49: Zephyr's Guidance

"Shave!"

In a flash, she appeared in front of Ron, lifting her foot to kick him.

Ron raised his arm, catching the kick head-on.

"So much power... from such a small body..."

Ain felt a bit shocked.

But she didn't pause. With a twist in midair, she brought a fierce downward kick toward Ron's head.

Ron narrowed his eyes and lifted his right leg, countering her kick directly.

Ain's slender figure was pushed upward by the powerful impact.

The wooden planks beneath Ron's feet splintered.

Ain used Moonwalk from the Marines' Six Powers to remain in midair, then lifted her leg and struck downward.

"Tempest Kick!"

With a sharp slicing sound, a powerful white slash surged toward Ron below.

"Ain truly is the strongest of our class—she's already mastered the Six Powers this well," someone commented.

"And her swordsmanship is also the best among us."

"Don't forget, she's also a Devil Fruit user."

"Even if that rookie's strong, there's no way he could beat her, right?"

The watching Marine recruits murmured amongst themselves.

But in the next instant, a scene that left everyone speechless unfolded.

Facing the descending white slash—

The black-haired boy, Ron, also lifted his leg, delivering a sweeping kick in midair.

A slash wave, even longer and wider than Ain's, shot out!

It shredded Ain's Tempest Kick, barreling toward her.

"What?!"

Ain was startled.

She didn't have time to dodge and could only raise her arms to guard herself.

"Iron Body!"

Using Iron Body, she blocked the attack without getting injured but was forced back, nearly flying off the edge of the battleship into the sea.

Binz, wielding his Thrust-Thrust Fruit ability, quickly extended a vine to catch Ain, pulling her back to safety.

Several Marine recruits exhaled in relief.

But most of them stared at Ron, now lowering his leg, with astonished eyes.

"That move... that was a Tempest Kick, right?"

"He actually knows the Six Powers too?!"

Zephyr fixed his gaze on Ron, his heart equally shaken.

That was definitely a Tempest Kick.

Didn't Sengoku forbid anyone from teaching him the Six Powers?

Then how did he manage to learn it?

Was it Garp's doing?

No.

Garp may be carefree, but he wouldn't cross the line like that...

Zephyr remembered a small figure often watching from afar when he was training the recruits at the Marine School of Justice.

A surprising thought flashed through his mind.

Could it be...

He learned it... just by watching?!

Zephyr approached Ron and said, "Ron, come with me."

The tall and short figures left the deck, leaving the stunned Marine recruits behind.

Inside the battleship.

In Zephyr's quarters.

The room was simple; aside from some documents on the desk, there was only a Den Den Mushi and a photo, with the bed neatly made.

Zephyr, wearing his sunglasses, sat on a chair, arms crossed as he looked at Ron, who was carrying Raikiri on his back.

"What you used earlier was undoubtedly the Tempest Kick from the Six Powers. Can you tell me how you learned it?" Zephyr asked curiously.

Ron saw no reason to hide it and replied, "I learned it while watching your training at the Marine School of Justice. Once you understand the principles, it's actually pretty simple."

Simple...

Zephyr's eye twitched.

How long did it take him to learn the Six Powers?

Five or six years, perhaps.

Not even the "monsters" like Kizaru, Aokiji, and Akainu ever called it simple.

But considering the little guy's monstrous strength and speed, and the fact that he had already mastered Haki...

For him to say the Six Powers were simple...

That he could master the Tempest Kick from watching alone...

Maybe it wasn't so far-fetched after all...

"How many of the Six Powers have you learned?"

"Just Tempest Kick and Shave. Shave's a bit harder than Tempest Kick, so I haven't mastered it yet," Ron admitted.

He'd even learned Shave...

This kid hadn't been at Marineford for even two months, right?

Zephyr took a sip of water to calm himself.

Reflecting carefully, he realized that it did make sense.

The Six Powers require a strong physique as a foundation.

Mastering Tempest Kick depends on strength and speed, while Shave relies solely on speed.

This kid's strength and speed were already there.

Once he grasped the principles and practiced enough, achieving mastery quickly wasn't impossible.

He glanced at Ron.

To this kid, the Six Powers probably were simple.

"Do you want to learn all of the Six Powers?" Zephyr asked, setting down his cup.

To his surprise, Ron shook his head. "No. Trying to learn too much won't help me. I only want to master Tempest Kick, Shave, and Moonwalk."

"Focus... that's the essence," Zephyr said, growing even more impressed with the black-haired boy before him.

"As for Moonwalk, you just need to shift your strength into your legs and release it in a burst. With your current strength, you should be able to do it," Zephyr casually explained the principle and technique of Moonwalk.

Ron's eyes flickered.

Just as Garp said...

Zephyr couldn't help but teach those he saw potential in.

"Have you learned Observation Haki?"

"No, not yet."

"Alright." Zephyr nodded. "Observation Haki differs from Armament Haki. Most people awaken it after experiencing an intense emotional trigger. You're still young, so there's no need to rush it."

"I understand," Ron replied.

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T/N:

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