Landing on God Valley! Conqueror's Haki Shocks Everyone

The door opened.

Six people stepped out of the void, suspended three hundred meters above God Valley. Sea wind swept up from below, carrying a powerful stench of gunpowder and blood. The smell struck them like an invisible wall.

Lin Yuan stood on a Micro Door, hands in his pockets, looking down at the entire island.

God Valley was larger than he had imagined. The island was an irregular oval, with a highland rising at its center. The Celestial Dragons' white palace stood atop it, dazzlingly bright in the afternoon sun. Dense forests and several rivers surrounded the palace, with scattered villages and farmland farther out. Most of the villages were burning now, thick smoke rising into the sky like black pillars.

Gunfire.

Screams.

And laughter.

The laughter came not from civilians, but from the Celestial Dragons' guards as they rode about on horseback. Lin Yuan saw a guard in white armor riding a horse with a person dragged behind it—no, a corpse, already ground into a bloody mess, leaving a dark red trail across the ground. The guard laughed, raised a torch, and set a thatched hut on fire.

A woman screamed inside, and a child began to cry.

In another direction, three guards surrounded a mother holding an infant. She knelt and kowtowed, striking her forehead against a stone until blood streamed down her face. A guard raised his blade—

"Thud."

One slash.

The mother's cries stopped abruptly. The infant fell to the ground and began wailing. The guard glanced down and struck again.

The crying stopped too.

Kaido gripped his iron club, his knuckles turning white. Bullet's breathing grew heavy, like an enraged bull's. Kuma closed his eyes, his lips trembling slightly. The flames behind King leaped violently, their temperature soaring. Moria's hand shook around his scissors, blood seeping between his fingers—his own blood, drawn by his nails digging into his palm.

Lin Yuan did not move.

His face was expressionless, but his eyes were as cold as a frozen lake.

He had seen hell. He had seen it in the South Blue, on Punk Hazard, and in the underground prison of Mary Geoise. But no matter how many times he saw such scenes, he could never grow used to them. The anger surging from his chest burned like magma, ready to erupt at any moment.

But he held it down.

It was not time yet.

"Did you all see that?" His voice was calm, so calm it hardly sounded human.

No one answered. But everyone had seen it.

"Then remember it," Lin Yuan said. "Remember why we came here today."

He took a deep breath.

This was no ordinary breath. It was the process of concentrating his entire presence into a single point, then releasing it all in an instant. Lin Yuan's muscles tensed slightly, his heart suddenly raced, and blood surged through his veins. A power that could neither be seen nor touched, yet was enough to make souls tremble, swelled within him.

Conqueror's Haki.

This was not something that could be strengthened through training alone. It depended on a person's spirit, will, and innate aptitude. He had lived twenty years in the pirate world in this life, fought countless battles to the death, gone from Marine recruit to deserter, from prey to hunter. His spirit was on an entirely different level from when he had first transmigrated.

There was one more thing he had not told anyone.

Half a year ago, during a battle in the New World, he had already awakened Conqueror's Haki. Not through some "aptitude," but by standing on the brink of death again and again, by telling himself again and again, I can't die.

Now, he would let everyone know.

A new hunter had arrived.

Lin Yuan opened his eyes.

Dark red lightning erupted from his body.

Not one bolt, not ten, but hundreds and thousands. The dark red lightning swept out in every direction with him at its center, as though a wound had suddenly split open in the heavens, covering the entire sky in the color of blood.

A radius of three hundred meters.

That was the range of his Conqueror's Haki.

Below, on God Valley.

A Celestial Dragon guard was raising his blade to behead a civilian. The blade stopped in midair. His eyes rolled back, foam spilled from his mouth, and his body fell stiffly to the ground. His blade dropped with a sharp clang.

Three mounted guards were about to charge into a village. Their horses sensed the pressure first, rearing high and neighing in terror as they threw their riders. The instant the guards hit the ground, Conqueror's Haki flooded their minds. They lost consciousness before they even knew what had happened and lay motionless on the ground.

At the edge of the highland, a CP0 squad leader was interrogating a prisoner. He gripped the prisoner's chin, forcing him to raise his head. Suddenly, a terrifying presence bore down from above. His knees buckled, and he dropped to one knee, veins bulging on his forehead. He gritted his teeth and looked up at the sky—

Six figures.

The young man in the very center wore a black trench coat and had his hands in his pockets. Dark red lightning danced wildly around him, making him look like a demon god descended from the heavens. Five people stood behind him, each with the presence of a wild beast.

"What... is that?"

Those were the last words he spoke. The aftershock of the Conqueror's Haki swept over him, his eyes rolled back, and he passed out. The prisoner slumped to the ground, trembling all over, unsure whether to run or kneel.

On the outskirts of the highland, a member of the Holy Knights was on patrol. When he sensed the Haki, his pupils contracted sharply. He instinctively coated his entire body in Armament Haki and barely managed to withstand the impact. But the dozen or so guards around him all fell, foaming at the mouth as though they had been electrocuted.

