*BOOM!* A heavy sonic boom detonated along the coast of Onigashima in the New World.
Caesar’s body shot backward, plowing a deep trench through the sandy beach.
Before he could scramble to his feet, a towering, burly figure leaped down from above, slamming a massive fist toward his head.
Caesar jerked his head aside, planted both hands into the sand, and kicked hard against King’s chest, using the momentum to flip backward and retreat.
*Bang!* With a muffled thud, King took a step back and patted his chest.
“Impressive combat reflexes.
Your ability to learn in battle is remarkable.
It’s only been a week, and you can already last this long against me.” “Though if you keep going like this, I doubt you’ll master Armament Haki even after several years.” “What do you mean?” Caesar panted, a look of confusion on his face.
“Your fighting style is nimble and reliant on speed.
Your physical strength is decent, but you mainly use it for surprise attacks or for tanking blows you can’t dodge,” King said indifferently.
“To put it simply, you lack offensive drive—or rather, the confidence for a head-on confrontation.” Caesar raised an eyebrow.
“Confidence?” “I don’t mean you’re a coward.
Anyone who possesses Conqueror’s Haki never lacks the courage to challenge the strong.
But even among kings, there are different types.
There are fearless, reckless madmen, and there are ambitious, calculating schemers.
You are clearly the latter.” King pointed a finger at Caesar.
“Your problem is that you calculate too much.
Your first reaction in battle isn’t how to knock down your opponent, but how to keep yourself from getting hurt.” “Is there something wrong with that?” Caesar asked, uncomprehending.
“Is there something wrong?
Hmph…” King chuckled in exasperation.
“Do you even realize who you’re standing against?
Even here in the New World, my strength is second only to the Four Emperors.
And yet, when facing my attacks, your main thought is how to stay unharmed?
Don’t you think you’re getting ahead of yourself?” Caesar shook his head.
“No.
Precisely because you’re so strong, I *have* to avoid getting hurt!” The lifespan he had stolen from Who’s-Who had already been drained dry by his frequent injuries, and since he couldn’t use his Devil Fruit ability right now, taking any more damage meant having to tough it out with his own body.
“That is your exact problem!
Who ever heard of a fight where nobody gets hurt?” King barked.
“Listen up!
Armament Haki can only be forged in brutal, head-on combat!
A coward who ducks and dodges like you will never awaken Armament Haki!” Caesar’s face darkened.
“Dodging a punch like that is basic survival!
If that hit lands, I’d be severely injured!” “The sea won’t hand you evenly matched opponents, you fool!” With a loud boom, the sand beneath King’s feet collapsed into a spiderweb of cracks.
A black figure shot forward like a cannonball, a fist coated in Armament Haki hurling toward Caesar with terrifying force!
The sudden strike made Caesar’s pupils shrink.
In an instant, the attack was right before his eyes.
Caesar hurriedly crossed his arms in front of his chest to block.
*Bang!* Another heavy shockwave burst forth!
The sand underfoot scattered outward under the intense air pressure.
Unlike the controlled force from earlier, this blow was vastly stronger, faster, and more concentrated!
The tight muscles in his forearms trembled violently, and his bones creaked under the crushing burden.
Yet Caesar didn’t dare relax for a single second.
The power behind this punch was terrifying—so overwhelming that it made his hair stand on end, so intense that it felt as though if he loosened his guard by even a fraction…
he would die!
Yet, unexpectedly—he blocked it!
His body instinctively pulled back his chest and sank into a firm stance, while an inexplicable power surged continuously from within his body into his arms.
Under this desperate, full-effort defense, the trembling muscles on his arms hardened further, turning as dense and unyielding as steel!
Sensing the shift in Caesar, the dark fist in front of him finally halted its advance.
“Feel that?
The power inside you…” King pulled back his fist and spoke calmly.
“What…
was that?” As the internal power receded like a fading tide, Caesar let out a soft breath.
A sudden wave of exhaustion washed over him, leaving him feeling so weak that a gentle breeze might knock him over.
A raging hunger struck him once again.
“I didn’t infuse much Haki into that punch, but I used at least fifty percent of my physical strength,” King said coolly.
“Looks like I was right.
You overthink things.
The presence or absence of Haki is an enormous gulf.
In battle, the side with Haki holds an overwhelming advantage.
And precisely because you understand this, you firmly believed I was an opponent you couldn’t stand against, which made you avoid facing me head-on.” “In other words, you were so obsessed with the gap between our strengths that you overlooked your own power and had zero confidence in it.
