"Hey! Chef, can you finish him off already?" Zoro couldn't help shouting impatiently.
Everyone else also sensed that something was amiss.
While Shura clearly possessed considerable strength and his Observation Haki seemed more refined than Sanji's, it shouldn't have taken Sanji this long to deal with him.
Furthermore, Sanji appeared to be holding back significantly.
As if on cue, Sanji retorted, "Shut your trap, marimo! I'm practicing my Observation Haki, got a problem with that?!"
Zoro merely shrugged in response. What could he possibly say to that?
The rest of the crew exchanged stunned glances as the situation became clear.
Sanji was currently stepping effortlessly through the air with Moon Walk, his hands casually tucked into his pockets, occasionally throwing out a seemingly relaxed kick. His leisurely demeanor suggested a deliberate, freehand approach.
Sanji was meticulously observing Shura's use of Observation Haki!
Shura could consistently predict Sanji's next move with remarkable accuracy, demonstrating a superior level of Kenbunshoku Haki. However, Shura's speed wasn't sufficient to capitalize on his predictions, making him ultimately vulnerable to Sanji's superior agility.
After all, accurately predicting an opponent's actions is meaningless if you lack the speed to evade them.
Shura likely sensed that Sanji wasn't fighting at full capacity, and his frustration grew.
"Ho ho ho! You're actually using me to train your Kenbunshoku Haki? I must say, you're quite audacious! However, I won't be such an easy target! Try my Fear Ball barrage!"
With that, Shura kicked the white cloud balls one after another, sending them ricocheting off other cloud balls like billiard balls. After several collisions, some of the cloud balls hurtled towards Sanji.
Sanji gracefully dodged them using Moon Walk, but the cloud balls, bouncing off each other, relentlessly pursued him.
It seemed Shura had anticipated Sanji's evasive maneuvers.
Sanji briefly focused his Observation Haki on the incoming cloud balls, then soared upwards, sweeping his leg over them.
Instantly, all the cloud balls exploded. One contained a bomb, while others unleashed fire, iron fragments, and various other dangerous projectiles, each more treacherous than the last.
"Ho ho ho! Fear Ball! How does it feel?"
Shura bounced triumphantly on a large cloud ball, a smug look plastered across his face, convinced that Sanji had fallen for his trick.
But as the smoke from the explosions dissipated, Sanji was still floating unharmed in the air, casually lighting a cigarette.
"How...?" Shura stammered, his mind struggling to reconcile what he had clearly foreseen with the reality before him.
Sanji took a leisurely puff of his cigarette and said, "You probably still don't understand what's going on, do you? Your Kenbunshoku Haki is indeed impressive. I've learned quite a bit from our little exchange. It's time to end this."
Feeling underestimated, Shura's annoyance flared into anger.
He swiftly drew a magic wand and began waving it rapidly. Under his control, several cloud balls connected, forming a grotesque dragon's head at the forefront.
"If you dare to look down on me," Shura bellowed, "then face the Fear Ball Dragon! Ho ho ho!"
Continuing to wave his wand, he sent the cloud dragon lunging towards Sanji.
Sanji effortlessly dodged each attack with Moon Walk, relying not on sight but on the predictive power of his Observation Haki, evading every strike with uncanny accuracy.
After a prolonged display of this one-sided evasion, Shura finally grasped the situation.
His temper flared.
He had unleashed his unique, powerful technique, yet his opponent was merely using it as an opportunity to hone his Haki. It was infuriating.
Driven by frustration, Shura exerted more control over the ball dragon and even launched himself towards Sanji. But at that moment, Shura realized his Kenbunshoku Haki seemed unable to perfectly anticipate his opponent's movements anymore.
Sanji's Kenbunshoku Haki had grown during their brief battle!
The realization sent a wave of panic through Shura, his focus wavering.
He haphazardly attacked Sanji with the Impact Dial in his palm, but Sanji easily predicted and dodged each blow. Even when Shura managed to land a direct hit on Sanji's leg, the impact seemed to have no effect.
"How did this happen? Why can you withstand the power of the Impact Dial?" Shura questioned in disbelief.
"You wouldn't know about Armament Haki, so it's understandable that you're confused. But I'm tired of playing around. It's time to finish this!" Sanji declared.
With a swift, powerful kick, Sanji struck Shura squarely on the forehead. Shura plummeted downwards, colliding directly with the ball dragon, triggering a massive explosion.
The ball dragon was riddled with traps – bombs, sharp blades, flames, and more.
And the more traps it contained, the worse the impact would be for Shura.
Sanji glanced down at Shura, who lay motionless in the crater below, then used Moon Walk to return to the Merry, his body unscathed, save for some dirtied trousers.
"Sanji, you were amazing!" Usopp and the others immediately burst into praise, some even whistling in admiration.
Sanji smugly lit another cigarette and boasted, "Well, of course I can do that! It's just that the other guy was too weak!"
Zoro couldn't resist a jab. "You even had to use Busoshoku Haki on a weakling like that? What's there to be proud of, you're nothing but a perverted cook!"
"Nani! Moss-head! You wanna go right now?!" Sanji retorted, his temper flaring.
"Bring it on, I'm not afraid of you! My Haki is far superior to yours, you ero-cook!" Zoro shot back.
"Don't underestimate me! My Kenbunshoku Haki has improved this time, and it's definitely surpassed yours, you algae-brained idiot!" Sanji countered.
"A little bit of improvement and you think you can surpass me? That's a good one!" Zoro scoffed.
Everyone was accustomed to the daily bickering between the two.
There was no real concern that they would actually fight; at most, it was just posturing.
Law, on the other hand, offered a more insightful observation. "Black Leg-ya's Kenbunshoku Haki has indeed improved significantly. He managed to complete a notable advancement in his Haki during a short period of combat. It seems Black Leg-ya possesses exceptional aptitude for battle."
Law continued, elaborating on Sanji's strategic approach. "Of course, there are other factors at play. For instance, Shura was also a user of Observation Haki. Sanji initially found himself at a disadvantage in terms of Kenbunshoku Haki. However, he cleverly used this disparity to hone his own abilities instead of simply defeating Shura outright."
"That would have defeated the purpose of training!" Law concluded.
He then turned his gaze to the rest of the crew. "What about the rest of you? Did you learn anything from watching?"
This...
Usopp, Zang Gao, Little 3, Hina, and Jinbe exchanged blank looks. They had witnessed Sanji's battle and grasped some vague concepts, but truly awakening Haki was likely far more complex.
Law naturally understood that Haki wasn't easily acquired, so he didn't press the issue.
"Hey, where's Luffy?" Zoro suddenly interjected, his gaze sweeping the deck.
Everyone then looked towards the Sunny's figurehead, the sheep's head, and found no sign of their captain. Looking around further, they spotted Luffy swinging wildly between the large trees on a long vine, letting out primal yells, having already ventured far beyond their current location.
Usopp's eyes widened with excitement. "Hey! Luffy! You didn't call me for something this fun?!"
He promptly found a vine himself and joined Luffy, swinging through the air and adding his own comical primitive shouts to the jungle's cacophony, transforming the entire forest into a scene of absurd hilarity.
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