Ronan glanced at Zoro, then at Luffy, and couldn't help sighing inwardly.
The physical talent in the world of One Piece was just plain unreasonable…
Back in his previous life, the first stage of the Thirteen Guardians Horizontal Iron Body—Initial Skin Tempering—would take an ordinary person three to five years of bitter training even with medicinal baths.
And these two idiots?
After just one day of training, relying purely on their monster-like physiques and protagonist-level luck, they had stepped straight through the door.
Rough yet resilient skin, tightened pores, force rebounding on impact—these were all unmistakable signs of Initial Skin Tempering.
Suppressing his amazement, Ronan spoke calmly.
"Your talent really is exceptional. You may only be beginners, but your physical foundations far surpass those of ordinary people."
He paused, his gaze sharpening.
"Since the first stage is complete, there's no need to waste time."
"Starting today, we move directly into the second stage of the Thirteen Guardians—Bronze Skin, Iron Bones."
"Bronze skin, iron bones?" Zoro repeated, a sharp gleam flashing in his eyes.
"That's right."
Ronan clasped his hands behind his back, explaining as the sea breeze brushed past him.
"At this stage, not only will your stamina and strength surge again—your muscles will become dense as iron, your bone density will greatly increase, and your resistance to blows will undergo a qualitative transformation."
"For ordinary people, swords striking your body will leave nothing more than a white mark. Some weapons might even shatter on impact."
"This is what's known as—horizontal training giving rise to divine strength, a vajra body beyond ruin."
"Shattering weapons?!"
Zoro clenched his fist. As a swordsman, he knew better than anyone how difficult it was to cut steel—let alone having flesh withstand it.
Luffy, meanwhile, was so excited his eyes sparkled, practically drooling.
"Invulnerable to blades and bullets?! What are we waiting for?! Ronan, let's start! I wanna get stronger! I wanna become a steel rubber man!"
"Don't rush."
Ronan turned and walked to the railing, casually lifting the hundred-pound zhangba iron spear with one hand.
Hummm—
The spear vibrated dully as it left the deck.
Ronan's presence shifted instantly—from a gentle instructor to a war god radiating pressure.
"At the second stage, ordinary punches and kicks barely do anything for your growth."
His hand slid along the cold shaft of the spear, eyes icy.
"From here on, I'll be attacking you with this zhangba iron spear."
"During training, you'll not only blindfold yourselves and practice Observation Haki to evade—"
"But in the moments you can't dodge and are struck, you must use the breathing method to guide your 'qi' to the point of impact."
"Use your blood, your muscles, to collide head-on with steel."
"It will hurt. You may bleed. Afraid?"
"Exactly what I want!" Zoro tied his bandana and immediately covered his eyes with a black cloth.
"Bring it on!" Luffy pulled his straw hat down over his eyes and assumed a stance.
...
For the next full week, the Going Merry became a drifting purgatory upon the sea.
Whether under blazing sun or torrential rain, the deck constantly echoed with the clash of metal and the dull thuds of flesh.
Bang! Bang! Crack!
Ronan wielded the iron spear without using its blade, turning the shaft into the most merciless whip.
Under the three-times battle-mode multiplier, his strength grew steadily, his spear techniques faster, sharper, more vicious.
"Left!"
Zoro instinctively dodged right—but the spear clung like a bone parasite, instantly changing direction and smashing into his back.
Smack!
"Ghn!"
Zoro let out a muffled groan but didn't retreat. At the moment of impact, his back muscles bulged violently, forcibly tanking the blow.
"Breathe! Don't panic!" Ronan barked. "Sink the qi to your dantian—focus your intent on the impact point!"
On the other side, Luffy was in even worse shape.
He tried to inhale and brace, but the spear carried a penetrating shaking force that stabbed straight into his abdomen, knocking all the air from his lungs.
"Luffy! Don't rely on your Devil Fruit!" Ronan's spear moved like a dragon as he attacked and instructed at once. "Use Observation to see! Use your body to listen to my spear wind!"
Nami stood on the upper deck, trembling as she watched the scene below—blood and flesh flying everywhere (mostly bruises).
"Th-this… this is warrior training?! It's way too brutal!"
For Ronan, though, this was equally exhilarating.
As he constantly fed them moves, his own strength rose steadily, his attributes climbing rapidly.
Before he realized it, his Strength stat had already reached 16.
Days passed. Waves surged.
The sweat of three men soaked nearly every plank of the Going Merry.
...
Morning.
Bright sunshine. Gentle sea breeze.
The atmosphere at the center of the deck was tense to the extreme.
Ronan stood still, holding the zhangba iron spear.
Opposite him, Luffy and Zoro stood blindfolded, their bare torsos covered in dark purple bruises—the medals of a week of hellish training.
But beneath those marks, their muscles gleamed with a bronze sheen, like refined steel tempered a thousand times.
"Ready?" Ronan asked softly.
"Come." Zoro's voice was hoarse and low.
Whoosh—!
Without warning, Ronan moved.
This time, he held nothing back.
The iron spear became a bolt of black lightning, shrieking through the air as it shot straight for Luffy's throat!
Fast as thunder. Fierce as a tiger.
Nami, watching from the side, cried out instinctively.
"Luffy!!"
At the instant the spear tip was less than three inches from Luffy's throat—
Luffy's blindfolded face tilted ever so slightly.
No excess movement. As if he'd always been standing there.
Hiss—
The cutting wind scraped past his neck, yet didn't even break skin.
Ronan's killing thrust missed.
"Good!"
A sharp gleam flashed in Ronan's eyes. His wrist snapped, the spear shaft bending into a shocking arc. Using the rebound, three afterimages stabbed out at once—aimed at Zoro's brow, heart, and lower abdomen!
The upper, middle, and lower routes were completely sealed.
A week ago, Zoro would have had no chance.
But now—
In Zoro's perception, darkness vanished.
In its place appeared flickering red points.
He saw the flow of air.
He heard the killing intent of the spear.
"Haa—"
His body moved like a leaf in the wind.
Head tilt. Abdomen draw-in. Sliding step.
Three motions, seamless and fluid.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
All three spear shadows brushed past Zoro's body. The closest even sliced the cloth at his waist—but failed to touch him.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Ronan slowly withdrew the spear and planted it heavily against the deck.
"Training ends here for today."
He looked at them, a satisfied smile forming.
"Take off your blindfolds. Congratulations—your Observation Haki has officially entered the door."
Luffy and Zoro slowly removed the blindfolds. After so long in darkness, the sunlight made them squint.
But soon, their eyes lit up with unprecedented excitement.
"I… I dodged it?"
Luffy stared at his hands, disbelief written all over his face.
"For a second just now, I really saw it! Ronan's spear felt like it was moving in slow motion!"
"So this is Observation Haki…"
Zoro clenched his fist, savoring that feeling of control.
"All that effort… finally paid off."
This wasn't just a boost in technique.
It was a leap in their very level of existence.
On these treacherous seas, they had finally gained a true lifeline.
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