"Fifteen thousand."
The stall owner was a middle-aged man in straw sandals. He looked fairly formidable, and five or six high-end Rare-grade items were displayed at his stall.
"Too expensive."
Although he had expected as much, Luke still shook his head after hearing the price.
Cultivation methods and bloodlines could grow alongside an Explorer and be used indefinitely, so items like these naturally cost more than ordinary equipment. Even so, Luke did not think this Armament Haki learning item was worth fifteen thousand.
More importantly, he only had 3,450 Endspace Coins on him.
Seeing that the stall owner had nothing more to say, Luke asked, "Do you accept trades?"
The owner looked up at Luke, sizing him up. After a moment, he said, "What do you have to offer?"
Luke took out a Small Inheritance Crystal. "One of these, plus 3,000 Endspace Coins. Deal?"
The stall owner's eyes lit up at the sight of the Inheritance Crystal. Then his look toward Luke turned strange. He could tell Luke was no weakling, clearly not a newcomer who had just arrived in Endspace—but why would a first-rank Explorer be willing to sell an Inheritance Crystal?
These were excellent items for improving combat techniques. They could turn an ordinary office worker into someone proficient with weapons and skilled in hand-to-hand combat. For first-rank Explorers, they were practically lifelines.
"No. Inheritance Crystals may be scarce because few people are willing to sell them, but one isn't worth twelve thousand by itself. You'll need to trade three."
The stall owner shook his head, probing Luke with his words.
"How could I possibly have that many Inheritance Crystals? I only have two. Two Small Inheritance Crystals for this item—are you trading or not? If not, I'll just upgrade my specializations instead."
Luke's expression did not change. He did indeed have three Small Inheritance Crystals, but he had sensed the stall owner's desire for them. There was no way he would agree that easily.
"Two..."
The stall owner frowned slightly. In terms of raw value, his Armament Haki was worth more than two Small Inheritance Crystals. But it had been sitting at his stall for more than a week without selling, and he really did need Inheritance Crystals.
One of his important skills only needed two more Small Inheritance Crystals before it could be upgraded.
"On second thought, it would be safer to improve my existing abilities..."
Before Luke could say "forget it," the stall owner cut him off.
"Deal!"
The owner rose to his feet, picked up the item, and immediately sent a trade request.
A small prompt appeared in Luke's menu.
["Who Wants to Smell My Athlete's Foot" has sent you a trade request. Accept?]
When Luke saw the stall owner's Endspace nickname, he nearly lost control of his expression. Still, he put on a reluctant look and accepted the trade.
After the transaction, the stall owner smiled as well. "To be honest, one of my skills is badly short on Inheritance Crystals. Otherwise, I wouldn't have made this deal at that price. Consider it a gesture of friendship."
"We're both getting what we need. Can I ask where you got this?"
Luke pointed at the item in his hand.
"Don't even mention it. I fought like hell in the world of One Piece, only to end up as a petty sergeant at Marine Headquarters. This thing was certified during settlement. Selling it to you like this barely lets me break even."
Perhaps because he was in a good mood after completing the trade, the stall owner did not hold anything back.
After exchanging a few more words, Luke left the stall. He had learned something new: items that official Explorers obtained directly in mission worlds could be brought back to Endspace by spending Endspace Coins.
For example, the Armament Haki item in his hand had originally been a Marine Headquarters textbook on Armament Haki. Once certified by Endspace, it had been transformed into a cultivation-type item that could be used to learn the ability directly.
Interestingly, the item was not actually a book. It was a cube shaped like a book, with no content inside. Luke could not simply read it to study the theory behind Armament Haki.
It was probably Endspace's way of preventing Explorers from returning to the space and endlessly copying, transcribing, and distributing such knowledge.
Luke browsed the market for a while longer. After spending 2,000 Endspace Coins on a Rare-grade recovery item, he headed back.
He could not wait to see what Armament Haki was really like—and whether it would live up to his expectations.
Once he returned home, Luke made his request. "Endspace, I want to learn Armament Haki."
[Request received. Awakening Armament Haki for Pioneer.]
As Endspace's notification sounded, the item in Luke's hand vanished.
Then his vision went dark, and his consciousness became hazy.
It was a strange sensation. He seemed to be floating through the void, communing with the deepest layers of his consciousness as he awakened the potential known as Haki.
It felt as though he were drifting through boundless darkness. After an unknown amount of time, he heard the wailing of souls beside his ears. In a daze, he saw that demon-god-like figure in purgatory once more, staring at him across the abyss.
Luke opened his eyes and checked the clock on the wall. Five hours had passed.
He opened his menu and inspected his newly acquired ability.
[Armament Haki]
Skill Rating: C+ (This skill's rating is affected by its level.)
Skill Level: 3/40
Skill Type: Active
Cooldown: None
Details: Consumes a certain amount of Soul Source to activate Armament Haki and coat any part of the body. Consumption varies according to the area covered and the duration maintained.
The defense of any part coated in Armament Haki will be greatly enhanced. It can also strike incorporeal spirit-type enemies.
Skill Evaluation: Please do not use it to coat strange body parts.
"Haki, huh..."
Ignoring Endspace's cheeky evaluation, Luke raised his right arm, rolled up his sleeve, and activated Armament Haki.
A gray-black layer of armor visibly coated his arm. Its surface gleamed with a metallic luster.
Luke tapped it with his other hand and found it genuinely hard. Then he drew Prison Demon and lightly touched the blade against his Armament Haki-coated arm.
Clang—
The sound was like metal striking metal. Luke looked at his arm. A white mark flashed across it, only to be swiftly covered over by the continuing flow of Armament Haki.
"What a marvelous ability."
A smile appeared on Luke's face. He was very satisfied with Armament Haki's defensive power. Prison Demon was a Rare-grade main weapon with a perfect rating. He had not struck hard, but its blade was no joke—and it had still failed to cut his arm.
For actual combat, though, he felt that his current Armament Haki level was indeed a little low. If he used his own sword to slash himself, it would definitely be able to break through.
But Luke was not a target who would obediently stand still and let his enemies cut him. He was agile in battle and would not let deadly attacks land. He could use Armament Haki to withstand weaker strikes, giving him far more tactical flexibility.
More importantly, Armament Haki was not merely a turtle-shell defensive skill. Harden his fist and throw a punch, and the damage would certainly be greater. On top of that, Armament Haki could extend outward to coat Prison Demon, further enhancing the blade's toughness and sharpness.
After actually learning this "cultivation method," Luke felt that Haki was not some simple hard-body training technique. It was a manifestation of one's body, spirit, and will.
He was not highly educated, but he had studied martial arts extensively. The closest comparison he could make was to the legendary ancient martial arts—some kind of intent.
When he was young, his master had told him that masters at the pinnacle of ancient martial arts could kill from a hundred meters away with sword intent, while masters of fist intent could split mountains and shatter stone. They did not rely on pure physical strength, but on a state of realization—a power of the mind and will.
The original One Piece described Haki as an outward manifestation of willpower, equally vague and profound. Luke felt that it matched his own theory perfectly.
In short, he did not think this trade had been a loss. Haki truly was a power system with a very high ceiling.
It was only Level 3, yet it was already this powerful. If he could raise it to the maximum level, perhaps he really could become impervious to blades, bullets, water, and fire—while possessing unmatched offensive power.
Luke checked the cost to upgrade Haki now: one Small Inheritance Crystal and 400 Endspace Coins.
He had enough on hand, but he did not intend to upgrade it immediately. First, he wanted to contemplate it on his own for a while and see whether he could level it up through training.
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