In the training ground, Goku moved with the agility of a leaping falcon, his figure constantly flickering around Garp as he launched a fierce assault.
But no matter the method of attack, the clever tactics he devised, or even the ingenious use of the Moonwalk and Tempest Kick he had recently learned, he couldn't land a single blow on Garp.
It was as if Garp saw through every move, causing all his attacks to strike nothing but thin air.
"Huff! Puff! Huff!"
After another failed attempt, Goku retreated several meters, panting heavily with sweat drenching his forehead.
'Dammit! Has he read all my movements? Why can't I hit him even once!'
He glared at the relaxed Garp, who was leisurely snacking on rice crackers, and mentally reviewed his previous strikes.
No matter which direction he attacked from, even from blind spots, the old man knew exactly what he was doing, making it impossible to connect.
It wasn't as if the man had eyes all over his body!
"Are you wondering why I can tell where you're attacking from every time?"
Garp, who had been silent for a while, finally spoke. He looked at Goku with a teasing smile, like a grandfather playing with his grandson.
Goku nodded earnestly. "Yeah! Can you tell me why?"
Instead of answering, Garp closed his eyes and said, "Did you know? Even with my eyes closed, I can tell what kind of attack you'll use and which direction you'll come from."
Goku paused, then shook his head decisively. "I don't believe it!"
Garp grinned. "Don't believe me? Then give it a try."
"You said it!"
Without a second word, Goku used Soru to vanish and reappear behind Garp, swinging a punch toward the back of his head.
"Right straight, behind me, aiming for my head."
With his eyes still tightly shut, Garp casually stuffed a handful of rice crackers into his mouth while speaking calmly.
Startled, Goku stopped mid-motion and shifted to attack from a different angle.
"Right whip kick, to my left, aiming for my back."
Garp continued in his unhurried tone.
Goku was shocked again, coming to a sudden stop before rapidly changing his approach.
A pattern emerged where Garp called out the attacks while Goku desperately switched them up:
"Right hook, in front of me, aiming for my chin."
"Right flying kick, to my right side, aiming for my shoulder."
"Left leg sweep, behind me, aiming for my calves."
"Right flying elbow, to my left side, aiming for my chest."
...
Before long, the strain of frequently forcing his movements to stop left Goku gasping for air like an exhausted pup, forcing him to halt his assault.
"Huff... puff... How do you know everything? Do you... do you really have eyes all over your body?"
He panted, his gaze scanning Garp's body to find any hidden eyes he might have missed.
Garp opened his eyes and laughed heartily. "Hahaha! How could I have eyes all over? My eyes are right here on my face."
Goku scratched his head, looking dazed. "Then how do you know my movements?"
Garp finished the last rice cracker, crumpled the bag into a tight ball, and tossed it behind him. It landed perfectly in a trash can over a hundred meters away.
Goku's eyes went wide at the sight.
"Little guy, you still have a lot to learn."
Garp stood with his hands on his hips. "The reason I can see all your movements so clearly is that I have mastered Observation Haki."
"Observation Haki?" Goku blinked, looking confused.
"That's right! It's one of the three types of Haki, a latent power that all humans possess!"
"Once you master it, you can sense everything around you, including an opponent's movements, their next attack, and much more."
Garp shared this high-level knowledge, which was usually inaccessible to common people, with Goku without reservation.
"That's amazing!"
Hearing what Observation Haki could do, Goku's mouth fell open in surprise.
He hadn't expected such a power to exist in this world.
He also picked up on a key phrase Garp used.
"You said one of three? Does that mean there are two more?"
Garp chuckled and clenched his right fist, which instantly turned pitch black.
"This is Armament Haki."
Goku dashed closer, examining it curiously. "Armament Haki? What does this one do?"
Garp's grin turned mischievous. "What does it do? Why don't you feel it for yourself?"
Before Goku could react, the Armament-hardened fist came down with a heavy thud right onto his small head.
Pop!
Instantly, a bump far larger than any previous ones sprouted up like a bamboo shoot after the rain.
But Goku didn't clutch his head and cry out in pain like before.
This was because—
He was seeing stars, and the entire world felt like it was spinning.
"I'm... so dizzy..."
His body swayed, looking as if he might topple over at any second.
After a while, he shook his head violently to clear the dizziness, then zipped away from Garp. "What did you do that for!" he snapped.
Just as he finished speaking, his hand touched the massive bump on his head.
A sharp, piercing pain radiated from the spot, making his hair stand on end.
"Waaaaah!! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!!"
He jumped up and down in place, looking like a monkey that had stepped on a thorn.
Garp roared with laughter. "Hahaha! How's that? The strength behind that Iron Fist of Love was the same as when I hit you before."
Goku, still grimacing in pain, looked up in disbelief. "The strength was the same? But it hurts way more than before!"
Garp replied, "Of course! Because it was filled with love!"
"Love?"
Goku looked completely bewildered.
*Ahem.*
Garp cleared his throat and explained properly. "You asked what Armament Haki does. It significantly increases both offensive and defensive power. The reason a punch with the same strength hurt so much more this time is that it was imbued with Armament Haki."
As the pain began to subside, Goku's eyes lit up with excitement.
He dashed back in front of Garp and looked up with an expectant gaze.
"Hey! Grandpa Garp, can you teach me that? I want to learn it!"
"Oh, and that... Ob-Observation Haki! I want to learn that too!"
Garp picked his nose, looking at the eager Goku, and laughed loudly. "Hahaha! Of course, no problem!"
"Then please teach me now!" Goku beamed with a bright smile.
But just then, an ill-timed sound rang out:
Gurgle... gurgle...
Seeing Goku clutch his stomach, Garp laughed again. "Hahaha! There's no rush for this. Let's go get some food first!"
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