Karp Stunned: Is Your Armament Haki Some Kind of Monster?

"Boom—!!!"

It was as if two meteors had collided head-on within the cramped space, and the deafening roar instantly filled the entire tavern.

A terrifying white shockwave erupted from where their fists met, sweeping wildly in every direction.

The sturdy solid-wood bar counter bore the brunt of it, the force crushing spiderweb-like cracks into its surface as it let out a teeth-grinding creak.

"Crash—"

The colorful bottles and wineglasses on the shelves were as fragile as paper before the indiscriminate shockwave. They instantly exploded into countless glittering shards, accompanied by splashing alcohol.

Wood chips, glass fragments, and overturned tables and chairs whirled through the air. The entire Party's Bar looked as though it had been ravaged by a Category 12 typhoon, left in utter chaos.

"Hngh!"

Karp let out a muffled grunt.

He felt a terrifying force, like a mountain collapsing onto him and carrying some savage, destructive aura, surging backward through his right arm and violently battering his bones and muscles.

The force was unimaginably immense—far too immense to belong to a brat barely over ten years old!

Under that irresistible recoil, the battle-hardened Marine hero who strode unhindered through the New World actually lost control of his body and was forced to take a full step back!

His booted feet plowed two deep furrows into the thick wooden floor before he barely managed to stabilize himself.

At the same time.

Lei En was not having an easy time either.

Although Karp's punch had only been a probing Love Fist and had not used all of his Haki, it was still a top-tier physical attack that had smashed countless great pirates to pieces!

The enormous impact instantly reduced the barstool beneath Lei En to dust.

He flipped through the air and slid backward three or four meters as well. His feet scraped two charred streaks into the floor before he finally came to a stop.

"Whew..."

Lei En shook his slightly numb right hand, took a deep breath, and forcibly suppressed the churning blood and energy within him.

Old man Karp really lives up to his name. His fists are even harder than I imagined.

Yet he showed no sign of weakness on his face, maintaining that careless, arrogant expression.

On the other side.

Having steadied himself, Karp had completely lost his previous carefree, flippant demeanor.

He lowered his head and looked at his right fist, which was slightly numb and even trembling faintly beyond his control.

Then he suddenly raised his head. His aged eyes beneath those thick brows stared fixedly and incredulously at Lei En across from him.

More precisely, they were staring at Lei En's right fist, the one that had just clashed with his own.

At that moment.

The inky-black substance covering Lei En's fist, gleaming with a cold metallic sheen, had yet to fully fade away.

On its surface, several faint and deeply ominous black-red arcs of lightning crackled before gradually dissipating into the air.

Advanced Armament Haki—the internal destruction form of "Flowing Sakura"!

Possible Conqueror's Coating!

Karp's mouth fell slightly open, his jaw dropping so dramatically that it nearly hit his broad chest.

His weathered, wrinkled face was filled with ghostly shock and disbelief.

"What's going on with your Armament Haki?!"

Karp's voice even carried an uncontrollable tremor from his extreme shock.

He could not understand it.

He truly could not understand it!

Armament Haki was an advanced power that could only be awakened and mastered through brutally harsh, hellish physical training that often meant walking the line between life and death!

Even he himself had only refined his Armament Haki to its current flawless peak after countless life-and-death battles around the age of thirty.

But what about this brat before him?

He was barely over ten!

He was still at the age where he had not even grown all his hair!

Yet not only had he awakened Armament Haki, its density and hardness were astonishing, and he had even mastered that advanced flowing technique capable of internal destruction?!

Even more terrifying was that, when their fists had collided just now, Karp had vaguely sensed a kingly pressure that made even his heart tremble!

That was definitely Conqueror's Haki, a power possessed by only one in a million—and it was even the exceedingly rare coating technique!

"Monster..."

Karp swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing with difficulty.

"You brat are an absolute monster!"

He had lived for most of his life. He had witnessed Roger's boldness, Whitebeard's dominance, and Golden Lion's madness.

