Emotional Regulation, The Brave Fear Nothing

"Phew~~"

Nami placed the three translated pages of Poneglyph on the table and rubbed her forehead wearily.

King of the Pirates

These three words are easy to say, but only those who have truly journeyed this path know it's fraught with thorns and peril! Just as Roman once said, to become the king of all pirates, one must be greedier than any pirate, more fearless than any pirate, freer than any pirate, and more...

Powerful!

Therefore, Nami understands why Luffy and Zoro still choose to fight battles that could be avoided. — Haki is something that can only be developed through actual combat, and with Roman around, unfortunate accidents can be avoided.

"Miss Nami, Father has agreed to your meeting. This way, please."

"Okay, Chopper, come here for a second."

Franky, who was repairing "General Franky" with several Vinsmoke engineers nearby, glanced up at the white dove on Nami's shoulder, then lowered his head to continue his work. Robin, who was studying the Poneglyph on the sofa next to her, did the same.

With Roman around, there's nothing to worry about.

As for Brook drinking tea, Carrot eating, Carrot Usopp adjusting plant seeds... don't expect them to have such delicate thoughts.

Pedro, however, whose single eye was flashing as he smoked and remained vigilant.

It's important to know that the Vinsmoke Family is not exactly a 'good guy' in the Underworld.

What do you want from me?

Facing Vinsmoke Judge sitting on the throne, and the three Vinsmoke brothers and Reiju Chopper, carrying a medical kit, looked reserved, while Nami, who was used to the 'big world', did not speak, but tapped the white dove on her shoulder with her finger, making the dove's eyes suddenly brighten.

"It was me who wanted to find you,"

White Dove stood up. "First, I have a question. You—"

Do you want to become stronger?

?!

"What's the meaning?"

Although he spoke calmly, Vinsmoke Judge's sudden grip on the throne betrayed his true feelings.

"I can make you feel those emotions again: fear, sadness, and pain," Bai Ge's words caused several people in the meeting room to frown. Their first reaction was:

Are you kidding me?

"We are perfect warriors; those weak emotions will only hold us back!"

Faced with the second brother Niji's disdainful words, White Dove shook her head.

"You are not weak, but you are not strong either!"

!?

"I can't pretend I didn't hear that. Are you here to provoke the Vinsmoke family?"

Facing their leader, Ichiji, who stepped forward, radiating a chilling killing intent, Roman, controlling the white dove, calmly retorted:

"So, do you think you can defeat me in a one-on-one fight? Or Luffy? Or Zoro? — I'm afraid you can't even beat Sanji, right?"

Upon hearing this, the Vinsmoke family fell silent. While they were known for their arrogance and ruthlessness, they undeniably possessed a pragmatic nature. Seriously though, aside from Reiju's poisonous abilities which could outmaneuver several of the Straw Hat crew's main fighters, the other three brothers were probably...

Needless to say, Vinsmoke Judge, who relies on high technology, is another example.

"Actually, your physical bodies and technology are already very powerful, so why can't you join the ranks of the strong?"

A white dove stretched out one wing and swept it over the Vinsmoke family members present.

"The answer is simple: you lack 'Haki'."

"If you can rely on your honed skills and unwavering emotions to bridge the gap between yourselves and your opponents using Observation Haki, then your lack of Armament Haki is your greatest weakness!"

Although the Vinsmoke family in front of them were well-equipped and appeared to be unharmed, everyone was actually wounded under their combat suits.

The reason for this is that the BIG MOM Pirates specifically prepared a batch of armor-piercing pistols! These weapons aren't particularly effective against normal Haki users, but they're incredibly effective against cyborgs like the Vinsmoke family. If the Straw Hat crew hadn't shared most of the burden, the Vinsmoke family might not have survived until reinforcements arrived.

"Your family's 'Bloodline Factor' modification is indeed enough to create warriors with incredibly strong bodies, but without Haki, becoming a powerful figure in this New World won't be so easy, let alone dominating the North Sea."

White Dove is eloquent... Well, actually, Roman doesn't like to lie, and what he says is usually the 'truth'. At most, there might be a few minor linguistic traps, but this time he is genuinely helping the Vinsmoke family.

"The emotions you perceive as 'weak' such as fear and sadness are actually the driving force behind human development."

"It is only because people have fear that they know what to do and what not to do, and thus there is order; if we lose our fear of pain, we will not mind being covered in wounds; if we lose our fear of morality, we will not mind killing the innocent."

