The Red Earl left.
There were no long farewells and no parting threats.
This solitary king, a man who once stood shoulder-to-shoulder with legends like Roger and Whitebeard, now looked like a corporate drone forced into a 996 work schedule. He plunged headfirst into the raging waves of the New World with a heart full of pure frustration.
Where was he going? No one really knew. Honestly, no one needed to know.
As long as he did not want to die, and as long as he held even a tiny sliver of desire for that fruit that could restore his youth, the Berries on those IOUs would flow into the treasury of the G-5 Base like rivers returning to the sea.
Kane withdrew his gaze from the horizon. He found a flat rock to sit on and sank his consciousness into the glowing blue screen that only he could see.
[Current discipline points Balance: 631,800!]
Looking at this massive number, Kane felt his heart skip a beat.
This enormous sum of points was enough for him to undergo a complete transformation and shed his old self entirely.
Images of his recent battle with the Red Earl surfaced in his mind. He deeply felt the gap between them when he remembered the opponent's supremely refined Conqueror's Haki. Although Kane had won through the shameless tactics of using infinite stamina, he knew he had been outmatched in the actual quality of his Haki.
Zangetsu could simulate the effects of Haki Infusion, but it was ultimately just an external tool.
Infused Conqueror's Haki is an ability only a handful of the strongest people in the world can master!
This profound truth from Teacher Kaido now echoed clearly in Kane's mind.
It was finally time to obtain that genuine ticket to the summit of the world.
System, exchange for Advanced Conqueror's Haki.
Kane made up his mind without a second thought.
[Exchanging for Advanced Conqueror's Haki requires 600,000 discipline points. Confirm?]
Six hundred thousand points was almost his entire fortune.
But Kane did not hesitate in the slightest.
Confirm!
[Confirmation received... Loading Advanced Conqueror's Haki module...]
[Warning! Detected significant disparity between Host's willpower and module. Forced synchronization will commence. The process may cause intense impact. Prepare!]
[3... 2... 1... Synchronization beginning!]
BOOM!
A terrifying will tore through dimensions, descending from the void and violently pouring into the deepest parts of Kane's soul!
In that instant, Kane's consciousness was forcibly stripped away from his physical body.
He "saw" a man laughing heartily while wielding two swords. With just a casual swing of his blades, black-and-red lightning tore through the sky and the earth!
The scene shifted rapidly.
He then "saw" the bow of an enormous ship shaped like a whale. A man with a large white mustache infused his Haki into a Naginata. With a single strike, space itself trembled and emitted a groan of unbearable strain!
Immediately after that, the scenes shattered and reassembled into a new vision.
A man with wild, dancing hair who looked like a demon stood all alone against the combined assault of several of the strongest beings in the world.
Facing a barrage of lethal attacks that had the power to sink entire islands, he did not dodge. Instead, he simply grinned and revealed a contemptuous, world-defying sneer.
Hum!
An invisible, intangible, yet indestructible barrier of pure will materialized out of thin air.
Whether it was slashes infused with top-tier Haki or world-shattering iron fists, the moment they touched that barrier, they shattered. They disintegrated as if they had collided with a divine forbidden zone, unable to even lift a single corner of his clothing!
That was Roger! That was Whitebeard! That was Rocks!
It was the pinnacle scenery of this entire era!
The System had actually allowed him to personally experience that legendary power in this incredible way!
[Synchronization successful!]
[Congratulations, Host. You have mastered the advanced application of Conqueror's Haki—Haki Infusion!]
[Congratulations, Host. You have mastered the advanced application of Conqueror's Haki—Haki Defense!]
Outside in the real world.
The three future Admirals had been pointing at blueprints nearby. They were discussing where to build the bathhouse and where to put the cafeteria, but they all stiffened simultaneously.
The originally clear sky suddenly turned dark.
Dark clouds gathered out of nowhere, the winds began to howl, and the sea started to roar.
A terrifying and suffocating pressure, centered entirely on Kane, spread outwards in a ring with frantic intensity!
Hmm?
Sakazuki whirled around, his pupils contracting violently.
He saw Kane still sitting there with his posture unchanged. However, around Kane's body, streaks of pitch-black lightning tinged with crimson light were spontaneously generating and wildly leaping around.
Crackle!
The black-and-red lightning tore through the air and emitted a chilling, crisp sound.
Hey, hey... Kuzan instinctively took half a step back as a fine layer of cold sweat beaded on his forehead. This feeling... is even more dangerous than the Red Earl.
Conqueror's Haki? No... it is somewhat different. Borsalino's finger trembled slightly as he pushed up his sunglasses. So scary.
Sakazuki endured the pressure. Magma began churning on his arms and steam rose from his skin as he gritted his teeth, refusing to show even a hint of fear.
Kane slowly opened his eyes.
He raised his right hand and curled his fingers as if he were grasping something invisible.
Those violent black-and-red lightning streaks converged into his palm like obedient pets. They condensed without dispersing and flowed across his skin like water.
This is... the power that stands above all else.
Kane murmured to himself, and a satisfied curve formed at the corner of his mouth.
Is this the feel of six hundred thousand points? It is so smooth.
As his words fell, he suddenly threw a punch towards the empty sea, striking from a distance!
There was no sound and no light.
One second later.
BOOM!
Far away, a kilometer out at sea, a massive water column dozens of meters high shot into the sky without warning. It looked as if it had been struck by something invisible!
The seawater exploded with such force that it revealed the dark seabed below!
The pupils of Sakazuki and the other two shrank to pinpoints at that exact moment.
A long-range strike?!
No, that was not Ryuo!
It was a power far beyond Ryuo, something they could not comprehend at all!
Kane retracted his fist and felt the new power surging within him. He nodded in satisfaction.
Now this was a real ticket to Emperor-level combat power!
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