Huge shout out and thanks to Angel Zamora for joining the Advanced tier on my patreon!
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Chapter 4
Enter: Wolf D. Ryuuhei
Again? Seriously, again?
That was their honest reaction at having their lives threatened twice in a single day by a powerful opponent. To make it worse, the threat came from another person related to Luffy's parents. This time, his dad.
"…Give you a reason not to kill us?" Zoro said dryly, both his Wano and Kitetsu sword unsheathed and pointed at Ryuuhei. "How about the fact your boss is our captain's dad? Isn't that a good enough reason?"
"No, not really," Ryuuhei said coolly. "Nepotism isn't fair, you know?"
"Yeah," Luffy said. "I hate nepotism, too! I don't want strawberry strawberry ice cream in my chocolate and vanilla!"
"That's neopolitan ice cream, you idiot!" Sanji snapped angrily at him as the others glared dryly at him."
"You really are exactly as I expected, Luffy," Ryuuhei said, a slight grin on his face. "An idiotic fool. From the looks of things, you seem to be having a bit of trouble staying on your feet. Suppose simultaneously unlocking your inherited power and Conqueror's Haki is bad for the constitution. Fascinating."
"How did you know that?" Luffy asked.
"Obviously, I was watching you. I've been observing for quite a while now. Since you all first arrived at Water 7."
"You've been spying on us?" Luffy groaned, thinking of Angel. "First that creepy Angel. Now you? Who wasn't watching me?"
"Don't get the wrong idea. That creepy Angel did it out of his own perverse satisfaction. Me, it was just business. I was surprised that guy had been spying on you and the other children like that. I had kept you kids under a limited surveillance, but it looks like I failed to account for peepers. My mistake."
Luffy glowered. "I'm getting really annoyed at being spied on…"
"It was for your protection, you know?"
"Hold on here!" Nami interjected. For a moment, she forgot what she was going to say when his eyes met hers. "Y-You said you've been watching us since Water 7. Why?"
"Because of Nico Robin," he said to their surprise. Robin, however, looked as though that was what she had expected.
"I can't say I'm surprised. I'm used to being pursued. I suppose even the Revolutionary Army isn't an exception."
"Truth be told, we've been interested in pursuing you for a long time. Practically speaking, you're knowledge would be valuable to us. Not to mention, keeping you out of the Government's hands is simply an obvious thing to do. We, who oppose them, can not just allow them to acquire a valuable piece like you."
"You bastard!" Sanji growled. He glared murderously at Ryuuhei. "Don't just go looking at Robin like she's a tool!"
"Yeah!" Chopper shouted. "Robin is our friend! She's not a chess piece to be played with!"
"Those are the practical reasons to bring you in, Nico Robin," Ryuuhei said, as if ignoring them. "But the truth is, Dragon's reasons weren't so objective. He wanted to save you. He would've wanted to save you regardless of the information you possessed. That's the fact."
Shock spread over the crew.
"But why…?" Robin asked.
"Because what happened to Ohara was an atrocity. And Dragon hates that sort of thing more than anything else."
Robin was taken aback. "…You aren't suggesting that the Revolutionary Army was created because of what the Government did to Ohara, are you?"
"It depends on how you want to view it. Dragon began building the army well before Ohara was wiped out, but what happened had a profound effect on many people. Him. Me. Not to mention, Lilia."
"What do you mean by that?!" Robin demanded. "What does Ohara mean to all of you?!"
Robin's heart was racing. And not because Ryuuhei was by far the most beautiful man she had ever laid eyes. One of her greatest sources of sadness was that Ohara, the center of knowledge, was almost entirely forgotten and that she was the last connection to it and it's people. If there were people who had a connection to it, then she wanted to know.
Ryuuhei stared coldly at her. "…We've strayed from my original question. Give me a reason not to kill you guys."
"W-Why do you want to kill us so badly?!" Usopp demanded. "What did we ever do to deserve that?!"
"You know Dragon's secret."
"It isn't as though we wanted to know!"
"That's right!" Nami said. "Garp just told us! Why do we have to get killed? Shouldn't he be on your list?"
