Pirates: I Maxed Out Conqueror's Haki First Because I Can't Die

Xia Le dove from above, his clenched fist cracking. Behind him, the sky suddenly changed color as a violent aura surged.

"Good, Xia Le! I won't let you off!"

Bullet leaped high with a savage grin and threw a punch to meet him.

Lightning streaked across the sky as the two collided.

"Fist Bone: Meteorite!"

Xia Le roared.

Black-and-red lightning burst forth. Bullet's pupils contracted, and his whole body went rigid as the punch struck him head-on.

Then—

A crack came from inside his body, and he plummeted like a Meteorite, crashing into the ground.

Behind them, Roger, Rayleigh, and the rest of the crew jolted. Their eyes widened as they stared at the black-haired young man who had dropped from the sky and now stood before the enormous crater Bullet had made.

Taken down in one blow!

Bullet, who was no pushover, had been taken down in one blow!

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A Fight with No Regard for Life

Douglas Bullet lay spread-eagled in the enormous crater, his eyes rolled back and blood coating his lips. He did not move. He had completely lost consciousness.

No one had imagined that a fighter like Bullet could be taken down in an instant by an unknown young Marine.

The sudden sight left the entire Roger Pirates crew silent and stunned.

Douglas Bullet was eighteen years old and known as the Devil's Heir. He had never known defeat until he met Roger, lost to him, and joined the Roger Pirates, where he had remained to this day.

He was a powerfully built young fighter, hardened by countless battles, with limitless potential ahead of him.

Yet today he had suffered a crushing defeat he himself had never imagined.

"Hah!"

Xia Le let out a long breath and looked ahead.

The mustached man at the front was undoubtedly the future Pirate King Roger. At his sides stood Dark King Rayleigh, with his short blond hair, and Scopper Gaban.

Xia Le saw no sign of Kozuki Oden. He guessed the Wano Country samurai was still aboard Whitebeard's ship at this point.

The Roger Pirates crew now looked at Xia Le with surprise and wary respect.

There was no doubt these world-class fighters had begun taking him seriously.

"Hahahaha!"

"Roger! Don't underestimate the young Marines!"

Garp's laughter rang out. He leaped high, shot over Xia Le's head, and hurtled toward the opposing crew.

"Garp."

"You've found yourself a fine prospect!"

Roger drew Ace from his waist and swung.

At the same moment, Rayleigh and Gaban exchanged a glance.

"I'll take that kid!"

Rayleigh's voice was grave.

Gaban nodded, his expression serious as he searched the others for an opponent.

As world-class Pirates, they could naturally tell that the black-haired young man, around Bullet's age, had used an advanced form of Conqueror's Haki: Conqueror's Haki Infusion.

It was a technique that only people born with the qualities of a king, like Roger, could hope to master.

In the eyes of every Roger Pirates crew member, Xia Le's defeat of Bullet in a single blow marked him as an exceptionally powerful opponent who could not be ignored.

Boom!

Roger and Garp collided. Fierce winds whipped up sand and stones, bending the surrounding trees every which way.

At that same instant, Dark King Rayleigh bent his knees and sprang forward.

He moved at an unbelievable speed, crossing more than a hundred meters almost instantly to appear above Xia Le.

"Young Marine!"

"Let me, Rayleigh, see just how strong you are!"

Wind struck Xia Le's face, and Rayleigh's shout rang in his ears.

Xia Le looked up. He saw Rayleigh's grave, resolute face, alive with fighting spirit.

For a moment, Xia Le was baffled. Why did Rayleigh look like that? His excitement and utter focus were unmistakable, as though he were facing the strongest opponent in the world.

Was that really necessary?

I'd only joined the Marines a little over a month ago. I was still a trainee who hadn't even received proper training!

A blade flashed before Xia Le's eyes, and he narrowed them.

He tried to dodge, but quickly realized Rayleigh's exquisite swordsmanship and astonishing speed far outstripped his own. An invisible force seemed to be at work too, shutting down every move he might make.

He predicted everything I'm about to do?

Observation Haki?

Xia Le sighed.

