Dominance

The man striding into the hall had long golden hair, so pure it flowed like liquid gold sand. While golden hair might seem ostentatious on others, on him, this golden hue perfectly accentuated his Haki. Some people are simply born to be rulers.

"Kwahahaha! Are you ready to make a big splash?!"

Laughing heartily, the man strode to the end of the hall and sat behind the only table left unoccupied. He sat casually, a cigar in his mouth. Though not particularly tall, his body exuded a powerful Haki that no one could ignore. The previously boisterous hall fell silent. Even the most arrogant individuals willingly quieted themselves before this man.

"This time, my opponent will be Roger! You can cheer now, you bastards!"

Taking a deep drag from his cigar, the Golden Lion, Shiki, roared with laughter.

"Ooooh!!!"

The cheers were so loud they threatened to tear the roof off. Most of the people present had never seen Roger, let alone fought him. Roger was no saint; over the decades, countless pirates had met their end at his hands. If you angered that man, no one on this sea could match his terrifying power.

Yet, these pirates were willing to follow in the Golden Lion's footsteps. If they couldn't reach the peak themselves, they were willing to follow behind a man who could. What was wrong with a man entrusting his dreams to another man?

"Ooooh!!"

Louis heard it clearly. His captain was roaring like a child, as if only this could vent his excitement.

"So, we're finally making a move on Roger?"

Baro chuckled. "Admiral Golden Lion is about to become king."

No one could have imagined that the victor of the war would be the weaker Roger, while the powerful Golden Lion would be nearly annihilated.

"Kwahahaha! That's right, cheer your hearts out! You scum! The era of scum is about to begin!!"

An invisible aura permeated the air with the Golden Lion's wild laughter. Louis's mind instantly heated up, and he almost joined the cheering crowd. A born ruler, with just a glance or a word, could incite fervor in everyone. The Golden Lion was such a person, and Roger was even more so.

"Hey, kid,"

Louis heard a voice from his left. He gently turned his head, and Flog looked at him with interest. "Sitting behind Rhode, a new face I haven't seen. Hey, does Rhode value you highly? How about it? Come over to my side, and I'll make you my first mate."

"Hey, Flog, are you looking for a fight?"

Rhode didn't react, but Baro said sternly, "Oh? Cutter Barlo, Rhode's right-hand man. What, has the hound decided to pounce and bite before the master has even spoken?"

Flog sneered. "A loyal dog eager to fawn over its master, tsk, truly enviable."

"Hey! Flog!"

Rhode turned his head, his eyes wide with anger. "Do you want to die?"

"Ha, threatening me?"

Flog coldly laughed. "Hey, kid, what do you think?"

He looked at Louis.

"Me?"

Louis controlled his muscles and revealed a slight smile. "Calling someone else's comrade a hound, does that mean you see those who follow you as dogs too? Sorry, but rather than following an idiot and eating bones, I prefer to personally bite the prey's neck and eat meat."

"Good kid, hahaha,"

Flog's smile vanished instantly. "You've got guts."

"Hahaha, well said, Mario,"

Rhode laughed approvingly. "On the sea, nothing is reliable. Morality, laws, rules—only comrades, comrades who share life and death, are the most trustworthy! Whether it's an enemy or oneself, anyone who can protect the lives of their comrades deserves respect."

"Mm."

Louis nodded heavily. The pep talk was quite effective.

"However, newcomer,"

Baro said with a hint of schadenfreude, "you've already caught Flog's eye. Be careful."

"It's fine,"

Louis said casually, "Isn't the captain still here?"

"Mm, of course. I will never let anyone harm my comrades."

Rhode looked at Flog and said seriously.

"Heh."

Flog chuckled from the side.

The gathering soon concluded and transitioned into a banquet. As the pirate overlord with the widest territory and strongest influence in the New World, the Golden Lion certainly lacked nothing: food, wine, and women were all in abundance.

After drinking, the banquet ended. The pirates took the women they fancied back to their rooms. Louis, prioritizing his training, declined. He hadn't yet cultivated to the point where he could control that area. At thirteen, his physique was still somewhat lacking; it wasn't time to show off.

Moreover, he truly needed to train now. Rhode had taught him the knowledge of Haki cultivation. Although it was self-taught, it was sufficient.

Armament Haki, an unbreakable shield and an unstoppable spear. Observation Haki, which senses attacks and even predicts the future. A true powerhouse might lack Devil Fruit abilities, but they absolutely cannot be without both types of Haki.

Rhode excelled at Armament Haki, and his Observation Haki was only at a proficient level. However, it was enough to teach Louis, who had no prior foundation. Armament Haki required the body, a strong physique, and constant training of being hit and hitting. There were no special techniques; the only way was to continuously temper oneself.

Observation Haki was different. This type of Haki tested talent more. Some learned it step-by-step by constantly dodging and sensing auras, while others awakened it all at once. Louis didn't know which type he was, but for now, he could only train step-by-step. Covering his eyes and sensing the surrounding auras wasn't unexpectedly difficult for him.

Captain Rhode was deeply moved by Louis's diligent effort. Then, he took a girl and went to sleep. First Mate Baro took two.

In the dead of night, Louis was still training, punching a wooden post with each punch. The Golden Lion's territory naturally had plenty of training grounds.

The only sound around was Louis's rhythmic pounding on the wooden stake.

Feeling a bit tired, he stopped to take a drink of water and catch his breath. He raised his hand and flicked it lightly. The Log Pose on his wrist suddenly split open, revealing a small snail inside.

"Click."

With a soft sound, the call connected.

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

"Dada, dadada, dadadada, dadada, da."

Louis lightly tapped the metal trim around the Den Den Mushi's edge in a rhythm.

"Dudu, du, dududu."

Soon, a fart-like sound, also rhythmic, came from the other end.

"The lion pride has begun hunting. The target is Roger."

Confirming the other party's identity, Louis hung up after two sentences. Further instructions would come later. He closed the Log Pose. This Den Den Mushi was for internal use only, unable to be eavesdropped on by outsiders or make outgoing calls. It could only be used for one-on-one communication between spies and headquarters. When he received it, the wise Commander Spandine had specifically called Louis, saying he had high hopes for him and that this mission would definitely be completed perfectly.

Louis was speechless. Although this device couldn't be eavesdropped on from the outside, it was obvious that internal eavesdropping was unavoidable. Not to mention, this thing was delivered by Skello's people. Louis had no doubt that when he needed support, this device would be the one to cause trouble.

However, with that, the mission should be considered complete, right? Could he retreat? And to retreat, he clearly needed an opportunity.

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

A somewhat sleepy voice. Vice Captain Baro, who should have been taking two women to bed, ambled over.

"..."

Louis's eyes narrowed slightly.