Chapter 56: 056. Conqueror's Haki Infusion!

"Waaah!! No way!"

A tiny Spirit Body foot clad in little leather shoes flailed wildly, accidentally kicking Garp square in the face.

His expression darkened as he released the ankle he'd been holding.

The Spirit Body Perona immediately darted back into Moses' chest. The next second, Moses felt his heart being hugged again.

Though there was no physical sensation, his heart still spasmed reflexively.

With a somewhat exasperated look at Garp, Moses asked, "Grandpa, what was that just now?"

"Conqueror's Haki Infusion," Garp said with a darkened face. "Just like Armament Haki Infusion, it's a technique for applying Hegemony."

Moses nodded in understanding. "So Conqueror's Haki Infusion makes it easier to grab Spirit Bodies, huh?"

Watching the surging black-and-red lightning crackling around Garp's right hand, Moses' eyes flickered with hesitation. With a Breath, he entered the Celestial State, then reached out and grasped Garp's hand.

Surprisingly, he felt nothing.

Under Garp's astonished gaze, Moses met his eyes and said,

"Grandpa, does Conqueror's Haki also have offensive and defensive properties like Armament Haki?"

Hearing this, Garp gave Moses an exceptionally peculiar look. "Observation Haki is a perceptive force, but I noticed you just used it to produce a different effect.

That's right—Conqueror's Haki, like Armament Haki, has offensive and defensive applications.

The lightning on my hand looks dangerous, but it's actually useless for anything else.

Generally speaking, Conqueror's Haki is extremely difficult to control freely, so most people aren't aware of this. Those who can use Conqueror's Haki Infusion usually don't bother pursuing defensive effects.

After all, those who possess Conqueror's Haki are almost always fearless troublemakers who thrive on chaos. People like that rarely prioritize defense—their aggression is overwhelming."

"Hmm." At this point, Garp's gaze turned oddly thoughtful as he looked at Moses. "Come to think of it, that deadbeat father of yours could also use it—wrapping his body in Conqueror's Haki to block Observation Haki perception.

That's one of the most common defensive applications of Conqueror's Haki."

Moses' eyes lit up at this. He tapped his chest and said, "Pepe, come out and try again. I've got a good idea."

A sulky voice responded, sounding thoroughly dejected.

"I'm really upset right now. Leave me alone. What's with that old geezer being so strong? Is your grandpa a monster or something?"

"And what was that just now? It felt like I was being hooked and dragged out by a fishing line!"

Moses chuckled and teased her, "What, are you scared now? Pfft—it's not even dangerous, you coward."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A COWARD?! Do you want my little darlings to skewer you?!"

Instantly provoked, Spirit Body Perona shot halfway out of Moses' chest, her full-sized arms draped over his shoulders as she glared at him fiercely.

Moses grinned, eyes crinkling. "Yeah, yeah, Pepe's the bravest. Let's give it a try, then."

"Try it if you dare! Who's scared of who?"

Perona hooked an arm around Moses' shoulder, twisting her body to glare at Garp, her left palm aimed squarely at him.

Having achieved his goal, Moses smiled and turned to Garp, who was idly looking around. "Grandpa, try wrapping your body in Conqueror's Haki. I'll have Pepe test it again."

Scratching his nose with no regard for his image, Garp curled his lips and muttered, "Fine, fine, always bossing your grandpa around. Must've owed you in a past life."

In an instant, silent arcs of black-red electricity coiled around his body. At that moment, Garp's aura became terrifyingly oppressive.

His calm gaze swept over the grandson and the spirit before him. Abruptly, an overwhelming sense of invincibility arose in his heart—an inexplicable, uncomfortable feeling he quickly suppressed.

Moses noticed Perona's spirit body trembling under Garp's imposing presence. With a thought, he extended his Observation Haki, wrapping it around Perona along with the unique aura of his own spirit body.

Suddenly,

a warm sensation blossomed in Perona's spirit heart. Her eyes widened as she saw—visible only to her—a translucent, colorless ring enveloping her.

A spirit? No, no, not a spirit, but something only a spirit could emit.

Turning to Moses, she met his serene gaze and inexplicably felt reassured. "Horohorohoro!" she laughed, summoning four Hollow Dolls from her palms aimed at Garp.

The Negative Spirits shot forth, slamming into Garp, whose body was wreathed in Conqueror's Haki.

Poof! Poof! Poof! Poof!

