One Piece: I Maxed Out Conqueror's Haki First Because I'm Immortal

Sengoku's voice trembled slightly.

He had never seen anyone like this. Xia Le knew nothing else, yet he wielded Conqueror's Haki and could even coat his attacks with it—a refined technique reserved for the strongest people alive.

"He knocked out only Sakazuki without harming anyone around him."

"His control over Conqueror's Haki is remarkably precise!"

Zephyr agreed.

They were among the strongest people of their time. They could trust their judgment.

The three young monsters of the Marines were undeniably powerful, but they were still young and had joined only recently. Kuzan, in particular, had been a Marine for just two years.

Yet even they could hardly withstand Conqueror's Haki of this magnitude. Even stronger officers of flag rank would struggle to bear it.

Once he had calmed his excitement and shock, Sengoku looked toward Garp, who was raising his fist to lecture the black-haired boy. Sengoku suddenly smiled, a touch of emotion in his eyes.

Kuzan and Borsalino were anxiously patting Sakazuki's face and calling for a medic.

"Sakazuki is twenty-eight."

"Borsalino is thirty-one."

"They joined the Marines at the same time, and both are your students."

"Kuzan is younger, at twenty-two."

Taking a deep breath, Sengoku turned his gaze back to the boy clutching his head and crying out in pain.

"And Garp's student, Xia Le, is seventeen."

"Yet he already has a head start over all three of them."

"If we train and guide him..."

A broad smile spread across Sengoku's face.

"I can almost see how glorious the Marines' future will be. I can see what this younger generation will become—and an era in which the Marines are stronger than ever."

Zephyr stood there in a daze, lost in thought.

"Zephyr, the responsibility of teaching the younger generation still falls to you. Garp is far too careless to teach anyone properly. I worry Xia Le might go astray."

Sengoku sighed and looked ahead.

Medics carried Sakazuki away on a stretcher.

"I understand."

Zephyr nodded.

Then the two of them turned and left.

G-5 Fortress Base was soon in an uproar.

"Sakazuki lost?"

"A newcomer took him down in one move! I heard he's Vice Admiral Garp's student!"

"Another monster?"

Word of the brief fight spread in no time. Before long, Xia Le's name was on everyone's lips throughout the base.

"You really are a terrifying monster, Mr. Xia Le."

Borsalino clicked his tongue in amazement, his eyes full of wonder.

He could not even tell what that terrifying presence had been. He had only felt it shake him to his soul, leaving him unable to resist.

And Sakazuki, who had joined the Marines alongside him years ago, had gone down the moment they faced each other.

If that did not make Xia Le a monster, what did?

"You're the monster here, Mr. Borsalino."

Xia Le smiled.

Sitting to one side with a hand to his forehead, Kuzan looked speechless.

He glanced at the black-haired boy beside him. Two bumps stood out clearly on Xia Le's head, one atop the other, like a black gourd embedded there.

"By the way, Kuzan, have you heard the news?"

Borsalino asked with a smile.

"What news?"

Kuzan looked puzzled.

"Marine Headquarters is planning to reward its outstanding Marines."

Borsalino kept smiling.

Kuzan froze.

"There's a good chance the reward is meant for the three of us."

"Of course, now they'll probably have to include Mr. Xia Le too."

Borsalino grinned.

Kuzan paused at that, but said nothing.

"It might be Devil Fruits."

Borsalino licked his lips.

Only then did Kuzan's expression change. "That really would be astonishing news."

Xia Le listened in silence, startled by what he had heard.

If the reward truly was Devil Fruits, the future Three Admirals would soon receive the fruits that would become their signatures.

In his previous life, people had fiercely debated when the Three Admirals acquired their powers.

Some said the three had happened upon and eaten their fruits before joining the Marines. Others said they had lucked into eating three Logia Devil Fruits while serving, allowing them to stand out and earn the name "monsters."

There was a third theory too.

It held that after the three joined the Marines and earned their reputations as monsters through their own strength, the Marines awarded them three Logia Devil Fruits.

