The moment Captain Morgan hit the ground, Luffy's stomach growled so loudly it echoed across the Marine yard like thunder.
Everyone turned to stare.
Luffy clutched his belly, grinning sheepishly. "Shihehehe! I'm hungry!"
Zoro, still catching his breath from the fight, deadpanned, "You just took down a Marine Captain and that's what you're worried about?"
"Fighting makes me hungry!" Luffy declared, as if this explained everything.
Shiro walked up, hands in his pockets, completely calm despite the chaos they'd just caused. "The restaurant's two streets over. The little girl mentioned her family runs it."
Nami blinked, adjusting the stolen map under her arm. "You remembered that?"
Shiro shrugged. "I remember useful things."
Luffy's eyes lit up like fireworks. "FOOD! LET'S GO!"
He grabbed Zoro's arm and started dragging him before the swordsman could protest.
Zoro stumbled, barely keeping his balance. "Hey! I can walk on my own!"
"Too slow!" Luffy shouted, already halfway down the street.
Nami watched them go, then glanced at Shiro. "Your captain's an idiot."
Shiro smiled faintly. "Useful idiot. There's a difference."
Nami couldn't quite argue with that.
Rikas Bar & Grill
The restaurant was small and warm, with wooden tables worn smooth by years of use. The little girl—Rika—stood at the entrance with her mother, a kind-faced woman who looked both nervous and grateful.
"You… you saved the town," Rika's mother said softly, bowing deeply. "Please, eat as much as you want. It's the least we can do."
Luffy's face split into the widest grin possible. "REALLY?! AS MUCH AS I WANT?!"
Rika's mother nodded, smiling despite her nervousness.
Luffy threw both fists in the air. "YES! MEAT! LOTS OF MEAT!"
Zoro slumped into a chair, finally letting himself relax. "Just bring me sake. A lot of it."
Shiro sat across from Zoro, leaning back casually. "Water for me. And whatever meat the captain doesn't destroy first."
Nami took the seat next to Shiro, eyeing the menu with a calculating expression. "I'll have the grilled fish. And tea."
Rika's mother hurried to the kitchen, and within minutes, plates started arriving—mountains of meat, rice, vegetables, sake bottles, and a whole grilled fish that looked almost too good to eat.
Luffy didn't hesitate. He grabbed meat with both hands and started eating like it was a competitive sport.
Zoro poured himself sake, drank deeply, and exhaled with satisfaction. "Finally. Thought I was going to die of thirst before anything else."
Nami picked at her fish delicately, watching Luffy inhale food with a mix of horror and fascination. "Does he… does he even taste it?"
Shiro took a bite of his own food, chewing thoughtfully. "Doubtful. But he enjoys it, so it works."
Luffy paused mid-bite, cheeks stuffed like a chipmunk, and gave a thumbs-up. "Delishush!"
Nami sighed. "This crew is going to give me a headache."
Shiro smirked. "You haven't even been here an hour."
"Exactly," Nami muttered.
Zoro set down his cup, his sharp eyes flicking to Shiro. "Alright. I've been holding this question since the fight. What the hell is 'Observation Haki'?"
The table went quiet for a moment.
Luffy, still chewing, perked up. "Oh! That's the thing Shiro taught me!"
Zoro raised an eyebrow. "The thing? Be more specific."
Luffy swallowed, then gestured wildly with his hands. "It's like… you close your eyes, and then you can see things even though you can't see them, but you feel them, and then you know where stuff is, and then you dodge, and then—"
Zoro held up a hand. "Stop. That made no sense."
Luffy blinked, genuinely confused. "It didn't?"
"Not even a little," Zoro said flatly.
Nami, despite herself, laughed. "I'm with the swordsman on this one."
Shiro set down his chopsticks, his expression thoughtful. "Let me try. Haki is willpower given form. There are three types, but we'll focus on two for now."
Zoro leaned forward, interested. "Three types?"
Shiro nodded. "Observation Haki, Armament Haki, and Conqueror's Haki. The first two can be learned with training. The third… you're either born with it or you're not."
