Koby steadied himself, then did exactly as he had been told, pressing his palms together in front of his chest and silently saying in his heart:
Use.
The moment that thought passed through his mind, the card in his hands suddenly released a soft glow. Then it dissolved into a stream of energy that flowed straight into his body, and just as quickly, the light vanished.
"This..."
The scene was so strange and miraculous that Koby was left staring in shock. Before he could even marvel at it properly, however, a wave of information surfaced inside his mind.
[Beginner Observation Haki Card used. Obtained Haki: Beginner Observation Haki.]
Koby had never learned anything related to Observation Haki before.
Yet in that instant, he had already grasped it.
As Observation Haki settled into him, Koby felt as though he had grown a second pair of eyes. The world around him seemed to widen all at once, every movement, every presence, every subtle shift entering his awareness with startling clarity.
After feeling that mysterious sensation for himself, Koby's shock quickly turned into unrestrained joy.
"Amazing... this is amazing! I really learned Observation Haki!"
He still found it hard to believe. Just because of one small card, he had actually learnt something this incredible. It felt completely unreal.
Watching Koby nearly burst with excitement, Amon smiled and said, "Well? I didn't lie to you, did I? Spend a hundred thousand berries and learn a skill this strong, that's absolutely worth it."
Koby nodded furiously.
"Yes, yes, it's incredible!"
Amon chuckled. "What comes next is even better. Paired with Observation Haki, it'll make you much stronger. I can guarantee that if you join the Marines, it won't be long before you become an officer."
If Koby really did enter the Marines, Amon was confident this set alone could push him upward in a very short time.
After all, even within the Marines, people who could use both Observation Haki and the full Six Powers were rare. And Koby was only a kid.
If a child his age arrived already carrying both, he would absolutely be noticed.
And on top of that, he still had Momentum Amplifier to offer Garp.
With that and Amon's own goodwill attached to it, Garp would definitely take good care of him.
"There's something even stronger than Observation Haki?"
Koby already felt the hundred thousand berries had been more than worth it just for this one card.
And the money had not even been his to begin with.
Now that he heard there was something even more valuable still waiting, his happiness doubled on the spot.
"Of course." Amon pointed at the black card in Koby's hand and grinned. "That black one is the Beginner Marine Six Powers Master Card. Once you use it, you'll immediately learn the Marine Six Powers."
"The Marine Six Powers?"
"Yes, the Marine Six Powers."
Koby clearly had no idea what that was, so Amon began explaining it in detail.
"The Marine Six Powers are a combat style developed by the Marines, techniques that push the human body past its normal limits. There are six moves in total: Iron Body, Shave, Paper Art, Moonwalk, Tempest Kick, and Finger Pistol."
He paused, then began listing them one by one.
"Iron Body is the technique of tightening your muscles and controlling your blood flow until your body becomes as hard as iron. It's mainly used for defense."
"Shave is performed by kicking the ground dozens of times in an instant, creating explosive recoil that lets you move at terrifying speed."
"Paper Art is the art of loosening your body and sensing the changes in the air around you, letting you avoid attacks like a sheet of paper drifting with the enemy's force."
"Moonwalk uses explosive leg strength to move through the air itself. As long as you can kick the air, you can travel in midair."
"Tempest Kick is a vacuum blade generated by a high-speed, high-power kick. It cuts like a wind scythe."
"Finger Pistol is done by tightening the muscles in your fingers, or combining them with Armament Haki, until your fingers strike with the penetrating force of bullets."
"That is the Marine Six Powers. If you train them to a high enough level, even Devil Fruit users can be beaten down with ease."
"Wow wow, so cool..."
Koby listened with shining eyes, feeling more and more amazed with every word.
The thought that he would soon be able to master such incredible combat techniques himself made his whole body buzz with excitement. He wanted to learn it immediately.
"Sir, how do I use the Marine Six Powers card? The same way?"
Seeing Koby's nervous, eager expression, Amon gave a sly smile.
"Yes. Same as the white Observation Haki card just now. Hold it in front of your chest, bring your palms together, and silently say use."
Most card-type items worked in more or less the same way. By now, Amon was thoroughly familiar with the process.
"Alright. Thank you!"
After getting Amon's instructions, Koby nodded excitedly. He copied the posture from before, lifted the card, and closed both hands around it.
"Use!"
The moment the word left him, the card once again dissolved into light and sank into his body.
Under the effect of the card, Koby felt his body itself begin to change.
He grew stronger.
The short, scrawny frame he had before was abruptly pulled upward by more than ten centimeters.
At the same time, his muscles and bones rapidly transformed and strengthened.
Even Amon had not expected such a dramatic reaction.
It seemed this card did more than simply teach the Six Powers. It also remade the user's body into a state capable of wielding them.
It was somewhat similar to a beginner enhancement liquid, though clearly more advanced. It not only strengthened the body, but also let someone instantly master the Six Powers.
As expected of someone destined to become an Admiral in the future. Koby's luck really was ridiculous.
"Arigatou, sir!"
Koby felt as though his body was overflowing with power now, like one careless punch might actually kill someone.
If Amon had not sold him this jar, there was no way he would ever have obtained such power.
Then Koby suddenly seemed to realize something.
"Right, Sir, I still haven't asked your name."
He felt he had to know it. Only then could he properly repay Amon in the future.
Amon smiled.
"My name is Amon. Honestly, even if you hadn't asked, I was about to tell you anyway. Because the last item is very important. It's something you absolutely need if you want to become an outstanding Marine officer."
The last one was a truly outrageous support item.
And right now, the one who held the Pedro BGM was Garp.
As long as Koby brought this over, Garp would definitely be delighted.
This was Koby's destined connection with Garp.
Things like fate were hard to explain.