Pirates: My Immortality Starts with Maxing Conqueror's Haki

Xia Le stared at the distant, discolored sky and the streaks of lightning flashing across it, shaken by the terrifying destructive power of these mighty figures.

Then he looked ahead, bent his legs slightly, and suddenly sprang into motion.

"Boom!"

Like a spring, his body shot high into the air the next second. A black-and-red backdrop of violent Conqueror's Haki formed around him, while a faint aura coiled around his arm before finally concentrating around his fist.

Black-and-red lightning crackled between his arm and fingers.

"Vmmm!"

When he reached the peak of his leap, Xia Le clenched his fist, making his joints crack.

Then he looked down and swung his right fist fiercely.

"Fist Bone: Meteorite!!"

Black-and-red lightning burst forth.

Chapter 19: Storm

Black-and-red lightning twisted and shot forward at an unbelievable speed. Even more incredible was the terrifying range of Xia Le's punch.

From nearly a hundred meters in the air above the pirate ships, he swung his fist downward. The tremendous force instantly reached the two pirate ships directly below, then erupted with a thunderous roar.

The pirate captains and the other officers could be clearly seen as their expressions swiftly turned to terror.

"Boom!"

A thunderous crash rang out. The two enormous pirate ships rapidly cracked and shattered, countless splinters flying in every direction as the sea beneath them caved in at astonishing speed.

That was only the instantaneous eruption. Immediately afterward, the impact of the punch began to tremble and spread, reaching the other three ships nearby.

"Cra-a-a-ck!"

The sturdy hulls were as fragile as glass, covered in countless cracks. The unconscious pirates on them were suddenly flung into the air, tossed high while still unconscious before plunging into the distant sea and splashing up sprays of water.

The collapsed sea, the shattered pirate ships, and the pirates crushed into blood mist by the overwhelming impact—all these scenes left an indelible impression in the eyes of Simboo and the other Marine officers.

When that fluttering white Justice Cloak appeared in their vision once more, and the somewhat thin youth landed again at the stern, everyone looked at him as though a god had descended.

The might of that punch would become a miracle they would never forget for the rest of their lives.

"Huff!"

Xia Le slowly exhaled as he looked at the violently churning sea ahead, the countless splintered boards, and the twisted, bleeding pirates floating on the surface. The sharpness gradually faded from his eyes.

Naturally, this punch was far inferior to Garp's technique. It was merely a name he had made up on the spot for a sloppy use of Conqueror's Haki Infusion.

"I still have a long way to go!"

Xia Le sighed softly.

Gazing into the distance, he was shaken by the aftermath of the battle between the two pirate crews and the changing weather. He could also sense several other powerful waves of Conqueror's Haki.

Not one of them was weaker than his.

Judging from the dazzling flashes and the violently trembling sea, he could also tell that each person's techniques was far more powerful than his own.

"Strength, control of force, experience, and so on—that's where I fall short of them."

Xia Le's eyes wavered.

Standing there, he could clearly sense the terrifying, destructive power of those mighty figures ahead, even without watching from up close.

At that moment, intense ambition surged in his heart.

"One day, I will become a powerhouse like them!"

Xia Le clenched his fist and stared fixedly at the sky.

Facing Golden Lion Shiki and the overwhelming fleet of the Flying Pirates, he had felt that helplessness with perfect clarity.

The fall of his comrades had shaken his thoughts, and the near-death of Rear Admiral Jerry had struck him especially hard.

In the distance, the battle continued. The lightning in the sky grew brighter and denser, while dark clouds nearly covered the entire Edd War Waters.

"How terrifying!"

"Their battle has actually torn open the sky and split apart the sea!"

"Golden Lion Shiki and Gol D. Roger!"

"This is a battle between the World's Strongest!"

The officers behind him also exclaimed in awe.

They were astonished by Xia Le's savage punch, but they feared and marveled even more at the two pirate crews battling in the distance.

Suddenly, a Chop Wave howled toward them from ahead, sweeping over everyone's heads at astonishing speed.

"Crack!"

The mast snapped and toppled at an angle, crashing onto the deck.

Xia Le inhaled sharply as he looked at the clean cut. He knew clearly that it had merely been caused by the aftermath of a slash from more than ten miles away.

"Let's leave this place as quickly as possible!"

"The warship has been damaged in several places, and the mast is broken. But its backup power source is still available, and the oars beneath the hull are mostly intact. We can barely move!"

Soon, the people remaining aboard inspected the Marine warship and spoke gratefully.

Although they were far from the true center of the battle, even its aftermath was still more than they could withstand.

