Under the horrified gaze of the pirate, Rockefeller Charlotte's large hand clamped down over his head.
In an instant, Charlotte activated his Conqueror's Haki.
"How did you train your Armament Haki?" Charlotte asked coldly.
Will Werner wasn't in any state to answer. The intense physical pain had overwhelmed him completely.
Charlotte didn't expect a verbal answer anyway. The moment their minds connected, Will Werner's memories unfolded in Charlotte's mind.
To Charlotte's surprise, Will Werner wasn't some ordinary pirate. He had journeyed all the way from the West Blue and reached the second half of the Grand Line, surviving brutal seas and fierce opponents. It had only been a year since he entered the New World.
He had obtained a notebook from a Rear Admiral he had slain—a log that contained detailed methods for training both Armament and Observation Haki, along with notes on the Navy's Six Powers (Rokushiki). But due to limited time and talent, Will had only managed to master Armament Haki and one of the Six Powers: Soru (Shave). Observation Haki remained elusive to him.
Charlotte was speechless.
Now understanding the key to Armament Haki, Charlotte exerted force. Will Werner's eyes bulged in terror—and then he was gone, his head crushed under Charlotte's grip.
Over twenty pirates were left standing at the port, trembling.
Charlotte raised his hand and gave a simple command.
"Kill them all."
His elite fighters, who had been watching from a distance, moved at once. These were the warriors Charlotte had personally trained.
Some of them hesitated, but others surged forward, blades in hand, carrying out their leader's command without mercy.
Charlotte, meanwhile, walked toward the pirate ship moored nearby. He had long since developed the habit of searching captured ships for loot and treasure after battle. It was, apart from women, his one guilty pleasure.
Guided by the lingering memories from Will Werner, Charlotte made his way straight to the captain's quarters. He opened a drawer on the main desk.
There it was: the notebook from the Rear Admiral.
After verifying its contents, he slipped it into his pocket, then rifled through other cabinets and bedside compartments.
"As expected of a pirate who came all the way from the West Blue," Charlotte muttered, eyes gleaming at the sight of three suitcases full of Bailey. "This haul must be worth at least 100 million."
Satisfied, Charlotte exited the ship and returned to the port.
People had started gathering again. Dockworkers and merchants cautiously approached. When they saw the sixty or seventy corpses littering the port, their emotions were mixed—both gratitude and a deep, respectful fear of Charlotte.
Chamberlain, the mayor, emerged next.
"Thank you! Thank you so much, Mr. Charlotte, for saving the people of Kamei Island once again! You are truly the hero of our island!" Chamberlain exclaimed as he rushed forward to shake Charlotte's hand with exaggerated enthusiasm.
Charlotte fought the urge to roll his eyes. If I didn't know your true intentions, I might have actually believed you, he thought.
"Hero! Hero!"
Cheers erupted from the crowd.
And just like that, Charlotte's Observation Haki involuntarily activated. He could feel the genuine admiration and excitement pouring off the townspeople.
It made him feel… warm.
Damn it, Charlotte cursed internally. Controlled by emotions again.
He smiled and waved to the people, but inwardly, he was already looking for an excuse to slip away.
As he passed a fruit stall, a peculiar pear caught his eye—a fruit with strange, spiral-like patterns on its skin.
"Mr. Charlotte! Mr. Charlotte!" the stall owner called out, overwhelmed with excitement as Charlotte approached.
"How much for the pears? I'll take a few," Charlotte asked casually.
"No, no need for payment! Take whichever ones you like!" the man said quickly, eyes filled with reverence.
Charlotte nodded, picked out a few pears—including the patterned one—and walked straight back to his villa.
Once home, he ordered dinner preparations and then retreated to his private room.
From his robe, he pulled out the patterned pear and examined it.
"This is it. Will Werner's Cold-Cold Fruit," he murmured in awe.
It was the first Devil Fruit he had ever seen in this world since arriving five years ago. And it hadn't been eaten yet.
But Charlotte had no intention of eating it himself. He would keep it locked away for one of his most trusted subordinates in the future.
He placed the fruit in a safe, locked it, and returned to his couch.
Then, from his pocket, he retrieved the Rear Admiral's notebook.
Opening it, Charlotte read through it meticulously. The techniques and explanations were incredibly detailed.
He realized that, although he had previously tried to mimic the Navy's Six Powers from memory, he had only scratched the surface. The real techniques—the true intent and refinement—had always eluded him.
With this manual, his power would finally ascend.
He skimmed through the Rokushiki sections, then turned to the Armament Haki training guide.
Everything clicked.
Armament Haki was a fusion of spirit, body, and technique. If your body met the required threshold, and you trained the right way, you could manifest the formidable power of invisible armor.
Charlotte closed the notebook, eyes shining.
He couldn't wait to begin.
But it was already getting dark, so he resolved to start fresh the next morning.
As he stepped outside his room, Ivan was already waiting.
"Boss, Will Werner's bounty has been turned in. The boys should be back with the reward tomorrow. Also, we gathered about 300 million Bailey from his ship. It's all here." Ivan presented a large sack.
"Distribute the Bailey to everyone who fought today," Charlotte ordered. "Also, make ten copies of this." He handed Ivan the Navy's training manual. "Starting tomorrow, I want every combatant studying the Six Powers. I expect results in the coming years."
"Yes, Boss. I'll see to it," Ivan replied solemnly.
Charlotte nodded and dismissed him.
Truthfully, he didn't expect all fifty fighters to master the Six Powers quickly. Even one technique per fighter in a year would exceed expectations. He guessed only about ten of them would manage that.
But that was fine. He just needed a reliable core team ready for the sea.
Charlotte smiled to himself. Step by step, everything was falling into place.