Like bubbles bursting against a reef, they vanished instantly.

Simultaneously, Perona's spirit body stiffened. A terrifying mental backlash from the Hollow Dolls surged through her.

She barely had time to shoot Moses a betrayed glare, gasping, "You tricked me!" before her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed unconscious.

Watching Perona's spirit body peel away from his shoulder like paper and float limply to the floor, Moses blinked in bewilderment at an equally baffled Garp. "Did... your Conqueror's Haki knock her out?"

Garp winced, eyeing the unconscious spirit. "Her willpower's just weak. Can't blame me."

Nodding in understanding, Moses stepped forward, curiosity burning in his eyes. His Observation Haki had remained locked onto Perona's spirit, catching a peculiar fluctuation as she fainted.

Grasping Garp's arm, he looked up eagerly. "Grandpa, hit me with your Conqueror's Haki. I think I sensed something interesting."

Garp gave him a strange look—the request felt absurd, but the chance to legitimately smack Moses around was tempting.

With a thought,

his eyes flashed.

A devastating wave of Conqueror's Haki crashed into Moses' mind.

An invisible force pinpointed his body, lifting the black hair from his forehead.

And yet...

In his state of Unity of Heaven and Man, Moses' heart held a filter—one that had blocked the Negative Spirit's emotional triggers now neutralized the Haki's mental assault.

With each steady Breath,

his Qi Circulation Throughout the Body resonated.

At the spirit level, the rhythmic pulse of his Spirit Body began rippling.

He perceived Garp's Conqueror's Haki striking him—a unique blend of will and spirit, a domineering force relentlessly battering his Spirit Body.

Seeing Moses still standing despite his Conqueror's Haki, Garp grew irritated and intensified the pressure of his Conqueror's Haki.

Armament Haki, representing the vitality and vigor of the body.

Observation Haki, pertaining to Divine Perception.

Conqueror's Haki is born from will and spirit—one could say it's the power of the "heart."

In other words, it's a power rooted in the Spirit Body.

Resistance.

Only those with the capacity can resist.

Amidst the rhythm of his Breath, Moses sensed a fluctuation of power within the undulations of his own Spirit Body's breathing frequency.

Following that uncomfortable feeling in his heart—the urge to resist oppression.

Qi Circulation Throughout the Body.

In the ebb and flow of his Breath, Moses glared at Garp. Like a dam bursting open, the collision of their wills erupted between them.

Crackle, crackle.

Electricity sparked in the void.

Faint streaks of black-red lightning flickered briefly in the air between them before vanishing.

Garp's eyes widened slightly, his expression cracking as he cursed inwardly:

"He forcibly awakened his Conqueror's Haki."

At that moment, Moses felt only exhaustion in his consciousness, as if he had slammed his head into a wall.

A dizzy, disoriented sensation washed over him.

Blinking sleepily at Garp, Moses mumbled, "Why are you so hard? Like a brick of iron."

With that, he plopped down onto the floor and sprawled out.

Garp looked exasperated, rubbing his temples. "Damn brat, who the hell just awakens Conqueror's Haki and immediately clashes with someone stronger? If you're not getting a headache, I sure am!"

"Oh!" Moses weakly raised a hand and waved it.

Garp sighed in exasperation. "You're unbelievable."

He grabbed Moses by the arm, dragged him to the nearby bed, and tossed him onto it.

Then, glancing at Perona's unconscious Spirit Body, he walked over, infused his Conqueror's Haki into his grip, and hauled her onto the bed as well.

His gaze shifted to Crow Dabao, who was perched on the windowsill with wide, terrified eyes. Garp scoffed:

"It didn't even affect you. What're you scared of, bird? How do I get out?"

Crow Dabao stammered, "Caw—just jump out the window."

With that, he manipulated the window to open. Garp walked over, glanced at the deck outside, and leaped out.

Silence settled over the room.

Crow Dabao shivered. "That old man... so strong. Hegemony... is really something."

Lying on the bed, Moses took deep breaths, gradually recovering as the discomfort in his mind faded.

He focused on the new power within his body—lodged in his mind, or more accurately, dormant in his Spirit Body.

"Conqueror's Haki?"

With a thought, a translucent panel projected onto his retina.

[D- Rank Blessing: Conqueror's Haki] (Can be upgraded through comprehension)

[Blessing Effect: An innate spiritual ability, the power of will and spirit, a force of mental intimidation. Permanently accelerates growth in Spirit/Will/Charisma/Mystery attributes up to D- rank by a moderate degree.]

