Chapter 16: Cold Fruit

Chapter 16: Cold Fruit

Under the terrified gaze of the pirate, Charlotte placed his hand over his head.

Charlotte's Observation Haki activated instantly.

"How did you cultivate your Armament Haki?" Charlotte asked Will Warner directly.

But Warner was in no state to answer, as his excruciating pain consumed him.

Charlotte didn't expect him to answer verbally.

Instead, as soon as Charlotte finished speaking, Warner's thoughts gave him all the answers he needed.

This pirate, Will Warner, wasn't a simple character. He had fought his way through the West Blue to reach the second half of the Grand Line and had survived in the New World for a year.

His Armament Haki wasn't self-taught. It came from a training notebook he found on a Rear Admiral he killed.

The notebook not only contained detailed instructions for cultivating Armament Haki but also included training methods for Observation Haki and the Navy's Six Styles.

However, Warner's talent was limited. He had only managed to learn Armament Haki. Despite practicing Observation Haki for a year, he had made no progress. Similarly, among the Navy's Six Styles, he only mastered the technique Shave.

This revelation amused Charlotte.

Now understanding how to cultivate Armament Haki, Charlotte applied pressure with his hands.

Will Warner, who had been paralyzed with terror, bulged his eyes wide before Charlotte crushed his head, ending his life.

As Warner's body slumped to the ground, Charlotte turned his gaze toward the remaining twenty pirates in the port.

Charlotte waved his hand, summoning his subordinates from the shadows.

These fighters were ones personally trained by Charlotte.

"Kill them all," Charlotte ordered in a calm, chilling voice.

The pirates' faces turned pale with fear.

Some of Charlotte's men hesitated but eventually mustered the courage to pick up their swords and carry out the grim task, cutting down the defenseless pirates.

Meanwhile, Charlotte strode toward the pirate ship docked nearby.

Looting treasure from defeated foes had become one of his few personal joys aside from his interest in women.

Following the memory extracted from Warner, Charlotte navigated the ship and arrived at the captain's quarters.

He easily located a drawer and opened it. Inside was the Rear Admiral's notebook.

After confirming its contents, he slipped it into his pocket.

He rummaged through the other cabinets and bedside drawers, uncovering three suitcases filled with cash.

"As expected of a pirate from the West Blue. He's far richer than those with bounties under 100 million berries," Charlotte remarked, estimating the loot to total at least 300 million berries.

Satisfied with his haul, Charlotte exited the cabin and returned to the port, where people where beginning to stir again.

Dock workers and merchants cautiously approached, their curiosity outweighing their fear. When they saw the bodies of 60 or 70 pirates sprawled across the ground, their expressions were a mixture of gratitude and apprehension toward Charlotte.

At that moment, the mayor, Chamberlain, emerged.

"Thank you! Thank you so much, Mr. Charlotte, for saving everyone on Kami Island. You are our hero!" Chamberlain exclaimed, rushing forward to shake Charlotte's hand.

Charlotte, however, inwardly scoffed. If I didn't know what you were plotting, I might actually believe you.

"Hero! Hero!"

The chant erupted from the people of Kami Island, their excitement palpable.

The wave of gratitude and admiration unintentionally triggered Charlotte's Observation Haki.

As the emotion washed over him, Charlotte couldn't help but smile and wave back.

Damn it, I'm being influenced by emotions again! he cursed silently, forcing himself to stay composed as he tried to escape the crowd.

On his way out, Charlotte passed by a fruit stall.

His eyes fell on a pear with strange patterns among the fruits.

"Mr. Charlotte!"

The stall owner's voice trembled with excitement as Charlotte approached.

"How much for the pears? I'll take a few," Charlotte said casually.

"No! No need! Please, take whichever ones you like, free of charge," the owner stammered, his admiration for Charlotte shining through.

Hearing this, Charlotte picked a few pears, including the one with patterns, and walked away without hesitation.

Returning to his villa, Charlotte ordered food to be prepared and then retreated to his room with the patterned pear in hand.

"This is the Cold-Cold Fruit, Warner's Devil Fruit!" Charlotte exclaimed, his excitement barely contained.

It was the first time he had seen a Devil Fruit in the five years since arriving in the pirate world—and an unclaimed one at that.

However, Charlotte had no intention of eating the fruit himself. He planned to save it for one of his subordinates.

After securing the Devil Fruit in a safe, Charlotte sat down and pulled out the Rear Admiral's notebook.

Flipping through its pages, he carefully reviewed its contents.

The training methods for Armament Haki and Observation Haki were comprehensive, as were the instructions for mastering the Navy's Six Styles.

Although Charlotte had previously tried to practice the Six Styles using fragmented memories from his past life, he had only managed to replicate the movements without truly understanding the techniques.

With this notebook, his strength was sure to soar.

Excited, Charlotte quickly skimmed the training instructions for Armament Haki.

Suddenly, everything clicked.

Armament Haki was a combination of mental focus, physical strength, and precise techniques.

As long as one's body met the necessary requirements, Armament Haki could be unlocked through proper training.

Satisfied, Charlotte closed the notebook and decided to begin his training the next day.

Stepping out of his room, he found Ivan waiting for him.

"Boss, the captain of the Cold Pirates, Will Warner, has been turned in for his bounty by someone I arranged. They should return tomorrow. Also, we recovered some additional Bailey from the ship—about 30 million berries in total. It's all here!" Ivan said, holding a large bag filled with cash.

"Distribute this money among those who killed pirates today. Also, make ten copies of this training manual and have our fighters start practicing the Navy's Six Styles tomorrow. I want to see progress within a year," Charlotte instructed, handing Ivan the notebook.

The methods were now etched in Charlotte's memory, so he no longer needed the original.

"Yes, boss! I'll make the arrangements immediately. I guarantee results within a year," Ivan promised.

Charlotte nodded and waved him off.

In truth, Charlotte didn't expect all 50 fighters to master the Six Styles. If even ten of them succeeded, it would exceed his expectations.

For now, his focus was on cultivating a team capable of venturing into the Grand Line with him.

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