"Only by understanding sorrow can one strive for the goals one cherishes and create miracles; if one loses the ability to perceive sorrow, one will not care about the death of any living being; if one loses the experience of sorrow, one will not break through one's own limitations."

"When a life is devoid of fear and sorrow, the mind is freed from restraint. It will only run rampant in endless indulgence, destroying others while also destroying itself. Just like when you faced a desperate situation before, you did not try to struggle or fight for your lives, but instead smiled and waited to die."

"This is not true 'fearlessness,' but rather that you simply do not understand what 'fear' is."

"With such a mindset, how can Awakening the deepest flame in the human heart? How can you transform your will into the power to intervene in reality? Therefore, by abandoning your emotions, you are destined to never reach the true pinnacle of strength."

Roman's words stunned the Vinsmoke family, and he once again brought up his previous suggestion.

"However, our Straw Hat crew's doctor, Chopper, can restore your 'feelings'—whether you have the courage to accept them or not is your own choice!"

However, Roman was 90% certain—

What do you want?

A few seconds later, the tall (2.7 meters) Vinsmoke Judge, wearing a helmet and with blond hair flowing behind him, slowly asked the question. After all, he had just been tricked by the BIG MOM Pirates, and he was no longer going to believe in the existence of a 'free lunch'.

"When Sanji needs it, your Vinsmoke family will do everything in your power to help him."

?!

"There's no need to look at me like that. In most cases, helping Sanji is the same as helping our Straw Hat crew."

"Make a deal."

After quickly weighing the pros and cons, Vinsmoke Judge nodded without hesitation. After all, their Germa Kingdom were war experts; what difference did it make who they fought? If it could truly improve the strength of his four children...

Moreover, through this wedding incident, Vinsmoke Judge also vaguely felt that his practice of depriving his children of affection did not seem so wonderful in unexpected situations.

"Very good, Chopper."

The shy little reindeer, who had been hiding behind Nami, stepped out, looking timid. —Mainly because the Vinsmoke family all had cold, expressionless faces, making Chopper feel immense pressure, except for:

"Then let's start with me,"

The poised and confident Vinsmoke Reiju stepped forward. After all, 'human experimentation' was a common occurrence for the Vinsmoke family.

"No, no, no, let Yuji come first."

Reiju does have normal feelings, she's just been pretending. How would using her as an 'experiment' demonstrate the Straw Hat crew's capabilities?

"Um, should I excuse myself for a moment?"

Nami had been a background character for a while, raised her hand, but the white dove flapped its wings.

"No need. You have to trust Chopper's abilities. It's not worth making a big fuss over something as trivial as losing some emotion."

It's really the same old story: if technology isn't enough, use Devil Fruits. With his 'Hormone Ability,' it's quite easy for Chopper to regulate the hormone secretion of several cyborgs and induce 'emotions.'

However, without 'Hormone Ability,' it would be incredibly difficult. After all, the other party is a sophisticated cyborg, and only a medical master like Chopper would dare to claim he could adjust the hormones controlling emotions within them...

"Ah--!"

With a scream, the arrogant, impulsive, and reckless Vinsmoke Yonji collapsed to his knees, trembling all over, cold sweat streaming down his face. It was a feeling he had never experienced before; his heart pounded uncontrollably, and inexplicable shivers shot from his feet to the top of his head, making it impossible for the fourth Vinsmoke son to even stand up.

That's it?

Vinsmoke Niji frowned. As the proud and ruthless eldest son, he was the one who had been 'reformed' most thoroughly. What was happening to Yonji before him felt like the same kind of 'weaklings' he had faced countless times on the battlefield, filling him with an instinctive sense of disgust and:

Fear!

The thought that he himself could be so 'weak' filled him with a desire to destroy something—

"Niji, stop."

However, with Vinsmoke Judge's command, the eldest son, 'Sparkling Red,' who could not disobey his father's orders, had to suppress his strange feelings.

"That's fear,"

A white dove landed on Yuji, who was trembling all over.

"When mankind first witnessed the raging fire in the forest, wouldn't they be afraid?"

"When our ancestors first emerged from the jungle and faced the vast, empty plains, wouldn't they have felt fear?"

"When mankind built the first canoe and sailed into the vast ocean, were they not afraid?"

"But we humans overcame fear and conquered fear, which is how we transformed from 'monkeys' into humans. True Haki lies in facing this emotion head-on; only those who can rise to the challenge deserve this gift from the depths of their hearts!"