[Blessing Evaluation: Among the 'Three Treasures' (Essence, Qi, Spirit), this belongs to the 'Spirit'—the power of mind and will. More than that, it symbolizes the unyielding heart.]

A complex form of Hegemony, intertwined with every facet of the mind and spirit. To grow stronger in it, one must first undergo personal growth and transformation—only then can this power advance in tandem.

Naturally, the growth of attributes associated with Conqueror's Haki would inherently enhance the quality of this ability.

Everything had to be explored and discovered by Moses himself.

Closing the light panel interface,

Moses glanced at Perona beside him, then closed his eyes to clear his mind and alleviate the fatigue in his consciousness.

Before long, Moses fell asleep.

...

Upon waking,

He looked out the window at the sky outside.

Moses was bewildered to realize that the Kingdom of Teroa was actually moving backward.

He abruptly sat up, scanning the room, and spotted Crow Dabao by the bedside. Moses reached out and nudged him. "Da Bao, Da Bao, wake up."

Crow Dabao rolled over and looked at Moses with confusion. "What? Me!"

"Are we leaving?"

"Yah, right. You slept—half a day. Then a warship—came. Not long after—we set off."

Listening to Crow Dabao's explanation, Moses quickly understood. "Seems like they've already signed that useless contract."

Glancing at the motionless Spirit Body Perona lying on the bed, Moses asked curiously, "Pepe still hasn't woken up?"

Crow Dabao shook his head. "This woman—sleeps like a dead pig. Won't wake."

Seeing this, Moses' eyes lit up as another brilliant idea struck him.

With the rise and fall of his Breath, Qi Circulation Throughout the Body instinctively mobilized the power of his Spirit Body.

An invisible Conqueror's Haki pulsed in sync with his Spirit Body's breathing rhythm, manifesting in his right hand.

He could sense this force crackling around his palm, thin black-red arcs of electricity flickering between his fingers.

"As expected, with the Blessing effects of the 'Effortless Breathing Technique's' Qi Circulation Throughout the Body and 'Precision,' mastering Hegemony Infusion is just this simple."

If Garp were here now, he'd surely widen his eyes in disbelief.

Playing with the arcs of electricity in his palm, Moses willed them to weave between his fingers.

As time passed, he gradually grasped the technique—the mischievous black-red arcs now obediently danced across his hand.

No longer crackling loudly, they instead exuded a serene aura.

The defensive nature of Conqueror's Haki.

Moses reached out and pinched Perona's cheek, giving it a firm tug. A sensation distinct from physical flesh greeted him—soft, like squeezing a water bubble. His eyes gleamed. "So this is the touch of a Spirit Body?"

He pressed his thumb against her philtrum, unsure if it would work—after all, Spirit Bodies differed from physical ones.

One second. Two seconds.

Just as the third second arrived, Spirit Body Perona's eyes snapped open, and she slapped away Moses' hand, still wreathed in black-red electricity.

A sharp cry followed.

"Ow!!! That hurts!"

She sat up abruptly, vigorously shaking her hand.

Moses watched her with an odd expression—this was the instinctive reflexive response of Conqueror's Haki.

Still groggy, Spirit Body Perona hadn't fully processed the situation. Glaring at Moses, she gritted her teeth and headbutted him.

Blinking, Moses curiously extended his index finger to meet her forehead, the tranquil black-red arcs still coiled around it.

The next moment, he pressed his thumb against his finger and flicked her forehead with a crisp thunk.

A steaming lump instantly swelled on her Spirit Body's forehead.

Moses saw her pout and take a deep breath, so he quickly covered his ears. The next second, a piercing scream rang out—"Aaaah!!!"

Watching Perona rolling around on the bed, Moses gave a dry chuckle.

"Pepe, time to get up."

As soon as he spoke, Perona stopped rolling and looked at Moses with teary eyes, pouting as she said:

"How did you do that?"

"Why can you use that so-called Conqueror's Haki now too?"

Moses didn't explain. Instead, he studied Perona while stroking his chin and said:

"Conqueror's Haki usually awakens under extreme emotional circumstances.

Can the Hollow-Hollow Fruit only create ghosts that represent negative, pessimistic emotions? Can't it produce others? Like uplifting positivity, fear and panic, or joy and excitement?"

"What do you think?"

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