"That's true. Unfortunately, Uncle Garp's a tough guy to kill. Frankly, it's a miracle the secret hadn't been blown years ago. But that is besides the point. The worst possible blabber mouth knows. And that's a leak that needs to be plugged."
Reflexively, the crew turned their head at Luffy.
"Well, that's mean," he said. "I can keep a secret."
"Well, all of you," Ryuuhei said addressing the crew. "You know him best. Can this lose lipped moron keep a secret?"
The crew's faces twitched at the inquiry, except for Robin.
"Didn't think so."
"Well, so what?" Nami demanded. "What does it matter? I mean, Luffy is already a pirate and his dad is the most wanted man in the world, isn't he?"
"All true. But his sisters-Dragon's daughters-are civilians. Although, that isn't the point. If its revealed Dragon has kids, the World Government will pursue you all with all its might. Sure, you might be okay with that, and even they might not mind it. But you know who will? Dragon."
Luffy's eyes widened.
"He's a sentimental person. If the worst case scenario did happen, he'd be tempted to go save all of you, risking everything we've worked for."
"Then why threaten us?" Usopp asked. "What will killing us accomplish?"
"Yeah," Chopper asked. "Won't Luffy's dad get mad at you for killing his son."
Ryuuhei allowed himself to smirk. "Oh, he definitely will. He'll be livid. Which is nothing new for us, although this might just be the time he actually tries to kill me. I'm sure Lilia will want revenge, too. I'll deserve it. But I won't die."
Ryuuhei stared them all down. There was nothing but sheer resolve in his eyes.
"No matter the sins I have to commit, no matter how black my heart becomes, I'll survive to the end and fulfill Dragon's wish. That's the path I chose."
His resolve frightened the crew. And also inspired their awe. He would certainly kill them all if it was for Dragon's sake. But they couldn't hate him for his loyalty.
Were they not the same way for Luffy?
"I'll be honest," Zoro said. "You're resolve is clear. And I can feel it. You're way stronger than any of us. Just like that Angel bastard. But do you really think any of us will just stand in place and let you kill us?"
"I could have done it at any time."
"?!"
Ryuuhei was behind Zoro, a knife at his neck.
When did he get there? How did he get so close? None of them even saw him move!
Zoro moved immediately. He turned his body and swung his two swords with the intent to cut him to pieces. But he hit nothing but air. He vanished from Zoro's sight.
"As you can see," Ryuuhei said, standing behind the group with Luffy. "Swift, unseeable strikes are my specialty. Killing you all where you stand would be as easy as blinking for me."
Usopp, Nami, and Chopper gasped. Robin crossed her arms. Luffy stared with an unreadable expression at the man.
"You're fast," Luffy said lightly. "You remind me of somebody I know."
Ryuuhei looked disinterested. "Do I? That doesn't matter now. Give me a reason not to kill you and your crew. Or die."
"I don't got one. I'm not good at thinking fast."
"That's true…" he murmured like it should be obvious. "Very well, then."
Again, he vanished before their eyes.
"Where'd he go now?" Franky asked.
"He's over there," Luffy said, point at Ryuuhei, who was standing in front of the kitchen entrance.
"I'm going to raid your kitchen," Ryuuhei said casually.
"Huh?"
The crew seas stunned silent.
"I haven't eaten all day. I'll use what you got to cook something for myself. While I do that, you guys can come up with a reason for me not to kill you. You guys are safe from me until I'm done."
"WHAT?!" They screamed.
"Well, see you soon." Ryuuhei entered the kitchen without a care.
For several moments, the Straw Hats couldn't speak. They truly couldn't think after what just happened.
Finally, Luffy laughed.
"Hahaha! What a funny guy!"
"You're laughing?!" Nami stared at him incredulously. "That guy is threatening to kill us all!"
"I know."
"If you know, then do something about it!"
"What do we do?" Usopp cried. "Can we really not win against him."
"Probably not," Luffy said. "He's strong. Like Aokiji. Like Angel. And my mom and Grandpa, too. If we fought, I don't think we'd win."
