In the New World, on an unnamed island, the island was quite large, but only grew some bizarre, strange plants and insects, with hardly any beasts, let alone humans.
Because of this, Drake and Whitebeard chose this place as their training ground.
As mentioned before, Haki only grows through battle, especially gaining experience from fighting Haki experts.
Among the Whitebeard Pirates, the strongest in Haki was naturally Captain Whitebeard himself.
After recovering from his internal injuries, although Whitebeard's strength had waned due to old age, there were very few who could compare to him on the sea.
Perhaps watching the young people fight made him feel energetic again, so he took the initiative to join in.
Drake, of course, was eager for this, and immediately found this new training ground.
Although Drake wouldn't use magic and Whitebeard wouldn't use the power of the Gura Gura no Mi, they would only exchange blows with Haki, and the commotion wouldn't be small.
Dressrosa had already suffered enough disasters; it was better not to cause more trouble here.
Thus, in front of a crowd of onlookers, Drake and Whitebeard faced each other.
Whitebeard slammed his great sword into the ground and said, "Just for some exercise, but I won't hold back!"
Drake clenched his fists and replied, "Of course, holding back would be pointless!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the two of them stepped toward each other!
Whitebeard's massive fist, wrapped in Armament Haki, roared as it smashed toward Drake.
Drake, aiming to train his own Armament Haki, naturally didn't dodge but raised his fists to counter.
The last time he fought using only his body was during his training at the Dragon God Temple, but back then, his body enhanced by magic hadn't let him suffer much.
But now, it was different. Although Whitebeard's body had weakened significantly due to age, his physical quality still surpassed Drake's.
Drake also felt the unevenness of the world. As a Conqueror's Haki user, his physical qualities had always been superior.
The only ones stronger than Drake were either Zettai Ryouiki's rare talents like Stella, or non-human existences like Ignia or Lucifer.
Who would have thought that even an old man nearing the end of his life could have physical qualities surpassing Drake?
Most importantly, the gap in Haki levels between the two was huge. When their fists collided, Whitebeard's additional Haki directly shattered Drake's Haki.
Drake bent his arm, and the muscles on his face twitched. He hadn't felt this kind of pain in a long time during a direct confrontation.
"What's wrong, Drake? Is it too much for you now? My kid's training is way tougher than this."
Uzumaki Naruto proudly raised his head—yes, Whitebeard was talking about him. He's been beaten much more fiercely!
Drake smiled and said, "Don't tell such jokes now!"
He then condensed his Haki again, raising his arms to block Whitebeard's attack.
Whitebeard laughed loudly and released his grip on the Kuroryuu, swinging a heavy punch at Drake.
Drake lowered into a horse stance, concentrating his Haki into both fists and punching back.
Their exchange was devoid of technique, relying solely on the collision of Haki. The sound of thuds echoed loudly.
When a shockwave spread out, the two of them finished a phase of their confrontation.
Drake's hands trembled slightly. During the clash, his Armament Haki was constantly shattered, and all the immense power was absorbed by his arms. His muscles and bones were already tough enough not to swell immediately.
But at the same time, Drake felt that his Armament Haki was becoming more refined through the continuous destruction and reformation.
Indeed, fighting was the most crucial nourishment for Haki growth.
Pain also stimulated Drake's fighting instincts, and his combat willpower kept transforming into Haki's strength.
Whitebeard also sensed Drake's change and couldn't help but smile with relief.
Drake was indeed a strong man, and he knew it well. But previously, he only saw Drake's ability to manipulate flames.
Although Whitebeard didn't think Haki was an overpowering force like Kaido's, he believed that Haki was the most direct reflection of a person's true strength.
And Drake's rapid progress in mastering Haki proved his strength was flawless.
Whitebeard reached out and grabbed his great sword, saying, "Since your body is already heated, let's officially begin!"
As soon as he finished, the mighty blade swung down with great force.
Although Whitebeard usually fought by combining his Devil Fruit powers and Haki on the blade, as the strongest, his swordsmanship naturally had no weaknesses.
Drake shifted his body sideways, and the sword light brushed past him, but then, under Whitebeard's control, the blade wove into a net!
Drake stepped back, dodging the slashes by shifting his body left and right.
Whitebeard said, "Can you see with Observation Haki? How far can you sense!"
He then twirled his wrist, and the great sword swung horizontally, precisely slicing into Drake's arm wrapped in Armament Haki, sending Drake flying backward.
Observation Haki is the power of perception—detecting incoming attacks through sensing the opponent's aura and reacting accordingly.
But when both sides master Observation Haki, it becomes a contest of who can sense faster and more accurately.
Drake had just fallen behind Whitebeard in Observation Haki, which was why he couldn't dodge that strike!
And then, the battle truly reached its climax.
Drake pushed his newly acquired Armament and Observation Haki to their limits, barely holding against Whitebeard's relentless assault.
Whitebeard demonstrated various techniques of the two-color Haki, as well as their combined use in battle, all of which he showcased to Drake.
Drake was once again knocked back, but his gaze grew more determined.
That last strike had been fully blocked, and Drake's Armament Haki had grown so much in just one fight. No wonder Luffy could grow so much after traveling to Wano.
Thinking about it, Drake said, "I've seen enough of the others. It's time I witness the ultimate power of Haki!"
After turning his Kuroryuu into a circle in his hand, Whitebeard looked at Drake and asked, "Have you seen that power before?"
Drake kept his guard and said, "I fought Kaido and Big Mom, so I have a deep impression of that power."
Whitebeard said, "I see. Then you'd better be prepared!"
He then moved, his face seeming to distort, his pupils glowing with two red lights, and two red lines stretched out as he moved.
Haoshoku Haki, besides its intimidation, is another technique—transforming willpower into tangible destructive force: Haoshoku Coiling!
With the glow of black lightning and the blade shining, Whitebeard's attack shot straight toward Drake.
Drake didn't dodge. On one hand, his newly refined Observation Haki couldn't detect his powerful opponent's aura under Whitebeard's Haoshoku Haki.
On the other hand, Drake also wanted to go all out and experience the world's top power with his own body.
Then, in the next moment, the blade was just a distance away from Drake's body, but he already felt the terrifying force, and he was sent flying out.
When the bloodied Drake finally stood up again, black lightning flickered between his eyes.
Drake's Haoshoku Haki… had awakened!
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