Chapter 196: Willpower
On the grassy field, Cole sat cross-legged in meditation. Ellis had returned and was now quietly seated alongside Princess Akatsuki, both seemingly lost in thought. Aishi and Sora chattered nonstop around Sister Spoon.
That was the scene Luo Han came back to.
"You're back!"
Aishi ran up to him and stared intently. "What took you so long? Big Sis Spoon came back a while ago, and you still weren't here!"
"And that tremor earlier—did you feel it? It was terrifying."
After her rant, she added, "So, Luo Han, where are we heading next?"
Everyone turned curiously. According to the original plan, they were supposed to stay on Fish-Man Island for a while before escorting Sister Spoon back to Sabaody. But after their recent clash with the Ryugu royal family, sticking around felt… uncomfortable.
Luo Han understood, but now wasn't the time to leave.
"We'll stick to the plAnne and remain on Fish-Man Island for now."
"I'll also use this time to help Ellis awaken her Armament Haki. And everyone else can relax a bit."
If it had been before he uncovered the Poneglyph's secrets, he might've left early. But now—he had a reason to stay and train.
He didn't explain any of this. Even though Akatsuki may have guessed the truth, she wisely kept silent.
"Good thing I already used Kyoka Suigetsu to quietly warn Sister Spoon not to mention the Poneglyph."
Especially with Sora nearby—she kept a close watch on Luo Han. And the World Government strictly monitored all Poneglyph-related knowledge.
Once you touch that topic, you're inviting endless trouble. Just look at Roger—ever since he started chasing Poneglyphs, Garp had been on his heels nonstop.
Luo Han had no interest in having his own "Garp problem."
"We'll stay here in the Sea Forest. Let the Ryugu King arrange for food delivery so we don't have to interact too much. Once we've finished here, we'll leave."
"Alright," everyone agreed. May as well treat this as a time for training.
…
The next day, sunlight bathed the Sea Forest once again.
On the field, Ellis and Luo Han stood ten meters apart, facing each other silently.
The others watched from the sidelines. According to Luo Han, direct impact from Haki was the quickest way to awaken Armament Haki.
Those present—Sister Spoon, Sora, and the rest—had all awakened their Haki through countless battles. But they didn't know if actual Haki clashes had helped. They were curious to see if Ellis could awaken hers this way.
"Come on. Give it everything you've got!" Luo Han said casually.
Ellis narrowed her eyes, nodded, and advanced. At four meters tall, her long legs covered the ground quickly.
"Haa!"
She raised her slender—but powerful—fist and punched Luo Han square in the chest, which was coated in Armament Haki.
CLANG! With their similar physical strengths, her power and defense were formidable.
Luo Han noted the force—but remained unfazed.
"Again!" he encouraged.
CLANG, CLANG… Ellis stood before him, repeatedly punching his chest.
The scene grew… oddly comedic.
"…"
Their exchange looked intense, but to the others—it looked downright weird.
From their perspective, due to the height difference, Ellis had to squat slightly to punch Luo Han's chest properly. Combined with Luo Han standing completely still, it looked less like a sparring session and more like… flirtatious pouting.
"Ahem…"
Eventually, Ellis stepped back, pulling her hands away. She seemed to realize how strange it looked.
"What's wrong, Ellis?"
"Keep going. Armament Haki only awakens through repeated clashes."
"I said I'm done!" she insisted.
Luo Han was confused. Wasn't she just getting started?
"Come on! With your physique, a few more days of sparring and you'll definitely awaken your Haki."
"Let's go!"
Sigh… Luo Han's insistence made Ellis shake her head in exasperation. "Then brace yourself. This one might hurt."
"Go ahead!" Luo Han said confidently. Without Haki, she couldn't hurt him anyway.
Heh. Ellis smirked. In a flash, she stepped forward and drew her arm back. All her strength gathered into a single punch—aimed straight at his gut.
CRACK! The sound of Haki shattering.
BOOM! A colossal force exploded from her fist.
Luo Han's expression twisted in shock as he flew backwards like an arrow, crashing through the forest.
