Boom——
On the coast of Oni Island in the New World.
A dull sonic boom erupted, sending Caesar flying backward, carving a deep trench into the sand.
Before he could get up, a towering figure several meters tall descended from above, delivering a heavy punch aimed at his head.
Caesar swiftly tilted his head, pushed off the ground with both hands, and kicked King in the chest, using the momentum to flip backward and create distance.
Thud!
With a muffled sound, King took a step back and patted his chest. "Not bad reflexes. It seems your learning ability in combat is impressive. It's only been a week, and you've already managed to last this long against me."
"But if you keep this up, even after a few years, you'll never master Armament Haki."
"What do you mean?"
Caesar panted heavily, his face filled with confusion.
"Your fighting style is agile and clever, excelling in speed. Although your strength is decent, it's mostly used for sneak attacks or resisting unavoidable blows."
King spoke calmly, "Simply put, you lack aggression, or rather, the confidence to face your opponent head-on."
Caesar raised an eyebrow. "Confidence?"
"It's not that you're afraid of death. Someone who possesses Conqueror's Haki would never lack the courage to challenge the strong. But even among kings, there are differences. Some are fearless madmen, while others are ambitious and shrewd. You clearly fall into the latter category."
King pointed at Caesar. "Your problem is that you're too calculating. Your first instinct in a fight isn't how to defeat your opponent but how to avoid getting hurt."
"What's wrong with that?" Caesar asked, still puzzled.
"What's wrong? Hah…"
King seemed both amused and exasperated by Caesar's response. "Do you even realize who you're up against? Even in the New World, my strength is second only to the Four Emperors. And yet, when facing my attacks, your first thought is how to avoid getting hurt? Aren't you getting a little too full of yourself?"
Caesar shook his head. "No, it's precisely because you're so strong that I need to avoid getting hurt!"
The life force he had taken from Who's-Who had already been depleted from frequent injuries. Without being able to use his abilities, any further damage would have to be endured directly.
"That's exactly your problem! In battle, injuries are inevitable!"
King scolded, "Listen up! Armament Haki can only be awakened through direct, head-on combat. If you keep dodging and shrinking back like this, you'll never awaken it!"
Caesar's face darkened. "If I don't dodge that kind of punch, I'll definitely be seriously injured, won't I?"
"The sea won't give you evenly matched opponents! Fool!"
With a deafening boom, the sand beneath King's feet caved in, forming a spiderweb-like crater. His black figure shot forward, his fist coated in Armament Haki, carrying immense force as it slammed toward Caesar!
The sudden attack caused Caesar's pupils to contract. In an instant, the strike was upon him. Caesar quickly crossed his arms in front of his chest to block.
Boom!
Another dull sonic boom erupted!
The sand beneath their feet scattered in all directions under the intense pressure. Unlike the previous attacks, which were just within his limits, this blow was far stronger, faster, and more concentrated!
The muscles in his forearms trembled violently, and his bones groaned under the strain. Yet, Caesar didn't dare to relax even for a moment.
The power of this punch was so overwhelming that it made his hair stand on end, so intense that it felt like if he dared to relax even a little... he would die!
Yet, unexpectedly—he blocked it!
His body instinctively hunched and his stance lowered, a surge of inexplicable strength continuously flowed from his body to his arms.
The trembling muscles in his arms grew harder under the intense resistance, as if they were made of steel!
Noticing the change in Caesar, the dark fist before him finally ceased its attack.
"Did you feel it? The power within you..." King retracted his fist and spoke calmly.
"What... is going on?"
The strength within him receded like the tide. Caesar let out a light sigh, his body suddenly feeling exhausted, as if a gust of wind could knock him over, and the hunger returned like a tidal wave.
"I didn't infuse much Haki into that punch, but I used at least half of my strength."
King spoke indifferently: "It seems I was right. You're too calculating. The presence or absence of Haki is a vast chasm. In a fight, the one with Haki holds an overwhelming advantage, and you understand this well, which is why you firmly believed I was an opponent you couldn't resist, thus avoiding a direct confrontation with me."
"In other words, you're too fixated on the gap in strength between us, neglecting your own power, and completely lacking confidence in this aspect. But in reality, your strength is already on par with some who have made a name for themselves."