All three were possible, but Xia Le leaned toward the last.

The way CP9 obtained Devil Fruits made it clear that the World Government had considerable control over them. Many powerful officers at Marine Headquarters also possessed Devil Fruit powers.

That suggested the Marines had some authority to distribute the fruits.

If all those officers had found their fruits on their own, it would be too much of a coincidence. Distribution by the Marines made more sense.

Could they really be about to hand out three Logia Devil Fruits?

Xia Le had his doubts.

In his previous life, WT had never explained where the Three Admirals' Devil Fruit powers came from. Fans could only speculate.

And the world he had entered was more real. Who knew whether it would follow the original story—or what his own presence might change?

"Meanwhile, what's happening in the Edd War Waters of the New World has caused an even bigger stir!"

"A major battle between pirates may be unavoidable."

Borsalino's expression turned grave.

"The whole world is watching. Fleet Admiral Kong himself is holding Marine Headquarters, with everyone on high alert."

Kuzan's face grew solemn too.

Xia Le listened quietly beside them.

He knew about the battle in the Edd War Waters. It was the Roger Pirates' closest brush with annihilation; Golden Lion Shiki had nearly wiped them out.

That battle also showed just how fearsome the three legendary pirates of this era were.

Their strength was nearly equal.

Golden Lion was at his peak, and his forces were arguably the greatest of the three legends.

Over the next few days, G-5 Fortress Base appeared calm.

But Xia Le could clearly feel a storm approaching. Reinforcements from Marine Headquarters kept pouring in.

He quietly practiced the Six Powers as he waited for the order from Marine command to move out.

The three legendary pirates.

I can't wait.

Urgent Mission

Xia Le understood his own strength well.

His Conqueror's Haki was level 85, close to the maximum. Without any false modesty, he could call it top-tier. Anyone with too little presence, resolve, or strength could not withstand a single burst of it.

His Conqueror's Haki could even damage solid objects.

In terms of what it could do, it was no worse than that of Red-Haired Shanks, one of the future Four Emperors.

But his fundamentals were his greatest weakness.

My physical ability is at a major's level.

But my combat experience, hand-to-hand combat, and swordsmanship...

They're awful.

Xia Le shook his head.

He had sparred with Kuzan often over the past few days, and the results had been ugly.

Without Conqueror's Haki, Xia Le was beaten soundly. He lagged far behind in both combat experience and his ability to seize an opening.

Getting stronger doesn't happen overnight. It takes talent, hard work, sweat, and blood.

I can't rush it. I have to build a solid foundation.

Xia Le reminded himself.

Fortunately, although Garp, his irresponsible teacher, had vanished, a more capable and attentive teacher had begun appearing every morning.

Black Arm Zephyr!

"Great talent only gives you a better starting point than other people."

"It doesn't give you an excuse to slack off. No one gets stronger without putting in the work."

Arms folded, Zephyr faced the morning sun and spoke with stern authority.

"Your physique is impressive. It's already superhuman. Work hard, and you'll master the Six Powers quickly."

"But experience can only be built through repeated fights and battles where your life is on the line."

Xia Le nodded silently.

He might have grown stronger quickly, but he had earned it through the agony of dying again and again.

He had paid the price for that strength!

No one wanted to experience death!

"I'll give you more detailed instruction in hand-to-hand combat."

"And remember this: great power is a means to pursue the justice and ambitions you believe in, not a tool for wrongdoing."

Zephyr's voice rang out.

A more capable teacher meant faster progress.

The focused training made things much easier for Xia Le.

On the fourth day, he mastered Shave. On the fifth, he gained a basic grasp of Tempest Kick.

The real difficulty of the Six Powers lay in their physical demands. Their principles were not hard to understand. Otherwise, Luffy could never have developed Gear Second and learned to move at high speed so quickly during his fight with CP9.

By the sixth day, Xia Le had begun to get a feel for Finger Pistol, though he still could not control it well.