"Ace-kun, you really were too hard to find."
While Ace was training with the special Flame Dial unique to Skypiea, testing new techniques that fused it with his Mera Mera no Mi powers, a familiar voice echoed from the distance.
"Rayleigh-san!" Ace turned around with surprise and joy. Hearing that voice, he couldn't help but smile broadly. "You finally made it!"
"Hahaha, the rising currents took a while to align," Rayleigh laughed heartily as he approached, placing a hand on Ace's shoulder. "Not bad at all—you've gotten stronger. It looks like Skypiea is quite a suitable place for your training."
"Hehe." Ace scratched the back of his head with a grin. The time he had spent on this Sky Island—training his body to adapt to the thin air, challenging the extreme altitudes to get closer to the sun—had indeed made him physically stronger.
The unique environment of Skypiea was a perfect match for his training needs.
"Oh, by the way," Rayleigh added as he pulled a rolled paper from his coat, "before I came up here, I picked this up—your new bounty poster. The World Government's been busy."
Ace took the poster with curiosity. "Really?"
His eyes widened slightly. "355 million berries? That's a 200 million increase from before."
In just a month, his bounty had doubled, and both increases had exceeded 100 million berries. Even in the entire Grand Line, such a rapid rise was extremely rare.
"Haha, only 200 million, huh? I guess that Celestial Dragon survived," Ace muttered, half-regretfully. Had he succeeded in killing the World Noble during the incident at Sabaody Archipelago, his bounty might've exceeded 500 million by now.
"Yeah, seems like he made it," Rayleigh replied calmly. "But honestly, it's probably better that way. If a Tenryūbito had died, it wouldn't have been so easy for you to escape Sabaody."
"That's true." Ace nodded, folding up the wanted poster. "If I had killed him, the Marines would have sent an Admiral after me for sure."
Ace then turned and asked curiously, "Rayleigh-san, you must've found me using my vivre card, right? Did my crew come with you?"
Rayleigh shook his head. "No, they didn't. Everyone has their own path to becoming stronger. I gave them some advice, but I didn't think it was appropriate to train them all personally. I told them to find their own training grounds. We've agreed to regroup in Sabaody in one year."
"I see." Ace nodded in understanding. What Rayleigh said made sense. His crew was made up of a wide range of individuals with diverse fighting styles. Even someone like Rayleigh might not be the right teacher for all of them. Letting them explore and grow independently might be the best way forward.
The ones Ace chose as his comrades weren't weaklings. When he had eaten the Mera Mera no Mi, they had already felt the pressure of falling behind and feared being left behind. The events at Sabaody must have reinforced that fear.
Ace believed that, as long as they had the determination to grow stronger, each of them would undergo a transformation before they reunited.
If any of them still fell behind, he would find powerful Devil Fruits for them himself to help them catch up.
"I understand," Ace said with determination. He looked up at Rayleigh. "Rayleigh-san, please guide me in Haki training."
"Hahaha, that's exactly why I came here." Rayleigh smiled.
"You already have strong Devil Fruit powers and great potential, but I have nothing more to teach you in that area," Rayleigh said seriously. "Your body has also reached the threshold required. It's time to begin your Haki training."
Ace stood up straight. "Please teach me, Rayleigh-san!"
Rayleigh sat down on a nearby white cloud and said, "Looking at you, you seem to know little about Haki. So before we begin, let me ask—what do you think Haki is?"
Ace thought for a moment. "To me… Haki is a kind of innate ability that lies dormant in every human being."
"That's partially true," Rayleigh nodded. "But it's not the full picture. Haki is indeed a latent power that exists within all humans, but not everyone can awaken it. Only through rigorous training can one bring it out and use it freely."
"The key to unlocking Haki," Rayleigh continued, "is having unwavering belief in yourself. You must completely believe that you can do something—only then can you awaken your Haki."
"There are three types of Haki: Kenbunshoku Haki—also called Observation Haki, which enhances your senses; Busoshoku Haki—or Armament Haki, which allows you to strengthen your body and weapons to harm even Logia users; and finally, Haoshoku Haki, or Conqueror's Haki, which is a rare type that manifests when you exert your willpower to overwhelm others."
"Those who possess Conqueror's Haki are said to have the qualities of a king," Rayleigh said solemnly.
"In the New World, after awakening Haki, some people specialize in one type, while others master all three. But without exception, true powerhouses in this world have at least brought one form of Haki to an advanced level."
"Among all known powers, only Haki can directly oppose Devil Fruit abilities. Even your Logia intangibility won't protect you—someone with strong enough Haki can bypass your elementality and strike your true body."
Rayleigh looked at Ace with a sharp gaze. "You've already awakened Conqueror's Haki. That makes you quite similar to Gol D. Roger—you have an exceptional affinity with Haoshoku."
Ace nodded slowly. "Now that you mention it, I think I remember… When I was a kid at Grey Terminal, I fainted a group of thugs with just a glare. That must've been my Conqueror's Haki awakening."
"Exactly," Rayleigh smiled. "But for now, let's set aside Conqueror's Haki. Time is short. To make sure you can learn the basics of Observation and Armament Haki as quickly as possible... I might have to take a few shortcuts."
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