"Bah!"
As Garp's words fell, the purple-black lightning in his pupils seemed to take form, roaring out into the atmosphere. The terrifying energy focused on Garp's right fist, tightly wrapping around it like a trapped beast.
"This, this is..." Ace watched in awe, feeling his Conqueror's Haki gradually awakening.
"Watch closely, Ace!" Garp shouted. With a swift movement, he leaped into the air, positioning himself dozens of meters above the ground. Using Observation Haki to ensure Ace wouldn't be hurt, he grinned and slammed his right fist down from the sky.
"Boom!"
The purple-black energy erupted from Garp's fist, spreading violently across the atmosphere. The earth beneath them shattered like fragile tofu, turning into flying ash before the overwhelming power.
"Blue Hole!" Garp roared triumphantly.
Ace stared at the devastated landscape and the lingering purple-black lightning, utterly shocked. This was the legendary power above all else—the Conqueror's Haki Coating. Though he had seen it in the original work, experiencing it firsthand was an entirely different ordeal. The sheer power left him in awe.
As Ace pondered this, his vision suddenly darkened. The next moment, he found himself in a dense forest. A warrior was being pushed back by a Red-black slash—Kozuki Oden?
Ace was stunned. This scene was...
"Damn it! What's going on?! I can't accept it!" Kozuki Oden roared defiantly, running forward again. But a tall figure suddenly emerged from the woods, stopping Oden in his tracks—Whitebeard! Edward Newgate!
"Come yet?" A loud, Haki-filled laugh echoed from Ace's mouth. A violent red flashed in his pupils, manifesting physically and flooding onto the famous sword in his hand.
"Boom!"
The violent purple Haki around him roared, and as he stepped forward, the ground shattered beneath his feet.
"Roger!" Whitebeard laughed loudly, his Conqueror's Haki wrapping around his famous Naginta.
"Drink!"
The naginta and Saber both slashed out simultaneously. The two supreme sharp weapons collided in the air, their violent energy sweeping across the entire island.
"They Aren't even touching each other at all!" Kozuki Oden in the distance could barely open his eyes in the violent collision of energy, speaking in shock.
"Hahaha!"
"Gurararara!"
As the two bursts of Haki-filled laughter rang out, the Conqueror's Haki of both men unleashed fully, pouring out violently.
"Boom!!!"
"Crack! Click! Bang!"
The purple-black lightning roared through the atmosphere, shattering it with their violent energy. The earth turned to pieces, the sea churned with turbulent waves, and many members of the Roger Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates were overwhelmed by the clash. Even the sky seemed to tear apart from the sheer force of their Haki.
Conqueror's Haki Clash!
...
The next second, Ace's vision shattered, returning him to the nameless island.
"Your understanding is heaven-defying, realized through visualization—the Conqueror's Haki Infusion!"
"Your understanding is heaven-defying, and by observing Garp's Fist—Blue Hole, You created a new variant called Ring of Flame—Red hole!"
Two lines of text slowly emerged in his mind.
"Hahaha, my strength has really declined a lot!" Garp laughed.
Garp looked at Ace, who was still a little stunned, and laughed as he clenched his fists. Despite claiming his strength was declining, his face radiated confidence and Haki.
"How about it? I can teach you this kind of power as long as you become a Marine" Garp said, laughing. Though the punch he had demonstrated was far from his full strength, it was enough to show Ace the power of Conqueror's Haki - Entanglement.
Faced with Garp's chatter, Ace walked up to a rock wall. His eyes flashed purple and black as Conqueror's Haki burst out, enveloping him in purple-black lightning. Ace felt he could control this power. He stretched out his right fist and concentrated. The purple-black lightning seemed to be restrained by an invisible hand, concentrating on his fist. He punched out, and the violent energy shot toward the rock wall.
"Boom!"
The energy spread across the atmosphere, hitting the rock wall and causing it to collapse. Under Garp's stunned gaze, a huge cavity appeared in the rock wall. Ace looked at the power of his punch, extremely satisfied.
"As expected of Conqueror's Haki Coating" Ace said. This special training trip had been incredibly rewarding. Not only did he get the Mera-mera Fruit, but he also learned Conqueror's Haki - Entanglement, the most powerful force in the pirate world.
Garp's jaw almost hit the ground. He stared at the scene in stunned silence, his thinking at a standstill. He rubbed his eyes hard, but the scene remained the same.
"Is this real? Are you kidding me?!" Garp's pupils were filled with shock. Ace was using The Pinnacle of Conqueror's Haki at the mere age of 7! Even the former overlord, Rocks D. Xebec, had never shocked him this much.
