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

Of course, some classes did teach useful things, such as the Navy's latest technological advances and how this world worked.

One thing worth mentioning: in a class on ideology, Xia Le met a young-looking officer who resembled a zombie.

He was an ensign, about twenty-six years old.

"Officer Xia Le, I admire you very much."

"I've been hearing all about how you fought the Roger Pirates and battled Dark King Rayleigh."

T Bone looked frightening, but he was kindhearted. He treated a young superior like Xia Le with particular respect.

"Really? It was just a minor battle."

Xia Le smiled faintly.

"No!"

"That was incredible! I want to become as strong as you!"

"If I could serve under you after graduation, that would be wonderful!"

T Bone was beside himself with excitement.

"I'd be honored."

Xia Le smiled.

T Bone grew even more excited.

Life at Navy Academy was dull and tedious, but Xia Le had plenty of freedom. He kept up his daily training. To his frustration, Kami-e seemed to be his nemesis: no matter what he tried, he could barely get the hang of it.

Several months passed in the blink of an eye. Xia Le enjoyed a relatively peaceful stretch of life.

His body recovered well, and the food at Navy Academy was good. His once-gaunt frame gradually filled out. By now, he weighed nearly 310 pounds.

His muscles bulged all over. With the slightest flex of his arms, he could feel the explosive power in them.

The muscles across his back looked fiercer than ever.

In his previous life, those muscles alone would probably have intimidated a roomful of fitness enthusiasts.

His massive pecs looked ready to burst through his undershirt. His build was looking more and more like Garp's.

The female cadets in his class often stared at him and drooled. His powerful, muscular body had long since won their hearts.

The days passed one by one.

Xia Le also kept up with the newspapers circulating inside Marine Headquarters.

He soon learned that the Celestial Dragons bloodbath at Sabaody Archipelago had been hastily swept under the rug. Vice Admiral Laku and a pirate who had happened to show up took the blame. The former was demoted; the latter was gagged and beheaded.

Meanwhile, Kuzan, Sakazuki, and Borsalino each acquired a Logia Devil Fruit and began to shine in the Navy.

Then came news from the pirates: Douglas Bullet had left the Roger Pirates and was making a name for himself on his own.

As for his teacher Garp, he was almost impossible to find and was rarely at Marine Headquarters.

Admiral Zephyr, on the other hand, often came to the academy to offer instruction.

Five months later, Xia Le received Kong's gift: a pair of glossy black gloves with a little give to them.

"Making Seastone into gloves is unimaginably difficult."

"I had to consult Vegapunk at the research institute. We only managed it by combining Seastone with other materials!"

"Even so, they can't match the feel or softness of ordinary gloves. But as weapons, they'll just about do!"

Kong had come to deliver them in person. He sighed as he spoke.

Xia Le held the gloves in his hands. He could feel their weight, and they were rather stiff to the touch.

"I originally wanted to make brass knuckles. That would've been much simpler."

"But Garp insisted on having a pair of gloves made for you."

"Take good care of them. You could say they're the first pair in the world!"

"There's nothing else like them!"

Kong smiled.

"Thank you, Fleet Admiral!"

Xia Le was grateful.

Kong waved a hand and left. As Fleet Admiral, he had plenty to do.

Xia Le watched him go, then tried the gloves on. They were hard but had a little flexibility. Still, anyone using them would need tremendous strength.

Otherwise, even making a fist would be difficult.

Opening and closing his fingers felt like working against five extremely stiff springs.

But there was no doubt these gloves would be devastating against Devil Fruit Users.

After that, Xia Le continued his studies at the academy.

Day after day passed. Before he knew it, a year had gone by.

Over time, he grew more familiar with the world and gained a clearer understanding of the Navy.

In truth, the Navy had fairly distinct factions.

There were fanatics who cared nothing for civilian lives and upheld the justice of the Celestial Dragons and the government. There were people who held fast to their own convictions. And there were kindhearted people full of dreams, eager to grow stronger, protect civilians, and fight for genuine justice.

The Navy had good people and bad!

Xia Le wasn't surprised. Everyone had more than one side to them.

Another six months passed before Xia Le finally learned Kami-e, and the skill appeared on his panel.

With that, he had mastered all of the Six Powers.

