"The power of listening. That is the essence of Observation Haki."
"And by listening, I don't mean with your ears. I mean with your heart."
"Here. Feel it for yourself."
To give Vivi a more direct sense of what he was describing, Amon took her small hand in his and slowly let his Observation Haki flow outward. This was one of the new functions that had come with the upgrade, the ability to transmit his own perceptual experience through physical contact, sharing the sensation directly with another person. It was a remarkably useful thing to
"Don't overthink it. Close your eyes and empty your mind."
Observation Haki required stillness. The heart had to quiet before it could begin to hear the breathing of the world around it.
"Mm." Vivi nodded, drew her attention inward, and let herself settle.
Once her heartbeat had steadied, Amon began to guide her with his voice.
"Everything in existence makes a sound. Wherever there is movement, there is vibration. Wherever there is vibration, there are waves. And wherever there are waves, there is sound. Every machine that runs has a voice. Every creature that moves has a voice. Every plant that grows has a voice. The grass reaching upward from the soil, the white clouds drifting across the sky, the butterfly moving through a field of flowers, the mosquito drawing blood, the slow turning of the stomach after a meal. Flowing water has a sound. Even the mountain that appears motionless, the stone, the earth beneath your feet, all of it speaks. You only have to be still enough to listen."
His voice carried a depth that pulled Vivi gently into the world he was describing. At the same time, he opened his Haki fully and let the sensation wash over her, sharing the perception rather than just the words.
Guided by that current, Vivi felt as though she had stepped out beside a small stream, one of the rivulets that had gathered after the previous night's rain. She could hear the water trickling over stones, feel a soft breeze moving past, and around her the world filled with a richness of sound she had never known before. The ripples a frog left on the surface of the water. The gentle frequency of wind through leaves. A bird turning wide circles in the open sky. She felt all of it with a clarity that was entirely new.
"Mr. Amon! I think I can hear them! The voices of everything!"
The moment the words left her mouth, the atmosphere dissolved.
"Oh, it's gone again..."
"Of course it is. Didn't I say to keep your mind still and stay quiet?"
Amon gave her cheek an exasperated pinch. The state Observation Haki required was one of inner stillness, and the instant her excitement broke the surface, that stillness shattered with it. Still, there was no point rushing this. Haki wasn't something that took shape in a day or two. It demanded patience and repetition.
"I see. I'm sorry, Mr. Amon. I didn't mean to."
"Don't worry about it. That's enough for today. We can't force it. I'll come by every morning at this hour and give you half an hour of practice."
The sun was properly up by now, and lingering in Vivi's room any longer than necessary wasn't appropriate. He made his exit and left her to start her day.
And so the next several days passed in much the same rhythm. Each morning Amon came to teach, and each morning Vivi sat with him in practice. She hadn't broken through to actual Observation Haki yet, but her spiritual energy had grown measurably with each session, and that alone was a solid foundation to build from.
Four days later, Amon decided it was time to move on. Rain Dinners was waiting, and he had kept Crocodile simmering long enough. It was time to pay the man a visit.
...
Outside the palace walls, Cobra and the others came personally to see him off. Just the day before, Cobra had used the Rain God Record once more, and the results had been everything they had hoped for. Crops that had withered back to bare stems were already showing signs of life. The displaced people flooding the roads had somewhere to return to. Alabasta, which had been slowly hollowing out for years, felt like it was breathing again.
"Goodbye, Mr. Amon!"
"Safe travels, Mr. Amon. Until we meet again!"
Amon settled onto the camel Cobra had arranged for him and raised a hand toward the crowd. "I enjoyed every moment of this. Farewell, all of you. Until next time."
He let his eyes settle on Vivi, standing at the front of the gathered crowd, and smiled. "Little Vivi. Don't forget to keep practicing the way I showed you."
"I won't." She nodded hard, eyes bright with held-back tears. "I promise, Mr. Amon." Then she forced a smile onto her face and waved both hands. "Goodbye! Come back and see us!"
"Quack, quack, quack!"
Karoo was beside her, flapping his wings with great enthusiasm.
"Ha! Goodbye, Karoo! Goodbye, Vivi!"
Since inheriting Psyduck's genes, Karoo had become wonderfully ridiculous in the most endearing way possible. The sight of that absurd farewell wave pulled a genuine laugh out of Amon before he could help it.
He turned the camel around and set off across the desert toward Rainbase.
Time to go see old Crocodile and Robin at last. Honestly, it was impressive that the man had held his temper for over ten days without making a move. Patience like that deserved a little acknowledgment.
[Ding! Host has been detected moving towards Rainbase. New mission initiated: sell three Jars in Rainbase.]
The system chimed the moment they were clear of the city gates.
Three this time, which felt considerably more reasonable than some past assignments. Shouldn't be difficult to manage at all.
Rainbase lay within an oasis deep in the Sandora Desert, a lush pocket of greenery fed by enough rainfall to earn its name. At its heart, Crocodile had built himself a sprawling estate that served simultaneously as his personal residence, the headquarters of Baroque Works, and one of the most popular casinos on the island.
After a full day and night of travel across open sand, the green finally appeared on the horizon.
Amon exhaled slowly.
"Finally. Desert travel really is its own particular kind of misery."
The oasis stretched out before him, vivid against the pale expanse of the dunes.
Old Crocodile. Robin. He was here.