Conqueror's Haki

The twentieth day of sailing.

When the Black Tower of Pike finally appeared on the horizon, the sailors offered no cheers. They merely licked their chapped lips in silence, their eyes fixed on the fresh water barrels and the cooking smoke of roasted meat ashore.

Yulon stood at the prow, watching Lysa wipe the dragon crystal compass—a spoil of war Daggmo had secretly slipped him—with black cloth embroidered with gold thread. The girl's fingers were slender and nimble, and as she murmured in High Valyrian, a faint blue light emanated from the compass's edge. "She said it's a 'beacon of blood and fire'," Daggmo's single eye glinted in the twilight. "Little Prince, you've struck gold."

The waves gently lapped against the hull, and the wound on Yulon's shoulder had already scabbed over. He gazed at the emerging silhouette of Pike, knowing this voyage had forever changed something—perhaps the future of the Iron Islands, perhaps his own destiny. The twenty-day journey had finally fully activated the Pirate King System Yulon had been longing for.

[Pirate King System bound to Host: Yulon Greyjoy]

[Synchronizing world laws... Adapting to low-magic plane... Loading complete]

[For every certain amount of points consumed, free attribute points will be awarded. 100/200/400/800/1600/3000...]

[Remaining Free Attribute Points: 0.]

[0/100]

Base Reward: Stat Panel—( ) indicates standard values for a normal adult male in Westeros

Strength: 4(10) A child's body, his punch weaker than a wild dog's

Agility: 6(10) Balance honed by the sea winds

Stamina: 4(10) Old rib injuries drag down blood oxygen levels

Spirit: 12(10) Fusion of foreign souls breaks the threshold

Command: 8(10) The Drowned God's aura begins to coalesce

Charm: 9(10) The allure of heterochromia + the legend of the Son of the Drowned God

Luck: C—A-F, F being extremely poor, A being excellent—Special attribute, full of variables

System Activation Reward: Conqueror's Haki, Lv. 1, Passive, cannot be actively controlled, only released unconsciously through gaze or the entire body when emotions fluctuate intensely (e.g., anger, fear, or life crisis)—Mental deterrence/Weak flee—Upgrade to Lv. 2: 2000 points.

Yulon felt a mix of pleasant surprise and disappointment.

The surprise was: he had obtained the rarest ability in One Piece, Conqueror's Haki, representing the potential to become a king.

The disappointment was: while Conqueror's Haki in anime was hailed as the most effective ability for clearing out fodder, in the world of A Song of Ice and Fire, this skill wasn't as potent; it couldn't simply make people faint with a glare.

However, the Lv. 1 that appeared later indicated this ability could be upgraded, holding infinite possibilities for the future. Perhaps at a higher level, it would be possible.

Currently, Lv. 1 Conqueror's Haki was a passive skill, radiating outward from Yulon with a radius of about ten paces. Its effects included making some people perceive an aura of kingship and feel an urge to submit; making others more deeply impressed by you and feel wary; making it easier to recruit certain people, instilling a sense of awe; causing some weak individuals (mentally and physically) to feel fear and dare not resist; and causing enemies under the pressure to have their strength, agility, and spirit decrease, even experiencing illusions and hallucinations.

Subsequently, every 100 points could be used to redeem rewards from the Pirate King System, with rewards being random. There were many ways to acquire points: - Exploring new continents (like Sothoryos) - Discovering new races (Children of the Forest/White Walkers) - Being the first to consume special food - Defeating famous figures (points awarded based on strength classification), etc. Rewards could be skills, talents, or items.

Thinking of the various Haki abilities, miraculous Devil Fruits, the Six Powers, and all sorts of wondrous foods from One Piece, Yulon immediately felt that the unknown was filled with hope.

The moment he gained Conqueror's Haki, Yulon, standing at the prow, appeared somewhat different in the eyes of others. In a good mood, Yulon roared into the sea wind like a young dragon's cry. Old Wick felt his hair stand on end, and the dried cod in his hand plopped into the sea; the helmsman Grenn's knees suddenly went weak, and he almost crashed into the compass; Baron, who was chopping axes on the deck, felt splinters burst from the axe handle in his palm; Daggmo's eyes reflected Yulon's rapidly expanding phantom—in the twilight, the silhouette of the five-year-old child distorted into a giant wearing a coral crown, a trident pointed directly at the misty sea.

[Exploration: Discovered the West Sea of Westeros, gained 80 points.]

[Exploration: Discovered Pike Island, gained 80 points.]

In the Black Stone Hall of Pike, the scent of sea salt and blood had yet to dissipate when it was frozen by another, heavier chill.

The spoils from the Hao Yin—piles of silk, glittering gold coins, rich spices—were heaped in a corner of the hall. What should have been medals of victory now emitted an ominous glow under the flickering torchlight. The drunken revelry of the sailors had long since fallen silent, and Daggmo's cracked smile was tightly pursed. Everyone stood with hands clasped, their gazes afraid to meet the figure standing like a reef at the hall's far end.

King Kolen Greyjoy of the Iron Islands stood with his back to them, gazing at the leaping flames in the fireplace, his broad shoulders tensed like iron. The air was filled with the dead silence that precedes a storm, broken only by the crackling of the firewood, each sound striking like a hammer blow to the heart.

