The enormous plaza fell into complete silence.
Lucas’s question had caught everyone completely off guard.
Even Fleet Admiral Sengoku had been willing to swallow his pride and petition the World Government for a Devil Fruit on Lucas’s behalf.
Could something like that really be measured in money?
"Hahaha! Lucas, your questions never fail to surprise people!" Garp burst into laughter.
"Don’t worry. If you really want a Devil Fruit, Sengoku would sell everything he owns to get you one. But you should be prepared—Devil Fruits are incredibly rare. Ancient Zoans, Mythical Zoans, and especially Logia Devil Fruits are even harder to come by."
"If you’re hoping to boost your strength quickly by relying on a Devil Fruit, that’s not an easy path."
Zephyr’s eyes lit up.
While Garp’s words didn’t completely express what he wanted to say, they at least conveyed part of his thoughts by explaining both the advantages and disadvantages of Devil Fruits.
The muscles on Sengoku’s face twitched for quite some time before he finally suppressed the urge to explode.
"Lucas, Garp is right," Sengoku said with a nod. "Obtaining a Devil Fruit is only a suggestion. Whether we can actually find one depends on luck. As Fleet Admiral, I also don’t want to see you neglect your training because you’re counting on a Devil Fruit."
"As for the cost, don’t worry. Marine Headquarters can certainly afford a single Devil Fruit. Your salary won’t be reduced by a single Berry."
"Hmph."
Akainu let out a cold snort before turning to leave.
Now that the appointment of the Marines’ Fourth Admiral had been settled, there was no point in staying any longer.
Watching him leave, Sengoku and the others secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
After the confrontation earlier, they had genuinely feared that the two Admirals would start fighting again over the slightest disagreement.
"Excuse me, Admiral Sakazuki. Could you wait a moment?"
Adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses, Lucas suddenly called out.
Everyone who had just relaxed instantly became tense again.
Stopping Sakazuki at a time like this...
Wasn’t that the equivalent of provoking a tiger? It was practically asking for death.
"Brat," Akainu said as he stopped in his tracks, magma slowly bubbling across his body once more, "I don’t object to you becoming an Admiral. But that doesn’t mean I’ve acknowledged you."
"If you’re making me stay, then you’d better have a satisfactory explanation. Otherwise, don’t blame me for continuing the fight we started earlier."
The moment those words fell, Sengoku and Zephyr both became alarmed.
Marine Headquarters could certainly afford a Devil Fruit.
But if two Admirals started another all-out battle, the repair costs alone might bankrupt Marine Headquarters.
"Lucas, don’t be reckless!"
Zephyr hurriedly stepped between them, clearly afraid they would start fighting at the slightest provocation.
Seeing this, Lucas simply smiled.
He uncorked his gourd, took a swig of strong liquor, and said casually,
"Instructor Zephyr, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, there’s no need to worry. I didn’t ask Admiral Sakazuki to stay because I insist on fighting him."
"I just wanted to ask..."
"Is the Conqueror’s Haki Admiral Sakazuki mentioned... this gust of wind?"
BOOM!!
The instant those words left his mouth, the Conqueror’s Haki lying dormant within Lucas erupted for the very first time like a collapsing dam.
Crimson waves of pressure exploded outward like a Category 12 hurricane.
The vast plaza was swept clean in an instant.
Centered on Lucas, the already damaged arena shattered once again under the overwhelming pressure.
Even the distant buildings fared no better.
Their walls cracked apart like fragile glass under the wash of Conqueror’s Haki before collapsing piece by piece.
At that moment, the tens of thousands of Marines present all heard a deafening roar inside their minds.
It felt as though an invisible hammer had struck their very souls.
Their consciousness instantly went blank.
The next second, their eyes rolled back.
Foam spilled from their mouths as they collapsed one after another, unable to withstand the terrifying pressure.
Like leaves swept away by an autumn gale, they crashed heavily onto the ground.
Everywhere the Conqueror’s Haki reached, Marines dropped without exception.
From a distance, the scene was unimaginably shocking.
In the blink of an eye, only a little over a hundred people remained standing in the enormous Marine Headquarters plaza.
Amid the countless unconscious bodies scattered across the ground, they stood out like lone cranes among chickens.
Looking at the sea of fallen Marines, everyone stared in stunned disbelief, as though they had seen a ghost.
Even Akainu—who had been the one to mention Conqueror’s Haki moments ago—was no exception.
Just moments earlier, Lucas’s sudden mastery of both Armament Haki and Observation Haki had already caught him off guard and left him at a disadvantage.
His remark about Conqueror’s Haki had only been an offhand excuse to save face.
Never in his wildest dreams had he expected Lucas to awaken it immediately afterward.
"So... this gust of wind is Conqueror’s Haki?"
Faced with the overwhelming scene before him, Akainu had no words to refute it.
Across the seas, countless people possessed Armament Haki and Observation Haki.
But those who wielded all three forms of Haki were exceedingly rare.
Every person who awakened Conqueror’s Haki possessed the potential to stand among the rulers of the sea.
Just look at the Four Emperors dominating the New World.
Every one of them was proof of that.
After being surprised again and again by Lucas, no matter how unwilling Akainu was to admit it...
At this moment, Lucas had completely earned the qualifications to sit as the Marines’ Fourth Admiral.
"Ahem..."
Lucas coughed awkwardly as he withdrew his Conqueror’s Haki.
"Sorry about that. I accidentally knocked out half of Marine Headquarters. It’s my first time using this gust of wind."
"So... this really is Conqueror’s Haki?"
"Oh, right."
"They’re not going to dock my pay over this... are they?"
"Dock your pay? I’ll dock your head!"
In a flash, Garp appeared behind Lucas and slammed a heavy hand onto his shoulder.
The speed and agility of the old Marine legend caused Lucas’s expression to change slightly.
Awakening all three forms of Haki had greatly increased his strength.
He had originally believed he could at least contend with the world’s top-tier fighters now.
Yet he had still underestimated these old monsters.
Looks like he absolutely couldn’t afford to miss a single day of checking in for his salary.
"Hahaha!"
"You little brat really are someone I picked out!"
"You’re a genuine genius!"
"That’s all three forms of Haki! Across the entire sea, only a handful of people possess that."
"So, Lucas, have you thought about my proposal from before?"
"I just so happen to be missing a grandson."
"How about calling me ’Grandpa’?"
"From then on, if anyone dares complain about you, I’ll go crack them over the head for you."
"I’m an expert at that!"