Imagine CoA as a Liquid that passes through your Skin or whatever you're Touching,
Imagine CoC as same Element but in Gas Form that you release to cover Area around you,
When you Focus CoA, it Hardens your Skin or your Weapon or whatever Area you sent that Liquid to,
When you Focus CoC, you're actually weaponizing that Area that the Gas was covering & making it Compact or Compressing it,
(It's literally just like Gura Gura No Mi)
Also since CoC Users can learn to direct their CoC (That Gas) like Rayleigh did when He only wanted to Target Disco, that means CoC Coating isn't always a Sphere, it can be Re-Shaped just like Swordsmen would do
In other words,
Think of Hardening CoA as if Daz Bonez was punching you,
Think of Barrier CoA as if Bartolomeo was punching you,
Think of CoC Coating as if WB was punching you,
So yeah, they look the same cuz it's the same Haki, in all Techniques you're using your Spiritual Energy, it's just how They effect things that is different, that's all
Stop looking at Lightning Effects, They help but They aren't the Main Indicator,
Barrier CoA still requires you touch your Target, it's just that your reach extends beyond your Body, hence your Skin is Safe,
But CoC Coating is like Gura Gura No Mi, you're basically Punching the Space itself
This means Gaban didn't use Adv. CoC, that was just Hardening,
