The Awakening of Conqueror’s Haki

— — — — — — — 

"Hm? What's this…?"

Several dozen kilometers away from Renzo's location, in Foosha Village, Garp and Bogard suddenly lifted their heads, looking westward.

"Conqueror's Haki? Someone awakened it? What an overwhelming presence!"

Both Garp and Bogard wore serious expressions.

"I'll go check it out! Bogard, stay here and protect the village and Luffy."

Without waiting for a reply, Garp shot into the air, using a combination of Moonwalk and Shave to propel himself forward at incredible speed, heading straight for the source of the powerful aura.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The air seemed to shatter beneath his feet as he disappeared from Foosha Village like a white streak.

---

"Damn brat! Hurry up and suppress your Haki! This old man can't take this kind of abuse!"

Naguri cursed jokingly.

Renzo took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, quickly getting accustomed to his Conqueror's Haki. Within a few breaths, he had already retracted the aura completely. Grinning at Naguri, he said, "Old man! I did it!"

"Yeah, yeah, you did it."

Naguri rolled his eyes. "Kid, you're a total freak. I've never seen anyone as monstrous as you! You just needed to feel Conqueror's Haki once to awaken it? Do you know how many people spend years refining themselves, relying on sheer luck and talent, and still fail?"

This kid was just ridiculous.

Naguri felt like his whole worldview had been shattered.

"Haha! I'll take that as a compliment!" Renzo scratched his head and laughed, then suddenly turned his gaze toward the eastern sky. "Huh? Someone's coming!"

"This aura… it's Garp!"

He wasn't surprised in the slightest.

After all, Foosha Village was only a few dozen kilometers away. If Garp sensed someone awakening Conqueror's Haki nearby, of course he'd come to check it out.

Especially since it was so close to his hometown.

A sudden awakening of Conqueror's Haki here? He'd naturally be concerned for his villagers' safety, as well as for Luffy and Ace.

"What? Garp? The Marine Hero, Vice Admiral Garp?"

Naguri was visibly shaken upon hearing the name, staring at Renzo in disbelief.

Renzo nodded. "Luffy is his grandson. He recently came back to visit him. We actually saw each other yesterday… even had a little fight."

"So that ruckus yesterday to the east was you two?" Naguri suddenly understood.

"You even noticed that? Impressive, old man! You really are strong!"

Renzo teased with a grin.

"Hahaha! I'm getting old! My only dream now is to set sail again and find my old crewmates, to see how they're doing."

Naguri shook his head with a smile.

He no longer had the ambitions of his youth.

Rip!

Whoosh!

A few minutes later, the sound of a sonic boom tore through the sky as the air seemed to split apart.

Then, Renzo and Naguri saw a white streak rushing toward them.

Moments later, it landed on the ground nearby, revealing Garp's figure.

"Hahahaha!"

Garp glanced at Renzo and the surrounding area before laughing. "I was wondering who it was that awakened Conqueror's Haki… turns out it was you, you damn brat! I knew you had potential! You really are something!"

"Heh."

Renzo waved a hand dismissively. "You're overpraising me! This is nothing compared to you. One Conqueror's Haki awakening is no big deal for you, right?"

"It's not just that."

Garp chuckled, shaking his head. Then, he glanced at the unconscious Kuina and Zoro before turning his gaze to Naguri with a curious expression. "And who might you be? Did this brat learn Haki from you?"

"Just an old relic of the past," Naguri said calmly, puffing on his pipe. "All I want now is to build my ship and find my old comrades from decades ago. That's all."

Naguri definitely knew who Garp was.

Back in the day, Garp was already a big name in the Marines. Plus, with the Grey Terminal so close to Foosha Village, Naguri had long been aware of Garp's reputation.

"Anyone who can wield Conqueror's Haki isn't ordinary," Garp said meaningfully, eyeing Naguri, but he didn't press the issue. Instead, he simply nodded. "Just don't go causing trouble in the East Blue. Otherwise, old man or not, I won't go easy on you."

Then, he turned back to Renzo.

"Well, I'm off! Damn brat, you made me come all this way for nothing! Next time, you owe me some good booze!"

With that, Garp shot into the sky and sped off toward Foosha Village.

"That old man is really something else." Renzo shook his head with a chuckle.

"Even after all these years, that guy is as dominant as ever," Naguri mused. "It's clear he's refined his body and all three types of Haki down to the core. Can't compare! Can't compare at all!"

