Rayleigh stood up and paced a few steps across the deck, looking genuinely excited.
"I have always believed that when it comes to advanced Haki, the difference lies in how well you control the details."
"And what you are sensing points straight at the most fundamental details."
"Even if you cannot fully grasp it clearly yet, that feeling itself is a treasure."
He walked back to stand in front of Bullet, his tone now solemn.
"What you just said... gave me a lot of inspiration."
"Perhaps the 'internal destruction' of advanced Armament is not just about releasing force from within..."
"Maybe it also involves disrupting the arrangement of the opponent's Haki dots from the inside."
"And perhaps the higher applications of Conqueror's Haki have to do with using resonance at the same frequency to influence how those dots vibrate."
The more he spoke, the further his thoughts opened up. Vague ideas he had once had about advanced Haki seemed to finally find a possible entry point.
It was not that Bullet's perception had directly given him the answers.
Rather, it had handed him a completely new framework to think within.
"Bullet."
Rayleigh's voice softened, carrying the warmth of a mentor who had just found an outstanding student.
"Thank you for telling me all this."
"This is very... important."
Bullet felt a small breath of relief leave his chest, mingled with a flicker of surprise.
He had only meant to toss out a few scraps to cover for himself, maybe earn a bit of goodwill.
He had not expected that, for someone at Rayleigh's level, this "microscopic perspective" would hold such immense value.
It made him see the potential of his devouring talent in a new light.
It did not just help him learn quickly. Even the byproducts of its analytical process could be priceless.
"As long as it helps you, Mr. Rayleigh, I am glad."
Bullet replied with sincere respect.
Half of that sincerity was real. Rayleigh truly was teaching him with care.
Rayleigh looked at the boy in front of him, so calm in the face of praise and pressure, and could not help but feel a quiet admiration.
A prodigy without arrogance.
Someone who carried secrets, yet shared just enough of what mattered with caution and clarity.
Strong in will, clear in purpose...
This little monster Roger had brought aboard... his future achievements would be impossible to predict.
"From today onward..."
Rayleigh made a decision.
"Morning basics will continue as usual."
"But in the afternoon, for Haki training, you will have more freedom."
"I will not give you a fixed training regimen anymore."
"You can follow your own feeling, try and explore as you see fit."
"Whether it is condensing, changing, or sensing the different auras everyone else on this ship releases."
He paused to stress the next part.
"But if you experience any new sensations, confusion, or if anything goes wrong during your experiments, you must tell me immediately."
"This kind of deep level perception and exploration carries both risk and opportunity. I do not want you injuring yourself because you groped forward blindly."
It was an enormous amount of freedom... and a much deeper level of trust.
He was no longer just a student being shaped.
He was becoming a partner in exploring an unknown field.
"Yes, Mr. Rayleigh."
Bullet answered.
This was exactly what he wanted.
More freedom to use his devouring talent to probe deeper into the mysteries of Haki, with a top tier powerhouse watching his back.
"Go on, then. Let us start with the morning training."
Rayleigh waved a hand, his composure restored, though the glint of thought still lingered in his eyes.
He had a lot to digest from the new angle Bullet had given him.
Bullet nodded and moved to the side to begin his warmup.
The thick morning mist was slowly thinning. Sunlight began trying to pierce through the clouds.
He could feel it... that his relationship with the Dark King vice captain had subtly shifted from this moment on.
A bond of teacher and student was quietly forming, built on mutual inspiration and deepening trust.
And within him, the devouring core seemed more active and hungry than ever after this successful "feedback."
It craved more to analyze.
More to consume.
To digest every secret of this world's power system, turning them into the stepping stones of Bullet's path to the summit.
Ahead, on the sea where the fog was beginning to part, the horizon looked clearer... and far, far wider.