One Piece: My Name is Jack, I'm Very Resistant to Beating

"Host failed to conquer the ship. You may choose one of the following rewards:"

"1. +3 Strength."

"2. +3 Willpower."

"3. A set of gemstone necklaces."

"Since the host failed to select within the given time, the system has automatically drawn a reward. Congratulations! You've received a set of gemstone necklaces."

"The necklaces have been placed in your possession. Please confirm receipt."

After what felt like half a day, Jack's pounding headache finally subsided.

He quietly closed the system panel in front of him, his mind still lingering on King's overwhelming strength. The fact that he'd been one-shot but still received such a generous reward suggested one thing: if he actually managed to defeat King, the rewards would be absolutely insane.

Not to mention the even more formidable Kaido. What a promising future!

Still, it was disappointing not to get stat points. A necklace? What good was that?

Lying flat on the ground, Jack reluctantly pulled out his so-called reward.

In his hand was a massive orange gemstone. Under the sunlight, it gleamed like a burning flame, radiating a mesmerizing and dazzling brilliance.

Just as Jack was mesmerized, his vision suddenly darkened. A shadow loomed over him.

"Whoa, Jack! I didn't expect you to have something this beautiful."

Black Maria's voice was laced with playful mockery.

"Who knew a brute like you had such taste? But from now on, it's mine!"

Before Jack could respond, a droplet of purple venom dripped from Black Maria's finger onto his hand.

"Argh!"

Reacting on instinct, Jack flung the necklace into the air and clutched his hand in pain.

"Thanks!"

Catching the necklace mid-air, Black Maria turned on her heel and dashed away.

"Hey, Jack! Why didn't you give me such a gorgeous necklace first?"

Yamato's voice rang out as she stomped over, glaring daggers at him.

Clutching his throbbing hand, Jack crouched on the ground, his face twitching in frustration.

"Hah…"

Cold air billowed from Yamato's mouth as she shifted into her Zoan form. Jack barely had time to register the chill before being frozen solid. With that, Yamato took off after Black Maria.

"Maria! Let's negotiate—how about you hand over the necklace first?"

"Crack…"

"Two brats! Ten years from now, neither of you will escape my wrath! I'll get you back for this! XXXX! XXXXXXX!"

Recently, the weather had grown colder. Yamato and Black Maria had entirely given up any pretense of discipline, spending their days lounging around Onigashima, eating and sleeping. They adamantly avoided any sparring matches, much to Jack's frustration. Left with no choice, he spent his days tailing King, hoping for more opportunities to train.

Unfortunately, King, fully aware of Jack's current abilities, had no interest in further sparring with him. This left Jack feeling perpetually disgruntled.

One day, however, King called Jack to the training room after finishing his duties.

"Jack."

Although Jack couldn't see King's expression behind the mask, his tone was serious enough to make Jack stand at attention.

"You're still young, but your body is exceptionally strong," King began. "After giving it some thought, I've decided it's time to teach you a few things."

"You've heard of Haki before, haven't you? I remember you once asked Kaido why his punches hurt so much."

With that, King removed his gloves. His large hand, bare and imposing, suddenly turned pitch black as if cloaked in shadow.

"This is Armament Haki. It's a unique energy produced within your body, flowing from your blood and into your muscles. With it, you can harm even Logia users and significantly bolster your defense or attack power."

To demonstrate, King picked up a nearby iron rod and squeezed it. The rod bent and twisted under his grip, his hand leaving an unmistakable imprint.

"To become a top-tier warrior, mastering this is non-negotiable."

"Of course, there's also Observation Haki."

Drawing the sword at his waist, King tossed it to Jack.

"Come on, take a swing at me. If you can hit me even once, I'll take you to sea with me."

Is this one of those bro, hit me if you can moments?

Jack wasn't about to hold back. He figured there was no way he'd hurt King anyway, so why not give it his all?

But then King turned his back on Jack, arms crossed, as if daring him.

This guy's really underestimating me, isn't he?

Though King's sword was a bit large for Jack's size, he still swung it with ease. Fueled by irritation at King's arrogance, Jack took a two-handed grip and swung down with all his might.

"Swish!"

"Missed?"

Swing after swing, Jack failed to land a hit. Gritting his teeth in frustration, Jack decided to aim for somewhere... unconventional.

"Clang!"

"WHAT THE HELL, JACK?! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

Before Jack could land the strike, King spun around and decked him, leaving a giant bump on his head.

"Ugh, but you told me to attack! Why'd you punch me?"

"I didn't tell you to attack there! And who said I wouldn't fight back?" King retorted, glaring at Jack.

"You're such a sore loser! Admit it, you peeked! How else would you know where I was aiming?" Jack grumbled, clutching his head.

"BAM! Shut up!"

King unhooked the scabbard from his side, and Jack's face turned pale.

"Wait, let's talk this out! We're both men here—don't you think this is a bit much?"

"Shut your mouth, Jack!"

Though Jack's monstrous physique was leagues beyond the average person, King's strength was on another level. All Jack could do was sit there, clutching his bruised backside, and mutter silent curses.

"Observation Haki enhances your senses, allowing you to perceive the presence, emotions, and intent of others," King explained.

"With enough mastery, it can be even more reliable than sight."

Eyeing the sulking Jack, King waited until he sat properly before continuing.

"Armament and Observation Haki can be learned through rigorous training. However, Conqueror's Haki isn't something you can acquire. You either have it, or you don't, so it's irrelevant to you right now."

"For now, I'll teach you how to awaken the first two."

King delivered another punch to Jack's face, earning a loud yelp of pain.

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!"

King smirked, his tone amused.

"That's the method to awaken Haki."

"For Armament Haki, the simplest way is to constantly push your physical limits while enduring external blows. This forces your body to awaken its latent potential."

"For Observation Haki, you need to focus entirely on your surroundings. Don't rely on your eyes—feel the flow of the air, the changes around you. Keep dodging until it becomes second nature."

"In short, to awaken Armament Haki, you have to keep getting hit. For Observation Haki, you need to keep evading. Simple, right?"

King's grin widened as he patted Jack's shoulder.

"Work hard, Jack. I'll personally help you through this."

Help my ass! Jack thought bitterly, rubbing his bruised arm. You just want an excuse to beat me up!

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