The viewers watching the live stream rubbed their eyes, unable to believe what they were seeing.
"My God, am I seeing things?"
"Is that... Conqueror's Haki?!"
"Can Conqueror's Haki really be this terrifying? It knocked out all those mosquitoes, and from such a distance!"
"Isn't the power of Conqueror's Haki just like a fan?"
...
The entire Dragon Kingdom was aware of Conqueror's Haki because it had once trended on social media.
Aside from Qingfeng, who possessed Conqueror's Haki, there was another person—a Contract Non-Ability User—who also had it.
This person was named Zhao Lin, with an eighth-level talent. His Contract Non-Ability User was Kozuki Oden.
Thus, many people were familiar with Conqueror's Haki.
It couldn't be obtained through training, but no one felt it was a loss because they considered it rather useless. However, the scene before them now was beyond belief.
Zhao Lin was deeply shaken. With his eighth-level talent, he had naturally prioritized obtaining a Devil Fruit, but all his attempts at forming a Contract had failed. At the time, he had tried to Contract the Tremor-Tremor Fruit and the Phoenix Fruit, but both attempts ended in failure. With only two chances left, he thought of Contracting the seemingly unimpressive Gum-Gum Fruit, but that also failed.
Panicked, he used his last chance to Contract a Non-Ability User, carefully selecting someone who appeared formidable—Kozuki Oden.
He, too, possessed Conqueror's Haki, but he found it to be rather underwhelming. Even when used against those with lower talents, it only caused slight dizziness, never outright unconsciousness.
But what he was witnessing now was undoubtedly Conqueror's Haki, yet it was terrifyingly powerful, far beyond what his own could achieve.
...
Meanwhile, by the seaside.
Qingfeng was stunned. "His Conqueror's Haki has grown even stronger than before."
Lin Muxue's expression darkened. She knew Ye Yu's Conqueror's Haki was formidable, but she hadn't taken it seriously, believing that at such a distance, it would be ineffective. She had assumed that as everyone's strength improved, Ye Yu's Conqueror's Haki would become less relevant.
But now, she was horrified to discover that even though the target wasn't their crew, many of the lower-tier crew members had already fainted.
Li Cang was both shocked and envious. He shouted, "Everyone, stay away from him! Those who are too close are passing out! Stay at least five hundred meters—no, a thousand meters—away!"
Although they weren't the target, many quickly distanced themselves. Being too close to Ye Yu, who was now unleashing his Conqueror's Haki, caused them to tremble, break out in cold sweat, and even faint.
The other three Pirate Crews were equally shaken. They hadn't expected Conqueror's Haki to be this powerful, and their gazes toward Ye Yu became intensely fervent.
Meanwhile, Xia Ling and Zhao Yan'er were utterly astonished. Everyone on the ship realized they didn't need to lift a finger because the sky was filled with mosquitoes falling like rain.
They had initially thought many lower-tier crew members would perish, but now the crisis had been resolved without them even needing to act.
All the mosquitoes fell into the sea and quickly drowned.
Ye Yu felt a significant boost in experience. Although he hadn't leveled up, it was still a considerable gain.
Once all the mosquitoes had been knocked out and fallen into the sea, Ye Yu reined in his aura, and the world returned to normal.
Zhao Yan'er exclaimed in shock, "Xia Ling, why didn't you tell me your friend had Conqueror's Haki? And that it was this strong?"
Xia Ling was equally stunned. "I... I just found out myself."
The Executives were also completely astonished.
"Just like that, it's all taken care of..."
"It's because of Ye Yu..."
"He didn't even fight; he just unleashed his Conqueror's Haki and took care of all the mosquitoes."
"Earlier, I was thinking to myself that it was unnecessary for us to make such a big fuss just to pick him up. But now, I feel like our arrival was too abrupt. We should have hung banners, decorated the ship, and prepared fireworks and cannons to celebrate and welcome Ye Yu aboard."
"I felt the same way. I was annoyed and even a bit jealous about having to pick up this so-called 'connection.' Now, I just want to slap myself. This guy is a big deal!"
"Even if his personal strength isn't as good as ours, just his Conqueror's Haki alone is incredibly useful!"
...
At this moment, the lower-ranked crew members felt even more awkward, as if they had been slapped in the face.
"I was wrong."
"Earlier, I whispered that Ye Yu was just a 'connection' and not worth the trouble. Now, I realize I was mistaken."
"I even thought that coming to pick him up had put us in danger. But seeing how powerful he is, I just want to say, even if this were the Sea Kings' territory, we should still come!"
"Ye Yu must board the ship!"
"The Captain is amazing to have a friend like Ye Yu. It's an honor for the Captain, and for us as well."
...
For a moment, everyone on the ship wanted to slap themselves, and some were already doing so, feeling that they had offended Ye Yu and shouldn't have said those things.
Zhao Yan'er also felt a bit awkward. Earlier, she hadn't shown it, but she had thought Xia Ling was being too love-struck. Now, she just felt that Xia Ling was truly amazing for bringing such a powerful person into their fold.
Zhao Yan'er reminded and urged, "Don't just stand there! Keep sailing and get Ye Yu on board!"
The executives and crew members quickly got to work.
