The Oro Jackson sliced steadily through the calm sea as it sailed forward.
Following Rayleigh's instructions from the previous night, Bullet headed early to a relatively open area on the foredeck.
Rayleigh was already there, the same composed figure as always. He held no weapon, just stood there casually, at ease.
Not far away, Shanks and Buggy had come as well.
Shanks looked utterly serious, clearly very interested in the vice-captain's teaching.
Buggy, on the other hand, was yawning with a sulky expression, obviously dragged here against his will by Shanks.
"Morning."
Rayleigh gave Bullet a small nod, skipping any unnecessary pleasantries.
"Haki training has no shortcuts, but talent and awareness are crucial."
"Today, we will start with sensing Haki."
He gestured for Bullet to sit, then sat down facing him, the two of them no more than two meters apart.
Shanks and Buggy sat a little farther off, quietly observing.
"Haki is a power that lies dormant within all living things."
"It is divided into three types. The one that allows you to sense enemies and predict attacks is Observation Haki."
"The one that fortifies your body, strengthens attack and defense, and allows you to hit Logias is Armament Haki."
"And then... the mark of a king's potential, found in only one out of a million people, Conqueror's Haki."
Rayleigh's voice was smooth and clear, as if he were stating simple truths about the world.
"Conqueror's is a gift. There is no proper way to train it systematically for now."
"Today, our focus is on sensing and awakening the Observation and Armament that lie asleep inside you."
Rayleigh began explaining the essence of Haki.
"It flows in your blood and lives within your will."
"What you need to do first is calm your mind, cast aside distractions, and listen to the sound within your own body."
He extended a single finger. There was no visible change at the fingertip.
Yet Bullet keenly felt the air around it twist ever so slightly, a subtle sense of compressed density radiating from that point.
"This is Armament Haki, turning invisible aura and will into tangible defense and offensive power."
Then Rayleigh closed his eyes, his voice softening.
"And Observation... is the extension of the heart."
"Close your eyes. Do not look at me with your eyes. Use your senses to see me, feel my presence, my position, and even... my intention for the next move."
Bullet obeyed, shutting his eyes and trying to empty his thoughts.
Around him, he heard the waves, the wind, and his own steady breaths and heartbeat.
Following Rayleigh's guidance, he tried to "look inward."
Unlike ordinary people, who needed long stretches of meditation...
Bullet's innate devouring talent began to move on its own the moment he focused.
It acted like the most precise scanner, with Bullet as the center, analyzing the energy composition and flow of that "condensed feeling" at Rayleigh's fingertip.
It even caught faint ripples of Observation Haki radiating from Rayleigh.
This was a deeper level of instinct.
Devouring did not only consume physical energy; it devoured traits and information.
And then converted them into knowledge Bullet could understand.
Rayleigh's explanations became a direct stream of input.
Rayleigh's demonstrations turned into visible energy models in Bullet's mind.
The basic principles of Armament Haki: condensing, coating, hardening.
The operational mechanism of Observation Haki: spreading out, receiving, feeding back.
Under the parsing of the devouring talent, these concepts were understood at a rapid pace.
Bullet felt that his comprehension was unusually smooth. Every word Rayleigh spoke seemed to etch itself directly into his mind, resonating with something inside his body.
Time flowed quietly. After about half an hour...
All of a sudden, on the surface of Bullet's right arm, a faint patch of shallow black appeared, gleaming with a metallic sheen.
"Hm?"
Rayleigh, who had been watching closely, felt his pupils contract slightly.
Almost at the same moment, Bullet, still with his eyes closed, lifted his left hand and shifted it slightly to his left, avoiding empty air with precise timing.
The instant his left hand moved away, Rayleigh's right index finger, which had been resting on his knee, darted forward and tapped the spot where Bullet's hand had just been.
That tap carried a small "mark" of Observation Haki, originally meant as a guide for Bullet to try and sense after a long period of meditation.
He had not expected...
Bullet to sense it ahead of schedule and react on his own.