"Perhaps that's true..."
Caesar fell back onto the sand: "Before obtaining the Devil Fruit, I was just an ordinary person. No matter how much I trained, I saw no improvement. I heard that life-and-death battles could make one stronger, but I lacked the courage to go all out. It was only after becoming a Devil Fruit user that I dared to venture into the world of the strong."
What could he do?
Before crossing over, he was just an ordinary person.
In the years since crossing over, although he was dissatisfied with the status quo, he hadn't faced any real crises.
"Fear of death... it's completely instinctual."
"Those with Conqueror's Haki aren't afraid of death. Kaidou's greatest hobby is attempting suicide."
"That's because he can't die!"
"No, it's because he has a reason not to die."
"I understand! But I also completely don't understand!"
Caesar sighed helplessly: "I've heard that a fist without conviction becomes weak and powerless. These monsters battling on the seas, each of them has their own ideals and beliefs, but belief... it's just too ethereal for me..."
"Is that so... I see."
King fell silent for a moment: "If it's just a reason to fight, then I can give you one."
"Huh?"
Hearing this, Caesar abruptly sat up, a strange sense of foreboding in his heart.
"A couple of days ago, while having someone inventory your assets, I also looked into your past background... it's clean. Aside from a penchant for bribing the Marines, there's no messy entanglements. You're a good candidate for a pirate."
"If there's any issue... it seems you're quite interested in a small village? Not only did you spend a fortune to have the Marine hero Garp clear out the pirates there, but you also bought the village bookstore and hired a girl as the manager at a high price..."
"That girl's name is... Nami, right?"
The smile on Caesar's face gradually faded, a faint crimson glint flashing in his eyes: "You managed to find out all this in just a week?"
"Joker's services are well-renowned," King said indifferently. Investigating people wasn't within the scope of the Beast Pirate Crew's business. Such tasks were usually outsourced to Doflamingo, whose trade networks spanned the four seas. His intelligence-gathering methods in the commercial realm were no less impressive than those of Stussy, the Queen of the Pleasure District.
"Is that girl your sweetheart?"
"No, I haven't even met her."
Caesar slowly stood up: "It's just a whim, thinking about changing something. It's purely out of interest, so even if you kill her, it wouldn't affect me."
"But you seem angry."
"I am angry."
Caesar straightened his posture, an indescribable feeling lingering in his forehead, as if a sharp spike was aimed at his brow. It made him extremely uncomfortable, and a sudden surge of inexplicable rage rose within him.
"Are you threatening me?"
"Kaidou has tasked me with unlocking your full potential. So, no matter the method, as long as the goal is achieved, I won't hesitate."
King spoke calmly, showing no shame in resorting to such underhanded tactics: "You're a smart man. You should realize I'm not exaggerating. So... have you found the will to fight yet?"
"Still no."
Caesar sneered: "Although I don't fully understand why I'm so angry, it doesn't matter anymore. Right now, I just want to kill you."
"Pure killing intent can also be a form of will."
King chuckled coldly, slowly drawing the long sword from his waist. It was the first time he had unsheathed it in days: "So, you're prepared to face death... right?"
Sss—
A faint flush appeared on his skin, and wisps of steam began to emanate.
A dim red glow flickered as a pair of massive black bat wings pierced through the fabric on Caesar's back, gently fluttering and slowly spreading.
The atmosphere grew heavy and oppressive.
Armament Haki enveloped the tip of his blade as King calmly observed the enraged young man before him, his gaze eventually settling on the other's forehead.
There, a strand of hair seemed to react to some unseen stimulus, suddenly standing on end.
And then, in an instant, Caesar vanished from sight!
Disappeared?
King's eyes widened in surprise. Through Observation Haki, he detected a deep darkness descending at an imperceptible speed. Sensing the lightning-fast attack, he swiftly swung his blade!
Boom—
An overwhelming surge of Conqueror's Haki erupted out of nowhere!
In an instant, shockwaves rolled, and the violent collision caused waves to surge and rocks to shatter!
Conqueror's Haki?
Still no Armament Haki, huh...
At the moment of impact between fist and blade, a flicker of disappointment crossed King's eyes.
