Chapter 123: The King
Rhodes's condescending tone—as if he were merely examining merchandise—infuriated Abu.
While the man before him displayed undeniably formidable strength, Abu himself was a master feared throughout the Kano Country, someone who commanded respect and awe.
He roared, his blood boiling, his skin darkening to the color of steel. He was clearly activating some advanced physical technique, his entire body expanding in size. He looked like a demon emerging from the abyss—a terrifying sight.
The next moment, he clenched his fingers into a fist and swung it ferociously at Rhodes.
Hasshoken!
The punch appeared deceptively simple, but as it struck, it carried a strange penetrating force—like an unstoppable shockwave rippling through the air.
"There it is!"
"Master Abu's Hasshoken!"
The Happo Navy soldiers scattered across the valley, watching the battlefield and ready for combat, were all electrified at the sight.
Hasshoken was a supreme martial art practiced only by the core members of the Happo Navy. Ordinary members like themselves weren't even permitted to learn it, let alone master its techniques.
Just recently, Abu had used his Eight Impact Fist to pulverize a pirate with a bounty in the tens of millions, reducing even his bones to powder.
Rhodes's interest was genuinely piqued by Abu's Hasshoken.
He clenched his left hand into a fist, a surge of crackling power emanating from within. His fist seemed to transform into a miniature blue sun, blazing with electric radiance as it shot forward.
BOOM!
As the two fists collided, the penetrating shockwave force and the explosive thunder power erupted in a fierce clash, resonating with a deafening roar like multiple cannons firing simultaneously.
Hasshoken's impact force was somewhat similar to Whitebeard's quake-based attacks—capable of bypassing shields and armor to directly damage internal organs.
However, just as the same Devil Fruit manifests completely different capabilities in different users' hands, the same martial art could vary dramatically between practitioners.
If someone of Chinjao's caliber—or even his grandson Sai's level—unleashed the strange penetrating power of Hasshoken, which practically ignored conventional defenses, Rhodes would never dare confront it so carelessly.
But Abu was a different story entirely.
BOOM!
The shockwave force and thunder clashed for a brief moment before the outcome became decisively clear.
The blazing lightning surged forward like a cannonball, instantly engulfing Abu.
Crackle, crackle!
The powerful electrical current coursed through Abu's body, leaving his skin charred, his muscles spasming uncontrollably, his entire body nearly paralyzed and clearly unable to continue fighting.
"Hasshoken... truly is a remarkable martial art."
Rhodes slowly retracted his fist, feeling the slight tingling sensation still coursing through his arm, and couldn't help but express genuine admiration.
Hasshoken was indeed the ultimate combat technique that Chinjao had used to conquer the New World in his prime.
While far less comprehensive than the Marines' Rokushiki, this specialized offensive technique was powerful enough to challenge opponents of higher levels. Those lacking sufficient physical conditioning could suffer severe injuries from even a single blow, sustaining difficult-to-heal internal damage!
The battle concluded far too quickly.
The instantaneous collision had produced the final outcome.
The Happo Navy members hadn't even fully processed what happened.
"I'm inferior in skill, so being defeated by you is... understandable," Abu admitted through gritted teeth.
"But this is the Kano Country! Anyone who provokes the Happo Navy must die!"
Abu forced his head up, a flicker of desperate pride and madness gleaming in his eyes. He shouted: "Everyone, open fire!"
Swish!
Thousands of Happo Navy soldiers, along with hundreds of Capone Bege's surviving subordinates, sprang into coordinated action, surrounding Rhodes from all sides.
Countless gun barrels and blade edges were trained on him, as if ready to tear him to pieces in an instant.
In a split second, Rhodes was completely encircled.
Larry collapsed to the ground, abandoning all hope of survival.
"What a waste..." Yuffie whispered with a heavy sigh.
In this situation, even if she intervened—even with her royal status—it would accomplish nothing.
The dignity of the Happo Navy was at stake. Not just her, a powerless and relatively insignificant princess, but even the renowned First Prince of the Kano Country might not be able to prevent what was coming.
And yet, in this dire situation, Rhodes's expression remained utterly calm.
Even the initial sneer of disdain and the excitement of witnessing interesting abilities had vanished entirely.
Only a transcendent, commanding calm remained—like the serenity he'd experienced when he'd scaled the Red Line and reached the summit above the clouds.
These people before him were simply too weak... so pathetically weak that he didn't even want to unleash his lightning power, much less draw his sword.
He felt that a single thought could rout them all.
Furthermore, it wasn't just these weapon-wielding enemies—even the vast, endless sky above, the thick, boundless earth below, and the very air itself seemed to bow before him with but a single thought.
Buzz!
In that instant, an unprecedented gleam flashed in Rhodes's eyes.
This light stemmed from a previously dormant power within Rhodes—a power somewhat similar to his Armament Haki and Observation Haki, yet fundamentally, profoundly different.
The light flashed brilliantly... and then vanished.
But Rhodes's entire being had suddenly undergone a fundamental transformation.
An almost tangible aura suddenly erupted from his body, sweeping across the entire valley like an invisible tsunami.
Silently—even the air itself and the gentle breeze seemed to stop moving.
Larry, standing directly behind him, was affected first, his expression freezing mid-breath.
Then came Abu, who despite his considerable strength, found himself paralyzed.
Then came the Happo Navy soldiers encircling Rhodes from all directions, and Capone Bege's remaining men. Every single one of them froze in their tracks.
Even the ordinary spectators who had thought themselves safely distant, and VIP guests like Yuffie, found themselves unable to move.
It was as if an almighty being had frozen time itself in this singular moment.
A single moment stretched to feel like eternity.
Until a gentle breeze finally stirred again.
The sound of bodies collapsing echoed continuously.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Thousands upon thousands of people throughout the valley fell to the ground in waves, centered on Rhodes's position.
This overwhelming force was so terrifyingly potent that it even reached the nearby city of Black Harbor, enveloping a portion of it.
From people walking the streets to couples in the privacy of their rooms—everyone instantly lost consciousness.
When the wave finally subsided, only a handful of people within a radius of several kilometers remained conscious.
Abu, being the strongest present, was the first to fully regain his awareness.
The arrogance and madness in his eyes had completely vanished, replaced only by profound shock and disbelief.
As a master who had fought alongside Chinjao against numerous legendary figures across the seas, he was intimately familiar with this incredible, terrifying power—the kind that seemed to bring even heaven and earth to their knees.
Conqueror's Haki!
He had never imagined witnessing such legendary power in someone so young.
The Kano Country had multiple naval forces, but why was the Happo Navy so overwhelmingly dominant that it could subjugate all other official and unofficial armed groups?
It was because their previous leader, Don Chinjao, possessed Conqueror's Haki!
He was a born king—undisputed, unchallengeable, and absolute.
(End of Chapter)
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