The Navy stared in horror at the rampaging Hell Pirates, their minds racing. A few sharp-witted officers began to piece it together—could killing a Celestial Dragon really awaken Conqueror's Haki?
The thought hit like a thunderbolt, but they quickly shoved it aside.
It was too terrifying to consider. If there was a shortcut to such power, who wouldn't leap at the chance to seize it?
But… was this shortcut meant for pirates?
How could the Navy, sworn to uphold justice, even entertain such a treasonous idea? How could they dare raise a hand against the World Government's rulers?
These Celestial Dragons, who enslaved their own people and fueled widespread resentment, were now seemingly granting pirates the ultimate power-up: Conqueror's Haki. The Navy's morale wavered. Some began to question their loyalty—why serve a cause that felt so rotten?
Might as well let their own comrades take them out and see if they could awaken Conqueror's Haki themselves!
The Navy's resolve crumbled, and this contagious shift in morale allowed the Hell Pirates to smash through their defensive lines with ease.
At this moment, the Celestial Dragons were like defenseless lambs, torn apart by ferocious pirates.
"Brook, you've committed an unforgivable crime against the Celestial Dragons! You'll soon know true despair!" roared Admiral Aokiba.
He watched helplessly as the Celestial Dragons were slaughtered one by one, his mind racing with visions of an impending, brutal war. The Celestial Dragons' hidden power was so immense that even he, an Admiral, feared its might.
"Before I face their so-called 'national treasure,' I'm far more interested in your Devil Fruit powers!" Brook shot back.
With no turning back, Brook knew his only path was to grow stronger before the Celestial Dragons' retribution came crashing down.
"You'll plunge the world into war and ruin!" Aokiba bellowed, glaring at Brook as if he were the embodiment of all the world's sins. If the Celestial Dragons unleashed their national treasure, countless innocents would perish in the ensuing chaos.
"If the World Government wields a weapon that can destroy the world at a whim, shouldn't we be the ones to destroy them? Such a weapon shouldn't exist!" Brook retorted.
He, too, feared the Celestial Dragons' trump card, which was exactly why he was racing to build his crew's strength—to one day stand against it.
BOOM!
Another surge of Conqueror's Haki erupted, stunning everyone on the battlefield.
"Hahaha! I, Kozuki Oden, will never bow to anyone! I've got the spirit of a king now!" roared a towering young man in an orange kimono, wielding two great swords as he stood atop a pile of Celestial Dragon corpses, laughing uproariously. Whether he'd awakened his Conqueror's Haki by slaying Celestial Dragons or by rivaling the beastly Kaido was anyone's guess.
"Another one's awakened?!"
"No way!"
"Uraaaah!"
"Don't steal my kills! I'm gonna keep swinging until I awaken, too!"
As yet another rookie awakened Conqueror's Haki, both the Navy and the pirates were utterly dumbfounded.
How could something like this happen?!
Yet it was happening. Was it mere coincidence?
Kaido and Kozuki Oden, two 11-year-old prodigies aboard the Hell Pirates' ship, had both unlocked this rare power.
Now, within the Hell Pirates, Conqueror's Haki wielders were practically commonplace!
If they could awaken it, surely supernovas like Byrnndi World and Woonan could, too, right?
If one kill didn't do it, they'd kill a pair. If that failed, they'd kill ten…
The Hell Pirates had gone completely berserk!
Within moments, the dozen or so captured Celestial Dragons were all dead, yet no more pirates awakened Conqueror's Haki.
Most of the Navy, seeing the Celestial Dragons wiped out, began to tremble. Was it too late to desert? We're still young! We don't want to die for these monsters!
"Why didn't I awaken?!" Fisher Tiger roared in frustration. He'd taken down a Celestial Dragon, too, so why had Kaido and Oden succeeded where he'd failed? Was he really that weak?
No! He was destined to be a hero of Fishman Island!
He couldn't give up.
It had to be because he hadn't killed enough. Kaido had taken out three Celestial Dragons to awaken, and Oden, that greedy bastard with his two great swords and closer position, had bagged four!
Damn Kozuki Oden for hogging four kills without leaving any for him!
"There's got to be more Celestial Dragons hiding somewhere. Search the place!" Byrnndi World and Woonan shouted, their eyes blazing with ambition.
They'd each killed a Celestial Dragon, too, but felt no spark of awakening.
These ruthless, driven pirates ignored the Navy's faltering retreat and stormed into the palace complex, hunting for any Celestial Dragons still in hiding.
Today, they'd seize this once-in-a-lifetime chance to awaken the rarest of Haki.
If the World Government's reinforcements arrived, they'd never get another shot at so many Celestial Dragons!
…
The tide of battle had shifted so drastically that Admiral Aokiba wasn't sure whether to keep fighting. With the Celestial Dragons here all dead, continuing the battle might only lead to pointless casualties.
"Trying to run, Aokiba?" Brook taunted, laughing maniacally.
Kaido and Kozuki Oden had both awakened Conqueror's Haki—how could he not be thrilled? The title of the world's greatest pirate crew was within the Hell Pirates' grasp!
A crew with seven Conqueror's Haki users—who would dare challenge them?
"The Hell Pirates are too great a threat! In the World Government's 800-year history, there's never been anything like you. The Five Elders and the Celestial Dragons will crush you!" Aokiba warned.
Terrified by Brook's soul-rending slash, Aokiba took to the skies using Geppo. But Bloodhand Braille, his severed hand still bleeding, hadn't expected Aokiba to dodge so swiftly, leaving him alone to face Brook's lethal strike.
Bloodhand Braille never imagined he'd become a liability. Here, in God Valley, he met his end. Brook's soul-cutting attack dazed him with pain, and before he could react, the Seven Star Sword plunged into his chest.
As his blood poured out, Braille mustered his last ounce of Haki, channeling it into his remaining hand and slamming it into Brook's chest, caving it in.
THUD!
Brook didn't even flinch. Braille thought he'd landed a killing blow, but his brief moment of triumph turned to horror as Brook grinned at him, unfazed, sending chills down his spine.
"You crushed my heart, so I'll take your soul. A fair trade, don't you think?" Brook said coldly, twisting the Seven Star Sword.
The blade carved a gaping hole through Braille's chest. A powerful soul was ripped from his body, tainted by the aura of the underworld, and seized in Brook's grasp.
A ghostly general materialized at Brook's side.
Bloodhand Braille's soul was now enslaved by Brook, a sight that horrified the Navy. They didn't want to die only to be chained like this, forever denied reincarnation!
Brook's grotesque display of soul manipulation made the Navy look at him like he was a demon straight from hell.
"You… you defile the souls of the dead! You'll meet a wretched end, Brook! No grave will hold you, and you'll rot with red fur sprouting all over your body!" Aokiba cursed, struggling to find words harsh enough as he watched Bloodhand Braille die before his eyes.
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Fanfic is finished 955 chapters in total on p@treon/tambeerg