Nami frowned. "And what do they do?"
Shiro held up one finger. "Observation Haki lets you sense the presence, emotions, and intentions of others. In advanced stages, you can predict attacks before they happen." He held up a second finger. "Armament Haki lets you coat your body—or your weapons—in spiritual armor. It hardens your defense and offense. More importantly, it's the only way to hurt Logia Devil Fruit users."
Zoro's eyes sharpened. "Logia?"
"Devil Fruits that turn the user into an element," Shiro explained. "Fire, smoke, ice, light. Normally, you can't touch them. But Armament Haki bypasses that."
Zoro processed this, then looked at Luffy. "And you've been learning this?"
Luffy nodded enthusiastically, mouth full again. "Yef! Shiro trained me for two yearsf!"
Zoro stared. "Two years?"
Shiro smiled. "We started with basics. Sensing small objects. Dodging attacks with eyes closed. Luffy picked it up faster than I expected. His instincts are sharp."
Nami tilted her head. "So that's how he dodged the bullet earlier."
"Exactly," Shiro confirmed. "He's not a master yet, but he's got the foundation. Give him a few more months, and he'll be predicting attacks a full second in advance."
Zoro sat back, arms crossed. "And you? How strong are you with this Haki thing?"
Shiro's grin widened slightly, confident but not arrogant. "I'm at the top of East Blue. I can handle most Grand Line pirates without much trouble. But Logia users? They're a problem. I can sense them, but I can't hurt them yet. My Armament Haki isn't developed enough."
Zoro studied him carefully. "You're saying there are people in the Grand Line you can't beat."
"Plenty," Shiro said easily. "Admirals, Warlords, Yonko Commanders. The world's a big place, and I'm still growing. But in East Blue? Yeah, I'm the strongest."
He said it so matter-of-factly that it didn't sound like bragging—just truth.
Nami whistled low. "That's… either incredibly confident or incredibly stupid."
Shiro shrugged. "I've been called both."
Luffy slammed his hand on the table, grinning wildly. "That's why Shiro's great! He's strong, but he's honest about it!"
Zoro huffed, almost amused. "You're a weird crew."
"Best crew," Luffy corrected.
Zoro smirked. "We'll see."
Training talk and hell awaits
Zoro poured himself another cup of sake, then looked at Shiro again. "So if I want to get stronger—strong enough to become the world's greatest swordsman—I need this Haki, right?"
Shiro nodded. "You'll need both types. Observation to predict your opponent's moves. Armament to cut through anything, even Devil Fruit users."
Zoro's grip tightened on his cup. "Then teach me."
Shiro's smile turned sharp. "You sure? My training method isn't gentle."
Zoro's eyes burned with determination. "I didn't join this crew to take it easy."
Luffy laughed. "Shiro's training is super hard! He made me close my eyes and threw rocks at me for weeks!"
Nami's eyes widened. "He what?"
"It worked!" Luffy said defensively. "Now I can dodge stuff without looking!"
Nami stared at Shiro. "You threw rocks at a child?"
Shiro met her gaze calmly. "Small rocks. And only after he agreed to it."
"That doesn't make it better!"
Shiro shrugged. "He's still alive and stronger for it. Results matter."
Nami opened her mouth, then closed it. She couldn't argue with results.
Zoro leaned forward. "What's the training plan?"
Shiro's expression turned serious, his tone shifting into something almost clinical. "For Observation Haki, you'll do the same as Luffy. Eyes closed combat. I'll attack you at random intervals throughout the day—sometimes with objects, sometimes with my telekinesis. You'll learn to sense intent before the attack lands."
Zoro nodded. "Fine."
"For Armament Haki," Shiro continued, "it's harder. You need to visualize your willpower as armor. It takes months to unlock even the basics. But you're a swordsman, so we'll tie it to your blades. You'll practice coating them in your will until it becomes second nature."
Zoro's eyes gleamed. "Black blades."
Shiro nodded. "Exactly. But that's advanced. For now, we focus on the foundation."