Compared with these fighters at the pinnacle of the world, his fundamentals were still sorely lacking.

He snapped his head up, his gaze turning sharp. He clenched his right fist, and black-and-red lightning coiled around it.

There was no way he could block Rayleigh's strike.

Then I'd trade my life for one more blow!

Slash!

The blade cut through Xia Le's neck without resistance. The force of the slash swept on past him, sending Kuzan, Sakazuki, and the others ducking.

"?"

Confusion, doubt, and shock flashed through Rayleigh's eyes.

The young man had not even tried to dodge? In Rayleigh's Observation Haki, Xia Le had simply stood there and taken the blow.

Couldn't he dodge?

Was he really that weak?

The way he had seemed to want to dodge and fight back, yet could not react at all, was exactly how a genuinely weak opponent would fare against Rayleigh.

But how could someone that weak use Conqueror's Haki Infusion?

Rayleigh remained on guard.

Sure enough, the next instant, a fierce, domineering aura surged toward him. A fist wrapped in black-and-red lightning drove forward with force enough to shatter a mountain.

Rayleigh raised his sword and caught the fist on its blade.

Clang!

The blade shuddered. The violent impact rushed toward his face, whipping his short blond hair back.

At the same time, his feet dragged backward beyond his control.

He slid back dozens of meters.

Rayleigh's expression grew graver. A huge trench stretched behind him and to either side. That punch had torn a gap thousands of meters long through the ground and the island.

This guy!

Xia Le's expression was just as grave as he stared at Rayleigh.

After their first exchange, he fully understood the gap between them.

Rayleigh's Observation Haki and his sharp, varied sword techniques, backed by a wealth of experience, gave him a decisive edge.

Rayleigh's strength and physical conditioning also far surpassed his.

One slash—that was all it took to kill Xia Le, without giving him the slightest chance to dodge.

So this is what a fighter at the top of the world is like?

My blood's boiling!

Xia Le roared inwardly.

He felt no fear. Instead, boundless fighting spirit surged within him.

In this fight, he could rely on his maxed-out Conqueror's Haki and his undying body.

Their eyes met, each seeing the other's fighting spirit.

Then, in the next instant—

Whoosh!

They vanished. Rayleigh swung his sword, slicing diagonally through Xia Le.

This kid!

He isn't defending himself at all!

Rayleigh was startled. He had never seen anyone fight this way.

Stranger still, Xia Le never showed a wound. Rayleigh suspected it was some bizarre Devil Fruit ability.

Xia Le answered with punches and kicks.

His fists and feet were wrapped in black-and-red lightning and Conqueror's Haki Infusion, amplifying every blow until Rayleigh could ignore none of them.

From their first exchange, the battle raged at full intensity. Its ferocity stunned everyone watching.

Xia Le fought with a reckless fury that made onlookers' hearts race.

To them, he seemed to have abandoned all defense, fighting without the slightest regard for his life.

But Xia Le knew that against Rayleigh's Observation Haki, vast experience, and superb swordsmanship, he had no chance to dodge or adapt.

Every slash would kill him.

So he focused entirely on attacking.

It worked.

Before long, even the Pirate King's vice-captain, one of the world's strongest fighters, had blood on his lips. Meanwhile, the points on Xia Le's system panel kept climbing.

A Great Leap in Strength

The two fought on, giving everything they had.

One fought with his fists, though every part of his body was a weapon. He could infuse each with Haki to amplify his attacks, unleashing tremendous force without even making contact.

The other fought with a sword. Every slash came from a treacherous angle, sealed off all chances of escape, and struck with lightning speed and crushing force—power enough to cleave mountains, sky, and sea.

Their fierce battle threw the area into chaos and alarmed the others fighting nearby.

"Who is this Marine kid? How can he hold his own against the vice-captain?"

The pirates were aghast.

"Xia Le's gotten this strong already?"

"He's even fighting Dark King Rayleigh to a standstill!"

The Marines were stunned too.

On the Dog-Head Warship, Saron had stayed out of the fight because the injuries to his lower body had not fully healed. He leaned over the rail and watched, his face alight with excitement.