'Wait, Hawkeye has Conqueror's Haki too?' Bardock thought, his eyes widening. 'I guess it makes sense, he is the World's Strongest... holy shit.'
The invisible shockwave from their clash swept outward, slamming into Bardock. It felt like someone had just taken a sledgehammer to his skull. His vision swam, and his head spun violently. But he gritted his teeth, refusing to give in. He needed to see the outcome of that strike! If he had bothered to look back, he would have realized that half the crew had already collapsed on the deck, completely knocked out by the Conqueror's Haki. Only the senior officers remained standing, perfectly unaffected.
I will not be taken down by a mere shockwave! Ahh!
Bardock let out a silent, desperate roar. Deep within him, something snapped. It was as if a dam had burst inside his soul, releasing an invisible, explosive barrier that surged outward, violently pushing back against the oppressive pressure crushing him.
'Does this kid have the qualities of a king, too?' Benn Beckman mused, taking in the entire scene without missing a beat. He casually struck a match, lighting a fresh cigarette, the glowing cherry flickering in the evening sea breeze.
Bardock, however, was entirely focused on the island. As the dust and smoke finally cleared, Shanks and Mihawk were no longer facing each other; they stood back-to-back, weapons drawn. If this were a cheap comic book, this would be the exact moment one of them collapsed, blood spraying from their chest like a ruptured fire hydrant. But reality was much less dramatic. While neither man was completely unscathed, they only looked slightly winded and scuffed up.
Shanks spun around, throwing an arm over Mihawk's shoulder and slapping his back enthusiastically. "That was incredible, Mihawk! You actually blocked that! I thought for sure I had you!"
The technique Shanks had just used, Divine Departure, was no joke. The Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, had once used that exact same move to effortlessly blow away the future Shogun of Wano, Kozuki Oden, the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. Shanks was only just beginning to grasp the technique, yet Mihawk had taken it head-on without sustaining any real damage. The swordsman's raw strength was absolutely terrifying.
"Alright, boys!" Shanks roared toward the ship. "It's banquet time!"
"YEAH!" the crew cheered.
The pirates quickly descended upon the shattered island, clearing away the rubble and setting up massive roaring bonfires. Bardock naturally gravitated toward Lucky Roux to help prep the food. After spending a few days together, the two had bonded incredibly well. They were both massive foodies with endless things to talk about. Bardock picked up a ton of culinary techniques specific to this world from the large pirate, while Roux was blown away by Bardock's modern recipes and cooking concepts from his past life. It was a total win-win.
"Uta!" Shanks yelled, proving once again that if he wasn't a pirate, he'd be an incredible party host. "Give us Binks' Sake! Everyone, raise your glasses!"
"Cheers!"
Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho...
Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho...
Gather up all of the crew, it's time to ship out Binks' brew...
Sea wind blows, to where, who knows? The waves will be our guide...
Uta started the iconic shanty, her beautiful voice carrying over the crackling fire. Soon, the entire crew was belting out the lyrics. But the most surreal part? Even Mihawk was quietly humming along.
'Oh man,' Bardock thought, a wicked, scheming grin spreading across his face. 'Mihawk, I never thought I'd see the day. If I had a Video Transponder Snail right now, I'd record this and sell it to "Big News" Morgans for an absolute fortune... hehehe.'
Suddenly, a gaze locked onto him. It didn't just look at him; it pierced him. The stare was physical, razor-sharp, making Bardock's scalp tingle with pure terror. He immediately snapped out of his fantasies, slapping on a polite smile and awkwardly raising his mug in a toast toward the swordsman.
Mihawk lowered his drink. "Shanks. Is that boy one of your crew?"
Shanks followed his gaze and shook his head. "Nah, that's Bardock. He's just a guest. Can you believe he's only eight? Kid's got insane potential. Beckman said he even awakened Conqueror's Haki earlier. Add that to his Mythical Zoan fruit, and unless something goes terribly wrong, he's going to be a massive big shot in the future."
Mihawk didn't say another word, simply returning to his drink in silence.
"Come on, come on! Drink up! Chug it!" Shanks chanted loudly.
