Chapter 8: Haki and Pirates

"By the way, what's this 'Haki' you just mentioned? I've never heard of it!" Rebecca asked curiously.

"Haki? I only know a little about it. I'm not sure exactly how to train it. I guess we'll only learn systematically once we join the Navy," Victor sighed.

This was something he really wanted to master, but at this stage, no one had given him the key to unlock it. Victor thought of former Navy Admiral Zephyr—probably the one holding the key for him.

"Victor, just tell me whatever you know," Rebecca said a bit playfully.

"Alright, I'll explain it to you."

"There are three types of Haki. The first is Conqueror's Haki, which intimidates others and controls their will. The second is Armament Haki, which is used for offense and defense. The third is Observation Haki, which allows sensing of others' presence."

"Conqueror's Haki only appears in one out of millions—a king's talent. Ordinary people can't have it. If your willpower is weak, you might faint from trying to use it. Among the Navy, only the current Admiral Sengoku has it. But many pirates possess it."

"I suspect because the Navy is hierarchical and follows orders, there's no room for that 'I'm the strongest, fearless of anything' type of person. I think many in the Navy might have the potential, but it's hard to awaken."

"Armament and Observation Haki are abilities everyone has but most never awaken in their lifetime. A few gifted individuals can awaken it naturally. Even many animals can awaken Haki through training, so if we train hard, we'll definitely be able to awaken it too."

"Armament Haki is a means of attack and defense. It can harden your body like armor, making you impervious to swords and guns. It can also coat your fists or blades for devastating attacks. At advanced levels, it can even damage an enemy's internal organs. This is called 'Flowing Haki,' known as 'Ryou' in the country of Wano."

"What about Observation Haki?" Rebecca asked excitedly.

"Observation Haki has many functions. It can detect enemy numbers, strength, and distribution—like a map appearing in your mind, showing who is where and how many."

"It also lets you predict opponents' next moves and attacks. At advanced stages, it can even allow you to see the future—how far into the future depends on your level of mastery."

"There's also a rare ability to read others' memories. This type of Observation Haki is extremely rare—rarer even than Conqueror's Haki." Victor envied this kind of Observation Haki because it could sense others' brain waves.

"That's a brief introduction to the three types of Haki. Just get a general idea for now. We'll study it more systematically once we join the Navy."

Rebecca listened, her eyes sparkling with admiration.

"Victor, I must learn all three types of Haki!" she declared firmly.

"With your talent and my training, Observation and Armament Haki won't be a problem."

"But Conqueror's Haki depends on fate and opportunity. Don't think too much about it now. Spend more time training. From what I've realized these past months, the stronger your body, the higher your chance of awakening Haki."

"So before we join the Navy, we should train our bodies as much as possible. That way, when it's time to learn Haki, it won't take so long."

"Okay!" Rebecca agreed and began dragging the Giant Hippo Beast's corpse toward the forest edge.

They kept enough meat for two days and planned to sell the rest in town for money. They wanted to save up to craft better swords and blades, so the animals in the forest were in big trouble.

That day, Victor was unloading cargo at the dock. As he climbed from the dock onto a ship, he casually noticed a black dot far on the sea. At first, he didn't pay much attention, thinking it was a merchant ship.

After making a couple more trips back onto the ship, he glanced again—now the ship was getting closer.

It was a pirate ship, with a flag bearing a pirate emblem he had never seen before. Victor's eyes narrowed, and a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

The people on the ship paid no attention to him, chatting among themselves.

"Hey, Huzi, you're not getting any younger—you should find a wife. Women are quite the experience, tsk tsk... hahaha."

The young man talking had a face flushed red.

"Things haven't been peaceful on the sea lately. There are quite a few pirates."

"Yeah, I heard there's one who can breathe fire."

"Really?"

"Of course! My wife's uncle's neighbor's third kid's aunt's cousin's husband said so. He's a sailor with plenty of info."

"Have you guys seen the news? The legendary pirate Golden Lion caused havoc at the Navy headquarters. The building collapsed. It took Navy hero Garp and Admiral Sengoku working together to capture him. Now he's locked up in the underwater grand prison."

"Wait, so Gold Roger was really that strong? Even the Marine Hero Garp came from our East Blue, right? That's insane!" 

"..." 

"Everyone, stop! I need to speak!" Victor's voice cut through the noise, sharp and commanding. 

The dockworkers paused, turning toward him. Captain Buck, a frequent client at the harbor, stepped forward, brow furrowed. "Victor? What's going on?" 

Buck had always admired Victor. Despite being just a kid, the boy outworked every grown man on the docks, hauling the heaviest loads without complaint—never asking for extra pay. 

What Buck didn't know was that Victor wasn't doing it for money. He was training. Even now, hidden weights lined his body, making every load heavier than necessary. If the captain knew, his jaw would hit the deck. 

Victor pointed toward the horizon, his voice grave. "See that black dot? That's a pirate ship. It's heading straight for this island. If you value your lives, run." 

Panic erupted among the dockworkers—locals who still remembered the carnage from half a year ago. 

"What? It's just a speck right now! How can you be sure it's pirates?" Buck protested, reluctant to abandon his half-unloaded cargo. 

"Captain, my eyes are sharper than most. I can already see their Jolly Roger." Victor's tone left no room for doubt. "Your cargo isn't worth dying over. Get your men off the ship and hide on the island." 

As the dockworkers scrambled to flee, Victor barked, "QUIET!" 

The crowd stilled. 

"Ada!" Victor called to a lanky young man. "You're the fastest. Run to the mayor—tell him to bring the militia now." 

"On it!" Ada took off, his long legs a blur. 

Next, Victor turned to a wiry teenager. "Angus, find Rebecca in the forest. You know the spot. Tell her to bring my sword to the docks. *Pirates are coming.*" 

Angus's eyes lit up. "Got it!" He'd seen Victor and Rebecca hunt. If they could take down beasts, pirates wouldn't stand a chance. 

As Angus bolted, Victor addressed the crowd. "See those rocks?" He pointed to a rubble-strewn shore. "Grab as many as you can—melon-sized, round ones. Then spread out across town. Warn everyone. Get them to the forest. Move!" 

The dockworkers hesitated. 'Rocks? Now?' But something in Victor's presence—the unshakable authority—made them obey without question. 

With the workers mobilized, Victor faced Buck. "Captain, do you have cannons?" 

Buck had been weighing his options—abandon ship or flee by sea—and barely registered the question. Victor repeated it. 

"Y-Yes! We've got four. Rarely use 'em, but they're there in case of pirates," Buck admitted. 

"Good. Have your crew roll them onto the deck. Leave two men to load them. The rest should evacuate. I'll hold the pirates here." 

Buck studied Victor—then nodded. "A'ight. It's yours." He turned to two burly, bearded sailors. "Biggs, Bonnet—you're with the kid. Rest of you, move out!" 

As the crew dispersed, Buck added quietly, "They've killed pirates before. They'll back you up." 

Victor didn't reply. 

He just tightened his grip on the rocks in his hands—and watched the black dot on the horizon grow larger.