The Hell Pirates' four top fighters flanked Brook as he strode out of the cabin, back into the meeting hall. Kaido, Shakky, and the others were already on their feet, swaying slightly, still reeling from the earlier shock.
That burst of Conqueror's Haki had been intense. Even Shakky, with a mythical Zoan Devil Fruit, was left dizzy!
"Brook! You okay?"
Stussy, pale as a ghost, wobbled forward and clung to Brook's arm. Her big, pitiful eyes sparkled like stars, practically glowing with concern.
"I'm fine, Stussy. Sorry for dragging you all into this mess—my fault," Brook said, his voice soft but firm. He scanned his crew, his skeletal gaze lingering on them.
"But you saw it, right? Our strength. In front of a true powerhouse, we're still too weak. This 'overlord' title the Navy's slapped on us? It's inflated. We're not as strong as they make us out to be!"
Brook gently ruffled Stussy's hair, his tone turning serious as he addressed his crew. His eyes flicked to Golden Lion Shiki, the cockiest of the bunch.
"I hope this humbles you, Shiki. Don't underestimate the world's titans—especially Rocks, Vesper, and the Navy's three Admirals!"
"Got it!" the crew chorused, nodding in unison.
Shiki's eyes burned with ambition.
"Brook, you gotta know how to train Conqueror's Haki, right? I want that kind of terrifying power!"
He was practically vibrating with excitement, certain Brook held the key. Their Conqueror's Haki had barely progressed, and Shiki craved the legendary Conqueror's Infusion technique.
Redfield, Newgate, and Linlin turned to Brook, their gazes hungry. They, too, yearned for that next level of Conqueror's Haki.
"Conqueror's Haki can't be trained directly," Brook explained, clenching his fist. "It grows through experience—through battles, challenges, and triumphs. You face stronger foes, crush greater forces, and your presence, your spirit, grows fiercer. That's how Conqueror's Haki sharpens!"
His voice rose with determination. As a Conqueror's Haki wielder himself, Brook itched to clash with Rocks, Vesper, and the Navy's best.
The time for laying low and building strength was over. The Hell Pirates were ready to expand, to rise fast through the fires of combat!
Brook no longer cared how many years Vesper, that old fossil, had left to fend off Rocks. After returning to the New World, the Hell Pirates would claim their place as overlords, stepping over the corpses of the Butcher Pirates and Vesper's crew to rival the Rocks Pirates themselves!
"Jahaha!" Shiki roared with laughter. "So, if I take down Vesper, that's challenging a stronger guy, right? Beat him, and my spirit—my Conqueror's Haki—will soar! I'll be knocking out small-fry pirates with bounties under a hundred million in one glance!"
Fighting, always pushing toward stronger enemies—that was the path to growing Conqueror's Haki!
Redfield and Newgate were already plotting their own future battles, but Linlin's eyes narrowed, fixed on Stussy, who was still basking in Brook's head-pats.
When did that sneaky minx get so cozy with Brook? Linlin fumed. Shakky, ever the social butterfly, caught the vibe too, her gossip senses tingling. Something was up!
Kaido, meanwhile, was buzzing with excitement. He longed to awaken his own Conqueror's Haki, to fight alongside, growing his spirit and power with every clash.
Way stronger than Tiger, that's for sure! Kaido smirked. He hadn't passed out from the Haki blast, but Tiger had. Once that fishman woke up, Kaido planned to rub it in for months. No more letting Tiger taunt him with bounty posters, picking on a rookie intern like him!
...
Fishman Tom and a few veteran crew members, unshaken by the Haki, steadied themselves quickly. But when Tom saw the cracks spiderwebbing across the Golden Ark, his heart sank.
Grabbing fresh planks and adhesive, he dove into repairs, driven by a shipwright's obsession to restore the ship to perfection.
Brook felt a pang of guilt watching Tom's frantic work.
Pretty sure my Conqueror's Haki caused that damage...
He ordered the crew to rest up. Tomorrow, they'd sail the Grand Line back to the New World. Tom's hammering was too noisy for sleep on the ship, so the crew headed to the Golden City's main tower on Golden Island to crash.
Meanwhile, the folks on Ohara Island spent the night unconscious, knocked out by the Haki blast.
...
In the Golden City tower, Brook had half a mind to sneak into Stussy's room for a late-night chat, but Shakky swooped in, dragging Stussy off for a girls' sleepover. The glint in Shakky's eyes—blazing with gossip—told Brook Stussy wouldn't get much rest tonight!
The crew scattered to their rooms, settling in for the night.
...
Alone, Brook tinkered with his Revive-Revive Fruit, trying to make his ghostly state run automatically, converting soul energy even while he rested. It'd be like training in his sleep!
Though he'd never mastered Haki before, Brook had trained alongside Redfield and the others, sparring and soaking up their knowledge. He knew the theory of Armament and Observation Haki inside out.
Now that his body could handle it, he was determined to master all three Haki types. Only a powerhouse with top-tier Haki and a maxed-out Devil Fruit could claim the title of true overlord.
Pure physical fighters or Haki-only warriors were rare, and not everyone had the talent to push Haki to invincible levels. Without a mentor or lineage, mastering Haki was a gamble—many got cut down before reaching their peak.
Devil Fruits, though, gave you a fighting chance. Even without guidance, you could develop unique abilities. But Haki? Without a teacher, you'd have to steal techniques, beg for lessons, or stumble blindly. And if you didn't know Conqueror's Infusion, good luck beating someone who did to steal their secrets!
Teachers like Kaido were one in a million. In the original story, who knew where Roger, that destined hero, learned Conqueror's Infusion? He mastered it so well he teamed up with Garp to topple Rocks!
Whitebeard Newgate knowing Conqueror's Infusion made sense—he'd been Rocks' crewmate, likely learning from the man himself. But when Oden first saw Roger and Whitebeard's infused Haki clash from afar, his shock proved Whitebeard hadn't taught him the technique during his four years on the Whitebeard Pirates.
Yet, after a year with Roger's crew and returning to Wano to face Kaido, Oden had learned Conqueror's Infusion, slicing that iconic X-shaped scar into Kaido's hide.
What did that mean? To master Haki and become the strongest, you needed a mentor.
Just saying, "I'll rule with Haki!" didn't make it happen.
A top-tier Devil Fruit was often the key to surviving long enough to learn elite techniques like Conqueror's Infusion. Not everyone was like Red-Haired Shanks, blessed with the Roger Pirates' complete Haki training manual, rising to fame as a young prodigy!
Even Roger and Whitebeard didn't hit their stride until their thirties or forties, carving out their legends the hard way.
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+240 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg