"That skill is called Observation Haki," Shanks decided to accommodate Luffy and began to explain. "It's mostly found on the second half of the Grand Line and among older people. Sometimes, people are born with it, but most of the time it's awakened during battles or through training. Awakening it is difficult."
"Difficult, but still possible, right?"
"Yes, but it is indeed very difficult to awaken."
"So you're capable of helping me awaken it?" Luffy asked in a sly tone, which sounded incredibly amusing coming from such a little boy.
Shanks was preparing to refuse, Benn was about to explain the futility of training Observation Haki at such a young age, Lucky preferred to continue eating his meat and listen, so Yasopp was the quickest:
"Of course!" The best sharpshooter of the 'Red-Haired Pirates' responded cheerfully. "You can count on me, I'll definitely teach you!" The curly-haired blond proudly thumped his chest.
Luffy's gaze immediately filled with suspicion to the brim - he never believed in such freebies, and Yasopp's blatant enthusiasm made his sudden burst of altruism seem even more suspicious. In turn, the other pirates at the bar instantly saw through their friend's plan.
"You know what?" Shanks grinned widely. "I think I'll teach you too!"
"Captain, that's not fair!" Yasopp looked hurt. "I was first!"
"Don't worry, you'll be first, and when you get tired, I'll take over," Shanks's smile didn't fade.
Luffy's gaze sharpened.
"…Just a reminder, I have hundreds of kilograms of explosives and I know how to use them."
" Don't worry, we'll teach you seriously and with full dedication!" Yasopp vowed.
"…And for how long?"
Luffy was still trying to figure out the catch, and he had no doubts about its existence, a suspicion strongly fueled by Shanks's and Yasopp's overly cheerful faces. Benn and Lucky, who had set his meat aside for the moment, looked suspicious too.
"Most people can't master Observation Haki in their entire lives," Yasopp said with unrestrained joy.
"…And the training isn't easy, I suppose?" Luffy was beginning to understand the catch.
"What do you think? This ability, if developed, allows you to see a few minutes into the future… Do I need to explain how cool that is?" There was blatant self-satisfaction in the pirate's voice.
One of the best sharpshooters in the world boasted in front of a seven-year-old kid. If everyone hadn't already gotten used to Luffy's true nature, Yasopp would have seemed quite pathetic.
"Congratulations, you're cooler than a six-year-old, so you can proudly boast of such an achievement, since you clearly deserve it," the boy said, unlike everyone else, not bothering to hold back.
Yasopp deflated immediately.
"Aren't you seven years old?" he said, trying to come up with something to say.
"I'm not seven, I'm in my seventh year," the boy smirked.
"So you're actually only six years old?" Shanks asked, skeptically.
"To be exact, I'm six years, seven months, and ten days old."
After that answer, the pirates at the bar suddenly lost their enthusiasm. Over the last two hours, they had gotten somewhat accustomed to Luffy, so his age and appearance had receded into the background. However, now that he reminded them of his age and turned out to be younger than they originally thought, they were once again struck by the strangeness of their conversation partner. Then they involuntarily recalled his character and activities, leading to only one conclusion.
"This is just crazy!" Yasopp expressed the general sentiment.
The future didn't just look grim - it definitely was! Whether the boy became a Marine, pirate, revolutionary, or just a merchant, people would die regardless. The Red-Haired Pirates had already experienced Luffy's bloodthirstiness firsthand. Yasopp began to doubt the wisdom of teaching such a monster Observation Haki. If the training yielded no results - as it logically should - that was one thing. But what if it did? It would be like giving a pyromaniac a box of matches and a canister of gasoline and hoping they wouldn't start a fire.
"You keep talking about Observation Haki, Observation Haki… Am I correct in assuming there are other types of Haki?" Little Luffy, understandably, wasn't sharing the pirates' concern.
"Why do you think so?" Benn asked.
The first mate was curious what had led the boy to such a conclusion.
"It's a strange name for the ability," the boy explained. "I wasn't sure at first, but now, after your question, I'm convinced there must be other similar abilities."
"There are three types of Haki…"
Benn decided not to overcomplicate things and thoroughly explained the types of Haki to young Luffy: Observation Haki, Armament Haki, and Conqueror's Haki. Benn logically reasoned that since they were dealing with Garp's grandson, the boy would eventually learn about all types of Haki anyway, so there was no point in hiding it. There was no reason to delay the inevitable.
