The awakening of Conqueror's Haki, the dawn of a new era
The whole world held its breath, waiting for the system's judgment.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Thud.
Garp slumped to the ground, his eyes vacant, as though all his vitality had been drained away in an instant.
The shame of being publicly condemned and the irreversible regret awaiting him in the future bore down like two mountains, crushing the legendary Marine hero.
"Garp."
Sengoku's face was ashen. He wanted to say something, but couldn't get a single word out.
Before a "god," the Marines' authority was so fragile that it could not withstand a single blow.
Sabaody Archipelago, Grove 11.
"Ace..."
Luffy watched Ace's chest being pierced on the screen, then saw him fall with a smile. His head buzzed, and his vision turned blood-red.
An unprecedented surge of grief and rage overwhelmed all his reason.
"Aaaah!"
He let out an inhuman cry of anguish.
Judgment descended from the sky.
[Target of punishment: Monkey D. Garp]
[Reason for punishment: His sense of justice was shaken by family ties, and he allowed the blood of evil to live on, ultimately leading to an irreversible tragedy]
[Punishment: Removal of the worldwide renown conferred by his title of "Marine hero," and application of the negative status "Shaken sense of justice" for 72 hours]
The instant the words ended, a visible beam of gray light descended from the sky and entered Garp's body with unerring precision.
Garp's body trembled violently.
He felt as though a piece of the "justice" he had upheld and fought for all his life had been forcibly ripped away. Confusion and emptiness unlike anything he had ever known flooded his heart.
What was justice?
Was protecting the Celestial Dragons justice?
Was killing his own grandson justice?
For the first time, his convictions were profoundly shaken.
Immediately afterward, the system's voice rang out again, this time in an entirely different tone.
[Target of reward: Monkey D. Luffy]
[Reason for reward: As the central victim of this incident, his powerful determination to save his older brother has been recognized by the system]
[Reward: Early awakening of Conqueror's Haki]
A pillar of golden light brighter than the sun seemed to pierce through time and space, descending from beyond the heavens and instantly enveloping Luffy as he roared in grief and rage.
"Luffy!"
The other Straw Hat Pirates cried out in alarm.
As Trafalgar Law, Eustass Kid, and all the other Supernovas watched in shock, the golden light poured into Luffy's body.
"Ace!"
Luffy threw back his head and let out a roar of utter grief and rage.
Boom!
An invisible but terrifying aura erupted from him, sweeping out in every direction.
Nearby pirates with lower bounties, ordinary civilians, and even Marine soldiers didn't have time to scream. Foaming at the mouth, they collapsed in swathes like cut wheat.
In all of Grove 11, only a handful of people remained standing, apart from a few powerful individuals.
"This is..."
Zoro, Sanji, and the others felt their hearts tremble, shaken by this sudden display of kingly potential.
Rayleigh adjusted his glasses, his pupils shrinking to pinpoints behind the lenses.
"Conqueror's Haki..."
He muttered, "To think it was forcibly awakened under these circumstances... Just what kind of existence is this livestream?"
Before the eyes of the entire world, Luffy's potential had been proven in the most domineering and tragic way possible.
The New World, aboard the Moby Dick.
Whitebeard watched the boy on the screen who had awakened Conqueror's Haki because of his brother's death, then recalled how Ace had looked aboard his own ship, calling him "Pops."
For the first time, tears of grief and comfort streamed from the eyes of the World's Strongest Man, who stood at the pinnacle of the era.
"Ace... Luffy..."
He murmured the two names.
Then he slammed the Supreme Great Grade Sword Murakumogiri down onto the deck.
Boom!
The tremendous impact shook the entire Moby Dick.
Every commander and every crew member turned their gaze to their Pops.
Whitebeard raised his head and, with all his strength, gave his sons the order that would change the balance of the world.
"Boys!"
His voice rang out across the sky, filled with unquestionable authority and fury.
"Our target is Marine Headquarters, Marineford!"
"All forces, move out!"
"I'm going to show those Marine bastards what it costs to lay a hand on my son!"
At that moment, the horn of war was sounded in full, ahead of time.
Meanwhile, in the distant East Blue.
Inside Lin Qi's little tavern.
He watched the earth-shaking changes in the "game" and slapped his thigh in excitement.
"Now that's satisfying! So damn satisfying!"
He took a large swig of beer, his face full of delight at having pulled off a prank.
"I didn't expect these 'NPCs' to have such good AI. Their reactions are so realistic. This game is way too fun!"
He watched the notifications for "World shock +100," "Whitebeard's rage +1000," and the like keep popping up on the system interface, grinning from ear to ear.
"So, whose turn is it for the next question?"
His eyes gleamed as he began devising an even more explosive question to expose someone to public embarrassment.
"Let's count down the ten biggest culprits of the Paramount War. First up, we'll start with the most patient and calculating ambitious man of them all, Blackbeard, Marshall D. Teach."
A brand-new, greater storm was quietly brewing under this amusement seeker's "unintentional act."