Pirates: Martial Arts Masters on the Straw Hat Ship

As night deepened, the Merry gently rose and fell with the waves on the tranquil ocean, making a rhythmic "creaking" sound.

The sea breeze dispersed the lingering smell of alcohol from the banquet, and the starry sky above shone as brightly as an overturned box of jewels.

Although the atmosphere was relaxed, Ronan's words quickly calmed the group who were still immersed in the awe of his domineering presence.

Ronan put down his glass, looked into the two pairs of eyes before him yearning to become stronger, and slowly said:

"The advanced techniques you just mentioned, whether it's Armament Haki or Conqueror's Haki that can intimidate everything, are still too far beyond our current strength."

"Eat your food one bite at a time, and walk your path one step at a time."

He stood up, walked to the center of the deck, his posture as upright as a pine tree: "The most urgent task now is to first master 'Observation Color,' and at the same time..."

Ronan paused, his gaze sweeping over Luffy's thin, rubbery body and Zoro's muscular physique, which, while strong, hadn't yet reached superhuman levels:

"I train my body like crazy. Only by possessing a physique that is stronger than an human can I bear the domineering power of 'Armament Haki'."

Zoro astutely grasped the key point. He sat cross-legged on the ground, his hand stroking the hilt of his sword at his waist, a flash of understanding appearing in his eyes:

"Ronan, do you mean that the prerequisite for mastering Armament Haki is having a sufficiently strong physical body?"

"So, the horse stance you taught us before wasn't just about standing still; it was laying the foundation for this?"

"Not bad, you have a high level of comprehension."

Ronan nodded approvingly, "Horse stance training is the accumulation of 'stillness,' and it is the foundation for regulating qi and blood and stabilizing the lower body."

"But relying solely on horse stance is too slow to reach a level where one can absorb Armament Haki in a short time."

"Yeah, it's too slow..." Luffy muttered, clearly getting impatient with the tedious standing still.

Zoro abruptly raised his head, his eyes burning with the primal desire of a swordsman for power.

"You mean, there are techniques more efficient and better for improving health than the horse stance?"

"Of course there are, and there are too many."

With his hands behind his back, Ronan began to display the treasures of Chinese martial arts on the deck of this alien world:

"The saying goes, 'External training focuses on muscles, bones, and skin, while internal training focuses on breath control.' However, one shouldn't try to do too much at once. Let's start by learning the most domineering and direct method—the external training technique."

"Furthermore, during the practice of physical training, it can make the cultivation of Observation Haki twice as effective!"

"Physical training?" Nami tilted her head, her short orange hair fluttering in the night breeze, her face full of confusion. "What's that?"

"To put it simply," Ronan explained.

"It involves using special breathing techniques combined with external force to toughen a person's skin, muscles, and bones to the point of being as hard as steel."

"This is a technique created purely to enhance defense, strength, and explosive power."

At this point, Ronan's voice deepened, carrying a hint of seduction:

"If one masters the technique to a certain extent, and with the aid of specific medicinal baths, one can achieve the effect of being invulnerable to swords and spears, and impervious to water and fire."

"Invulnerable to swords and spears?!"

These four words struck Luffy and Zoro like a bolt of lightning.

Luffy jumped up suddenly, his eyes shining, and even drool was dripping from the corner of his mouth (though not because of food):

"Doesn't that mean I'll never have to worry about those annoying swordsmen cutting me again?! Rubber plus invulnerability, I'm invincible!"

Zoro couldn't help but clench his fists, his breathing becoming rapid.

"Could it significantly enhance pure strength? If my body were as hard as steel, then the power of my strikes..."

Ronan chuckled inwardly at the look in their eyes, which resembled the eyes of hungry wolves eyeing their prey, but then poured cold water on their enthusiasm:

"Of course. However, I must make it clear beforehand. Although this skill is powerful, the process of training it... is extremely painful."

"That's a pain that goes deep into your bones, you have to be mentally prepared."

"pain?"

Zoro's lips curled into a ferocious and fanatical smile:

"I couldn't be happier! As long as I can become stronger, the more pain I experience... the better!"

Luffy laughed heartily, "Hehehe! I'm not afraid of pain!!"

"What a bunch of masochists..." Nami sighed helplessly, but then she seemed to realize something crucial.

"Wait, Ronan. You just said that practicing this external training method can make cultivating 'Observation Form' twice as effective? What's the connection between the two?"

"Miss Nami, that's a good question."

Ronan turned around, looked at Nami, and a sly smile appeared in his eyes:

"The so-called physical training, in order to reach the state of invulnerability to swords and spears, besides cultivating qi, what is the most core method? Of course, it is—taking a beating."

"well--?!"

As soon as Ronan finished speaking, a chorus of surprised and doubtful voices arose on the deck.

"Get beaten up?" Usopp shrank back.

Ronan nodded matter-of-factly:

"Skin and muscles only become stronger through constant hitting, destruction, and rebuilding."

"The best way to begin practicing 'Observation Haki' is to close your eyes and focus your mind on feeling the attack."

Ronan spread his hands, making a perfect logical closed-loop gesture:

"Think about it, when you close your eyes and try to dodge an attack, you definitely can't dodge it at first, right?"

"If you can't dodge, you'll get hit. If you do, you can use the breathing techniques of the body-strengthening martial arts to withstand the blows and build up your physical strength."

"If you dodge it, it means your Observation Haki has improved; if you don't dodge it, it means your physique training technique has improved."

"Regardless of the outcome, you are all becoming stronger. This is the win-win training method I tailored for you!"

A silence fell over the deck, broken only by the sound of the waves.

Immediately, Luffy burst out with a loud shout:

"That's awesome! I'm going to train! I'm going to train! So what if I get beaten up? I'm not afraid of getting beaten up at all! As long as I can get stronger, I'll fight anyone!"

The fighting spirit in Zoro's eyes said it all: "It can hone a swordsman's intuition and strengthen the body... This kind of training is just what I want."

"Um..." Nami raised her hand, her face slightly pale, and asked weakly:

"Ronan, that body-building technique... will it turn you into a huge, muscular guy? Like, muscles that are all knotted up like rocks?"

Ronan nodded honestly: "Of course in the early stages. Because of the significant increase in strength, muscle expansion is inevitable. However, after reaching the peak and returning to a more natural state..."

Before Ronan could even finish saying "back to basics," a picture had already automatically formed in Nami's mind:

The person in the mirror had lost their slender figure, replaced by arms even thicker than Zoro's.

With veins bulging on her neck, she struck a bodybuilder pose in a bikini and let out a rough laugh: "Hahaha! I'm the strongest!"

"No!!"

Nami screamed, clutching her slender arms and shaking her head frantically, her eyes filled with terror:

"I don't want to become a muscle woman! Absolutely not! I won't train! I'd rather die than train!"

Usopp, standing to the side, shook his head vigorously, saying with an air of righteous indignation:

"I'm a sniper! A long-range support! This barbarian training method that requires getting beaten up doesn't suit the noble temperament of 'Captain Usopp'! I'll just watch... and that's all!"

Ronan glanced at the two "ranged mage" pairs but didn't press the issue.

"Alright then, everyone has their own ambitions."

Ronan turned around, his gaze fixed intently on Luffy and Zoro; they were the stars of the night.

"Luffy, Zoro. Starting tonight, the three of us will practice together."