"How… how is that even possible?!"
Akainu's voice trembled with disbelief as he stared at Krillin, who had just avoided his attack in a completely unexpected situation.
He couldn't comprehend it. There was no way—absolutely no way—that someone, even stronger than a general, could react so quickly in that moment.
Yet Krillin did.
That kind of reaction speed was terrifying.
Unfathomable.
---
Floating in the sky, Krillin looked down calmly at the three admirals below.
"Your abilities are certainly interesting," he commented, brushing some dust off his sleeve. "But just watching you throw attacks isn't going to get us anywhere. I think it's time for my turn."
With that, Krillin dove down like a bullet from the heavens. In a blink, he closed the distance to Akainu and threw a clean, sharp punch straight to the admiral's chest.
It was a direct hit—except it wasn't.
To Krillin's surprise, his fist passed through Akainu's body.
"Huh?! What just happened?!"
Instead of landing a blow, his punch went through Akainu, who had suddenly transformed into molten lava. The admiral's body flickered and churned like magma, completely unaffected.
---
Whitebeard, watching from nearby, quickly spoke up.
"Mr. Krillin! Akainu is a Logia-type Devil Fruit user—he's a natural element! To hit him, you need to use Haki!"
Krillin turned to him, slightly puzzled. "Haki? What's that?"
A moment of silence fell over the battlefield.
Whitebeard's eyes widened.
The pirates around them froze mid-battle.
Even the navy officers had stunned expressions.
---
This... this top-tier powerhouse—someone whose strength had already surpassed the Four Emperors and the Navy Admirals—didn't know what Haki was?
It was completely unheard of.
Among ordinary civilians or weak pirates, ignorance of Haki was expected. Even minor marines and small fry could be excused.
But a powerhouse like Krillin? It was unthinkable.
Among the elite, Haki was a basic skill—especially the two common types: Observation Haki and Armament Haki. Even the rarer Conqueror's Haki was something many among the upper echelon had awakened.
Yet here stood a warrior who could go toe-to-toe with the world's strongest... and had never heard of it?
---
Cosmic Chatroom: Explosive Reactions
As expected, the Cosmic Thug Group Chat exploded in conversation.
Goku: "Did that guy just turn into lava? No wonder Krillin's punch went through!"
Piccolo: "Makes sense now why Krillin said their abilities are interesting. That's a crazy ability—he literally becomes magma!"
Tien: "So… do the others also turn into their elements? Like light and ice?"
Master Roshi: "It seems likely. This must be what this world calls Devil Fruit powers."
Whis: "The combat strength here may be below many universes, but their abilities are... intriguing. Elemental transformation that grants immunity to physical attacks—very clever."
Goku: "Wait, then Krillin just has to hit him harder, right?"
Vegeta: "Kakarot, weren't you paying attention? Whitebeard just said you need to use Haki to hit Logia types."
Goku: "Oh yeah! But… Krillin doesn't know how to use Haki, does he?"
Vegeta: "Tch. The term is different, but the concept is similar. This 'Haki' sounds like our Ki. If Krillin just uses Ki in his attacks, it should have the same effect."
Goku: "Hey! That makes sense!"
Goku: "@Krillin, Krillin! Try using your Ki when attacking. Maybe it'll work like Haki!"
Krillin: "Alright, I'll give it a try."
---
Krillin nodded slowly as the realization sank in. What Vegeta said made perfect sense.
If Haki was the way this world channeled internal power, then maybe his Ki—the life force energy from his universe—could serve the same purpose.
He pulled back from Akainu and landed lightly on the ground. His eyes narrowed, and he took a deep breath, beginning to gather his energy.
---
Nearby, Whitebeard watched with growing concern.
"Mr. Krillin… Are you saying you really can't use Haki?"
"I truly don't know how," Krillin replied with a shrug, as if it were no big deal.
The Whitebeard Pirates collectively gasped.
A fighter of his level—stronger than admirals, possibly even stronger than Whitebeard himself—didn't know how to use Haki?
It shook them.
"How is that possible?!"
"If he can't use Haki, he can't touch Akainu!"
The mood began to shift from awe to anxiety.
---
Navy Morale Rises
On the other side, the Navy officers were starting to feel hope.
Krillin's raw power was unquestionable—but if he couldn't touch Akainu, then his power meant nothing.
Logia users like Akainu were practically untouchable without Haki.
To the Navy, this was a gift from the heavens.
Akainu couldn't defeat Krillin—but Krillin also couldn't defeat Akainu.
A perfect stalemate.
---
Whitebeard clenched his fists. He couldn't just watch as Krillin, the man who healed him, got toyed with by the admirals.
He stepped forward. "Mr. Krillin, if you can't use Haki, allow me to assist you!"
But Krillin raised a hand and stopped him.
"There's no need," Krillin said, his voice steady.
"I may not know this world's technique…"
He tightened his fists.
"…but I do know this!"
Suddenly, a powerful wave of Ki burst from Krillin's body.
A radiant white aura exploded around him, crackling like thunder, forming a blazing outline around his form. His hair fluttered, and the ground beneath him cracked under the sheer pressure.
The battlefield stilled.
Everyone—pirates, marines, even the admirals—turned to look at the source of the blinding energy.
"What… is this pressure?" A marine whispered in fear.
"That's not Haki…"
"But it feels just as terrifying!"
---
Krillin's eyes focused on Akainu again.
"I don't know your rules."
"I don't know your Haki."
"But I don't need to."
He vanished from sight.
Akainu barely had a second to react before Krillin appeared before him—this time, his fist glowing with white-hot Ki.
The punch connected.
This time, it didn't pass through.
It landed.
Hard.
Akainu's face twisted in shock as the blow smashed into his lava body, sending him flying backward like a cannonball, slamming into a crumbled wall dozens of meters away.
A tremor ran through the battlefield.
---
Chatroom Reactions
Goku: "Yes! It worked!"
Vegeta: "Tch. Of course it did. Ki and Haki aren't so different after all."
Whis: "Fascinating. His Ki manipulation is so refined, it allows him to mimic Haki subconsciously. A rare talent."
Beerus: "So even in a world where he doesn't know the techniques, he's still a threat. I like him."
Jack: "He doesn't know Haki. He just knows himself. That's more than enough."
---
Akainu slowly rose from the rubble, blood dripping from his mouth.
He had been hit.
Truly, physically hit.
"How… how did you hit me?!"
Krillin landed lightly on the ground, smiling calmly.
"I told you. I don't know your world's skills."
"But I don't need to know how to be aggressive…"
He raised his hand, palm glowing with energy.
"…I just need to know how to hit."
patreon(Jutsu_143)