Become My Son, Whitebeard!

"..."

System, was that garbled text just now?

Magnus had always thought the system's previous performance was its lowest point, but it turned out that "lowest point" was just a concept meant to be surpassed.

Initially, the system mistook Rocks for the fully grown pirate king of twenty years later. Now, it had apparently mistaken Whitebeard for Rocks's right-hand man, who had already become a pirate king.

But the problem was, Rocks was currently his crewmate.

So, the system glitched.

Fortunately, Magnus didn't have high expectations for the system; as long as it performed normally like before, that was enough.

Several boosts to cellular activity had already helped Magnus break through his original talent ceiling, allowing him to reach the realm of Fleet Admirals and future Four Emperors.

The awakening of Conqueror's Haki had given Magnus even more possibilities.

Magnus valued the talents the system bestowed.

As for skill-based rewards.

For example, mastering the Six Powers and dual Haki. Since he had already mastered these, being rewarded with them again wouldn't allow him to break through to higher levels.

"Rocks looks like he's about to collapse."

On the Black Pearl, the future Whitebeard was, at this point, just a slightly stronger pirate. Facing the attacks of numerous pirates, he couldn't offer much help to Rocks.

This meant Rocks not only had to fight the captain of the Heart Pirates but also be wary of surprise attacks from other pirates in the Heart Pirates.

As a result, he appeared to be in a perilous situation.

Magnus had already gripped his sword. If Rocks truly couldn't hold on, while regretful, he would prioritize saving Rocks's life.

Because Rocks wasn't just some captain; he was his crewmate.

It was a captain's disgrace to have a crewmate killed before their eyes!

However, Magnus soon stopped worrying. He looked at the Black Pearl with admiration.

Rocks had finally understood.

Squeezing his body's cells to the limit, like a drowning person struggling desperately, or a fish out of water trying to return to the water.

When death looms, the human body can unleash infinite potential.

And this potential was Haki!

Under the attacks of Bennet and the other pirates surrounding him, Rocks was covered in wounds. But it was precisely in this life-or-death struggle.

Rocks gained a clearer understanding of Haki.

Soru, Tekkai, Kami-e, Geppo, Tempest Kick, and Finger Pistol – these six combat skills that surpassed the limits of the human body were, in themselves, a preliminary application of Haki.

But they also needed to be distinguished.

Six Powers are Six Powers.

Haki is Haki.

Six Powers were merely a set of skills, but Haki was a higher-level power.

"Useless, useless, useless!"

Seeing Rocks miss another swing, Bennet, the captain of the Heart Pirates, let out a wild laugh. Ever since he ate a Devil Fruit, his favorite thing to do was toy with so-called martial arts experts.

What was the point of strong martial arts? If he couldn't be hit, it was all meaningless!

"Tempest Kick!"

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

Rocks kicked down. Bennet still had a mocking smile on his face, but the next second, the smile vanished.

A sharp pain shot up from below him.

"How is this possible!?"

Bennet saw that Rocks's foot had actually landed squarely on him. This time, he could even hear the sound of his thigh breaking.

Crack!

Without the innate abilities of a Logia-type Devil Fruit user, Bennet's physical defense was no different from an ordinary pirate.

Bennet initially thought it was an accident, but Rocks's next attack, a kick to his face, completely shattered his delusion.

"Logia-type Devil Fruit user? Has no one told you that Haki is the natural enemy of all Devil Fruit users?"

Looking down at Bennet from above, Rocks felt a slight sense of superiority. After all, when he first started, he also didn't know what Haki was.

But under Magnus's tutelage, while his strength might be slightly lacking, his knowledge far surpassed ordinary people.

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

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

(Ripley: Exactly.)

It could be said that whether or not one mastered Haki was the dividing line between a strong pirate and a weak one. Mastering Haki was the mark of a mature pirate.

However, after these two kicks, Rocks felt his stamina plummeting at light speed.

Haki is a counter to Devil Fruit users.

But using Haki consumes stamina!

Rocks was already close to his limit, and having just awakened Haki, he wasn't proficient in its use. After just two kicks, his Haki was nearly depleted.

And around him, a large group of Heart Pirates were stirring restlessly.

Seeing the surrounding pirates about to attack again, Rocks' lips twitched, and he finally yelled reluctantly, "Captain, help!"

Rocks dared to bet that Magnus had known what was happening with the Black Pearl all along, so he was determined to prove to Magnus that he was already a qualified pirate.

In the end, although he defeated the Heart Pirates' captain, Bennet, his stamina was completely gone.

As Rocks was about to be chopped into mincemeat, Newgate, who had also been knocked to the ground, could only watch in despair as the pirates raised their swords and brought them down from above.

At this moment, the wind suddenly stopped.

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

All the pirates who were about to attack Rocks and Newgate froze as if under a paralysis spell, completely still.

"Excuse me, move aside."

Kicking aside a pirate who was blocking his path, Magnus approached Rocks with a smile and asked, "How does it feel to have mastered Haki?"

"Hmph, not bad!"

Only after truly mastering Haki could Rocks realize its immense power. It wasn't just a simple increase in strength; it was a more fundamental change.

It was a qualitative leap.

Newgate, on the other hand, simply stared blankly at the handsome old man who had suddenly appeared on deck. He noticed that after the old man's appearance, none of the Heart Pirates were unwilling to move, but rather, they were afraid to move.

Fear had gripped their bodies, rendering them unable to even twitch a finger.

The old man, hands in his pockets, walked up to him with a smile.

"My name is Magnus, captain of the White Wolf Pirates. Have you heard of us? I watched your fight with Rocks and thought you had potential."

"So, what do you say? Want to join my pirate crew? I'm in need of people right now."

"Of course, if you're not willing, I can phrase it differently."

Looking at the information on the system and gazing at the young man who looked no older than his teens, Magnus's lips curved into a slight smile.

"Kid, want to become my family?"

Regarding Whitebeard's name, there were two translations: Newgate and Newgotte. After some consideration, Edward Newgate sounded better.