The humiliation and pain of the Pirate King Training Plan's punishments had made him resistant at first, but after nearly a year, the high-intensity training had become almost instinctive.
To be honest, without the constant threat of punishment, Luffy would definitely have slacked off.
It had to be said, habit was a terrifying force.
Now, even without the countdown, he found himself unconsciously training his Haki and developing his fruit ability.
Habit, especially one forced upon you that brought real benefits, was indeed powerful.
It had been nearly a year since he obtained the Pirate King Training Plan. Who knew what would happen next?
"Swimmy, take me to Amazon Lily."
At the shore, Luffy greeted the giant sea snake familiarly.
Ssss...
The snake came close affectionately, lowering its head.
This was the main transport to and from Amazon Lily. Hancock had given specific orders that the snake had to be friendly to Luffy.
Of course, if Golden Lion or Rayleigh tried to get on, the snake would be aggressive, probably spraying venom as a warning.
Hancock's order was that no man other than Luffy was allowed on.
Just as Luffy was about to jump onto the snake's back, a pink figure floated over. It was Perona.
She was holding Kumashi, her expression complicated. She seemed to want to come but was hesitant.
She looked troubled.
"Hm? Perona, are you coming to Amazon Lily too?"
Luffy was a bit surprised.
Perona usually did not like going to Amazon Lily. Occasionally, she would go to play with Marguerite and the other familiar Kuja warriors.
"C-Can't I come?! Are you trying to hide something shady with Hancock?!"
Perona's voice rose, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
"This is called a stress response."
Luffy looked at Perona thoughtfully.
You see, learning was useful.
He could come up with things like that off the top of his head.
"Are you nervous?"
"What do I have to be nervous about?"
With a hint of guilt and panic, Perona blushed as soon as she spoke. Her eyes wandered.
"Then what shady thing do you think I could do with Hancock?" Luffy asked.
Perona choked. Her face grew redder. She shut her mouth quickly, wishing she could take back her words.
Damn, she had said too much.
This was all Nami's fault.
She noticed Luffy's expression shift from confusion to curiosity. He seemed to think she was strange. She quickly changed the subject, her voice dry.
"Nothing. I was just talking. So, are you really thinking about ringing the bell at Marine Headquarters? Nami would definitely not agree."
"I'll talk to Nami and the others about it."
Luffy hesitated. Perona's change of subject seemed forced. Her tone was off.
What was going on?
He looked at her, watching her twist her fingers like Hancock did. He said, "You're starting to sound like Nami."
"D-Do I? I just don't think we need another big fight with the Marines. Are we going to set sail again? If we cause too much trouble, the Marines will be after us constantly."
That was reasonable.
Luffy nodded. That made sense.
"True. I would rather not fight if possible. We'll have to discuss the specifics."
He jumped onto the snake's back and reached out to Perona. "Come on. If you're coming, let's go together."
Perona hesitated, then floated down and let Luffy pull her onto the snake.
She sat behind him, her feelings in turmoil.
Luffy thought she was strange. But she was more confused than anything.
Not long ago, she had received a call from the crew on the secret channel.
The first was the orange-haired navigator.
Her figure made Perona a bit self-conscious.
Her voice was gentle, asking if Perona was adjusting to Amazon Lily and how Luffy was doing, but Perona felt a chill run up her spine.
Especially when she learned that she and Luffy were in a legendary country of only women, with the world's most beautiful woman, Boa Hancock.
Nami had asked, with a smile, "How is Luffy getting along with the world's most beautiful woman?"
Perona could almost see the dark shadow behind the Den Den Mushi's simulated Nami face.
Then the archaeologist, Robin, had joined the call.
Her words were also a bit unsettling.
"Perona-san, I hear Amazon Lily is a very beautiful and special country. Our captain must be having many novel experiences there. If you observe anything interesting, feel free to share it with us."
The meaningful tone made Perona understand, even if she was slow.
Finally, Vivi, who had been smiling the whole time, made a request.
"Perona, we're all worried about Luffy, and we're grateful you're with him. If possible, could you please keep an eye on how Luffy and Hancock interact? We want to know if they're getting along well."
She had added, gently, "For the captain's safety and happiness, of course."
It was only after the call ended that Perona realized.
