chapter 74

"It looks like you have some ability, brat," Don Chinjao said in an amused tone after seeing my Conquerors, Haki. "Sai, Boo, you two stay out of this. I'll teach this punk how to respect his elders myself," He concluded with a grave tone and charged at me as soon as he finished his sentence.

"You guys stay out of this, too. I'll teach this has been geezer a lesson about the changing of times," I stated with an eager smirk, charging at the old pirate with Satori in hand as I did.

"Eight impact fist," shouted as soon as I was within striking distance, and I replied in kind by channeling my impact fist through my free hand, causing two shock waves to meet in the middle, between Chinjao and me.

"Brat, how can you use this technique?" Chinjao said while pushing his fist forward, trying to overcome my shockwave with his own.

"It's different from your technique. Yours controls vibrations around your body while my techniques create vibrations within my body," I said, trying and succeeding in pushing back the old pirate's technique.

I managed to push back the Chinjao's eight impact fist thanks to my technique being more compact and concentrated while he was loose and covered a larger area.

"No matter. I only need to overpower you if your technique counters mine," the old pirate said as his fist turned black, and he pushed it forward with a grunt, causing his shock wave to overcome mine.

Looking at the incoming shock wave, I hastily crossed my hands in front of my face, lowering my posture and activating kami-e to soften my entire body as defenses were meaningless in front of a shock wave.

The shock wave hit me with the force of a speeding truck, sending me flying backward and knocking the air out of my lungs. I gasped for breath midair as I corrected my posture and launched myself at the old pirate again with Geppo.

'Haki, huh? I definitely felt that not only did it overcome my defenses, but it even caused damage to my softened organs.' I think with a wince, still charging at Chinjao as I do.

"Silver drill," I murmur to myself, spinning myself in the air with my sword pointed forward as I continuously push myself face first towards Chinjao with consecutive Geppo steps.

"No matter how many times you try, nothing will change, brat," the old pirate remarked, meeting my spinning sword with his fist coated in Haki and channeling his eight impact fist through it.

The force of the shock wave slammed into me, going through my head and into the rest of my body, forcing me to stop spinning, but I didn't relent and end the engagement there.

I grasped his outstretched arm with one hand to stop me from flying away as I bent my body by body upwards with Geppo, performing a cartwheel flip in the air and planting my foot at the top of his head.

The force of my kick forced Chinjao to lower his head, but he jerked up with a grunt, channeling both Haki and a shock wave through his head, sending me flying backward again, this time crashing into a pillar.

"You shouldn't have gone for the head, brat," Chinjao said while patting his bald head, only to stop moving with eyes opened wide in shock as he touches a sliver of blood coming from the top of it. (Author note: Sorry, but I couldn't resist making that reference XD.)

'That makes it three Haki-infused shock waves so far. I can't keep shrugging them off as if nothing happened, but I have to because I felt something other than a pain in the third shock wave,' I think to myself as a savage grin appears on my face without my say so.

'It's stated in the anime that fighting people with Haki is the fastest way to awaken and strengthen it, so I guess I'm putting that statement to the test now,' I concluded in my head as I charged at The old geezer again, grin still on my face.

"Gengetsu (Phantom Moon)," I shouted at the top of my lungs, swinging my sword and releasing a flying slash in the shape of a half-circle in the old pirate's direction.

Chinjao looked at the incoming slash with a frown, coating his hands in Haki and deflecting it to the side after a second of struggle, which left his defense open for me as promptly used Soru, appearing on his side and slashing him at him horizontally.

The old pirate quickly reacted thanks to his observation Haki, coating his side in Haki as he turned around and sent me flying with another Shockwave.

-0-

"Are we just going to keep watching our captain get thrashed?" Kozue asked with a concerned frown while looking at me, crashing into another pillar.

"Trust in the captain," Laffite replied without removing his eyes from the fight, but the white knuckles of the hand he used to hold his red cane told a different story.

"Johnny isn't done yet. You can see it if you look at his grin. He still has some tricks up his sleeves, so shut your mouths and keep watching," Wilson Added with a smirk while watching the fight with wrapt attention.

-0-

"It looks like you're not all talk at least, brat," Chinjao said as he wiped the blood on his side that Satori managed to draw from him despite his use of Haki while watching me get and get ready to charge at him again.

'I've been avoiding using this particular cyber ware improvement since I came to this world, but I suppose now is the best time to try it,' I think to myself as I get up, dusting myself and cracking my neck as I do.

"I'm just getting started, old man," I reply with an eager grin as I activate my Berserker cyber ware, causing my skin to turn red as small clouds of steam begin pouring out of my pores.