Crocus stared at Ace for a long time, speechless.
Kaya and Nami gazed at Ace's profile in a daze, their cheeks flushing at the same time.
Nojiko bit her lip gently.
Tashigi parted her lips slightly, as if she wanted to speak, but in the end, said nothing. Her eyes were full of conflicting emotions.
"So that's it… No wonder. A man who possesses Conqueror's Haki."
In Crocus's mind, the silhouette of a long-lost man began to surface.
This was the presence of a king.
"Settle down, Laboon," Ace said, stepping to the very front of the deck. His eyes sharpened in an instant.
BOOM!
Conqueror's Haki surged outward. With his level of mastery, Ace could pacify Laboon without overwhelming him into unconsciousness.
Under the influence of Ace's will, Laboon—who had been relentlessly slamming his head into the Red Line—gradually calmed down, rising slowly to the surface.
"Woooo..."
Now calm, Laboon let out a sorrowful cry as he looked up at the Red Line, utterly unscathed despite everything. New scars marred his head once again.
"Incredible control over Conqueror's Haki," Crocus murmured in awe.
"Hey, Laboon! You said you were waiting for someone, right?" Ace called out, gazing up at the massive whale.
Laboon tilted his enormous eye and looked toward Ace.
"In that case…"
A faint smirk tugged at the corner of Ace's lips—and then, he leapt.
Dark, violet-black lightning flickered in his eyes—
CRACK!
Countless bolts of black and purple lightning, ethereal at first, suddenly burst into sharp clarity, roaring outward from Ace's body. The sky churned. The sea boiled.
Unlike when Ace first arrived—where he'd held back to avoid hurting Laboon—this time, his Conqueror's Haki was unleashed without restraint. Every ounce of it flooded the atmosphere.
HUMMMMM!
Ace focused his will. The furious, crackling lightning coiled obediently around his right fist, wild as it was.
The air itself began to crack around that fist, proof of just how terrifyingly concentrated that power had become.
"Th-this is…!!" Crocus's expression twisted in utter shock for the first time.
BOOM!
Ace's fist came down—
Slamming not into Laboon, but into the ocean's surface dozens of meters away.
KRAKOOM!
A deafening blast erupted in the open air above the water.
In an instant, the sea parted—an enormous vacuum tore open in the waves. Water surged violently to either side. Laboon's massive body, rivaling a small island, was sent tumbling through the waves by the shockwave alone.
"Kyaaa!"
Onboard the Going Merry, Nami screamed as the ship rocked violently from the aftershocks. Waves battered the vessel as if the sea itself had come alive.
Luckily, Nojiko's skill at the helm had grown immensely. Even amidst the chaos, she steered the Merry safely through the madness.
"Blue Hole."
Ace lifted his head slightly, looking at the aftermath of his punch, a faint smile on his lips.
"Are you trying to kill us?!" Nami roared as Ace landed back on the ship.
"Come on, calm down! I had everything calculated. The ship won't flip. Besides, we've got Nojiko, don't we? Hahaha!"
Ace laughed, entirely unserious.
"I really thought I was going to die just now! I'm gonna kill you, Ace!"
Nami leapt onto Ace's back, wrapping her arms around his neck in a mock chokehold.
"Ace…"
Kaya saw the exaggerated expression on his face and rushed forward to mediate.
"Ace… you're so strong," Nojiko murmured, staring at him with wide eyes as he wrestled with the girls. She was truly shaken.
Now that she thought about it, when Ace defeated Arlong, he hadn't even used a tenth—no, not even a hundredth—of his real strength.
This… this scene felt more like something a warship should be capable of!
Tashigi, too, stood frozen, her worldview shattering.
In her eyes, Captain Smoker had been the pinnacle of strength.
But what she just witnessed…
Could a human even do something like that?
By now, Ace had subdued Nami. She glared at him with flushed cheeks, then stomped away. Ace strolled over to Nojiko.
Nojiko gave Nami a teasing look, making her whimper in protest.
"You… you… you…!"
Crocus stared at Ace like he'd seen a ghost.
"That move just now… was that Conqueror's Haki… Infusion?!"
His voice trembled with shock. His eyes wide.
He couldn't be mistaken. He knew what he saw.
It had been many, many years—but on that ship, there had been more than one person who could do this.
