"Hmph, it's hard to say whether they can defeat him or not," Luffy mused, his arms crossed as he leaned back slightly. "Strength isn't just about mastering Haki—every fighter is different. Just because someone knows how to use Haki doesn't automatically make them strong."
Despite his words, Luffy didn't underestimate Ace. Even though he could take him down with one hand, Ace's Flame-Flame Fruit had indeed given him a significant boost in power. Some pirates only had a superficial grasp of Haki, and those kinds of weaklings wouldn't necessarily be able to defeat Ace.
"However," Luffy continued, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, "anyone with real strength—any famous fighter in the New World—is proficient in Haki to some degree."
His tone became serious as he elaborated,
"Of all types of Haki, Armament Haki is the most common method used by the strong to deal with Devil Fruit users."
As soon as he finished speaking, Luffy suddenly launched an attack. His fist shot forward with overwhelming speed, heading straight for Ace.
Ace, who had grown accustomed to relying on elementalization to dodge attacks, instinctively shifted into flames, expecting Luffy's punch to pass harmlessly through his body.
However—
BAM!
Instead of phasing through, Luffy's fist slammed directly into Ace's skull!
Ace's eyes bulged in shock, his face twisting into a grimace of pain.
"W-What the hell?! How is this possible?!"
For the first time since eating the Flame-Flame Fruit, Ace had been physically hit.
Sabo, who had been casually watching from the side, was equally stunned. His grip tightened around his teacup as he stared in disbelief.
"Ace's elemental transformation… failed?" he muttered.
It was a shocking revelation. Ace had become a Flame Man—his body should have been untouchable to normal attacks. And yet, Luffy's fist had landed solidly.
That single punch shattered everything.
In that moment, the illusion of their growing power—the dream of taking on the Four Emperors—collapsed.
The realization hit Sabo like a ton of bricks.
A cold sweat broke out across his body. His hands trembled slightly as he tried to process the truth.
"We were being reckless… If we had really gone after Shanks—"
His mind raced with terrifying possibilities.
If he and Ace had blindly challenged Red-Hair without understanding Haki, the consequences would have been catastrophic.
For a moment, Sabo could barely breathe. His marine uniform was drenched in cold sweat, and his heart pounded violently against his ribs.
"I… I almost led Ace to his death," he thought in horror.
Luffy took a slow sip from his tea, watching their reactions with an almost bored expression.
"I'm telling you guys—don't underestimate Shanks just because he has the lowest bounty among the Four Emperors," Luffy warned, his voice firm.
He set his teacup down and continued.
"He was a trainee on Roger's crew. His swordsmanship comes straight from the Pirate King himself."
At the mention of Roger, Ace visibly stiffened.
His earlier shock was replaced by an intense expression. He clenched his fists, his gaze dark and unreadable.
Luffy glanced at him but didn't say anything. Instead, he lightly tapped the table with his fingers.
"That's why I said I'd rather fight Whitebeard than Red-Haired Shanks," Luffy explained casually.
"Whitebeard is old now. His health is declining, and his body is weaker. If me and my squad fought him, we might actually have a tiny chance of survival. But Shanks? That guy is in his prime."
His gaze sharpened.
"If you two tried to fight him right now, you'd be dead before you even realized what happened."
Ace and Sabo fell completely silent.
Sabo, in particular, felt another wave of cold sweat dripping down his back.
"We were really about to challenge that monster…"
For the first time, Sabo genuinely feared for their lives.
Luffy, sensing their shaken resolve, smirked.
"If you ask me," he said, stretching lazily, "instead of thinking about picking fights and making a name for yourselves, you two should find a deserted island and train in seclusion."
He leaned forward slightly, his tone serious.
"Master Armament Haki, Observation Haki, and even Conqueror's Haki. Once you've done that—then you can go out and make some noise."
As soon as he finished, Luffy shoved a handful of desserts and fruit into his mouth, chewing happily.
Ace and Sabo, however, barely noticed.
Instead, they looked at Luffy expectantly.
"Then… where do we go to learn this 'Haki' you're talking about?" Sabo finally asked.
Ace nodded, his usual cockiness replaced with genuine curiosity.
"Or better yet, can you teach us?"
Luffy blinked.
"Huh? Me?" He pointed at himself, looking surprised.
Then, he rolled his eyes.
"Are you serious? C'mon, we may be brothers, but I'm still a Marine," he scoffed.
He waved them off.
"Do you really expect a Marine to train two pirates? Do you think that's even remotely possible?"
Ace and Sabo exchanged awkward glances.
Luffy smirked, shaking his head.
"You should be grateful I haven't arrested you while you're still weak."
The two let out nervous laughs, realizing he had a point.
Despite their different identities—a Marine and two wanted pirates—they were still sitting together, chatting like old friends.
Asking Luffy to train them was probably pushing their luck.
Seeing their disappointed expressions, Luffy grinned.
"But," he added, "I can tell you where to find someone who can train you."
He wiped his mouth with a napkin before flashing his signature big white teeth.
Under their eager gazes, he finally spoke.
"There's a coating craftsman named Rayleigh in the Sabaody Archipelago. He's an old pirate who survived the previous era. Not many people know about him, but he's strong."
He leaned back in his chair.
"If you can't find him, then go to The Shakky's Rip-off Bar the lawless area. If Rayleigh isn't there, someone else might point you in the right direction."
Ace and Sabo listened intently, absorbing every word.
Luffy then picked up his teacup and took another sip.
"That's all I have to say. Whether you go or not—that's up to you."
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