Chapter 46: Rokushiki

——The New World, Desire Island.

One day… this island was reduced to ruins in a mere twenty-four hours by a certain group of pirates who had just arrived.

It was an unthinkable disaster. After all, these were the very pirates who intended to claim the island as their new territory. Who ever heard of pirates ravaging their own turf? Stability meant profit—that’s why pirates protected their domains. A little violence or destruction as a warning was one thing, but half-destroying the island? That was excessive.

Yet that very excess was what made the terrified residents realize: This was how the Beasts Pirates ruled.

Everyone had witnessed the two monsters soaring through the sky. The ruins around them were proof enough of what happened to those who resisted.

So even though negotiations had already been settled, no one dared oppose the island’s new overlords. The people bowed low, offering tribute while begging for mercy—hoping reconstruction might soften the blow.

And now, weeks after the island began flying its new flag, the Beasts Pirates and their allies stood in one of the still-ruined districts, where rebuilding had yet to begin.

"The reconstruction is progressing smoothly, for now. Funds aren’t an issue, and casualties were surprisingly light, given half the island was destroyed."

"That’s great! Not like we went around slaughtering people this time, so yeah, makes sense. Just a matter of time now!"

"Indeed. …By the way… your subordinates helping out here—they’re oddly knowledgeable about construction and farming. Do you have extra shipwrights among them?"

"The veterans taught the others. They’re used to this. —Anyway, enough chatter! Today’s the day for fun, fun training!"

"WOOOOOH!! Pump it up, you bastards!!"

"Y-YEEAH!!"

"Time for thrilling training!! …Sigh…"

After confirming with Stussy that reconstruction was on track, I announced the start of today’s session to the gathered crew. Queen roared first, and the others followed. Good, good—seems everyone’s excited.

The veterans were used to this—we’d done it often in our old territory. The newbies, though? Their faces were pure confusion. Amidst it all, King approached me with his usual calm.

"The usual, then? Sparring with you, Nue? …This area’s going to take more damage."

"No worries. This district’s slated for demolition anyway. A little extra wreckage won’t hurt. —Right, Stussy?"

"Correct. No issues."

Stussy, seated in a chair slightly away from the bonfire, nodded without hesitation. …Likely, she’d led us here precisely because it was expendable—somewhere we could cut loose without disrupting reconstruction. Probably why she’d shared that intel so quickly, too. Officially, she’d just "gathered information" for us.

Not that I’m complaining. Grinning, I addressed the crew.

"Oh, and today’s training’s got a little twist~♪"

"A twist?"

I nodded. Today’s agenda was—

"Today—we’re trying out the Six Powers!!"

"!!"

"Huh!?"

The crew’s shock was understandable.

The Rokushiki—a set of elite techniques used by Marines and government agents—and here we were, pirates, about to learn them. King stepped forward, explaining for the group.

"The Rokushiki are advanced martial arts employed by World Government forces. To master them… No, wait—Nue, how did you even get this intel…?"

"Stussy told me!"

"What…?"

I flashed a grin, deliberately vague. King’s skeptical gaze shifted to Stussy, who responded with icy composure.

"Nue requested it, so I procured the information. The underworld’s networks reach even government secrets."

"Snakes know their own paths! Thanks, Stussy~♡"

"…………I see."

King still seemed suspicious, but he relented for now. As he stepped back, Queen took his place.

"So we’re really doing this Rokushiki training, huh…"

"Yep, that’s the plan~♪ —Alright, let me break it down for everyone!"

Pulling out my notes, I began explaining the Six Powers—one by one.

---

The "Rokushiki" are a set of superhuman martial arts techniques that can only be mastered by those who surpass the limits of the human body—and are said to be connected to Haki.

Primarily used by government agents—especially elite intelligence officers like CP9 and CP0—they’re also occasionally learned by high-ranking Marine officers.

" Soru (Shave)—a movement technique so fast, it appears as if the user has vanished. Mastering the footwork of the Six Powers requires leg strength capable of performing Soru... So says the notes! Alright, let’s try this first!"

