For a long time, Sengoku gave no answer. Conrad felt a pang of loneliness, but more than that, he felt disappointment. His voice drifted like the sound of a Buddhist chant as he began to preach:
"Long ago, there was a prince of an ancient kingdom named Siddhartha. He was noble and exalted in station, kind and generous, and deeply beloved by his people."
Sengoku's brow eased. This was the feeling. Even just hearing Conrad's voice, he could sense the compassion that seemed to hang high above the clouds.
"But the suffering of the world was too great. Siddhartha's goodwill alone could not save it, so he gave up the prince's lofty status without a moment's hesitation and went wandering among the people, seeking enlightenment."
Conrad turned around. Faint golden ripples swirled in his eyes. He raised his right palm and gazed straight at Sengoku. "Only after experiencing birth, aging, sickness, and suffering did he pass through the Five Aggregates Blazing. Beneath a bodhi tree, he attained great enlightenment, opened the Six Consciousnesses, and transcended the mortal world. Thus was Buddha Light born."
Sengoku's eyes widened. He saw light. Though Conrad had not yet struck with his palm, an aura naturally gathered behind his head, forming a golden halo.
Conrad stepped closer and closer. "But why can't you let go? Why can't you see through it? How can you cultivate like this? Do you think I only care about the lineage? Sengoku! I'm trying to help you!"
"Do I really have to let go of everything to cultivate Buddha's Palm?!" Sengoku suddenly flew into a rage, roaring, "Then I'd rather not cultivate it!"
"I'm a Marine Admiral! I carry too many burdens!"
Sengoku's Conqueror's Haki surged forth. The world seemed to turn into streaks of lightning, rich and fierce, but its range extended only ten meters around the small lookout pavilion.
Fortunately, they were atop a mountain peak, with no one around. The only casualties were a flock of seagulls flying past, their wings stiffening as they plummeted.
But Conrad did not unleash his own Conqueror's Haki to clash with Sengoku's. His face remained full of great compassion, while the Buddha Light behind his head curled like smoke, dispersing and gathering again.
"It's not Buddha's Palm that requires you to let go. It's you who needs to let go. Your attachment is aimless; you haven't even found your ultimate destination."
Enduring Sengoku's Conqueror's Haki, Conrad's expression remained calm as he said, "Even if you force yourself to learn a few moves, once your attachment reaches its limit, your Buddha-heart will shatter, and all your power will vanish."
"What the hell are you talking about?!" Sengoku finally lost control. He grabbed Conrad by the collar. "How could you lose something you've already learned?!"
"Impudent! How dare you lay hands on your teacher!" Conrad's eyes suddenly blazed with righteous fury. His golden gaze fixed on Sengoku, utterly unflinching.
He knew that when cultivating martial arts, the most important thing was to choose the right path. Once you set out toward a goal, you had to remain steadfast and keep walking that path.
The moment you began to doubt your own path, you could no longer make progress in martial arts. Worse still, your mindset might collapse and lead to serious problems.
Sengoku released him. After all, he was an old man.
Though his adopted son had recently been sent to prison, and he'd been struggling to figure out Buddha's Palm on his own, the two things had left him frazzled. That still didn't mean he should take his frustration out on a young Marine.
"How many forms does Buddha's Palm have?"
"Nine." Conrad slightly lowered his eyes as he answered.
"Nine?!" Sengoku was stunned.
He had barely managed to learn the shape of half a form, yet it had already made him feel as if he'd returned to his prime, recalling the days when he and Garp had thrown punches at the Golden Lion.
Conrad nodded with his palms pressed together. "That's right. But I've only cultivated the seventh form, 'Heavenly Buddha Descends to the World.'"
Sengoku was truly astonished. Could learning Buddha's Palm really allow someone to suppress the Four Emperors without mercy, just as Conrad claimed? After all, there were only three Pirate Emperors these days.
Whitebeard, Kaido, and Big Mom.
