Haoshoku Haki, also known as Conqueror's Haki, was said to be a type of Haki that only those with the qualities of a king could possess. Rojen held this unique power.
Intimidation. Pressure. Domination.
Those with weak willpower could not even withstand a single glance from him.
Even though his strength was astonishing, facing an army of ten thousand and defeating them effortlessly would still have been somewhat troublesome. But before his Haki, these people could not endure even a single breath.
One glance suppressing an entire army, this was the terrifying aspect of Haoshoku Haki!
Against a powerhouse possessing this kind of Haki, numerical advantage was utterly meaningless.
"Captain's Haoshoku is getting more and more terrifying."
Trens laughed as he stepped forward first.
Jason and Crocodile quickly followed behind him. Lordling remained absent-minded for a moment before moving as well. Nalene had seen such a scene before, yet witnessing it a second time still left her deeply shaken.
But the sight Rojen had created left everyone else staring wide-eyed in utter astonishment, unable to say a word.
"What… what exactly just happened?"
Daz Bonez stared in shock at the Marines sprawled across the ground, all stripped of their fighting ability.
There was no denying that when he had first seen such a massive number of Marines, even his heart had trembled. A force of that scale was enough to make his scalp go numb.
But in the blink of an eye, all of them had collapsed?
He stared blankly at the figure walking at the front, waves surging endlessly within his heart.
Faintly, he seemed to understand the meaning behind those words Rojen had once spoken.
"Not on the same level…"
Suddenly, Daz Bonez clenched his fists tightly and gritted his teeth.
"One day, I'll reach that realm too. I'll become a powerhouse as well!"
One after another, the group followed behind Rojen, heading deeper into the island.
What they left behind were civilians standing in the streets with expressions of utter disbelief, as though trapped inside a dream.
"Am I dreaming? Anuki's Marines were defeated by them?"
"The Marines… were beaten?!"
"Pirates! They really are pirates! They weren't lying, they truly possess the power to defeat the Marines!"
"Maybe… maybe Anuki really will be defeated this time! Maybe we'll finally be saved!"
If the civilians had merely been awakened earlier, then at this moment, genuine vitality had begun flowing back into their bodies. They had seen true hope, seen a future for themselves.
Thump.
As Rojen's group advanced, large numbers of Marines collapsed unconscious, their eyes rolled back white. Their path remained completely unobstructed, with not the slightest resistance.
Gradually, the group arrived deep within the island's military base.
"So this is one of East Blue's strongholds?"
Looking at the thirty-meter-high walls ahead, with the massive words Stronghold emblazoned upon them, the crew showed curious expressions.
"The gates are tightly shut. How are we supposed to open them?"
"That's a bit troublesome. The Marines guarding the gate seem to have already been knocked unconscious by the captain."
As they chatted, Jason suddenly stepped forward.
"I'll smash it open. Easy enough!"
Five seconds later, Jason stood before the enormous city gate and threw a punch.
BOOM!
Chaporos' lips twitched as he watched the gigantic gate, five meters thick, explode apart with a thunderous crash. It seemed to awaken the lingering fear of the beating he had once received.
Among everyone present, the one he feared most was that huge, muscular man.
Four years ago, that bastard had kicked him in the crotch the hardest!
Daz Bonez' eyelids twitched wildly. The burly giant before him had shattered the city gate with a single punch, causing even the entire wall to tremble violently, as though it might collapse at any moment.
The scene was simply too shocking!
"Are all great pirates this monstrous?"
After a long while, Daz Bonez finally forced out those words from the corner of his mouth, utterly speechless inside.
This proud Mr. 1, who had followed Crocodile for so long, was truly frightened now.
He had once believed Sea Kings were the most terrifying beings in the world, but compared to this kind of power, what did Sea Kings even amount to?
The people before him were the real monsters!
Deep within the base, atop the platform, Anuki poured himself another glass of red wine.
The noisy commotion outside had gradually quieted down.
"Not bad. Looks like the disturbance outside has already been dealt with."
"Heh… under my suppression, what can mere enemies amount to?"
"Anyone who dares offend me is seeking death!"
Anuki sneered coldly.
"These bold fools, I'll throw them into the deepest underground prison and make them suffer the cruelest torture every single day until their minds completely collapse!"
But just as he made that decision, the Vice Admiral who had left earlier came running back with a face full of terror.
"Fleet Admiral-sama, t-this is bad!"
Anuki's expression immediately turned cold.
He was a calm man, and what he hated most were panicked subordinates.
"Vice Admiral, are you courting death? Appearing before me in such a flustered state is an insult to my dignity!"
His harsh rebuke made the Vice Admiral react, but the latter showed no sign of calming down.
After running several large steps to Anuki's side, the Vice Admiral shouted in terror:
"Pirates! The pirates have broken in!"
The moment those words left his mouth, Anuki was about to ask something, but in an instant, his expression changed slightly.
The Vice Admiral standing face-to-face with him suddenly rolled his eyes back and collapsed to the ground with a thump. Even the half-full wine glass beside him shattered with a crash.
Behind him, the Marines responsible for guarding the area wore expressions of utter terror, as though they had experienced a fear too dreadful to face directly. Their minds were on the verge of collapse.
"I originally thought someone daring enough to call himself Fleet Admiral would possess decent strength."
"But you're merely this level of trash?"
Several figures walked up the stairs and appeared before Anuki, causing his face to darken.
"Who are you people?! Are you seeking death?! How dare you offend my dignity!"
He shouted furiously as a powerful aura burst out from his body as well.
This aura differed from Rojen's Haoshoku Haki, yet it still caused Jason and the others behind Rojen to change expressions.
"So strong… this guy!"
"His body and muscles look completely ordinary, and he doesn't even appear powerful, but why do I feel like he's overwhelmingly strong? I'm not his opponent at all!"
"He actually possesses strength comparable to an Admiral?!"
Everyone was shocked, their expressions growing grave.
"Dark magic?"
Only Nalene showed a trace of suspicion on her face.
"Get out of my territory immediately, or I'll personally kill all of you!"
Not only did Anuki show no fear, his expression became even colder. He shouted angrily, as though he would truly attack Rojen's group at the slightest disagreement.
"How laughable. Stop pretending already. Other than this useless aura, your body is filled with nothing but weakness and helplessness."
Rojen sneered as the Seven Stars Sword suddenly left its sheath behind him.
"In place of the people, in place of justice, this pirate shall take your head today!"
"How dare you!"
Anuki still roared furiously.
But in the next second, a streak of black light flashed by, and his pupils suddenly contracted.
That fearless and domineering expression instantly transformed into terror and panic.
Shing!
The black light swept past.
Blood blossomed into the air.
And a perfectly good head flew high into the sky.
(End Of This Chapter)
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