Chapter 197: Unique Arrogance! Awakening of Conqueror's Haki!
"I see... the world after eight hundred years?"
Sitting on the hill, after hearing Roy briefly explain his origin, Joy Boy rubbed his chin with two fingers, clicking his tongue in amazement. "That's truly a long time."
But then, he grinned. "However, it shows the world continued smoothly for eight hundred years at least."
Hearing Joy Boy's words.
Roy, sitting in front of him, was naturally surprised.
He originally thought this legendary figure from eight hundred years ago would be extremely curious about the future, asking questions about the world situation and future developments incessantly.
But in fact—no.
The other party seemed to have no interest in asking.
"Don't look at me like that—not that I don't want to ask, but asking is meaningless, isn't it?"
Roy's confusion wasn't hidden, so Joy Boy seemed to see it.
He said cheerfully, pointing at himself. "After all, that's eight hundred years—I must have died long ago!"
"Moreover, I'm just a residual 'Thought' in Haki; everything about me only exists here."
He pointed around, at this island formed by memory.
"Past and future are not things I can intervene in."
He said very freely.
"I exist here only to protect my friend—and friend's friend—at the most important moment."
What he said was exactly the reason the knot was left in the original story.
Joy Boy hoped Emeth could use it when facing life-threatening danger—or when someone Emeth wanted to protect was in danger.
"So, you are actually very angry now?"
Speaking of this, Roy was actually quite embarrassed.
When taking the knot, he naturally didn't expect to truly meet Joy Boy.
Now it looked like he took away the life-saving treasure someone left for a friend.
"Yeah—if it were the real me, I would definitely be a bit annoyed!"
"Although the ownership of the knot is also 'Free', no one wants the gift given to a friend to be snatched away."
Joy Boy said, then pointed at himself. "However, I don't have the ability to get 'Angry'."
Hearing this, Roy naturally understood.
The Joy Boy in front of him wasn't the real Joy Boy after all—he was just a thought remaining in Joy Boy's maximum power Haki, just a memory.
Although due to some reasons, he could break free from memory constraints, sense Roy's existence, and communicate with Roy.
But he himself was still just a memory—his cognition and emotions stopped at the moment the knot was created.
So...
"I can promise you—if Emeth encounters danger, I will save him too."
After a moment of silence, Roy looked at Joy Boy, promising so.
"Your Haki falling into my hands must be better than storing it inside him."
He said.
Yes—after basically confirming he would be enemies with the World Government next.
Emeth, this powerful ancient robot from eight hundred years ago, was itself an extremely powerful aid.
Logically and emotionally, Roy wouldn't sit by and watch the other party destroyed by the Five Elders like in the original story.
"Ho!"
Hearing Roy's words, Joy Boy raised his eyebrows. "You guy... very confident."
He looked at Roy's serious eyes, then grinned again. "Saying such words to a memory, then I'll tentatively believe you—hahahaha!"
Speaking here, he laughed loudly. "Then, time is about up, this Haki is about to dissipate... let's prepare to start."
"Start?"
Roy frowned upon hearing this.
"Yeah—although don't know how you did it, since you can come here after untying the knot, it means you are conducting 'Conqueror's Haki Collision' with me!"
Joy Boy said cheerfully. "You want to awaken your Conqueror's Haki through my Haki guidance, right?"
He actually guessed Roy's intention.
"...You are willing to help me?"
Roy was somewhat surprised now.
"Of course."
Joy Boy grinned matter-of-factly. "So-called Conqueror's Haki is 'Freedom of the Soul'."
"All Conqueror's Haki users are a bunch of guys who persist in themselves even in the bound world and surrounding darkness."
"They are the drums of liberation, the sparks of the world."
He extended his thumb, patting his heart. "And I am 'Joy Boy'—I will help anyone chasing freedom!"
As words fell, he opened his arms.
As if to embrace the whole world.
"Watch closely, future comer—this is my 'Ambition'!"
As words fell...
Before Roy, the hill, sunset, and that island disappeared out of thin air.
Roy felt his perspective rising abruptly at this moment.
He saw a sea!
A vast, boundless, azure expansive ocean.
No Red Line, no Calm Belt, no war, no ugliness.
On that sea, there were countless islands—they had no barriers between each other, seeming connected.
Roy saw celebrations being held on the islands.
Bonfires burned fiercely; food and wine were everywhere.
He saw the massive figures of Giants dancing, the earth moving with them.
He saw Dwarves shuttling nimbly between Giants' toes.
He saw Merfolk no longer hiding in the deep sea, but singing on the shallow beaches at the island edge.
Humans and Minks frolicked; huge Sea Kings floated in the near sea, carrying laughing children.
Longarm, Longleg, Snakeneck... all races in the world gathered on this sea now.
They played and frolicked, sang and danced.
No discrimination, no barriers, no oppression.
Only laughter passed between them, and...
"To Freedom!"
Voices of ten thousand races converged into a sound wave, echoing across the sea.
After the banquet ended.
