A Taste of Haki

The bounty hunters were gone. Some had run the moment I used "Break" on their leader, and the rest had dragged their unconscious boss away before he could bleed out.

I still felt the rush of victory, my fists clenched tight. I had won my first real fight—but barely.

Garp sat on a fallen tree, munching on a rice cracker like he hadn't just watched a life-or-death battle. "Not bad, brat."

I turned to him. "But not good enough, right?"

He grinned. "You're catching on."

Luffy was still hyped, shadowboxing. "Man, that was awesome! Your fruit is so cool, Ren! You gotta teach me how to do those word attacks!"

I smirked. "Maybe if you actually start reading books, Luffy."

"NEVER!"

I rolled my eyes and turned back to Garp. "Be honest. If that bounty hunter was a little stronger, I would've lost, right?"

Garp chewed thoughtfully. "Probably. You're strong for a rookie, but strength alone won't cut it in the Grand Line."

I exhaled. I already knew that. There were monsters out there. Admirals. Warlords. Yonko. Hell, even people like Rob Lucci or Smoker could wipe the floor with me if I wasn't careful.

Garp cracked his knuckles. "You wanna survive? Then it's time I teach you something real."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

Garp suddenly vanished.

No, not vanished—he moved so fast I barely saw it.

Before I could react, a fist slammed into my stomach.

BOOM!

I went flying, crashing into a tree with enough force to splinter the wood.

Pain exploded in my ribs. "GAH—! What the hell?!"

I had used "Shield" at the last second—but Garp's punch had gone right through it.

I coughed, looking up. He stood there, grinning like a madman. "Congratulations, brat. You just had your first taste of Haki."

My brain went into overdrive. Haki. The mysterious power that let people fight Devil Fruit users like they were nothing. The ability that separated the weak from the strong.

And I had just been hit by it. Hard.

I groaned and forced myself up. "That… hurt like hell."

Garp laughed. "It's supposed to! Haki ain't no magic trick—it's the power of willpower itself." He cracked his knuckles. "If you don't learn it, you're gonna get wrecked the second you fight a real monster."

Luffy pouted. "Aww, I don't get it yet! Shanks said something about it, but I never learned it."

I clenched my fists. This was what I needed. My Devil Fruit was strong, but if I wanted to fight on equal footing with the real threats in this world…

"I want to learn."

Garp grinned. "Good answer."

.

.

.

The training was hell.

Garp had me blindfolded, trying to sense his movements with Observation Haki. (I got punched a lot.)

He made me spar with Luffy while trying to block without using my Devil Fruit. (I got punched a lot.)

He threw cannonballs at me, saying I needed to learn Armament Haki to block them. (I got hit by a cannonball. A lot.)

For days and weeks, I trained.

And then, finally—

It happened.

I sat under a tree, exhausted. Luffy was snoring beside me, and Garp was finishing another snack.

I stared at my hand, clenching it. I could feel something.

A strange, invisible force just under my skin.

I focused—

And for a split second, a faint black sheen flickered across my knuckles.

I gasped. "I… I did it?"

Garp smirked. "Not bad, brat. You're getting there."

I exhaled, excitement rushing through me.

I was getting stronger.

And soon, I'd be ready for the real world.

.

.

.

I clenched my fist, staring at the faint flicker of Armament Haki dancing across my knuckles. It wasn't much—just a weak glimmer—but it was real. I had done it.

Garp chuckled from his spot on a tree stump. "Not bad, brat. But don't get cocky. That's just the first step."

I exhaled, feeling the energy fade. Yeah. It was just the beginning.

Luffy stretched beside me, yawning. "Man, I wish I could do that too!"

I smirked. "Maybe if you actually trained instead of napping all day."

"Shishishi! Training is boring!"

I rolled my eyes. This guy.

But even as we joked, a thought settled in my mind. I was improving. My Devil Fruit had gotten stronger. My body was tougher. And now, I was learning Haki.

I was ready for the next step.

And as if the universe heard me—it happened.

A loud BOOM echoed from the coast, shaking the ground beneath us.

Luffy jumped up. "Whoa! What was that?!"

Garp scratched his ear. "Looks like trouble."

I didn't hesitate. I ran toward the shore.

As we reached the cliffside, my eyes widened.

A ship—no, a wreck—was drifting toward the beach. Smoke billowed from its torn sails, and the hull was riddled with cannon fire.

And on the deck…

Bodies.

Some were moving. Some weren't.

My stomach twisted. This wasn't just some accident. This was an attack.

Garp's expression darkened. "Pirates."

Luffy's eyes lit up. "Pirates?! Like Shanks?!"

I shook my head. "No. This isn't the good kind."

We rushed down to the shore as the ship finally hit the sand. I jumped aboard, scanning for survivors.

That's when I saw him.

A man—young, maybe in his twenties—leaned against the mast, clutching a bleeding wound in his side. His clothes were torn, his face bruised, and his breathing was shallow.

But his eyes…

They burned with defiance.

He looked up at me and grabbed my wrist.

"Help me."

Garp landed behind me, arms crossed. "Survivors?"

I nodded. "Yeah, but barely."

The man coughed, gripping his wound. "They… they came out of nowhere. We didn't stand a chance."

I crouched beside him. "Who? Who attacked you?"

His lips trembled. And then, he spoke a name that sent a chill down my spine.

"…Iron Jaw Krieg."

I stiffened. That name.

Don Krieg. The self-proclaimed pirate admiral. The man who would attack the Baratie in the future.

But if he was already here…

Then things were changing.

I turned to Garp. "We have to do something."

The old Marine sighed, rubbing his neck. "Not my problem. I'm on vacation."

I gritted my teeth. "You're a Marine."

Garp smirked. "And you're not."

I froze.

He was right. I wasn't a Marine. I wasn't a pirate, either.

I was… just me.

This wasn't a fight I had to take. I could walk away. I could stay safe.

But then I looked at the wounded survivors. The wrecked ship.

And I made my choice.

I stood up, clenching my fists.

"I'm going after them."

Luffy grinned. "Sounds fun! I'm coming too!"

Garp just laughed. "Heh. You're really jumping in headfirst, huh?"

I turned to him. "Are you gonna stop me?"

He shrugged. "Nah. But you better not die."

I smirked. "Wouldn't dream of it."

As I turned back to the sea, the wind howled around me.

For the first time, I wasn't just training.

This was real.

I was stepping into the world of One Piece.

And I wasn't looking back.