"Wait, Nue… but how the hell do we even do it?"

Queen’s question was fair. According to the instructions, the key was—

"You gotta kick off the ground a bunch of times in rapid succession."

"...So, like… running? Sounds kinda basic."

"Nah, not like that—more like super-fast stomping in place!"

"Like tap-dancing or some shit? Alright, you bastards—TRY IT!"

At Queen’s command, the crew immediately attempted it.

—But.

"Like this…?"

"Dumbass. That ain’t it. You gotta go faster—"

"You’re just as bad! Lookin’ like a damn fool!"

"NOBODY’S GETTING IT!!"

Queen groaned, rubbing his temples. Hmm. Guess you really do need insane leg strength first.

Then—King, inspecting the ground and his own feet, muttered:

"...Like this."

"!!"

"Whoa! He did it!!"

In an instant, King vanished—reappearing a short distance away with a burst of speed. Damn, King. Of course he nails it first.

"Then you can probably do Geppou (Moon Walk) and Rankyaku (Storm Leg) too, right? Moon Walk’s aerial jumps, and Storm Leg’s flying slashes with your kicks."

"...Moon Walk’s useless for me… but—this what you mean?"

"WHOA!!"

King leapt into the air—then kicked off nothing, launching himself higher. With a sharp follow-up kick, he unleashed a scything wind blade—Rankyaku—that sliced clean through a distant building. It was crude, relying more on brute force than finesse, but still effective. Landing smoothly, he scoffed:

"...That’s it? Government techniques are overrated. Just flashy tricks."

"A-As expected of Lord King…!"

"He mastered it instantly!!"

"Tch… Showoff… Like that’s impressive…"

The crew stared in awe—except Queen, who ground his teeth in irritation. Noticing, King smirked.

"Hmph. Doubt you could pull it off."

"THE HELL YOU SAY!? If you can do it, so can I! —Nue! Teach me the next one! I’ll master it before this bastard!"

"—Okay~♪ Next up… let’s try Kami-e (Paper Drawing)? It’s about dodging attacks by flowing with the wind pressure—like a leaf in the breeze."

"Perfect!! Someone—ANYONE—hit me! I’ll dodge it all!!"

"Then I’ll punch that stupid face of yours."

"KING!! BRING IT, YOU BASTARD!!"

While I checked the notes, Queen and King squared off for the experiment. The crew held their breath as King swung—

"—Hah! I’m the agile type, baby!!"

Queen tried to evade—

"Heh."

"!!? —Tch!!"

"Whoa!? He blocked it!?"

"So… failure!?"

Instead of dodging, Queen caught King’s fist mid-swing, shockwaves rattling the bonfire flames. His face twisted in rage.

"KING, YOU CHEATING BASTARD! YOU USED OBSERVATION HAKI!!"

"So did you, dumbass! That defeats the whole point!"

"The hell you say!?"

"You wanna go!? HUH!?"

"They’re at it again…"—Though, to be fair, Kami-e does share similarities with Observation Haki. The training methods overlap too…*

"The Rokushiki are martial arts built on the foundation of Haki. Maybe they’re even a stepping stone to mastering Observation?"

Stussy’s explanation made sense. She might’ve been vague, but if she said it, it was probably true. Government intel and all.

As for King and Queen’s brawl—eh, typical. They’d glare, maybe trade a few light blows, but nothing serious. They’d stop once I resumed the lesson.

"Alright, next up—Tekkai (Iron Body) and Shigan (Finger Gun)! I’ll demonstrate—"

"—Sounds fun. Let me try."

"Ah, Kaido."

"L-Lord Kaido’s joining in!?"

—Right as I was about to continue, Kaido cut in. He’d been quietly drinking earlier, but apparently, he’d grown interested.

Perfect. Grinning, I tucked away my notes.

"Then let’s try it together, Kaido!"

"Yeah—so, what do I do?"

"First, Tekkai! It’s about tensing your entire body to harden it like iron armor."

"Got it. Hit me."

"Roger that~♪ Here goes—hyaaah!"