If he could really take on all three at once, the Great Pirate Era would surely end at his hands.
After thinking hard for a long while, Sengoku smiled with dignified kindness. "My boy, how about we make a deal?"
"No deal." Conrad rejected him without hesitation, letting his hands fall to his sides as he recalled, "You're still too worldly. When you see someone stubborn and ignorant, you should enlighten them and offer help. You shouldn't ask for anything in return."
He couldn't help remembering how he'd sat in a bookstore, scratching his head because he couldn't read the manga. Kind older brothers and sisters had come and gone, reading the words to him and explaining them.
Sengoku's eyebrows twitched. He was a dignified admiral, offering a deal, and Conrad had rejected him without even knowing the terms. He couldn't fathom what Conrad was thinking, just as he couldn't make sense of the first form.
With a kindly expression, he said, "I heard you're an orphan, and you saved Rosinante's life. After thinking it over, I figured I could adopt you. What do you say?"
Conrad froze, looking at Sengoku in disbelief. He hadn't expected the old man to offer him a home. He'd never known what it felt like to have a grandfather, either.
Curiosity getting the better of him, he nodded. "Sure!"
Sengoku was overjoyed. He opened his arms. "Good! Then from—"
"But you have to become my disciple first." Conrad took a step back and said solemnly, "You call me teacher, and I'll call you Grandpa. We'll each have our own way of reckoning it. Generational ranks and lineages matter. We can't mix them up."
Sengoku's arms froze in midair. It felt as if lightning had struck his brain; he couldn't bring himself to say the words "Good boy."
Looking at the Buddha Light behind Conrad's head, Sengoku thought it seemed to blend with his hair and turn red, becoming demonic light.
Conrad turned and headed down the mountain. He'd already seen that the old man's state of mind wasn't ready. He hadn't even reached a third of the level Siddhartha had attained back in his days as a prince. Practicing like this would be pointless.
It was like having to spend several minutes getting into the right state before every strike of Buddha's Palm.
Sengoku hurried after him. He was too troubled to leave it alone. After hesitating for a long moment, he bent forward and said with a smile, "Could you hit me with your palm one more time?"
Conrad understood. Sengoku wanted to copy the technique. But he wasn't stingy. Only people with a few tricks in their heads were afraid of others copying them. His mind was a library; all he wanted was to spread the teachings throughout the world.
He suddenly turned around, and his hand formed a gesture in an instant. "Sigh... Fine! Everyone has their own fate! Since you don't want to hear my teachings, I'll teach you the moves instead! I only hope you won't blame me for it later!"
Buddha Light burst forth, and his afterimage spun once more with the movement of his palm.
"Buddha's Palm, First Form: Buddha's Light Emerges!"
Smack!
The Buddha's palm struck Sengoku's broad hand. At the same time, Sengoku transformed into a Golden Great Buddha. Seizing the inspiration, he struck out with the first form, meeting Conrad's palm head-on.
The two blows clashed evenly.
But Conrad suddenly brought his hands together in a mudra, placing his index finger against his middle finger. Haki surged between them like a candle flame, while his hand formed the lampstand.
"Buddha's Palm, Second Form: Golden Summit Buddha Lamp!"
Boom!
Golden Haki flames blazed between his fingers, burning out from Conrad's body of Dharma. If the previous move had been an opening, this second move was a killing strike!
It was the wrathful fire that had ignited in Siddhartha's Buddha-heart when he entered the world after attaining Buddhahood, saw corpses piled like mountains and rivers of blood, and resolved to cut off the roots of the world's calamities!
Sengoku was consumed by the flames of Haki. He seemed like a wicked, violent bandit burdened with sin, facing the true Buddha in a mix of sorrow and fury as the Buddha came to subdue him.
The golden Admiral's white coat began to slowly melt.
The Armament Haki covering his Devil Fruit had actually been burned through!
Before you continue