Not to mention, Luffy's body was still exhausted. He still couldn't move right.
Nami, Usopp, and Chopper stared strangely at Luffy.
Usopp asked, "Why do you look like you're in a good mood?"
"Do I?"
"Yeah," Chopper said. "You look happy."
"I guess I am…" Luffy grinned.
As they struggled to understand this latest predicament, Sanji yelled in frustration."
"That bastard!" He screamed, running to the kitchen. His body burned with fire. "You think you can just raid a chef's kitchen without his permission! Think again!!!"
"Sanji!" Nami cried. "Stop! Don't antagonize him!"
But not even she could stop him when he got like this.
"Not good!" Usopp panicked. "That guy's gonna kill Sanji."
"No, he won't," Luffy said confidently. "He said he wouldn't until he ate."
Again the crew just stared at him, struggling to understand what was going on inside their captain's head.
Meanwhile, Zoro stared in frustration at his swords. He was helpless just now, just like he was helpless against Angel. And Aokiji, too.
Multiple times now, his crew was at risk of being hurt, and he could do nothing. Pathetic!
'I need to be better than this!' He thought. 'I need to learn Haki and master it!'
"Alright, you creep!" Sanji shouted as he barged into his own kitchen. "Get out of my kitchen!"
Ryuuhei wasn't paying attention to Sanji. He was engrossed in his current task. Cooking. He had quickly found everything in there, including spices, cooking tools, and a whole fish Sanji had stored in the fridge. Which should have been locked.
"Hey! How did you get that? The fridge is locked!"
"It was," he said, holding up the the fridge's lock, which he broke off with his bare hands, without looking at him. "I assume you have it to keep Luffy out? Smart."
"You…" Sanji seethed. "That was expensive."
"I'll pay you for it. And the food. Not that it matters. I'm going to kill you all, anyway."
Sanji gritted his teeth. "Okay. That's it!"
Sanji lunged at him foot first. He was intending to kick the man while he was chopping vegetables, however, without even sparring a glance, Ryuuhei blocked him with his own kick, stopping Sanji in his tracks.
Sanji didn't let it stop him, following through with a series of back to back kicks. Unfortunately, Ryuuhei blocked everything he threw at him. Without even looking at him as he chopped vegetables.
'His kicking style…!' Sanji recognized the way he moved his legs. It was reminiscent of his own Black Leg style! 'How-?!'
His thoughts were cut short when his shoe struck him in the face, sending the pirate chef flying back until he hit the wall next to the kitchen entrance hard. Dazed, he laid in a sitting position, his back against the wall. He stared up and observed as the man continued his cooking preparations without any care towards him.
He had taken off his black blazer and hung it on hook where he placed his apron, which he was wearing over his white shirt with its sleeves rolled up.
Sanji thought he looked very professional. Like a true chef, although it pained him to admit it, even to himself.
"...Why does your kicking style remind me of my own?"
Ryuuhei was focusing on marinating the fish he took from the fridge, so he didn't answer immediately. "I would imagine that is because I have incorporated Red Leg Zeff's kicking techniques into my own fighting style."
"How do you know Zeff?!" Sanji asked, surprised by that unexpected revelation. Although perhaps he shouldn't have been. While not an exact similarity to Zeff, it was similar enough to make him think it was like his own.
Still, he had no idea why he knew Zeff.
"I wouldn't say I know him. I saw him once. His fighting style intrigued me, so I stole what I liked."
Sanji realized he was referring to a time when Zeff was still a pirate.
"What situation allowed you to watch the old geezer fight?"
"Him and my old man were going at it. My old man is Vice Admiral Axel. I assume you have heard of him?"
Heard of him. Sanji knew him. He had met the man a long time ago.
"I know him… I've met him."
For the first time since hijacking Sanji's kitchen, Ryuuhei paid him a sideways glance. "Is that so? My condolences. I assume since you said "I" instead of "we", this happened before you joined Luffy?"