"Conqueror's Haki..." He narrowed his eyes at the sky and put a hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist. "That kind of strength... who is it?"

Farther away.

At sea, on the bow of the Rocks Pirates' flagship, the Saber of Xebec.

Rocks D. Xebec stood there, his eyes fixed on the six figures in the sky like a falcon's. The sea breeze lifted the hem of his black coat, revealing the flintlock at his waist. The corners of his mouth rose slightly, and then he smiled—not a broad grin, but an intrigued smile that sent chills down the spine.

"Conqueror's Haki?" he repeated, his voice low, as though squeezed from his chest. "That brat who turned me down."

He remembered Lin Yuan. Half a year ago on Pirate Island, Lin Yuan had refused his invitation. At the time, Rocks had thought him an insignificant nobody who did not know his place, someone he could simply discard. But now—

"Interesting." Rocks put his hands in his pockets and turned to the crew behind him. "Newgate, did you feel that?"

Edward Newgate, Whitebeard, stood behind him, holding his enormous naginata. He had taken a drink and was looking up at the sky with narrowed eyes. His chin was smooth and beardless, but his gaze was as steady as a mountain.

"Yeah. Powerful Haki." Newgate lowered his bowl of liquor. "Not the kind of Conqueror's Haki you're born with, looking down from on high. This was forged through killing. Did you feel it? There's the smell of blood in that Haki."

"How does it compare to yours?" Rocks asked.

Newgate did not answer. He was silent for a moment, then said, "He's still young."

"Young is good." Rocks turned around. "The young can live longer."

On the deck behind them, Golden Lion Shiki's long golden hair streamed in the sea breeze. He looked in that direction and frowned. "Never seen him. A newcomer?"

"Not a newcomer." Rocks shook his head. "He's here to take things."

"Take what?" Golden Lion asked.

"Everything he can get his hands on." The corners of Rocks's mouth curved into an eerie smile.

At the entrance to the cabin, Charlotte Linlin came out carrying a plate of cake. She took a bite, her cheeks bulging, and looked up at the sky. When her gaze fell on the young man in black at the center of the six figures, her eyes suddenly lit up.

"Mamamama..." Linlin licked the cream from the corner of her mouth. "I've seen that brat. On Pirate Island, with Kaido. Quite handsome, just not much of a temper."

"You know him?" Golden Lion asked.

"Mamamama... I wouldn't say I know him. We talked." Linlin stuffed the rest of the cake into her mouth and spoke indistinctly. "I wanted to invite him for a drink, but he said he didn't drink. Wouldn't give me any face."

"What about now?" Rocks asked.

"Now?" Linlin brushed the crumbs from her hands and smiled. "Mamamama... now I want to invite him for a drink even more. Someone who can unleash Conqueror's Haki like that is worth sharing a drink with."

Golden Lion snorted and said nothing.

A Marine Headquarters warship.

The Justice.

Garp stood at the bow with his arms crossed, his dog-head hat pulled low enough to cover half his face. When the dark red Haki bore down from the sky, the smile slowly faded from his face, replaced by a rare seriousness. He pulled his hands from his arms and clenched his fists.

"That Haki..." He raised his head, his gaze sharp as a blade. "Who is it?"

Sengoku came out of the cabin, a Den Den Mushi in his hand. He had just received a report: unfamiliar figures had appeared over God Valley, Conqueror's Haki had covered the entire western side of the island, and dozens of guards had been knocked unconscious. The report also mentioned that the people had stepped out of a door that appeared from nowhere.

"The report says it's a young man." Sengoku walked over to Garp. "Black trench coat, a Spatial Ability User. Six people came out of a door."

"Spatial ability?" Garp turned to look at him. "The guy who snatched Kaido from Punk Hazard?"

"That's him." Sengoku's expression was grave. "Lin Yuan. His name is Lin Yuan. A former recruit from Marine Branch 153. He'd only been enlisted for two years when he stole the Door-Door Fruit and deserted. Later, he took territory from Ochoku on Hachinosu, and his bounty has already risen to one billion. Intelligence says he put together a team of five or six people, and none of them are weak."

"A recruit?" Garp paused. "A brat who served for two years has a bounty of one billion?"

"His ability is worth that much," Sengoku said. "And those people under him—Kaido, Bullet, Kuma—none of them are easy to deal with."

Garp was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly burst out laughing. "Hahahaha! Young people these days are really something! A brat who deserted after two years in the Marines actually dares to come to God Valley and join the fun!"

"You're still in the mood to laugh?" Sengoku glared at him. "God Valley is chaotic enough already. The Rocks Pirates, the Roger Pirates, and the Marines—three forces, and now there's this Lin Yuan... a four-way battle! Do you know what that means?"

"It means a fight." Garp flexed his fists, his knuckles cracking. "I haven't stretched my muscles in a long time. The last time I fought Roger was three months ago."