"!!!"

"WHOA!?"

With Kaido, things were straightforward. He stood firm, clenched his fists—and I smacked his stomach with my trident.

The shockwave sent the crew staggering, but I realized my mistake the moment the strike landed.

This was pointless.

"He stopped the spear…!?"

"Did it work!? As expected of Lord Kaido!"

The crew cheered, but no—this wasn’t Tekkai succeeding.

Because Kaido didn’t need it.

"—Oops. Forgot. Kaido’s already harder than iron without trying."

"Pathetic. Government dogs gotta try just to match iron? Weak-ass technique."

"Right? If you can’t tank blades or bullets casually, what’s the point? Humans should manage at least that much."

"Uh…"

"Ehhhh…"

"…Unbelievable."

As Kaido and I dismissed Tekkai as trash, the crew stood frozen—some gaping, others pale. Even Stussy looked mildly horrified. Kaido just tilted his head, confused.

Did I say something weird?

"Honestly, this feels like a bootleg Armament Haki training. Why bother when Haki exists?"

"…Combining the two does enhance durability, but—"

"So it’s just choosing to tank hits? Why make a whole technique outta that?"

"…Normal humans might need it."

"—Me and Nue are normal humans. That bastard Newgate and Linlin don’t try to be harder than iron either."

"…………Sure."

—Ah. Stussy gave up.

Hmm. I get it—people call us beasts, monsters, freaks—but we’re still human. Train hard enough, and anyone can surpass iron!

Wait—that’s it! Tekkai must be a stepping stone! At first, you need to tense up, but eventually, your base body reaches that level! It’s proof of human potential!

Amazing. Physical strength truly reigns supreme. Humans are incredible. We’re just another kind of beast!

Satisfied, I moved to the final technique.

"Last one—Shigan (Finger Gun)! Hehe, I’ve been waiting for this~♪ ‘No need for bullets when your body is the gun!’—what a motto!"

"Whoa… suddenly energetic, Nue."

"…Everyone, back up."

"…Nue. Use that building’s wall. The line of sight leads to abandoned structures all the way to the coast."

"? Sure~♪"

As I got excited, Queen noped away, King ordered the crew to retreat, and Stussy designated a safe target.

So paranoid. Shigan just pokes holes—it’s not like I’ll cause collateral damage or anything. No need for all these precautions!

"Let’s see… focus power into the fingertip, then thrust at bullet speed…"

I tensed my index finger—like throwing a punch, but sharper—and…

"HERE WE GO—SHIGAN!"

"!!!"

My finger sank into the wall like a hot knife through butter. Success!

—Or so I thought.

"…Huh?"

I tilted my head.

The wall was pierced—but the real surprise came after.

The building I’d targeted—and every structure behind it—began collapsing in sequence, as if a cannonball had torn straight through the block.

---

The New World – On the Seas Near a Certain Island

"Alright, dock the ship!! We’re going straight—UGH!?"

"W-What the hell!? Was that wind pressure—no, we’re being shot at!?"

"Some sniper bastard hiding on the island!? Damn it, what kinda place is this!?"

---

The crew stared in horror, trembling as they muttered:

"That wasn’t a gun… more like a cannon…?"

"Yeah, no surprise, half the place is wrecked…"

"B-But it was just Shigan… right? How the hell—"

Finally realizing what I’d done, I glanced at my index finger—still crackling with the remnants of Haki. Oops.

"…Ah, my bad~♡ Accidentally pumped too much Haki into it~♡"

"WHAAAAAAAAAT!?"

"So she brute-forced it with raw physicality and Haki…"

"No wonder there was so much collateral damage…"

As the crew reeled from my apology, Stussy and King calmly explained. Yeah, my bad. I meant to use pure Shigan, but got too hyped and amped it up with full-body Haki.

—But come on! Who wouldn’t wanna try this!?

The dream of shouting "Shigan!" and blasting through stuff while someone blocks it with Tekkai—any martial artist would kill for that chance! So yeah, I got carried away. But hey, it worked, and the wreckage was planned anyway! No harm done!