She had been recruited as a spy.
One is responsible for monitoring Luffy and Hancock's progress.
Hancock's feelings for Luffy were so obvious a blind person could see them.
The three women on the other end of the Den Den Mushi were terrifying.
With just the fact she and Luffy were on Amazon Lily and a few words, they had sensed a potential threat and formed a united front.
Being recognized and trusted, even trusted with an important task, had made Perona a little happy at first.
But for some reason, she could not enjoy it.
She muttered to herself. The women on Luffy's ship were terrifying.
She felt small, helpless, and pitiful. She just wanted to hug Kumashi and scream.
So when Luffy looked at her with those clear, innocent eyes and asked if she was coming to Amazon Lily, she had overreacted.
Luffy was still thinking about the plan to ring the bell and reunite with his crew. He did not press Perona about her strange behavior.
Swimmy cut through the waves, quickly and smoothly heading toward the cloud-shrouded Amazon Lily.
Soon, the familiar silhouette of the island appeared.
After Swimmy docked, Luffy headed straight for the palace.
As a special exception granted by Hancock, he could go almost anywhere on Amazon Lily without hindrance, even certain areas normally forbidden to men.
Of course, he usually only went between the port, the training ground, and Hancock's quarters.
Perona floated behind him, following complicated feelings.
She decided to observe carefully but not to cause trouble or rouse Luffy's suspicion.
"Luffy-sama!"
Several Kuja warriors on guard at the port saw Luffy and stood at attention to greet him.
Luffy's legendary deeds had spread through Amazon Lily.
"Yo!"
Luffy grinned and waved back but did not stop. "Is Hancock at the training ground?"
The lead warrior hesitated, then said, "Shakky-sama said that if you came, you should go to the east side of the palace."
"That's not the usual training place."
Perona could not help but mutter. "Are they going on a date?"
"What?" Luffy did not hear.
"Nothing!"
Luffy noticed something.
Usually, when he came to Amazon Lily, the warriors would surround him and ask questions.
"Luffy-sama, did you really kill that many Celestial Dragons?"
"Only four."
Luffy had corrected them. "If that guy at Impel Down was also a Celestial Dragon."
He was honest.
He could not let rumors spread. If he said he had killed a few today, tomorrow it might be dozens.
But his confirmation made the guards admire him even more.
Those were Celestial Dragons.
The Kuja pirates, who often sailed with Hancock, knew what Celestial Dragons meant.
Only Celestial Dragons could resent them. Even Admirals had to obey the World Government and protect them.
Luffy's standing on Amazon Lily had risen, almost to Hancock's level.
Usually, he would be mobbed. If he were in a hurry, he would have to force his way through.
Today was very quiet.
Even the patrols he met only saluted politely before leaving quickly, as if avoiding the area.
The two walked along a winding path toward the center of the island.
Amazon Lily's vegetation was dense. Strange flowers and plants were everywhere. The air was fragrant.
Before they entered, Hancock's two sisters came to get Perona. They had something important to discuss.
She was sent away.
"Strange. Isn't Hancock here?"
Luffy looked around.
"Of course she is."
A lazy, familiar voice came from behind him.
Luffy turned. Shakky was leaning against a pillar of a pavilion, a long, slender woman's cigarette between her fingers. Smoke curled up, blurring the knowing smile on her lips.
"Shakky, what are you doing here?"
Luffy asked, surprised. "Where is Hancock?"
"No need to rush. You'll see her soon. As for why I'm here, have you forgotten I was once the queen of Amazon Lily?"
"Oh, right. I almost forgot!"
Luffy slapped his head.
It was not just Shakky. Gloriosa was also a former queen.
These two women, seemingly removed from power, still had great influence.
He did not know why Shakky was here today, but she was taking him somewhere else, it seemed to Hancock's quarters.
"Come. Today, we will train somewhere else."
"Why?"
"Because today's training is a little different. I have some insights about Haki to share. After all, I did not spend my years at sea pointlessly."
Shakky smiled.
"Any good ideas?" Luffy asked eagerly.
Shakky looked back, her eyes glinting. "Of course. The Haki of Amazon Lily is a bit different from the outside."
The two walked down a corridor covered in wisteria to a detached building.
