Sengoku Taught Him a Few Seconds Too Slowly, and He Learned Haki Coating on His Own

"That was close!"

"Good thing I listened to what Garp said, or this would have been troublesome."

"Who would have thought that just a few seconds into the future, Rosen would have already learned Conqueror's Haki Coating by himself?"

As Sengoku dragged Rosen outside, he secretly rejoiced.

He had just used Observation Haki to foresee the future and had seen everything clearly.

If Rosen had been given a few more seconds to figure it out, that prodigy would have taught himself Conqueror's Haki Coating.

At that point, there would have been nothing left for him, the Fleet Admiral, to do.

He had nearly lost his job as Teacher Sengoku before even beginning the lesson.

If Garp found out that, as Fleet Admiral, he could not even teach Rosen a single class, he would probably be laughed at for an entire year.

"Right here will do!"

"All right, tell me."

"What is the key to opening the door that seals Conqueror's Haki's power?"

Sengoku brought Rosen to an empty training ground before finally giving him a chance to speak.

"Teacher Sengoku."

"I think Conqueror's Haki can be coated onto the body and weapons, just like Armament Haki."

"That would change its scattered state, concentrate the Conqueror's Haki, and bring out the power it should possess."

Rosen spread his hands.

"The fact that you thought of that is already remarkable."

"Not bad. Just as you said, coating Conqueror's Haki onto the body and weapons is the key to opening the door that seals its true power."

"So that you can directly experience the power of Conqueror's Haki and master this technique sooner, I'll demonstrate it for you."

"That way, you can take fewer detours."

After saying that,

Sengoku did not give Rosen a chance to speak. He directly controlled the lightning-like, violent Conqueror's Haki within his body.

He brought his five fingers together into a palm.

Amid roaring thunder and flashing lightning, streaks of black-red lightning, like ferocious black dragons howling in rage, were violent yet firmly controlled as they coiled around Sengoku's palm.

"This is the technique for using Conqueror's Haki."

"Conqueror's Haki Coating."

The moment his words fell,

Sengoku slammed his palm toward the ground. Before his palm even touched it, while it was still about half a meter away, the black-red lightning wrapped around his hand surged forth like unleashed wild horses, pouring onto the ground and spreading in every direction.

Wherever the black-red lightning passed, the ground split apart.

The sturdy concrete floor was destroyed like papier-mâché before the black-red lightning.

With a thunderous boom, the ground within a hundred-meter radius became like a dried riverbed, covered in horrifying cracks.

Even more terrifyingly, every crack was filled with black-red lightning.

Overwhelming shockwaves, mixed with an almost tangible pressure, transformed into a frightening Conqueror's Haki blast that swept through the surroundings.

"So this is the bearing of the Fleet Admiral?"

Feeling the wave of Haki crashing toward him, Rosen's heart shook.

He had finally witnessed the legend standing at the peak of a million Marines.

He could sense that although Sengoku had used Conqueror's Haki Coating, he was not serious at all. He was merely demonstrating how to use it.

It probably did not even have half its true power.

"Don't blindly worship Armament Haki techniques."

Rosen suddenly recalled what Zefa had told him before.

Now it seemed that not only Armament Haki, but Conqueror's Haki as well should not be approached with blind faith in technique.

No matter what kind of Haki it was, technique was technique, and strength was strength. They were entirely different matters.

Even if he learned Haki Coating, if he were to clash with Sengoku using it, he would definitely be the one crushed.

Even if Rosen and Sengoku's Conqueror's Haki were both at the Intermediate Conqueror's Haki level.

But Intermediate Conqueror's Haki merely classified one's level of control over Conqueror's Haki. It was not a measure of its strength.

What determined the power of Conqueror's Haki, aside from technique, ultimately came down to the strength of the king's own bearing.

The same applied here.

Armament Haki was no different.

At this moment,

Several tall figures stood around Military Academy Square.

Garp.

Kuzan.

Zefa.

Borsalino.

Together with Sengoku, who was teaching Rosen, nearly all of Headquarters' Legendary Marines had gathered, aside from Sakazuki, who was stationed in the New World.

All to witness Rosen's heaven-defying talent for Haki.

"Do you think he can learn it?"

Kuzan was the first to speak, breaking the silence.

"He should be able to."

"But that is Conqueror's Haki Coating, after all. It's harder to master than Armament Haki techniques. Even with that kid's talent, it should take at least an hour or two to learn Conqueror's Haki Coating."

Zefa was not entirely certain.

He had been the first to notice Rosen's talent, but this was still Conqueror's Haki Coating.

The mark of the sea's top-tier kings.

A symbol of becoming king.

This was no longer merely talent. It meant one had already become a king.

"An hour or two?"

Hearing this, Borsalino felt that was still a little fast. But recalling how thoroughly he had been slapped in the face in the Fleet Admiral's office earlier, he decisively swallowed the words that had reached his lips.

Watching the show was fine, but becoming part of it was not.

"An hour or two?"

"Zefa, just how much are you underestimating Rosen?"

"Didn't you see how Sengoku could barely wait to stuff the technique of Conqueror's Haki Coating into Rosen's arms?"

Garp gave Sengoku a deep look, then grinned.

"Isn't that perfectly normal?"

"Which Fleet Admiral wouldn't feel the urge to nurture talent after encountering a prospect like Rosen?"

Zefa did not quite understand.

"Is Sengoku merely cherishing talent?"

"He's afraid that if he teaches a few seconds too slowly, Rosen will have already mastered Conqueror's Haki."

"Then he, the Fleet Admiral, would become a joke."

When it came to understanding Sengoku, Garp could be called the best in the world.

"What?"

"Mr. Garp, are you saying that even if Mr. Sengoku did not teach Rosen, he could comprehend Conqueror's Haki Coating just by figuring it out himself?"

"Is that true?"

Kuzan, who had the best relationship with Garp, could not help asking.

"Isn't it obvious?"

"Didn't Rosen just awaken Beginner Conqueror's Haki, then master Intermediate Conqueror's Haki, all without anyone teaching him?"

"A monster like that is the kind heaven chases after to feed. If Sengoku had been even a little slower, he would not even have had the chance to feed Rosen."

Thinking of Sengoku's hurried manner earlier, Garp could not help grinning and laughing.

"What do you mean?"

Zefa could not help looking at Garp.

"It means that if Sengoku had taught a few seconds more slowly, Rosen would have already learned Conqueror's Haki Coating by himself."

Facing the disbelieving gazes of Zefa, Kuzan, and Borsalino, Garp spoke words that were utterly shocking.

"So by that logic, he has already learned Conqueror's Haki Coating?"

"Just..."

"Is that possible?"

Zefa, Borsalino, and Kuzan exchanged glances, then simultaneously looked toward Rosen at the center of the plaza.

They did not dare blink.

They were afraid of missing a scene worthy of being recorded in Marine history.