"Unfortunately, I still haven't mastered it. But if I had kept fighting my father for another year or two, I think I'd be able to get it down by now!" Yamato said, confidently pounding her chest.
Shin nodded in agreement. In the original story, she had indeed learned to harness her conqueror's haki. Yet, without Kaido's harsh training methods, her learning speed would likely slow. For these prodigies of the seas, firsthand battle experience often accelerated their skill acquisition.
Take, for example, Yamato's mastery of the advanced techniques of armament haki. Although Ace was initially thrown off, after just a few bouts, he began to pick up on the basics, understanding armament haki's flow, external projection, and even the internal damage it could deal.
In this regard, Shin was a bit behind. Although his physique, enhanced by the Munch-Munch Fruit, surpassed both Yamato and Ace, his cautious personality—ingrained in him from his upbringing in the shinobi world—held him back. While these two leaped forward without hesitation, Shin's more deliberate approach caused him to lag in mastering armament haki, and he'd yet to tap into Conqueror's Haki at all.
Not that he minded much. He reasoned, 'Chakra is far more versatile than Conqueror's Haki, anyway.' In the unpredictable world of One Piece, characters like Luffy seem blessed with miraculous luck and are able to avoid the consequences of their reckless actions. Shin, however, couldn't rely on such fortune; he preferred keeping his head on his shoulders.
"If I'd tried to learn from Luffy's approach or Ace's—sailing out without proper preparation—I'd probably end up as fish food," he thought wryly. For him, it was clear: brains over brawn. Perhaps the realization that even if he lacked restraint, he still wouldn't master haki any faster.
Shin broke his thoughts. "I've heard that Red-Haired Shanks is said to be the most skilled haki user alive. You two have a solid grasp of armament haki, so you could pick up something valuable from him."
Ace looked uncertain. Due to his complicated feelings about his father, he'd always avoided seeking help from his father's old comrades. Even when Shin mentioned Rayleigh, the legendary former first mate of the Pirate King, back in the Sabaody Archipelago, Ace made excuses to avoid him.
But now, after several intense battles in the New World, Ace could no longer ignore the looming presence of the Four Emperors. He wasn't afraid to die, but he felt responsible for his crew as the Captain of the Spade Pirates.
Seeing Ace deep in thought, Deuce spoke up, "Whether or not we learn from them, let's at least go meet the Red-Haired Pirates."
Ace took a deep breath, his resolve hardening. "Alright, let's find the Red-Haired Pirates. The rest we can decide when we're face-to-face."
Meanwhile, on a secluded island:
"We found it, Captain! We found the treasure!" shouted a portly man, his mouth stuffed with a hunk of meat.
"Hah! I told you this treasure map was legit!" With his flaming red hair, Shanks sprinted over, brimming with excitement. "So, where's the treasure?"
Shanks' eyes sparkled with glee, oblivious to the strange look his crewmate, Lucky Roux, gave him. Roux pointed forward. "It's right there, boss! Yasopp is standing guard over it."
"See, Beckman? I knew this map wasn't a fake!" Shanks boasted, slapping his vice-captain on the shoulder with pride.
Beckman's expression soured as he shrugged Shanks off. "This is the seventh time you've said that. And what happened with the last six?"
"That was just lack of experience! Now, I'm an expert treasure hunter. Wait, what's this?"
Grinning, Yasopp pointed at the spot they'd unearthed, but as Shanks followed his gaze, his face fell.
The "treasure" they'd unearthed was a series of old chests, each packed with stacks of faded paper bills. The problem? They weren't even beli.
Beckman knelt down and picked up a note. "These seem to be banknotes from the former kingdom of Crelland. But Crelland fell over a century ago. These are basically worthless now."
"What?! What kind of pirate would leave a stash of useless paper as their treasure? Where's the gold and jewels?" Shanks cried out in frustration.
Beckman examined the dig site closely. "It looks like we aren't the first ones to dig here. Some other pirate probably got here first, took the valuables, and left these notes behind."
"Then why cover up the hole? They tricked me into thinking we'd hit the jackpot!" Shanks groaned.
Beckman smirked. "Maybe they wanted to prank someone like you, someone who's always on a 'treasure hunt.'"
With that, Shanks' whole frame slumped, his face taking on a comical shade of gray.
"Captain, there's a ship on the horizon!" Yasopp called his keen sniper's eyes, spotting the vessel. "Looks like it's the Spade Pirates."
"I'm done. I'm lying down now," Shanks mumbled, stretching out on the sand in despair. "Beckman, you deal with them. You're more reliable than the captain, anyway."
"Boss, they're opening fire! Watch out!" Yasopp shouted suddenly.
Shanks jolted upright, staring in shock. "Is there really a pirate crew in the New World that doesn't recognize the Red-Haired Pirates? Why on earth would they fire on us?"
Not that Shanks was unaccustomed to challenges; it was just that most pirates in the New World knew better than to pick a fight with one of the Four Emperors, especially with something as futile as cannon fire.
Yasopp focused his sharp eyesight and honed observation haki, picking up the incoming projectile. "Wait, that's no cannonball. It's—"
"It's a person!" Yasopp gasped as the shape came into full view.
*******************************
Mass Release: [3/5]
For each power stones milestone—50, 100, 150, and beyond—I will release a bonus chapter.
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Review status: [8/10]
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Chapter 90: Hyuga Clan's Sacrifice is now available.