Xia Le walked to the bow and picked up the Den Den Mushi from Rear Admiral Jerry's hand.

The next second, the Den Den Mushi rang.

"Rear Admiral Jerry, report your situation immediately."

The voice coming through made Xia Le freeze.

"Vice Admiral Garp."

"Rear Admiral Jerry has been killed. This is Xia Le."

Garp fell silent on the other end before quickly saying, "Good, you're safe. We're on our way to Area A13."

"We've temporarily escaped danger. The Flying Pirates and the Roger Pirates have encountered each other and are currently fighting, so we've been fairly lucky."

Xia Le spoke.

"Roger?!"

Garp's voice clearly rose.

"Good. I'll come support you immediately!"

The Den Den Mushi call ended.

"Xia Le, what should we do next?"

Saron was helped up by a companion and sat leaning against the ship's railing as he asked in a muffled voice.

The fire at the stern had also been put out by the others. For now, everyone could be said to have escaped danger.

Xia Le paused slightly, then raised his head and looked at the others. Everyone was gazing at him with eagerness and expectation, including Simboo.

There was no doubt that his astonishing punch had made all the officers present acknowledge his strength and willingly obey his orders.

"Take the ship as far away as possible."

"Vice Admiral Garp is on his way here to support us. For now, our mission is to continue monitoring the battle between Golden Lion Shiki and the Roger Pirates while ensuring our own safety."

Xia Le took a deep breath and spoke in a low voice.

"Yes, sir!"

Simboo was the first to accept the order.

The others had no objections either and quickly sprang into action.

The backup power source could not carry them very far and was only useful in emergencies. For now, the Marine Warship's primary source of power was still its sails.

A short while later, the Warship moved farther away from the battlefield.

"Boom!"

The deafening sound remained exceptionally clear despite the distance, making everyone's ears ring. A fierce wind howled overhead. Looking toward the center of the battle, they saw lightning of every color filling the sky.

This was a battle between the world's top powers!

The Flying Pirates had numbers and countless elite fighters, while the Roger Pirates were all powerhouses.

"Rumble!"

The battle continued, thunder booming across the sky. Then, at some unknown moment, torrential rain suddenly poured down, obscuring their view of the battlefield.

Xia Le narrowed his eyes and stared at the two blurred factions ahead.

He soon noticed that the sounds of battle had weakened, then gradually faded into silence.

A Pirate ship rode the wind and waves across the heaving sea. A man stood laughing at the bow, standing amid the violent wind and rain yet remaining optimistic and carefree.

"Hahahahaha!"

"I told you, Rayleigh, this isn't the end of the road for us!"

"Even the heavens are helping me!"

The laughter came from far away, yet remained exceptionally clear amid the rain.

Xia Le raised a telescope and stared at that figure.

"Gol D. Roger!"

He softly uttered the man's name.

Chapter 20: The Era Named Garp

As if sensing something, the mustached man turned his head and looked in his direction.

On the rain-spattered lens of the telescope, the man's blurry, smiling face appeared.

Xia Le lowered his gaze and shifted his view.

Behind the pirate ship speeding through the storm, one scattered pirate ship after another was chasing in confusion and fury, only to be rapidly left behind. Even the ships flying through the air had been forced down onto the sea by the storm, where they remained immobilized.

This sudden storm had undoubtedly disrupted the Flying Pirates' encirclement plan.

Next, not far ahead of them, he saw ships breaking through the surface, their hulls coated in bubbles.

Everything became distorted and blurred within the storm, but the skull flags representing the Flying Pirates once again made everyone tense.

One ship after another quickly emerged. In the blink of an eye, there were already ten.

Clearly, because of the battle and the storm, the Flying Pirates' formation had been completely thrown into disarray, their fleet scattered across the entire sea.

Xia Le narrowed his eyes and stepped forward, his aura rising.

Black-and-red lightning coiled around him as a heavy pressure spread outward from his body.

But the next second, his aura suddenly stalled. He abruptly turned to look at the sea to one side.

In the Storm, a Dog-Head Warship was charging toward them at astonishing speed.

Then, a figure suddenly leaped from the bow.

"Vmmm!"

The Storm seemed to freeze. An invisible, domineering aura spread outward as a man with short black hair and a square face, laughing wildly, swung his fist.

Lightning burst forth, thick as a house, and crashed down viciously. The sea rapidly caved in, and the ten Pirate ships shattered one after another as splinters filled the sky.

"My beloved disciple, are you all right?"

"Please forgive your teacher for arriving so late!"

"Hahahahahaha!"