Chapter 15: Armament Haki
A chill swept toward the port.
Charlotte stared at the approaching ship with a tense expression.
He could already feel the cold emanating from the pirate ship in front of him.
Without a doubt, there had to be a Devil Fruit user aboard.
Sure enough, as the ship drew closer, a thin layer of ice began forming on the ocean's surface—not thick, but enough to confirm his suspicions.
"Could it be the Logia-type Ice-Ice Fruit?" Charlotte wondered silently.
According to his knowledge of the timeline, future Admiral Aokiji had yet to consume the Ice-Ice Fruit.
Could this pirate captain be the previous user of the Ice-Ice Fruit ability?
If that were the case, it would spell trouble. After all, Charlotte had yet to master Armament Haki.
As the pirate ship approached, its crew began leaping down, weapons raised—swords gleaming and muskets aimed.
The last person to disembark was the captain, the same one who had blocked Charlotte's attack earlier.
The pirate, wearing a captain's hat, noticed the lone youth holding a longsword standing resolutely in the port.
"Kid! Was that slash earlier your doing?"
There was a hint of frost on the corner of the pirate captain's mouth as he spoke, his tone laced with menace.
This only heightened Charlotte's caution.
"Yes, it was me. Pirates are not welcome here!"
Charlotte took a step forward and declared firmly.
Hearing Charlotte's words, the pirate captain froze momentarily before bursting into laughter.
"Hahaha! Kid, are you joking? How could a little runt like you swing a slash like that? Did you just wake up from a dream?"
As the pirate captain finished speaking, the fifty or sixty pirates behind him roared with laughter.
"That's hilarious, Captain! This brat says pirates aren't welcome here! Since when does a little punk like him get to decide where we go?"
Charlotte remained calm, unfazed by their mockery.
With a wave of his sword, a thirty-meter slash shot toward the jeering pirates.
Boom!
The laughter ceased immediately.
In the blink of an eye, over thirty pirates had been slain by a single blow.
Gulp!
Someone swallowed nervously, the sound unusually loud in the now silent atmosphere.
"Captain... he's really a swordsman," one of the remaining pirates stammered, trembling as he hid behind the captain.
"Idiot! I can see that!" the pirate captain snapped, his eyes narrowing.
The captain stepped forward, his expression serious.
"Kid, how about joining my Cold Wave Pirates? If you do, I'll forgive your earlier actions. What do you say?"
Charlotte was taken aback for a moment before breaking into laughter.
"Hahahahaha! Who do you think you are? How dare you try to recruit me!"
Suddenly, an overwhelming pressure erupted from Charlotte, centered on him like a tidal wave.
Boom!
Dozens of pirates collapsed instantly under the force of Charlotte's Conqueror's Haki.
"This... this is Conqueror's Haki!" the pirate captain exclaimed, his voice trembling with disbelief.
He hadn't expected this boy to possess such a rare and powerful ability—a gift that only one in a million could awaken.
This boy is a natural-born king!
Realizing the threat before him, the pirate captain's expression darkened.
White smoke began rising from his fists, and a bone-chilling cold radiated from his body.
"Boy, you're courting death!"
With a burst of speed, the pirate captain lunged at Charlotte.
The movement was unmistakable—Shave, one of the Navy's Six Powers.
Though surprised, Charlotte didn't panic. He raised his sword to meet the attack head-on.
Clang!
Sparks flew as their clash resonated across the port.
"This is Armament Haki!" Charlotte noted, his eyes narrowing as he observed the blackened sheen covering the pirate captain's fists.
"Hahaha! Good eye, kid! This is Armament Haki! I am Will Warner, captain of the Cold Wave Pirates and a pirate with a bounty of 160 million berries. Dying by my hands is an honor for someone like you!"
Will Warner cackled arrogantly.
Charlotte remained composed, though his focus sharpened.
"Chill?" Charlotte mused silently, picking up on Warner's words. "So it's not the Ice-Ice Fruit but the Chill-Chill Fruit?"
If it wasn't the Ice-Ice Fruit, there was nothing to fear.
Determined, Charlotte forced Warner back with a powerful sword strike, following up with a ten-meter-long flying slash.
Boom!
Though Warner blocked the attack with his Armament Haki, the slash left a gash on his arm.
"Hahaha!" Charlotte laughed, his confidence soaring.
He had no intention of killing Warner—not yet. His goal was to capture him alive and extract the secrets of Armament Haki.
Excitement surged through Charlotte as he launched a relentless barrage of slashes, pushing Warner onto the defensive.
"Damn it! This brat is a monster!" Warner cursed, struggling to fend off the onslaught.
His incomplete mastery of Armament Haki left him vulnerable, and his injuries piled up.
Desperation crept in as Warner realized he had no way out. With his crew incapacitated and the boy showing no signs of mercy, he had no choice but to gamble on a desperate charge.
"Ahhh!" Warner roared, throwing himself at Charlotte with all his might.
But luck was not on his side.
With precise strikes, Charlotte severed Warner's arms and cut his hamstrings, rendering him utterly defenseless.
"Ahhh!" Warner howled in agony, his voice echoing across the port.
Charlotte winced at the sound, his Observation Haki amplifying the pirate's pain and despair.
He shook his head, banishing the unwanted sympathy from his mind.
Looking down at the crippled pirate, Charlotte's lips curled into a victorious smile.
"Armament Haki... here I come."
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