"Hey! Rolan, are you home? We're here!"
"Idiot Luffy, it's Rolan! Rolan!!"
Luffy's voice arrived before he did.
Rolan, who was in the middle of his morning training, immediately recognized the two little troublemakers.
"We're here, Rolan!"
"Oh, Luffy, Ace, so it's you two again."
"Rolan, look what we brought you!"
With a heavy thud, a massive object crashed into the clearing. Upon closer inspection, it was a gigantic rhinoceros, easily weighing over twenty tons.
Rolan nodded at them calmly. "Ace, Luffy, long time no see."
A month had passed since their last rather unpleasant encounter. During that time, Rolan's strength had grown steadily. His Devil Fruit ability had become more refined, his mastery of Haki and the Six styles had improved — though the system hadn't issued any new missions lately.
"Is this your prey?" Rolan asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah! Aren't we amazing?" Luffy flexed his right arm proudly.
Rolan smirked. "Impressive, but let me guess — you didn't do most of the work, did you?"
"Hey! Are you looking down on me, Rolan?!" Luffy's face puffed up in anger as he prepared to lunge.
Seeing Luffy baring his teeth like a honey badger, Ace quickly grabbed him by the collar and held him back. "Luffy, Rolan's not wrong."
"Damn it, Ace! Even you're taking his side! Didn't my Gum-Gum Pistol send him flying last time?" Luffy protested, squirming.
Ace lightly bonked him on the head. "We took it down together, didn't we? You helped too."
Luffy brightened instantly. "Exactly! That's right!"
With that, both of them sat down casually, as if they owned the place.
"Hey, Rolan, that grilled meat you made last time was so good. Can you… make it again?" Luffy asked, drooling already.
Ace looked away, pretending not to care, but his eyes betrayed his interest.
Rolan looked at them both and teased, "Ace, do you want some too?"
"I— It's just that Luffy wanted it…" Ace muttered, rubbing the corner of his mouth, blushing slightly.
"Oh? Quite the tsundere, aren't you?" Rolan grinned and suddenly appeared in front of him, poking his cheek.
"Urusai!" Ace turned his face away, avoiding Rolan's teasing grin.
Laughing, Rolan returned to his spot. "Fine, since you two are begging so earnestly, I'll show you what real cooking tastes like."
Rolling up his sleeves—well, trying to, since his shirt was sleeveless—Rolan placed his hand on the giant rhinoceros.
"Rolan, don't you need to make a fire?" Luffy asked, confused.
"Electromagnetic Furnace," Rolan said calmly.
A faint hum filled the air as waves of electricity radiated from his palm.
"Is that… a Devil Fruit ability?" Ace guessed.
"Probably something to do with lightning or fire!" Luffy said, his mouth watering. "Wow! Rolan's so amazing! We'll get grilled meat soon!"
Luffy was already holding a knife and fork, drooling uncontrollably, eyes sparkling like grilled meat itself.
Before long, the rich aroma of roasting meat filled the air.
"Ahh, it smells so good! Rolan, is it ready yet? Can we eat?" Luffy asked, practically vibrating in place.
Rolan snapped his fingers, and several seasoning jars appeared beside him. He sprinkled salt and spices evenly across the sizzling surface, then with another flick, the jars vanished into thin air.
"Alright, dig in," he said.
"Waaah! Rolan, you're the best!" Luffy shouted, tossing away his utensils and diving headfirst into the meat.
"Hey! Don't eat it all yourself!" Ace joined in quickly.
Rolan chuckled, watching the two devour the meal like wild animals. Typical Luffy. Even with a fork, he'd rather eat with his hands.
As Luffy chewed happily, he mumbled, "Rolan, your cooking's even better than before! It's sooo good!"
"Of course," Rolan said, striking a pose. "Not only am I strong and handsome, but my cooking is second to none in the East Blue."
Ace ignored him and grabbed another piece. "Rolan, that thing you mentioned last time—Haki, right? What exactly is it?"
The moment he heard the word "Haki," Luffy ran over, still holding a bone in one hand and a chunk of meat in his mouth.
"Oh, Haki?" Rolan smiled faintly. "Haki is a power that exists within everyone. The difference between those who awaken it and those who don't is immense."
"Is that the power that hurt a lot when you hit me last time?" Luffy asked nervously.
Rolan nodded. Then, focusing his energy, "Armament Haki: Hardening."
His right arm turned black as ink. With a casual motion, he struck a nearby boulder— and it shattered instantly.
"This is Armament Haki," Rolan explained.
Ace and Luffy's jaws dropped.
Luffy ran to the fragments, picking up a few pebbles in disbelief. "This… this… Rolan, are you a robot?!"
Rolan smirked, dismissing the Haki. "This is just the basic level."
"B-basic?!" Ace and Luffy exchanged shocked looks.
"So, this power exists inside everyone?" Ace asked, eyes gleaming.
"Of course," Rolan replied. "Everyone has it, but most people in the East Blue and the first half of the Grand Line never develop it."
"Then… what exactly is Haki?" Luffy asked, barely able to contain his excitement.
Ace clasped his hands together. "Rolan, please teach us."
Rolan nodded. "There are three types of Haki — Armament Haki, Observation Haki, and Conqueror's Haki. Armament Haki strengthens your body and attacks, Observation lets you sense others' presence and intent, and Conqueror's is the rarest, allowing one's spirit to dominate others."
He looked at them both seriously. "Even without a Devil Fruit, many warriors reach the top of this world using Haki alone."
Ace and Luffy's eyes shone with newfound determination.
For the first time, they realized how vast and powerful the world truly was.
"Then… can we learn it too?" Ace asked, voice trembling with excitement.
Rolan smiled faintly. "Of course. But first, finish your meat. You'll need the strength."
---