Chapter 191: Ralph: My Observation Haki is Exceptionally Gifted!
The desert wind swept across everyone's faces, carrying grains of sand.
But at this moment, no one paid attention to the slight stinging sensation.
All eyes were fixed on Ralph.
Ace's expression shifted three times in succession—from surprise, to confusion, to scrutiny.
He had thought that, through their brief interaction, he had gained some understanding of Ralph.
But now, this guy suddenly said something that made his heart skip a beat.
"What did you say?"
Ralph repeated:
"I said, I know Blackbeard's whereabouts."
This time, Ace confirmed he hadn't misheard.
He stared at Ralph, "How do you know?"
This question was also on everyone's mind.
But interestingly, while the Straw Hat Crew members were also shocked, they weren't as shocked.
Nami thought to herself:
"Here we go again... This guy Ralph always likes to drop bombshells at critical moments."
A faint smile appeared on Zoro's face, agreeing with Nami's assessment.
Sanji lit a cigarette and blew a smoke ring:
"Heh, that's just like you."
Usopp and Chopper were simply excited:
"Ralph is amazing! He even knows Blackbeard's whereabouts!"
Lufia was the most direct:
"Ralph! Do you really know? Then let's hurry and help Ace catch that bad guy!"
Seeing her companions' "matter-of-fact" reactions, Princess Vivi felt a sense of bewilderment.
She realized that in the hearts of the Straw Hat Pirates members, Ralph being "all-powerful and all-knowing" had already become a fixed impression.
No one knew where he came from, but he understood this world like the back of his hand.
He knew how to defeat Logia users, could easily slice a ship in half with a single strike.
His skills were nearly all-encompassing—swordsmanship, martial arts, Haki, medicine, machinery... It seemed like there was nothing he couldn't do.
He claimed to be the former boss of Baroque Works—
Although it sounded like bragging, when he revealed those classified pieces of information, it was impossible not to believe him.
And now, he said he knew Blackbeard's whereabouts.
His companions instinctively chose to believe him first.
As for how Ralph knew...
Usopp, Chopper, and Lufia were simpler and wouldn't ask.
Because they thought it was normal for Ralph to know.
Sanji, Zoro, and Nami were more astute and didn't need to ask.
They knew in their hearts that Ralph had always been like this.
Since he dropped a bombshell, even if he made it up, he would come up with a reason that was impossible to refute.
Compared to this unconditional trust, Princess Vivi felt she fell short.
Because she was genuinely curious.
In her understanding, Blackbeard's betrayal, on one hand, had nothing to do with the Straw Hat Crew, and on the other hand, they had only just learned about it from Ace.
Even with the most advanced intelligence network, it was impossible to know in advance where Blackbeard would settle in the future!
This went beyond the scope of "knowledge" or "wisdom."
Could it be... Ralph ate a Devil Fruit with precognitive abilities?
Or perhaps he simply possessed an unknown prophetic ability, belonging to the legendary prophets?
Otherwise, how could this be explained!
These questions were bottled up in Vivi's heart, but she was too embarrassed to ask.
Fortunately, Ace also wanted to know and asked directly.
"How could you possibly know Blackbeard's whereabouts?"
Ace took a step forward, closing the distance between him and Ralph to less than two meters.
"I'm warning you,"
Ace's tone was calm, but beneath that calm was a turbulent undercurrent.
"If you dare joke about this—"
"I'm not joking."
Ralph interrupted him.
He looked at Ace, his gaze open and honest.
In fact, Ralph had indeed thought it over carefully before deciding to intervene and change the outcome of Ace's battle with Blackbeard.
Having been in this world for some time now, he had developed genuine feelings for this world and these people.
Lufia went without saying—she was the person he was determined to protect.
And as for Ace, one of the most heartbreaking characters in the original story, as Lufia's brother, as that bold and loyal man, Ralph couldn't just stand by and watch him march toward his destined death.
So, let the change begin here.
As for how to explain to Ace how he knew about Blackbeard's information...
Ralph had already thought it through.
Although this explanation was a bit exaggerated, in this world full of miracles, it should be barely acceptable.
"My Observation Haki," Ralph began slowly, "has reached a rather unique level."
As he spoke, he subtly observed everyone's reactions.
Ace frowned slightly.
The others wore expressions that seemed to say, "I knew it."
"Unique level?"
Ace repeated, "What do you mean?"
"I often see glimpses of the future in my dreams," Ralph said.
The moment these words left his mouth, it felt as if the desert wind had stopped.
Ace, along with the members of the Straw Hat Crew, collectively fell into a state of stunned confusion.
"...What did you say?"
Ace asked again, this time unable to hide the surprise in his tone, "You see glimpses of the future in your dreams?"
He stared intently into Ralph's eyes, trying to find any hint of deception.
Not just Ace, but the more perceptive members of the Straw Hat Crew—Zoro, Sanji, Nami, Vivi—also tried to detect any trace of a lie on Ralph's face.
But they couldn't.
Ralph's expression was too calm, his gaze too honest.
When he said this, he even carried a hint of helplessness, as if he himself didn't wish to possess such an ability, but he was simply that uniquely gifted.
"I know it sounds absurd," Ralph sighed, "But that's the truth."
"My Observation Haki... is different from most people's."
"It occasionally allows me to catch glimpses of the future in my dreams."
"Sometimes they're clear images, sometimes vague sensations."
"And I have no control over when it appears or what I see."
Every word he spoke was flawless.
Because none of the people present had a deep enough understanding of Haki.
The members of the Straw Hat Crew, though they had begun training in Haki, their knowledge came entirely from Ralph.
Whatever Ralph said, they could only believe it.
As for Ace...
Although he had some exposure to Armament Haki and even Conqueror's Haki, his understanding of Observation Haki was clearly insufficient to verify the truth of Ralph's claims.
Seeing everyone stunned by his lie, Ralph felt a flicker of pride in his heart.
This lie of his—not even Ace, let alone if he took it to Whitebeard himself, could prove it false.
The world's top-tier fighters might know that when Observation Haki is developed to its peak, it can briefly foresee the future.
But each person's Haki has its own unique characteristics, and no one knows whether different individuals might develop their own special techniques.
This world is a place full of wonders.
As long as no one steps forward to prove you wrong, you can boast as much as you like.
Ralph even thought that if he claimed to be a god like Enel, it wouldn't be impossible.
This was the greatest cheat he had since crossing into this world.
As a "god," the realm of omnipotence required time to accumulate.
But when it came to the title of "omniscient," if he claimed second place, no one dared claim first.
Today, if he said his Observation Haki could foresee the distant future, then it could.
No one could argue otherwise.