Chapter 124: Catastrophe
Conqueror's Haki is fundamentally different from Armament Haki and Observation Haki.
It is an innate power—something one is born with.
Across the Grand Line, this strength is known as the qualification of a king.
Not all powerful individuals possess Conqueror's Haki, but those who do are almost always formidable or possess tremendous potential.
Conqueror's Haki is a crystallization of one's spirit—a manifestation of absolute willpower.
It can render enemies unconscious without even requiring physical contact.
At advanced levels, it can even interfere with reality itself and affect physical matter.
Legend has it that when Conqueror's Haki reaches its ultimate peak and fully awakens, it transforms into an extraordinarily powerful ability known as "Conqueror's Infusion"!
Under this advanced application, the wielder can coat their attacks with Conqueror's Haki itself, devastating opponents without even touching them, and even manipulating the environment around them to a degree!
Those known to possess—or potentially possess—this mastery...
"Pirate King Roger, Red-Haired Shanks..."
Rhodes slowly retracted his Conqueror's Haki, a contemplative gleam in his eyes.
He had always pursued perfection. If he possessed a power, it would be wasteful not to develop it to its absolute peak.
"From what I understand, Conqueror's Haki cannot be strengthened through conventional training—at most, one can only increase proficiency and control."
"Fundamentally, its potency increases alongside the wielder's personal growth and accomplishments."
"If someone became powerful enough to stand above all other Conquerors, ascend to the summit of this world, and claim the title of Pirate King, their Conqueror's Haki would likely naturally strengthen to its limit, allowing them to master advanced techniques like Conqueror's Infusion."
Recalling everything he knew about Conqueror's Haki, Rhodes's eyes flickered with thoughtful calculation.
Perhaps he should visit Amazon Lily.
That nation of warriors possessed extremely comprehensive knowledge of Haki.
Not only did all the island's inhabitants wield both Armament and Observation Haki, but every Empress throughout generations had also possessed Conqueror's Haki as well.
Perhaps there might be answers to what Rhodes sought.
"It's best to resolve this situation in the Kano Country as quickly as possible."
Rhodes's expression grew calm and focused.
A new era was rapidly approaching, and the West Blue was ultimately too small a stage for what was to come.
He slowly walked toward Abu's fallen form.
"The Happo Navy won't let you go!" Abu spat, blood trickling from his mouth.
"Don't think you're invincible just because you've awakened Conqueror's Haki. Don Chinjao also possesses it—he's a legendary figure from the previous era. One day, you'll die at his hands!"
Perhaps knowing death was imminent, Abu showed no fear, glaring at Rhodes with unwavering defiance until the very end.
"Perhaps," Rhodes replied with casual indifference.
He drew his sword in a fluid motion and slashed once, then smoothly sheathed it without another glance, turning and walking away.
The sound of blood gurgling could be heard behind him as Abu's body finally collapsed.
Black Harbor
The widespread collapse of thousands of people instantly threw the entire city into chaos and panic.
Hela and the others, who had just finished resting and were preparing to head to Rockstone Valley to observe the tournament, nearly walked straight into this paranormal phenomenon. The unconscious masses lay less than a hundred meters ahead!
"What's going on?"
"Why is everyone unconscious?"
The Revolutionary Army soldiers were utterly stunned.
Even in Paradise—the first half of the Grand Line—few people truly understood Conqueror's Haki, let alone in the relatively isolated West Blue.
Some among them didn't even know what Haki was in the first place.
"Could this be..." Hela's expression flickered with dawning suspicion, and she couldn't help but glance at the middle-aged man beside her.
The middle-aged man's expression shifted subtly, showing clear uncertainty.
"Let's go investigate."
The group advanced cautiously, their path marked by an eerie, deathly silence throughout the streets and buildings.
"It's too quiet," a Revolutionary Army soldier remarked nervously.
Even these battle-hardened soldiers felt a creeping sense of dread—like walking a path toward something incomprehensible.
It was genuinely terrifying!
In broad daylight, there was absolutely no movement—only collapsed figures scattered everywhere.
It was clear these people had been engaged in their normal activities mere moments before falling unconscious.
Some had been walking, some chatting, some eating meals at restaurants...
