"It's starting, it's starting!!!"
"How long do you think Aos can hold out this time?"
"Last time was a minute. This time… at least a minute and a half."
"I say two minutes."
"Place your bets, minna-san?"
"…Don't make me slap you, Petermoo!"
Maybe out of sheer boredom, a bunch of roughnecks aboard the Roger Pirates were crowding around, hyped to watch a fight about to explode.
Aos was wearing a black military uniform he'd somehow picked up that was a size too small, a black spear slung across his back, eyes locked on the figure opposite him.
His long black hair streamed in the wind; his face was young but set with steely resolve—handsome regardless,
with a unique cool you'd only see in the Uchiha clan.
Opposite him stood a blond middle-aged man who, even standing casually, put no small pressure on Aos.
"As expected of the Dark King Rayleigh—his stance alone screams terrifying strength."
Aos knew none of the strong in the One Piece world got there without fighting. Blind grind is how low-tier pirates "improve."
But Aos?
His whole brand is hard-headed!
If you're scared of pain, don't be a pirate!
Seeing Rayleigh make no move, Aos didn't wait either. Under the dumbfounded stares of Buggy and Shanks, his figure flickered and vanished from where he stood.
"Huh? He disappeared in an instant?"
"When did Aos eat a Devil Fruit?"
They knew Aos and Uncle Petermoo had run cons together, so they also knew the "treasure" Captain Roger lost in that rigged bet was actually a Devil Fruit.
And during the split, Aos didn't take money—he took the fruit.
According to Rayleigh, the fruit's name was…
the Teleport-Teleport Fruit?
"It isn't!"
At some point Captain Roger had come up behind the two little brats, ruffling both their heads with his big hands as he laughed: "You've probably seen it before—Aos is using Rokushiki."
"Eh!!??"
Shanks and Buggy gaped in disbelief.
Of course they knew Rokushiki—an advanced application of martial arts, you could say the preschool version of Haki. The kicker being…
it's one of the signature skill sets of Marine officers. And this guy Aos learned it at age nine?
Sure enough, when they looked back to the field, Aos had appeared behind Rayleigh, driving a precise kick toward the kidney.
Shakky-san, don't blame watashi!
Yet just before it landed, Aos suddenly pulled his leg back for some reason and instead backed away rapidly.
Rayleigh turned slowly, his mouth quirking into a wicked grin as he met Aos's grave gaze.
"Why pull your leg mid-kick?"
Aos shot a look at the smirking, creepy-uncle Rayleigh and curled his lip. "No reason. Just felt like if I followed through, something very bad would happen."
Truth was,
in that instant he'd vaguely "seen" his own leg breaking.
Choosing to err on the side of caution, Aos withdrew and tried to recapture that feeling.
"Kenbunshoku too developed can sometimes hold you back, kid!"
Rayleigh chuckled—and in almost the same instant appeared right in front of Aos.
Nani?!
Aos's Kenbunshoku sounded an emergency alarm!
Kenbunshoku Haki: enemy detected!
Brain: React, now!
Body: lol 10/10—why don't you come react yourself? Hold my beer!
That's one of Aos's flaws: his Kenbunshoku Haki is so strong it gives him a natural "strongman's" perspective—call it a god's-eye view.
But that doesn't change the fact he's still a kid; his body can't keep up. The gap between the two is his weakness.
Talent has nothing to do with it—only constant battle can hone him until reaction and instinct become monstrous,
so that he can command more advanced power,
like Haki.
Translation: fight more, get hit more—that's the best crash course in Busoshoku Haki.
His naturally powerful physique can shorten the process, but not skip it.
So, faced with Rayleigh's sudden strike, Aos quickly understood there was no dodging it; better to take it head-on.
He decided to use the blow to temper himself, steeled his heart,
and unleashed the beggar's edition of Armament Haki he'd just learned—
"Tekkai!!!"
I refuse to believe I can't even block one measly kick—
...
...
"Aos, you're finally awake!"
"Holy crap…"
Aos slowly opened his eyes. Seeing the two boys by his bed, it took him all of two and a half seconds to figure it out.
Uncle Rayleigh had kicked him to sleep. Again.
Should he say Rayleigh-san's kick really packs a punch, or that "lulling to sleep" is the passive of this crappy skill?
If I use Tekkai again, I'm a dog,
Aos swore silently.
"Hey! Aos, are you really okay?"
Watching him swing his legs off the bed, Buggy and Shanks looked worried.
After all, they'd clearly seen that after Aos passed out, the vice-captain Rayleigh's Busoshoku Haki was so dark it looked purple. Even Captain Roger broke a sweat and asked if Rayleigh had gone a bit too hard.
Aos might be a monster, but taking a shot like that should have left him laid up for days. They couldn't imagine how he'd tanked it.
And as Aos's best bros, they were worried he'd hurt something.
This guy Aos… was being way too reckless.
Yet the eye of the storm himself clearly didn't care much. He stretched a bit instead.
"I'm fine. How long was I out? Don't tell me a whole day."
Aos acted like nothing had happened—until his fingers brushed his chest and he hissed through his teeth.
That hurts!
Seeing his expression, Shanks and Buggy thought the wound had reopened and hurried to support him.
"Don't push yourself, Aos!"
"Yeah—if you're hurt, rest up, you jerk!"
Grimacing, Aos undid the buttons at his chest. Staring at the patch of pitch-black skin, the corner of his mouth twitched.
"Huh? When did you master Armament Haki, Aos?"
Seeing this, Shanks gaped in shock, eyes full of disbelief.
Buggy, seeing his reaction, bristled. "Are you an idiot? That's obviously a bruise!"
"Oh… hahahaha, I see!" Slow on the uptake, Shanks laughed. "So I was wrong."
"You really get on my nerves, you know that?!"
That was what bugged Buggy about Shanks—never getting the point, just staying calm while Buggy fumed.
Usually, this was when Aos would laugh and watch the show, then, once they'd finished bickering, sling an arm around both their necks and deftly change the subject.
"Don't be mad, Buggy—let's go eat."
"Tch… Fine, I'll give Aos some face. It's not because of you, Shanks!"
"Alright, alright… I know."