"Haoshoku Haki infusion?"
This was the first time Luffy had personally witnessed and experienced this application of power.
There was no denying it—this power was causing him considerable trouble. The force behind Shiki's strike far exceeded any previous slashes, making him wary of recklessly blocking it head-on.
Truth be told, Shiki himself was feeling a bit uneasy.
He did know how to use Haoshoku Haki infusion. It was the hallmark of a top-tier fighter.
But ever since that damned ship's wheel had lodged itself in his head, his mind had been unstable. He rarely used such advanced techniques that demanded immense concentration and willpower.
He never expected to be pushed this far by some upstart today.
Yet Luffy wasn't frightened—he was thrilled.
As expected, fighting these strong opponents yields so much.
"So that red, lightning-like energy on your swords… that's how it works? Looks pretty strong!" Luffy said, impressed.
He absolutely had to learn this power!
Seeing that look of comprehension on Luffy's face, Shiki nearly choked with rage.
Was this brat mocking him?!
Luffy exhaled, the wind and waves tossing his hair. The truth was, Shiki was a worthy training partner for him at this stage.
If you wanted to get stronger, you had to keep challenging powerful opponents—he understood that well.
Back in his dreams, he'd fought the two giant chieftains, Hawk-Eyes, Aokiji, and other strong fighters so many times that he'd practically underwent desensitization training. He felt no particular awe toward so-called legendary pirates.
Just fight, that was all there was to it.
Maybe he could even learn this so-called Haoshoku Haki infusion from Shiki.
With a sharp hiss, the black-red stripes on Luffy's body visibly grew more vivid.
"Gear Second Plus—"
The black-red stripes erupted. As his foot struck the ground, a dull thud echoed, and the stone floor beneath him cracked, leaving a deep footprint. In an instant, Luffy's body materialized directly in front of Shiki.
"Rocket Launcher!"
Bam!
The twin-fisted impact slammed into Shiki, hitting dead center.
But just as he was about to follow up with a combo, a sharp crack of displaced air sounded beside Luffy's ear. His Kenbunshoku Haki screamed a warning, and he strained to turn his head.
"If you want to bring down a legend, then show me your true strength, brat!"
Shiki had already moved to his flank, the Haki-infused blade swinging down viciously.
"Sky Slash!"
Boom!
The instant the sword swung, Luffy crossed his arms before him, only to be sent flying by the immense sword pressure.
Through the dust cloud, Luffy's low-flying figure came into view, his body trembling slightly. Evidently, taking that Haoshoku-infused slash head-on had not been easy.
He dropped downward, executing an agile mid-air spin before landing on one knee, the impact cracking the rock beneath him into a web of fine fissures.
"Hiss."
Luffy grimaced, shaking his numb arms. For a moment, his body wobbled, and sparks flickered before his eyes.
Haoshoku Haki infusion... this power really is something else. It wasn't just physical destruction, it carried a penetrating force that struck directly at the mind and will. That last hit had nearly knocked him unconscious!
And on top of that, the [Pirate King Training Plan]'s warning chime was buzzing annoyingly at an inopportune moment—probably detecting that his body was under too much strain, or maybe urging him to study some cultural lesson or another.
"Shut up!"
Luffy shook his head hard. "Go bother someone else!"
Usually, to get stronger, he'd put up with this ridiculous plan. But in the middle of a thrilling, all-out fight against a top-tier opponent? It wanted to talk about plans? About studying?
Get lost!
Nothing was more important than enjoying a fight and defeating a strong enemy!
The Plan: "..."
With a couple of beeps, it fell silent again.
Luffy almost found it funny.
It was like some expressionless maid usually all cold and demanding, making him do certain things, but after being yelled at, it would slink off to some corner to cry pitifully.
But Luffy's outburst made Shiki naturally assume he was being cursed at, and that set him off.
"The Straw Hat brat dares to order me around?!"
Shiki hovered in the air, suppressing the sharp pain in his head from overusing Haoshoku Haki infusion, and barked at the dust cloud ahead, trying to maintain his dignity as an old-school legend. "I'm Golden Lion!"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Luffy replied dismissively.
Shiki nearly choked.
This feeling—angry yet unable to stay angry—was exactly like dealing with Garp.
"Your vitality is definitely inherited from that bastard Garp!"
Shiki watched Luffy, who had almost instantly recovered his breath and straightened up again, and couldn't help but rub his own chest with a grimace. The spot Luffy had hit earlier was still throbbing. "And you're still standing like nothing happened?!"
"Because I have guts!"
Guts?
Shiki blinked, then burst out swearing. "What the hell! You think guts are something you can eat?!"
"Why can't they be?"