But without exception, they had all simultaneously collapsed to the ground as if struck by an invisible force, powerless to resist. Even their expressions from that final moment remained frozen on their faces—a haunting variety of shock, confusion, and fear.
It resembled a ghost story brought to life—an absolute dead silence.
"I witnessed something similar once before, several years ago, at the base of the mountain near the Royal Capital," the middle-aged man said slowly, his voice grave.
"Later, I learned more about this phenomenon."
"This is the legendary Conqueror's Haki—a king's qualification that only one person in several million is born with!"
Hela and the others were shocked by this revelation, their faces displaying a mixture of awe and bewilderment.
"Could it be Don Chinjao?"
The Kano Country had historical records of such power.
It should only belong to the supremely powerful figures of previous eras—the one who had once battled legendary figures like Pirate King Roger and the Marine Hero Garp across the seas: Don Chinjao!
What on earth had happened?!
Confused and increasingly concerned, Hela and the others quickened their pace, swiftly passing through the unnaturally silent Black Harbor and reaching the outskirts of Rockstone Valley.
There, they noticed that everyone had collapsed on the ground.
The sheer density of unconscious bodies created a spectacular sight, forming an irregular fan-shaped pattern radiating outward.
Hela and the others peered into the valley from the entrance, expecting to see the imposing figure of Don Chinjao—but instead, they spotted an unexpected young man in white.
"Rhodes?"
"You're here," Rhodes said, noticing their arrival with a faint smile.
"Clean up this mess. Wake Larry and the others, along with the ordinary spectators who just fainted. Take the Happo Navy soldiers into custody for now."
Hearing Rhodes's casual orders, Hela and the others exchanged bewildered glances, their minds reeling.
What's going on?
Wasn't this supposed to be a normal martial arts tournament to divide territorial boundaries?
How did it turn into THIS?!
"Why are we taking the Happo Navy into custody?" Hela whispered uncertainly.
"Well, wasn't it to secure more territory?" Rhodes stretched leisurely and said with complete nonchalance:
"So I killed Capone Bege, Abu, and several others."
"That way, no one will compete with us for control anymore."
"As for these spectators, I accidentally frightened them unconscious with my Haki. My bad."
Hiss...
Everyone gasped audibly, eyes widening in disbelief.
Rhodes had previously demonstrated immense strength—instantly dispatching the entire Blood Sword Pirates with a single technique.
But the Blood Sword Pirates were ultimately just a minor, relatively insignificant pirate crew, nowhere near the caliber of the Capone Family—rulers of the West Blue's criminal underworld—or the Happo Navy, which dominated both the Kano Country and commanded respect throughout the West Blue.
Moreover, the power to knock thousands of people unconscious simultaneously and silence half of Black Harbor with sheer willpower was truly beyond comprehension.
Hela and the other Revolutionary Army soldiers stood stunned, incredulous, and deeply awed.
But the middle-aged man, after his initial shock, suddenly lost all composure. He stammered desperately:
"C-Commander Rhodes, are you saying you actually killed Abu—the Vice-Commander of the Happo Navy?!"
"Yeah, that guy was basically asking for death, and I'm a helpful person, so naturally I obliged," Rhodes said with complete indifference.
Hearing this confirmation, the middle-aged man stumbled backward several steps, his face going pale as he wailed miserably:
"This is bad! This is catastrophically bad!"
A Vice-Commander of the Happo Navy was a top-tier figure in the Kano Country—part of the absolute core leadership. Their status far exceeded even princes and princesses of the royal family.
The death of such a prominent figure would undoubtedly trigger a major earthquake throughout the Kano Country. The Happo Navy would be absolutely furious and would never let this transgression go unanswered.
Seeing Rhodes's completely indifferent expression, the middle-aged man gave a bitter, helpless smile:
"This kind of news can't possibly be concealed."
"We need to contact Commander Morley immediately and figure out how to resolve this crisis."
This commander from headquarters was indeed incredibly powerful—but also dangerously impulsive and arbitrary in his actions.
Killing Capone Bege was problematic enough, but he'd even killed Abu!
If today's events became public knowledge, the entire Kano Country—and possibly the entire West Blue—would be thrown into turmoil!
(End of Chapter)
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