Sanji nodded, looking more dazed than he had before. The memory of Axel had struck him. He started speaking in a distant tone. "It was just after the old man had officially opened up the Baratie. One day a navy ship came to the restaurant. At the time, navy ships made me nervous whenever they came because I was always worried that the marines would come to try to arrest Zeff since he was a pirate, but none had tried. Anytime they came, they would all just eat their fill and go on their way. I wondered if they didn't know who Zeff was or if they just liked his cooking too much to try to cuff him.
"Then he came and I immediately understood that he was not like the others who stopped at our restaurant. For starters, his ship's sails didn't have the usual Navy insignia. Instead his ship sailed with the face a black wolf. I'll be honest. I was afraid when I saw him. I could feel it in my flesh. He was truly strong. And he didn't look like he was there for a meal."
"To be fair," Ryuuhei said while starting the stove. "The man only has so many facial expressions. Scowling. Glaring. Grunting. It's hard to discern anything from just looking at him."
"He exuded pressure. I've known some pretty intimidating guys in my time. Both before and after that day. But even now, he's still the most intimidating."
Not even his own father had scared him that much.
Ryuuhei murmured something beneath his breath as he used a frying pan to cook the fish.
"Zeff wasn't scared though. But he was solemn. They talked for a while over a meal Zeff cooked. By the end of it he just left. As he left, I made eye contact with him and my whole body trembled. He was a scary man."
As he recalled that man, Sanji was certain if he tried to fight him, as he was now, he would lose. Despite never actually seeing him fight, he knew that was the truth.
It was after he left when Zeff told him that he was Vice Admiral Axel. One of the Navy's top men on the same level as Garp. One of things he was most known for was repeatedly going toe to toe with Whitebeard.
"Try being his kid," Ryuuhei smirked. The fish and other ingredients were sizzling in the pan. A pleasant, mouth watering aroma was permeating in the kitchen.
"So, what's your story?" Sanji asked. "Were you a marine that became a revolutionary?"
"I was never a marine, but my old man made me come on his ship for a while. I saw a lot during that time, including his fight against Red Leg Zeff. That was my first and only time seeing the man. I found his kicking techniques interesting, so I imitated it."
"…How did the fight end between them?" That was what Sanji wanted to know.
"My old man beat yours after several hours. My old man was definitely stronger, but Red Leg Zeff was certainly formidable. His kicks were definitely world level."
Hearing that, Sanji couldn't help but feel a surge of pride in his mentor for going toe to toe against such a man.
Luffy entered the kitchen. He looked directly at Ryuuhei. He appeared to be about to say something, but he was distracted by whatever it was he was making.
"That smells yummy!" Luffy said, his mouth watering. "When will it be done?"
"It isn't for you, you know?" Ryuuhei said, not looking at Luffy.
"Ah, come on," he whined. "You're cooking on my ship, in my kitchen-"
"It's my kitchen!" Sanji corrected.
"Using my food."
"They're ingredients!" Both Ryuuhei and Sanji corrected him this time.
"Whatever. You gotta share!"
"I am paying, you know?"
"You are?!" Nami stepped in the kitchen, too, a business-like expression on her face. Her fear of the man was overwritten by her greed and desire for profit. So much so she temporarily forgot that the man was threatening to kill them all after he had finished eating. "If berries are involved, I should be a part of negotiations."
"I believe you'll be satisfied, miss," Ryuuhei said, still keeping his attention on his cooking. "At least until I kill you guys."
"Eek!" Nami shrieked, remembering his original threat. She ran from the incredibly handsome man and hid behind Luffy.
"Stop scaring her," Luffy demanded. "I know you aren't going to kill us."
"And what makes you say that?"
"Because you aren't gonna," Luffy answered childishly.
"Because that answers everything."
"Luffy!" She whispered. "Don't antagonize him!"
"But he isn't gonna kill us."
"He's right, Nami-swan," Sanji said, finally standing up after getting knocked down earlier. "If he was gonna kill us, he would have done so already."
"But he said-"
"Do you really think he'd be up here in the perv cook's kitchen making food if he was seriously planning on killing any of us?" Zoro said, steeping into the kitchen. Robin and Franky followed after him. Usopp and Chopper coward outside the entrance.
