The moment those two words were uttered, the air grew heavy.
Haoshoku Haki.
On these seas, it served as the threshold separating kings from regular pirates. It was a rare talent appearing in only one out of millions.
Garp's face furrowed into a deep frown while dripping with seawater.
He glanced at the youth silhouetted against the setting sun and lowered his voice.
"Bogard, have you lost your mind? Haoshoku no Haki requires innate willpower. This kid might be a freak, but..."
"I wish someone had knocked me senseless," Bogard replied, keeping his gaze locked on Zaraki's profile to search for any hint of confusion.
As an instructor, he expected trainees to display innocent ignorance when confronted with concepts beyond their comprehension.
It provided one of the few sources of superiority for senior officers.
Zaraki showed no confusion as his expression remained calm.
A slight smile even curved his lips when he heard the term Haoshoku Haki.
In the lower right corner of his vision, the translucent panel flickered faintly.
The last Awakening Token still left unused, resonating with the restless wildness rising in his chest.
Kenpachi Zaraki's template granted combat instincts alongside an indomitable arrogance that refused to bow to anyone!
The tense atmosphere reached its peak and the calm sea then exploded!
Boom!
A fishy stench washed over them.
The bloody scent from the fish Zaraki had killed with pebbles earlier attracted the apex predator of these shallow waters.
A sea king, over fifteen meters long, breached the surface.
Its slick, eel-like body was crowned with a lion-like mane. Its gaping maw revealed rows of razor-sharp fangs.
The creature's massive shadow enveloped the entire pier, swallowing the fading glow of the setting sun.
This beast was the apex predator that ruled the East Blue.
"Watch out!" Bogard gripped his sword hilt, his body locking into a combat stance.
Garp raised an eyebrow, halting his fist mid-swing.
He noticed the young man standing at the pier's edge hadn't even turned his head.
Zaraki merely glanced sideways.
His peripheral vision swept over the colossal beast poised to strike from above.
'You think you can eat me?'
Deep within Zaraki's consciousness, the lingering power stirred even more violently.
A surge of immense energy coursed through his limbs and bones. It bypassed physical strength and echoed as a primal roar from his very soul.
"Get lost."
The phrase slipped through Zaraki's teeth.
The air around him clenched, then exploded outward.
Crimson arcs of electricity materialized from thin air and spread through the atmosphere.
The raw force of will warped reality itself.
The Lord of the Coast poised to strike. Its brutal vertical pupils contracted to pinpricks, then rolled upward into its sockets.
Its massive body froze mid-air.
....
Time stretched to an eternity.
It gave no cry of pain and put up zero struggle.
With a single glance, the sea beast's brain shut down completely.
BOOM!
The colossal carcass crashed back into the sea.
It unleashed a tsunami-like wave three stories high, dwarfing the splash from Garp's earlier fall.
Salty seawater, mixed with dead fish and seaweed, crashed down on them.
Garp and Bogard stood on the pier, not even bothering to dodge. Their minds went blank, unable to send the commands to their bodies.
Seawater streamed down Garp's graying temples and dripped into his wide-open mouth, leaving a bitter, salty taste.
Bogard's Marine cap hung crookedly on his ear.
Slap!
A sharp slap echoed through the dead-silent dock.
Garp blinked, feeling the burning pain on his cheek.
He stared at his adjutant. "Why did you do that?"
Bogard looked at his own hand in confusion. "Vice Admiral, does it hurt?"
"Of course it hurts! My face is swelling!"
"Good... if it hurts, then I am not dreaming..." Bogard's voice trembled, on the verge of breaking down.
"Sixteen years old... two types of Haki... and Haoshoku Haki... Vice Admiral, are you certain he is your adopted grandson and not an Ancient Weapon come to life?"
Garp wiped the water from his face.
His usual grin vanished, replaced by a burning intensity in his eyes.
He whirled around to face the young man turning slowly in the mist.
