Chapter 153: Conqueror’s Haki

"I overslept, all thanks to that obnoxious pirate woman!" Bellemere grumbled, holding her beer as she explained to the girls.

"That woman has no sense, calling Bellemere an old lady!" Nami joined in, just as indignant.

"Exactly!" Uta echoed, nodding in agreement.

Bellemere was a kind person who had taken Uta in as her own, caring for her like family.

After collectively condemning Sweetheart Queen once more, Luffy took up his King Sword, ready to set off.

"I want to watch Luffy's fight," Uta called, stopping him.

The thought of Sweetheart Queen and her "secret battle" with Luffy still bugged her. That shameful woman had done something with him that Uta wasn't part of—something Uta hadn't even known was possible.

The idea stirred a sense of defeat in her chest.

She had watched Luffy grow up, and yet, a stranger had learned things about him she hadn't.

"It's just a regular fight—nothing to see," Luffy said, scratching his head.

When did Uta get interested in things like this?

"Are you underestimating me? I'm a pirate's daughter!" Uta declared loudly.

"Is Uta worried about Luffy? But interfering in a fight wouldn't be good," Bellemere said, smiling as she watched the kids' exchange.

"We're friends, aren't we? And Luffy said it himself—I can rely on him. Besides, as his older sister figure, I can help him too!" Uta huffed, her violet eyes fixed determinedly on him.

"Well, if you say so… Fine! Nami, set sail!"

"You actually agreed?" Bellemere was surprised.

"Couldn't help it—if Uta asks, I'll do my best," Luffy said, tipping his straw hat over his face. Two strings hung from the hat, tying it around his neck—a custom order from Bellemere.

"Heehee!" Uta grinned.

"Is that so?" Bellemere sighed. As an adult and a former soldier, she thought Luffy's decision was a bit too hasty.

To put it bluntly, they'd be more of a burden in battle than a help.

"I'm not very good at saying no to cute girls," Luffy admitted with a grin.

"Got it! Moomoo, full speed ahead!" Nami ordered.

"Nami too…?" Bellemere groaned, watching her ally with Luffy.

"Hey, I'm the captain's navigator. It's my job to get the ship wherever he wants to go," Nami replied with a cheeky smile.

"Nojiko, come on, help me talk sense into Nami!"

"Oh, I'm just an apprentice chef, Bellemere. I don't know a thing," Nojiko replied with a grin.

"One by one…" Bellemere muttered, exasperated.

"Leave it to me!" Luffy leaped to the front of the ship, gazing at the pirate blockade in the distance.

Uta pulled out a camera, ready to record this adventure.

"Captain! A Marine ship is headed straight for us!" a lookout called as he spotted the mast and the seagull flag rising on the horizon.

"They're here—the ones who killed my Queen!" Big Bear King immediately connected the approaching ship with Sweetheart Queen's disappearance.

"Prepare the cannons!" one of the pirates commanded.

"No—hold fire!"

Big Bear King stood up.

When he rose, his massive figure towered like a giant.

"I have a few things to confirm with them."

"Captain, that's no ordinary ship. It's the infamous 'Executioner's' vessel!" Skunk warned.

"I see it—that straw hat, the orange tree, and the seagull flag on a warship."

Big Bear King sneered.

"I don't care if that brat's legend is true or not. I only care about avenging my Sweetheart Queen."

"Let me go first," the Clown said, drawing his longsword as he took his place on the shoreline.

"I'm with you," Skunk added, crossing his arms, standing with the authority of their ranks at the front.

Luffy unsheathed his King Sword, pushing the blade forward with his thumb.

Click!

In the reflection, he saw his own eyes.

Molten red light welled up from deep within, like lava ready to erupt.

This is so cool. Luffy couldn't help but think, admiring his fierce gaze.

The sky was clear, the wind gentle. Seagulls cooed as sunlight danced on the sea in silvery ripples.

The sound of waves crashing around him filled Luffy with joy. The troubles of Sweetheart Queen's influence had completely faded away after a night holding a cute "anime heroine" in his arms.

The weather was great, the ocean vast, and the people around him were wonderful.

He was in top form.

If there were any "cheat" to activate right now, it would be Observation Haki awakening.

How disappointing, though, that Nami's sweet innocence was no match for the seductive allure of Sweetheart Queen's provocations. It felt like the threshold for his Haki had risen. At first, a glimpse of Uta's feet could trigger it, then having someone sit on his back was enough. Now, after Sweetheart Queen's influence, other things seemed less impactful.

Cute was defeated by sexy.

"We're entering cannon range!"

Bellemere shouted, tension thick in her voice. She could almost predict the barrage of cannonballs, the towering waves, and the impending destruction of their ship under fire.

Luffy's molten eyes locked onto the horizon as his Haki surged.

Finally, he saw the transformation Conqueror's Haki brought to his vision.

His red eyes stared into the abyss, and the abyss stared back, a monstrous presence casting its gaze upon the sea.

With a blink, a storm of Haki rippled outward, causing the nearby seagulls to freeze, their wings folding as they dropped into the ocean.

On the distant shore, the lesser pirates standing before the King dropped their weapons, their eyes going blank as they collapsed one by one.

It was a spectacular scene, but few could truly witness the kingly aura in all its glory.

"What… what's going on?" Big Bear King squinted, watching in disbelief as his thousand-strong crew crumpled like dominoes, leaving only a handful still standing.

"Is he the same type as me?"

Unable to make sense of it, he chalked it up to a Devil Fruit power.

"This is ridiculous—we're six hundred meters away!"

Big Bear King roared, frustrated by his disadvantage. As a close-combat fighter, he was vulnerable to such long-range abilities.

I should've fired those cannons, he thought, regretting his choice.

The sight of a single boy incapacitating a thousand men in an instant made him wary.

Even he would have to smash through each of them, one by one—a tedious task.

"They're just knocked out, Captain!" the Clown said after checking the fallen pirates.

"Oh, that's it?" Big Bear King nodded in satisfaction.

Luffy gripped the sword hilt, feeling its immense power.

Forged through fire and tempered by countless battles, it was a monster born for one purpose: to reap lives under the command of a king.

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