"I mean, kinda?" Usopp said, poking his head through the doorway. "Who knows how monsters think."
"Yeah," Chopper nodded nervously.
"There is no killing intent coming from him," Robin told them. "You can trust me on that much. After years of enduring people's desire to kill me, I've become adept at sensing such things."
"I can see why you guys fell for it," Franky said. "I believed him, too, at first. But you just sort of can tell who actually wants to kill and who's just joking about."
The three most cowardly pirates stared incredulously at the rest of the crew.
"Admit it, Ryuuhei-ojisan!"
"Oji-san?" The crew looked strangely at Luffy.
"I don't recall giving you permission to call me that," Ryuuhei sighed. "It's irritating to be seen through by a bunch of kids."
"You were lying?!" The weakling trio cried.
"I meant what I said. I'll kill for Dragon's dream. Even his own son if I have to. However, I won't do anything to impede it, either. Like I said, Dragon's a sentimental fool. If his son is killed, especially if it's me, he'll be affected. Not to mention, I might attract the wrath of Lilia, along with others, too. They may lose it and declare war against the Revolutionary Army if it was discovered what I did. Also, if Dragon chose to punish me, it would lead to a civil war within the army. That would hardly be in the Revolution's best interest."
"Who cares about all that!" Luffy said. "I heard you. You're Axel-Ojiisan's son!"
"Axel-Ojiisan?!" Sanji blurted, staring flabbergasted at Luffy. "Luffy, you know Vice Admiral Axel?!"
"Yeah, I do! I didn't know you knew him, too, Sanji."
"I only ever met him once. He was a scary guy…"
"I know. So, you're Grumpa's son, right?"
'Grumpa?' The crew thought when they heard the nickname.
"Does it matter?" Ryuuhei said. "The old man is the old man. And I am me. The rest doesn't matter."
"But if you're Grumpa's son… doesn't that mean you're Kyosuke's dad."
The crew listened with interest
Kyosuke. One of the two other kids harassed by Angel. Luffy's friends from before he became a pirate. They had never heard him mention them before, but it was clear to them they were important to him. Just how important, it was unclear.
At the mention of his potential son, Ryuuhei was silent for some time. He just focused on his cooking. None of them could understand what was on his mind.
"…Does that matter?"
That basically confirmed Luffy's guess. "I guess not, but if you are friends with my dad, then is Sona's dad also in the Army?"
"Sairo."
"So, all three of you are together…?" Luffy muttered, having mixed feelings about it all. His two best friends' dads and his own dad were revolutionaries together. Weird. "So… were you guys around at all when we were little?"
"For a time." Ryuhei's answers were a little more direct now. Luffy seemed to be trying to find something out. Unusual for him, who didn't often have the patience to listen to others stories.
"...Did you say anything to me, back then."
"If I had, you'd certainly be too young to remember. However, there are some theories here and there that say infants store memories in their developing brains. So, even if it's impossible to recall them as adults, the lessons and experiences are embedded inside your fully developed brains. It's how we learn to talk among other things."
Of course, Luffy couldn't keep up with most of that. But he got the gist.
"Hypothetically, I could have gathered all of you together and did a little lecture about a certain innate power. Knowing you would never remember any of it, but figuring perhaps, somewhere along the line, it might prove useful to you kids. Maybe even save your life. Of course, in this hypothetical scenario, I would have taken all of you kids out of your nursery without telling any of your mothers or fathers and enjoy watching from afar as they all ran around in a panic trying to find you." He added with a devilish grin.
'He's the devil!' The guys thought.
'A really beautiful devil…' The ladies thought.
Luffy, however, was too busy processing everything to be appalled. His straw hat shadowed his face as he tried to understand everything. "...So, it was a memory, not a dream?"
He couldn't recall the dream he had, nor could he recall what he had heard. All he could remember was the voices, and also that it was thanks to that dream, he could push back Angel and save Nami and the crew.
