always standing in front of a whiteboard giving presentations to the top brass. "Mr. PowerPoint" himself.
"Of course we need to run a test first. Zephyr-sensei's looking out for your own good."
Brandon glanced at the two drunken old men, sighed helplessly, then turned back to Nao.
"Let's get started. I'll stand opposite you and attack twice."
"First time, you'll try to dodge using Paper Art. I want to see if your reaction speed is high enough."
"Second time, I'm going to punch you with full force. No dodging allowed—you'll have to take it head-on. This is to check your physical resilience and your mastery of Iron Body."
"If you pass both, you qualify for Haki training. Got it?"
"Got it."
Nao nodded seriously. "I'm ready when you are, Instructor."
They put some distance between them—just a few meters.
"First strike—be careful!"
With a low warning, Brandon lunged like a tiger, closing the distance instantly. His fists shot out like lightning—one toward Nao's waist, the other toward his shoulder.
Whoosh!
The moment the wind whistled from the punches, Nao's body reacted on instinct. His movements were minimal but precise, dodging just before impact with barely any wasted motion.
He hadn't mastered Paper Art yet—just mid-level proficiency—but with 19 Agility on his stat sheet, that didn't matter much.
Once he focused, Brandon's movements looked like they were happening in slow motion.
No threat at all.
"Hoh…"
Brandon raised an eyebrow, a bit surprised that his combo had been dodged so cleanly, but didn't comment. Instead, he backed away and steadied himself, channeling all his strength into his right arm.
"This next one's Armament-infused."
He looked at Nao with a serious gaze.
"If you go flying more than ten meters, that means you're not ready. Less than ten, you barely pass. But if you can hold your ground and only take a few steps back, then that's considered excellent."
Nao nodded, indicating he understood.
"Second strike!"
Brandon charged again, this time firing off a full-powered punch straight at Nao's chest—laced with Armament Haki.
"Don't force it if you can't take it!" he warned. "You could seriously—huh?"
His words cut off.
Brandon stared in disbelief. His punch had landed flush against Nao's chest—but the kid hadn't budged. Not a single inch.
What the hell?
The kid didn't even flinch?
…Did I mess up the form or something?
Still stunned, Brandon growled, stepped in again, and cranked the power up even more.
Boom!
A second shockwave burst out from his Haki-coated fist.
Nao… still didn't move. Just stood there with a totally innocent expression, blinking at him.
"…"
At that moment, the green-haired Brandon stood frozen, staring at his own fist in existential crisis.
Okay sure, maybe he had retired from the front lines nearly ten years ago—but no way his strength had dropped this much, right?
What the hell was this kid made of, iron blocks?
He could at least pretend to stagger a bit, just to be polite!
"What the hell are you doing, Brandon?!"
Garp's drunken voice echoed across the yard. "Put some muscle into it! Didn't eat breakfast or something?! Are you testing his body or giving him a damn massage?!"
I'm already using everything I've got, Vice Admiral Garp…
Brandon turned around, his expression full of despair—like a 40-year-old bald man about to cry.
He opened his mouth to explain, but Zephyr had already staggered over, reeking of alcohol, waving a hand in dismissal.
"Forget it. I saw it. It's not your fault—the kid really does have the chops."
So that means I passed, and I'm cleared to start Haki training?
Nao grinned wide… but before he could even celebrate, he saw Zephyr start rolling up his sleeves, muttering to himself:
"You're useless. Guess I'll have to test him personally…"
…Huh?
Now it was Nao's turn to look dumbfounded.
"Wait, wait—Instructor Zephyr, doesn't this mean I already passed? Why are you coming in now?!"
He instinctively took two steps back. His voice cracked slightly.
He seriously suspected the booze had hit Zephyr too hard and made his fists itchy.
"Relax, I'm not drunk," Zephyr said nonchalantly. "I'll hold back. Just one light punch."
"I believe you… but why is your arm turning black?"
"Huh? Oh? Is it? Haha, must've slipped my mind."
"How does that 'slip your mind'?!"
Nao was nearly in tears.
Seeing that Zephyr had no intention of retracting his Armament Haki, he was already calculating how many days he'd be stuck in the infirmary.
But just then, salvation arrived.
"STOP RIGHT THERE!"
A roar thundered across the field. Zephyr and Nao both turned toward the voice—only to see a drunk Garp standing up, suddenly righteous and furious.
"You idiot, Zephyr! Do you even know what you're doing?! You've had way too much to drink, and now you're gonna punch a student?!"
"What if you mess up and actually hurt the kid?! Huh?!"
Zephyr blinked. Nao, meanwhile, looked at Garp with gratitude in his eyes.
—As expected, when it counts, Garp the Great plays the fool but knows exactly what's right.
"So anyway…"
Garp let out a boozy burp, chuckling as he started rolling up his own sleeves—revealing fists the size of cannonballs.
"Let me handle it instead! I'm not like you—one sip and you're wasted…"
"…"
Nao stared at Garp's massive fist in silence.
Then, slowly, he took a deep breath, turned back to Zephyr, and bowed with deadly seriousness.
"Instructor Zephyr! I've changed my mind. I'm definitely ready. Please—test me yourself!"
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin