After speaking, Rayleigh continued to strike Reid with a stick.
"Hiss!"
"Ah! That hurts... I understand the principle of sensing breath, but with my eyes covered, I can't see the white trail of Rayleigh's stick at all."
Reid was blindfolded. Closing his eyes on top of that was like adding darkness to darkness.
Thwack!
Rayleigh's stick struck Reid's head again.
"Ah! Brother Rayleigh, can you change where you hit? Always targeting my head—what if I get brain damage?"
Reid was exasperated. The head was a crucial part of the body. Why not aim for the arms or legs? Why did people here seem so fixated on hitting heads?
"Don't worry. As someone with abilities, even untransformed, your physique is far stronger than an ordinary person's."
"What does that have to do with hitting my head? You could at least aim for my back!"
"Sorry, force of habit. The head's the easiest target for me."
"Unbelievable..." Reid was stunned by Rayleigh's reasoning.
Meanwhile, Bucky was being chased across the island by a pack of monkeys. The creatures snarled and snapped at his heels, eager to catch and pummel him.
"You damn monkeys! Keep this up, and Uncle Bucky will stab every last one of you!"
"Hiss! Squeak! Screech!"
"Hah! Run all you want, idiots! Escaping is my specialty! This place is huge—good luck catching me!"
Bucky stuck out his tongue and pulled a face at the monkeys.
Shanks, however, was in far worse shape. His body was crisscrossed with deep gashes, blood dripping from his wounds. His eyes were glazed with exhaustion.
"Hah... Hah... I... can't keep going... If this continues... I'll collapse..."
His knees buckled slightly, his clothes shredded by the giant tiger's claws.
"ROAR!"
The beast's roar echoed, deterring any other creatures from approaching for kilometers.
"Ah! Was that the tiger just now?"
Bucky shuddered, slipped, and fell flat.
"Squeak! Hiss!"
Looking up, he saw a monkey's gaping maw, its 20-centimeter fangs poised to bite.
"OH, HELP!"
Bucky scrambled away, clenching his buttocks in panic.
Thwack!
Rayleigh's stick landed on Reid's head again.
"Ah!"
"Reid, it seems the tiger's roar distracted you."
Rayleigh smirked.
"Brother Rayleigh, was this your plan all along? A two-in-one training method?"
"Ah, you caught on. The tiger is for Benitaro's training, but its roar also affects you and Bucky—though mostly you."
"Rayleigh, you're too cunning."
Reid inwardly admired him. The tiger's roar had indeed startled him. Even if he wasn't afraid, the intermittent growls disrupted his focus.
"Hah, thank you. Combat requires both strength and wit. Otherwise, weaknesses become obvious. Many in this world possess extraordinary intelligence—like Sengoku. Beyond his 'Buddha' title, he's also known abroad as 'Sengoku the Wise.'"
Rayleigh twirled his stick, grinning smugly.
"The aura's fading a bit... Hongtaro, only near-death battles can elevate your Haki and unlock latent power. You fought in the God Valley... Ah, never mind. You're Hongtaro now. That past doesn't matter. You have the potential to be king."
Rayleigh gazed toward Shanks, recalling the God Valley battle.
That clash had been earth-shattering. The Rocks Pirates' overwhelming might had forced an alliance between the Roger Pirates and Garp-led Marines.
"Red-Hair... You remind me so much of him back then..."
"Brother Rayleigh, what's wrong?"
Blindfolded, Reid couldn't see Rayleigh's pause. He steadied his breath, bracing for an attack that didn't come.
Rayleigh snapped back, scratching his head. "Sorry, got lost in thought."
Reid couldn't see his apologetic expression.
"Rayleigh, did you just take a bathroom break? Ah—!"
"Reid, focus! Feel the breath with your heart—my breathing, the airflow, the stick's trajectory, the vibrations in the air."
Reid backflipped away, putting distance between them.
"Brother Rayleigh, that's unfair! I was preparing for so long, and you didn't even warn me! I ask a question, and suddenly—wham!"
"This is part of training. Remember: breath and feeling. They're crucial."
"At least give me time to react! Start slow, then speed up! I'm a beginner!"
Rayleigh nodded.
*"Fair point. Let's do 100 slow-motion strikes first. Ready?"*
"Yeah, go ahead."
Reid steadied his breath, recalling Luffy's training.
Thwack!
Rayleigh's stick struck Reid's head in slow motion.
"Hiss!"
Even at reduced speed, Reid failed to dodge.
"I remember closing my eyes before to sense my surroundings. Back then, I saw something white—was that the air's flow? Or maybe insects on leaves? Earlier, I glimpsed Rayleigh's stick too, but faintly."
"Reid, sense with your heart. All living things emit aura. Even if I suppress mine, traces remain."
"Got it. Brother Rayleigh, keep this speed, but pause two seconds between strikes—no talking."
Reid wanted to test a childhood curiosity. Even if sensing aura wasn't what he imagined, it was worth trying.
"Understood."
Whoosh!
Rayleigh's stick swung down.
Reid held his breath, wishing his heartbeat would pause.
"There! A white streak? No—the stick's outline! That's its path!"
Snap!
Rayleigh struck again, but Reid was thrilled. Just before impact, the white "breath" flashed clearly in his mind.
"It's working! Just like before!"
Reid crouched, and Rayleigh's stick whiffed air.
"Oh? Dodged? A fluke?"
Rayleigh continued swinging, pausing exactly two seconds between strikes as instructed.
"I see it! It's clearer now! A normal person couldn't perceive this—it must be the system secretly helping me!"
Reid planted his hands on the ground, sidestepping effortlessly.
20... 21... 22... 90... 91... 92... 99.
"He dodged 99 consecutive strikes... How? Ah, right—Reid mentioned prior Haki experience. That explains it. No one masters Observation Haki in two days, even basics."
"99. One last time."
Reid relaxed, his movements fluid.
"For the final strike, I'll conceal my aura completely."
Rayleigh suppressed his presence and accelerated to full speed.
Crack!
The stick aimed for Reid's waist—
"Too slow. Here."
Reid swayed aside, evading effortlessly.
"100."
He removed his blindfold.
Rayleigh smirked, recalling Reid's earlier admission about prior Haki knowledge.
"Reid, that last dodge—how? I hid my aura entirely."
"Familiar. Isn't this what he'll tell Luffy later?"
Suppressing a grin, Reid asked, "Brother Rayleigh, were you smiling every time you hit me?"
"Ah, so that's it. Had I not known about your prior training, I'd be shocked."
"Heh." Reid rubbed his head. "So, have I mastered Observation Haki now?"
"Hah! Not even close. You've barely scratched the surface. True mastery lets you glimpse the future—a feat only legends achieve."
"Right, blindfolded training is just the start. What's next?"
Reid buzzed with excitement. Rapid progress was exhilarating.
"In the coming months, you'll learn to gauge strength, numbers, intent, and emotions like fear or joy. But Haki isn't mastered overnight—it demands courage and conviction."
Reid nodded. Rayleigh's words aligned with his expectations.
"Lately, I suspect the system's aiding me subtly. Still, experiencing the process firsthand is valuable. As Rayleigh said—this is just the beginning."