"Yes, yes, let's go pick up Ye Yu. We can't keep the big shot waiting!"
"We need to thank Ye Yu properly. Otherwise, as a lower-ranked crew member, I would have been either dead or seriously injured."
"The other pirate crews by the shore can see their captains' eyes burning with desire. They've definitely set their sights on Ye Yu. Let's hurry and get the big shot on board."
...
Indeed, the pirate crews by the shore were quickly mobilizing.
They had initially thought Ye Yu was washed up, and no one wanted to invite him to join. Despite having the strongest talent, he had contracted with seven Non-Ability Users. But now, regardless of his personal strength, just his terrifying Conqueror's Haki alone was incredibly valuable. In large-scale battles, it was practically a weapon of mass destruction!
"Ye Yu, join my ship! I'll make you an executive!"
"Don't join his ship, join mine! I'll make you vice-captain!"
"Join mine! Our pirate crew has plenty of girls, and our strength is no less than theirs. You can be vice-captain, and you can pick any girl you like."
...
For a moment, they were all inviting, even competing for him.
Lin Muxue was shaken at this point, feeling some regret and cursing inwardly, "How did his Conqueror's Haki improve so much? Now, even some of my regular crew members might be stunned by his Haki."
Qingfeng speculated, "It seems that the seven people he contracted with might all have Conqueror's Haki, which is why his Haki is so strong—it can stack. Perhaps, even in the later stages, his Conqueror's Haki won't just stun the small fry. Even some regular crew members might be affected, feeling dizzy even if they don't faint. Suddenly feeling dizzy in the middle of a battle could be fatal."
The crew of the Chosen One Pirate Crew immediately expressed their strong desire for Ye Yu to join them.
"Captain, why don't you go and apologize?"
"Originally, Ye Yu would have been part of our Pirate Crew, but back then, you..."
"Captain, although pride is important, the strength of our Pirate Crew is even more crucial. With Ye Yu, our future voyages and adventures would be much easier."
...
Soon, many executives began to persuade.
Li Cang felt a sourness in his heart and was filled with anger.
"Hmph! Where's your backbone? Ye Yu isn't someone we need to beg to join us. So what if his Conqueror's Haki is powerful? This is a world where the strong rule. As long as he can't influence the strong, Ye Yu is still useless..."
"Shut up!"
Lin Muxue scolded, hesitated briefly, and then walked towards Ye Yu.
The regret in her heart was even greater than when the Man-eating Fish had appeared. Although she was the one who had kicked Ye Yu off the ship and had vowed never to beg him to join, she now wanted to try. While pride was important, the future and prospects were even more so.
Lin Muxue checked herself in the mirror, touched up her makeup, smoothed her hair, and then approached with a smile, speaking softly.
"Brother Yu, I didn't expect your Conqueror's Haki to become even stronger than before. The real changes are about to begin. Let's start our adventure. The Chosen One Pirate Crew belongs to both of us. You can't join another Pirate Crew. Come back, be the vice-captain. I'll protect you with my Rumble Rumble Fruit. The strong ones will be my responsibility, and the small fry will be yours. Together, we'll dominate the seas."
However, Ye Yu ignored her completely, waving and smiling at the ship approaching from the front, spotting Xia Ling at the bow.
"Sister Ling."
Ignored, Lin Muxue forced herself to keep smiling and began to apologize coquettishly.
"Brother Yu, I know I was wrong. Please forgive me. As compensation, I'll come to your place tonight. And this time, I won't just let you kiss me; I'll allow you to touch a bit."
As she spoke, Lin Muxue glanced down at her ample bosom.
Ye Yu frowned and spoke coldly, "Even if you let me sleep with you, I wouldn't agree."
This made Lin Muxue's expression turn ugly.
Ye Yu mocked, "You were the one who kicked me off the ship, and now you want me back? Who said you'd never beg me or regret it?"
"Then, Brother Yu, tell me, what would it take?"
"First, kneel and beg me, then apologize. The captain's position must also be mine. Then I might consider it."
This made Lin Muxue's expression turn even uglier. She stopped smiling and became cold and sharp again.
"Hmph! You're really pushing it! I went that far, and you still want more? Do you really think I have to have you on the ship? If it weren't for your Conqueror's Haki being somewhat useful, I wouldn't have acted like that just now. I have to admit, your Conqueror's Haki is quite effective, but it's not enough for me to kneel and apologize, let alone give you the captain's position. That's impossible. Whether you come or not, this is absolutely the last time I'll show you any kindness. I won't try to recruit you again in the future."
Ye Yu laughed, "Really? What if you change your mind again? Or even kneel and beg me in the future?"
Lin Muxue laughed, feeling like she had heard the biggest joke.
"Ha ha ha, you really amuse me. Do you really think you're that valuable? I only intended to use you to deal with some small fries in the future. Do you really think you're important in a Pirate Crew? The most crucial part of a Pirate Crew is its powerful combat strength, and that's definitely not you! So, do you expect me to kneel down and beg
you to join in the future? Impossible! What status do you have, and what status do I have? Even if your Conqueror's Haki is somewhat impressive, you're not worthy of the Rumble Rumble Fruit ability to make me kneel and beg you. Absolutely impossible!"
(End of Chapter)