He sighed, shaking his head.

Compared to Garp, his own physical condition had already started to decline.

Garp, on the other hand, seemed almost untouched by time.

Of course, his hair had turned white, and his face was marked with wrinkles… But his physique? Still as strong as ever. His vitality? Still overflowing with energy.

"Looks like you know Garp, old man."

Renzo asked curiously, "Did you fight him back in the day?"

"Me? Fight him?"

Naguri shook his head. "I wouldn't dare. Back then, Garp was even stronger—and younger!"

Of course, whether or not that was true was up for debate.

An old man who still had advanced Armament Haki despite his declining physique? A man who challenged the Pirate King and lived to tell the tale? Was his past really as simple as he made it sound?

"Ugh… What happened to me?"

---

Over an hour later, Kuina and Zoro finally started waking up one after the other.

Both of them looked dazed.

"Ahaha… It's nothing! You guys just passed out for a bit. You feeling okay?"

Renzo grinned sheepishly as he checked on Kuina.

As for Zoro?

He didn't even bother.

Boys are tough. He'd be fine soon enough.

Zoro: "…."

"Wait! I remember now!"

Suddenly, Kuina snapped back to her senses, pointing at Renzo in shock.

"It was you! You knocked us out! That feeling… It's that 'Conqueror's Haki' you talked about, isn't it?"

Zoro immediately perked up. "Haki? What Conqueror's Haki?"

"Ahaha… So you do remember!"

Renzo scratched his head, laughing awkwardly. "Yeah, that was Conqueror's Haki."

"I knew it!"

Kuina sighed in resignation, then pouted. "I'm seriously jealous! You're already insanely strong, and now your talent is just ridiculous! You're not even giving people a chance to compete!"

She was feeling a little disheartened.

"Don't compare yourself to this little freak!"

Naguri walked over with his hands behind his back, smiling. "Kid, your talent is already impressive! At your age, my foundation and strength weren't even close to yours."

"…Yeah, I guess you're right."

Kuina smiled wryly.

She had already gotten used to being crushed by Renzo, so it wasn't that big a deal anymore.

"Alright! Old man, let's keep training our Observation Haki!" Kuina quickly recovered her fighting spirit.

"I'm in too!"

Zoro got up immediately.

No way he was gonna let Kuina leave him behind!

As for keeping up with Renzo?

"Heh! I'll leave this problem to future Zoro. For now, I'll just focus on defeating Kuina," Zoro thought, already having a solution in mind.

Kuina and Zoro then started learning Observation Haki from Naguri.

Meanwhile, Renzo trained on his own, focusing on Armament Haki.

It only took him half an hour—he awakened Armament Haki.

"Full-Body Armament!"

With his monstrous physique, the moment he awakened it, he could already coat his entire body in Haki.

Mastering the advanced techniques, like imbuing attacks with Haki or the internal destruction method, would take more control.

But honestly?

That wasn't much of a challenge for him either.

His control over his body was already top-tier.

— — —

After 3 Months

It took Renzo just three months to master advanced Armament Haki, including the emission and internal destruction techniques using his ocular abilities and his Omniscience, 

His Observation Haki reached the level of foresight, allowing him to glimpse into the future.

And even his Conqueror's Haki? He could now control it freely, influencing his surroundings and even infusing it into his attacks.

His progress was downright terrifying.

Even Naguri called him a monster.

During this time, Kuina awakened Observation Haki in the second month, though she was still struggling with Armament.

Zoro, on the other hand, barely managed to awaken Observation Haki at the very end of the third month.

That being said, compared to normal people, his growth was still insanely fast.

"All right! It's time for this old man to set sail!"

Naguri stood by his newly finished boat, looking at Renzo and the others with a smile.

"Take care, all of you! I hope to hear your names resounding across the seas someday!"

Then, his eyes fell on Renzo. "Especially you, kid. With your talent, there's no way the future of the Grand Line won't be shaken by your name."

His ship was ready. It was time to leave.

"Yeah! Take care, old man! I hope you find your lost crewmates soon!"

Renzo, Kuina, and Zoro all came to the shore to see him off.

Luffy, Ace, and Sabo had also come along.

They had visited Naguri a few times before, and after seeing Renzo so often, they had become somewhat familiar with each other.

During this time, Renzo even gave the three brothers some pointers.

He was curious to see how much stronger they would become in the future.

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