"Oh? Really? Then I'll begin. From now on, I won't use Haki—just basic attacks. Try to dodge."
After saying this, Rayleigh used a wooden stick to draw three circles on the ground.
"Step inside."
"Mr. Rayleigh, you mean we can only move within these circles?"
Buggy frowned, his mouth twisting skeptically.
"That's right. This space is enough for you to evade. Once you pass this simplest test, I'll gradually increase the difficulty."
"Understood."
Reid nodded and stepped into one of the circles. Shanks and Buggy followed suit.
"Ready? Who should I pick first?"
"Ready."
Reid focused intently, his eyes locked onto the wooden stick in Rayleigh's hand.
"Bring it on, anytime."
Shanks wiped his nose confidently.
"Come at me, this is too easy."
Buggy smirked arrogantly.
"Heh, here we go."
Rayleigh smiled and approached Buggy. With what seemed like a casual swing, the stick moved with uncanny precision—
"Ow—!"
A large bump swelled on Buggy's head.
"Even without Haki, his speed is terrifying. Am I going to get hit like that too? If I used the system's help, I could probably improve my reaction time… No, I can't rely on the system for this Haki training. It'd defeat the whole purpose."
Reid clenched his fists, determined to experience this from scratch.
"That hurts!"
Thwack.
"That hurts!"
Thwack.
"That hurts!"
Four more bumps stacked on Buggy's head like a tower.
"It hurts so much…"
Tears streamed down Buggy's face as he howled in pain.
"This is brutal… I'm stronger than Buggy, so I shouldn't end up as badly…"
Despite his thoughts, Shanks' legs trembled slightly.
"Buggy, your focus is all over the place. Every time you get hit, you need to concentrate and observe my movements. Try to anticipate them."
"Ow ow ow!! Mr. Rayleigh, that's easier said than done!"
Buggy clutched his head, his face drenched in sweat and tears.
"Hah, did you think mastering Haki would happen in a day?"
As he spoke, Rayleigh swung the stick again.
"YOWCH—!"
Unsurprisingly, Buggy took another hit.
"Mr. Rayleigh, if you're so tough, use a sword instead of a stick!"
"Heh, Buggy, that attitude won't get you anywhere. If I wanted to kill you, I could slice you into pieces, then use Haki to blast your remains into dust. How does that sound?"
"Gah—! Rayleigh, you're downright evil!"
Buggy shuddered violently, his lips quivering uncontrollably—this time, he even dropped the honorific "Mr."
"Hahaha! And even if I don't kill you, I could just lock away parts of your body—take your feet, or maybe your hands."
Hearing Rayleigh's sadistic remarks, Buggy was utterly terrified. "Mr. Rayleigh, I'm a coward at heart, don't scare me like this…"
(Huh, Rayleigh's really laying it on thick. Wait, didn't I see Buggy searching for his body parts somewhere before?) Reid mused silently.
"Haha, Buggy, you're pathetic. Too weak."
Shanks couldn't resist taunting him, sticking out his tongue mockingly.
"Tch, Shanks, don't get cocky. You'll get yours soon enough. Oh—hey, Brother Reid, aren't you an amazing doctor? Can't you heal me?"
Buggy turned to Reid with pitiful, pleading eyes.
"No." Rayleigh shook his head.
"Why not? If Brother Reid heals me, I'll be in much better shape!"
Buggy whined, his mouth hanging open in protest.
"Buggy, getting hit is part of the training. The more you endure, the better you'll understand the sensation. If you don't want to get hit, calm your mind and observe my movements. Don't just rely on your eyes—the human heart is crucial. You must feel with your heart."
(Feel with the heart…?) Reid repeated inwardly.
"Hmph! That's just your opinion, Mr. Rayleigh. Wouldn't training be easier in peak condition?"
Buggy grumbled defiantly.
"Heh, I'm the teacher—you follow my rules. Again."
Rayleigh raised the stick once more.
"OW—! IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS—!"
After a while, Rayleigh sighed and shook his head.
"Buggy, if you don't take this seriously, if you don't observe and internalize the lessons, this is pointless. Your mindset is everything—and yours has always been careless. With that attitude, you'll never become a King. Think about it."
With that, Rayleigh turned away and walked over to Shanks.
Shanks gulped, forcing down his fear.
"Bring it, Mr. Rayleigh. I'm not as useless as Buggy."
"SHANKS!! Who the hell are you calling useless?!"
Buggy flailed angrily within his circle, pointing at Shanks and cursing.
"Red Dog, begin."
Rayleigh's wooden staff descended.
"Oww..."
As expected, a large bump immediately swelled on Shanks' head.
"HAHAHAHA! See that, Shanks? You're not so great after all! How dare you laugh at Lord Buggy!"
"Ahhh... it hurts it hurts..."
Shanks clutched his head, tears welling in his eyes.
Under Rayleigh's relentless strikes, Shanks' face soon became a bruised mess, his head sporting too many bumps to count.
"This is brutal..." Reid couldn't bear to watch, his own nerves tightening.
"BAHAHAHA! Shanks, you're even worse than me! What a loser!"
Buggy, having regained some energy, smirked with undisguised contempt.
Rubbing his head, Shanks pointed accusingly at Buggy. "Like you're any better!"
Rayleigh sauntered over to Reid, grinning widely.
"Brother Reid, don't expect me to go easy on you."
"Understood, Rayleigh. Hold nothing back—I'm determined to master Haki."
"HA! Good attitude. Ready?"
The staff came down with a whoosh.
"YOWCH! Damn that stings..."
"I was watching Rayleigh's staff with everything I had! How did it still hit me?"
Clutching his throbbing skull, Reid executed an ungraceful donkey roll to evade.
A quick glance at the ground confirmed: "Still inside the circle."
"GYAHH—!"
Rayleigh's staff became a blur of motion. What followed was fifteen minutes of pure, concentrated agony—a symphony of yelps, thwacks, and the occasional profanity that would make a marine blush. By the end, Reid's body felt like one giant bruise.
"Enough!" Rayleigh finally declared, leaning on his staff. "Break time. Drink this—it'll help with the swelling."
He tossed three vials of murky green liquid. Shanks caught him with a trembling hand, Buggy fumbled his (earning another bump), and Reid barely managed to grab his before collapsing face-first into the dirt.
As the bitter tonic took effect, Rayleigh's voice cut through their groans:
"Pain is the best teacher. Your bodies will learn to sense Haki before your minds do. Tomorrow, we do it again—until dodging becomes as natural as breathing."
Shanks spat out a tooth. Buggy whimpered. Reid simply stared at the sky, wondering what cosmic crime he'd committed to deserve this.
But beneath the pain, something new stirred—the faintest whisper of awareness, like the first crack of dawn after the longest night.