Chapter 32: Armament Haki

Armament Haki?

Vir felt an inexplicable power awakening within him.

This newly awakened power should have felt completely foreign to him.

Yet, the current situation was the exact opposite.

It felt as natural as moving his own limbs.

Those were the only words that could describe it.

This sudden surge of power felt as if it had been with him all along.

So familiar, so instinctive—like all he had to do was think, and the power would instantly flow to where it needed to be.

So this is Armament Haki?

Vir took a deep breath and slowly closed his eyes.

After carefully sensing the changes in his body, he opened his eyes again, and with a mere thought…

In an instant, his right hand turned pitch black, an abyss-like darkness coating it, radiating a dangerous aura.

With Armament Haki, dealing with Crocodile would be much easier now.

And not just any Armament Haki—this was some seriously advanced stuff.

Looks like Ace wasn't just focusing on developing his Devil Fruit abilities.

With Haki this strong, both offense and defense would receive a massive boost.

That said, given Vir's current physical condition, his usage would be quite limited.

But for now, it was more than enough.

The crew watched him in confusion, eyes fixed on the blackened substance covering his hand.

They didn't know what it was, but one thing was clear—it was dangerous.

Dangerous enough that their instincts screamed at them to keep their distance.

Since when did Vir have something this powerful?

That was the question on everyone's mind.

Meanwhile, Ace, standing in front of Vir, suddenly widened his eyes in shock.

He couldn't help but blurt out in astonishment.

"Armament Haki?!"

The crew exchanged confused glances.

"Armament Haki?"

They had never heard of such a thing and naturally had no idea what Ace was talking about.

Ace, however, was once again completely blown away by Vir!

He stared blankly at Vir, who was calmly examining his right hand.

At the very beginning of the Grand Line, he had actually encountered a rookie pirate who had already awakened Armament Haki?!

Technically speaking, it wasn't impossible.

What shocked him was the strength of this Haki!

That deep, dark hue and the aura it exuded—it all screamed extraordinary.

How is this even fair?!

He was certain Vir had just awakened it—because before this, he hadn't sensed even the slightest trace of Armament Haki from him.

And yet he's already at this level?!

Are you kidding me?!

In the future, this guy would definitely become a powerhouse beyond imagination.

Luffy really hit the jackpot with this one!

Hearing Ace's shout, Vir turned to look at him.

Seeing Ace's expression, Vir couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction.

"Oh, this? I kinda just awakened it by accident."

Ace's face darkened immediately.

By accident…

Alright, alright. Fine, you win.

You really know how to talk, huh?

Noticing the crew's confusion, Ace figured they had never heard of Armament Haki before.

He had been the same when he first set out to sea.

After explaining it to them, everyone's perception of Vir shifted dramatically.

According to Ace, the practical applications of Armament Haki were absolutely insane.

All the top-tier fighters possessed it.

And they had all mastered it to an advanced level.

There were even warriors who specialized solely in Armament Haki, relying on it alone to dominate the battlefield.

Its importance couldn't be overstated.

Ace explained that Armament Haki was awakened through rigorous training.

Once a person's strength reached a certain threshold, with enough practice, they would eventually awaken it.

However, boosting its strength was an entirely different story.

None of them had shown any signs of awakening it yet.

As Ace bluntly put it: "Your bodies are too weak, so you can't awaken it."

But Vir?

Not only did he awaken it effortlessly—his starting point was already at an insanely high level.

The gap was clear as day.

"This isn't that hard, really. You guys will learn it eventually," Vir reassured them.

The crew knew this wasn't something they could force.

Their bodies were still too weak.

Even Luffy wasn't pestering Ace to teach him yet.

"How are you feeling, my patient?"

Vir turned his attention back to Ace.

Ace snapped out of his thoughts, realizing he had been too focused on Vir's Haki.

"I feel way stronger now. How did you do it, Vir?! This is insane."

Ace had traveled far and wide but had never seen a method of power-up this fast and effortless.

Well… maybe not effortless.

But definitely fast.

Hearing this, everyone turned to Vir, all equally stunned.

Wait, what?!

Getting treated by Vir boosts your strength?!

No way, right?

Sanji and Nami, both of whom had been treated by Vir before, were skeptical.

But judging by that punch Ace just threw, the power-up was very real.

Then why didn't we get stronger?!

Are we just too weak?!

Luffy and Zoro, on the other hand, had a completely different reaction—their eyes were practically glowing.

A way to get stronger?!

To Zoro, Vir no longer seemed so terrifying.

He even looked a little… adorable.

As a swordsman obsessed with growth, enduring some torture during treatment was a small price to pay.

As for Luffy, seeing Ace suddenly pull ahead in strength again felt unfair.

If Ace got a "cheat" then he wanted a cheat too!

"Pfft, this is just basic stuff. You think I'd make you suffer for nothing? If you're feeling better, let's get moving."

"Speaking of which, your stomach's really something else, huh? Can't even handle clean food? Tsk tsk tsk."

Vir eyed Ace up and down before shaking his head in mock disappointment.

Ace was speechless.

Basic stuff?!

If this was "basic" then reality was completely broken.

Vir's medical skills were unfathomable.

As for his stomach…

Even Ace didn't understand why he, the strongest among them, was the only one who got food poisoning.

"I'm fine now. I feel great. Let's go."

Not wanting to continue the topic, Ace quickly changed the subject.

With that, the crew set off again.

After all, they had wasted enough time here because of him.

Luffy, now fully hydrated, was bouncing around at the front, his boundless energy making others tired just watching him.

"Big bro, can reindeers learn Armament Haki too?"

Chopper, looking uncertain, glanced up at Vir, his voice carrying a hint of worry.

Vir saw his concern, patted his pink hat, and grinned. "Of course reindeers can."

Then he leaned in and whispered, "With my personal guidance, you'll be the second to awaken it."

Chopper froze mid-step, his brain short-circuiting.

Wait, weren't we just saying it wasn't something you could teach?

Before he could ask, Vir continued, "And that Rumble Ball of yours? It's garbage. Too many side effects. Once we're back on the ship, I'll help you fix it."

Chopper's eyes widened in shock, then filled with emotion.

Master… not only is he giving me special treatment, but he's also going to improve my Rumble Ball.

Why is he so good to me?

Chopper's lips quivered, and his eyes began to water.

This was the third human who had genuinely cared for him, though he had already known…

Vir smiled faintly.

Just kidding.

Teaching them Armament Haki would be exhausting. Let them figure it out on their own.

But a disciple is different.

A disciple deserves to be spoiled.

Since I'm your master, of course I'll give you some special treatment.

As for the Rumble Ball, I've been planning to improve it ever since I saw you use it at your home.

The side effects were too severe.

But I didn't have the ability to do so back then.

"Stop daydreaming! You're falling behind!" Vir smacked Chopper's antlers, causing his head to tilt to the side.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Chopper realized he had indeed fallen behind the group.

He quickly responded and hurried to catch up.

"Thank you… Master." Chopper murmured softly, so quietly that even he could barely hear it.

But Vir, sitting on his back, smiled knowingly.

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