Nami raised a hand hesitantly. "And… me? Do I need this Haki thing?"
Shiro glanced at her, then smiled. "You're a navigator, right?"
Nami nodded cautiously.
"Then Observation Haki will be useful," Shiro said. "It'll help you sense weather patterns, read the ocean's mood, and detect danger before it arrives. I'll teach you the basics, but you won't need the combat-focused training the captain and Zoro need."
Nami looked relieved. "Thank god. I was worried you'd throw rocks at me too."
Shiro's grin turned playful. "I'll throw smaller rocks."
Nami's eye twitched. "I'm starting to regret this."
Luffy laughed so hard he nearly fell out of his chair.
Zoro drained his sake cup, then set it down with a decisive thunk. "When do we start?"
Shiro leaned back, crossing his arms. "After we get supplies. We'll need proper training equipment—weights, wooden dummies, resistance bands. And food. Lots of food, because Luffy's going to eat through half our budget."
Luffy perked up. "I heard 'food'!"
"You always hear 'food'," Zoro muttered.
Nami pulled out a small ledger she'd somehow acquired during the chaos. "Speaking of budget… where are we getting money?"
Shiro's smile turned sly. "Helmeppo had a rather generous wallet. I borrowed it."
Nami's eyes lit up. "You stole from him?"
"Liberated," Shiro corrected smoothly. "He wasn't going to use it for anything useful."
Nami grinned despite herself. "I think I'm going to like you."
Shiro raised an eyebrow. "Just now realizing that?"
Power levels explained
Zoro poured himself another drink, his eyes still fixed on Shiro. "You said you're at the top of East Blue. What does that mean in numbers?"
Shiro tilted his head. "Numbers?"
"Strength levels," Zoro clarified. "If you're the strongest here, how do you compare to the people in the Grand Line?"
Shiro considered this, then picked up a small piece of bread and set it on the table. "Alright. Let's use a scale. Average East Blue pirate? About a 10. Weak, untrained, barely a threat."
He placed another piece of bread. "Someone like Captain Morgan? Maybe a 25. Strong for East Blue, but nothing compared to what's coming."
Another piece. "Me? Right now, I'd say I'm around 70. Strong enough to handle most Grand Line pirates without breaking a sweat."
Nami leaned in, interested despite herself. "And the really strong ones?"
Shiro's expression grew more serious. "Warlords of the Sea—government-sanctioned pirates—are around 80 to 90. Marine Admirals—the strongest fighters in the Navy—are around 90 to 95. Yonko—the four pirate emperors who rule the second half of the Grand Line—are at 100 or higher."
Zoro's jaw tightened. "And you're at 70."
Shiro nodded. "For now. But I'm growing. Every fight, every training session, I get stronger. That's the point."
Luffy, who'd been listening while eating, suddenly grinned. "And I'm gonna beat all of them!"
Shiro smiled. "You will. But it'll take time."
Zoro set down his cup. "And me? Where am I?"
Shiro studied him for a moment. "Right now? Maybe 35. You're skilled, disciplined, and you've got the drive. But you lack the training. Give me six months, and I'll have you at 60. A year, and you'll be pushing 80."
Zoro's eyes burned. "Then let's start today."
Shiro's grin widened. "That's the right answer."
Nami, still processing everything, shook her head. "You're all insane. You know that, right?"
Luffy laughed. "That's why it's fun!"
Nami sighed deeply. "I'm definitely going to regret this."
Shiro stood, stretching casually. "Alright. Let's go shopping. We need supplies, training equipment, and enough food to survive Luffy for at least a week."
Luffy jumped up, fist in the air. "SHOPPING!"
Zoro stood more slowly, rolling his shoulders. "This better be worth it."
Shiro glanced back at him, his smile confident and almost cocky. "It will be. Trust me."
And with that, the four of them left the restaurant—Luffy bouncing ahead, Zoro following with his hands on his swords, Nami calculating costs in her head, and Shiro walking calmly, already planning three steps ahead.