Conqueror's Haki

Under the sunlight, the ship cut two trails of fine spray through the waves as it slowly sailed into the distance.

The Red Hair Pirates' ship was still docked at the pier, preparing supplies. Van and his group were the first to leave Foosha Village.

Since the two sides were headed to different places, there was no need for them to travel together.

"Captain, where are we going next?" Qiangbalu asked.

"Shimotsuki Village! Those idiots secretly drank last night, so I'll have to trouble you to keep an eye on them."

Thinking of Baby-5 and the others, who had already fallen into a deep sleep before dawn, Van could not help sighing.

Once he had settled the little ones down, it would be time to deal with Blue Moon's problem. Besides, he could not stay holed up in Shimotsuki Village forever. In the future, he could only come back to see them from time to time.

"I'm not tired. Let them get some proper rest," Qiangbalu said with a foolish grin. "Actually, I noticed a long time ago. I just thought they were having fun, so I didn't stop them."

"Fine! I'm going to get some rest too. Call me if anything comes up."

Van first went down to the lower hold to check on the bandit king, Higuma. Only after confirming that he was still alive did he return to his room.

"Lord Van, are you going to sleep now?"

Blue Moon had attended the banquet last night as well and had drunk quite a bit. Her voice still carried a trace of drunkenness.

"I'll wash up first, then sleep."

Van took off his clothes and stepped into the specially commissioned round bathtub, submerging most of his body in the warm water.

A wave of weakness immediately swept over him. He felt as though he had entered that post-orgasmic state, and even Blue Moon's soft, smooth skin could no longer stir him.

"System, it's time to settle this event, isn't it?"

Sensing Van's request in his mind, the system immediately responded.

[Ding! The Sorrow of the Severed Arm event has ended. The system is beginning to analyze the impact caused by the host...]

[Monkey D. Luffy (Favored by Fate): Rating C]

[Shanks (Inheritance): Rating S-]

[Higuma (Madman): Rating S]

[Overall event rating: A. Congratulations, host, you have received a rating reward: 2,600 points.]

[Congratulations, host, you have received 700 points.]

[Congratulations, host, you have obtained a Conqueror's Haki Experience Book: One-time-use item; the first use directly awakens Conqueror's Haki; repeated use of Experience Books can increase proficiency.]

[Congratulations, host, you have obtained a special ability: King's Disdain (active ability; can increase the strength of Conqueror's Haki; has a certain chance of drawing hostility from others. Please use with caution.)]

"King's Disdain... It's a little like a taunt aura. But since it can strengthen Conqueror's Haki, that minor side effect can be ignored."

"Both rewards are pretty good. It's just a shame there are too few points. I can't even enjoy a proper draw."

"I can only use the Experience Book first, then wait for good news from Drake."

Van sighed softly, then sat upright and used the Conqueror's Haki Experience Book.

In an instant, an overwhelming pressure erupted from within him and rapidly spread in every direction.

"Lord Van..."

Blue Moon's face filled with terror. Before she could finish speaking, she lost consciousness.

"What's going on?"

On deck, Qiangbalu, who had been lifting weights, suddenly had his knees buckle and dropped straight to the ground.

He tossed the weight aside and was just about to ask what had happened when he discovered that the pressure had vanished again.

"What happened? Was it an enemy attack?"

"It seems everyone was hit by something. First they became dazed, then they collapsed."

Elena made her way over while supporting herself against the railing. Her face was pale, but she spoke clearly and methodically.

"That woman really does have a problem. But that pressure seemed to have come from the captain..."

Qiangbalu looked toward Van's room. After hesitating for a moment, he decided not to disturb him.

"It's nothing. They'll be fine after a while. They won't die."

After saying that, Qiangbalu entered the cabin and checked every room. Only after confirming that Law and the others were unharmed did he relax.

"It happened too suddenly. I couldn't control it, and I even hit friend and foe alike..."

Inside the room, Van adjusted Blue Moon's position, got dressed, and walked out.

Seeing the strange scene outside, he paid it no mind and headed straight for the lower hold.

Higuma was tightly bound to a wooden crate with rope, sleeping peacefully.

I've already gotten the reward. Killing him now shouldn't have any effect, right?

After thinking it over, Van decided to test it and see whether he could exploit a bug in the system.

For example, if someone was originally meant to die, he would have to save them if he wanted to earn more rewards.

But if he wanted that person dead and did not want to save them...

Then he would inevitably hesitate at every turn, making mistakes all too easily.

If saving someone first and killing them afterward did not affect the reward, then he would have far more room to maneuver in future events, and things would be much easier.

"Captain?"

Qiangbalu's voice suddenly sounded behind him. Van's eyes flickered, and he stopped what he was doing.

He turned around and asked, "What is it?"

"That Elena..."

Qiangbalu quietly recounted what had just happened, even specifically describing his own feelings and Elena's reaction at the time.

"I understand. We'll deal with them once we reach Shimotsuki Village. Ignore them for now."

"Since you're down here, this guy is yours. Kill him and feed him to the fish."

Van pointed at Higuma, then left the lower hold.

He was worried that the system was too intelligent. If it noticed what he was doing, it might patch the loophole and secretly alter the ratings for similar events, so he decided not to do it himself.

What others did had nothing to do with him. Even if the system wanted to pick a fight, it had to be reasonable.

And if it was unreasonable, that was fine too. He could make up for it through other means. Either way, he would not lose out.

If what Qiangbalu does can be counted as my doing, then what other people do should count too.

In the future, I can create fate events remotely and have others follow my orders to change the fate of key figures. I'll earn points without even getting out of bed...

Van happily entertained those thoughts in his room, completely unaware that Qiangbalu had dragged Higuma onto the deck.

"You, come here!"

Elena, who had been tending to her companions, immediately walked over. Before she could ask anything, Qiangbalu ordered again, "Kill him and throw him into the sea to feed the fish!"

"Isn't this the person you saved before?" Elena hesitated. "Why kill him now? And why make me do it?"

"I can save him, and naturally, I can kill him. The same principle applies to all of you."

Qiangbalu did not spell it out, but the warning in his words was already obvious.

"I understand."

Elena pressed her lips together, drew a dagger from her waist, then lifted Higuma up.

Squelch!

The dagger plunged into Higuma's neck. Blood sprayed everywhere, staining Elena's hand red.

But she did not care in the slightest. Gripping the dagger, she slashed around his neck, nearly severing Higuma's head.

Qiangbalu's eye twitched. With a cold expression, he said, "You got blood everywhere. Clean the deck later."

"All right!"

Elena nodded expressionlessly, then swung Higuma by the body and tossed him into the sea.

When her companions woke up, they found her crouched on the deck, mechanically scrubbing away the bloodstains.

"Elena! What happened just now?"

"What's with all this blood? Did enemies attack us?"

Faced with their questions, Elena remained silent and would not let her companions help her.

Only after she had cleaned the deck did she gather her things and leave, locking herself in the lower hold.