09: Training Begins

Afterward, Rayleigh brought Tony to a giant mountain. Tony stood with his back against the mountain.

Starting with the basics, Rayleigh gathered a pile of stones and placed them 10 meters away from Tony, preparing to launch them as attacks. His goal was for Tony to use his eyes to dodge the projectiles.

As Rayleigh casually fiddled with the stones in his hand, he spoke to Tony.

"Tony, you mentioned before that you have a power similar to Observation Haki, which comes from your eyes."

"Let's start from here. I'll help you get used to the feeling so you can begin exploring Observation Haki."

"Understood, Rayleigh-sensei!"

Before Tony could finish speaking, Rayleigh suddenly threw a stone the size of three fingers, at lightning speed, towards him.

Boom! The stone hit just above Tony's head, embedding itself in the giant mountain with a loud crash.

Tony swallowed nervously. The force of that hit was no joke. If he had been struck, the damage would have been severe.

"I'm strict, Tony. The practice of Haki is no easy feat. You need to be ready to face this with the resolve to get injured!"

Rayleigh's reprimand made Tony's expression tense.

"Let's go!"

Tony activated his Sharingan, focusing intently on Rayleigh's every movement.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!

Several stones were launched at Tony.

Using his Sharingan, Tony followed the trajectories of the stones and swiftly moved to the left or right to dodge each one.

Days passed, one after another... Under Rayleigh's brutal training, there wasn't a day that Tony didn't suffer. His body was covered in injuries from head to toe...

Sometimes, Rayleigh would bring wild beasts to chase Tony, further testing his physical endurance.

Three months passed in the blink of an eye.

As Tony's five senses grew sharper, he started to sense the presence of nearby creatures and predict and evade dangers without needing to rely on his eyes.

The range of attacks—from 10 meters, to 9, 8, and finally 5 meters—was no longer a problem for him.

Though still a beginner, Tony's assistance from the Sharingan made mastering Observation Haki easier.

It took him three months to fully grasp the essence of it. He realized that Observation Haki was deeply linked to one's mental state. To use it effectively, one had to remain calm. If emotions got out of hand or rationality was lost, the technique couldn't be employed.

One night on the Island, Rayleigh sat drinking the last of his small bottle of alcohol, looking at the sleeping Tony.

A smile of satisfaction crept across his face.

As he reflected on the last three months of training... Tony had not disappointed him; in fact, he was more than he could have hoped for.

In just three months, Tony had already mastered the fundamentals of both Armament Haki and Observation Haki.

"Roger, the person you were waiting for has finally arrived..."

Rayleigh raised his glass towards the sky, then drank it all in one go, as though sharing a drink with his deceased friend, Roger.

Even though they were separated by death, the bond between Rayleigh and Roger remained as strong as ever.

Rayleigh left a note for Tony, telling him to stay on the island and practice mastering Haki until he was ready to meet him again at the Sabaody Archipelago.

It was essentially the final test.

Rayleigh draped his coat over Tony and swam back to the Sabaody Archipelago, leaving Tony with the powerboat.

The terrifying former vice captain of the Pirate King passed through the Calm Belt, unfazed by the massive Sea Kings beneath the sea...

Morning came.

The first light of dawn spread across the endless ocean, casting brilliant sunlight on the waves as they crashed against the rocks with a loud roar.

Tony slightly opened his eyes, surveying the area. Around him were several wild beasts—giant red-furred lions, deep blue crocodiles, and massive blue monkeys—watching him with hungry eyes.

At this point, Tony no longer felt the fear he had three months ago. He was no longer intimidated by these creatures.

Training with them was nothing new for him.

"Huh? You all plan to eat me while I'm sleeping?"

"Good thing I'm in a safe zone."

The only safe zone on Rusukaina Island was beneath a tree, where Rayleigh had left his Life Card. The Life Card emitted the user's aura, which acted as a deterrent to the surrounding creatures, causing them to instinctively avoid the area.

Tony read the note Rayleigh had left for him, clearly understanding his message.

The goal was to master Haki completely before leaving.

Without wasting any time, Tony leaped into action, using his Flame-Flame Fruit powers to transform into a blazing inferno and charged at a Red-Furred Lion.

He was eager to leave the island as soon as possible and return for Shakky's cooking. After three months of training under Rayleigh, all he had eaten were roasted meats from wild beasts—awful food that he was tired of.

"Hellfire Pillar!"

Tony gathered fire into both hands, then launched it forward as a massive flame beam, engulfing the Red-Furred Lion entirely.

This attack was far more powerful than his previous flames. With three months of improvement, his control over his Flame-Flame Fruit had reached 18%, making his flames much stronger.

The Red-Furred Lion howled in pain, its entire body set aflame, struggling in agony as it ran toward the sea.

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T/N:

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