The Answer Is Absolutely!

"The last one, Conrad."

When all the marines had finished their tests, Conrad's name was finally called. The sun had climbed to its zenith, the most intense moment of the noon hour.

This was an ordinary finale, yet because it was Conrad stepping onto the stage, it was destined to be anything but.

If a man is not crushed by the spirit of the vast crowd before him, he is bound to stun them all with his skill!

Under the scorching sun, Conrad walked forward, stepping upon his own dark, cloud-like shadow.

This was the accumulation of power; from the moment he took his first step, he adjusted his state to its peak, like a thunderclap ready to shatter the heavens above the dark clouds.

In the spectator stands, a female Vice Admiral with a Japanese-style bun and a beauty mark beneath her right lip, who was accompanying Tsuru's granddaughter, said:

"Is such a small child here to participate too? He hasn't even finished growing yet."

"Sigh, do not underestimate the young," Tsuru remarked, looking on from afar, lost in thought.

Conrad continued to walk forward. His pace was neither fast nor slow, yet with every step, he seemed to stir the very atmosphere, drawing gazes toward him.

"Miss Gion! Please go out with me!" Tokikake, the proctor, suddenly darted away. With heart-shaped eyes, he produced a bouquet of flowers from who-knows-where and slid onto one knee toward the long, fair legs of the Vice Admiral with the beauty mark, who was wearing high heels.

And just as Tokikake slid to a stop and Gion prepared to wave him off as she usually did, it happened.

A surge of presence erupted—it exploded from amidst the weapon racks, right from the hand of Conrad, who had just drawn a standard-issue marine blade.

Like a sudden storm beneath a clear sky, it seized the attention of the entire arena.

"Haki?" A marine officer with a Dalmatian-like face stood up.

"Conqueror's Haki!" a Major General with a long face, a thick beard, and a kindly smile said, biting down on his cigar.

The one-in-a-million bearing of a king poured out, unmasked and unrestrained.

Conrad did not wish to be labeled because of such things; it made it seem as though he were relying on external gifts.

But why did he possess Conqueror's Haki? The answer was simple: because he must! Because he was just that strong! A damn peerless powerhouse! Was there anything he shouldn't possess?

Even among the millions who might possess Conqueror's Haki, he would be the only true conqueror among them!

The silent Haki rippled outward, vibrating toward the marine phalanx. Fortunately, everyone present was an elite, so they did not faint on the spot, but their hearts were shaken nonetheless.

Conrad drew his blade. He stared into the blood-red eyes of the Hand-Match Turtle, poured his focus into the strike, bent his knees, and leaped. He descended from above, slashing vertically at the shell.

"Yeah! Turtle-Slaying Tyrant Blade!"

The turtle's eyes tracked him—they never left him—the steady, ripple-free gaze shifting ever so slightly.

Finally, the claws gripping the "Hand-Match" ground loosened, and the beast suddenly leaned back, rearing up on its hind legs.

It dodged Conrad's descending blade, its two legs retreating in quick succession.

Clang!

Conrad's blade cleaved into the floor, half the steel snapping off into the stone tiles as his hand, still gripping the hilt, swung all the way to his right hip before coming to a stop.

"Why are you dodging!" Conrad tossed the blade aside, clenched his fists, stepped forward, and blasted out, "Turtle-Slaying Tyrant Fist!"

The Hand-Match Turtle said nothing; its four limbs retracted into its shell with a whoosh, and the entire shell stood upright and rolled.

Its ten-meter-plus frame spun like a tire, once again evading Conrad's punch.

"Stand still! Damn it! You give me a moment and stand still!" Conrad was furious, his legs pumping as he gave chase, but his legs were simply too short compared to the beast's bulk, and the distance between them widened rapidly.

"This giant turtle... it knows how to dodge?" The marines were baffled.

Fullbody's jaw dropped. He had always feared this kid would surpass his own one hundred Doriki and make him look like a rookie, but he couldn't make sense of the current situation at all.

One had to remember that Tokikake had kicked the turtle at the start—a kick with three thousand Doriki—and the Hand-Match Turtle had taken it without a flinch.

