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Chapter 8: Conqueror's Haki Awakens! Astonishing Talent
Rocks watched the two departing figures.
Just as he was about to look away, he suddenly caught an unusual pressure emanating from the youth. His pupils contracted instinctively.
As the king who ruled these seas,
Rocks recognized it in an instant.
Conqueror's Haki awakening.
Conqueror's Haki.
A supreme power that appears only once in a million people.
Unlike Observation and Armament Haki, Conqueror's Haki talent is innate—it cannot be strengthened through training like the other two.
The better the talent for Conqueror's Haki, the higher the potential ceiling for its mastery.
As an extremely rare special type of Haki,
Its effects are incredibly powerful.
It can influence others' consciousness and even knock people unconscious through sheer pressure.
At profound levels of mastery,
It can cause tangible physical damage and even be infused into weapons to slash enemies from afar.
Within the Rocks Pirates,
Conqueror's Haki talent is one of the prerequisites for promotion to cadre.
Only those who awaken Conqueror's Haki qualify to become cadres in the Rocks Pirates.
This kid named Lotte had merely been shaken by the clash,
Yet he had awakened Conqueror's Haki.
Just this level of talent was enough to make Rocks regard him with new eyes!
If this kid truly reached his full potential, he might very well become a major asset in Rocks' plans.
Rocks narrowed his eyes slightly.
Lotte, unaware of the gaze, was simply scanning the massive ship.
He couldn't help but marvel inwardly.
Rocks' flagship was hundreds of meters long.
The number of pirates on this single vessel alone probably exceeded a thousand.
Combined with the other ships, ten thousand wasn't out of the question.
Truly worthy of the most terrifying pirate crew in the world right now.
If not for the God Valley Incident shattering everything,
This pirate crew might have lasted even longer.
Of course, the end result would still be total fragmentation.
Because whether it was Golden Lion Shiki, Whitebeard Edward, Charlotte Linlin, or the other cadre-level figures,
Each of them had their own schemes in mind.
They had gathered under this flag only because Rocks' strength was overwhelming and could bring them sufficient benefits.
Kaido was still stunned in place by the clash between Newgate and Shiki.
A fierce ambition surged in his heart.
He would one day become a powerhouse like those two!
Ruling these seas!
Rocks walked toward the group of new recruits,
Swept his gaze over the crowd, and fixed it on Lotte.
"Kid, you've awakened Conqueror's Haki, right?"
As the words fell,
The surrounding pirates' eyes instantly turned toward him.
Staring at Lotte's young face, they were momentarily dumbfounded.
"Did I hear that right?! The captain said that kid awakened Conqueror's Haki?!"
"No way! The kid looks so young!"
"Idiot! If the boss says it, it's true! You think our captain could be wrong about someone?!"
Shock appeared on their faces.
Conqueror's Haki wasn't something common at all.
Even in the Rocks Pirates with over ten thousand members, only the top-tier cadres possessed this special power.
Yet a kid who had just joined the crew
Had already grasped such a force—they couldn't help but feel astonished.
The other new recruits were even more stunned. Anyone who had heard of Conqueror's Haki was left gaping.
After all, anyone who awakened Conqueror's Haki was destined for terrifying strength in the future.
Hearing Rocks' voice,
Lotte simply looked at him with a slight smile on his lips and said,
"Yes, Captain."
"I just saw the two cadres clashing and wanted to see if I could do the same."
"So I gave it a try... and it turns out I could."
"It was pretty simple."
As the words fell,
A faint, tiger-like pressure emanated from Lotte.
Though it couldn't compare to Whitebeard and Shiki's earlier clash,
It was already astonishing enough!
Hearing the youth's words, the other pirates were rendered speechless.
Is this what they mean by "comparing people drives you mad"?!
The Conqueror's Haki they dreamed of had been mastered so casually by this young man.
And since Lotte had awakened Conqueror's Haki, didn't that mean he had a real shot at becoming a cadre in the future?
Thinking this, the others began to take note.
They had no intention of offending a genius with limitless prospects on the ship.
After receiving confirmation,
Rocks pulled a small booklet from his coat and tossed it to Lotte.
"This is a guide to training the three colors of Haki. Go back and study it well."
"From today onward, you're an official crew member."
His calm voice fell,
Causing the surrounding pirates and new recruits to widen their eyes even further.
What shocked them wasn't Lotte's promotion to official crew member.
It was the three-color Haki training manual!
While three-color Haki could be trained on one's own, having a predecessor's guidance would save an immense amount of time.
This was the first time they'd seen
Their captain be so generous to a mere new recruit!
This alone showed just how highly Rocks regarded this youth!
The other new recruits inhaled sharply.
Lotte had become an official crew member right upon joining.
Who knew how long it would take them, the trainees, to get the same status.
The joys and sorrows of people really aren't the same.
They sighed inwardly.
But they genuinely admired Lotte's strength.
After catching the booklet from Rocks, Lotte nodded and gave a slight smile.
To him, obtaining the three-color Haki guide
Wasn't something he valued overly much.
With top-tier talent, any training method would yield excellent results.
He took the opportunity to glance at his current attribute panel.
[Name: Lotte]
[Age: 17]
[Bloodline Ability: Hashirama Cells (Current Mastery: 23%)]
[Skills: Wood Release (Current Power Limit: B-rank), Conqueror's Haki (Beginner)]
[Inventory: None]
[Combat Power: 1800~2400]
[Overall Evaluation: Host has successfully joined the Rocks Pirates. Even in the entire New World, few can pose a threat to you now. With beginner-level three-color Haki, Host's strength has officially entered Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral level.]
Seeing Lotte accept it, Rocks turned and left.
To him, this was a trivial matter—just a small investment.
If Lotte truly grew into his potential,
He could use the kid to draw the Marines' attention later.
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