And this Conqueror's Haki did not stop.
Its spread accelerated continuously, enveloping the entire Onigashima within a seconds.
Below the summit of Onigashima, combatants who came into contact with this Haki instantly lost consciousness—their eyes rolled back as they collapsed stiffly, foaming from their mouth.
On the island, only a handful of individuals remained conscious, but nearly every one of them was struggling desperately, sweat dripping incessantly down their faces.
Sanji, Nami, Usopp, Franky, Robin—all except Chopper, who lay foaming on the ground.
Yamato, the Disasters and the elite members of the Beasts Pirates all wore grim expressions as they looked up towards the skull dome.
Kurozumi Orochi gaped with his massive mouth, his elongated upper canines exposed grotesquely, his face twisted in terror.
*****
Meanwhile, inside a building—
Several masked figures, members of CP0, the World Government's most elite agents, had been sipping wine just moments ago.
But now, their expressions darkened.
Their hands trembled as they held their cups, spilling wine, their entire bodies quivering faintly.
Even beneath their masks, their horror was palpable—their eyes brimming with dread.
"This is... Conqueror's Haki!"
"Did Kaido lose his temper?"
One of the CP0 agents, wearing a sunflower-patterned mask, spoke with difficulty, his voice shaking as he resisted the overwhelming Haki.
"It's Conqueror's Haki, and it's terrifyingly strong!"
"For it to reach here from the top of Oni Island with this much pressure—I've never seen anything like it!"
"Kaido may be an Emperor, but his Haki has never been this potent!"
Opposite him, another agent with a jester-like mask spoke with absolute certainty.
As part of the World Government's top agent, he had an acute understanding of every major power in the world.
This was basic competence for a CP0 operative.
"Even Red Hair can't match this level of Conqueror's Haki!"
"Who the hell is up there right now?"
The last CP0 member muttered in shock beneath his mask.
In this world, the pinnacle of Haki mastery was widely acknowledged to be Shanks, one of the Emperors, whose Conqueror's Haki could inflict physical damage.
"Could it be—"
Simultaneously, all three thought of one person.
A figure who made even the World Government tremble.
If it was him, then anything was possible...
Realizing this, their pupils shrank beneath their masks.
"Quick, we need to confirm this!"
"There's no room for error!"
"If it's really him, we withdraw from Onigashima immediately and report to the World Government!"
"Stay hidden at all costs!"
With that—
They crushed their cups in their hands, mustering their strength to resist the crushing weight of the Haki.
Then, in a flash, they dashed towards the skull dome.
*****
And now, at the very peak of Onigashima—Bob's Conqueror's Haki, which had nearly obliterated the surrounding space, continued to wreak havoc in the area.
Compared to those beneath the Skull Dome, the supernovas above were subjected to even greater pressure.
"T-This Haki... is insane! It feels like my spine's about to snap!" Kid gritted his teeth, his arms trembling violently as he struggled to keep himself upright.
His face was contorted in pain.
The ground beneath him had already cracked apart, debris scattering as if crushed by an overwhelming force.
Sweat mixed with blood dripped continuously from Kid's face, pooling into a small puddle beneath him.
Not far from him, the other three supernova were faring no better.
Each of them was barely holding on, their faces deathly pale, with various wounds appearing on their bodies.
This was the damage inflicted by Bob's Conqueror's Haki.
It felt as though if Bob exerted even a fraction more force, they would collapse instantly, knocked unconscious!
"Is this... Bob's Haki?"
"To cause actual physical harm... How terrifying!"
"Hold on, no matter what! Those who get knocked out by Conqueror's Haki are nothing but weaklings!"
The rookies mustered every ounce of strength they had left to resist Bob's Haki, their unyielding spirits keeping them conscious.
Meanwhile, Luffy's Conqueror's Haki had been instantly repelled and dissipated the moment Bob unleashed his own.
There was no contest—no resilience to match Bob's overwhelming power.
Luffy, now on the ground, glared fiercely at Bob, his teeth clenched.
He wanted to fight back, but his legs felt as if they were weighed down by seastone, impossible to lift it.
"Even Shanks would have to admit defeat against Bob's Conqueror's Haki!"
It wasn't just the rookie pirates—even Big Mom, one of the Four Emperors, was feeling the pressure.
Before this, she had only known of Bob's unparalleled physical prowess, unmatched in the world.
But the last time she had witnessed his Conqueror's Haki was during the God Valley.
Now, she realized just how terrifyingly powerful it had become!
"Sigh... my commander is truly the strongest!"
Kaido was unusually proud of someone as he spoke with rare admiration.
At that moment, Bob withdrew his Haki and the oppressive force in the air vanished instantly.
The rookie pirates immediately felt the weight lift from their bodies, but without that mental fortitude to keep them going, they collapsed onto the ground.
Though they hadn't passed out, it just .....none of them had the strength to move.
Their stamina had plummeted, their energy completely drained.
Luffy, however, didn't stay down.
Instead, he wobbled to his feet, his gaze unwavering as he stared at Bob.
Even with his remaining strength dwindling, he refused to back down.
The next moment—
Luffy took a deep breath, shaking off his exhaustion as a fiery determination burned in his eyes.
"Gear Fourth!"
A hot breath escaped his lips, forming a white mist in the air.
The instant he spoke— A surge of energy erupted from Luffy, his expression turning wild with battle lust.
In a flash, he entered his Bound Man state, his eyes widening slightly as he pushed his body beyond its limits.
His burly body kept bouncing on the ground, making that distinctive bell sound.
"What a reckless guy!"
Bob watched Luffy in the distance, his eyes gleaming as he spoke.
-----------
I release a new whitebeard scientist fic : One Piece : Scientist of Whitebeard Pirates
Go read it!