The architecture was elegant. Serpentine patterns were carved into the walls. Two female warriors stood at the door. Seeing Shakky and Luffy, they bowed slightly and pushed open the heavy wooden door.
"Come in." Shakky entered first.
Luffy followed. It did not look like a training ground. It looked like the antechamber of a palace.
The space was large, the decorations ornate. The air had a faint scent.
"Little Monkey, you've been learning Haki from Hancock for a while. You should feel that Amazon Lily's Haki is different from the kind the New World pirates and Marines train through sheer force."
Luffy nodded. He agreed.
Hancock often said Haki was not a hard lump of iron but a living thing, like water.
That was a bit different from what Rayleigh and others thought.
"Yes. The Haki most New World pirates and Marines learn is forged in life-or-death battles."
Shakky smiled, watching Luffy take the bait. "Our Haki is based on a system of theory, combined with practice. It is very useful for developing a large amount of Haki."
"Increasing Haki capacity? That is amazing!"
Luffy's eyes lit up.
After nearly a year of training, Luffy had formed his own understanding of Haki theory.
Whether Armament or Observation, the essence was to improve one's will and perception through battle or constant training.
The most common use of Observation Haki was to sense presence. In a state of extreme calm, you could sense an opponent's position, number, strength, and even predict their movements.
Luffy's Observation Haki was a special type within a special type.
It might be related to his ability to talk to animals. He could hear the voice of all things.
He had only learned about this special category of Observation Haki from Shakky and Rayleigh.
They had been surprised.
It was an extremely rare variant, they said. The Pirate King Roger had a similar ability.
Later, in a life-or-death battle with a strong enemy, Luffy had mastered the advanced technique of Observation Haki: future sight.
Even Golden Lion had been impressed.
Luffy's Observation Haki was rarer than Logia or Mythical Zoan.
They were always going on about Conqueror's Haki being one in a million, but this special Observation Haki was truly rare.
His progress with Armament Haki was equally impressive.
He had mastered hardening and flowing emission. He had even begun to explore internal destruction during the Impel Down War.
But as Shakky said, all strong fighters faced the same problem.
The amount of Haki.
Quality mattered, but quantity was equally important.
Especially when Luffy used Nika form or Gear Second Plus, his Haki consumption was terrifying.
This was mostly about Armament Haki. Observation Haki consumption was lower, related to stamina. Armament Haki, though, was a major drain.
Everyone could use Armament, but how long and how much varied greatly.
Luffy had mastered the techniques. Now he needed to shift from quality to quantity.
"Technique is important, but so is reserve."
Shakky smiled, watching Luffy think.
Luffy nodded seriously.
Crack.
He clenched his right fist. The air popped. Black Armament Haki surged over it.
"I need quantity!"
Luffy said seriously.
Once Armament Haki was exhausted, you could only rest to recover.
An older Whitebeard rarely used it in battle. Besides physical issues, his low reserves was a factor.
Against ordinary enemies, Armament Haki might just be helpful. But against troublesome Logias, it was essential.
And a mastered Armament Haki was terrifying.
Garp's iron fist was the best example. One punch and you would not know which way was up.
Luffy had experienced that.
"So, Amazon Lily has a special training method for increasing Haki reserves."
Shakky stepped forward, lowering her voice. "Only the queens know it."
"A special method?"
Luffy was intrigued. "What is it?"
Shakky looked at Luffy's clear eyes and sighed at his innocence.
"It requires two people to be close, to feel the flow of Haki together."
"Ha?"
Luffy looked confused.
He might be uneducated, but do not lie to him.
Would that increase his Haki?
And...
"Me and Hancock? Close?"
Luffy's expression was odd. He sensed something bad.
"What?"
Shakky raised an eyebrow. "Would you rather train with me?"
"No, no!"
Luffy quickly waved his hand and smiled nervously.
If he said yes, Rayleigh might come from the neighboring island.
"Or Gloriosa?" Shakky asked, her eyes glinting.
Luffy shook his head like a rattle. "Gloriosa is even worse."
He paused. "I don't know the details, but this is a secret technique for the queens of Amazon Lily. Isn't it wrong to teach an outsider?"
Shakky was surprised.
Usually, a man's reaction to being close to a woman would show his feelings for her.
But Luffy...
***
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