"WORORORO!! Looks fun!! My turn—"

"W-Wait, Lord Kaido!! That direction’s got the town we’re rebuilding!!"

"Uh… maybe try this wall instead…?"

"Right, right. Then here I go—gonna outdo Nue’s destruction…!! OOOOOOH!!! "SHIGAN"!!!"

"!!!"

"OH SHIT—MORE BUILDINGS COLLAPSING!?"

---

The New World – On the Seas Near a Certain Island

"DAMN IT—WHERE ARE THEY HIDING!? OUR CREW’S GETTING WRECKED!!"

"GYAAAAAAAAHHH!!? NOW IT’S CANNON FIRE!?"

"N-No way… that’s way too strong for a cannon…!!"

——That day, an unnamed pirate crew met their end, their ships mysteriously annihilated near the island’s waters.

---

"Whoa… uh, Kaido? That’s just a normal full-power punch now, isn’t it?"

"I used my finger, so it counts. But yeah, no different from a punch. Another useless technique."

"C’mon, don’t dismiss it yet! —Anyway! Point is, these techniques are versatile! Combined with Haki, they’ll make you stronger! Perfect for Zoan users—train hard, and you’ll all benefit!!"

"Uh… sure…"

"…Well, we did prove they work…"

"…I think the Rokushiki were meant to be used differently."

The crew looked exhausted, but hey—mastering these would absolutely pay off. Even if the training itself was brutal, the physical gains alone were worth it. For Zoan users? Game-changing.

—Though Kaido and I might’ve cheated a little. Raw strength does trivialize technique…!

"Alright, explanations over—time for real training!"

"…Oh god… here it comes…"

"Wait… actually… isn’t this better than usual…?"

"!! You’re right!! Compared to getting randomly ambushed by Lord Kaido or Nue, having actual drills is way more—"

"—So Kaido and I will lightly pummel you! Try blocking with Tekkai or dodging with Kami-e!!"

"THAT’S THE SAME AS USUAL!!"

"SHIT, THEY’RE COMING!! RUN!!"

"LORD QUEEN!! HELP US!!"

"…I would… but this is for your growth. Stay strong, men… farewell!!"

"HEY—DON’T THINK YOU CAN LOOK COOL WHILE RUNNING AWAY!!"

"Wait, Lord Queen!!"

"OI, QUEEN!! If you run too far, you’ll wreck the damn town!! STOP!!"

"My, my… you all have it rough."

"HUH!? Don’t think you’re safe either!! You get caught up, that’s on YOU!!"

"What are you—WAH!?"

As I chased the crew, my attack accidentally veered toward Stussy—who barely managed to dodge. Oho~ Impressive reflexes for a supposed civilian. Not bad for a former (or current?) CP0 agent.

"Oops, my bad, Stussy~! —Wait, since you’re here, why not join the training!? Gotta stay sharp in the underworld, right!?"

"I’d really rather not…!?"

"Fufufu~♡ No excuses~♡ Don’t worry, I’ll go easy on you~♡"

"Tch…!!"

—Ah. Stussy bolted. Not too fast, not too slow—just enough to avoid suspicion. She could use Soru or Geppou, but that’d blow her cover. Yet she also doesn’t wanna get hit. Hilarious. The struggle is adorable, Stussy~♡ Makes me wanna tease her more~♡

"Woo-hoo~♪ Run, run, run~!! The ‘training’ ends when Kaido and I say so!! Survive, and you get a reward! Fail, and we’ll still patch you up for the after-party~!!"

"QUIT RUNNING, YOU COWARDS!!! TAKE MY HIT LIKE MEN!!! RUN AND I’LL KILL YOU MYSELF!!!"

"WHAAAAAT!? THIS IS COMPLETE CHAOS!!!"

And so, the Beasts Pirates’ "fun" training continued.

—Casualty report: Only a few unlucky souls died. Not bad! Kaido and I totally held back!

As for Stussy? She got drunk at the post-training banquet for the first time ever.

…Guess she’s finally warming up to the crew~♡