The Haki

The man who strode into the hall had long golden hair, its color so pure it looked like flowing golden sand. On most people, golden hair might have seemed a little ostentatious, but on this man, it seemed to perfectly embody his commanding presence. Some people were simply born to rule.

"Jiehahahaha! You're all ready to make a big splash, aren't you?!"

Laughing uproariously, the man strode to the far end of the hall and sat behind the only table left out. He lounged casually, a cigar clenched between his teeth. Though he wasn't particularly large, an overwhelming Haki radiated from him, impossible for anyone to ignore. The noisy hall fell silent. Even the most arrogant men were happy to keep their mouths shut in his presence.

"This time, we've decided to take on Roger!! Go ahead and cheer, you bastards!"

After taking a deep drag, Golden Lion Shiki roared with laughter.

"Whooo!"

The cheers nearly blew the roof off. Most of those present had never met Roger, let alone fought him. Roger was no saint. Countless pirates had died by his hand over the decades. Once that man was provoked, there was no one on these seas who could match his terrifying nature.

But these pirates were willing to follow Golden Lion. They couldn't reach the summit themselves, so they were willing to follow the man who could. What was wrong with one man entrusting his dreams to another?

"Whooo!!"

Louis heard his captain's loud, childlike cries clearly, as though shouting was the only way he could vent his excitement.

"So we're finally going after Roger?"

Baro chuckled. "Admiral Golden Lion's going to become king."

No one could have imagined that the victor of the war would be the underdog Roger, while Golden Lion, with his overwhelming forces, would end up nearly wiped out.

"Jiehahahaha!! That's right, cheer all you want, you scum!! The age of scum is coming!!"

An invisible aura spread with Golden Lion's mad laughter. Louis's head swam, and he nearly joined the cheering crowd. A natural-born ruler could ignite everyone's fervor with just a glance or a word. Golden Lion was that kind of man, and Roger even more so.

"Hey, kid."

Louis heard a voice from his left and turned slightly. Flog watched him with interest. "Sitting behind Rhode, a new face I haven't seen before. Hey, does Rhode think highly of you? How about joining my crew? I'll make you First Mate."

Rhode didn't react. Baro said in a low voice, "Hey, Flog, are you looking for a fight?"

"Oh? Cutter Barlo, Rhode's right-hand man. What's this? The master hasn't even said a word, and the hound's already rushing in to bite me?"

Flog sneered. "A loyal dog, desperate to fawn on its master. Tsk, I'm almost jealous."

"Hey, Flog!"

Rhode turned around, glaring furiously. "Do you want to die?"

"Ha, are you threatening me?"

Flog scoffed. "Hey, kid, what do you think?"

He looked at Louis.

"Me?"

Louis controlled his facial muscles and managed a faint smile. "If you call someone else's partner a hound, do you also think of the people following you as dogs? Sorry, but I'd rather bite through my prey's neck and eat the meat myself than follow an idiot around and gnaw on bones."

"Good kid. Hahaha."

Flog's smile vanished as quickly as it had appeared. "You've got guts."

"Hahaha, well said, Mario."

Rhode praised him with a laugh. "Out at sea, you can't rely on anything—morality, laws, rules. Only partners, only those who'll face life and death by your side, are worth trusting! Anyone who can protect their partners' lives, whether friend or foe, deserves respect."

"Yeah."

Louis nodded firmly. The captain sure knew how to dish out inspiring speeches.

"But, rookie,"

Baro said, sounding a little gleeful, "Flog's got his eye on you now. Better be careful."

"It's fine,"

Louis replied casually. "Isn't the captain here?"

"Yeah, of course. I'd never let anyone hurt my partners."

Rhode glanced at Flog, his expression serious.

"Heh."

Flog chuckled from the side.

The gathering soon ended, and the banquet began. As the pirate overlord with the largest territory and greatest influence in the New World, Golden Lion had no shortage of money. There was food, wine, and women aplenty.

After drinking their fill, the pirates left with the women they fancied and returned to their rooms. Louis declined, citing his training as his priority. He hadn't yet learned to control that part of his body, and at thirteen, he was still a little undersized. It wasn't time to show off yet.

Besides, he really did need to train. Rhode had taught him what he knew about Haki. It was unorthodox, but enough for now.

Armament Haki, an impenetrable shield and an unstoppable spear; Observation Haki, which could sense attacks and even see into the future. A true strong fighter might lack a Devil Fruit Power, but could never lack the two types of Haki.

Rhode excelled at Armament Haki. His Observation Haki was only at a basic level, but that was enough to teach Louis, who had no foundation at all. Armament Haki required a strong body and constant practice taking and landing hits. There were no special tricks; the only way was to keep honing oneself.

Observation Haki was different. It relied more on talent. Some learned it gradually by following a set routine, dodging again and again until they sensed the presence around them. Others awakened it all at once. Louis didn't know which kind he was, but for now, he could only train methodically. He covered his eyes and tried to sense the auras around him. To his surprise, it wasn't very difficult.

Captain Rhode was deeply moved by Louis's dedication. Then he took a girl to bed, while First Mate Baro took two.

Late into the night, Louis was still training, punching a wooden post over and over. Golden Lion's territory naturally had plenty of training grounds.

The only sound nearby was Louis's fists thudding against the post.

When he got tired, he stopped for a drink and a breather. He raised his hand and gave it a gentle flick. The Log Pose on his wrist suddenly came apart, revealing a tiny snail inside.

"Click."

A faint sound came from the other end as the call connected.

There was no sound—not even breathing. If Louis hadn't known that the "click" meant the call had connected, he would have thought the Den Den Mushi was broken.

Tap-tap, tap-tap-tap, tap-tap-tap-tap-tap, tap-tap-tap-tap, tap.

Louis rhythmically tapped the metal rim around the Den Den Mushi.

"Pbbt, pbbt, pbbt-pbbt."

Soon, a fart-like sound came from the other end, in a steady rhythm.

"The Lion Pack is hunting for prey. The target is Roger."

After confirming the other party's identity, Louis hung up after two short sentences. Further instructions would come later. He closed the Log Pose around the Den Den Mushi. This Den Den Mushi was for internal use only; it couldn't be tapped from outside and couldn't make calls. It was meant solely for direct communication between an agent and headquarters. When Louis had received it, the wise Director Spandine had even called to tell him how much confidence he had in him and that he was sure the mission would go perfectly.

Louis was speechless. Although outsiders couldn't tap this thing, there was obviously no way to prevent people on the inside from listening in. And since it had been delivered by Skello's people, Louis had no doubt that it would malfunction the moment he needed support.

But in that case, his mission was already complete, wasn't it? Could he retreat now? And if he wanted to get out, he'd obviously need an opportunity.

"Hmm? Mario, was that you talking just now?"

Baro's drowsy voice came from nearby. The First Mate, who should have been in bed with two women, came wandering over.

"..."

Louis narrowed his eyes slightly.