Some rushed to the sea laughing.
Some stayed on the island happily.
Sunlight fell, flowers bloomed, sea breeze blew.
Only now did Roy seem to feel that pure and passionate intent.
As mentioned before—Conqueror's Haki is 'Manifestation of the Soul'.
Every Conqueror's Haki user has an ambition unconstrained by the real world, and the corresponding... 'World' they want to shape.
Appearing before Roy was Joy Boy's ambition.
He wanted no barriers in the Four Blues, no divergence among ten thousand races, wanted people of all groups to laugh, wanted everyone to live equally on the sea.
He wanted to hold a 'Grand Banquet Participated by the Whole World'.
Or to be precise...
He wanted to make the whole world 'Free'.
Whether rushing to the sea or accompanying family—everyone could do what they wanted.
"I see..."
In this instant, Roy clearly sensed that majestic spirit to the extreme.
He also realized the role he—or 'Joy Boy'—played in this free world now.
He was the 'Sun' shedding light of freedom.
Where Joy Boy existed, there would be no binding.
Where the sun's light shone, shadows and coldness would be dispelled.
"This is... what spirit!?"
Even Roy, having estimated this earlier, had to sigh internally now.
Joy Boy's ambition shown here across eight hundred years.
Even he had an impulse to throw himself into it, laughing freely.
But...
VMMM!
In this instant, watching the free world below.
Roy felt something seem to surge from deep in his soul.
He sensed instinctively something was wrong.
Until a certain moment, a flash of inspiration finally appeared in Roy's mind.
He figured out where the problem was.
"As expected—"
He spoke.
"You guy's ambition is completely a 'Pirate's Dream'!"
His words fell.
The grand free world before him seemed to pause accordingly.
"Pirate's Dream?"
The world seemed to question his doubt.
"Yes."
Now, Roy felt the thing surging in his soul becoming more intense.
What is a pirate?
Unrestrained sea fanatic.
Their journey has no boundary; their world has no order.
Freedom is their everything.
Grab what you want, hold the banquet you want, do what you want without obstruction.
Luffy so, Roger so, Joy Boy also so.
So they could act against hated people without hesitation anytime, toast friends anytime.
"Come, enemy, come kill."
"Come, friend, come drink."
This gave them their own charm, making countless people choose to follow their footsteps.
But...
"A world where everyone is unbound, absolutely free?"
Speaking here, Roy no longer looked at the sea below.
"That is an... Absurd Idea only pirates would have!"
He raised his head, as if staring at this world.
Then...
He took a step forward.
BOOM!
As this step landed...
The whole world seemed to pause with a boom.
That grand free spirit seemed to turn into a violent storm at this moment.
The whole world seemed to be... Confronting Roy's step!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
But even in this situation, Roy's steps had no hesitation.
Every step taken seemed to make the thought in his heart firmer; the world began to shatter gradually under his feet.
"Overthrowing the World Government and Imu, eliminating darkness—that is certainly correct."
He admitted Joy Boy had transcendent spirit.
"Letting people laugh and be free, that is also a praiseworthy wish."
He admitted Joy Boy had the charm to be followed.
But...
"Ultimately—if everyone in the whole world obtains absolute freedom."
"Have you thought about what this world will become?"
Roy asked.
He already had the answer in his heart.
Absolute freedom brings chaos and disorder.
Perhaps the world would become beautiful briefly—but differences between races, acquisition of resources would inevitably lead to the collapse of the world situation again.
"That is the reason for your failure, Joy Boy!"
Roy advanced step by step; the world shattered beside him.
Until finally, that free world completely shattered, gone without a trace.
Replacing it, Roy returned to that small hill.
Standing before him was still that Joy Boy.
"Your ambition is a 'Fairytale' that can never be realized."
"Even if you liberated the world, it's just brief freedom—at some time, the world will inevitably enter new disorder."
Roy looked at Joy Boy, saying so.
"..."
Hearing this, Joy Boy still wasn't angry.
He just smiled. "My dream is naturally a pirate's dream, after all... I am a pirate!"
"I want to defeat the Abyss, liberate this world—just because I can't stand it."
"I don't like my friends being oppressed, I don't like being bound... so I want to overthrow it, that's all!"
He didn't deny these facts, laughing loudly instead.
Yes.
Joy Boy was never truly a perfect man.
He wasn't a god, nor a saint destined to lead the world to a perfect utopia from birth.
He was just a pirate.
He wanted to dispel the darkness of this world, liberate this world—but that was all.
How to govern the world, whether the world would become disordered, what happens next?
That kind of thing... what does it have to do with pirates?
"People in the future will always find a way."
Joy Boy said, then looked at Roy. "So, what about you—successor?"
He seemed to expect Roy's answer very much.
Because everything just now proved it.
Roy wasn't subdued by his spirit.
That meant the soul of this successor before him had potential not inferior to his.
He was special.
"What kind of world do you want to see?"
"How to create order, how to manage the world, how to ensure peace—you..."
