Opportunity for Emission

The principal immediately chimed in from the side, his tone seductive:

"Stussy, this is a rare opportunity! The mission may be difficult, but if you complete it brilliantly and render great service, entering the CP0 ranks in the future won't be impossible! You have to understand—that's a height countless agents can never reach in their entire lives!"

Stussy fell silent. Her heart churned violently. The Red-Light District... she knew all too well what kind of place it was.

In this world, the bosses who controlled the underground sex industry were often their own biggest draw. That meant if she accepted the mission, she would likely have to personally... The image made her stomach churn.

Both her principles and reason screamed at her to refuse. Yet the three letters CP0 were like a beam of light piercing through the haze in her heart.

Joining CP0 meant greater authority, getting closer to the World Government's center of power, and it also meant... being better able to protect and assist Doctor Vegapunk. The genius who had created her, whom she regarded as her "father."

For the Doctor... the voice in her heart rang out again, carrying a trace of desperate urging.

Just as Joseph's brows beneath his mask furrowed slightly, clearly growing impatient with the wait, Stussy took a deep breath. As though exhausting all her strength, she suppressed the choking sensation in her throat and answered in the calmest voice she could manage:

"I... accept. I'll take this mission."

"Good. A wise choice."

Joseph's voice remained utterly flat, as if he had expected this outcome all along.

"Come with me. Don't keep the adults waiting too long."

With that, he turned without hesitation and strode outside, with no intention of waiting for her.

Stussy bit her lower lip, nearly breaking through the red flesh. She glanced at the principal, who gave her a look that said, "Do your best."

She hesitated no longer, forcing her stiff legs to move as she quickly followed the white-clad figure.

The night had grown deep. Cold moonlight fell over the path leading to the harbor, and the surroundings were silent save for the echo of their footsteps. Stussy lowered her head and watched her elongated, swaying shadow beneath the moonlight. Her heart was ice-cold, filled with uncertainty and fear for the future.

Suddenly, without warning, an Air Cannon formed in the empty space ahead. It tore through the air and blasted fiercely toward the white figure walking in front.

A red gleam flashed through Joseph's eyes beneath his mask as Observation Haki activated. At the critical moment, his body twisted at an unbelievable angle, barely evading the fatal blow.

The solidified Air Cannon grazed the corner of his clothes and slammed into an auxiliary building behind him.

"Boom—!"

The deafening explosion shook the air as shattered bricks and stones shot skyward. Half of the affected building instantly collapsed, and terrified screams and cries from the students rang out within.

Joseph steadied himself as his powerful Observation Haki spread swiftly like spilled mercury, instantly locking onto a concealed presence in midair.

He snorted coldly and used the exquisite technique of Geppo. His feet continuously stomped through the air, creating explosive bangs as his body shot upward like a rocket.

Joseph's figure left several afterimages in the air. Taking advantage of the Longarm Tribe's bizarre extra joint, his arms moved like boneless whips, tracing unpredictable paths through the air and changing direction repeatedly as he closed in on the shadowed figure.

Armament Haki coated his fingertips as his vicious Finger Pistol strikes shot forth like a raging storm.

The attacker lurking in the darkness had clearly not expected such swift reactions or such bizarre attacks. He tried to evade, only to find every possible retreat sealed off by the twisting, ever-changing Finger Pistol strikes.

I can only take it head-on!

The thought flashed through the attacker's mind as the muscles in his arms instantly swelled like steel, crossing before him in defense.

"Bang bang bang bang—!"

Dull impacts of flesh against flesh exploded one after another in midair. Invisible shockwaves spread outward from the point where they clashed, scattering the surrounding smoke and dust.

The attacker's formidable body, capable of withstanding ordinary cannon fire, proved as fragile as paper before the Finger Pistol strikes wrapped in Armament Haki!

The clothes on his arms instantly burst into butterfly-like fragments. At every point of impact, his skin and muscles exploded into clouds of blood mist, and the sharp sound of bones cracking could even be heard!

