Tongcheng No. 1 High School.
Inside the office, silence reigned.
Principal Jin Xueyang, homeroom teacher Zhong Jianguo, and several school administrators sat tensely, their eyes fixed on the shimmering space before them, waiting anxiously for Zhao Xuan's return.
Tick… tick… tick…
Seconds crawled by.
Suddenly—
A strange ripple of energy spread across the room.
The air twisted violently, and the space before them rippled like water.
Then—
A spatial rift tore open right before their eyes.
Amidst the flickering light, Zhao Xuan stepped out, his face glowing with excitement and triumph.
For a heartbeat, everyone just stared.
Then, Jin Xueyang exchanged a glance with Zhong Jianguo—
and both men's faces broke into wide, relieved smiles.
"Zhao—!"
The principal took a step forward, beaming—
but his words froze halfway out of his mouth.
His eyes widened.
His breath caught.
And his face twisted in sheer shock.
"Th-this… this… THIS—!"
He gawked at Zhao Xuan's right fist, which was faintly blackened, gleaming with a subtle metallic sheen.
His lips trembled as he muttered in disbelief:
"A-Armament Haki!?"
Gasps filled the room.
"That's impossible!"
"Armament Haki? But that can only awaken once physical strength exceeds 100 points!"
Everyone was on their feet now, voices rising in astonishment.
Zhao Xuan blinked in mild confusion as his teacher and the school leaders rubbed their eyes repeatedly—
then stared again, wide-eyed and trembling.
"We're not imagining this!"
"It's real—he's really awakened Armament Haki!!"
The room descended into chaos.
It took a long while before Jin Xueyang finally gathered his composure.
"Z-Zhao Xuan…" His voice stammered uncontrollably. "What—what in the world happened inside the Demon Realm?"
It was rare to see the ever-composed principal of Tongcheng No. 1 High School so utterly shaken.
Zhao Xuan hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
"Principal, it's like this…"
He didn't hide the truth—
that he hadn't chosen a Logia-type Devil Fruit.
After all, the truth would come out sooner or later.
He calmly recounted everything that had occurred inside the Demon Realm.
When he finished, everyone fell silent.
A few seconds later, the principal exhaled slowly.
"I see…" he murmured, realising dawning—but his face soon grew solemn.
The room fell quiet once again.
Finally, Jin Xueyang sighed deeply.
"Zhao Xuan, you were far too impulsive."
He shook his head and continued,
"You probably don't understand the true might of Logia-type fruits yet. Their defining ability, Elementalization, allows the user to become intangible—immune to all physical attacks. It's… almost unfair."
He paused, then waved a hand as if to dismiss it.
"Forget it. What's done is done. There's no point dwelling on it now."
"But still, the Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Beast Model – Azure Dragon you chose doesn't seem ordinary. To think it pushed your physical strength past 100, allowing you to awaken Armament Haki immediately… Well, that's quite the blessing in disguise."
He smiled faintly, his tone softening.
"Zhao Xuan, don't let this weigh on you. What's past is past. Even without a Logia fruit or a guaranteed university recommendation, with your current physique and your awakened Haki, you'll have no trouble entering a top martial academy through the Combat Examination."
He turned toward Zhong Jianguo.
"Old Zhong, take Zhao Xuan back to class. There are only a few weeks left until the college entrance exams—we can't afford to waste a minute."
"Yes, Principal."
Zhong Jianguo nodded and gestured for Zhao Xuan to follow him.
As they walked down the corridor, the teacher kept glancing at his student, who had been unusually quiet.
Zhong Jianguo's heart tightened. He assumed Zhao Xuan was regretting his decision.
"Zhao Xuan," he began gently, "don't overthink it. The principal's right—you may not have become a Logia user, but awakening Haki is an incredible achievement. You can focus on mastering it instead."
"In fact, your choice actually complements that path. Almost every Zoan fruit enhances physical strength. It fits perfectly for a Haki user."
"Did you know? About one-third of all top Haki masters are Zoan-type users. Their bodies are naturally more durable and resilient."
As the teacher spoke, Zhao Xuan's heart warmed slightly.
He smiled. "Don't worry, Teacher. I'm really fine. I don't regret my choice at all. Even though I got a Zoan fruit, I truly don't believe it's weaker than a Logia."
Zhong Jianguo exhaled in relief, patting his shoulder.
"That's good, Zhao Xuan. That's very good. As long as you can think that way, you'll go far."
The faint trace of pride in the teacher's eyes didn't go unnoticed.
And deep inside—
Zhao Xuan clenched his newly hardened fist, feeling the dark Haki ripple faintly beneath his skin.
"This is just the beginning."
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