Yuno clenched his fists.
He still hadn't found the trick, but he didn't intend to give up. Flashing forward, he once again rushed to clash with Zephyr.
In the arena, their fists collided. As before, Yuno was knocked back.
He shook his arm, which was numb from the shock of Zephyr's punch. Yet, instead of frustration, excitement flickered in his eyes. Just now—only for a moment—he had felt something awaken inside him. It had vanished in an instant, but he was certain that with more attempts, he could grasp it completely.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Their fists met again.
Zephyr's sharp perception caught it: for just a brief instant, Armament Haki had appeared on Yuno's hand.
"Could he really have understood it…?" Zephyr thought in surprise.
He adjusted his attacks, each strike slightly stronger than Yuno's—just enough to maintain pressure, forcing Yuno toward a breakthrough.
"What? Already giving up?" Zephyr taunted.
In a blur, he appeared at Yuno's side, whipping a kick across his waist.
Yuno rolled back, narrowly dodging a flash of white lightning that seemed to follow the kick. He was beginning to adapt to this rhythm of ferocious attacks.
Snapping his body back into position, he stepped on the air (Geppo) and transformed his fingers into fists.
Bang!
Their punches collided once more.
The stalemate lasted less than two seconds before Yuno was forced back again.
"Not enough pressure yet?"
A strange smile played on Zephyr's lips as his eyes flashed red. In that instant, he unleashed an aura unlike anything before—an aura forged from countless battles. It wasn't the overwhelming wave of Conqueror's Haki (Haoshoku no Haki), but rather the instinctive dominance of a predator at the top of the food chain.
Yuno's heart tightened. He remembered, in a past life, once facing a tiger in the mountains. The beast's natural aura had nearly crushed him. Zephyr's presence now was countless times more oppressive.
Unwavering faith is strength…
The realization struck him: faith was the key to unlocking Armament Haki.
He had been chasing a fleeting sensation, forgetting this essential truth. The system's powers had come to him too easily, leaving his inner cultivation neglected.
Faith was terrifying. It allowed a human to unleash power far beyond their limits.
He remembered the time he killed the Spider Demon. That decisive sword strike had been born from his unshakable will.
Now, facing Zephyr, Yuno chuckled. He no longer searched blindly for that "feeling." Instead, driven by pure conviction, he launched his punch.
At once, power surged from his body, wrapping his fist with swirling air.
Armament Haki—unmistakable.
"He… actually succeeded…"
Zephyr's eyes gleamed with astonishment. This young man had given him more surprises than anyone else. He even thought: the three admirals of his own era couldn't compare to Yuno's potential.
And Yuno was only eighteen.
…
The commotion soon drew other instructors from across the training grounds.
"What's going on here, Teacher Zephyr?" one of them asked in surprise.
A lieutenant laughed. "Looks to me like you're just beating someone up."
"But who's that kid?" another instructor asked. "He's using Soru and Geppo already? He can't be more than twenty—and he's mastered two of the Six Powers (Rokushiki)?"
"What a promising youngster…"
These people, bored in the training camp, had gathered just to watch the commotion.
Elsewhere, in the new recruits' camp, Cage and several other instructors also noticed the disturbance. They had already sensed the ripple of Observation Haki earlier, and now, with the sudden uproar, their curiosity grew stronger.
A head popped up over the wall, and to their astonishment, they saw Yuno clashing with Zephyr in the training field.
Cage's eyes widened.
"Wait—that's Yuno! Is he sparring with Teacher Zephyr?"
Maynard added in surprise,
"He's gotten a lot stronger since the last time I saw him."
"But what on earth are they doing now?" Layton muttered, bewildered.
As they watched closely, Cage suddenly gasped, nearly jumping in shock.
"Whoa! Am I seeing things—or is that Armament Haki!?"
The others stared in disbelief.
"It really is…"
"No way! What a monster!"
"He's barely been here, and he's already using Armament Haki?"
Under their stunned gazes, Yuno and Zephyr's fists collided again. Even with Yuno coating his fists in Armament Haki, the outcome was inevitable—he was sent flying.
This time, Zephyr stopped completely. He nodded with rare admiration.
"Not bad! You actually managed to grasp Armament Haki."
Yuno shook his arms, numb to the point of losing feeling, then bowed respectfully.
"It's all thanks to Teacher Zephyr's guidance. Without you, I couldn't have learned it so quickly!"
Zephyr laughed heartily.
"Hahaha! Don't credit me. I only played a small part—this is mostly your own talent and determination."
With the fight ended, the instructors dispersed, though every one of them kept Yuno in mind. A recruit comprehending Armament Haki during camp—his future was bound to be extraordinary.
Had they known he had released Observation Haki earlier, they would have been utterly shocked. Only Cage, remembering that earlier surge, frowned thoughtfully.
"Could it be… was that Observation Haki from Yuno just now?"
But he quickly dismissed the thought. Even as a Rear Admiral, his own Kenbunshoku Haki wasn't anywhere near that level. How could a mere recruit surpass him?
The young soldiers around him were devastated by the comparison. Looking at Yuno was like staring at some kind of monster.
Hina couldn't hold back her exasperation.
"You're not human, are you? No normal person is that abnormal!"
Ain nodded vigorously.
"Exactly! And another thing—you're not seriously eighteen, right? You must be lying about your age. What are you really—twenty-eight? Thirty-eight?" She held up her hand mischievously. "Here, let me test my fruit power and find out."
Ain, wielder of the Rewind-Rewind Fruit (Modo Modo no Mi), could turn back someone's age by six years with a touch.
The others burst out laughing, agreeing that Yuno was nothing short of inhuman.
Yuno rolled his eyes and retorted dryly,
"Honestly, you're the ones who aren't human."
"Hurry up and let me touch you," Ain teased, stepping forward.
"What a vicious thought!" Yuno cried, dodging away before she could make contact.
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