This wasn't just regular Conqueror's Haki. This was the advanced form—Infusion. The power that only a very few in the New World could wield. The force of kings.
Those who mastered Conqueror's Haki: Infusion could rule the seas.
"As expected of the Pirate King's doctor—you've got a sharp eye," Ace said with a smile, unfazed.
"How… how old are you?" Crocus asked, voice almost cracking.
"Seventeen," Ace answered plainly.
"…"
Crocus went silent.
Seventeen...
How old had Roger, Rayleigh, or even Whitebeard been when they first grasped Infusion?
Even with monstrous talent… this was beyond belief.
Most strong fighters only reached their peak in their forties. Only after countless battles, growth, and hardships could they wield Haki at its true potential.
But this boy… at seventeen… already had it.
Crocus didn't even know how to feel anymore.
"Wait! That technique—Blue Hole! That was...!"
Suddenly, a realization struck him.
He'd been so shaken by the Conqueror's Infusion, he almost missed the move itself.
"That was Garp's technique, wasn't it?!"
Crocus stared at Ace in disbelief.
That technique—he knew it too well. Back in the day, Garp had chased them all over the sea with it.
He'd clashed with Roger and Rayleigh countless times using that very move.
"Yep. I learned it from the old man himself."
Ace nodded, completely at ease.
"…"
Crocus had no words left.
A pirate, learning one of the Marine Hero's signature techniques?!
"Woooo…"
Laboon, who had been tossed God-knows-how-far by the blast, slowly swam back toward the ship. Even the look in his eyes had changed.
"Hey, Laboon! That punch earlier was pretty strong, right?"
Ace stood proudly on the deck as Laboon returned.
"Woooo…"
Laboon shivered at the memory of rolling helplessly through the sea. And that hadn't even been a direct hit…
"Look at you—all banged up. You wouldn't survive a real punch from me right now."
Ace's tone softened.
"So let's make a promise. I'm heading out to conquer the Grand Line—to become the King of the World! When I return… once you've healed… you'll take a full punch from me. Deal?"
Ace didn't mention that Brook was still alive because of the Revive-Revive Fruit. That kind of vague hope wouldn't help Laboon.
Laboon couldn't chase after Brook. Knowing the truth would only make him slam into the Red Line harder, trying to follow.
And if that happened… Laboon really wouldn't survive.
What Laboon needed now was new hope.
"Woooo…"
Laboon stared at Ace's gentle smile, tears beginning to glimmer at the corners of his massive eyes.
For a moment, it was like he had gone back in time—forty years ago—when he'd first met the Rumbar Pirates.
"Well? What do you say, Laboon?" Ace laughed brightly.
"WOOOOOO!"
Laboon let out a loud cry, raising his massive body high.
"Then it's a promise. This symbol… will mark our vow!"
Ace grabbed a massive paintbrush and leapt high, painting the Flame Emperor Pirates' jolly roger on Laboon's forehead.
"Not bad at all," Ace said, admiring his handiwork.
With his unparalleled comprehension, the flag looked fierce and commanding. Paired with Laboon's massive, scarred head—it had a unique, indomitable beauty.
"If you slam into the Red Line again, you'll ruin that mark. So heal up, and wait for me to return."
Ace gave him a warm smile.
"Wooo!"
Laboon cried again in response.
Crocus wiped a tear from the corner of his eye.
Laboon… finally had hope again.
Nami, Kaya, and Nojiko all smiled.
That was their Captain, after all.
Tashigi watched silently, her expression mixed and uncertain.
In the days that followed, under the Domain of Comprehension, Kaya—whose medical comprehension was unparalleled—began learning under Crocus.
Every so often, a cry of disbelief would echo from the lighthouse.
Kaya's medical skills, under the tutelage of the Pirate King's doctor—one of the greatest in the world—were growing at a terrifying pace.
Ace, meanwhile, spent his days riding on Laboon's back, dashing across the waves.
With every thrill, every cresting wave, every wild cry from Laboon, Ace's spirit—and his kingly presence—grew stronger.
Then, on the ninth day, Ace's Observation Haki suddenly detected two sneaky figures nearby.
"Huh?"
His eyes gleamed, especially at the sight of one of them—a striking woman with flowing, pale-blue hair…
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TL/N:
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