Zaraki shook the water droplets from his hair, his face bearing that nonchalant expression.
He raised a hand, waving away the fishy stench. "This thing makes a convenient fan, even if it is rough on the throat."
'A fan?'
'He's using Haoshoku Haki... as a fan?!'
"You brat! Do you even realize what that was—" Garp roared, lunging forward before stopping mid-sentence.
He grabbed Bogard, who was still in a daze. "Den Den Mushi! Quick! Fetch my Den Den Mushi! I must call Sengoku! If the pirates get wind of a talent like this, the Marines has no future on these seas!"
"I... I don't have it... It got waterlogged when I fell into the sea earlier..." Bogard stammered, keeping his gaze fixed on Zaraki.
He clutched Garp's shoulder, shuffling his feet while muttering, "A genius... no, a monster... We have awakened a monster..."
Zaraki sighed, watching the two deranged Marines before him.
'Looks like I gave them too much shock.'
...
"Zaraki."
A gentle, trembling voice came from the pier entrance.
Zaraki's imposing aura vanished.
He turned to see Makino standing there, holding a neatly folded stack of clothes.
The sea breeze ruffled her hair.
Her usually smiling eyes were red, showing she had witnessed the entire scene.
She refrained from asking about the terrifying lightning or why the sea beast had collapsed.
The wise tavern owner knew some things were better left unasked.
She understood that the boy she once cared for had grown beyond what Foosha Village could contain.
"Are you gonna leave?" Makino's voice stayed soft but cut clearly through the crashing waves.
Zaraki paused for two seconds before nodding. "Yeah. If I stay, that old man will drag me straight to Marine Headquarters before I can even breathe. I already agreed to go with him, but I'm not letting him haul me around like luggage."
If he stayed, Garp would drag him straight to Marine Headquarters before he had time to move on his own.
Zaraki had already agreed to go, but he wanted to enter that world on his own terms.
"Everything is prepared," Makino said.
She stepped forward to hand Zaraki a bundle of rough, durable clothing.
Tucked inside were a bag of Beli, a package of freshly baked jerky, and a folded letter marked with Garp's seal.
"The small boat is tied up behind the rocks. It's not much, but it should be enough to reach Loguetown. Bogard-san finished noting your provisional trainee status earlier, and Garp-san added that letter before everything turned into chaos. If you run into Marines before he catches up, show it to them."
Zaraki took the bundle, his fingertips brushing against Makino's cold hand.
"Thanks, Makino."
"Promise me one thing," Makino said, tilting her head up to straighten his collar. "Don't tell Luffy you ran off on your own. Leave a message saying Vice Admiral Garp sent you ahead for special training. Otherwise, he will cry his eyes out."
"Don't worry, I know how to handle the brat."
Zaraki glanced one last time at Garp, who was playfully tugging at Bogard's cheeks, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
'That old man... when he realizes I slipped away, he'll probably blow up half the dock again.'
Without hesitation, he turned and leaped off the pier, landing on the single-masted sailboat hidden behind the rocks.
He cast off the mooring lines and raised the sails.
The sea wind filled the sails, propelling the small boat toward the deep blue horizon.
Zaraki sat cross-legged at the bow.
He pulled out the flask of rum he'd swiped from the tavern, uncorked it, and took a long swig.
The fiery liquid slid down his throat, igniting a warmth in his veins.
...
Foosha Village shrank behind him.
Even from this distance, Garp's thunderous roar carried over the water.
"You brat! Who gave you permission to run off?! Get back here and become an Admiral!"
Zaraki ignored the shouting as he raised the flask toward the fading coastline.
"Admiral? That sounds boring."
He gazed at the uncharted sea ahead, his eyes burning with battle lust.
'Since I'm here, and since I've got this template, let's set a small goal.'
Zaraki patted the ordinary longsword at his waist.
"I'll start by cutting down the strongest bastards on this sea, one by one."