One Piece: Scourge of the Seas

Even if Maude hadn't asked, Sol would have taught him techniques like Moonwalk eventually.

But skills have to be learned one step at a time.

Whether it's Haki or Moonwalk, everything requires progression.

"Don't rush."

Sol glanced at Maude, who looked like he was practically glowing with excitement, then reached out a hand toward Bailey.

Bailey, understanding immediately, handed over Sol's gilded smoking pipe.

Sol took a puff from the pipe and exhaled slowly. "Neither Armament Haki nor Moonwalk is something you can master in a short period of time."

"So, don't think about running before you've learned how to walk."

"Also, this place isn't suitable for practicing Armament Haki. Once you understand the principles, I'll take you to stay at Little Darling for a while."

The "Little Darling" Sol referred to wasn't a person but the hidden island of casks that Sunny had previously mentioned to Maude.

Maude and Sunny had no objections to Sol's arrangement.

In Maude's view, Sol was like a rare treasure trove, capable of providing countless benefits.

Haki,

Moonwalk,

Skills,

and even the rarest of all—experience.

These were all things he could learn from Sol.

Maude was well aware of one fact:

Without sufficient strength, surviving in this world was nothing but a pipe dream.

The harsh reality of this world would soon make that crystal clear.

But he was still young, with plenty of time to grow.

If it took him a year, two years, or even longer, it didn't matter. He was determined to extract every ounce of valuable knowledge from Sol—things that even his Hunter's Notebook couldn't teach him.

Suddenly, Maude thought of something Sunny had casually mentioned to him before.

Or rather, it was a promise—a natural agreement between her and Sol.

And now, there was no reason why that promise couldn't include him as well.

With that thought, a faint smile appeared in Maude's eyes.

He liked it here.

Sol, still puffing on his pipe, keenly noticed the subtle change in Maude's expression.

He cast a sidelong glance at Maude, his demeanor remaining composed as he began explaining the principles of Armament Haki.

His first sentence was about the Armor Theory:

"Imagine wearing an invisible suit of armor. That's what Armament Haki is."

"This armor can protect your entire body and naturally enhance your attacks as well."

"But this level is just the basics of the basics."

To demonstrate, Sol signaled to Bailey to bring him a flintlock pistol.

Bailey complied and quickly handed one over.

Following Sol's instructions, the flintlock was handed to Sunny.

"Sunny, fire at my palm."

Sol opened his hand, presenting his palm to Sunny as a target.

Without hesitation, Sunny fired.

Bang!

The lead bullet shot out, striking Sol's palm in an instant.

But instead of penetrating, the bullet shattered on impact, as if it had hit solid steel.

"This is the effect of Armament Haki," Sol explained, "and as I said, this level is only the basics of the basics."

He then raised his other hand, positioning the gilded smoking pipe horizontally in front of him.

Under Maude and Sunny's attentive gaze, the golden pipe was suddenly covered in a layer of pitch-black Haki.

"Once you've mastered the basics, the next step is learning how to control Haki freely and use it effectively."

"When you can achieve this, you'll be able to transfer Haki into weapons, increasing both their lethality and durability."

"Like this."

Sol abruptly released the smoking pipe.

The pipe, still coated in Haki, dropped to the ground.

Boom!

When it landed, the pipe struck the ground with the force of a thousand pounds, creating a small, cracked crater.

Maude remained unfazed, but Sunny stared in wide-eyed shock.

After demonstrating, Sol picked up the pipe again.

"This technique isn't limited to melee weapons. It also applies to firearms and bows."

"However, infusing Haki into firearms is undoubtedly more challenging than with blades."

"But the payoff is significant—it greatly extends range and power. You both understand what that means."

Maude and Sunny nodded slightly.

This concept wasn't new to them; Sol had already demonstrated it during their skirmish with bandits.

After explaining the basic tiers of Haki, Sol delved deeper into the principles behind manipulating Armament Haki.

Using his vast experience, he compared Haki to a latent energy hidden within one's body.

This energy, representing Armament Haki, was initially encased in a thick, impenetrable shell.

Only by continuously strengthening the body could one gradually break through this shell until it finally shattered.

At that point, with focused effort, one could perceive the presence of Haki within.

From there, it was a matter of connection and application.

As Sol had said earlier, physical fitness was a prerequisite for practicing Armament Haki.

Without breaking the shell, no amount of meditation would ever uncover Haki's existence.

Listening to Sol's detailed explanation, Maude couldn't shake a strange feeling.

He realized that the techniques for using Armament Haki were eerily similar to the Nen abilities from the Hunter world.

For example, enveloping weapons with Haki was akin to the Nen technique En, while flowing Haki over the body mirrored Ren.

These were techniques he had already mastered long ago.

When he first arrived in this world, he'd instinctively tried to use his abilities.

But as a soul transmigrator, he couldn't sense any energy within himself. Thankfully, this didn't hinder his ability to summon the Hunter's Notebook.

Later, upon learning that this was the One Piece world, he naturally accepted that internal energy might not exist here.

From that point on, he shifted his focus entirely to enhancing his physical strength, in line with the One Piece world's power system.

But now, Sol's explanation struck him like a ringing morning bell, reminding him of an important truth:

Whether it's Nen or Haki, their principles were fundamentally similar.

The reason he couldn't sense internal energy before wasn't because it didn't exist, but because his body had been too weak to break the shell encasing it.

But now... things were different.

Realizing this, Maude felt a surge of excitement.

He had the experience and techniques for this.

Did that mean he could master Armament Haki faster than others?

Without hesitation, Maude closed his eyes, calming his thoughts before focusing inward.

For the first time in months, he attempted to sense the state of his body deliberately.

This time, the response was no longer silence.

He felt it—a faint, budding energy: Haki.

It was just as Sol had described.

His enhanced physique had unknowingly shattered the shell, allowing the energy to finally emerge.

"It's the same," Maude murmured, his heart pounding.

This cheat is way too overpowered.

With newfound resolve, he began channeling the energy. Though he encountered a tangible resistance, his extensive experience with similar techniques gave him confidence.

After several attempts, the resistance diminished.

Finally, he succeeded in guiding Haki to his right hand.

His hand turned pitch black, enveloped in Armament Haki.

Sol, mid-explanation, suddenly noticed Maude's hand.

His voice came to an abrupt halt.

What the hell???

It was like a slap to the face.

He stared at Maude, mouth agape, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

Sunny and Bailey followed Sol's gaze and saw Maude's Haki-coated hand.

"!!!"

Their jaws dropped, their eyes wide with disbelief.

This… this isn't scientific!!!

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