Chapter 74

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Chapter 74: The Shortcut to Awakening Conqueror's Haki

"Conqueror's Haki," Flying Squirrel muttered to himself, but he quickly realized what he was hearing and looked at the boss, who sat smoking with his legs crossed, in disbelief. "Wait! You awakened Conqueror's Haki!?"

Darren glanced at him and replied with a smile, "Yes."

The battle at Rubeck Island against Doflamingo was fierce. Flying Squirrel had been ordered to lead the Marines to blockade the island, evacuate civilians, and set up a perimeter. During the clash of Conqueror's Haki with Doflamingo, Flying Squirrel was preoccupied with commanding, so he was unaware of it.

"When did this happen?" Flying Squirrel gasped, his face full of bewilderment.

He knew Conqueror's Haki was rare. In the North Blue sea area, even Sakazuki, the former admiral known as the "monster," failed to awaken it. Perhaps in the Grand Line or New World, many strong men had awakened Conqueror's Haki, but they were generally the famous ones among pirates, such as the great pirate Whitebeard and the mysterious Roger.

However, very few Marines could awaken Conqueror's Haki. The Marines, as an aggressive law enforcement agency under the World Government, emphasized hierarchy and obedience. There was hardly any room for free will to grow, particularly under the shadow of the Celestial Dragons.

Under such circumstances, it was incredibly difficult for a Marine to awaken the "King's Bravery." To Flying Squirrel's knowledge, the only ones in the Marines who had awakened Conqueror's Haki were the current Marshal Kong, Admiral Buddha Sengoku, and the strongest Vice Admiral Garp, dubbed the "hero."

But now Darren was telling him that he had awakened Conqueror's Haki! Did that mean his talent surpassed those of the so-called "monsters" Sakazuki and Polusalino? If he didn't know Darren's character, Flying Squirrel would have thought he was being fooled.

"When are you going to say..." Darren exhaled a stream of smoke and said half-jokingly, "I guess it was around the time when Shields Saint was attacked by the Sea King creature and unfortunately died... Probably."

"Well, if you also want to awaken Conqueror's Haki, I have a good method," Darren continued.

A sense of foreboding rose within Flying Squirrel, but he still mustered the courage to ask, "What is it?"

Darren flipped a coin, which melted in mid-air and transformed into a gleaming dagger, its sharp point facing upwards toward the sky. "Kill a Celestial Dragon," he said nonchalantly.

Flying Squirrel's mouth twitched, and a few lines of stress appeared on his forehead. "Are you serious?"

Darren shrugged. "Who knows, this is just my guess, but I estimate there's a high chance it will work. This method might not be very effective for pirates, as they are lawless... But for Marines, it would definitely have a profound impact on their personal will."

"Conqueror's Haki, from what I understand and have experienced, is an outward expression of personal will and courage. It's generally awakened in an extreme state," Darren explained.

"This extreme state isn't about physical danger. As Marines, we are accustomed to great risks... It's about a spiritual extreme. From the day we don our uniforms, we're trained to follow orders and uphold peace and justice in the world. But deep down, everyone knows... that's just a lie."

"We may be defending justice, but we know deep down that our tasks and actions are more about maintaining the rule of the world government. At the top of the World Government are the Celestial Dragons who sit high on the clouds and call themselves 'gods,'" Darren said, his voice gradually lowering. 

His deep eyes glimmered with an unexplainable light as he smiled and continued, "For a Marine, what could be more exciting than killing the 'god' who sits above us and gives orders? How about it, do you want to try the feeling of killing gods? Imagine watching the ugly faces of the Celestial Dragons wailing in front of you, witnessing them kneeling and begging for mercy, stripping those noble and great descendants of the creator of their posture and dignity. Aren't you curious about that feeling?"

Flying Squirrel looked at Darren's half-smile and felt a chill all over his body, taking a subconscious step back.

"Hahahahaha!" Darren laughed upon seeing Flying Squirrel's reaction.

Flying Squirrel rolled his eyes in annoyance. "You bastard, don't tempt me...you are a devil! No wonder that kid Doflamingo is eaten to death by you. Sometimes I start to wonder if your Devil Fruit has the ability to confuse people..." he grumbled.

Flying Squirrel had to admit that he was momentarily captivated by Darren's proposal. However, that thought sent a chill through him, making the pores on his back stand on end.

The dagger in mid-air transformed back into the shape of a coin, its lines, numbers, and patterns exactly the same as before, incredibly intricate. Darren caught the coin falling through the air, gently placed it on the desk, and said with a smile, "That kind of ability may exist, but ultimately, the human heart is quite simple. Whether one is high-ranking or a humble commoner, everyone has weaknesses and desires. Money, wealth, power, status, fame, beauty, gambling, cigarettes, fine wine—there are many ways to kill a person, and violence is the most simple and direct. But to destroy a person's will, you must find their weakness."

"The desire to destroy is a weakness most people share. Don't be surprised; as Marines, our duty is, of course, to 'guard,' but we are still human, and humans have desires. In the face of magnificent and extremely beautiful things, you immediately feel the urge to worship, pity, and protect. However, in the deepest part of your heart, there is also a twisted desire to destroy. We often think, 'What would it be like to destroy such a beautiful thing with my own hands?' That's why there are love stories in which love is brutally killed if you can't get it."

"What is the most sacred, beautiful, noble, and greatest thing in this world? It's the World Government, the Celestial Dragons. Perhaps one day, when people in this world look at the behemoth that has ruled for eight hundred years, their fearful eyes will show a slight change. How wonderful that picture will be."