Swain's Conqueror's Haki!

All that time had been wasted for nothing. In the end, it was like drawing water with a bamboo basket.

And the Fruit had been eaten!

After Back witnessed Swain's abilities, he naturally came to that conclusion. That was why he could not resist trying to kill him, then use the Compass to locate where the Fruit would reincarnate.

"I was forced into a corner too. If I failed the mission, I would also die at the hands of the Celestial Dragons." Just thinking of that ugly Hoof of the Soaring Dragon mark made Back shudder.

"So what are you going to do now?" Woli asked mockingly.

Clearly, he was not moved by Back's story about being "forced into a corner."

Seeing his attitude, Back panicked. Damn it, it seems he has no intention of letting me go.

"Since you chose to act, you must pay the price!"

"This world does not forgive someone just because they have a good reason or are in a miserable situation!" Woli declared firmly.

By then, Back felt despair. He could not even understand why, after explaining himself to this extent, he still would not be spared.

But he had always measured his path to survival from the perspective of a cold-blooded killer. He had never considered the warmth of human feeling—when someone's child was about to be murdered, no matter what, they would never forgive the murderer about to commit the crime.

For Woli, who was nearly sixty, Swain was his only family in this world... or rather, his child.

Just before Back's head fell, Woli gave him one final sentence. "Without absolute strength, you and I are ultimately just pieces on the board for those above us."

Splurt!

Blood splashed everywhere. Back was dead in the end.

He looked young too, but he had chosen the wrong side. If Woli did not kill him now, he would eventually become a lackey and bring disaster to others.

For a moment, Woli had wanted to let him go, but reason ultimately overcame emotion.

CP0 was not made up of sheep raised in greenhouses. If Back had been a Marine, he certainly would have survived today.

What a pity...

Woli collected himself, picked Swain up one-handed, and left the place.

By the time Swain woke up, it was already the afternoon of the third day.

If not for the wounds on his hands, he might have suspected it had all been a dream.

His memory still stopped at the point when the masked man told him to kill him. At that moment, he seemed to have become furious, let out a roar, and then passed out.

Now that he had appeared back at home, the Signal Flare must have brought Woli there to save him.

Out of habit, he checked his body.

Putting everything else aside, his recovery ability was truly impressive. In just two days, the flesh on his body had grown back and scabbed over, while the injuries on his arm had mostly healed.

Facing the window, he called out, "Old man!"

Woli was fishing in the pond outside. This pond had not been there before Swain left; it had probably been dug sometime after his departure.

Thinking of that, Swain smiled. "You really know how to enjoy yourself, digging a pond just to fish."

"What else was I supposed to do? You brat disappeared for months. I was bored out of my mind."

"Should I have caught a wild beast and taught it to read and write instead?"

He was clearly, if indirectly, calling Swain worse than an animal for not coming back to visit for so long.

It made Swain scratch his head awkwardly.

Neither grandfather nor grandson mentioned the previous battle. Instead, they chatted about everyday matters, because Swain knew Woli would definitely tell him about it.

Sure enough!

Woli took the initiative to bring it up.

"That intruder that night was a CP0 Agent named Back."

Swain was not surprised in the slightest. He had already guessed it.

Woli found it strange that Swain was not surprised, so he continued, "The Fruit you ate as a child was one the World Government... no! One the Celestial Dragons wanted to recover."

"Ten years ago, I hated the Celestial Dragons to the bone, so I snatched that Fruit from CP0."

"I did not expect the consequences to be so serious at the time. Only from Back did I learn that, when I fled here with you afterward, they had offered one billion Beli for any information about me."

Then he told Swain everything else Back had said.

After hearing all that information, Swain took a while to digest it before asking Woli, "So we are safe now?"

"That's right. The only person who knew has already been thrown into the sea by me."

That method made the corner of Swain's mouth twitch.

"I really have Conqueror's Haki?" Swain found it rather unbelievable.

"Yes."

"At the time, I was anxious and sensed a powerful burst of Haki. I thought some formidable enemy had entered the island again. Later, I realized it could only have been you unconsciously awakening Conqueror's Haki."

After receiving Woli's confirmation, Swain was overjoyed.

A smile even appeared on his face without him realizing it.

After all, one of the Four Emperors, Kaido, had once said that Haki stood above all else.

To become a powerhouse, without Conqueror's Haki, one did not even qualify for a ticket into the ranks of the strong.

Roger, Rayleigh, Gaban, Shiki, Whitebeard, Luffy, Zoro.

As well as the current Four Emperors, the powerhouses of the New World, and even quite a few members of the later Worst Generation all possessed Conqueror's Haki.

Only one king appeared out of every million people!

And now, Swain had already obtained that ticket. How could he not be happy?

At the same time, it proved that as long as he trained seriously, the upper limit of his strength could rise without end!

The most direct manifestation was Conqueror's Haki Infusion.

Those who could use Haki Infusion were more than ten times stronger than those who could not.

This could be seen from when Luffy first challenged Kaido and was sent flying by a single club strike, badly injured and unable to get back up.

But this also left Swain confused. Woli had taught him how to use Armament Haki and the basics of Observation Haki.

Yet he had never mentioned Conqueror's Haki at all.

Naturally, Woli could guess what Swain was thinking. No one knew a child better than his father.

At once, he unleashed his own Conqueror's Haki!

Swain immediately felt an ancient, domineering aura that made his breathing stop.

It was his first time experiencing Conqueror's Haki, and it filled him with the urge to worship and the feeling that he dared not contend against it.

"So this is Haki?!" Swain said.

Then he stared at Woli with excited eyes.

"Yes, and your Haki is the densest and most domineering I have ever seen," Woli said.

"I did not teach you how to use it before because I was afraid you did not possess it."

"Starting today, I will truly teach you how to use the Three Colors of Haki!"

Woli's eyes were also filled with anticipation as he looked at Swain.

Hearing Woli's promise, Swain was overjoyed as well.

Silently, he swore: I will never let anyone step on my head again! When autumn comes on the eighth day of the ninth month, when my flowers bloom, all other flowers shall wither!!