Hell's Ear!
It was part of his Food Skill—soundwave manipulation. As his mastery of soundwaves strengthened, so did this ability. If it ever evolved to a higher level, it could even function like the legendary Clairaudient Ear, capable of hearing sounds that people across the world wished to hear.
But Leike's Hell's Ear and his soundwave manipulation were still at a basic level, far from such exaggerated effects.
Even so, in battle, it produced results faster and more directly than sight ever could.
Right now, Leike didn't need to watch Smoker with his eyes. Through the three-dimensional auditory perception of Hell's Ear, every movement Smoker made, no matter how slight, appeared as a vivid mental image in Leike's mind.
This was why he always seemed to anticipate his opponent's actions, always staying one step ahead.
Of course, this also depended on Smoker's speed. If his opponent were Kizaru, Leike's strategy wouldn't work—Kizaru's speed was just too absurd.
Even so, the scene was incredible for the students watching.
The three experienced observers also noticed something unusual.
"Observation Haki?" Kizaru's first thought was that Leike had tapped into Observation Haki, since it could achieve similar effects. He quickly dismissed the idea. "Impossible. I don't feel any Haki fluctuations. That's not Observation Haki…"
"It's his hearing," Zephyr's experience made him quick to discern the truth. He noticed that Leike's ears twitched slightly during the fight—something clearly unnatural. "How can this kid's hearing be this precise? Was it specially trained?"
"Smoker is undoubtedly one of the most talented among them, but his greatest weakness is overconfidence. In favorable conditions, he performs well. But when things go wrong, he loses reason. He's still young and hasn't learned to control his emotions. That flaw leaves openings," Dalmatiya observed, no longer shaking his head but reflecting on the logic of Leike's approach.
Although Dalmatiya did not know every detail of the situation, he clearly understood Leike's intent.
In fact, besides exploiting the inherent weaknesses of Logia-type Devil Fruit users, the only things capable of restraining them were Seastone and Haki. Beyond that, all other attacks were utterly ineffective.
But are Logia-type Devil Fruit users truly invincible?
Not entirely. If a Devil Fruit user could be unstoppable simply by eating a Logia-type fruit, there would be no need for training or strategy. Anyone could just seek out a Logia user and defeat them.
Yet, like all Devil Fruits, Logias had one unavoidable limitation: endurance.
Even among Logia users, destructive power and durability varied. Their untrained abilities were nothing like what they could achieve with proper training.
For example, in the legendary "New Fleet Commander Battle" years later, Akainu and Aokiji fought for ten days and ten nights before a winner emerged. Both were at their peak. Any lapse would be fatal, as their opponent would immediately exploit it.
Could Smoker maintain that level of output for ten days straight?
The answer was clearly—no.
At this time, Leike, Smoker, and Dalmatiya were all still children. They could never match the peak power of the top-tier adults. Even Logia users had limits. Once exhausted, they could be manipulated.
"I've been wondering why this kid speaks so irritably, calling everyone idiots and trash. Now I see—it's deliberate setup," Dalmatiya muttered, eyes fixed on Leike. "Even I would be angry after repeated insults. Imagine how Smoker feels."
Whatever Dalmatiya noticed, Kizaru in the second floor observation deck could not have missed. He furrowed his brow slightly, silently disapproving of Smoker's reaction. But he couldn't intervene. Interfering would make the fight meaningless, even if Smoker eventually won.
"Smoker, is that all you've got? Your power is Logia-type, right? Or is Devil Fruit just for bullying little girls?" Leike taunted while dodging, deliberately provoking Smoker.
In truth, when Leike had decided to protect Ann, he already had a plan.
That was why he spared no opportunity to humiliate Smoker, refusing to give him any respect. His goal was to enrage the proud Smoker completely, making him lose reason.
Leike had no other choice. His current strength was insufficient to fully wield Armament Haki. Even with Seastone weapons, he could not reliably defeat Smoker.
Logia-type Devil Fruits were no joke. Even touching a Logia user with Seastone would suppress abilities like soundwave manipulation, reducing his own advantage.
Leike decided to go all-in. He refused to use Seastone, deliberately heightening Smoker's anger.
Closing his eyes was also part of the provocation.
He didn't need to—Hell's Ear was effective enough—but the extra visual restriction only intensified Smoker's fury.
So far, the plan had worked perfectly.
Smoker was only six or seven years old. Once his emotions erupted, reason held no sway. Ten or twenty years later, the same strategy might fail, but right now, it was effortless.
Years later, Leike would no longer need these unconventional tactics to gain an edge. His training time was simply too short to rely on brute force alone.
"Die! Die! Die! Die for me! White Serpent!"
Smoker's eyes were red with rage as he stared at Leike. Seeing him fight with closed eyes pushed Smoker to the edge.
All he could think was one thing:
Beat this arrogant kid until he begged for mercy!