Garp happened to be at Marine Headquarters at the time. After mercilessly mocking Xia Le's aptitude, he taught him Life Return and hurried off again.

"Kami-e was a hurdle."

"But Life Return was easy to learn."

In just a few days, Xia Le mastered Life Return with ease.

That was when he felt he could fully control his body. Every move of the Six Powers seemed capable of being enhanced through it.

"Hair, blood, muscles, even organs."

"I can control all of them with Life Return!"

Xia Le's eyes lit up as understanding dawned.

"I can even faintly sense Haki other than Conqueror's Haki."

The sensation was still vague, but he could clearly detect a wisp of something.

Unlike Iron Body, which relied on control within his body, this sensation came from outside it.

"Could it be Armament Haki?"

P.S. Thanks to Ronin, Yiran-Guangguang, and Guangtou for the monthly tickets!

Graduation

That wisp of energy came and went. It was so faint, thinner than a strand of hair. Anyone else might not have sensed it at all.

But with Life Return, Xia Le perceived it clearly.

It meant his control over his body had reached an entirely new level.

Once someone's physical abilities reached a superhuman level, they could train in the Six Powers. Life Return let them control their body more freely still.

"Limbs, hair, internal organs—I can move them at will."

Xia Le quickly grasped the power of Life Return.

He focused his will on his hair and ordered it to grow. The next instant, it lengthened before his eyes, his close-cropped hair spilling all the way to the floor.

Then he focused again, coating it with Iron Body. His hair instantly hardened like steel and could even serve as a weapon against enemies.

He kept experimenting. When he focused on his internal organs, such as his stomach and intestines, his stomach secreted acid faster and his digestive system grew more efficient. Food broke down in moments to fuel his body.

He focused on his fingers and nails, on his skin and hair, and on his crotch.

A smile gradually spread across his face as he discovered the fun of Life Return.

In a way, this unusual skill gave the body superhuman abilities.

What would happen when someone gained complete control over their own body?

"Every detail of my body, every natural aptitude I have, becomes clear!"

"For example, I have some talent for Armament Haki. I was born with the qualities of a king, so I awakened Conqueror's Haki."

"But as for Observation Haki..."

Xia Le finally understood himself.

He did have talent, chiefly for Conqueror's Haki and Armament Haki. He had some aptitude for Observation Haki too, but not much.

That meant mastering Observation Haki would probably take a great deal of time.

"So that's why it took me over two years to learn Kami-e?"

He lacked a knack for sensing the world around him—or rather, his talent for it was limited.

But Xia Le didn't consider it a serious problem. Whether or not he had Observation Haki wouldn't make much difference to him.

"Besides, I've been at Navy Academy for two years now."

"It's time to graduate!"

Xia Le sighed.

He had learned everything he needed to learn. Staying longer would gain him nothing.

He turned and headed to the academy to arrange his early graduation assessment.

The assessment included written and physical exams. He passed them easily.

"Congratulations, Rear Admiral Xia Le. You've completed the Navy Academy curriculum."

"May your naval career have fair winds and a smooth voyage."

The blonde officer with wavy hair and a sweet smile handed him his diploma. She brushed her soft fingertips against the underside of his hand, leaving him a small note.

Xia Le paused, then smiled faintly and walked away.

After leaving the academy, he flicked the note into a nearby trash can.

Over his two years at the academy, female instructors and staff had slipped him notes like that countless times. His muscular body held a powerful appeal for the women there.

But once outside, he felt briefly at a loss.

Before entering Navy Academy, he had always followed Garp. Now Garp was away, and Xia Le wasn't sure what to do.

After a moment's hesitation, he decided to ask his teacher.

"Kid, whatever it is, make it quick."

"I'm busy! Roger's about to become the Pirate King!"

Garp sounded a little impatient.

"Huh?"

Xia Le froze.

Then it hit him. He had spent two years at Navy Academy. It was now Sea Circle Calendar year 1499—the year Roger reached Laugh Tale and became the Pirate King.

For a moment, Garp's words left him dazed.

Was he really about to witness a turning point in history?

Roger would become the Pirate King, disband his crew, and turn himself in, prompting Golden Lion Shiki to attack Marine Headquarters. Events he had known only as flashbacks in the original story were about to unfold before his eyes.

"Kid, what do you want? If you won't say it, I'm hanging up!"