Chapter 61 : Observation Haki Training!!

On Top of the Skull Dome. 

"Ugh!"

Ian was taking a beating.

With an eyepatch covering one eye, he had fully entered his Beast Form.

A dark blur, too fast for the naked eye to catch, flashed from the side, slamming into Ian with a powerful kick that sent him flying.

Before Ian could even hit the ground, the same blur folded through the air, appearing again with a punch straight to his face.

Ian's body spun wildly, twirling mid-air like a top, before crashing to the ground in a staggering, clumsy heap. 

"Do you really need to go all out with using Haki, Uncle King!?" Ian grumbled, rubbing his bruised cheek.

A layer of inky black energy that had coated his face slowly faded. Even with Armament Haki reinforcing his defense, the punch left him dazed and seeing stars. 

Damn. King's fists hit hard.

This level of power wasn't any weaker than what Marco could dish out.

"The only way to unlock your full potential," King said, standing over Ian with his usual stoic demeanor, "is by facing real danger."

The flames on King's back had gone out, and his clenched fists glimmered with Armament Haki, pulsating with invisible energy. "Until you awaken Observation Haki, I won't stop. If you die, that's your own bad luck."

Ian had asked King for help with his training.

On their way back to Wano, Ian had already gotten the hang of Armament Haki hardening—more or less. But the last step to awaken Observation Haki remained frustratingly out of reach. 

He just needed... one more push. 

The war against the Whitebeard Pirates was right around the corner, and Ian knew he needed to evolve into his strongest form. 

Honestly, mastering Armament Haki wasn't that big of a boost for him. 

In terms of offense, the flames of The Winged Dragon of Ra were more than enough to settle things. 

As for defense? His current level of Armament Haki barely added anything beyond what he already had.

But Observation Haki was different. If he could awaken it, it would dramatically enhance his ability to fight in close-quarters combat.

Ian figured that before the war started, it was best to master Observation Haki. 

As for why King was his sparring partner instead of Kaido, there were a couple of reasons. 

First, Kaido never believed in sparring—he only called Ian over to pummel him, never the other way around. 

The second reason was that King was perfect for honing Observation Haki. 

Once he extinguished the flames on his back, his speed was unbelievably fast, making him the ideal opponent. 

Compared to him, Queen—who only volunteered out of spite because Ian's bounty surpassed his—was quickly dismissed. 

However, it seemed King was taking this training a bit too seriously. 

No wonder he insisted on using his abilities. 

"Here I come!" 

King's towering figure blurred, leaving behind streaks of afterimages. Even with his eyes open, Ian would've struggled to dodge the attack—much less now, with a blindfold over them. 

In less than a fraction of a second, King's kick landed squarely in Ian's gut. The force sent him flying like a cannonball, smashing through several rocky hills, causing the entire skull-shaped island to tremble. 

Ian sucked in a sharp breath. 

On second thought, maybe Armament Haki was useful after all—at least it didn't hurt as badly as getting punched by Marco. 

He hadn't even managed to pull himself out of the rubble when the sharp sound of wind tearing through the air signaled another incoming attack. 

Instinctively, Ian crossed his arms in front of his chest, reinforcing them with Armament Haki. 

BOOM! 

King's powerful punch struck Ian's hardened arms, sending him crashing through yet another rocky hill. Spinning uncontrollably, Ian shot into the sky like a broken top. 

Before he could regain his balance, King switched to his hybrid beast form. His speed in the air was even greater than on the ground, and the enormous black wings on his back sliced through the air like twin blades. 

Ian could barely react as shallow cuts began to appear across his body from the relentless strikes. 

THUD. 

Ian slammed hard into the ground. 

"This isn't working…" 

He staggered to his feet, wobbling slightly. 

"What's that?" 

King hovered above him, wings flapping, his gaze cold and condescending. "Already had enough?" 

"Of course not." 

Ian shook his head. "It's just... With my eyes covered, my ears are still picking up too much noise. It's distracting." 

"Want me to deafen you too?" 

King's tone was eerily calm. 

"You'll heal anyway, right?" 

Ian chuckled. "Haha."

Ian gave a couple of awkward chuckles. As expected of Uncle King, the interrogation maniac. 

"No need to go that far..." 

"All you need is... this." 

Life Return! 

In an instant, Ian's ear—arched like gold—twisted and folded over, covering his hearing entirely. 

Just like that, he couldn't hear a thing.

"Heh, good." 

There was a trace of amusement in King's cold snort. This kid never hesitated or compromised when it came to getting stronger. 