"You..." Sengoku took a deep breath. "Forget it. You wouldn't listen to me anyway. But one thing—don't mess this up. The World Government is watching."

Garp ignored him. He kept staring at the figures in the sky, the smile on his face slowly widening like an old wolf that had caught the scent of prey.

"Lin Yuan..." He murmured the name. "A former Marine recruit? Interesting."

The Roger Pirates.

The Oro Jackson.

Gol D. Roger stood at the bow, his black hair flying in the wind, his grin stretching almost to his ears. He wore a red captain's coat that exposed his muscular chest, with a rapier at his waist.

"Hahahahahaha!"

He laughed. It was so loud that it could be heard on the nearby warships, loud enough to send seabirds fleeing in alarm. He laughed so hard he doubled over, tears almost spilling from his eyes.

His first mate, Rayleigh, stood behind him and pushed up his glasses, looking helpless. "What are you laughing at?"

"This!" Roger pointed at the sky, at the six figures suspended in the air, at the dark red lightning that had yet to fully dissipate. "Today's a great day! Rocks is here, the Marines are here, the Celestial Dragons are throwing a party on the island, and now a brat with Conqueror's Haki has shown up! Hahahaha! This is livelier than New Year's!"

"You know him?" Rayleigh asked.

"No." Roger shook his head and wiped away the tears from laughing. "But his Haki is interesting."

"Interesting?"

"Yeah." Roger's smile vanished, and his eyes sharpened like blades. "Not the kind of Conqueror's Haki you're born with, looking down from on high. This was forged through killing. Did you feel it? There's the smell of blood in that Haki. Not the smell of killing one or two people, but the rusty smell that won't wash away after killing a great many people."

Rayleigh said nothing. He had felt it too.

The young man's Conqueror's Haki was unlike Roger's wildness, Whitebeard's weight, or Rocks's sinister malice. It was cold and sharp, like countless blades spinning through the air, or a frozen sea of blood.

It was Haki tempered among mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Someone who had never experienced true despair, never stood on the brink of death, and never buried a companion with their own hands could not possess such Haki.

"An interesting young man," Rayleigh said. "I hope he lives through today."

"I hope he doesn't die." Roger grinned. "I still want to have a drink with him."

"You don't even know his name."

"Lin Yuan," Roger said. "Someone on the Marine side shouted it just now. Good memory, right?"

Rayleigh shook his head helplessly.

In the sky.

Lin Yuan slowly withdrew his Conqueror's Haki.

The dark red lightning dissipated in the air. The temperature around them seemed to drop by several degrees, like the calm after a storm. He opened his eyes, his gaze as still as stagnant water.

"That should do it," he said. "Remember your positions."

Kaido had his iron club over his shoulder and could hardly wait. The fire of battle burned in his eyes, and a hint of a mad smile hung on his lips. "West side, I know. I can take on a hundred of those Marine trash myself."

Bullet rolled his wrists, his joints cracking. "South side. CP0? I've wanted to beat them up for a long time."

Moria spun his scissors, their blades reflecting a cold light. "North side. I'm ready."

King said nothing. The flames behind him simply flickered.

Kuma stood in silence, his palms slightly open, the pads of the Paw-Paw Fruit glowing softly in the sunlight.

Lin Yuan looked at Kuma. "Kuma, east side. The civilians are yours. Use your paws to send them flying out to sea. Ginny will meet them near Hachinosu. Save as many as you can."

Kuma nodded.

"Save everyone you can," Lin Yuan said. "Don't leave a single one behind."

"I'll do my best."

Lin Yuan looked away and glanced over everyone.

"Move."

All six dropped from the sky at once, crashing toward different parts of God Valley like six meteors.

Kaido crashed onto the western beach. Dust flew as he landed, and the ground cracked around a three-meter-wide crater.

Bullet crashed into the southern gun emplacement and smashed it to pieces with one punch.

Moria landed in the dense forest to the north, his shadow spreading silently beneath his feet.

Kuma descended on the eastern village, his feet landing in the mud. The sight before him made his pupils contract sharply.

King remained in the air, his black wings spreading slightly as he carried Lin Yuan slowly downward.

Lin Yuan did not land. He stood on a Micro Door, hovering a hundred meters above the ground as he surveyed the entire battlefield.

Below, gunfire, battle cries, and screams mingled together.

Rocks's ship had already reached shore. Marine landing craft were storming the beach. Roger's Oro Jackson was slowly sailing toward the other side of the island.

Four forces.

The same goal.

The corners of Lin Yuan's mouth lifted slightly.

"The game begins."

He raised a hand and swept it through the air. A small door appeared beside him, revealing the view of a warehouse on Hachinosu. The box containing the Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon, sat quietly on a shelf—one of his objectives on this trip.

"Wait for me to come back."

He gave it a gentle push, and the door vanished.

High in the sky, only the sound of the wind remained, along with the laughter of powerful fighters carried from afar.

(End of Chapter 34)