Pirates: Martial Arts Masters on the Straw Hat Ship

This time, he held nothing back.

Sam transformed into a gray whirlwind, spinning and leaping wildly around Ronan.

The cat's claws swung into an impenetrable net of blades, launching a fierce and relentless attack on Ronan from every tricky angle from above, below, left, and right!

"Die! Die! Die! Die!"

Sam roared, each claw aimed straight for vital organs.

However, Ronan, who was at the center of the storm, seemed to be strolling leisurely.

He used Xingyi footwork, his body swaying like willow catkins in the wind.

They may turn to the side, lower their head, slide, or turn their bodies.

Every dodge was perfectly timed, not a fraction more or less.

It was a despairing elegance.

No matter how swift or cunning Sam's attacks were, Ronan always seemed to have a premonition, moving away before Sam's claws could strike.

Ronan even had the leisure to observe the surrounding scenery.

The sunlight reflecting off the rock face, the reflections of seagulls skimming the sea in the distance, and even the beads of cold sweat sliding down Sam's face were all clearly visible to him.

Ten minutes have passed.

The intense, continuous bursts of energy left Sam panting heavily, his body drenched in cold sweat.

He stopped, braced his hands on his knees, and stared intently at the man whose clothes were perfectly straight, a hint of fear finally appearing in his eyes.

"Damn it..." Sam's voice trembled slightly, "All you do is hide?! Why don't you fight back! Are you trying to humiliate me?!"

Clearly, he realized that the man in front of him was simply toying with him.

That all-seeing look in his eyes made him feel like a clown dancing in the palm of a giant's hand.

Ronan slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, feeling the warm current brought by the triple cultivation multiplier within his body.

He was captivated by the tearing and reorganization of muscle fibers at the microscopic level, and the increased speed of nerve reactions.

Upon hearing Sam's question, Ronan put on an "innocent" expression and shrugged:

"I want to fight back too. But... you're just too fast. I'm already using all my strength just to dodge, so I don't have a chance to fight back at all."

"you--!!"

Upon hearing this extremely perfunctory lie, Sam's face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

"Damn it! You think I'd believe that nonsense?! You're perfectly capable of handling this!"

The humiliation of being treated like a fool caused Sam to completely lose his mind.

He screamed, his eyes bloodshot, and lunged at Ronan again without regard for his own safety!

"I refuse to believe I can't catch you!!"

At the top of the slope.

Seeing this, Luffy scratched his head and asked, somewhat puzzled:

"Why isn't Ronan fighting back? He could easily send that cat-like guy flying with one punch."

Zoro crossed his arms, his gaze deep, and his tone tinged with admiration: "Luffy, didn't you realize? Ronan wasn't refusing to fight back; he was training."

"Cultivation?" Luffy was taken aback.

"That's right." Zoro pointed to the battlefield below.

"Didn't you see Ronan's eyes? He's completely seen through Sam's every attack trajectory."

"He is using his opponent's attacks to hone his technique called 'Observation Haki'."

Zoro's fingers tapped lightly on the hilt of his sword, a fire blazing in his eyes:

"He was forcing himself into danger, using his body to memorize that state of perception. That kind of courage... he's a madman."

Luffy suddenly realized, and his eyes shone brightly:

"You mean, Ronan is practicing his Observation Haki with that person?!"

Zoro nodded emphatically and said in a deep voice, "Yes, we should also hurry up and ask Ronan for advice on this technique."

"On this vast ocean, the ability to anticipate attacks truly plays a decisive role in battle."

"If I learn this, my swordsmanship... will take another step forward!"

……

On the battlefield, Ronan was unaware of his companions' discussions.

His entire focus was on the changes in the system's interface.

With each near-miss, with each brush with danger, he could clearly feel the constraints on his body loosening little by little.

Finally, after dodging Sam's fatal blow once again, a pleasant notification sounded in my mind:

[Ding! With the support of battle mode, the host's speed attribute has been increased!]

Speed: 12 - 13

At the same time, the numbers on the skill bar also changed:

Observation Haki: Beginner (10/100)

"call……"

Ronan was secretly delighted; his speed attribute had finally broken through to 13 points!

His proficiency in Observation Haki also increased by 3 points in just over ten minutes, which is equivalent to several hours of hard training in normal times!

However, as time went on, Ronan gradually noticed that the familiar "heat flow" was beginning to weaken.

No matter how frantically Sam attacked, that sense of crisis gradually faded.

His body had completely adapted to this intensity of attack rhythm, like a game level he was tired of playing, no longer able to provide any excitement.

The progress bar for Observation Haki, after getting stuck at 10/100, increased at a snail's pace.

"It seems..."

Ronan sighed inwardly, looking with some regret at Sam, who was so exhausted he was foaming at the mouth and moving erratically.

"This 'sparring partner' has had its potential fully exploited. Further training will likely require time and experience, or... a stronger opponent."

Thinking of this, the mockery in Ronan's eyes gradually disappeared, replaced by a cold, sharp glint.

The battle on the slope had come to an eerie standstill due to Ronan's precise, machine-like dodging.

Sam, one of the cat-men, was currently panting heavily, his hands on his knees.

Sweat dripped from his thin, rat-like chin onto the greasy, blood-stained gravel.

His eyes, which were originally full of cunning and murderous intent, were now filled with only deep helplessness and fear.

No matter how fast he increased his speed, no matter from which tricky angle he swung his cat claws, the man could always be one step ahead—

With just a small step, his attack missed.

This feeling of helplessness, like hitting a ball of cotton, is even more devastating than being beaten up.

Ronan picked up his spear, the tip pointing diagonally at the ground, his breathing remaining frighteningly steady.

He looked at Sam, who had stopped, frowned slightly, and said with a hint of dissatisfaction, "What? You're giving up already? My warm-up has only just ended."

This statement, so full of Versailles implications, was like a resounding slap in Sam's face, but he was too exhausted to even refute it.

"A bunch of useless trash!"

Just then, a furious roar came from the bottom of the slope.

Zango, who had been observing the game, finally couldn't hold back any longer.

He pushed up his heart-shaped glasses on the bridge of his nose, and a strange ring appeared in his hand.

He looked at the fat man among the cat-men brothers who hadn't yet made a move—Buchi.

"Buchi! Stop watching! If we don't take care of this kid, Captain Crowe will skin us alive!"