A violent burst of flame erupted in the air—a feint from Shura. In the next instant, his javelin struck the shield of liquor…
As the flames ignited, the alcohol burned away, and Ohm's longsword returned to his hand.
Now, Shura, Ohm, and the heavily injured Gedatsu stood together, their gazes fixed intently on Vivi.
"The ordeal truly begins now!" Shura declared, his voice low as he brandished his javelin at her.
Vivi summoned all the liquor back to her, creating a swirling vortex around her body. Her expression was grim as she faced the three priests.
"Exchange!"
With a soft command from Ryuuto, two beams of black light shot out from his body and drilled into Vivi in a flash.
The only noticeable change was the 200,000-point deduction from Ryuuto's reputation value.
He had just purchased Armament Haki and Observation Haki for Vivi.
Ryuuto had originally wanted to acquire Conqueror's Haki for her as well, but the system had returned an error: Exchange Impossible.
This was likely related to the very nature of Conqueror's Haki. It was the disposition of a king, an innate talent possessed by only one in a million.
It could not be learned.
"Huh? Why do I suddenly have all this new knowledge in my head?"
Vivi clenched her right fist, a strange feeling washing over her. The skin on her hand instantly hardened to the color of black iron, crackling with arcs of dark lightning.
"This… this can't be Armament Haki, can it?"
The sight was strangely familiar, and she voiced her suspicion aloud. Her eyes darted toward Ryuuto, who was still perched on the ship's rail. He gave her a slight nod.
A tremor went through Vivi's heart.
"The captain is incredible! He… he made me master Haki in an instant!"
Her gaze toward Ryuuto was now laced with a deep adoration, her heart skipping a beat as an unfamiliar warmth spread through her.
Although Crocus hadn't intervened in the fight, he had been watching Vivi closely. Seeing her manifest Armament Haki left him utterly stunned.
"Rayleigh! You're a terrible teacher!"
Crocus suddenly thought of Nami, who was still training so diligently, and couldn't help but curse the Dark King in his mind.
When it came to teaching Haki, Captain Ryuuto was in a league of his own!
Jean Bart also stared at Vivi's hand, sensing that something was fundamentally different.
"Flame-Forged Iron Cloud Slash!"
Ohm roared as his longsword extended, twisting and turning in unpredictable patterns. Imbued with Shura's roaring flames, it carved a burning path toward Vivi.
In its wake, trees were cleaved in two.
This was their coordinated assault. The blade's unpredictable path and sharpness, combined with the flame that was a natural counter to her liquor, made Shura and Ohm confident that the blue-haired woman had no way to defend against it.
"Die!"
As the flaming sword closed in, a savage grin spread across Ohm's face, as if he could already see Vivi's head flying from her shoulders.
Unfortunately for him…
The Vivi of now was not the same person she had been just a few minutes ago.
She was terrifyingly strong.
Sitting cross-legged on the ship's rail, Ryuuto watched with a faint smile. He had seen the black lightning crackling around Vivi's fist.
He knew she had successfully mastered Armament Haki.
"Now, it's time to see the results," Ryuuto thought to himself.
"Slow! Far too slow!" In Vivi's eyes, the approaching sword was still visible, but with her newfound Observation Haki, its movements seemed to crawl. She could clearly predict its final trajectory.
"Is this the power of Haki?"
Vivi couldn't help but marvel, a surge of heroic spirit rising within her.
With a sound like tearing air, Vivi's figure leaped and vanished from sight.
When she reappeared, she was already behind the three priests.
"Armament: Spirit Impact!"
With a sharp cry, a colossal fist of liquor formed around Vivi's right hand. Imbued with Armament Haki, the liquid fist instantly hardened into a black, obsidian-like mass, hurtling toward the three men with devastating force!
"When did she get there?!"
Shura and Ohm's eyes widened in sheer terror.
As the massive black fist descended, they felt an overwhelming sense of dread.
"Flame Javelin!"
"Iron Cloud Wall!"
The two shouted in unison. Shura thrust his javelin forward, a torrent of flames erupting toward Vivi's attack.
Ohm recalled his Iron Cloud sword, twisting it into a thick, spherical shield that enveloped him completely. The Iron Cloud Wall was known for its defensive prowess, capable of deflecting both slashes and impacts.
Even Gedatsu, despite his injuries, was not idle. He propped himself up and spread his hands, conjuring a Swamp Cloud in front of them.
BOOM!
Just as their defenses were set, Vivi's Haki-infused fist arrived.
The obsidian fist, dozens of meters high, smashed through trees and anything else in its path, crashing into Shura with unstoppable momentum.
Under the immense power of Armament Haki…
Shura's flames and javelin were shattered in an instant. He coughed up a mouthful of blood as he was sent flying by the giant fist, slamming hard into the ground.
"Defeated! I'm completely outmatched!"
That was the last thought that crossed his mind before he lost consciousness.
Ohm and Gedatsu watched in horror, their hearts gripped by fear.
"How did she suddenly get so strong?!"
"Shura couldn't even take a single hit!"
"We're finished!"
Their minds raced with frantic thoughts as the black fist blotted out their vision.
The obsidian behemoth smashed into the Iron Cloud Wall and the Swamp Cloud. The techniques Ohm and Gedatsu were so proud of held for only a few seconds before shattering completely.
BOOM!
With its remaining power, the black fist slammed all three men into the earth.
One move.
Vivi had effortlessly defeated the three priests with a single attack.
"Unbelievable! I… I'm this strong now!"
Vivi stared at the aftermath, her mind reeling from the shock of her own power.
She dispelled the giant liquor fist and looked at her own hand in disbelief. A single thought echoed in her mind. "So this is Haki… the ticket for the powerhouses of the New World! I guess this means I've finally joined their ranks!"
A wave of pure joy washed over her.
Crocus watched her with a proud, gratified smile, stroking his chin.
Jean Bart's thoughts were simpler: "Following Captain Ryuuto was the best decision I've ever made!"
Swoosh!
Ryuuto leaped lightly from the ship, landing beside Vivi.
"Vivi, how do you feel? Take some time to get used to your new Armament and Observation Haki. Master them well," he said with a soft smile.
"Thank you, Captain!"
Snapping out of her daze, Vivi rushed to his side and hugged his arm, her voice filled with excitement.