Haki

**Haki** is a mysterious power that allows the user to utilize their own spiritual energy for various purposes. It can be used to sense people's spiritual energy and predict their actions, give the user a protective coating of spiritual energy, and, for a certain group of "chosen ones", overpower the willpower of others. All living beings in the world are capable of learning Haki; however, most people do not notice it or fail to awaken it.

## **Overview**

Haki, unnamed at the time, was first seen when Shanks used it to scare off the Lord of the Coast to save Luffy when he was a child from the wrath of the Sea King. The term "Haki" was first coined and used much later when Blackbeard was commenting on Luffy's bounty in Jaya, and was hinted at during Shanks' visit with Whitebeard. The underlying concepts of Haki were introduced during the Sabaody Archipelago and Amazon Lily Arcs. The concept was clearly explained later on by Rayleigh to Luffy at the start of the latter's training on Rusukaina Island.

Haki is dormant in every living person, but for most people, it's rare to ever awaken the ability. Intense training can awaken it, as can extreme shock, such as with Koby during the Summit War of Marineford. Two known people (Aisa and Otohime) were born with awakened Kenbunshoku Haki, with no known training.

Haki is apparently quite difficult to master, as Rayleigh stated that two years was not enough time to learn the basics, though several characters managed to master it within the time-skip, including Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Tashigi, Smoker, Koby, Bellamy. Haki can also become stronger, especially when a Haki user pushes themselves and their Haki to the limit and beyond in battles against stronger opponents.

Due to the fact that Haki originates from an individual's spirit and not their physical body, users are still capable of using it even if their spirit is transferred into another body. It is also possible to maintain and use Haki while unconscious, as seen when Newgate used Kenbunshoku Haki in his sleep to defend himself from Ace; when Chinjao was defeated and he still maintained Busoshoku Haki on his head after he fainted; and when Luffy released a burst of Haoshoku Haki after being knocked unconscious by Kaidou.

Despite its great capabilities, Haki is not limitless as it can be depleted from overuse, rendering the user unable to use it for a set period while it regenerates.

## **Types of Haki**

Haki is separated into three categories, or types. The three types of Haki are:

* **Kenbunshoku Haki**, which grants users a sixth sense of the world around them and limited precognitive abilities. Users of this Haki can sense people's presence, strength, emotions, and intentions.
	+ An advanced level of Kenbunshoku allows the user to see a short period into the future.
* **Busoshoku Haki**, which allows the user to use their own spiritual energy as armor to defend against attacks, as well as make their own attacks more potent. A person can apply the armament to a section of their body, over their entire body, and even apply it to their weapons.
	+ An advanced level of Busoshoku allows the user to emit the armament a short distance without a medium.
		- A higher grade of advanced Busoshoku allows the user to make the emitted armament flow into a target's body and destroy it from the inside out.
* **Haoshoku Haki**, which grants the user the ability to overpower the will of others. This results in victims being mentally overwhelmed by the user, with particularly weak-willed foes instantly losing consciousness. Haoshoku is a rare form of Haki that only one in several million people are born with the ability to use.
	+ An advanced level of Haoshoku allows the user infuse their conquering spirit into their weapons and physical attacks, greatly augmenting their power. Only a small handful of the most powerful Haoshoku users are able to achieve this.

Most people who can use Haki tend to have one type that they are better at, and, as a result, focus on training and fighting with that type primarily. However, a person can improve their abilities with all the types of Haki, it just requires more work.

Each type of Haki has levels of usage, so even two proficient users might not be of equal strength. Furthermore, it is possible to use at least two types of Haki simultaneously.