Become My Son, Whitebeard!

"..."

System, did you just glitch?

Mongge had always thought the system's previous performance was its lowest point, but it turned out that a "lowest point" is just something to be broken.

At first, the system mistook Rocks for the Overlord of the Sea who had fully matured twenty years later. Now, it clearly mistook Whitebeard for Rocks' right-hand man, who had already become the Overlord of the Sea.

But the problem was, Rocks was currently his crewmate.

Thus, the system glitched.

Fortunately, Mongge didn't have high expectations for the system. As long as it performed normally like before, that would be enough.

Several increases in cell activity had already helped Mongge break through his original talent ceiling, allowing him to reach the realm of Marine Admirals and future Four Emperors.

The awakening of Conqueror's Haki had given Mongge even more possibilities.

Mongge valued the talents the system provided.

As for skill rewards.

For example, mastering the Six Powers and dual Haki. These were things he had already mastered, so rewarding them again wouldn't help him break through to a higher level.

"Rocks looks like he can't hold on much longer."

On the Black Pearl, the future Whitebeard was, at this moment, merely a slightly stronger young pirate. Facing the attacks of numerous pirates, he couldn't provide much help to Rocks.

As a result, Rocks not only had to fight the captain of the Heart Pirates but also guard against sneak attacks from other pirates in the Heart Pirates.

This made him appear to be in a perilous situation.

Mongge had already gripped his sword. If Rocks truly couldn't hold on, although it would be a pity, he would prioritize saving Rocks' life.

Because Rocks wasn't just any captain; he was his crewmate.

To have a crewmate killed in front of a captain was a captain's disgrace!

However, soon Mongge stopped worrying. He looked at the Black Pearl with admiration.

Rocks had finally understood.

Squeezing his body's cells to the limit, just like a drowning person struggling desperately, or a fish out of water trying to return to the water.

When death looms, a person's body can unleash infinite potential.

And this potential was Haki!

Under the attacks of Bennett and the other surrounding pirates, Rocks was covered in wounds. Yet, it was in this life-or-death struggle...

Rocks gained a clearer understanding of Haki.

Soru, Tekkai, Kami-e, Moonwalk, Rankyaku, and Shigan – these six combat skills that surpassed human limits were themselves a prerequisite application of Haki.

But they still needed to be distinguished.

Six Powers were Six Powers.

Haki was Haki.

Six Powers were merely a set of skills, but Haki was a higher level of power.

"Useless, useless, useless!"

Seeing Rocks miss again, Bennett, the captain of the Heart Pirates, let out a rampant laugh. Ever since he ate a Devil Fruit, his favorite thing to do was toy with those so-called martial arts masters.

What was the use of strong martial arts? If they couldn't hit him, they were meaningless!

"Rankyaku!"

"I told you, it's useless..."

Rocks kicked down. Bennett still had a mocking smile on his face, but the next second, the smile on Bennett's face froze.

An intense pain spread from beneath him.

"How is this possible!?"

Bennett saw that Rocks' foot had actually landed squarely on him. This time, he could even hear the sound of his thigh breaking.

Crack!

Without the innate talent of a Logia Devil Fruit user, Bennett's physical defense was no different from that of an ordinary pirate.

Bennett initially thought it was an accident, but Rocks' next attack, a kick to his face, completely shattered his illusion.

"Logia Devil Fruit user? Has no one told you that Haki is the natural enemy of all Devil Fruit users?"

Looking down at Bennett, Rocks felt a faint sense of superiority. After all, he himself hadn't known what Haki was when he first appeared.

But under Mongge's tutelage, while his strength might be slightly lacking, his insight far surpassed ordinary people.

Being able to hit Bennett meant he had mastered Armament Haki.

Since he had mastered Armament Haki, could Observation Haki be far behind?

(Lipri: Right, right, right.)

It could be said that whether or not one had mastered Haki was the watershed dividing the strong from the weak pirates. Mastering Haki was the mark of a mature pirate.

However, after those two kicks, Rocks felt his stamina draining at lightning speed.

Haki is effective against Devil Fruit users.

But using Haki consumes stamina!

Rocks was already nearing his limit. Having just learned Haki, he wasn't proficient in its use. After just two kicks, his Haki was almost depleted.

And around him, a large group of Heart Pirates were stirring restlessly.

Seeing the surrounding pirates about to attack again, Rocks's mouth twitched, and he finally yelled reluctantly, "Captain, save me!"

Rocks was willing to bet that Mongge already knew what was happening on the Black Pearl, so he was determined to prove to Mongge that he was already a qualified pirate.

In the end, although he defeated the captain of the Heart Pirates, Bennet, his stamina was completely depleted.

As Rocks was about to be chopped into mincemeat, Newgate, who was also lying on the ground after being defeated, could only watch in despair as the pirates raised their swords and brought them down from above.

At this moment, the wind suddenly stopped.

A figure with a long sword at his waist leaped down from afar.

All the pirates who were about to attack Rocks and Newgate froze as if petrified, motionless.

"Excuse me, please move aside."

Kicking away a pirate who was blocking his path, Mongge arrived in front of Rocks and smiled, "How does it feel to wield Haki?"

"Hmph, not bad!"

Only after truly mastering Haki could Rocks realize its power. It wasn't something that could be explained by a simple increase in strength, but a more fundamental change.

It was a qualitative transformation.

Newgate, on the other hand, simply stared blankly at the handsome old man who had suddenly appeared on deck. He noticed that after the handsome old man appeared, all the Heart Pirates weren't unable to move, but afraid to move.

Fear had gripped their bodies, making them unable to even twitch a finger.

The old man, with his hands in his pockets, walked up to him with a smile.

"My name is Mongge, the captain of the White Wolf Pirates. I wonder if you've heard of me. I watched your fight with Rocks and thought you had potential."

"So, do you want to join my pirate crew? I'm in need of people right now."

"Of course, if you're not willing, I can phrase it differently."

Looking at the information on the system and gazing at the young man who looked no older than a teenager, Mongge's lips curved into a slight arc.

"Kid, do you want to become my family?"