But in reality, your strength isn’t inferior to those who have already made a name for themselves out on the seas.” “Maybe so…” Caesar fell backward onto the sand, staring up.
“Before I got my Devil Fruit, I was just an ordinary guy.
No matter how hard I trained, I made no progress.
I heard that life-and-death battles could make a person stronger, but I lacked the nerve to throw everything on the line.
Only after becoming an ability user did I find the guts to step into the world of the strong.” What else could he have done?
Before transmigrating, he had been nothing more than an average person.
And in all the years since transmigrating, though he was unwilling to accept his mundane status, he had never faced a real crisis.
“Fearing death…
is pure instinct.” “Those who possess Conqueror’s Haki don’t fear death.
Kaidou-san’s favorite hobby is suicide.” “That’s because he *can’t* die!” “No, it’s because he has a reason he cannot afford to die.” “I get it!
But at the same time, I totally don’t!” Caesar sighed helplessly.
“I’ve heard that fists stripped of conviction become soft and weak.
Every single one of those monsters competing on the seas has some kind of grand ideal or belief.
But to me, ‘conviction’ feels a bit too abstract…” “Is that so…
I see.” King fell silent for a moment.
“If you just need a reason to fight, I can give you one.” “Huh?” Hearing this, Caesar bolted upright, a sudden bad feeling rising in his chest.
“While having your assets inventoried two days ago, I took the opportunity to check your background…
It’s very clean.
Aside from a fondness for bribing Navy officers, there are no messy entanglements.
Good potential for a pirate.” “If there’s any anomaly…
you seem particularly interested in a tiny village.
Not only did you pay a fortune to hire Navy hero Garp to clear out the pirates there, but you also bought the village bookstore and paid a huge salary to hire a young girl as the manager…” “That girl’s name is…
Nami, right?” The smile on Caesar’s face gradually vanished.
A crimson glint flickered in the depths of his eyes.
“You managed to uncover all that in just one week?” “Joker’s service has a stellar reputation,” King said indifferently.
Investigating people wasn’t within the Beasts Pirates’ scope of operations; usually, it was outsourced to Doflamingo.
That man’s business network spanned all Four Seas, and his intelligence network was no weaker than Stussy’s—the Queen of the Pleasure District.
“Is that girl your sweetheart?” “No.
I’ve never even met her.” Caesar slowly stood up.
“It was just a random whim.
I felt like changing something, so I acted on impulse.
So even if you kill her, it won’t affect me much.” “Yet you look furious.” “I am furious.” Caesar drew himself up to his full height.
An indescribable sensation hovered at his forehead, like a sharp point aimed directly between his brows.
It caused him intense discomfort while igniting an uncontrollable flare of rage in his heart.
“Are you threatening me?” “Kaidou-san tasked me with bringing out your full potential.
So no matter what method I use, as long as it achieves the goal, I won’t hesitate for a second,” King spoke coldly, showing not a shred of shame over using cheap threats.
“You’re a smart man.
You should know I’m not making empty idle talk.
So…
have you found your conviction to fight now?” “Still no.” Caesar let out a cold laugh.
“Though I don’t even fully understand why I’m this angry, none of that matters anymore.
Right now, I just want to kill you.” “Pure murderous intent is also a conviction.” King sneered softly and slowly drew the long sword at his waist.
This was the first time in all these days of training that he had unsheathed his blade.
“So, you’re prepared to face death…
right?” *Sizzle—* A flush of crimson quietly surfaced across Caesar’s skin, and wisps of steam expanded around him.
With a faint red glow flickering, a pair of giant black bat wings tore through the fabric on Caesar’s back, trembling slightly as they unfolded.
An oppressive silence hung in the air.
Armament Haki attached itself to the tip of his sword.
King quietly watched the enraged youth before him, his gaze slowly shifting to the boy’s forehead.
There, a strand of hair hanging down suddenly stood on end as if triggered by some intense force.
Then, in an instant, Caesar vanished from sight!
Disappeared?
King’s eyes narrowed.
Within his Observation Haki, a deep darkness descended from above at a speed invisible to the naked eye.
Sensing this blindingly fast attack, he swung his long sword upward!
*BOOM!* A wild, matchless Conqueror’s Haki detonated out of thin air!
In an instant, shockwaves tumbled.
The violent collision caused the waves to reverse and the coastal rocks to shatter!
Conqueror’s Haki?
