Chapter 70 Obtain the evolved Observation Haki!

Wood, who had entered a near-death state, seemed to be drifting in a void, lost in a moment of complete emptiness. Meanwhile, a CP0 officer aimed a "Finger Gun" at Wood's shoulder, stabbing with lightning speed.

As the attack closed in, it felt like a stone breaking the surface of calm water, causing ripples that made Ain's smiling face fade from Wood's mind.

"Brother Wood, you idiot! If you don't wake up, you're really going to get killed. Really, Ain always thought Brother Wood was the strongest and could defeat all the bad guys. You also promised me that you'd always protect Ain, right?"

The illusion before him shattered, and Wood, who had been dazed, suddenly snapped back to reality. His once-empty eyes regained their sharpness.

For some inexplicable reason, the CP0 officer's "Finger Gun," aimed at Wood's shoulder, seemed to slow down dramatically in front of him—as if time itself had decelerated a hundredfold.

No, it wasn't just the CP0 officer's movements that had slowed; everything around Wood seemed to have entered a state of stillness, with time flowing at a crawl. Yet, within this slowed reality, Wood's thoughts and senses remained sharp and clear, as if he had gained some kind of super-vision.

"Finger Gun" is one of the six Rokushiki techniques that relies on extreme speed, requiring the user to generate explosive force within a fraction of a second to give their finger the penetrating power of a bullet.

But now, the CP0 officer looked on in horror as his wrist, the one executing the "Finger Gun," was suddenly caught by the fishman in front of him!

Many warriors could withstand a "Finger Gun," but it was unheard of to catch the attacker's wrist before the blow landed.

As mentioned before, when using the "Finger Gun," the entire arm is in a state of high-speed motion, because only through this can the hand achieve the terrifying acceleration and destructive power it needs.

It's not difficult to predict where a "Finger Gun" will land and block it. However, to catch it with the naked eye and then control the wrist to exert force at the exact moment is simply beyond belief.

Yet, Wood, standing before the CP0 officer, not only tracked the "Finger Gun" trajectory but also grabbed the officer's wrist before the strike could land!

"Do you realize how rude it is to shatter someone's dream? I haven't seen my sister in years—how dare you take my lovely angel away, you bastard!"

The CP0 officer, shocked at first by having his wrist caught, soon found himself pulled by an overwhelming force, and then, with a swift over-the-shoulder throw, he was hurled dozens of meters away by Wood!

The other CP0 officer, witnessing Wood, who had been on the brink of collapse, suddenly explode with new strength, abandoned the idea of capturing him alive. He immediately unleashed a series of shockwaves with his legs, sending a barrage of "Storm Kicks" toward Wood.

With the "Storm Kicks" now raining down in close succession, the CP0 officer was confident that even a strong swordsman like Wood wouldn't be able to escape unscathed.

Wood had managed to hold out so long only because they had intended to capture him alive as a trophy for the Celestial Dragons. But seeing the sudden change in Wood, the cautious CP0 officer decided to take ruthless measures to prevent further complications.

However, to his disbelief, as the dense and close-range "Storm Kicks" approached, the seemingly dying Wood moved like a graceful butterfly, evading the onslaught with minimal movements.

Before the CP0 officer could fully process what he was seeing, Wood had already navigated through the storm of kicks and appeared directly in front of him.

The intense sense of danger snapped the CP0 officer back to reality, prompting him to activate "Armament Haki" to reinforce his arms and brace for defense.

The blue crescent-shaped slash from Wood's blade intensified as it grew in the wind, clashing with the officer's arms, which had turned as hard as metal. Sparks flew from the impact, and the force of the blow sent the CP0 officer flying a hundred meters away!

Wood wanted to pursue him, but the effort aggravated his existing wounds, causing sharp pain that made him wince. Following this last powerful strike, a wave of fatigue washed over him.

Wood knew that if he stayed any longer, even if he managed to defeat these two CP0 officers, he would soon be overwhelmed by the reinforcements that would surely come.

Realizing this, Wood hesitated for only a moment before choosing a direction and fleeing, leaving the dazed CP0 officers and other CP agents behind.

Wood alone understood the changes that had just taken place within him. His physical fitness hadn't suddenly improved, nor had his strength returned—he was still near exhaustion, and his injuries were just as severe as before.

The reason he had been able to suddenly counterattack and even repel two CP0 officers was that, in that critical moment, Wood's "Observation Haki" had undergone a breakthrough!

Wood had first awakened his "Observation Haki" when he was attacked by wild boars in the back mountains. Since then, he had been through countless battles, including this one against two CP0 officers, which had pushed him to the brink of despair. Coupled with his intense desire to survive and become stronger, his "Observation Haki" had evolved!

Battle is the crucible for growth, where one can face immense terror, but also seize immense opportunity. By pushing his "Observation Haki" to its limits while fending off the CP agents, Wood had rapidly improved its level.

At the critical moment, when he saw the faces of Ain, Gion, and others flash before him, his will to survive and grow stronger shattered the final barriers, allowing Wood's Observation Haki to "see" more clearly than ever before!

Standard "Observation Haki" can predict and sense danger, and as Wood had previously explained, it generally falls into four types. However, Wood's evolved "Observation Haki" seemed different from the four types commonly known in the world of pirates.

It was as if his Observation Haki had gained the ability to dramatically slow down his perception of fast movements, allowing him to see them in incredible detail. This ability not only slowed down the actions of his opponents but also allowed Wood to quickly identify flaws in their attacks, almost like having enhanced combat intuition or a heightened sense of weakness detection...