"Before we begin, I need to make something clear. Honestly, at your age, the power of Haki is still a bit early for you. But since you asked, and Roger agreed, I'll share everything I know. Whether you can awaken it in the future, though—that's up to you."
"I understand."
Yemu fully understood what that meant.
Rayleigh continued.
"Haki is a power that everyone in this world possesses. It's a complex force—sensation, will, presence—all of it is part of Haki. But most people can't draw it out or make use of it."
"To learn Haki, you first need to understand it. There are three types: Observation Haki, Armament Haki, and finally, Conqueror's Haki—a power said to appear in only one in a million, the mark of those chosen to be kings."
"But no matter which type you want to master, there's one thing you must have—absolute strength, without hesitation."
"Absolute strength...?"
Yemu seemed to grasp the meaning, but couldn't fully believe it.
Rayleigh understood that reaction. He didn't say more—instead, he raised his hand, his expression suddenly shifting as he said,
"Come. Hit me with everything you've got!"
"!!!"
Yemu was stunned at first, then got excited. He was still young, but the chance to test himself against Rayleigh, the Dark King, was something he couldn't pass up.
"Then I won't hold back."
He clenched his fists tightly. He knew full well that even at full power, he couldn't be a match for Rayleigh—but he didn't hesitate. He gathered all the strength within him.
At that moment, everyone present could feel the rising force within Yemu through their Observation Haki.
The crew, who had only accepted Yemu and Enel out of trust in the captain, finally realized—these two kids, especially the red-haired one, were anything but ordinary.
Even Douglas Bullet, the battle maniac obsessed with strength, gave Yemu a serious look for the first time.
Even he had to admit—the aura and power this kid was putting out, at his age, were on par with what he himself had once shown.
Boom...
A shockwave burst through the air, visibly distorting it. In the blink of an eye, Yemu's figure vanished from where he stood.
He was less than ten meters from Rayleigh. At full speed, he would reach him in just one second.
That was Yemu's plan—but in that moment, Rayleigh's gaze sharpened.
In an instant, a crushing aura surged toward Yemu—an overwhelming force, like the sky collapsing and the earth splitting.
Time slowed. One second stretched into eternity. Yemu couldn't move.
It wasn't that his body was restrained. It was a feeling of pure helplessness.
He felt like a boat adrift in a raging sea, powerless against the storm. The moment he faced that overwhelming presence, all will to resist vanished.
Rayleigh hadn't moved an inch. Yet he felt like an unshakable mountain, pressing down on Yemu from all sides.
"This gap is... too big..."
"I'll never catch up..."
"No amount of training will change anything..."
One after another, dark and hopeless thoughts swelled in Yemu's mind, draining every ounce of strength from his body and soul.
But he didn't break.
From deep within, another power began to rise—something fierce and wild, consuming all the fear and despair.
"So that's how it is..."
"This is incredible..."
"This world... it's so vast..."
"This power..."
"I want it."
"No... not enough. This power... it's still too weak..."
"If I want to conquer the world, this won't cut it."
"I need more... way more..."
In that instant, like a volcano erupting, an immense and terrifying force exploded from the depths of Yemu's spirit, sweeping across the entire Upper Yard.
Everyone felt it—Roger's crew, Gan Fall and the Divine Soldiers of God's Island, even Enel.
The air went still.
The Roger Pirates stared in shock. Food and drinks spilled from their hands. Among the trainees, the weaker ones—like Buggy and Inuarashi—rolled their eyes and fainted. Only Shanks and Enel remained standing, barely holding on.
Gan Fall and the Divine Soldiers had already collapsed, foaming at the mouth.
Even the beasts on the island went wild...
"Oi oi... you serious? That's Conqueror's Haki..."
"You've gotta be kidding... that pressure had me drenched in cold sweat."
"He's just a kid… and he awakened Conqueror's Haki?"
"Who the hell is this kid..."
...
Roger stared in disbelief, mouth agape, still holding his wine glass mid-air, forgetting to lower it.
Rayleigh was just as stunned, a few drops of cold sweat sliding down his forehead.
"Looks like I overdid it..."
He had only intended to test Yemu's spirit—to let him experience the essence of Haki: what it truly means to be unquestionably strong.
But because of Yemu's composure and maturity, a normal test wouldn't cut it. Coupled with the power he had just displayed, Rayleigh had boldly unleashed his own Conqueror's Haki.
What he hadn't expected was that, under the pressure of his aura, Yemu would awaken his own Conqueror's Haki.
The oppressive force was so intense that even Rayleigh, standing just a few feet away, felt his chest tighten...
"This... this is..."
For a moment, Rayleigh was at a loss for words.
Thankfully, Roger spoke up. After draining his wine in one gulp, he burst into laughter.
"Wahahahaha! This is incredible. The future... it's just getting more and more interesting."
"Come on, everyone! Let's sing and raise our glasses—for Yemu and his Conqueror's Haki!"
"Cheers!"
Fueled by Roger's enthusiasm, the crew erupted in laughter and raised their drinks high.
"Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
But the star of the moment, Yemu, had already passed out—completely unaware of any of it...
...
Three days later, the Roger Pirates found what they had come for. Amidst a crowd of farewells, they followed the Sea Clouds and departed from Skypiea.
At the edge of the Sea Clouds, Yemu and Enel stood side by side, watching the Roger Pirates vanish into the distance.
This journey had been nothing short of a windfall.
Not only had he learned how to cultivate Haki, he had also awakened Conqueror's Haki.
And before parting, Rayleigh had gifted him a personal set of swordsmanship notes—along with one of the 50 Skillful Grade Blades: Shishimaru.
A debt of kindness he honestly didn't know how to repay.
As the last trace of the Roger Pirates disappeared into the sky, Yemu let out a breath and turned to Enel.
"Let's head back. From now on, we need to work even harder."
Over the past three days, Enel had been deeply captivated by the allure of the pirate life. He couldn't help but ask,
"Do you think... we'll have our own pirate crew one day?"
"Of course we will."
"With crewmates even better than Roger's?"
"That's a given..."