"But this is with your eyes closed—it's too dangerous!"
Reid held his breath as Buggy charged at Rayleigh with a knife.
Just as Reid and Shanks tensed up, Rayleigh's lips curled into a confident smirk. With just a slight sidestep, he effortlessly dodged Buggy's attack.
Buggy broke out in a cold sweat—he had been afraid of actually cutting Rayleigh.
"I over thought it. There's no way the Dark King Rayleigh would get hit by me."
"See? Before Buggy even attacked, I already sensed his intent, how he would strike, and the direction of his attack."
"Wha—?! Mr. Rayleigh, you knew what I was thinking just now?!"
"Haha, I had a rough idea."
Rayleigh's enigmatic smile made Buggy shudder.
If Observation Haki is this powerful, I absolutely have to master it!
"Mr. Rayleigh, how do you train Observation Haki?" Shanks couldn't help but ask.
"No need to rush. I'll train you after the explanation. But remember—whether you grasp it or not depends entirely on you. No one else can force it."
"Got it." Shanks nodded.
"Observation Haki is also called 'Mantra'—something Shanks and Buggy already know, as that's what they call it on Skypiea. Essentially, it serves as a combat support ability."
The three of them nodded—this part was easy enough to understand.
"Next is Conqueror's Haki. Those who possess it are exceedingly rare—perhaps only one in millions, or even tens of millions. Though in the second half of the Grand Line, you'll find slightly more users, they're still few and far between."
"I know this one! You and Roger used Conqueror's Haki all the time!" Shanks blurted out.
"Heh, correct." Rayleigh grinned.
"But I can't teach you Conqueror's Haki. It's an innate power—something that can't be acquired through training alone."
"Huh?! Then how do we get it?!"
"Yeah, if no one teaches us, how are we supposed to learn?!"
Shanks and Buggy fired off questions, struggling to wrap their heads around Rayleigh's cryptic explanation.
"Rayleigh, I think… only those with grand ambitions and the bearing of a true king can awaken the Conqueror's Haki."
Rayleigh's eyes lit up at Reid's words.
"Reid… did you learn this through your future vision too?"
"Yes."
Rayleigh was inwardly stunned. Even as a master of all three Haki types, I've never seen an ability like Reid's before.
"Hey, Reid! Can you see my future? Will I have Conqueror's Haki someday?" Shanks begged.
"Me too! How many types of Haki will I have?!" Buggy chimed in excitedly.
"I won't tell you. Knowing too much would do more harm than good."
"Come on, Reid! Don't be stingy—we're brothers!"
Shanks teleported next to Reid, tugging at his arm.
Whoosh! Buggy scrambled to Reid's other side, and the two began shaking him violently.
"Ugh… my head's spinning…"
Reid's vision blurred as stars danced in his eyes.
"Reid's right! No more questions about the future—or you'll answer me. Understood?!" Rayleigh barked.
"Y-Yes, sir!"
Shanks snapped upright, guiltily retreating to his spot.
"Eep! Got it!"
Buggy scrambled back like a startled crab.
"Phew…"
Reid exhaled in relief—that had been unbearable.
Rayleigh gave him an approving look.
"You did well, Reid. The future is too unpredictable—knowing it in advance isn't always a blessing. Even with Oden's warning, we can only prepare, not guarantee an outcome."
"I agree, Rayleigh."
Most people would've been desperate to know the future, but Rayleigh's restraint proves why he's a top-tier fighter. Reid admired silently.
"That's all for Haki theory. Now, we train."
"Wait, Mr. Rayleigh! You haven't shown us Conqueror's Haki yet!"
"Yeah! Just one demonstration!"
Shanks and Buggy pleaded with puppy-dog eyes.
"Heh, I'll demonstrate it in the coming days. Besides, you've both witnessed it before—during our battles, and especially when Roger and Whitebeard clashed on that island."
"Right… I remember." Shanks nodded, recalling the earth-shaking moment.
"Yeah, that was insane." Buggy agreed.
(As for me… when I knocked out those Marines earlier, I must've tapped into Roger's Conqueror's Haki…)
"Unfortunately, all of that relied on the system. I must comprehend my own three types of Haki—if the system ever fails me one day, I'll be finished."
The thought sent a chill down Reid's spine. He'd grown far too dependent on the system.
"The most advanced application of Conqueror's Haki is 'Infusion,' similar to Armament Haki. It allows you to coat weapons and even all offensive techniques with Conqueror's Haki."
"Understood, Mr. Rayleigh! Let's start training right away!"
Shanks sprang to his feet, his face alight with excitement.
Rayleigh nodded. "First, you should know—mastering Haki isn't a matter of months. It requires continuous cultivation and insight over years."
"Got it."
Reid wasn't expecting instant mastery—though with the system's help, his progress might accelerate.
"Roger that."
"Aye aye!"
Shanks and Buggy responded in unison.
"Good. We'll start simple."
With a faint smile, Rayleigh produced a wooden staff from behind his back.
"Oh no… he's going to beat us up..."
Reid immediately recognized Rayleigh's intent—this was identical to how he'd trained Luffy.
"For the next—"