"Are you staying with us for long?" Luffy asked somewhat out of context after he had heard all the explanations.
"We came to East Blue for business, but I don't know how long it will take," Shanks replied. "We might be done in a couple of months or it might take a year. Only fate knows."
"Do you plan to travel all around East Blue or do you need a base to operate from?"
"The latter… Any suggestions?"
"If I didn't have any, I wouldn't be asking!" The boy smiled. "I offer free drinks and food on the day of your arrival, but not more than once a month, in exchange for teaching me all types of Haki."
"What's the point?" Shanks raised an eyebrow. "I've already told you, some people never awaken Haki in their entire lives. And while I'm confident you'll master at least two types of Haki, it will almost certainly take you ten years or more. People who master Haki by twenty are rare even by Grand Line standards, and you're not even ten yet. Draw your own conclusions."
"I hate to compare myself to others," Luffy scoffed. "If I compared myself to others, I'd still be learning to read syllables instead of blowing up pirates and earning millions from it."
And no one could argue with that.
"Suit yourself!" In the end, Shanks shrugged somewhat nonchalantly. "Just don't complain later if the training doesn't yield any results," he added, and for the first time in the last hour, took a sip from his mug.
The training started the very next day, and Luffy finally understood why Yasopp had so eagerly agreed to train him and why Shanks had supported him.
Bam!
"I remember you talking about your son yesterday, right?" Luffy asked Yasopp, who was standing behind him.
"Yes, I did. Why?" The man wore a broad smile on his face.
Bam!
"He lives in East Blue, doesn't he?" Luffy clarified, resuming his sitting position.
"Yes, and not too far from here."
Bam!
"I believe you mentioned his name is Usopp, right?"
"Yes, Usopp."
Bam!
"And he's about my age, isn't he?" The boy asked again, sitting down.
"Yes, he's about to turn seven, just like you."
Bam!
"And, as I understand, he's being raised by your wife, Bankina, right?" Luffy asked, adjusting his eye patch as he settled back into his seat.
"Yes, she's the best!"
Bam!
"Then, just to let you know, without any hidden agenda," Luffy said as he returned to his seat for what seemed like the umpteenth time. "If I find out in the future that you lied to me about the method of training Observation Haki, I will definitely find your home, find your family, and then strangle your son with your wife's still-warm intestines, understood?"
BAM!!!
This time, Luffy didn't just fall to the side but tumbled several times across the ground.
"Agreed!" Yasopp's smile became even wider, if that was possible.
The little rascal was threatening his family? Then he would train him even harder! And most importantly, no cheating! One sat on the ground with his eyes bound, and the other stood behind, hitting the seated person in various parts of the body until they started hearing the 'voice' of the person standing behind them. This method could indeed teach Observation Haki! Fact. And if it resulted in a head full of bumps, a body covered in bruises, and could take decades with no guarantees of success, well, who said it would be easy?
A few days later, the Red-Haired Pirates set off on their business, but the volunteers to 'help little Luffy with his training' were numerous. Almost every villager dreamed of helping him train his Observation Haki. It was astonishing how adults nearly fought each other for the right to beat up a little boy. Luffy pretended to be immensely grateful, and each evening, he diligently recorded in his notebook who had hit him, for how long, and how many blows they had delivered. Makino, being the only one who understood where this could lead, tried to reason with the people, but to no avail. After all the boy's antics, the villagers had firmly taken the bit between their teeth and were chewing it thoroughly. As if saying, 'Let's have fun today, and tomorrow, who cares?'
As time passed, the Red-Haired Pirates visited the village once or twice a month, stayed for a few days, stocked up on provisions, and then set off again. Meanwhile, they continued to train Luffy. In 'gratitude,' each time the pirates returned, Luffy didn't forget to shoot at Shanks and Yasopp, but as expected, the pair stubbornly refused to accept his 'thanks.' Over time, Shanks and his crew got to know the boy better and became increasingly concerned about the world's future. During their second visit to Fusha Village, Shanks visited little Luffy's home and quickly understood why the boy's house was located some distance from the village and why no one dared to approach it.