Everyone turned to look after hearing Zoro's question.
Now that he mentioned it…
They had never actually seen their "demon instructor" train himself!
Carl casually pointed to the massive black-bladed greatsword floating behind him.
"See this giant sword? It's been hovering behind me the entire time. Do you know why?"
Luffy grinned. "Because Mr. Carl is always training his Devil Fruit powers!"
At that moment, it finally clicked for everyone.
From the moment they had met Carl, that massive sword had never once touched the ground.
That meant he had been constantly using his Devil Fruit powers to keep it afloat.
Sitting, standing, even lying down—no matter what he was doing, he had been controlling it the entire time.
Before, they had just accepted it as normal. But now, they realized...
Carl had been training non-stop.
Lying on the ground, Tashigi was deeply shaken. A flash of admiration crossed her eyes.
No wonder he's so strong.
It wasn't just talent. It was sheer, relentless effort.
Even when everyone assumed he was resting, he was actually training. Every single moment, without a break.
This... This is what it means to be truly strong.
Zoro, Usopp, Jango, and Nami were all equally stunned.
For the first time, they truly understood Carl's drive to become stronger.
Even though he was already powerful enough to challenge an Admiral, he still wasn't satisfied. He kept pushing himself to go further.
That's Mr. Carl for you!
Carl smirked. "Zoro, you of all people, asking me this question? Looks like your perception still needs work."
"Try focusing on me and Luffy with Observation Haki. See if you notice anything strange."
Zoro narrowed his eyes and activated his Observation Haki, locking onto both Carl and Luffy.
At first, he frowned in confusion.
Then, his eyes widened in shock.
"You two... You've been using Armament Haki this entire time?!"
"Exactly."
Carl grinned, raising the handle of his Obsidian blade, which was clearly coated in Armament Haki.
Luffy was the same. His straw hat was always covered in Haki—and whenever it wasn't, Carl would punish him for it.
Of course, maintaining Armament Haki constantly put a massive strain on stamina.
But Carl and Luffy had trained themselves to endure it.
Before arriving in the New World, they rarely needed to use Armament Haki in battle. So, instead of letting their skills stagnate, they trained by keeping it active all day long.
With their level of strength, they weren't worried about running out of stamina.
And most importantly…
They weren't afraid of any enemy.
Carl's goal wasn't just to train himself—he was also nurturing Obsidian, refining it until it truly became a Black Blade.
Zoro was deeply moved.
With a serious expression, he said, "Mr. Carl, please teach me how to forge a Black Blade!"
Carl nodded. "I was waiting for you to say that! But just so you know, this training is going to be brutal. You'll probably be so exhausted you won't even be able to keep your eyes open."
Zoro smirked. "I'm not afraid of death, so why would I be afraid of exhaustion?!"
"Good! That's the spirit! Let's begin!"
Carl began teaching Zoro how to properly coat his sword with Armament Haki, how to minimize energy waste, and how to extend the duration of his Haki use.
He also broke down Haki control techniques, including timing its activation, recovery, and gradual growth, ensuring that Zoro could master precise control.
Of course, these were Carl's personal methods. Zoro would still need to experiment and find his own way.
Tashigi listened carefully from the side.
She didn't fully understand, since she had yet to awaken Haki, but she still took mental notes, convinced that this knowledge would be invaluable in the future.
After all, once she returned to the Marines, who else would teach her something like this?
Zoro progressed quickly, already attempting to coat his Wado Ichimonji in Haki.
But he wielded three swords, and turning all of them into Black Blades would be a long journey.
Still, with Zoro's unwavering determination and innate talent, Carl had no doubt—he would succeed one day.
At that moment, Sanji called everyone for breakfast.
Zoro sat down with a grim expression, his body exhausted. Even eating felt like a struggle.
The problem was clear—his Armament Haki level was still too low to withstand prolonged use. The continuous drain left him feeling weak and powerless.
As everyone ate, they occasionally glanced at Zoro, shuddering at his miserable state.
If even Zoro looked like this, what would happen when it was their turn?!
Carl simply shrugged. He didn't care what they thought.
At the end of the day, they would all have to master Haki.
Otherwise, they wouldn't survive in the New World.
Then, Carl suddenly smirked and turned to Zoro.
"By the way, Zoro, I saw you staring at Tashigi earlier… and your face turned red."
PFFT!
Zoro spit out his food on the spot.
His Armament Haki instantly dispersed, and he collapsed onto his seat in complete defeat.
Luffy and Carl burst into laughter, while Zoro glared at them with burning embarrassment.
That sense of powerlessness—they had all experienced it before.
So now, seeing someone else suffer the same fate… it was absolutely satisfying.
"Carl, you bastard!" Zoro grumbled through gritted teeth.
"Oi, moss-head!" Sanji cut in immediately. "You were totally sneaking peeks at Tashigi-chan, weren't you?! Fess up!"
He had been working his ass off in the kitchen, and meanwhile, this damn Chlorella-head was enjoying the view?
How is that fair?!
The dining table exploded into chaos.
Luffy, Usopp, and Jango took full advantage of the distraction, shamelessly snatching extra food while Sanji raged at Zoro.
Nami and Tashigi? They just watched the madness unfold with exhausted expressions.
Meanwhile, Tashigi stole a glance at Zoro.
She had never expected that this three-swords-wielding idiot would actually sneak a peek at her.
Wait… could he be after Shigure?!
Yes! That had to be it!
Her hand instinctively tightened around her sword's hilt, and she shot Zoro a sharp glare.
Zoro, thinking she had figured him out, turned even redder.
Now, with his exhausted and strained face, he looked like a sick old man on the verge of death.
Training Continues
After breakfast, Carl turned his attention to training the "Weak Trio" and Tashigi.
For Nami, Usopp, and Jango, the focus was learning their first Marine Six Styles technique.
They all chose Soru (Shave)—because, obviously, running away faster was their top priority.
Carl assigned Luffy to supervise their training.
Meanwhile, Carl himself sparred with Tashigi using wooden swords.
Combat is the best teacher.
Carl carefully controlled the pressure, ensuring that Tashigi had to struggle desperately, but wouldn't be crushed too easily.
This way, she could hone her swordsmanship and train her mental endurance.
Because for a swordsman, mind and blade must become one.
And right now? Tashigi lacked everything.
So the only way forward—was to train to the brink of death.
By lunchtime, Tashigi was collapsed on the deck once again, unable to move a single finger.
But this time, her eyes were bright with determination—as if she had finally grasped something.
Unexpected Departure
After lunch, while everyone was enjoying some free time, Mr. 9 and Vivi suddenly spoke up.
"Whiskey Peak is just ahead."
The moment they finished their sentence—they jumped straight into the sea.
"Sorry, everyone!" Mr. 9 called back. "We have to go ahead!"
Then, the two of them swam off in a hurry.
…Leaving the Straw Hats completely dumbfounded.
I mean, seriously.
Why not just dock with the ship like normal people?!
Those two are absolute weirdos.
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