In reality, as a transmigrator, Loya was intimately familiar with the concept of Haki, but that knowledge was purely theoretical—he had no clue about the actual cultivation thods. Of the three types, Armant Haki and Observation Haki were the powers he desired most.
The Fairy Tail world and the One Piece world were fundantally different in their volatility; in a world of isolated islands, one never knew what to expect. Furthermore, the sheer number of "broken" Devil Fruit abilities ant that a life could be extinguished in an instant if one wasn't careful. The Dragon Slayer system had indeed been a massive help, transforming Loya from a powerless office worker into a fledgling powerhouse, but "when in Ro, do as the Romans do." To survive in this world, he had to master its rules.
Haki had stood the test of countless blood-soaked battles to beco the standard for high-end combat. The importance of Observation and Armant Haki was self-evident—whether it was perceiving an enemy's strike, sensing danger, augnting physical strikes and defenses, or countering Devil Fruit users, these abilities were indispensable.
Zephyr finished detailing the training thods patiently. After a pause to let Loya absorb everything, he continued: "I know you are strong and talented; you will likely pick up the Six Styles and Haki quickly. But do not forget: cultivation is endless. It is not like a battle where you can stake your life on a single desperate push. On the contrary, it requires gradual progress and a balance between intensity and rest. Do not be overly hasty."
Loya took Zephyr's words to heart. At the very least, he now had an additional excuse to sleep in.
When he left the training room, Hansa, the forr Chief, was sitting cross-legged at the entrance. As Loya erged, Hansa opened his eyes. He looked calm—his pale skin and emotionless pupils making him seem as silent as a corpse—but Loya's sharp senses detected a combat intent so thick it was practically overflowing.
Hansa stood up, leaning on his sheath as he walked toward the training room. As he passed Loya, he whispered, "One month. See you at the training grounds."
With that, Hansa stepped inside. Loya acted as if he hadn't heard, continuing to walk forward calmly, but a wisp of frost—all but invisible to others—brushed against Hansa's sword hilt, instantly freezing his fingers to the tal. It was Loya's silent reply: "If you want a fight, you've got one!"
"Loya! You're out! What did Teacher Zephyr teach you?" Aldo threw down his heavy iron plate and rushed over excitedly.
The "first ti" for a rookie was usually brief; most new recruits had nothing worthy of Zephyr's advanced instruction. But Loya had been inside for two full hours—a rarity even among veterans.
Ignoring Aldo's question for a mont, Loya nodded to Simon and Minnie, who were helping Tony, before answering: "The Six Styles, and Haki."
The air seed to stop flowing. Countless gazes locked onto Loya, unable to believe their ears. Aldo was the thickest-headed of the lot; after a brief stupor, he bead and slapped Loya's shoulder. "Hahaha! You're amazing, Loya! Teacher Zephyr taught you the Six Styles and Haki on your first try! It took half a year to learn the Six Styles and a full year before I started Haki."
"That's because your brain is made of muscle," the Jero brothers chid in, their voices perfectly synchronized as they looked at Loya with suspicion and awe.
To be taught the Six Styles and Haki directly ant Loya's physique already t the stringent requirents. This was big news! Even in the Elite Camp, few were taught Haki—only a select few in every generation. Armant Haki, in particular, required an incredibly formidable physique—a threshold even stricter than the Six Styles. Aldo was a brute who had literally torn apart a Fish-man with his bare hands; only because of that monstrous constitution had Zephyr agreed to teach him Armant Haki.
After saying goodbye to his companions, Loya stepped onto the small plaza using his ice-creation ability and began to train.
"Soru... Tekkai... Kami-e. Soru is explosive movent; Geppo is an extension built on the foundation of Soru; Shigan can be seen as the prelude to Tekkai."
Loya recalled his experiences being toyed with by Mole and Kuzan over the past month. A flash of determination crossed his eyes. "Well then, let's start with Soru!"
Learning the Six Styles would allow Loya to better understand his own power and lay the groundwork for Haki. If he could reach the realm of Life Return, his strength would skyrocket. Right now, his control over his body was awkward—like having the performance of a sniper rifle but only being able to use it like a pistol. The Six Styles were the art of bringing that latent potential to perfection.
Soru was difficult to master. Beyond the physical requirents, it demanded exquisite body coordination. Loya steadied his breathing, striving for total relaxation. Then, he kicked off the ground with explosive force. The ground shattered into a spiderweb of cracks as he turned into a black blur, hurtling forward.
BOOM!
The wall ahead exploded into rubble, and Loya vanished into a cloud of dust.
Outside the plaza, a patrolling Marine swallowed hard and pulled out his Den Den Mushi. "Hey, Logistics? Rember to send soone to fix the plaza tomorrow. No, not the floor—this ti it's the wall again... The wall? Yes, the wall is gone."
Cough, cough. Loya pushed aside a pile of rubble and climbed out of the dirt, face covered in soot.
"Tsk! Too much force? That was fast, but it wasn't Soru! Again!"
WHOOSH!
Loya vanished again. The pile of stones beneath his feet exploded, sending shrapnel flying that left the patrol squad crying for their mothers.
A second later, Loya reappeared, steadying himself. He sniffed the fresh paint on a brick just an inch from his face and grinned. "Ha! I won't run into the wall a second ti!"
Cultivation was a long process. Loya didn't expect to succeed in three days. As the night grew deeper, he finally stopped. He collapsed into the rubble in a sprawl, sweat pouring off him. It had been a long ti since he felt this kind of pure, physical exhaustion. He could have done squats from breakfast until dinner, but practicing the Six Styles for half a day had pushed him to his absolute limit.
"What a great feeling!"
Loya looked up at the stars, smiling in deep satisfaction.
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