His words were interrupted by Roy here.
"How would I know that kind of thing?"
Roy answered without hesitation.
Joy Boy's expression showed clear astonishment.
"You don't know—then why do you..."
"Because I have seen a better world."
Roy interrupted him again.
"It's not perfect—but better than the current one, better than the disordered one too."
He said.
"And after seeing you today, I finally confirmed... This world, indeed cannot be handed over to you pirates."
"Ha?"
Joy Boy was naturally more puzzled.
But then, he seemed somewhat unconvinced too. "You guy, clearly can't even determine what world you want to build—would handing the world to you make it better?"
"Of course."
But this time, Roy just looked at Joy Boy, calm words carrying... some power.
Yes.
He didn't know what was absolutely correct—he didn't even know where the end of the universe was, how could he know how to create a perfect utopia?
But he could at least confirm.
Whether the current world or the absolute freedom Joy Boy yearned to create—those were wrong paths.
And if asking who in this world might find the correct path.
Then Roy believed...
"It can only be me."
Roy had such confidence.
"Hahaha!"
Hearing this sentence, Joy Boy looked at Roy's eyes.
Then, he laughed unprecedentedly loud.
He laughed trembling all over, laughed until tears came to his eyes.
"Hey hey, you guy—actually arrogant to this extent?"
"Deep in your heart, probably don't even put 'The Abyss' in your eyes, right?"
In this moment, he seemed to see Roy's heart.
"Yeah, I just realized it too."
Regarding Joy Boy's words.
Roy didn't deny now.
Until now, he finally vaguely understood why Shiki said his soul possessed 'King's Qualification'.
Because although Roy rarely realized it clearly himself.
But...
As a soul from another world, having witnessed another era.
As a prophet knowing the future plot of this world.
Deep in his heart, there was always a unique pride completely incomprehensible to anyone.
That pride wasn't derogatory, just a transcendent perspective.
Especially as he awakened the Fruit Encyclopedia and his strength grew constantly.
That pride became stronger.
Pirate King? World Hegemon? Joy Boy? Davy Jones? Even that 'God'?
He respected or feared them, but deep down... he was sure he would be stronger than them one day.
And just then...
VMMM!
The surrounding scenery began to dim.
Before Roy, Joy Boy's figure began to dissipate gradually.
Clearly—the power of this strand of Haki had reached its end.
"Truly... interesting."
But now, Joy Boy clearly didn't care about disappearing.
He just looked at Roy with burning eyes. "Hey, future comer—what's your name?"
"Roy Amos."
Roy answered calmly.
Joy Boy repeated his name in a low voice twice.
Then, this legendary figure from eight hundred years ago sighed sincerely. "Truly regrettable, not born in the same era as a special guy like you..."
Amidst such sighs.
"Really want to see what interesting world you will create in the future."
Joy Boy's figure dissipated completely.
At the same time.
North Blue Calm Belt.
Night fell; under the night sky covered by thick clouds.
On the Black Loyalty, crew members on duty sensed the indescribable palpitation originating from deep in their souls at this moment.
VMMM!
An invisible force seemed to erupt at this moment, sweeping around like a tide.
That force clearly had no hostility or threat to them—but just passing by, they felt their hearts beating uncontrollably fast.
"Wha..."
They looked around instinctively, then saw the incredible scene in the nearby sea area.
Above the sky, thick clouds were torn apart out of thin air instantly.
On the sea, originally naturally flowing waves solidified abruptly, then pressed down out of thin air.
Next moment...
BOOM!
Silently.
Under the sea surface, those powerful Sea Kings and swimming fish living in the Calm Belt turned up their white bellies instantly, floating up.
Above the sky, soaring birds fell into the sea.
Creak!
Creak!
The entire warship emitted tooth-aching sounds at this moment.
Although moments later, that terrifying pressure dissipated invisibly.
But on the entire deck, uproar inevitably came.
"Hey hey... what's the situation!?"
"It's the Chief's room!"
"Is it an attack!?"
"Is it an ability user?"
Hans and Pharrel looked at each other, quickly judging the source of that power fluctuation just now.
So, they hurried toward Roy's room.
But in the next moment...
Click.
They saw Roy's figure walking out of the room.
"Chief..." (x2)
Hans and Pharrel's steps paused instantly, wanting to say something looking at Roy, but stopped immediately.
Because they could vaguely feel, Roy now, compared to before... seemed to have undergone some indescribable change.
His temperament seemed to become sharper.
"What's wrong?"
Until Roy's voice sounded, they seemed to finally recover. "Chief, that was just now..."
"Oh, nothing—just gained some insight from cultivation just now."
Roy said casually.
Then, he didn't explain further, just looking far at the surrounding sea surface. "Where are we now?"
"Almost crossing the Calm Belt, arriving in North Blue soon."
Pharrel froze, then answered.
"Very good."
Hearing this, Roy smiled.
He clenched his fist.
Silently, black-red lightning... flowed on it.
☆☆☆
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