At that very instant, under the fivefold life-and-death multiplier of the [Perseverance] panel, Ronan's mind was pushed to an unprecedented peak.
He didn't turn around.
Yet within his perception—within that vague, intangible sense beyond the physical—he saw it.
He saw a twisted, malice-filled black afterimage, lunging toward his back at a vicious angle!
—Here it comes!
Ronan didn't think. His body was seized entirely by a martial artist's instinct.
He twisted sharply to the side, pushing the "Dodge" principle of Xingyi Quan to its absolute limit!
Shhk—!
The shrill scream of blades slicing through air rang out, grazing dangerously close to Ronan's chest!
Ten streaks of cold light skimmed past his clothes by a hair's breadth. A chill spread across his chest—when he looked down, his shirt had been torn open, several shallow cuts already seeping blood.
If he'd been even a fraction of a second slower, his chest would have been pierced clean through.
And at that moment, inside Ronan's mind, a cold mechanical voice rang out like heavenly music:
[Congratulations, Host has activated "Observation Haki (Beginner)"]
[Current Observation Haki Level: Beginner 1/100]
Ronan took a deep breath, forcing down the surge of elation in his chest.
I did it.
Under fivefold death pressure and Kuro's extreme assault… I finally awakened Observation Haki!
The world changed instantly.
In Ronan's "vision," the storm still raged—but Kuro's blur-fast afterimage was no longer incomprehensible.
No—not something he saw with his eyes.
But something he felt with his heart.
He could clearly sense a violent, chaotic "presence" ricocheting wildly through the courtyard.
Every shift in direction, every attack, sent a faint premonition flickering through Ronan's mind before it happened.
"Clang!"
Zoro was struck again, a fresh wound opening along his arm.
"Damn it! Ronan—how are you…?"
Zoro's words died in his throat as he saw something unbelievable.
Ronan stood in the very center of the storm.
Facing slashes that came from all directions like teleportation, he looked almost prophetic.
The instant Kuro's presence surfaced on his left, Ronan's head tilted right—blades slicing past his ear.
The moment killing intent surged from behind, Ronan ducked low—ten streaks of cold light tearing over his head, snipping away a few strands of black hair.
In Luffy and Zoro's stunned gazes, their own injuries kept piling up—
Yet Ronan danced along the edge of death, always evading at the last possible instant, using the smallest movements, the most precise adjustments, avoiding every lethal strike as if he already knew they were coming.
"Hey! Ronan!"
Luffy shouted in disbelief while dodging. "How are you doing that?!"
"Feel it with your heart!" Ronan replied loudly, eyes closed, fully immersed in that wondrous state.
"Huh? With my heart?" Luffy looked completely lost.
Rip!
The moment he lost focus, Kuro's claws struck again, carving several deep gashes across Luffy's arm!
"Ow!! That hurts!!"
Luffy snapped.
He'd been toyed with by this glasses-wearing creep, his friends were hurt—and now even he was getting shredded!
"Feel it… feel it…" Luffy muttered, closing his eyes and imitating Ronan.
Bang!
The next second, Kuro slashed across his chest, sending him flying.
"Idiot! What are you doing?!" Zoro roared.
"I can't catch him!!" Luffy scrambled back to his feet, breathing hard.
He focused—on Kuro's movement, on that rushing "wind" slicing through the air.
As more wounds appeared across his body, Luffy's anger finally boiled over.
He stopped trying to predict.
Stopped trying to sense.
He abandoned all technique.
All that remained was the most terrifying thing of all—
A beastlike combat instinct.
At the very instant Kuro's afterimage lunged toward him again, poised to deal a crushing blow—
Luffy's eyes flew open, bloodshot and blazing!
Instead of dodging, he roared straight at the blur:
"I GOT YOU!!"
His right arm shot out—not a fist, but an open hand!
"What—?!"
In mid–high-speed movement, Kuro felt an overwhelming force clamp down on his ankle!
His peerless speed was forcibly halted by that rubber arm!
BAM!!
Luffy ripped Kuro out of his high-speed state and slammed him viciously into the ground!
"Gum-Gum… GRAB!"
Still gripping Kuro's leg, Luffy swung him up and smashed him down again!
BAM! BAM! BAM!
"Guh—!!"
Blood sprayed as Kuro was battered senseless by the brutal, unreasonable assault. His vaunted Shakushi collapsed completely, and his claws flew from his hands under the repeated impacts, skidding across the ground.
Ronan watched, awed.
That's Luffy for you…
Unbelievable battle instinct.
He hadn't awakened Observation Haki at all—yet with nothing but that beastlike talent for combat, he smashed Kuro flat in the midst of total chaos.
Kuro lay sprawled on the ground, soaked in blood, his body twitching weakly—clearly beaten, though he still tried to struggle upright.
Ronan didn't give him the chance.
"Finish him while he's down!"
He dashed forward without hesitation. His right leg, loaded with the explosive force of a Beng Quan, smashed down hard onto Kuro's head!
Thud!
A dull, heavy impact.
Kuro's head slammed into the ground, his eyes rolling back as he lost consciousness completely.
At last, the courtyard fell silent.
The mad killing intent and shrieking blade sounds vanished without a trace.
Zoro walked over, clutching the wound on his chest, blood leaking steadily between his fingers.
He looked at Ronan—no trace of his usual smirk, only pure seriousness.
"Hey, Ronan. That way you were dodging just now… what was it?"
Luffy came over too. The cuts on his arms were already slowly healing, but his expression was just as grave.
Ronan smiled slightly and lifted the veil on this world's true high-end power.
"Observation Haki."
"Observation Haki?" Luffy and Zoro asked in unison. "What's that?"
"A technique that enhances your senses," Ronan explained, "letting you perceive others' presence, emotional shifts, and danger itself."
"At higher levels, you can even… briefly see into the future."
"What?! See the future?!"
Both of them sucked in a sharp breath.
"Ronan!" Luffy's eyes lit up instantly, blazing with desire. "You have to teach me that!"
Zoro didn't say a word—but the hunger in his gaze said everything.
If he could predict his opponent's attacks, his swordsmanship would reach an entirely new realm.
Ronan nodded in satisfaction.
"Of course."
"Observation Haki and Armament Haki are must-learn skills. In the future—on the Grand Line—if you don't have them, you won't survive."
"Armament?" Luffy tilted his head. "What's that?"
"A technique that massively boosts offense and defense," Ronan said. "Like invisible armor. It's also the only effective way to hit Logia-type Devil Fruit users."
"Though," he added, "I haven't mastered it yet. Once I figure it out, I'll teach you."
Ronan sighed inwardly.
This is all Oda's fault.
Haki didn't even exist as a concept early on—no wonder Luffy and Zoro don't know a thing.
But that was fine.
From today onward—
The Straw Hat crew's Haki crash course officially began.