On Arlong's old pirate ship—
"The main way to train Armament Haki is—"
Lucci stood on the deck, instructing Yoriichi and Zabuza in the fundamentals of Armament and Observation Haki. As a former CP9 operative his combat credentials were beyond doubt: not only had he mastered both Haki types, he also knew the Rokushiki techniques. Adrian had thought this through—so he put Lucci in charge of teaching Yoriichi and Zabuza.
If they learned both Haki, their improvements would be enormous.
Zabuza might even be able to climb into the City-Crusher tier.
Yoriichi, with his monstrous talent, could — once he grasped both Haki — conceivably reach Nation-Destroyer level within a year or so. Freaks like him don't obey ordinary rules.
After all, Luffy could explode to Emperor level in a few months; for someone like Yoriichi, hitting world-shaking heights in a year sounded perfectly plausible.
Adrian himself intended only to learn enough to register it in the system. His plan was simple: get the system to recognize that he'd "learned" dual Haki so it would appear on his stat panel. Once it's listed, he could dump Reputation into raising its rank. Learning the basics — even imperfectly — was all he needed. The system would handle the rest.
…
After several days at sea they reached Syrup Village and made landfall. Adrian and Lucci went ashore; Yoriichi and Zabuza stayed aboard to guard the ship and continue their Haki and physical training.
Lucci knew CP9 training inside out, so when Adrian asked for his methods he answered everything without holding back. He applied those brutal, efficient regimens to Yoriichi and Zabuza.
Yoriichi already had a decent physique; Zabuza's body was formidable thanks to chakra training. Still, compared with the top fighters of the One Piece world, their physical foundations had room to grow — and that's where Lucci's regimes helped the most.
Once their physiques rose, Rokushiki would become learnable. Some Rokushiki moves are situational, but several are extremely useful. For Yoriichi, Soru — the high-speed stepping technique — fit his style perfectly. Zabuza, who already used chakra for instant movement, didn't need Soru; but he lacked reliable airborne mobility. True flight-type ninja techniques are rare, so the Rokushiki move Geppo (Moonwalk) — which lets a user "walk" in the air — was ideal. With it, Zabuza wouldn't be stuck on the ground when facing flying enemies.
…
Adrian didn't publicize their arrival. He didn't need to: once a Bandit Operation completes, the system automatically spreads its influence and notoriety over the following month. Even if they said nothing, word would spread in time.
Reconnaissance — locating Captain Kuro and Kaya's mansion — was Lucci's task. The pigeon on Lucci's shoulder took to the sky, scouted the area, and returned in short order.
"Go to the largest mansion. Kuro is there," Lucci reported.
Kaya had inherited great wealth; her house was the village's only real mansion. Adrian smiled — he'd read the story, after all — then he and Lucci headed for the place the pigeon had marked.
Wealth means guards: black-suited sentries stood at the gate. Rich people paid for protection; otherwise they'd be looted in an instant. Adrian and Lucci approached.
"Gentlemen, could you let your young mistress know a bandit's at your gate?" Adrian asked the guards.
"Kid, get lost. We don't have time for jokes," one guard barked, shoving them away.
They didn't believe him, so Adrian signaled Lucci.
"Rankyaku!"
Lucci's kick sliced the air and produced a razor vacuum. The two guards were launched into the iron gate with a terrible crash — hinges snapped, the gate buckled, both guards went down unconscious.
"Nice work, Lucci," Adrian said.
Lucci smiled faintly. Praise from the Boss was rare and sweet.
The racket drew someone out.
A man in a slicked-back pompadour, glasses, and a suit — the black-cat pirate Kuro — stepped into the courtyard. His face darkened the moment he saw the ruined gate and the knocked-out guards. He had been hiding for a long time; his plan was close to execution. He couldn't stand unexpected trouble now.
"You two — do you even know where you're standing?" Kuro demanded as he strode forward.
Adrian showed no patience for words.
"Lucci, take him."
"Understood, Boss."
Lucci moved—fast, precise, and brutal—and the situation would be decided in an instant.
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