On the other side of the island, within the territory of the rare animals, Gojo stood alone before a towering tree. His upper body was bare, muscles relaxed, posture casual—as if he were merely stretching rather than preparing to strike.
He drew his fist back and threw a single punch.
Thud.
The sound was dull and simple, almost unimpressive. Yet a moment later, thin cracks spread rapidly across the tree's trunk, splitting it apart before it toppled heavily onto the ground.
Gojo lowered his arm. At the moment, he wasn't wearing his blindfold. He stared at his fist, flexing his fingers slightly, and said in a calm, analytical tone,
"I didn't put much strength behind that punch… but the Haki coating my fist amplified it enough to crack the tree cleanly."
To an ordinary observer—someone unfamiliar with Haki—his hand would have looked completely normal, no different from before. But to Gojo's Six Eyes, the truth was unmistakable. He could clearly see a thin yet dense layer of Haki clinging tightly to his fist, flowing and reinforcing it like an invisible armour.
Picking up his sword, Gojo shifted his focus. He poured Armament Haki into the blade, hardening it fully. Under the bright daylight, the sword appeared pitch black. However, since the blade was already black by nature, there was little visible change—only the oppressive density of power surrounding it gave away the difference.
Without any flourish or buildup, Gojo made a simple, casual swing.
The result was immediate.
Two trees in front of him were sliced apart effortlessly, their trunks severed so cleanly that they slid past each other before collapsing. It was as smooth as a knife gliding through butter.
Gojo lowered his sword, eyes calm and thoughtful.
"So this is the extent of it," he muttered to himself.
That much was how drastically Armament Haki enhanced the sharpness of his blade.
Gojo slowly sheathed his sword and exhaled, the tension in his body easing as the blade settled into its scabbard. He glanced once more at the fallen trees before speaking to himself, his tone thoughtful and composed.
"My training in Armament Haki is done for now," he said. "From here on, I can continue refining it while I travel. I've grasped the basics of how Haki works."
His gaze shifted to his own hand as he flexed his fingers.
"I should have realized it sooner. That willpower I've always felt inside me… that is Haki. Shaping it, coating it over my body—that's Armament Haki."
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"Thankfully, I ran into Buggy the Clown. Otherwise, it might have taken me days—maybe even months—before I met someone who could use Haki. And without seeing it in action, mastering it would've been much harder."
His expression turned more serious as his thoughts drifted deeper.
"I've already seen the later stages of the One Piece," he murmured. "I know where Haki can go. First comes external emission of Armament… and beyond that, internal destruction. I'll master them one step at a time."
For a brief moment, his brow furrowed.
"As for Conqueror's Haki…"
He paused, trying to sense something—anything—within himself.
"I can't feel its presence. Am I not born with it? If that's the case… that would be a significant loss."
The thought lingered only for a second before Gojo shook his head sharply, dismissing it.
"Hah. I'm overthinking things again," he said lightly. "No point dwelling on it now. Let's get going."
With that, he picked up his jacket, slipped it on, and walked out of the secluded training area, leaving behind the cracked earth and fallen trees as silent proof of his progress.
Not long after, as he made his way along the familiar path, Gaimon appeared in front of him.
"Leaving so early today?" Gaimon asked with mild surprise. "Aren't you going to train anymore?"
Gojo replied calmly,
"I've achieved what I came here for. My training is finished. Thank you for your hospitality and for giving me a place where I could train in peace. I'm truly grateful."
He paused for a moment, then added with a faint smile,
"Consider this a favour from my side. If you ever need help of any kind, contact me however you can. I'll help you."
Gaimon waved it off casually and said,
"Don't worry about it. I usually live here all alone anyway. At least having you around gave me some company, right?"
Gojo smiled in response. Soon after, he boarded his ship, taking along a few bottles of wine and baskets of fruit prepared by Gaimon. With a final wave and a quiet goodbye, he left the Island of Rare Animals behind.
…
Meanwhile, in Loguetown, Smoker stood at a distance, his sharp eyes fixed on the conflict unfolding between the Buggy Pirates and the Straw Hat Pirates. To him, both groups were criminals—pirates with bounties on their heads. Luffy in particular had drawn attention, having been issued a bounty of 20 million berries for defeating the Buggy Pirates and causing chaos at the Shells Town Marine Base.
Given all these facts, Luffy's bounty was well deserved in Smoker's eyes.
For Smoker, the situation was ideal. Two pirate crews clashing with each other meant fewer problems for the Marines. His plan was simple—let them fight, let them exhaust or kill one another, and then have the Marines step in at the very end to clean up the mess and capture whoever remained.
Just as Buggy and Alvida were about to execute Luffy, out of nowhere, a thunderbolt crashed down onto the execution platform. In a blinding flash and deafening explosion, the platform was completely destroyed. The force of the strike shattered it apart—and in that instant, Luffy was saved.
At the same time, the Buggy Pirates finally noticed something else that sent chills down their spines. Marines were everywhere. Surrounding the area from all sides.
And then, their eyes landed on one man.
Captain Smoker.
Sensing that the situation had turned dangerously unfavourable, Buggy and Alvida made a split-second decision. Almost simultaneously, both of them shouted at the top of their lungs,
"Retreat immediately!"
"Run for it! Back to the ship!"
The Buggy Pirates, already in chaos, immediately began scattering in all directions.
----
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