Chapter 9

9. Kuna

For a novice in PK, the most taboo thing is to overthink both offense and defense. When attacking, one might worry about losing the defense if the attack is ineffective, or when considering defense, the attack becomes hesitant and timid.

On the field, Liu Hao slashed diagonally at the coach. This slash was about 60% of his usual practice strength, and even he felt it was awkward. After being blocked by the coach, although he kept telling himself not to panic, his body became somewhat stiff.

The coach seized the opportunity, taking advantage of Liu Hao's stiffness to counterattack with a horizontal cut. Surprisingly, Liu Hao's reaction was unexpectedly quick. From the moment his brain sensed the need to defend to the moment his hands pulled the wooden sword back to his side, his speed was more than twice as fast as usual.

Before Liu Hao could recover, the coach took a step back and raised the wooden sword, aiming straight for Liu Hao's forehead.

Danger! The information from his brain synchronized with his hands, and the wooden sword was raised. His arms burst with strength, and a thought surged in his heart: "I must block it, or I'll die!"

Liu Hao had forgotten that he was sparring and using a wooden sword. As the thought arose, he shouted, "Ha!"

The Haki of the King erupted from his heart, spreading out in all directions.

The sudden surge of power shook the dojo, and the crowd fell back like wheat being cut down!

Koshiro was taken aback.

"King's Haki!"

"Befitting the D Family!"

Koshiro thought he would be the only one capable of withstanding this power, but a soft voice from his ear left him unsure whether to be happy or worried.

"Father, I feel dizzy! I'm not feeling well."

Kuna only felt dizzy, uncomfortable under the pressure of the King's Haki. The air around her felt sticky, as if there was less of it.

Koshiro rubbed Kuna's little head with his large hand and sighed deeply, as if he had figured something out.

"It's fine, Kuna. It seems a remarkable person has appeared!"

Kuna, still dazed, didn't understand Koshiro's words. Her face was filled with a radiant smile, as if her father hadn't rubbed her head in a long time. Sometimes, her father could be quite gentle.

Compared to the last time he used King's Haki, this time the side effects were almost negligible. A long buzzing sound in his brain gradually faded into silence, the entire process lasting about thirty seconds. His consciousness returned to his control.

Stiffness! This was Liu Hao's first feeling. His body felt as if it had been covered with a layer of dried cement.

The coach, his opponent, had fallen to the ground. Liu Hao realized he had unconsciously used King's Haki again.

Oh no, what if something happens? Liu Hao remembered the setting seemed inappropriate.

In the inner room of the dojo, Liu Hao and Koshiro sat facing each other, with little Kuna serving tea to both of them.

"How much do you understand about Haki?" Koshiro asked.

"Teacher, I know there are three types of Haki: Armament Haki, Observation Haki, and King's Haki. Apart from the King's Haki I used unintentionally, I have only heard of the other two types," Liu Hao answered calmly.

"Indeed, King's Haki has no set rules. Anyone can awaken it, but the probability is one in a million," Koshiro explained. "After awakening, you need to familiarize yourself with and control it. You need to control your emotions."

Liu Hao listened to Koshiro's explanation and began to think.

The term "emotions" is broad. If emotions are subdivided, the description in the Dragon Country is quite useful: joy, anger, sorrow, happiness, grief, fear, and surprise. Another way to describe them is: joy, anger, sorrow, happiness, love, hate, and desire.

Koshiro believed that controlling emotions means controlling King's Haki, which was a significant insight for Liu Hao. An uncontrollable King's Haki and a controllable one are two different concepts. The former could harm allies, while the latter could intimidate enemies.

King's Haki is the use of emotions. Liu Hao began to think that among the seven emotions, the most likely one was "anger," followed by "hate."

Soon, Liu Hao shook his head. The two times he used King's Haki unintentionally seemed unrelated to these two emotions.

The first time, he thought, "I am the only one under heaven and earth." What was the emotion then? It was "desire"! He wanted it, and he felt he could achieve it, leading to the emotion of "joy"!

The second time, he felt very dangerous, thinking he would die if he couldn't defend. In other words, he was afraid. The emotion at that moment was "fear"! But fear didn't bring the release. Instead, because of fear, he resisted, placing the sword over his head and bursting with all his strength. The fear had disappeared, replaced by "joy" as he realized he could do it and really did it, and he wouldn't die!

Both times, the emotion of "joy" was the ultimate release.

Of course, it can't be said that King's Haki is just the release of "joy." It should be said that at those two moments, his emotions underwent significant changes, causing him to lose control of his emotions and be controlled by them.

Koshiro's guidance was very beneficial to Liu Hao, giving him a clear direction.

Liu Hao took a deep breath and let his thoughts wander.

In King's Haki, the word "King" alone indicates that it is the aura of a king.

What is a king? Simply put, it's the aura that leaders naturally possess.

But this is different from traditional kings, who are already leaders with their own followers.

In One Piece, those with King's Haki are only potential kings, candidates! It shows that you have the capacity to be a king, meaning you can participate in the struggle for power and build your own kingdom!