THUD! He smashed through seven or eight trees, carving a trench through the forest.
"Luo Han!" Aishi screamed, bolting after him.
In contrast, Sister Spoon and the others were stunned—watching Ellis in shock.
Luo Han was probably fine. That hit only knocked him away.
But the important part was Ellis. If their senses were correct, she had just used Armament Haki.
"Ellis! You awakened Armament Haki!" Sister Spoon exclaimed, rushing up and examining her arm.
She didn't even use the word "awaken"—she said "unleashed." That's how natural it looked.
"I guess I'm special," Ellis said, raising her arm and showing the black Haki coating. "Once I touched Luo Han's Haki, the energy inside me just… flowed out."
"It didn't feel hard at all."
That left everyone speechless. Akatsuki and Sora, standing nearby, blinked in disbelief.
Especially Akatsuki. Although she couldn't use Haki due to her condition, she knew it was essential to becoming strong.
Watching Ellis, she began to wonder if the reason Fish-Men hadn't reached the surface wasn't just discrimination—but a fundamental gap in potential.
She didn't know Ellis wasn't human.
Sister Spoon touched Ellis's arm and frowned slightly.
"Ellis, this isn't some beginner's Haki. The density… it's almost at my level!"
"Is it?" Ellis said innocently. "I don't know. I just copied how Luo Han's Haki felt."
Her willpower was strong. Once she sensed it, she shaped her own Haki easily.
"You've got scary talent," Sister Spoon muttered.
She glanced toward where Luo Han had vanished. "Still not back?"
"Probably sulking," Ellis chuckled, remembering his stunned face. It was kind of funny.
"Ugh." Sister Spoon sighed. Fair enough. Luo Han usually acted like he didn't care, but everyone knew he was proud of his talent.
This time, Ellis had definitely shown him up.
Lying on the dirt, Luo Han stared at the sky. He wasn't actually shocked by her talent—he'd expected it.
But the power behind that punch had shaken him.
"What unbelievable willpower…"
When Ellis awakened her Haki, he had felt it—a potent, refined will. That's what shattered his own Haki.
"So a strong enough will can not only forge powerful Haki—but break through others' defenses."
He grinned. Ellis had deepened his understanding of Haki once again.
Armament Haki was born from the body. But to awaken it, you needed willpower. Just like how Luo Han had strengthened others' bodies using his Devil Fruit—but without strong will, their Haki remained weak.
That's why they couldn't become monsters like Big Mom.
"I always knew will was important… but I never expected it to instantly elevate a new user's Haki to vice admiral-candidate level."
And the stronger the will, the more lethal the Haki.
Same sword, different wielder—one is a toy, the other a weapon.
Same Haki, different will—one shatters the other.
He couldn't help but admire Ellis.
Even with his Mind-Mind Fruit backing him, his Haki hadn't withstood hers. Others would stand no chance.
...
While he lay there thinking, Aishi arrived beside him.
"You okay?" she asked, kneeling and helping him up. "Ellis didn't have to hit you so hard!"
"I'm fine."
He stood and walked back with her.
"Luo Han, want me to hit you too?" Aishi asked eagerly. She clung to his arm and added sweetly, "Just like Ellis—I'll only hit your chest!"
She even patted her bouncing chest, saying, "Don't worry, I won't send you flying."
"…" Luo Han was silent.
Not because he feared being hit—but because of the soft sensation on his arm.
Something had to happen soon—or his body would start protesting.
"What's wrong?"
Aishi tilted her head. "Are you scared I'll punch you like Ellis did? Don't worry, I won't."
Luo Han didn't reply. He gave her a look: You think I'm afraid of getting knocked away by someone with a weak will and underdeveloped body strength?
He didn't even know where she got that confidence from. Was she singing Ellis's song of courage?
Too tired to respond, he said, "Your body isn't strong enough. You'll just hurt yourself—Haki won't awaken that way."
"Really?" Aishi frowned. "Then why could Ellis do it? She just transformed recently!"
(END CHAPTER)
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