Become My Son, Whitebeard!

"..."

System, did you just glitch?

Mongge had always thought the system's previous performance was already rock bottom, but the truth was that rock bottom existed to be broken.

At first, the system had mistaken Rocks for the Overlord of the Sea he would become twenty years later. Now it had apparently mistaken Whitebeard for Rocks's right-hand man after Rocks had become the Overlord of the Sea.

But the problem was, Rocks was his crew member now.

So the system had bugged out.

Fortunately, Mongge didn't expect much from the system. It just needed to keep performing normally, like before.

The several boosts to his Cellular Activity had already helped Mongge break through his original limits and step into the realm of Marine Admirals and the future Four Emperors.

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

What Mongge valued was the talent the system provided.

As for skill-based rewards—

For example, mastery of the Six Powers and the two types of Haki. Getting rewards for things he had already mastered couldn't help him reach a higher level.

"Looks like Rocks is about to give out."

Aboard the Black Pearl, the future Whitebeard was, for now, just a somewhat stronger pirate. Faced with so many pirates attacking, he couldn't do much to help Rocks.

So Rocks had to fight the captain of the Heart Pirates while also watching out for the other pirates in the crew, who might launch a surprise attack.

The situation looked perilous.

Mongge had already gripped the sword in his hand. If Rocks really couldn't hold on, then although it would be a shame, he would prioritize saving Rocks's life.

Because Rocks wasn't just some captain. He was his crew member.

A crew member being killed right in front of the captain was a captain's disgrace!

But soon, Mongge stopped worrying. He looked toward the Black Pearl with approval.

Rocks had finally grasped it.

When the cells in the body were pushed to their limits, it was like a drowning person struggling with all their might or a fish out of water desperately trying to return to it.

When death loomed, the human body could unleash limitless potential.

And that potential was Haki!

Under Bennet's attacks and those of the other pirates around him, Rocks was covered in wounds. But it was precisely in that life-or-death moment that

Rocks gained a clearer understanding of Haki.

Soru, Iron Body, Kami-e, Geppo, Rankyaku, and Finger Pistol—the six combat techniques that surpassed the limits of the human body were, in themselves, a preliminary application of Haki.

But they had to be distinguished all the same.

The Six Powers were the Six Powers.

Haki was Haki.

The Six Powers were merely techniques, while Haki was a higher-level power.

"Useless, useless, useless!"

Seeing Rocks miss yet again, Bennet, captain of the Heart Pirates, let out a wild laugh. Ever since he had eaten a Devil Fruit, his favorite thing was to toy with those so-called masters of physical combat.

So what if their physical skills were strong? If they couldn't hit him, they were meaningless!

"Rankyaku!"

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

Rocks's kick came down. Bennet still had a mocking smile on his face, but in the next instant, it froze.

A sharp pain came from below his waist.

"How is this possible?!"

Bennet saw Rocks's foot land solidly on him. This time, he could even hear the sound of his thigh breaking.

Crack!

Without the innate ability that came with a Logia Devil Fruit, Bennet's body had no more defense than an ordinary pirate's.

Bennet thought it had been a fluke, but Rocks's next kick struck him in the face and completely shattered that illusion.

"A Logia Devil Fruit User? Has nobody ever told you that Haki is the natural enemy of all Devil Fruit Users?"

Looking down at Bennet, Rocks felt a faint sense of superiority. After all, when he had first set out, he hadn't known what Haki was either.

But under Mongge's tutelage, although his strength might still be a little lacking, his knowledge far surpassed that of ordinary people.

Being able to kick Bennet meant he had mastered Armament Haki.

And if he had mastered Armament Haki, how far behind could Observation Haki be?

(Lipri: Right, right.)

It could be said that mastering Haki was the dividing line between weak and strong pirates. Haki was what marked a pirate as truly seasoned.

However, after those two kicks, Rocks felt his stamina plummet in an instant.

Haki countered Devil Fruit Users.

But using Haki consumed stamina!

Rocks had already been close to his limit. He had only just grasped Haki and still wasn't used to using it. After only two kicks, his Haki was almost completely spent.

And all around him, the Heart Pirates were still itching to attack.

Seeing the pirates around him about to launch another assault, Rocks's mouth twitched. In the end, he shouted, with obvious reluctance, "Captain, help!"

Rocks would bet that Mongge already knew what was happening aboard the Black Pearl. He had been holding in his frustration, wanting to prove to Mongge that he was already a proper pirate.

In the end, although he had beaten Bennet, captain of the Heart Pirates, his stamina was nearly gone too.

Just as Rocks was about to be chopped to pieces, Newgate, who had also been knocked to the ground, could only watch in despair as a pirate raised his sword and brought it down.

Then the wind suddenly stopped.

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

All the pirates who had been about to attack Rocks and Newgate froze, as if they'd been hit by a petrification spell.

"Excuse me. Coming through."

Mongge kicked aside a pirate blocking his way and came to stand before Rocks with a smile. "How does it feel to master Haki?"

"Hmph, not bad!"

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

A qualitative transformation.

Newgate could only stare blankly at the handsome old man who had suddenly appeared on the deck. He noticed that after the handsome old man showed up, the Heart Pirates weren't unable to move. They were afraid to move.

Fear had taken control of their bodies, leaving them unable to so much as twitch a finger.

The old man approached him with his hands in his pockets, smiling.

"My name is Mongge. I'm the captain of the White Wolf Pirates. I don't know if you've heard of us, but I watched your fight with Rocks and think you've got a lot of potential."

"How about joining my crew? I happen to be short-handed right now."

"Of course, if you don't want to, I can put it another way."

Looking at the information on the system, then at the teenage boy before him, Mongge's lips curved up.

"Kid, how about becoming my family?"