As B finished packing his belongings, mostly clothes and a few personal items, both Aramaki and Jack were making their own preparations to ensure that their supplies for the journey were more than plentiful. Aramaki's palm trees, which he had been carefully growing on the ship since they first built, stood tall on the deck and carried a steady supply of coconuts. These coconuts were not only useful as food but could also provide fresh coconut water, something vital for their survival if their regular water stores ever ran out, especially since they did not yet have a proper navigator to guide them safely through the unpredictable seas.
Alongside the palms, Aramaki had also cultivated a small but diverse fruit grove right on the ship. The trees bore apples, pineapples, oranges, bananas, and pears, all chosen deliberately to give them a balanced supply of nutrition. Jack was particularly insistent on this, because he knew from his knowledge and his instincts that sailors often suffered from diseases like scurvy when they lacked fruits during long voyages.
With these trees, they could avoid such dangers, and it gave them one less thing to worry about. The ship was becoming more like a moving island than just a vessel, and it showed the level of planning they had put into its construction.
When B finally boarded the ship with his packed bundle slung over his shoulder, he immediately began to wander across the deck. His eyes scanned everything — from the polished woodwork of the hull, to the strange mechanisms powered by Aramaki's plants, to the way the air felt fresher here than anywhere else he had been on the island. He walked around with visible amazement, inspecting the outlines of the deck, the structure of the masts, and the living elements seamlessly integrated into the ship. Unlike the ordinary ships he had seen in the harbor, which smelled of tar and sweat and seawater, this ship seemed alive, almost breathing, as if it carried the vitality of a forest within its frame.
"What a great ship," B finally said, unable to hide his admiration. His words carried genuine awe, and it made both Aramaki and Jack feel a little proud of their creation.
"Thanks," Jack replied with a calm smile. "We worked hard to build this ship." His tone was casual, but there was pride in his voice, and that only made B even more impressed.
Aramaki, excited by B's reaction, started telling him the story of how they had put this ship together back when they were in the Tayo Kingdom, from stealing a galleon and repurposing it, to experimenting with Aramaki's Devil Fruit until they managed to create something both durable and alive. B listened with wide eyes, realizing that this wasn't just a ship built with ordinary wood and tools — it was something born from both skill and creativity, as well as relentless training and experimentation.
Jack, however, cut into the conversation with a reminder that wasn't meant to be ignored. He turned to B and said, "Make sure you train more. If you want to match us in strength, you'll need to push yourself harder. A strong Devil Fruit is good, but there's something called Haki that could be used to elevate a person even more,"
B looked at him seriously, and Jack's words carried weight. He remembered something Kaido once said about haki being the power that surpasses all else. Devil Fruits could give you strength, but Haki was the power of will, the only force that could stand above everything, even immortality. Jack had already set his eyes on the future, on the enemies that would one day stand in their way, including the so-called God Knights. To him, the only proper counter to such beings wasn't just raw Devil Fruit power, but haki strong enough to tear through even the most absurd defenses.
B nodded, realizing that Jack wasn't just talking for the sake of it — he was warning him of what was to come.
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The Wicked Wench then continued its voyage across the open sea, and now, instead of just two people living and training on its deck, there were three. The ship felt livelier with the addition of B, who was already adapting to the strange but functional vessel that Jack and Aramaki had built.
During the day, Jack would focus on teaching B the very basics of Haki, something that was considered the true foundation of strength in the world, while Aramaki remained responsible for steering the ship and scouting the surroundings, tasks he made easier through the versatile use of his Devil Fruit, which allowed him to stretch his perception and control across the ship.
"Haki," Jack began, speaking in a calm but serious tone as B listened intently, "is the manifestation of a person's willpower. You could also call it the use of one's spiritual energy, shaped into a force that exists beyond the physical body. There are three main types of Haki, each with its own function and application."
B nodded, his attention sharp, while Aramaki casually leaned against the mast, listening even though he already knew most of what Jack was saying.
"The first type is Observation Haki," Jack continued, "and this one allows a person to sense the presence, strength, and even the emotions of others around them. With enough practice, it can go far beyond just sensing—if you manage to awaken it, you'll be able to see glimpses of the future, five seconds or more. That's something I've already managed to accomplish."