Still failed to trigger Armament Haki…
The moment his blade clashed with the fist, a hint of disappointment flashed in King’s eyes.
Although a week was short, given Caesar’s talent, he should have gotten a feel for it by now.
Yet Caesar still disappointed him.
The fist descending from above didn’t carry even a trace of Armament Haki.
In that case, beat him half to death first!
Anyway, with this kid’s ability, as long as he has a breath left, he can survive…
Thinking this, King swung his long sword with unreserved force, striking Caesar’s right fist—or rather, the invisible wall of air in front of it!
Feeling the mountain-shattering brute force bursting from the blade, King’s eyes suddenly widened in shock!
*BOOM!* A deafening roar swept across the entire beach.
Hurricane-force winds howled, and the distant coconut grove rustled violently, with faint cracking sounds of trunks snapping.
It felt like a second passed, yet also like an eternity…
On the shore, two figures—one large, one small—lay sprawled on the sand in an ‘X’ shape, both panting heavily and looking thoroughly battered.
The difference was that one was exhausted, while the other was shocked.
*Clack…* His mask along with his helmet fell off.
King raised a hand to wipe the corner of his mouth; a prominent smudge of blood stained his fingertip, and his left cheek burned fiercely—it would likely swell high before long.
Caesar stared straight up at the sky, reliving the feeling of that strike just now.
The sensation had been extraordinary…
It was as if his intent had solidified into something tangible, flowing like liquid onto his fist.
The moment he threw the punch, it felt capable of sweeping away everything in this world!
Even though he hadn’t even swept away King right before him, that feeling of breaking through all constraints and becoming matchless was deeply etched into his mind.
Lifting a trembling arm, Caesar panted heavily.
“Was that…
Armament Haki Emission?” “No.
Simple Armament Haki Emission could never knock away my blade…” King slowly sat up, his white hair draped over his shoulders, revealing a handsome face with wheat-toned skin.
Beyond the shock in his eyes lay complete bewilderment.
“That was…
Conqueror’s Coating.
Although I don’t know how you managed it, without a doubt…
you really are a dangerous guy.
If you’re allowed to keep growing, even if you won’t be a match for Kaidou-san, you’ll definitely surpass me.” Caesar let out a soft scoff.
“What?
Thinking of nipping the threat in the bud?” “Don’t worry.
I don’t think you’ll ever surpass that man, and you no longer need to worry about my threats.” King slowly stood up, casually throwing out a flying slash that wiped out several unlucky subordinates who had come to investigate the commotion and accidentally seen his face.
“Against a man capable of throwing a punch like that, using such low-class threat tactics would only bring shame upon me.
I acknowledge that you have the right to stand on equal footing with me.
And before you challenge that man, I will look forward to the battles between us.” The corner of Caesar’s mouth twitched.
“Well, that’s not bad…” “So, who is that girl?” King sat down cross-legged next to Caesar, his tone carrying a hint of teasing curiosity.
“Your reason to fight?” “You’re a bit too gossip-minded…” Caesar sat up with great effort, feeling every bone in his body creak.
“I really haven’t met her.
I just wanted to try changing something, so I did it on a whim.
As for conviction…
to be honest, I still don’t quite get it…” King was somewhat surprised.
“Then your murderous intent just now…” “I once heard a saying…
Freedom isn’t being able to do whatever you want, but being able to refuse doing what you don’t want to do.” Caesar smiled.
“I don’t like trampling on other people’s freedom, and I equally despise having my own will violated.
In fact, the very reason I took to the sea was simply to take control of my own destiny.” “I see…” King smiled in realization, finally understanding why Caesar had thrown that punch.
“Yet even so, you still have to compromise with Kaidou-san.” “Which is why sooner or later, I’m going to have a brawl with him!” Caesar laughed out loud.
“If I can fight an Emperor of the Sea without being defeated, it means I’ll have the leverage to no longer fear their threats, right?
Besides, I didn’t come here empty-handed.
Before I leave, I’m definitely going to give him a grand surprise.” “Then I shall look forward to it…” King smiled and stood up, chopping down a few more pirate foot soldiers who had caught sight of his face.
“However, I will always firmly believe that that man…
can never be defeated.” “Then why do you still keep your face covered all day?
Doesn’t sound like your conviction is that firm either, huh?” “…You don’t understand.” Hearing Caesar’s banter, King’s sword-swinging action paused, and he gave him an unexpected glance.
However, he didn’t say anything further.
He silently picked up the mask from the ground, slapped it casually back onto his face, and walked away.