"Returned laden?" Kolen's voice was not loud, but it was like a cold anchor dropped on stone, making the entire hall tremble. He slowly turned, his falcon-like gaze sweeping over the mountain of treasure without a trace of warmth, finally fixing on his two eldest sons standing at the forefront—Baron and Yulon.

"Spices from Tyrosh, silks from Myr, gems from Rhys... By the Drowned God, you've plundered a gold mine! Should I thank you properly on behalf of the Iron Islands!" Kolen's voice suddenly rose, like a clap of thunder, shaking dust from the rafters. "But what did you trade for it? Your brains, or Pike Island's future?!"

He strode forward, each step like a stomp on people's hearts, finally stopping before Baron, almost nose to nose. Baron could clearly see the rage burning in his father's eyes, a rage not directed at the spoils, but at something deeper, more fatal.

"Acting without authorization!" Kolen's spittle nearly sprayed onto Baron's face. "Under the nose of Governor Budalafo! Did you think you were going to a market?! You took gold, but you also drew the wrath of the enemy fleet towards the Iron Islands! You took silk, but you exposed the foolishness of the 'Old Way' to the entire Narrow Sea!"

His roar echoed off the stone walls, each word like a whip laced with ice lashing down:

"Who gave you the gall?! Since when did the ships of House Greyjoy become the domain of two brash youths?! Every piece of gold you brought back might have to be paid for with Ironborn blood! Every bolt of silk you brought back could become a shroud!"

His gaze swept over Yulon, chilling to the bone: "Your petty cleverness used in the wrong place! You thought prying information from a few captives would solve everything? You thought the warning of 'wildfire' was enough to avoid all risks? Foolish! The real risk is the fuse you lit!"

Having berated them enough, Kolen took a deep breath, the suppressed silence more suffocating than the roar. The time for punishment had arrived.

"House arrest!" he announced sternly, his voice decisive. "One month! You are not to step foot outside Pike City without my permission! Your ships, your weapons, all sealed! Use this month well, and with those heads of yours, blinded by gold, think about what 'responsibility' means!"

This severe punishment made some sailors shrink back. But Kolen's gaze, like a poisoned harpoon, once again locked onto his eldest son, Baron.

"Baron!" Kolen's voice deepened, but carried immense weight. "You! As the eldest son! As my future heir! Not only did you fail to stop your brother's reckless impulses, but you led the charge! Your crime is far greater than Yulon's! Your arrogance requires a more profound lesson to be smoothed!"

Baron's fists clenched at his sides, his knuckles white. He could feel the complex gazes cast by those around him. His father's words were like red-hot irons, searing his dignity.

"After the house arrest period ends," Kolen said, enunciating each word, leaving no room for doubt, "you will clean the barnacles off 'Howling Cape'! With your hands, with your knife! Under the sun! You will not rest until it is clean, nor touch a ship! Only when it is finished will it be considered done!"

"Howling Cape!" hushed gasps erupted from the crowd. That was the most treacherous reef area east of Pike Island, where waves roared like ghosts year-round, the reefs were sharp as razors, and the barnacles attached were as hard as iron. Cleaning them was extremely slow, dangerous, and painful. Scorching sun, salty seawater soaking wounds, tedious repetitive movements... For an Ironborn warrior proud of his valor and freedom, especially the proud heir apparent, it was a humiliation and torment more cruel than a whipping.

Kolen's gaze shifted to Yulon, still cold, but with less of the heavy disappointment and anger directed at Baron: "You, Yulon. During your house arrest, you will transcribe the 'Drowned God Scrolls', 'Ironborn History', and 'Iron Islands Law' three times each. Use your brain to remember well what the true rules of the 'Old Way' are, and what the responsibilities of a Greyjoy entail! Lysa," he glanced at the golden-haired girl standing quietly in the shadows of a corner, the maid Yulon had brought back, "you will supervise his ink, ensuring he writes every stroke properly and without slacking."

This punishment was also severe (house arrest, transcribing tedious codes), but compared to Baron's dual physical and mental torment of hard labor, it was clearly much lighter. With this stark difference in punishment, Kolen coldly announced to everyone: the higher the status, the greater the responsibility, and the more painful the price for mistakes. Baron had to pay a price far beyond the ordinary for his dereliction of duty and recklessness.

Baron's face instantly lost all color. He gritted his teeth tightly to suppress a low growl, his eyes churning with flames of humiliation, anger, and unwillingness. He felt his father's gaze pressing down on him like a reef, almost suffocating him. Yulon, however, slightly lowered his eyelids, concealing the fleeting gleam in his eyes, and silently accepted the punishment. Lysa in the corner nodded gently.

King Kolen no longer looked at his two sons. He turned to the piled spoils, his gaze as cold as the sea. "As for these... Daggmo, distribute them according to custom. The Greyjoy family's share, half into the treasury, and the other half..." He paused, his voice carrying a heavy decisiveness. "Exchange it for grain and timber to reinforce the defenses of Pike City and the surrounding islands. You brought back gold, but you also brought back disaster. Now, get out!"

The sailors felt as if they had received a great amnesty. Holding their breath, they shuffled along the walls out of the oppressive Black Stone Hall. The heavy oak door closed behind them with a muffled thud, sealing off the icy rage within from the slightly salty, free air outside.