Following Bogart up to the deck, Yuichiro's mind still felt a little hazy.
He hadn't expected to begin learning Haki so soon. He had spent nearly a month at Marine Headquarters and hadn't even seen Haki being used—let alone learned the Six Marine Styles or Haki itself.
Zephyr had been kind to him, yes, but when it came to combat techniques, he had strictly followed Sora's orders and taught him very little.
Sora's reasoning was clear enough: Yuichiro's background was uncertain. Before teaching him advanced techniques, Sora wanted him to first develop loyalty to the Navy, observe his character, and decide whether he could be trusted.
But Garp? Garp was never one to play it safe. To him, the Admiral's orders were little more than hot air.
Seeing how quickly Yuichiro had already mastered the Six Styles and even applied them in combat, Garp had immediately decided: Bogart would teach him Haki.
Garp didn't care about Yoriichi's origins. If the kid could learn, then he should learn.
The warship had officially set sail. On deck, only a handful of Marines were scattered along the railings, quietly scanning the sea. The space was wide and empty, perfect for training.
From the observation deck, Aokiji found Garp and greeted him before standing silently behind him. His gaze followed Garp's toward Yoriichi Tsugikuni and Bogart below.
"Haha, you're here," Garp chuckled.
"What do you think of that kid?"
"Very impressive," Aokiji replied after a pause. "Unless he's truly never been exposed to the Six Styles before, I've never seen anyone like him. To grasp these techniques in such a short time… that kind of talent is rare in this world."
Garp's grin widened at the compliment. "That brat still has a long way to go," he muttered under his breath.
On the deck, Bogart faced Yoriichi squarely.
"Yoriichi, the ability I'm going to teach you is called Haki," he explained.
"Simply put, Haki is an innate power hidden within the human body."
He began outlining the types of Haki in a steady, measured tone:
"Observation Haki—heightened senses that let you read the enemy's aura, predict movements, and perceive the world around you.
Armament Haki—strengthening your attacks and defense, even striking those with Devil Fruit powers.
And Conqueror's Haki—an overwhelming will, the ability to dominate others' spirits. That one is innate. Perhaps one in a million ever awaken it."
Bogart gave Yoriichi a deep look before continuing.
"You'll start with Observation Haki."
He pulled a black cloth from his pocket and tossed it over. Yoriichi caught it in his hand.
"Cover your eyes with that," Bogart instructed.
"Observation Haki, to put it simply, is the ability to sharpen your five senses. Smells, sounds, the flow of air… even the presence of killing intent. All of it can be felt. It's perception—perception of everything around you."
"Humans rely on vision for nearly ninety percent of their information. If you can sense the world even with your sight cut off, then you've taken the first step toward mastering Observation Haki."
"I've heard of warriors so skilled they can see several seconds into the future in battle. At that level, you'd be considered truly accomplished."
He set aside his saber, picked up a bamboo sword, and faced Yoriichi.
Without hesitation, Yoriichi also placed his sword aside and picked up a practice blade. Under Bogart's watchful eye, he tied the cloth over his eyes.
"I've done training like this before," Yoriichi thought. "But will it really unlock Observation Haki?"
Back in the Demon Slayer world, he had gone through similar exercises. But they hadn't made a difference—because his senses had always been extraordinary. He had long since reached the realm of the Transparent World. From childhood, his perception had been so acute that he didn't truly rely on sight in battle.
Still, this was a different world. If Bogart believed this method could awaken Haki here, then it was worth trying.
"I'm going to attack you now," Bogart warned.
"Feel my aura—sense me—and avoid my strikes."
Yoriichi nodded, signaling his readiness.
"Swish!"
Bogart's bamboo sword whistled through the air, aiming straight for Yoriichi's shoulder.
"Clang!"
Yoriichi's blade rose in a clean horizontal sweep, intercepting the strike with ease.
Bogart's eyes widened. "Huh?!"
Recovering quickly, he adjusted his stance. This time, he stabbed silently toward Yoriichi's abdomen, the movement nearly soundless.
But once again—"Tang!"—Yoriichi's sword met his in a perfect vertical block, as though he had seen the strike coming.
Two consecutive deflections.
Bogart froze, astonished. He involuntarily turned to glance at the watchtower, his expression caught between surprise and disbelief.
From above, Garp raised an eyebrow. Even he seemed a little surprised.
"It's as if he already knows Observation Haki," Bogart muttered. "He's predicting my attacks…"
Aokiji, too, had been watching closely.
"I felt the same when I sparred with him," he said quietly.
"He's anticipating everything."
Garp leaned forward against the windowsill, hands gripping the railing as he peered down with growing curiosity.
On deck, Yoriichi tilted his head at Bogart's hesitation.
"Lieutenant Colonel, why aren't you attacking? Why are you staring at the watchtower instead?"
Bogart blinked. The boy had his eyes covered—yet somehow, he had noticed.
He waved a hand experimentally in front of Yoriichi's face. To his shock, Yoriichi's head moved perfectly in sync, following the motion.
"Yeah, my eyes are covered," Yoriichi said lightly.
"I can't see a thing."
Bogart was dumbfounded. "Is this kid… playing tricks on me?"
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(End of Chapter)