This is a right to create, not to inherit!

Liu Hao understood that this is about "struggle" and "seizure."

This struggle is a grand one, not petty. In this process, you distribute benefits to those who follow you. This process itself is a way to cultivate your aura, your "authority" and your "reputation"!

Thinking about this, Liu Hao's lips curled slightly, and he bowed slightly to Koshiro.

"Thank you, teacher, for your guidance!"

Koshiro smiled slightly, picked up his teacup, blew on it, and took a sip. His thoughts also began to wander.

Guiding Liu Hao was a side benefit in his eyes. The true intention was to guide Kuna.

Koshiro knew very well that for a 6-year-old girl not to be affected by King's Haki and pass out, the only possibility was that Kuna also had the potential to be a king.

This shocked Koshiro! He couldn't express his feelings. On one hand, he was happy that Kuna could become a king in the future, but on the other hand, he just wanted his daughter to grow up happily.

To become a king, one must face many challenges and obstacles. A single misfortune could lead to failure in the struggle.

What will happen to his daughter in the future? Will she become like the great pirates on the sea, braving the waves and storms, and eventually becoming one of the Four Emperors of the New World?

Or...

Koshiro thought a lot and glanced at Kuna. This small, gentle girl, should he really let her walk a path filled with blood and blades?

But, could he stop her even if he wanted to? For someone who has shown the potential of a king, can shackles bind her?

"Kuna! You've given your father a difficult problem!"

Koshiro sighed deeply but then felt more at ease. At least he discovered Kuna's potential early and has many years to think about this issue. What a relief!

Thinking about this, Koshiro looked at Liu Hao more favorably. Although he was surprised, he still wanted to thank him!

Koshiro's gratitude made Liu Hao feel honored. What did he prepare as a thank-you gift? Nothing else but the cultivation methods for Armament Haki and Observation Haki!

Although Liu Hao couldn't cultivate now, and although Koshiro's explanation wasn't very detailed, a path to the heavens had already been drawn in Liu Hao's mind. The fog in front of him was blown away by the wind, and a small path appeared, winding up the mountain.

"Good morning, Senior Kuna!"

Liu Hao felt very relaxed, as if the whole world was fresh. After a long period of tension, he found Kuna to be so cute, and he wanted to give her a head pat.

"Um, good morning, Liu!"

Kuna was very happy, enjoying the title of "Senior" very much. This big brother looked so pleasant!

"Senior Kuna, can you help me with something?"

Liu Hao decided to relax today and take Kuna for a tour of Fushimi Village.

"No problem, Kuna can help!"

Kuna squinted her eyes, her face beaming with a smile. For a child, the greatest joy is being respected by adults, and being asked for help is the highest form of respect.

"Senior Kuna, can you take me on a tour of Fushimi Village? I haven't explored it properly yet, and I'm worried I might get lost if I go alone!"

"Really, you're so big and still get lost; okay!"

Kuna complained with her mouth but her smile was honest.

After breakfast, Liu Hao held Kuna's small hand and walked out of the dojo, ignoring Zheng Zhi's slightly melancholic gaze, and happily began their shopping trip.

Fushimi Village, in reality, had little to explore. There were only about ten shops, but many people set up stalls. Villages from surrounding islands often chose this place for trade, making Fushimi Village more prosperous than other villages, though still far from being a town.

Kuna led Liu Hao from shop to shop, chattering about all the things she knew, regardless of whether Liu Hao was interested. She poured all the information into his head.

Liu Hao smiled and listened, feeling that Kuna probably had few friends.

Indeed, with a single father who was quite strict and far from being a nurturing parent, and with the dojo full of little kids who feared the coach and, by extension, Koshiro, it was natural that Kuna, as Koshiro's daughter, found it hard to get close to the other kids.

Kuna was quite lonely. Today's outing with Liu Hao felt like a release, and she was almost jumping with joy.

Initially, Kuna wanted to maintain the senior's demeanor, but by the second shop, she had already changed her address from "Liu" to "Big Brother Liu." This made Liu Hao very happy; having a little sister like this would be nice.

Speaking of which, in this world, he seemed to have a little sister.

Soon, they finished visiting the shops and moved to the stalls. Seeing the long-lost candy skewers, they each got one. Watching Kuna hop and take small bites, Liu Hao gently rubbed her active little head.

Occasionally relaxing was really nice.

Suddenly, a commotion arose, and panic spread through the street. People rushed to higher ground, and the goods on the stalls were left unattended. Fear was evident on everyone's faces.

"Pirates are coming..."

A high-pitched scream echoed, and Liu Hao's heart began to race. Pirates were coming! In this unprepared situation, what should he do? Should he run?

Feeling the warmth of the large hand, Liu Hao calmed down. The pirate ship had already reached the port and would soon come ashore. He could turn and run, but what about Kuna? Carrying her would likely make it impossible for both to escape, and leaving her behind was out of the question.

"Kuna, quickly find your father. Hurry, Big Brother Liu will wait for the teacher to save me!"