Even for those born with the qualifications to become a king—the gift known as Conqueror's Haki, a talent possessed by only one person in a million—Conqueror's Haki coating remained an ability that only a tiny number of people could truly master.
But why was it so difficult?
Because Conqueror's Haki was fundamentally different from Armament Haki and Observation Haki. If Armament and Observation Haki could be regarded as forms of power that could be sensed, trained, and controlled within the body, then Conqueror's Haki—which represented the power of one's will, or more precisely, the force of one's "presence" and "authority"—was far more mysterious and abstract.
It was an energy invisible to the naked eye and impossible to touch in the literal sense of the word. Before reaching a certain level of strength, its user could not even clearly feel it, let alone turn it into an offensive weapon or control it according to their will as they could with Armament Haki.
Even more difficult was the fact that there was no direct method for training Conqueror's Haki.
One could not simply use it hundreds of times a day and wait for it to grow stronger, as one could with Armament Haki. Conqueror's Haki developed in a harsher and more mysterious way—through successive battles where life and death hung in the balance, through the tempering of one's will, the accumulation of experience, and the expansion of the "presence" carried by its wielder over time.
For this reason, a person could not truly begin mastering Conqueror's Haki coating until their Conqueror's Haki had reached a terrifying level of strength.
Only then could they move beyond simply releasing their presence to crush the wills of others and begin turning that presence into a tangible force that accumulated around their body, weapon, or attack.
That was precisely why, once someone in this sea mastered Conqueror's Haki coating, they possessed the foundation needed to reach the very peak of power—even to the point of having the qualifications to stand among the ranks of the Emperors of the Sea.
Because merely crossing the threshold of "touching" Conqueror's Haki already meant that the person had accumulated tremendous strength.
But... what about Ace?
Ace's Conqueror's Haki had not even reached that threshold.
Not only had he failed to reach it, but according to the natural logic of this world, he should still have been incredibly far away from it.
And yet, he had done something that defied every known rule.
He had directly coated his fist with Conqueror's Haki.
And so, right before Garp's eyes, Ace had suddenly broken through one of the most impossible barriers in the world of power—as though that barrier had never existed in the first place.
As for Ace, he did not seem interested in the shock on Garp's face. All of his attention was focused on the other ability he had just realized.
###
"Enkai — Sea Floor Descent!"
"Thanks to your extraordinary innate comprehension ability, you observed Garp's technique—Sea Floor Descent—and derived and comprehended it."
"The perfect fusion of Conqueror's Haki coating and the Flame-Flame Fruit. With a single strike, an endless domain of fire descends!"
When the information appeared in his mind, a faint glimmer flashed across Ace's eyes.
The perfect fusion of Conqueror's Haki coating and the Flame-Flame Fruit?
The result was even more impressive than he had expected.
"Enkai — Sea Floor Descent" was not merely an enhanced version of an ordinary attack. It was a technique that perfectly combined the two strongest sources of power Ace currently possessed: the Flame-Flame Fruit and his Conqueror's Haki coating.
Even the strongest figures in this sea found it incredibly difficult to use Conqueror's Haki offensively, and only a select few could master it.
So how could someone possibly merge this kind of power with a Logia-type Devil Fruit?
It was completely different from coating a fist or sword, both of which possessed a clearly defined physical existence. The natural element produced by the Flame-Flame Fruit did not possess the same shape or stability, making the process of controlling and stabilizing power around it far more complicated.
But once it succeeded...
The resulting power could not even be compared to an attack relying on either source alone.
For Ace, that had been obvious from the very beginning.
In terms of destructive power, this technique should come immediately after his "Burial in Flames."
More importantly, its potential for growth seemed limitless. The stronger his Conqueror's Haki became, the more power he could fuse with his flames. Perhaps, in the future, the technique might even surpass the limits of the Flame-Flame Fruit itself.
Ace felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
This day was a genuine turning point.
He had finally obtained the ticket that would allow him to walk toward the summit of this sea.
"Wait, Ace... You... you actually know how to use this power now?"
Garp approached him, his voice still carrying a hint of stammering. Even now, his mind refused to process what his eyes had just witnessed.
But Ace could not be bothered to answer.
Instead, he raised his hand, coated his little finger with Conqueror's Haki, and calmly used it to clean his ear.
He was completely serious, as though he had just discovered a practical application for this power.
Hmm... No wonder it was Conqueror's Haki. Even cleaning your ears with it was more efficient.
"..."
Garp opened his mouth, then closed it again.
He remained silent for several seconds, completely unable to find a single suitable word to describe what he had just witnessed.
What the hell had this little brat just done?!
Conqueror's Haki coating!
A power countless powerful fighters dreamed of, a power some might spend their entire lives without even reaching the threshold of...
Ace was using it to clean his ear!
Garp took a deep breath.
Then another.
And a third.
In the end, all he could do was force a bitter smile onto his face.
Regardless of how it had happened, the truth before his eyes could not be denied.
Ace had truly mastered Conqueror's Haki coating, and his degree of control was terrifying.
Even Garp himself could not direct his Conqueror's Haki toward a single finger and maintain it there without wasting power.
That level of control was astonishing.
So astonishing that Garp began to feel as though he could no longer clearly see the future of this boy.
And yet, there was one thing he was absolutely certain of.
Ace's future would surpass his own.
In fact, Ace had to become a Marine!