Although a week was a short time, given Caesar's talent, he should have at least started to grasp something by now.
Yet Caesar had disappointed him. There wasn't the slightest trace of Armament Haki on the fist that had descended from above.
In that case, I'll just beat him half to death!
After all, with this guy's abilities, he can survive as long as he has a breath left...
With that thought, King swung his blade without restraint, aiming for Caesar's right fist—only to strike an invisible air barrier!
Feeling the sudden, mountain-shattering force on the blade, King's eyes widened in shock!
Boom————
The deafening sound of collision swept across the entire beach, a hurricane whipping through the air, causing the distant coconut grove to rustle and crackle with the faint sound of snapping branches.
It felt like an instant, yet also like an eternity...
By the shore, two figures—one large, one small—lay sprawled on the sand, both gasping for breath, looking utterly disheveled.
The difference was, one was exhausted, while the other was shocked.
Click...
The mask, along with the helmet, fell to the ground. King wiped the corner of his mouth with his hand, a smear of blood clearly visible on his fingertip. His left cheek burned, and it wouldn't be long before it swelled up.
Caesar stared blankly at the sky, savoring the sensation of that last strike.
It was a strange feeling...
As if his will had solidified into a tangible force, flowing like liquid and attaching itself to his fist. The moment he swung with all his might, it felt as though he could sweep away everything in this world!
Though he hadn't even managed to sweep away King in front of him, that feeling of breaking free from all constraints, of being unstoppable, was deeply etched into his mind.
Raising his trembling arm, Caesar gasped for breath: "Was that... Armament Haki release?"
"No, a simple release of Armament Haki couldn't have sent my sword flying..."
King slowly sat up, his white hair cascading over his shoulders, revealing a handsome, sun-kissed face. His eyes, filled with shock, were also clouded with confusion.
"That must have been... Conqueror's Haki Infusion. Though I'm not sure how you managed it, there's no doubt... You're indeed a dangerous man. If left to grow, even if you wouldn't be a match for Kaidou-sama, you'd certainly surpass me."
Caesar let out a light scoff: "What? Planning to nip the danger in the bud?"
"Don't worry, I don't think you'll surpass that man, and you no longer need to worry about my threat."
King stood up slowly, casually swinging a Flying Slash to eliminate a few unlucky underlings who had come to investigate the commotion and accidentally caught a glimpse of his face.
"For a man capable of throwing a punch like that, such underhanded threats would only bring me shame. I'll admit, for now, you've earned the right to stand on equal footing with me. And before you challenge that man, I'll be looking forward to our battles."
Caesar smirked: "Not bad, then..."
"So, who's that girl?"
King sat down cross-legged beside Caesar, his tone laced with teasing: "Your fighting conviction?"
"You're being a bit nosy..."
Caesar struggled to sit up, feeling as though every bone in his body was creaking: "I've never actually met her. I just wanted to try changing something, so I acted on a whim. As for conviction... I'm still trying to figure that out."
King was surprised: "But that killing intent you had earlier..."
"I've heard a saying... Freedom isn't about doing whatever you want, but about being able to not do what you don't want to do."
Caesar smiled: "I don't like infringing on others' freedom, and I hate going against my own will. In fact, the reason I set out to sea was simply to take control of my own destiny."
"I see..."
King smiled in understanding, finally grasping the reason behind Caesar's punch: "But even so, you still had to compromise with Kaidou-sama."
"That's why I'll have to fight him sooner or later!"
Caesar laughed heartily, "Being able to fight against one of the Four Emperors without being defeated means I now possess the strength to stand unafraid of their threats, right? Moreover, I didn't come here for nothing. Before I leave, I'll definitely give him a big surprise."
"Then I'll be eagerly waiting to see it…"
King chuckled as he stood up, casually cutting down a few pirate lackeys who had seen his face. "But I've always believed that man… will never be defeated."
"Then why do you keep your face covered all the time? Seems like your faith isn't that strong, huh?"
"...You wouldn't understand."
Hearing Caesar's teasing, King paused mid-swing of his sword and glanced at him with a hint of surprise.
However, he didn't say anything more. Instead, he silently picked up the mask from the ground, casually covering his face before walking away.
(End of Chapter)