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

Even from far beyond the vortex, Xia Le soon felt its effects.

First came an order from Marine Headquarters.

"Stay on high alert. We must stop certain pirates from launching a frenzied counterattack under Roger's influence."

"To that end, Headquarters authorizes you, Rear Admiral Xia Le, to act with greater severity—even brutality!"

The order was unlike any Xia Le had received before. His eyes narrowed.

Ordinarily, aside from a few marines like him and Sakazuki who used ruthless methods, most sought to capture pirates rather than kill them outright.

They want to intimidate the pirates as quickly as possible and prevent an even greater upheaval worldwide?

Then there was what he and T Bone had witnessed in the latter half of the Grand Line: the pirates were growing increasingly reckless.

In just half a month, they had encountered ten powerful pirate crews.

Every encounter had ended in a fierce battle.

Roger's rise to Pirate King had fired up other pirates, setting their blood boiling. Across the world, countless pirates—and people who had yet to become pirates—looked to Roger as their example.

While Xia Le roamed from place to place, suppressing pirates, elsewhere...

On an unnamed island, beneath a great tree heavy with cherry blossoms, two figures sat facing each other.

"Gurararara!"

"Roger, you actually dared to come see me alone."

The towering blond man with a crescent-shaped mustache burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha!"

"Newgate, we've fought more times than I can count. We may be rivals, but you're also one of the few people I'd call a friend."

Roger laughed too.

The towering man across from him was Whitebeard, Edward Newgate—one of the three legends of the present age.

"So tell me. What brings you here?"

"A man like you wouldn't come all this way to see me for no reason, especially right after becoming Pirate King."

Newgate picked up the drink before him, drained it in one gulp, and spoke calmly.

Roger's expression grew serious. He gazed at Newgate, then said in a low voice,

"I reached Laugh Tale and claimed the Great Treasure—the One Piece!"

"I came here to ask you something."

He paused. Then his mustache twitched, and he smiled again.

"Newgate!"

"Do you want to know where Laugh Tale is?"

Whitebeard froze. His eyes narrowed.

After years of fighting Roger for supremacy, he knew how hard it was to learn Laugh Tale's location. And now Roger was offering to tell him outright?

But a moment later, Whitebeard laughed and shook his head.

"Not interested!"

Roger stared at him in surprise, then burst out laughing as well.

"That's just like you, Newgate."

They raised their bowls again and brought them together with a sharp clack.

"I'll be retiring soon."

"But before I go, there's one more thing I should warn you about."

Roger seemed to remember something and spoke with a smile.

"Oh?"

Newgate listened, still smiling.

"There's a young marine named Xia Le."

"If you come to rule these seas one day..."

"Watch out for him."

Roger's expression turned solemn.

"Xia Le?!"

Newgate searched his memory for powerful marines, but the name meant nothing to him. He scoffed.

"He's just some kid!"

"You don't need to worry about me!"

Roger shook his head with a wry smile and said no more.

A little later, Whitebeard was alone in the grove. Where Roger, now the Pirate King, had gone, no one knew.

Whitebeard silently finished the wine in his bowl, his expression complicated.

"Old friends are becoming fewer and fewer on these seas."

Roger's visit had given him a faint sense of what lay ahead.

Over decades, Roger had climbed step by step to a summit beyond the reach of ordinary men. Yet upon reaching it, he had chosen to turn and leave.

"Farewell..."

"Gol D. Roger."

His whisper drifted through the grove.

A gust of wind swept past. Cherry blossoms spiraled into the wine jar, and Whitebeard's figure vanished from the trees.

Meanwhile, in the Edd War Waters, Xia Le met up with Kuzan's warship and received a new assignment from Headquarters.

"What's wrong, Xia Le? Is this guy giving you trouble?"

Kuzan smiled, glancing at the wanted poster in Xia Le's hand.

It showed a young man with slicked-back hair and a cigar between his lips. His name and bounty were printed below.

Crocodile?

"No. He just reminded me of something."

Xia Le smiled.

He hadn't expected to hear about Crocodile here. According to the assignment, three groups of marines had already clashed with Crocodile and failed. And Xia Le happened to be nearby.

"It's been over two years. You've been promoted too!"

Xia Le looked at Kuzan's shoulder. He wore a Rear Admiral's insignia as well.

"Hahaha! Xia Le, the three of us have come a long way these past two years."

"I might not lose to you now!"

Kuzan grinned.

"Is that so?"

Xia Le gave a soft laugh.

"But I don't have time for a match."

He waved the wanted poster.

"I've got a rookie to catch!"

Kuzan nodded in understanding. "Then I'll see you back at Headquarters!"

The two warships soon passed each other. Xia Le watched Kuzan go, feeling a twinge of emotion.

Time was passing, and everything was changing.

He wasn't the only one growing stronger. Others were advancing rapidly too. The moment he had seen Kuzan today, he had felt the formidable power radiating from him.

Clearly, Kuzan's strength had grown enormously over the past two years with the Ice-Ice Fruit.

Xia Le lowered his eyes to the wanted poster again.

"A rookie, Crocodile?"

A faint smile touched his lips. A new idea had taken shape.

From what Xia Le remembered, Crocodile was not only powerful. Aside from his loss to Luffy, he was famous for holding his own against opponents regardless of how strong they were.

He was quick-witted and an expert planner. Later, in Cross Guild, he served as its strategist and organizer.

He would make an excellent ally.

With some development, he could reach the level of an emperor's right-hand man.

"Sir, Headquarters reports that Crocodile and his pirates are on Rien Island, ten nautical miles to our northwest."

Mina relayed the location soon after contacting Headquarters.

Xia Le nodded.

"Set course for Rien Island!"

Multiple Ways to Fight a Logia User

Rien Island was small and cold year-round. It generally served as a stopover for traveling merchants and pirates.

As a result, fights often broke out there.

It was already afternoon when Xia Le and the others arrived.

Bright sunlight struck the snow blanketing the ground, turning everything into a dazzling white expanse.

A bitter wind blew in. Rosinante hunched his shoulders and rubbed his hands together while Evens and the others handed out padded coats. None of them had expected Rien Island to be so cold.

Their warship docked along the coast. Seeing no other pirate ships, Xia Le guessed Crocodile's crew had landed on the other side of the island.

T Bone draped a padded coat over Xia Le's shoulders, and Xia Le nodded his thanks.

Once everyone had put on padded coats and boots, they jumped from the warship and trudged through the deep snow onto the island.

"Crocodile. Bounty: eighty-one million Beli."

"According to the marines who failed to capture him, he's a Logia user."

"He fought Douglas Bullet last year. The battle ended in a draw, and that's how he made his name."

"The bounty set by the World Government clearly doesn't reflect his strength."

Evens sighed as he repeated the information from Headquarters.

The others looked grim.

Logia users were almost certain to be formidable. Their fruits alone granted them enough power to carve out a place in the world.

Their immunity to physical attacks and their ability to control various elements were difficult to contend with.

Xia Le merely chuckled as he listened.

After passing through the snow-covered forest, they saw a bustling town ahead.

"They've taken over the town, but the villagers are still alive."

"It doesn't look as though they've harmed the civilians."

Evens spoke in a low voice.

He also spotted a rough harbor east of the town, where a ship flying a skull flag was docked. They had landed in the wrong place, but fortunately, it made little difference.