One Piece: Scourge of the Seas

Starting tomorrow, Haki training would officially begin—a decision Sol had made on a whim tonight.

The reason? He had observed Maude's battle earlier that evening.

Though the outcome of the fight was acceptable, the process was far from satisfactory.

It was utterly crude.

What irked Sol the most was that the weapon Maude used to complete his revenge wasn't a gun—it was a sword!

And, to Sol's chagrin, Maude wielded the sword with surprising proficiency. At least in that situation, the sword's effectiveness far outshone that of the gun.

This left Sol both exasperated and a bit bitter.

However, he was rational enough to understand that, at Maude's current stage, firearms didn't yet possess the power needed to decisively overwhelm an opponent.

Only by mastering Haki could this limitation be changed.

Of course, Haki's advantages were apparent for any combat style.

But for marksmanship, the transformative effects of Haki were especially significant.

It wasn't just about improving in every aspect—it was a substantive change that allowed a gunman's techniques to become more versatile.

With this in mind, Sol decided to alter his original plan.

Initially, he had intended to wait about three more months before formally teaching Maude Haki.

But considering the talent Maude had already demonstrated, advancing the timeline didn't seem unreasonable.

After all, Sunny had also recently met the prerequisites, making it a good opportunity to teach them both simultaneously.

Sol's only concern was that Sunny might get discouraged during the training process.

"That shouldn't happen… right?"

Sol silently reassured himself.

Seeing Sol lost in thought, Maude and Sunny exchanged glances and quietly left the room, leaving Sol alone in the shop.

Before going to bed, Sunny helped Maude treat his injuries.

"Don't let any water touch the wounds for a week."

After applying medicine and bandaging him, Sunny reminded him.

"Got it."

Maude nodded.

The injuries he sustained that evening weren't too severe, but there were quite a few of them.

With his current physical constitution and the aid of medicine, they should heal in about ten days to two weeks.

Afterward, the two returned to their respective rooms.

Both were eager for tomorrow to arrive.

The next morning.

Maude was up early and headed downstairs as soon as he woke.

In the kitchen, Sunny was busy preparing breakfast.

After washing up, Maude went to the dining area, where he moved Bailey, who had taken over two seats, to the side and sat down.

It wasn't until half an hour later that Sunny finished making breakfast.

As if perfectly timing his arrival, Sol stepped into the dining area just as breakfast was served.

Starting today, he wouldn't be able to continue his morning exercises.

After finishing their meal, the three headed to the shop.

Before starting the training, Sol cleared out the counter and shelves, making room for the entire shop floor.

Maude and Sunny sat upright, brimming with anticipation.

Sol crossed his legs as he sat on a stool, holding a gold-plated smoking pipe in his hand.

"I don't think I need to explain Haki to you two again, do I?"

"Nope."

Maude and Sunny shook their heads.

Though neither of them could use Haki yet, they already had a basic understanding of its existence and classifications.

Sol gently tapped the pipe, speaking in a calm tone.

"For a marksman, mastering Observation Haki is the prerequisite to stepping through the threshold—but that's just the beginning. To progress further, you must master Armament Haki."

"That said, everyone has things they're good at and things they're not. Haki is no exception."

"The two of you have high aptitude for Observation Haki. With the right guidance, initiation shouldn't be difficult."

"As for Armament Haki, we'll tackle that once you've mastered Observation Haki."

As he finished speaking, Sol glanced toward the hallway.

"Little one, bring it over."

At Sol's call, Bailey lugged over a crate of lead bullets and placed it beside him.

Jumping off the stool, Sol set his pipe down and grabbed a handful of bullets from the crate, a dangerous grin spreading across his face.

"No amount of theory can compare to practical experience."

"Sol, this 'proper guidance' you're talking about… it wouldn't happen to involve dodging bullets, would it?"

Maude's expression twitched as he eyed the crate filled to the brim with lead bullets.

"Got a problem with that?"

Sol tossed the bullets in his hand, replying seriously, "Let me make this clear: though this is training, these bullets are the real deal. If you fail to avoid a vital spot…"

Sol let out a cold chuckle.

"…then I'll have to ask Arthur to make a trip."

Realizing Sol wasn't joking, Maude and Sunny's expressions shifted slightly.

There were plenty of safer alternatives to live bullets for training.

After a moment, Sunny hesitated and asked, "Do we really need to go this far?"

Sol glanced at her, his tone indifferent. "Better to bleed now than die later."

"Understood."

Sunny nodded, then paused, frowning slightly. "But what if we die now?"

Maude shot her a disbelieving look.

Sol, however, remained expressionless. "That would mean you weren't cut out for this."

"Oh."

Sunny nodded again.

And with that, the peculiar conversation ended.

Training officially began.

Maude and Sunny stood on opposite sides of the wall while Sol grabbed a handful of bullets in each hand.

It was then they realized Sol didn't plan to use a gun.

This revelation made them relax just a little.

But when the training actually started…

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The sound of bullets cutting through the air filled the room. By the time Maude and Sunny reacted, the wall beside them already had a bullet hole.

How on earth were they supposed to dodge that?

The two froze in disbelief.

"Hmm."

Sol, observing the faint smoke curling from the bullet hole, sighed. "I'm really out of practice. That was a bit too much force."

"!!!"

Maude and Sunny stared at Sol incredulously.

If that bullet had been aimed at their heads…

"Don't worry, my control is impeccable," Sol said nonchalantly, forming a hand gesture that mimicked a pistol with both hands.

"Let's begin."

With those words, Sol aimed his right-hand "pistol" at Maude. Flicking his thumb downward, a lead bullet flew out.

This time, the bullet's speed was noticeably slower than before, even slower than that of a flintlock pistol.

"Got it."

Maude dodged to the right just in time. A bullet hole appeared in the wall, mere centimeters from his left arm.

Sol fired twice more in quick succession, but Maude evaded both shots successfully.

Then Sol shifted his aim to Sunny, who also dodged the bullets with ease.

After dozens of shots, Sol gradually increased the speed.

Maude and Sunny began to feel the pressure—a life-or-death kind of pressure.

If they failed to dodge, they'd either get hurt… or worse.

Meanwhile, in Mad Hat Town, along Bar Street…

The events of the previous night had spread.

Nearly every bar buzzed with talk of Maude's exploits.

"Not just the Abby Pirates, but even the mafia got wiped out…"

In one tavern, patrons chatted fervently.

Usopp's name had suddenly gained more attention than Lafitte's.

At a table in the corner, Kid and Killer silently drank their drinks.

The chatter about Usopp filled their ears.

"That guy…"

Kid scoffed coldly.

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