B's expression changed slightly at the mention of seeing the future, and his curiosity made him lean in, eager for more.
"The next type," Jack said, raising his hand and covering it with a faint, dark sheen, "is Armament Haki. This one allows you to use your spiritual energy to form, in essence, an invisible armor around yourself. It provides both offensive and defensive capabilities, strengthening your strikes and shielding your body. Armament also happens to be one of the best counters against Logia-type Devil Fruits, since it can touch their real bodies even when they turn into their element."
B's eyes widened as he watched the faint shimmer on Jack's arm, and Jack smirked, knowing that B was already thinking about how this could change the way he fought.
"And finally," Jack said, his tone steady but heavier, "there is Conqueror's Haki. Unlike the other two, this one is rare and cannot be trained. It is something you're born with. Conqueror's Haki lets you exert your willpower directly over others, intimidating those weaker than you, and if they are much weaker, it can even knock them unconscious instantly. It's not about skill—it's about spirit, and whether you have the presence to dominate others. But for now, you don't need to worry about this one. What we'll begin with is Observation Haki, since that is the foundation for awareness and survival."
Hearing all of this made B excited, especially when Jack mentioned Observation Haki and the ability to perceive attacks before they landed. Jack noticed the spark in his eyes, the same one he once had when Dragon first explained these things to him.
"Alright," Jack said, pulling out a simple bandana from his pocket. "We'll start the same way I started. Wear this over your eyes, and don't remove it unless I say so. The point is to remove your dependence on sight and make you rely on feeling the world around you."
B tied the bandana firmly over his eyes without hesitation, almost too eager, while Aramaki chuckled from the side. "Don't hold back too much, Jack, or he'll never get it."
Jack ignored Aramaki's remark and immediately began. Without giving B any time to adjust, Jack struck him lightly on the head with his fist, coating it in a thin layer of Armament Haki. The strike was not powerful enough to injure him seriously, but it carried enough force to sting and, more importantly, to let B's instincts awaken under pressure. Jack knew from experience that this method was one of the fastest ways to bring out both Observation and the beginnings of Armament in someone with potential.
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The three of them continued their routine for more than a week, their days blending together as the ship sailed endlessly across the calm waters. They had not come across a single island during this time, which was not surprising given that none of them were navigators and their knowledge of sailing was limited at best. Still, they made do with what they had—Aramaki's plants provided fresh water and fruits, while Jack's experience at sea allowed them to avoid major mistakes.
During this stretch, B gradually became more accustomed to the training Jack had given him on Observation Haki. At first, he would get hit almost every single time, unable to sense the attacks that Jack delivered, but slowly, he began to show progress. Every once in a while, B would dodge a strike at the last moment, surprising even himself, though his success was inconsistent. Jack, however, knew that this was part of the process, and that progress in Haki was measured not by speed, but by clarity of will.
One day, while Jack and B were in the middle of another sparring session—Jack throwing swift, deliberate strikes, and B trying to read his intent—Aramaki suddenly shouted from the bow of the ship. His voice was sharp enough to make both Jack and B immediately pause their training.
"Jack! B! Look over there!" Aramaki yelled, pointing toward the horizon with urgency.
Jack turned his gaze to where Aramaki was pointing, and what he saw caught him off guard. In the distance stood a massive, towering red wall that seemed to stretch endlessly upward and across the horizon. It was unmistakable—the Red Line, the gigantic continent that divided the world's seas. Seeing it meant they had come farther than they realized, reaching it even without the help of a navigator.
B lifted his bandana to see for himself and whistled at the sight, while Jack let out a small grin. They had drifted close to one of the most important markers in the world of the sea, and from here, the path to the Grand Line was within reach.
"Should we head toward the Grand Line? Or take the route toward a new sea?" Aramaki asked, his tone even, though his eyes carried a spark of curiosity.
Jack thought for only a brief moment before answering. "A new sea. We don't have a navigator yet, and going to the Grand Line without one would be reckless. We'd be putting ourselves at risk for no reason."
Aramaki gave a firm nod, agreeing with Jack's reasoning. B, too, seconded the decision without hesitation, seeing the sense in it. With that settled, the three of them steered their course toward Reverse Mountain, intending to ride its currents and cross over into the sea that lay on the other side of the Red Line.