"Once you finish that one, there's another waiting! Boys, a toast to Mihawk! Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
Mihawk enjoyed a good drink, but he wasn't a binge drinker. Halfway through the chaotic banquet, he quietly excused himself, returning to his coffin boat to rest. Shanks and his crew, however, partied on, completely intent on drinking until they dropped.
Seizing a rare lull in the drinking, Bardock casually sidled up to Shanks. "Hey, Shanks? What was that last move you guys did today? Why did your swords clash without even touching?" He already knew the answer, but he had to play the part.
"Hahaha! That's Haki, kid! Haki!" Shanks laughed, sloshing his ale. "It was a coat of flowing Armament Haki layered with Conqueror's Haki!"
"Haki? Armament? Conqueror's?"
"Yeah. Haki is a latent power that slumbers inside every single living human. Presence, spirit, intimidation... when you learn to control those invisible senses and weaponize your own willpower, that's Haki."
"Latent power?"
"Exactly. Most people go their whole lives without ever drawing it out. The two standard types are Observation Haki, which lets you sense your opponent's presence, and Armament Haki, which acts as an invisible armor to boost your defense and attack. Then there's a third, incredibly rare type—Conqueror's Haki, the power of intimidation. Those who awaken it are said to possess the qualities of a king. And you, Bardock, have that one-in-a-million kingly disposition."
'Hahaha, I knew it! As expected of me!' Bardock cheered internally before asking, "So how do I draw out the other two?"
Shanks rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Man, I'm really not cut out for teaching. Simply put, Observation takes constant sensory practice, and Armament requires a tough physical body. Just remember: true strength is an unwavering will. Honestly, throwing yourself into actual life-or-death combat is the best way to awaken them..."
Shanks really was a terrible teacher. He rambled on, dropping disconnected bits of advice drawn entirely from his own instincts and experiences. Luckily, Bardock already had a solid theoretical understanding of Haki from the manga, allowing him to easily piece together Shanks' chaotic rambling. In fact, Shanks' vague tips on physical conditioning gave him some massive inspiration for his future training.
"Thanks, Shanks! Seriously. Here, let me toast you! Bottoms up!"
"Bottoms up! Hahaha! Oh, by the way, Bardock—until you get a solid grip on your Conqueror's Haki, try not to use it. You'll just end up knocking out your own allies! Here, let me top you off! Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
The banquet raged on late into the night. For the first time since coming to this world, Bardock got completely, hopelessly drunk.
Knock, knock, knock.
Bardock groaned, blinking his eyes open. He was sprawled out on the cold wooden floor of the ship's lower cabins. He had absolutely no memory of how he had gotten there.
He pulled himself up and yanked the door open to find Lucky Roux grinning down at him. "Morning, Bardock! We can already see the Sabaody Archipelago! Go get your stuff together! We're gonna dock and restock our supplies."
"That was fast," Bardock yawned. "Man, Roux, I'm really going to miss you guys."
"Then just join the crew!" Roux laughed heartily. "We can travel the world cooking up crazy food together! Gahahaha!"
"I better not. You guys already have a monkey on board." Bardock was referring to Monster, the actual monkey and official executive of the Red Hair Pirates.
Roux chuckled. "Fair enough. Well, I won't do a big tearful goodbye right now. I'm swamped with organizing the supply run."
"Got it. See ya, Roux. I'm gonna go find Shanks."
Bardock found the captain standing at the bow of the ship, staring out at the approaching bubble-covered islands of Sabaody.
Hearing footsteps, Shanks glanced back and immediately burst into laughter. "Yo, Monkey King! You really can't hold your liquor, can you?"
Bardock froze. "Wait. Monkey King?"
"Yeah, that's what you kept shouting last night," Shanks snickered. "You kept bragging about being the 'Monkey King' and how you were going to go 'wreak havoc in Heaven' or something. Oh! And you also screamed about how you were going to beat Sengoku the Buddha until his head was covered in lumps."
Bardock's face drained of color. "No way..." he gasped, panic setting in. "What... what else did I say?!"
Shanks flashed a wide, wicked grin. "Take a guess."