But when it came to talent and potential, he dared swear to the heavens that this brat before him was the greatest prodigy he had ever seen—an unprecedented monster!

At ten years old, he could take Karp's punch head-on without losing!

If he were allowed another ten years to grow, who on these seas could possibly keep him in check?!

Even the admirals of Marine Headquarters, perhaps even Fleet Admiral Sengoku himself, would have to weigh their own strength before this monster!

At that thought.

The shock and horror in Karp's eyes were instantly replaced by an unprecedented, blazing fanaticism!

Such a peerless uncut gem, already shining so brilliantly despite never having been polished—if he were allowed to become a pirate, he would undoubtedly be the greatest disaster the World Government and the Marines had faced in eight hundred years!

But then again.

If this monster brat could be brought into the Marines...

Then for the next hundred years, the Marines would have an absolutely invincible guardian! An ultimate weapon capable of suppressing an entire era!

Karp's breathing grew heavy. His old soldier's heart, which had gradually fallen silent after Roger's death, began pounding fiercely once more.

"Old man, what's with that look in your eyes?"

Seeing Karp staring at him with shining eyes as if he were some priceless treasure, Lei En could not help breaking out in goosebumps.

He curled his lip in disgust and took half a step back.

"I'm warning you, I have no interest in men—especially a filthy old geezer like you."

"Wahahaha! Brat, that mouth of yours really knows how to annoy people!"

Karp snapped out of his shock and burst into hearty, thunderous laughter.

He strode up to Lei En without caring in the slightest about Lei En's disgusted expression or attempts to resist.

"Bang!"

Karp's fan-sized hand clamped tightly onto Lei En's shoulder with such force that Lei En could faintly feel his bones aching.

This old bastard is really afraid I'll run away.

"What are you doing? Let go!"

Lei En frowned and tried to break free of Karp's grip, only to discover that the old man's strength was absurdly immense. It was like being caught in a hydraulic clamp.

"Brat!"

Karp ignored Lei En's protests completely. He lowered his head, his rough face nearly pressing against Lei En's nose.

His old eyes gleamed with fervor, and excited spittle flew everywhere.

"I've got my eye on you!"

Karp bellowed, his voice echoing through the ruined tavern as though he feared someone might not hear him.

"You're a natural-born monster! Keeping you in this tiny village would be an utter waste!"

He pointed at the "Justice" coat on his body, symbolizing the Marines' highest honor. His tone was filled with domineering insistence and temptation.

"Come with me! Come back to Marineford and become a Marine!"

"I'll personally take you as my disciple! I'll teach you the strongest martial arts and raise you into the brightest military star in Marine history!"

"The future position of admiral—or even Fleet Admiral—I can guarantee it will be yours!"

The more Karp spoke, the more excited he became, as though he could already see Lei En wearing a Justice coat and shattering those arrogant pirates with a single punch.

If this offer had been made to any young man in Foosha Village—even the future Koby or Helmeppo—they would probably have been so excited that they cried their eyes out, dropped to their knees on the spot, and begged to become his disciple.

After all, this was a personal invitation from the Marine hero Karp!

A perfect opportunity to rise to the heavens in a single step!

Makino, who was hiding behind the bar and trembling, covered her mouth in shock when she heard Karp's words.

She did not know just how strong Lei En was, but she knew very well what position Mr. Karp held among the Marines.

For Mr. Karp to lose his composure so completely, even promising him the positions of admiral and Fleet Admiral, just who was this mysterious boy?

However.

In the face of an invitation that would drive every young person in the world mad.

Not a trace of temptation appeared on Lei En's face.

He looked at Karp's eagerly expectant face at such close range, then raised his other hand in extreme disgust and fanned the air in front of himself as though dispersing Karp's spittle.

Then.

Under Karp's utterly stunned and confused gaze.

Lei En slowly raised his head, a deeply scheming smirk curling across his lips with a hint of mockery.

"Become a Marine? Become a watchdog for those pig-faced Celestial Dragons with bubble helmets?"

Lei En looked straight into Karp's eyes and arrogantly enunciated three words.

"You wish."