"Thank you!" Luffy shouted, bowing his head at Ryuuhei, who still didn't look at him. The crew stared in wide eyed shock at Luffy's sudden gratitude. "I had a dream when that Angel guy was about to kill Nami. Then everything went black! And everyone was still alive when I woke up! That was because of you! If it wasn't for you, I would have lost one of my friends! So, thanks! Ryuuhei-Ji!"
The ship was silent for sometime. No one uttered a word. No one was sure what to say. The silence was broken when Ryuuhei sighed and set the kitchen timer.
"It will take ten minutes for my curry to have finished simmering," he said, finally looking at Luffy. "Let's fight, Luffy."
"Huh?" Luffy and the crew stared in surprise at his sudden challenge.
"You seem to be able to move normally again. I'll give you another basic lesson. Hey, cook!"
Sanji jumped, startled by the shout. "Keep an eye on everything. I trust the pupil of Red Leg Zeff can handle that much?"
Sanji glared at him. "Don't treat me like your asisstant chef in my own kitchen!"
"Let me be clear, if my food gets ruined because of your inability to follow directions, I will kill everyone on this damn ship."
That was a real threat this time.
"Whatever," Sanji grumbled. "Not like I wasn't going to do it. I would never let food get ruined."
"Good boy," he said, angering Sanji further. "Let's go, Luffy. I assume your ships deck will suffice for a battlefield?"
"Alright!" Luffy said, sounding excited. Ryuuhei took off the apron he was wearing and strutted past the pirates without a care.Luffy followed like an excited little kid.
"I don't get what's happening," Nami muttered.
"I suppose it's a man thing," Robin said.
"I guess even a man as hot as him is still a man."
Sanji heard Nami and was almost tempted to ruin Ryuuhei's cooking.
Ryuuhei and Luffy stood outside on the deck. The blue sky was cloudless. A gentle breeze was blowing through their hair. It was a good day for a fight.
"Nami!" Luffy shouted, tossing his hat at their navigator. Surprised, she nearly dropped it. The crew was observing from the upper level of the Sunny. Zoro in particular was focused on what was about to happen. "Hold on to my hat."
"Alright, Luffy," Ryuuhei said. "This fight will be decided when you're either too beaten up to continue, or the timer sounds in the kitchen."
"You're not gonna say I win if I can land a hit? And why do you assume I can't win?"
He scoffed. "Life isn't a game. The way I see it, the time limit is enough of a handicap. As to your second question… do you honestly think you even have a sliver of a chance against me?"
"Probably not," Luffy said honestly.
"...You're not as cute as Dragon."
"Huh? What's that mean?"
"It doesn't matter. Lesson 1."
"!"
In the blink of an eye, Ryuuhei closed the gap between them, and punched Luffy square in the face. Luffy cried out in pain and stumbled backward. His rubber defense was not enough to protect. The Straw Hats were able to understand what had happened.
"Armament Haki. It's one of the three basic types of Haki. In its simplest form, it's a hardening technique." Ryuuhei held up his fist, which was now solid black. "It augment a fighter's defensive and offensive capabilities."
"Aushment?" Luffy said, confused and mispronouncing augment.
"It makes you really strong and really tough," he said, simplifying his explanation and speaking to him like he was a child.
"Oh."
"On top of that. It bypasses the devil fruit power, and lets you hurt those who are otherwise immune to physical damage. Hence, why I'm able to hurt you with just a punch despite your rubber body. I'm sure you can recall the pain."
"Yeah." Luffy recalled all the times Garp, Axel, and others had hurt him as kid. They had all been using Armament Haki. "The jerks!"
"Now, try to hit me."
"Okay! UGH!?"
Luffy was about to attack, when out of the blue Ryuuhei struck him hard in the face again.
"Ouch! What the hell?! You said to try and hit you, but you hit me instead!"
"Ah, well," Ryuuhei smiled mischievously. "I figured since you and your crew already went up to the Sky Islands, then you didn't really need the introductory lesson for Observation Haki."
"...Sky Islands? Oh!" Luffy recalled their adventure up in Skypia. Specifically their opponents like that round ball guy, and Eneru. Those guys were able to predict every attack. "They did something like that up there! But they didn't call it Observation Haki. They called it… Macaroni!"