"Ace, I've just shown you the impressive power your grandfather possesses. So? What do you say? Come with your grandfather and join the Marines."
A wide smile appeared on Garp's face, as though he had finally found the trump card he could use.
Ace looked at the Conqueror's Haki surrounding his finger, then at Garp.
"Old man, you said you'd teach me this power after I became a Marine, right?"
He pointed at his hand.
Garp nodded.
"And I already know how to use it now, right?"
Garp nodded again.
"Then why do I even need to join the Marines in the first place? Right?"
Garp froze.
His head nodded automatically for the third time.
Then...
He stiffened.
Damn that "right"!
He placed a hand over his chest, feeling a sharp pain as though his heart had been struck directly.
Why...
Why the hell had he shown Ace Conqueror's Haki coating?!
In truth, his purpose in demonstrating this power had not merely been to persuade Ace to join the Marines.
There was another reason.
Garp wanted Ace to realize early on just how vast this sea truly was.
His path had been far too smooth, and his talent... far too terrifying.
The world might seem small to him now, but in reality, it was so vast that it was impossible to imagine its true scale. Even he and Roger had suffered defeat countless times before they finally reached the summit.
Ace needed to understand that there was a sky beyond the sky, a sea beyond the sea, and countless powerful people whose numbers were beyond what any ordinary person could imagine.
But more importantly...
This power was Conqueror's Haki coating!
According to Garp's original calculations, even if Ace possessed extraordinary talent, it was almost impossible for him to master this power before reaching the level of a vice admiral candidate for admiral at Marine Headquarters.
That meant Garp would have many years.
Years during which he could bring Ace into the Marines, teach him, and gradually shape his character.
But who could have expected that this boy was not merely a genius?
He was a true monster!
One glance had been enough.
Just one glance, and Ace had managed to touch a power that should have taken him many long years to understand.
Everything Garp had arranged in his mind had completely fallen apart.
"With things like this, I've decided to become a pirate!"
Ace looked at Garp, who seemed to have begun questioning the very meaning of life, and felt that he needed to cheer the old man up a little.
After all, Garp did not get many vacations.
He had to make good use of the opportunity.
"What kind of damn joke is that?! Ace!"
The moment Garp heard those words, his expression changed completely.
If Ace, with this terrifying talent, became a pirate...
Who knew how far things could go?
Wouldn't it become even crazier than his father, Gol D. Roger?!
Impossible!
Absolutely not!
Garp charged toward Ace, Haki beginning to surge around his body.
And so, a brand-new round of intense training began.
Time passed quickly, as though the days themselves were fleeing from the aftermath of that brutal training.
Soon, an entire month had passed.
In the end, Garp sent Ace back to Dadan and her family.
"Ace!"
The moment Dadan opened the door and saw the boy standing before her, her face lit up with joy for an instant.
But she quickly hid her expression and coughed lightly.
"Ahem... You're back again, you little brat. What a nuisance."
Her words were in complete contradiction to what her heart was feeling.
Ace, however, simply smiled in silence.
"Ahem."
The next moment, as soon as Garp cleared his throat, Dadan straightened up as though she had received a military order.
"M-Mr. Garp! You're here too? Would you like something to eat?"
She said it with an unmistakably sycophantic smile.
"No need. I have other matters to attend to. Anyway, I'll leave Ace in your care from now on."
"Y-Yes, of course, no problem... Huh?"
Dadan suddenly stopped.
She stared at Garp in confusion, then narrowed her eyes.
"Mr. Garp... What happened to your face?"
There was a clear burn mark on his right cheek.
Garp's expression froze for a moment.
"Hmm?"
"Ah... no, I must have seen it wrong. How could someone like Mr. Garp possibly get injured? Hahaha."
Dadan laughed awkwardly as beads of sweat began forming on her forehead.
"Ace, I'll come back and train you again during my next vacation. And remember this well—you must become an excellent Marine."
After finishing his final lecture, Garp vanished from the spot in the blink of an eye.
Ace watched the direction in which he had left, then a victorious smile spread across his face.
"Dadan, let's have a party!"
.....
On board Garp's battleship, the old man was already making his way back toward Marine Headquarters.
He stood alone on the deck, the sea wind tugging at his clothes.
Slowly, he raised his hand and silently touched the burn mark on his right cheek.
He remained silent for several moments.
Then an image of the final day of training appeared in his mind.
The enormous flaming blade that had torn through the sky.
The terrifying pressure it carried.
And the destructive power Ace should never have possessed at this stage.
"Could this... really be the power the Flame-Flame Fruit can unleash?"
Garp knew the limits of Ace's previous abilities very well, but that final strike had surpassed something...
It had surpassed Ace himself.
He had been using Observation Haki continuously throughout their training and carefully controlling the amount of power he directed at Ace.
Yet despite that, the attack had still left a clear mark on his face.
It had not been a mere superficial burn.
It had actually reached him.
"In terms of destructive power... it's even more ridiculous than that bastard Sakazuki's Magma-Magma Fruit was at the same point in time..."
Garp paused for a moment, then slowly sighed.
"This is simply... insane."
Garp felt that the entire month of training had not been ordinary training.
It had been a surreal dream.
At the beginning, all he had wanted was to make Ace understand that the world was far bigger than he imagined.
By the end, he had begun to realize that this boy might actually be bigger than the world he had known throughout his entire life.
.
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