Chapter 46

2 Days later

Boom

Zed moved, dodging Enel's lightning with ease before closing the gap and slamming his fist into Enel's face. Enel was sent rocketing away but quickly transformed into lightning, vanishing and attempting to circle around Zed in search of an opening. However, using Observation Haki, Zed caught him off guard and pinned him to the ground.

"You've got to stop relying so much on passive Observation Haki," Zed said, letting Enel go. "If you can't use it naturally, without focusing every bit of your attention, then it'll be useless in a real fight."

Enel's Observation Haki might have been advanced in range and precision, but it leaned heavily on his Devil Fruit. The focus required just to use the basics would be his downfall against anyone else who had mastered it.

"How do you think I should train?" Enel asked, throwing a glance at Kong, who was lazily eating a bag of chips. Kong was already done with his training. Zed was amazed by Kong's growth—whether it was Haki or even the Six Powers, Kong had mastered everything in record time.

By the way, the way Kong's cheat worked with his training was simple: let's say he used Armament Haki at a beginner level. That single usage would count as if he had used it 100 times. And if that experience was enough to push him into the next stage, then his next usage would be worth 100 times that new level. His growth was exponential.

In other words, Kong's training and constant drive to push himself beyond his limits led to a growth rate that defied logic. It was something most people simply couldn't comprehend. With such a shocking rate of improvement, Kong didn't just learn Armament Haki under Zed's guidance—he mastered it. The same applied to the Six Powers.

So, what were the Six Powers? Also known as Rokushiki, they were a martial art style developed by the World Government. Those who mastered Rokushiki were said to possess the strength of a hundred men. And not just any average men—men from the New World. By that standard, it meant Kong had the strength of ten thousand.

Of course, that number couldn't be taken literally. Those who mastered the Six Powers could easily surpass that estimate. And when factoring in Kong's Haki, Devil Fruit, physical strength, and now the Six Powers, he was far beyond the strength of ten thousand men.

"Your mind isn't focused," Kong said, his eyes on Ain, who was punching the side of a shipwreck they had found washed ashore. She was doing her best to awaken her Armament Haki. Kong had been surprised to learn that this was how Garp used to train—relentlessly hammering away at ships.

"What do you mean?" Ain asked, glancing over at him in confusion. Her hands trembled slightly, bruised and worn after striking the ship so many times.

"Simple," Kong said lazily, "none of your punches carry your heart or focus. You follow Zed, but do you follow his dream? Look deeper. Find what drives you to fight—and use that as your foundation to train."

After mastering Observation Haki to his current limit, Kong had gained the ability to read people with ease. In fact, thanks to Zed, he now understood how his 100-times cheat affected his Haki. His Haki was one hundred times stronger than the average user's—its quality and range rivaled even Enel's. Then again, Enel's current limitations would likely vanish once he began proper training.

"My motivation to fight…?" Ain repeated softly, her gaze drifting toward the man she saw as a father. She didn't fully believe in Zed's dream, but she followed him all the same, for the simple reason that he was her father.

When she was just a child, her family had been slaughtered by pirates—and it was Zed who saved her and took her in. From that day forward, she vowed to repay him, even if it meant giving her life. Zed was the only family she had.

"That's it. Channel those feelings into your punch," Kong said with a smile.

With a cry of determination, Ain turned and struck the ship in front of her. The impact rang out loud and clear. Everyone turned to look—and to their shock, a fist-shaped imprint had been left on the spot where her punch had landed.

"That's it. You used Haki," Kong said with a smile.

'This kid doesn't just master things at high speed… he even teaches at high speed?' Zed thought, stunned by the strange ability Kong seemed to possess. It was one thing for Kong to learn faster than anyone he'd ever seen—but if he could also teach others to grow at that same pace, then didn't that mean Kong could raise the strongest army the world had ever seen?

"Someone strong is coming…" Kong said softly, his eyes fixed on the distant sea where a Big Mom ship approached. His mastery over Haki had reached a level where his senses extended passively around him, detecting nearby presences with ease. But even beyond that range, he could still feel powerful auras without focusing—and on that ship, there was someone whose presence stood out.

Stronger than him if he doesn't use his Conqueror Haki, and Armament Haki… and 6 powers. That alone was impressive… Since Kong, as of now, saw himself capable of facing the likes of Big Mom, of course, that was a guess on Kong's side; he didn't know how strong Big Mom was.