Conqueror's Haki is said to be the mark of those with the qualifications of a king. Such individuals are renowned across the sea. Pirates with this power become headaches for the World Government, while Marines with this power are seen as potential Admirals. Even if they don't become Admirals, they at least become candidates, far superior to ordinary Vice Admirals.
Conqueror's Haki - Entanglement is where Conqueror's Haki truly shows its terrifying power. Those who master it are true kings, reigning over the sea like emperors. Legends like Rocks D. Xebec, Pirate King Gol D. Roger, Whitebeard Edward Newgate, and the right hand of the Pirate King, Silvers Rayleigh, all wielded this power.
These top experts, capable of Splitting the very skies, mastered Conqueror's Haki-entanglement through countless life-and-death battles. But now, Ace had mastered it just by watching Garp demonstrate it. This was beyond incredible.. it was monstrous.
Conqueror's Haki - Entanglement can only be mastered by a very small number of people with kingly qualifications. This power is more willpower than physical strength, and cannot be "touched" until it is extremely strong. It grows through battles and increased capacity, and only when it reaches a very strong level can it be wrapped around attacks.
Ace's Conqueror's Haki had not reached this level, yet he had directly wrapped it around his fist. This defied all common sense.
Ignoring the shocked Garp, Ace was checking out another skill he had learned.
"Fire Ring - Blue-Hole!" Ace thought, recalling the new skill he had observed from Garp's demonstration.
"Your heaven-defying understanding is inspired from observing Garps -Blue Hole," the text in his mind read.
"The perfect combination of Conqueror's Haki-Infusion and The Mera-mera Fruit. With one punch, endless fire falls!"
Ace's eyes gleamed with excitement. This new technique was indeed surprising. The combination of Conqueror's Haki Coating and the Mera-mera Fruit was incredibly powerful. Even among the top fighters of the sea, mastering Conqueror's Haki for attack was rare. Combining it perfectly with a Logia Devil Fruit was almost unheard of.
The difficulty of wrapping Conqueror's Haki around natural elements far surpassed wrapping it around physical fists or swords, resulting in a power of a different magnitude. This ability, "Fire Ring - Red-Hole," was only second to his own Itto-Kaso. With the continuous improvement of his Conqueror's Haki, there was no upper limit to the growth of this technique, surpassing even the limits of the Mera-mera Fruit itself.
Ace was extremely satisfied with his progress. He felt he had truly obtained the key to becoming the strongest in the sea.
"Hey, Ace, do you really know this kind of power?" Garp stammered, approaching Ace.
Ace didn't answer. Instead, he wrapped Conqueror's Haki around his little finger and used it to pick his ear, demonstrating his newfound control.
Garp was speechless, his mouth agape. What did he just witness? Ace, the brat, was using Conqueror's Haki to pick his ear! This power, coveted by countless strong men, was being used so leisurely by Ace.
Garp could only smile bitterly in the end. No matter how incredible it seemed, Ace had truly mastered Conqueror's Haki-Infusion, and with such finesse that he was even better than Garp in some aspects. Garp couldn't control Conqueror's Haki delicately enough to pick his ear, highlighting Ace's extraordinary talent.
Garp was certain: Ace's future lay far above his own. Ace must become a Marine!
"Ace, look at Grandpa's gorgeous power. I've shown it to you. How about it? Follow Grandpa and become a Marine," Garp suggested, smiling.
"Old man, you said you would give this power to me if I became a Marine, right?" Ace asked, pointing to the Conqueror's Haki in his hand.
Garp nodded.
"I know it now, right?" Ace continued.
Garp nodded again.
"Then why should I become a Marine?" Ace asked, a sly smile on his face.
Garp nodded again, then suddenly realized the implication. What the hell?! He clutched his heart, feeling a sharp pain. Why did he show Ace the power of Conqueror's Haki-Entanglement? He had hoped to steer Ace towards the right path, and to show him the vastness of the sea. Even for someone as talented as Ace, Garp believed mastering Conqueror's Haki-Entanglement would be out of reach until he reached the strength of an Admiral. This way, Garp would have enough time to guide Ace within the Marine framework.
But Ace was a monster. He mastered the strongest power in the sea with just one demonstration. The plan had completely backfired.
"That's fine, then I still want to become a pirate!" Ace declared, seeing Garp's existential crisis.
"No way, Ace!" Garp shouted, panicking. If Ace, with such talent, became a pirate, he would surpass even Gol D. Roger, his father. This was unacceptable!
Garp, filled with determination, unleashed his Conqueror's Haki and rushed towards Ace. A new round of special training had begun.