The intense pain made Dawn unable to maintain the darkness ability concealing his form any longer, and his body was completely exposed beneath the moonlight.

The next second, he turned into a shooting star, spinning as he plummeted rapidly from the sky.

"Rumble!"

The ground was smashed into a several-meter-wide crater webbed with cracks, while dust and smoke billowed everywhere.

Blood streamed from his nearly ruined arms, pooling into a small puddle on the ground.

Enduring pain that seemed capable of tearing apart his soul, he used his uninjured legs to painfully support himself and staggered to his feet from the crater.

He lifted his head. His eyes burned with flames of hatred mixed with overwhelming joy as he stared fixedly at the CP0 Joseph, who was slowly descending ahead of him.

The hatred was because the moment he arrived on this island and saw the man before him, he recognized his identity—

He was the very CP0 agent whose hands had once been stained with his family's blood.

It was also because of that sudden surge of hatred that he lost his usual composure, forgot his original goal of coming here to recruit subordinates, and launched an attack without a second thought. He had completely overlooked the brutal fact that, as a CP0 agent, the other man was highly likely to be proficient in both types of Haki, resulting in him suffering badly the moment they clashed.

And the joy... was because, in that moment when he attacked without restraint, when his murderous intent and will for revenge reached their peak, he clearly felt the Conqueror's Haki within him—something he had never been able to wield freely—begin to stir violently!

Although he had awakened this power nearly a year ago, he had never had the slightest clue how to release it outward.

Yet this encounter with his enemy, this unwavering step forward on the path of revenge, seemed to have allowed him to touch that threshold!

Just as he had known in his previous life, when a certain moss-head drew out his Conqueror's Haki while facing a powerful enemy through his determination to pursue his dream, Dawn's Conqueror's Haki had been stirred for a similar reason.

What was Dawn's dream? Without question, it was to overthrow this rotten World Government and avenge all his family members who had died tragic deaths!

And taking the initiative to strike at CP0, the strongest shield of the Celestial Dragons, was undoubtedly a crucial step on the path toward realizing that dream!

He even had a feeling that if he could personally kill the enemy before him here, he might break through his shackles in one stroke and truly master the power of Conqueror's Haki emission!

"Hmph. I never expected to encounter a remnant of the David Clan in a place like this."

Joseph's icy voice interrupted his thoughts, carrying unconcealed killing intent and... a trace of disdain.

"I don't know whether to call you utterly foolish or ridiculously arrogant. You dare attack me without even knowing how to use basic Haki? You could have hidden forever like a rat, so why did you have to jump out and throw your life away?"

Dawn was not surprised in the slightest that his identity had been exposed. He looked eighty percent like his father, and this world was not some manga world where face blindness was widespread. It was perfectly normal for him to be recognized.

He bared his teeth in a grin. Combined with the blood smeared across his face, the smile looked somewhat savage, but his gaze remained incomparably resolute.

"Not knowing Haki doesn't mean I can't beat someone who does. Today, I don't think I'll lose."

Haki was a power that stood above all else; that was true. But there was one prerequisite: it had to be cultivated to an extremely high level.

For example, even after Sandersonia activated Observation Haki, she still could not keep up with Gear Second Luffy's movements;

Marigold's outward Armament Haki was likewise shattered head-on by Gear Second's pure strength.

Those were classic examples of overwhelming physical ability defeating Haki users who were not strong enough.

Judging from the fact that Guernica died in his forties, the guy before him was only in his twenties. At that age, his Armament Haki could not possibly be absurdly powerful. Not everyone was exceptionally gifted.

Although his recklessness had caused him to suffer in their earlier exchange, Dawn still believed he had a strong chance of winning. He did not think his current physical abilities were inferior to Gear Second's.

"Sharp tongue."

Joseph snorted coldly as killing intent spread around him almost tangibly.

"I'll show you the gap between people in this world—and what despair truly is!"