Luffy's eyes lit up.
[Electric Resistance Training complete.]
[Total Duration: 35 minutes.]
[Detected: Host attempted current guidance during training and independently developed a technique.]
[Reward: Electric Resistance increased to LV1 (Level 1 shock pain reduced by 20%).]
[Bonus Reward: Free training time reduced by 30 minutes.]
A new notification appeared on the light screen.
Luffy panted, wiping sweat from his face.
He was exhausted—but exhilarated.
He had discovered another secret of the system—
If he independently developed training methods, he could earn extra rewards.
Was that considered exploiting a loophole?
Luffy grinned.
"Looks like I'll have to use my brain more from now on…"
After resting for five minutes, he began his free training.
He chose "Reaction Speed Training."
It was something he had come up with himself:
He hung over a dozen small sandbags in the yard, blindfolded himself, and tried to strike them by identifying their positions through sound alone.
At first, it was incredibly difficult.
With his eyes covered, he could only rely on hearing the subtle swishing sounds as the sandbags swung.
But the sounds were faint—and with so many swinging at once, they overlapped into chaotic noise.
Luffy missed more than a dozen times before barely managing to hit one.
"This won't work… too slow…"
He pulled off the blindfold and frowned in thought.
Then he remembered—
After yesterday's dream training, the system said: "Observation Haki seed activated."
He still couldn't consciously feel any "Observation Haki," but…
Could he try using "perception" instead of just hearing?
Closing his eyes, Luffy took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.
He recalled the sensation from fighting in the dream space.
That intense focus.
That heightened awareness of everything around him.
Gradually, he entered a strange state.
His breathing slowed. His heartbeat steadied. The sounds in his ears grew clearer.
The wind.
The swaying of the sandbags.
Villagers talking in the distance.
And even…
The faint sound of an ant crawling across the ground?
Luffy's eyes snapped open.
He looked toward the corner of the yard.
There really was an ant crawling there.
"I just… heard an ant?"
He froze.
No normal person could hear something that small.
Could this be…
The embryonic form of Observation Haki?
His heart began pounding wildly.
He quickly blindfolded himself again and tried once more.
This time, he didn't try to listen.
He tried to sense.
To sense the movement of air.
To sense the breeze stirred by swinging sandbags.
To sense every subtle shift in his surroundings.
And then—
"Left!"
He threw a punch.
Bang!
Direct hit.
"Right!"
Another punch.
Bang!
"Behind!"
He twisted, elbow striking out.
Bang!
He grew faster.
Sharper.
Though he still missed occasionally, his hit rate had improved from one in ten to nearly one in three.
An hour later.
Luffy removed the blindfold and looked at the swaying sandbags across the yard, a smile spreading across his face.
His clothes were soaked with sweat.
But he didn't feel tired.
He felt thrilled.
Because he had improved again.
Just a little.
[Free Training complete.]
[Detected: Host has preliminarily activated perceptual ability during training.]
[Reward: Observation Haki Seed Growth +5%.]
[Current Growth: 5%.]
Luffy stared at the screen and clenched his fist.
Observation Haki.
Haki.
The essential power of the strong.
And now—
He had taken his first step.
The road was still long.
But at least he was heading in the right direction.