"You… you want to teach me?"
Dracule Mihawk, the World's Strongest Swordsman, fixed his hawk-like gaze on Takuro. His eyes momentarily rippled with deep contemplation. "What are the conditions?" he asked, his voice low and serious.
Mihawk had sailed the Grand Line for years, climbing from a mere rookie to his current station. He understood one fundamental truth about the world: there was no such thing as a free lunch. The more valuable a treasure, the steeper the price. This power called Ki was undoubtedly one of the ultimate 'secret treasures' of this world. Mihawk simply could not believe that Takuro would be generous enough to impart this power to him without demanding something in return.
However, Takuro simply waved his hand dismissively. "No special conditions, honestly," he said in an indifferent tone. "I just… I find you kind of interesting, so I want to teach you".
After a short pause, a mischievous smile played on his lips.
"Of course, if you insist on a condition… there is one," Takuro's voice was full of playful malice. "Once I've taught you this," he continued, "I hope you'll… go bother that Red Hair bastard more often. Don't let him live such a comfortable life all day long."
"...That's it?" Mihawk couldn't quite process what he was hearing. He was being offered the chance to learn a powerful force, one that could overturn his entire philosophy of swordsmanship, just by fulfilling a simple request? It was a task that was essentially part of his 'job description' as a fellow Yonko rival. This was almost effortless!
Even if Takuro hadn't asked, Mihawk would never stop challenging Red-Haired Shanks! That man was his one and only recognized rival!
Seeing that Takuro was completely serious, Mihawk finally gave a nod and agreed without any further hesitation:
"...Deal."
"Good!"
Just then, Tiger, who had been quietly standing nearby, leaned forward, his massive frame eager. "Uh… Mr. Takuro, c-can I learn, too?" he asked, his voice filled with expectation.
Takuro glanced over at the Fish-Man and shook his head.
"You can't," he stated flatly.
This answer hit Tiger like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing the burning hope in his heart.
"Your current training isn't up to par yet," Takuro pointed out his flaws without sugarcoating them. "Your physical strength might be decent among the Fish-Man Race. But the cultivation of Ki doesn't just rely on the physical body. More importantly, it requires a strong 'spirit' and 'life energy' as a foundation, which is what you people call Haki."
Takuro continued, "You haven't even skillfully mastered basic Armament Haki and Observation Haki. And now you want to skip ahead and learn the application of Ki? An unstable foundation will only lead to something like 'Qi deviation'—it could ruin you."
He paused, then added a piece of advice. "Didn't I already give you that 'Turtle Hermit Style Basic Training Manual' before? That's a good resource. It can help you lay the most solid foundation. Go back and practice it more."
"...Yes! Mr. Takuro!" Tiger was incredibly disappointed, but he knew the other man was telling the truth. He couldn't argue with sound logic.
Takuro stopped wasting time. He turned to the eager Mihawk and said, "Alright, let's begin. Follow my instructions."
He instructed Mihawk to sit cross-legged on the deck, adopting the standard meditation posture for Ki training. Immediately, he began to guide Mihawk step-by-step, using the same concise method he had used to teach the Red Hair Pirates. The goal was to help the swordsman feel the surging 'source of life' hidden deep within his body.
"...Forget about your so-called Haki for a moment. That is merely the crudest, most primitive application of power," Takuro's voice, like a soft, hypnotic chant, began to work on Mihawk.
"...Calm your mind. Feel your body. Feel your breath, feel your heartbeat…"
"...Power isn't just for 'covering' things or 'perceiving' them. It is fluid. It is… something that can be totally 'controlled'…"
Under Takuro's guidance, Mihawk closed his eyes, pulling all his attention away from external noise and distractions and focusing deeply on his inner self. Soon, he entered a mysterious and unprecedented wonderful state.
Seeing this, Takuro wasn't surprised at all. Mihawk's situation was actually very similar to Shanks's back then. Both men, relying on their prodigious and monstrous natural talents, had already tempered their Haki and 'will' to a terrifying realm that ordinary people could never hope to achieve in their entire lives.
What they both lacked to truly cross the threshold into understanding Ki was always that final 'epiphany'. All they needed was a 'guide' to point them in the correct direction.
Takuro stroked his chin, watching the meditating Hawkeye with keen interest. He thought to himself, 'This Mihawk, and that Red Hair bastard, both of these guys have pretty decent talent.'
'I really hope the two of them will train harder in the future, keep competing with each other, and not let me… get too bored.'
He had no choice. His own strength had improved far too quickly. He couldn't go to the vast universe for now, and the only potential opponents he could currently encounter on this small planet couldn't keep up with the rate of his strength growth. Even the mysterious system in his mind hadn't issued any new quests or rewards for a long time. If this continued, he felt like he was about to become 'invincible' to the point of being utterly 'lonely'.
Because of this, Takuro had to come up with some 'small methods' on his own to add a little excitement to his life. For example, finding a few 'seed players' he found somewhat pleasing to the eye, who also had a bit of potential, and helping them improve their strength slightly. Then, in the future, they might become worthy opponents. He had truly gone to great lengths to cultivate a few suitable 'sandbags' for himself.
Just as he was absorbed in his 'gu cultivation' plan—finding worthy individuals to spar with—a sudden change occurred.
Mihawk, who was sitting in deep meditation, suddenly gave a violent shudder!
"Buzz—!!!!"
An immense surge of pure power, far sharper and cleaner than any Haki he'd ever projected, instantly erupted from him! It spread out like an invisible, overwhelming storm of sword energy, radiating powerfully in all directions!
Impacted head-on by this sudden burst of Ki, Tiger felt a terrifying sharpness rush toward him! He didn't even have time to think. Instinctively, he immediately crossed his arms in front of his face to block the shockwave! Even with his defense, his huge, muscular body was shaken. He was forced to retreat more than a dozen steps with a loud 'thump, thump, thump'!
After he finally managed to steady himself, he looked back at Mihawk with a serious, startled expression!
'This guy… the feeling he gives me now…' he thought to himself, sighing inwardly, '...is at least ten times more… dangerous than before!'
'This… is the power of Ki?!'
It was partially Takuro's fault for concealing his own Ki so well in his daily life. This made Tiger know the power was strong, but he didn't intensely feel it until now. But now it was obvious: he had severely underestimated the power of Ki! The thought that he and his Fish-Man Island compatriots would one day have the chance to master such a formidable force instantly made his heart burn with fierce excitement!
Takuro, of course, was completely unaffected by the blast. He even chuckled with amusement and commented, "Not bad. It's starting to look like something worth watching."
Then, he spoke again. "How do you feel?"
Mihawk slowly opened his eyes. In those legendary, piercing eyes, in addition to the original fearsome sharpness, there was now an extraordinary new quality of absolute keenness! He raised his hands, feeling the powerful, seemingly ceaseless flow of raw energy, the Ki, within his body, as if he could split the entire world in two with a thought.
He murmured to himself, "This… is Ki?"
"A more advanced… existence than Haki."
Then, his gaze suddenly became incredibly intense and fervent as he stared at Takuro.
Takuro instantly got goosebumps and cautiously took a step backward. "Hey! Hold on, hold on!" he exclaimed. "Let me just say this first: no thanks are needed! And I'll emphasize it again! I only like women!"
But Mihawk, his face full of nothing but fighting spirit, declared:
"Let's fight!"
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