"NOT EVEN CLOSE, YOU IDIOT! IT WAS MANTRA!!!" Nami, Usopp, and Chopper shouted, as Zoro shook his head, and Robin and Franky smiled in amusement.
"Oh, was it? I forgot," Luffy laughed carefreely.
"Honestly," Ryuuhei sighed. "You truly are the epitome of a clown. Well, you are still correct. What we call Observation Haki down here in the Blue Seas, the sky people call Mantra."
"Hey, I was right!" Luffy smiled cheerfully. "But why'd you hit me?"
"Observation Haki allows you to predict attacks, but it could also be used to position yourself for a lethal counter. But honestly, I just enjoy beating the crap out of you."
"...You're personality is way more rotten than Grumpa Axel or Kyosuke."
Ryuuhei shrugged. "What can I say? They're them. I'm me. You're hardly the first person to say such things about me. Dragon says worse than that to me all the time."
Luffy tilted his head. "I guess you give my dad a hard time."
"Oh, I'd never," he lied. "Enough chit chat. My food is almost done. Let's continue. We've discussed Armament. We've talked about Observation. Those two can be considered the main types of Haki, which any Haki user can learn and awaken. However, there is a third type. Do you remember?"
SHWING!!!!
"!!!!"
The Straw Hats all felt it. Ryuuhei was doing something.
He was using Conqueror's Haki.
But what he was doing was leagues different from what Luffy had done against Angel.
For starters, Luffy's Conquer's Haki only lasted for a burst. While it was spectacular, it only made them shiver when they felt it. Ryuuhei made them tremble.
"T-This feels strange!" Usopp said, his teeth chattering and legs shaking like jelly. The others weren't any better. Even Zoro and Robin couldn't resist it.
"So… this is what real Conqueror's Haki feels like?" Robin said. "It's incredible!"
Sanji wasn't spared from the effects of the Haki either, but he was so focused on observing Ryuuhei's cooking, he didn't even notice his body shaking.
"Dammit!" Zoro tried to steady his trembling heartbeat, but he was having no luck. His frustration with his own weakness was reaching its boiling point.
"Your crew is actually pretty strong, Luffy," Ryuuhei said. "One of the main features of Conqueror's Haki is its ability to bring the weak willed to their knees, and render them unconscious. The fact all of you can stay on your feet is pretty impressive."
"Of course!" Luffy said. He, too, was shaking, but he still maintained an aura of fearlessness. "But this feels familiar. I've felt this before!"
Luffy recalled a certain moment from ten years ago. His hero Shanks had rescued him from their local sea monster at the cost of his arm, and scared it away with just a look.
"Shanks used Conqueror's Haki back then!"
"Red Hair, huh...?" Ryuuhei whispered with a mysterious look. "Well, this type of Haki can be used for far more than just mere intimidation. If Armament Haki is the physical manifestation of your willpower, and Observation the awakening of mind to allow you to hear the unheard voices of the world, then Conqueror's is the spiritual manifestation of your inner strength. I'm sure you can imagine what that can do, can't you?"
"Can I blow things up with my mind?" Luffy asked with childish excitement.
Ryuuhei stopped using his Haki. "And that's exactly why I'll keep this lesson limited to a demonstration. And exactly why they old farts never taught you or any of the other brats any of this when you were younger. Haki isn't a toy. It's the strongest power in the world and those who reach its full potential are the ones who rule this world. You can be sure that all of the Four Emperors are true Haki masters."
"So, how does one learn how to use Haki," Zoro asked from his vantage point.
"Hard work and effort. That's the most direct method to activating Armament and Observation. But at its core, it takes extreme pressure. Haki is awakened when you need it the most. Like this morning."
Luffy remembered. If he hadn't miraculously unlocked his Conqueror's Haki, then Angel would have executed Nami.
Luffy stared seriously at Ryuuhei. "…How do I master Haki, Kyosuke's dad?"
"Beats me," he shrugged. Everyone fell down at his bluntness.