Conrad naturally couldn't exceed three thousand; his physical foundation was clear, just an adolescent who had undergone rigorous training, and the Doriki test excluded damage dealt by Haki.

A bizarre scene unfolded: the giant shell rolled, Conrad chased, and the test devolved into a footrace.

The shell clattered to the gate, popped out its five limbs, and the Hand-Match Turtle looked back to see Conrad still pursuing it.

In a hurry, it balled its claws into fists and pounded on the gate, its blood-red eyes panicked as it blurted out its first words: "Open the gate for this lord!"

The ropes groaned as the gate was hoisted.

The Hand-Match Turtle looked back one last time. It was too slow and couldn't wait, so it jammed its claws into the gap and shoved upward with a violent heave.

With a snap, it scrambled inside in a pathetic heap, reached back to pull the gate shut, and shoved a "Hibernating, Do Not Disturb" sign through the gap to hook onto the door.

Conrad stopped before the iron gate, meeting those red eyes for one last second. The creature closed its eyelids without hesitation and turned to crawl into the damp darkness.

"Alright, the test is over. Everyone, head back."

Tokikake stood on the spectator platform, picked up the scorecard, drew a line, and said, "The selection results will be posted on Friday. Remember to come and check. Those who pass will participate in the elimination tournament next Monday."

Because of the high number of applicants, the assessment was not concentrated on a single day; it would take three days to determine the median.

The marines present had yet to recover, waiting for Conrad as he walked toward the spectator stands to ask for the results.

Conrad first nodded in greeting to Vice Admiral Tsuru, then looked at Tokikake. "My te..."

"No need to test, you've passed. Just show up for the elimination tournament," Tokikake waved his hand, lit a cigarette, and plunged back into the heartbreak of his thirty-third failed confession.

He decided to confess his feelings one hundred times; surely that would move Gion. His code name was Chaton, and hers was Momousagi—what a perfect match!

Thinking of this, Tokikake revealed a smile as refreshing as a spring breeze.

Conrad didn't dwell on it for long; he headed downstairs and out to the training grounds, where Bling Bling was already waiting at the entrance of the corridor.

Bling Bling asked curiously, "What was that ability you used just now? It was so intense! I almost lost my footing."

"Haki. Once I master it, I'll teach you," Conrad said with a smile. He hadn't studied the concept deeply yet; it was akin to just learning how to strike a match—the intensity and duration of the flame were still beyond his control.

Bling Bling nodded. At the East Blue Branch where he lived, no one knew how to use Haki; they hadn't even heard of it.

At that moment, the corridor door was suddenly blocked by a shadow.

Prince stepped out with his hands in his pockets, his expression gloomy beneath the brim of his long cap, looking down at the two of them.

"You were deliberately provoking me, trying to use me to show off, weren't you?"

Conrad laughed, letting out a soft snort, "Don't be like that. Move aside; a good dog doesn't block the path."

Prince frowned. Perhaps he had grown too accustomed to it, having replayed it in his mind too many times; hearing the word 'dog' again didn't stir up anger or resentment, as if he had just heard a common remark.

"I won't treat you like a child anymore. Even if you are a kid, I will make you cry in the Elimination Arena."

Having said that, he turned and walked away, leaving his back to the two of them.

Not until he reached a deserted corner of the street, hidden from any onlookers, did he suddenly duck into an alley and press his cap against the wall.

"I'm not reconciled. I'm just not reconciled!"

Prince pulled out his hand, adorned with four large gold rings, and punched the wall, his voice squeezed through his teeth. "I should have Conqueror's Haki too, right! It just hasn't awakened yet!"

"That's possible." Two heads, Conrad's and Bling Bling's, poked out from the left and right sides of the alley entrance.

Prince turned his head in shock.

Conrad: "Remember to let people finish speaking before you walk away next time, otherwise I have to chase you down to find you. Uh... what was I going to say again?"

Bling Bling shook his head, "I don't know, you didn't tell me."

"Never mind then, let's go." The two heads retracted behind the wall corner.