Chapter 26: Training
Silence fell in the training room.
It took a long moment for Hack to recover from his shock, his expression complex, as if he'd been slapped by reality itself.
He had just been expounding on the difficulty of awakening Haki, explaining that even the most gifted required lengthy periods of training and battle. The next moment, Rhodes had manifested Busoshoku Haki...
Rhodes looked at him innocently and said, "It seems... not that difficult."
"I just closed my eyes and sensed it, and then with a little guidance, it came out naturally..."
"..."
Hack felt completely deflated. He could tell Rhodes was being truthful, and that very truth stung him deeply.
"Next, I can train in Haki, right?" Rhodes asked.
"Yes..."
Fish-man Hack's tone was heavy, filled with sudden exhaustion. Rhodes' talent was too overwhelming, and he felt somewhat defeated.
Hack then began explaining Haki in detail—first how to awaken it, and now how to cultivate it.
Hack had never imagined that awakening and cultivation of Haki would be discussed on the same day...
Busoshoku Haki was closely linked to physical strength.
The stronger one's physique, the stronger the cultivated Busoshoku Haki. A weak physique meant that even if one could use Busoshoku Haki, it would remain feeble.
Take Amazon Lily in the Calm Belt, for example: everyone on that island was a warrior, and almost everyone could use Haki. But due to their naturally smaller frames, even those who could use Haki remained relatively weak compared to larger, more physically imposing fighters.
Normally, the optimal time to cultivate Haki was when physical training plateaued, making major breakthroughs difficult to achieve quickly. This was when Haki training provided the highest benefits and fastest results.
But Rhodes was different. In just over two months, he had developed his physique to an exceptional level. With such rapid training progress, conventional constraints and rules meant nothing to him.
He was a monster who defied common sense and understanding.
Therefore, fish-man Hack didn't bother mentioning this typical limitation.
"The strength of Busoshoku Haki varies from person to person, closely tied to physical strength. Everyone is different, but there are distinctions in the degree of control."
Fish-man Hack calmed himself and explained in a detailed, steady manner.
"Successfully surrounding a weapon or fist with Busoshoku Haki to amplify attack power is considered basic proficiency."
"But when Busoshoku Haki is no longer simply surrounding, but densely coating a weapon or fist—forming Busoshoku: (Hardening)—that's true mastery."
"Taking it a step further, completely covering every inch of your body with Busoshoku Haki, achieving Zenshin hardening(full-body hardening), is considered advanced mastery."
As he spoke, fish-man Hack demonstrated the various levels of Busoshoku Haki control.
"However, I must remind you..."
"The fundamental principle of Busoshoku Haki is raw strength. Without sufficient power backing it, even perfect control will be useless."
Rhodes nodded thoughtfully. This aligned with his expectations.
Full-body hardening didn't necessarily equate to overwhelming strength.
Vergo, one of the top executives of the Donquixote Family, was a prime example. Despite being able to harden his entire body, he was still cut down in a single strike by Trafalgar Law.
The underlying strength of Busoshoku Haki was fundamental!
Just like "Black Fist" Slott, whom Rhodes had previously defeated—even with his Busoshoku Haki, even with partial hardening, he was still pierced by Rhodes' lightning-enhanced blade because his base power wasn't strong enough.
"For you, mastering partial Busoshoku: hardening is sufficient."
"Focusing purely on defense is an insult to a swordsman," Hack stated.
Rhodes nodded in agreement.
What was a swordsman?
With a single blade in hand, cut down all enemies!
This was the fundamental creed of a swordsman.
It might not have the exhilarating, visceral impact of a master martial artist's punches, nor the mystery and spectacle of a Devil Fruit user's abilities, but it possessed its own unique romance—elegant yet deadly.
Seeing Rhodes nod, Hack smiled with relief, his tone becoming serious.
"Then, let's officially begin your Haki training. You must..."
One month later, in the training room.
Rhodes held his sword horizontally before him, his gaze focused intently on the blade. A strange aura swirled around it, invisible to the naked eye.
Yet Rhodes could clearly sense it. This was the potential possessed by everyone in the pirate world—the power known as Haki!
In a month of intensive training, Rhodes had not only made significant progress in the strength of his Busoshoku Haki but had also mastered basic-level application.
He was currently practicing Busoshoku haki (Hardening).
"Busoshoku... hardening!"
With Rhodes' focused intent, the ethereal aura surrounding the sword trembled, then slowly began to condense, as if attempting to solidify.
But...
Before these energies could fully coalesce, before the characteristic jet-black coloration of Busoshoku hardening could even appear, they simply dispersed.
"Failed again?"
Rhodes exhaled softly.
Compared to his fellow trainees, he was undoubtedly leagues ahead. At only seventeen, he had already begun practicing dual-type Haki, leaving them in the dust.
But when it came to Haki training, he was still a novice, needing to advance step by step.
Fortunately, fish-man Hack was extremely dedicated and knowledgeable, able to solve virtually any problem. Therefore, Rhodes encountered no major bottlenecks, and his training progressed steadily.
Occasionally, he would perform well and successfully manifest Busoshoku: hardening, but it wouldn't last long and would easily fall apart.
This was an issue that needed to be resolved.
While practicing Busoshoku Haki, Rhodes was also cultivating Kenbunshoku Haki—a skill he was developing much more rapidly.
Or perhaps he didn't need to practice it at all, because the special meditative state he had previously experienced was actually Kenbunshoku Haki, simply undeveloped and unsuitable for actual combat.
Under Hack's guidance, Rhodes quickly mastered the practical application of Kenbunshoku Haki.
Kenbunshoku Haki was a sensory ability that detected an opponent's movements, allowing for preemptive attacks or evasion.
The stronger one's Kenbunshoku Haki, the more details it could capture, the wider its range, and the greater its sensitivity.
At its pinnacle, it could even briefly glimpse the future!
Kenbunshoku Haki of this caliber was far rarer than even Haoshoku Haki, and across this vast ocean, there were no more than five masters of such ability.
Even the smallest power related to temporal perception was beyond mortal comprehension and incredibly difficult to grasp.
Rhodes' rapid development left Hack, who had been observing him closely, utterly stunned.
Initially, Hack could offer meaningful guidance, as he possessed years of experience in Haki training and unique insights into many advanced techniques.
But Rhodes' rapid learning—almost to the point of drawing inferences from single examples—soon left him completely outpaced.
Now, Hack adopted a more relaxed attitude toward Rhodes' development, observing casually, no longer frustrated by his meteoric progress.
Sometimes, Hack even thought that if Rhodes told him right now that he had mastered Busoshoku: hardening, it wouldn't be particularly surprising.
It was only thanks to the fact that Haki training required actual combat application that Hack was still able to contribute meaningfully. Otherwise, he would have seriously questioned his worth as an instructor.
(End of Chapter)
join patreon for update and advance 40+ chapters
https://www.p-atreon.com/c/Soulforger
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)
"If you're enjoying this story, don't forget to drop a Power Stone! Your support keeps me motivated and helps the novel reach more readers."
"100 Power Stones this week = 1 extra chapter release!"
"500 Power Stones = 2 extra chapter release ."