Luffy straightened his back, looking at the fresh wounds on Shiki's body and the blood seeping through his kimono. He laughed loudly. "Besides, there's no way I'm going down before I've completely beaten you!"
"Beat me? Hah! You're still far off, you arrogant little punk!"
Shiki's words were anything but polite, but deep in his eyes, a trace of unspoken seriousness flickered.
Luffy didn't argue. He knew Shiki was mostly just talking tough.
Luffy had absolute confidence in himself. Ever since Foosha Village, his daily training had far exceeded ordinary people's.
Competing with Ace and Sabo on Mt. Colubo, fighting beasts in the deep mountains, enduring hellish training whenever Garp came back—all of it had built an unshakable foundation.
After setting sail, he'd fought his way from the East Blue to the Grand Line, defeating countless pirates with high bounties, including the arrogant Seven Warlords of the Sea. He'd even faced Admiral Aokiji directly and clashed with his grandfather, Garp!
The high-level combat experience he'd lacked had been filled at an astonishing pace over just these few months, and he'd absorbed and digested it all.
Especially when it came to Haki—thanks to the [Pirate King Training Plan]'s hellish drills and his dream battles against fighters like Hawk-Eyes and Aokiji—his progress had been explosive, reaching heights many could never attain in a lifetime.
That said, this fight with Shiki was one of the most intense he'd experienced so far.
The main reason was that Shiki was a top-tier master swordsman with devastating offensive power.
Unlike Aokiji, whose attacks focused on wide-range control and freezing, Shiki's blades carried an extreme sharpness that cut directly into skin and flesh.
And when infused with Haoshoku Haki, the agony of being struck was like being beaten by his grandfather Garp's love-and-death-infused fists as a child!
But now, whether Shiki admitted it or not, the advantage was Luffy's.
No matter how glorious his past, Shiki was ultimately growing old.
On this sea of miracles and vitality, the ravages of time, physical disability, and mental strain were hurdles that even someone as powerful as Shiki couldn't fully overcome.
Having severed his own legs and carrying a ship's wheel lodged in his skull, these things constantly eroded the strength that had once stood at the pinnacle of the seas.
Luffy's greatest advantage was his youth!
He possessed seemingly inexhaustible stamina, and he had no fear of expending energy to enter various forms.
When fights reach their level, the contest was no longer just about raw physical strength or technical power—it was about the resilience of will and the seemingly bottomless reserves of stamina.
Clearly, Luffy had the edge in both.
Youthful vigor!
A will like steel!
Against a stamina monster like Luffy, what could Shiki possibly use to fight?
So what was there to hesitate about?
Keep fighting!
Like Shiki had said, he was a legendary pirate!
As for the legendary pirate's so-called Haoshoku Haki infusion? Luffy really wanted to learn it.
So he'd keep going!
Luffy fixed his gaze on Shiki, a crimson light suddenly erupting from his pupils. A surging black-red torrent burst from his core, transforming into a tangible wave of Haki that rushed toward Shiki like a tidal wave.
"You brat don't you know the meaning of exhaustion?!"
The pressure of that approaching Haki ignited a fire in Shiki's chest. He knew that if this battle of attrition continued, his chances of losing were high.
But retreat?
Impossible!
The pride of a legendary fighter would never allow him to flee without a fight!
And besides, he was fully invested now. Ignoring the sharp pain in his head from forcing high-level techniques, he realized that Haoshoku Haki infusion was currently the most threatening and effective tool against Luffy.
"Come on, brat!"
Shiki surged forward. With a swing of Kareki, he unleashed a terrifying blade of energy—internally threaded with crimson arcs of lightning!
This slash wasn't the usual massive crescent shape. Instead, it was compressed into something like a crimson arrow, its speed reaching an extreme. It nearly instantly closed the distance between them, aimed straight for Luffy's face.
But the instant Shiki swung, Luffy had already entered Gear Second Plus!
His form shifted like a phantom.
Whoosh!
The crimson arrow of sword energy grazed past Luffy's ear, the razor-sharp slipstream even shearing off a few strands of his hair.
Luffy himself, propelled by his speed, instantly appeared at Shiki's flank.
"Gomu Gomu no Plus: Battle Ax!"
Luffy's right leg rose high like a battle ax, Busoshoku Haki coating it instantly as he brought it crashing down toward Shiki's neck!
Thud!
A dull impact.
A lion's head, formed from soil and rock in an instant, materialized beside Shiki, precisely blocking Luffy's powerful strike.
Shiki turned, flashing a ferocious grin at Luffy, who was now within arm's reach. His blade, Oto, gleamed with a cold light as it struck out like a viper, slashing horizontally toward Luffy's midsection.
***
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