Rumor had it that Patrick Redfield, known as "Red the Aloof," possessed a mysterious and unique form of Observation Haki. Unlike ordinary Observation Haki, which could sense the presence of others within a certain range, his was said to have the power to read a person's mind.
When pushed to its utmost limit, that mind-reading ability could even peer into fragments of another's memories.
Though it had always been dismissed as mere rumor, it now seemed that this man truly did possess some kind of extraordinary power.
At that thought, Daren's eyes brightened slightly, and a faint smile curved his lips.
"Looks like that rumor was true after all."
The other criminals froze the moment they heard his words.
Wait a minute...
Their expressions turned blank with confusion, as though they had just realized something absurd. They stared at Daren with disbelief written all over their faces.
So... this lunatic infiltrated Impel Down, released all of them by unlocking their Seastone shackles, and then proceeded to beat almost every last one of them half to death—just to train his Observation Haki?
Does that sound reasonable to anyone?
If he wanted to train his Observation Haki, why not go find his teacher?
"Black Arm" Zephyr—wasn't he a former Admiral? Then what the hell was Daren doing here?
The so-called "world-class" criminals groaned as they rubbed their bruises and tended to fractured bones, wincing in pain and glaring at Daren with seething resentment.
Hearing his words, Redfield exhaled softly and sat down where he stood.
Even while covered in wounds, his back remained perfectly straight, his expression calm, exuding the refined composure of a noble gentleman.
"All forms of Haki are born from the heart's strength... but Observation Haki especially so."
"Intense battles and life-or-death struggles can indeed push the body's limits, sharpening your ability to sense others' auras. But that method alone will never let you truly grasp the power of the heart."
Daren frowned slightly.
"The power of the heart?"
When it came to the study of Haki, he considered himself well-versed.
The so-called "Haki" was a latent power possessed by all humans.
According to the theories Daren had pieced together, Haki was an innate ability—an invisible force born from one's spirit.
Aura, killing intent, fighting spirit... when someone learned to control these unseen forces, their will could manifest as a weapon of overwhelming power.
And that was what people across these seas called Haki.
It made perfect sense.
Aura, killing intent, fighting spirit—these served as the "energy sources" of Conqueror's Haki, while willpower itself was the catalyst that ignited them.
Under normal circumstances, battle-hardened warriors possessed abundant "energy sources." But if their will weakened—if their spirit broke—they would no longer be able to wield their aura or killing intent as weapons.
This explained why, in the original history, Crocodile and Gecko Moria—after their defeats at the hands of Whitebeard and Kaidou—had lost their fighting spirit entirely. Their strength plummeted, to the point that even their basic Armament and Observation Haki could no longer manifest.
But that was only one way to interpret Haki.
The man before him—"Red the Aloof" Redfield—was offering another.
—Haki is the power of the heart.
"That's right. When it comes to Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki, I may not have much authority to speak—Garp and Zephyr are far more skilled in those fields than I am. But Observation Haki... at its core, it is the power to perceive the human heart."
Redfield nodded slightly as he spoke, his tone calm and assured.
Seeing Daren sitting there in silence—covered in blood and wounds yet seemingly lost in thought—Redfield suddenly seemed to realize something. His expression turned strange as he asked,
"Don't tell me... your method of training Observation Haki has always been this brutishly straightforward?"
"Constantly fighting powerful opponents and dancing on the edge of death?"
Daren's expression immediately turned equally strange.
"Wasn't that how you did it?"
Redfield: "..."
Faced with Daren's utterly matter-of-fact tone, Redfield rubbed his temples helplessly and sighed.
"The fact that you're still alive is nothing short of a miracle."
"For me, battle is merely a way to test the results of training. True, fighting strong opponents can stimulate the body and push it beyond its limits—but no one can guarantee that the goddess of victory will always stand by their side."
Daren thought for a moment, then nodded before shaking his head.
"Not entirely true. As long as your body's strong enough, even a mere fatal wound can recover quickly."
A... mere fatal wound?
The nearby criminals who had been eavesdropping froze, their jaws nearly dropping.
If anyone else had said such a thing, they'd have written it off as boastful nonsense.
But this guy...
Remembering how their combined attacks earlier had been little more than "scratches" against him—leaving not even the faintest mark—they wisely kept their mouths shut.
It was the truth, and there was no arguing it.
Redfield's mouth twitched uncontrollably. He tightened his grip on his blood-red umbrella before exhaling and releasing it.
"Do you always talk like that, kid?" he asked flatly.
Daren raised both hands in mock surrender.
"I'm just being honest."
Redfield took a deep breath.
"That's not the point. What I'm saying is, even with a body that surpasses human limits, there's no guarantee you'll survive every battle."
His eyes sharpened, his tone turning solemn as he said each word clearly:
"Only by staying alive can you become stronger."
Daren pondered that for a few seconds before responding slowly,
"You have a point."
A faint smile appeared on Redfield's face.
"Those without strong physiques should indeed be cautious—otherwise, one careless move could cost them their lives."
Daren rubbed the stubble on his chin and muttered under his breath,
"Well... that doesn't really apply to me."
"..."
Redfield's smile froze.
Veins bulged on his forehead and the back of his hand as he felt his composure begin to crack. The brat was beyond infuriating.
"But for me," Daren continued suddenly, "what you said doesn't quite fit."
Redfield frowned irritably.
"What do you mean?"
Daren smiled faintly.
"Compared to you—and most people on this sea—I haven't had much time to grow."
"As you can see, I'm the World Government's number one enemy. One of the most wanted men alive, with a bounty near the top of the list. And unfortunately, if I ever get captured, I probably won't even have the luxury of ending up here as your cellmate."
"For you, you can live first—and then grow stronger."
"But for me..."
He gave Redfield a teasing wink.
"I have to grow stronger first... if I want to keep living."