"You call yourself Kyosuke's dad?! Kyosuke's dad!" Luffy shouted at him angrily. "You're a dummy! A big dummy! A-"
Ryuuhei kicked him in the face. With Haki, of course.
"I can't tell you how to master Haki. Even if you acquired yourself a true master to teach you, they can't make you a master on their own. You may learn how to master the basic skills of Haki through study and practice, but in order to reach the greatest heights, you can't ever stop trying to improve yourself and your Haki. Because Haki is willpower. And without the will to reach the next height, you will be stunted and become nothing more than a mere user."
Luffy rubbed his face where he was kicked. "Okay. It sounds like Haki is a mystery."
"That simple minded answer is actually a pretty good explanation of it. Still, once you've unlocked it, it's easier to use it again. All you have to do is force yourself to relive the moments that led to your activation."
Luffy winced at that. Because the moment that triggered his Haki was a moment he didn't want to relive. His crew trapped and at the mercy of Angel, and him unable to do anything but watch. If he had to rely on those feelings continuously to compete against those strong people, he would, but it might break him.
"Of course, that's not enough. After all, that's the mentality of the weak. If you truly want to become truly strong, then you have to turn that weakness into strength. Turn the helpless you felt into the power that conquers any enemy that dares try to take what matters to you!"
Luffy stared wide eyed at Ryuuhei's impassioned speech. Turning weakness into strength felt like a fantasy. And yet…
Luffy let out a deep breath. He remembered it. This morning when Angel attacked them. He threatened Luffy's mother, his sisters, and even his crew. He was so angry that he wanted to punch out Angel til he was a bloody pulp. But he could deny that guy's strength. He couldn't. If he wanted to win against him, he had to remember that that bastard could take away what mattered most to him.
He might've been his mom's enemy, but he brought the fight to him, so Luffy had to find a way to beat him. If that meant he had to relive the awful moment of seeing Nami almost get killed by that jerk, then he'd keep reliving it until the day he could pay that guy back!
SHWING
A burst of Haki escaped Luffy's will.
"…Is that what I thought it was?" Nami asked. Unlike this morning, she didn't feel a chill. What they felt was more like a breeze.
"…It was weaker than this morning," Zoro said. "And certainly nothing compared to what that pretty boy did earlier, but yeah. Luffy just activated his Conqueror's Haki on command!"
Zoro grinned proudly at his captain.
"Wow…!" Chopper cheered, his eyes bright
"SUPER!" Franky cheered, striking his signature pose. "Not bad, Captain!"
"Did I do it?" Luffy blinked in wonder. "I did do it? I did it!"
Ryuuhei, however, wasn't impressed.
"Don't go cheering over that pathetic display. That was nothing more than a pitiful burp."
"Ah, shut up!" Luffy said irreverently. "That was my first time, you know? Next time I'll last even longer!"
Luffy's poor choice of words caused Ryuuhei and some of his crew, except for Chopper, to look scandalously at him. Nami in particular blushed slightly.
"Did I say something weird?" Luffy asked, confused.
"…Don't ask me," Ryuuhei sighed. "Well, I'll at least give you passing marks for managing to use a little Haki. Okay, now that we've touched base on that, let's move on to the next subject."
"What else is there? Didn't you say there were only three types of Haki?"
Ryuuhei looked at him like he was a stupid child. "You're kidding, right? You know you didn't just unlock your Haki, right?"
Luffy's eyes with realization. That was right. He didn't just unlock his Haki before. His inherited devil fruit power activated at that time, too.
"I figure you'd at least like an idea on how to use it…" Darkness escaped Ryuuhei's body, and his clear blue eyes turned red like a blood moon.
Luffy and the crew gasped. He had the same power as Luffy!
"I'm not sure how much I can teach you about it," he said as the dark miasma circled around him like smoke. "But I can at least show you what you could be capable of if you can master it."
.....
Again, major shoutout to Angel Zamora for joining the Advanced tier for 10 dollars! I don't deserve it, but thank you! I will use this support as motivation to continue writing quality and keep publishing consistently.