Too bad Ian couldn't hear the compliment.

"Alright then, here I come!" 

King vanished in a blur, his full speed unleashed. Like teleportation, his knee drove mercilessly into Ian, sending him flying. 

Even before Ian could steady himself mid-air, King had already outpaced him, following up with a powerful whip kick that slammed Ian straight into the ground.

Ian could do nothing—he couldn't even put up a defense. He hadn't been able to track King's movements at all.

Man, that really hurt... 

But now wasn't the time to focus on the pain. 

The only way to use Observation Haki effectively was to stay calm.

Ian forced himself to calm down. 

The principle behind Observation Haki was that every living being made subtle "sounds" with their movements. The ability to perceive those unique sounds formed the basis of Observation Haki. 

He concentrated. 

Listening intently for Uncle King's sounds as the man charged in again. 

---

Three days later. 

After another grueling afternoon of sparring with Uncle King, Ian dragged himself back to the main hall of Onigashima, having finally recovered from his injuries. He was starving and ready to find some food. 

"Ian! Look at this!" 

He hadn't walked far when he saw an excited Yamato rushing toward him. 

The girl grinned proudly, holding a wolf-fanged club in front of him like she'd just discovered treasure. 

A dark, ordinary-looking club—indistinguishable from the previous one she'd used. 

"Behold! Takeru No. 2!" 

Ian glanced at the spiked club. "Finally finished, huh?" 

"Yup! Just completed it today! The timing is perfect, right?" 

Yamato grinned cheerfully. 

"It sure is," Ian agreed. 

Upgrading equipment just before a major battle? Perfect timing for a dungeon run. 

You gotta hand it to Kozuki Sukiyaki—his sense of timing is impeccable. 

"Ian! Come test it out with me!" Yamato said eagerly, eyes sparkling. "Let's see how strong Takeru's power really is!" 

"Sure, I'm down," Ian said without hesitation. "But first, let me grab something to eat." 

"Okay!" 

After dinner, the two of them made their way to the Skull Dome. Considering the ruckus they were about to cause, they needed a space that could handle it. 

"Ian! Ready?" 

Yamato gripped the spiked club tightly, and the once-black iron rod instantly turned a brilliant white. 

Huh? 

It can transform? 

That's actually kinda cool. 

"Bring it on!" Ian beckoned her with a smirk, clenching his fists as they turned pitch-black. 

The sparring sessions with King over the past few days had really paid off. Ian's Observation Haki still needed work, but his mastery of Armament Haki was coming along nicely. 

"Alright, then—" 

With a burst of speed, Yamato launched herself forward. "Glacial Slash!" 

A thick mist surged from the iron club, spreading in an instant. 

Ian didn't dodge. Instead, he met her head-on with a punch. 

CLANG! 

The clash resounded loudly through the air. 

Yamato was sent flying backward by the force of Ian's strike. 

She had always been at a strength disadvantage, and now that Ian had honed his Armament Haki, clashing head-on only widened the gap further. 

However… 

Ian raised his fist. 

His right hand was now encased in solid ice, freezing his fist into a solid lump. 

"Does Yamato gain ice powers even without using her DF abilities?" 

Not surprising—after all, Takeru couldn't be just turning white, right? 

"Hehe!" 

Yamato chuckled mischievously. "Haki and stamina are being absorbed and turned into ice power! This is so interesting!" 

Ian gave his right hand a sharp shake, shattering the ice. 

Though the ice couldn't fully bypass his Armament Haki, his hand was still a bit numb. 

"Just use your full ability already," Ian said. 

"Alright!" 

In the blink of an eye, a white-furred werewolf appeared in front of Ian. 

"Oooooh!" 

Yamato suddenly cheered, lifting her spiked club into the air. "This is so cool! I think this might be really fun, Ian!" 

"Go ahead, then." 

Ian shrugged. 

"Alright, then—" 

Yamato gripped her club tightly and took a stance like a baseball player ready to swing. 

"Phantom Fang Slash!" 

She swung the club. 

Whoosh! 

A wave of white energy swept across the field in an instant. 

In front of Yamato, a small crescent-shaped ridge formed, rising a few meters high and made entirely of solid ice. 

Ian was frozen inside the thick block of ice. 

But only a few seconds later, golden flames burst from within, shattering the frozen prison. 

From the blaze emerged Ian, now clad in the form of the Gold Armor Winged Dragon. 

Even he couldn't help but marvel. "I didn't expect the power could be boosted to this level." 

This is making me want to get my own personal weapon now. 

**********

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