Devil Fruit Awakening.
Advanced Busoshoku (Armament) Haki… Ryuo.
Conqueror's Haki Infusion.
The significant difference in understanding between these concepts was one of the most important factors affecting a person's strength.
Some people might be limited by their natural talent and never progress beyond one of these stages. However, if someone was unaware that this information even existed, the consequences were obvious.
For someone like Donquixote Doflamingo, who had struggled and survived across the seas, discovering these three pieces of information was nothing short of enlightening.
Although he still didn't know the exact training methods, he at least had a clear direction now.
"When one's strength reaches a certain level, high-intensity battles and the pressure of life and death, can accelerate one's understanding of power." Kojin said with a sigh.
Everything he had achieved, and all his overwhelming strength, had come purely from his own efforts.
"Donquixote Rosinante. If you can't even master the three types of Haki, then this is as far as you'll ever go. Devil Fruit abilities are powerful, yes, but Haki is the foundation of true strength. For anyone at the top of the world, it's almost impossible to find a weakness in them. In every aspect, they are nearly at their peak." Kojin spoke calmly.
Trafalgar D. Water Law silently memorized these words while Rosinante nodded solemnly. A thoughtful glint passed through Doflamingo's eyes.
Comparing himself to them, he realized that the strength he had once been proud of now clearly had many flaws. Perhaps he would have discovered these things through future battles, but that would have taken up a lot of time and involved unpredictable risks.
Nevertheless, he couldn't help but be curious about what true peak-level power looked like.
Fixing his gaze on the man before him, Doflamingo revealed both curiosity and desire.
Has this man mastered Conqueror's Haki Infusion?
He must have; otherwise, he couldn't have reached the top of the world ten years ago.
"Heh."
Kojin naturally saw the curiosity in Doflamingo's eyes.
Rosinante, who had seen him throw punches countless times before, showed no particular reaction.
"Then I'll let you witness it: the ultimate power of this world, which every true powerhouse must master!"
Doflamingo laughed faintly, and his body trembled as he stared ahead.
The next second, Kojin slowly raised his hand.
Crackle!
Black-red lightning burst forth, instantly coating his arm with Conqueror's Haki.
At that moment, Doflamingo sensed an overwhelming aura... vast and boundless, deeper than the sea itself.
"This man's Conqueror's Haki... in sheer quantity, it's like an ocean of Haki!"
Doflamingo trembled inwardly. But he was even more shocked and frightened by Kojin's perfect control over it, it was so precise that he couldn't comprehend it.
Then, Kojin threw a punch towards the sea.
Boom!
Black-red lightning exploded outwards, skimming across the ocean as it shot into the distance, seemingly amplified without limit.
For a moment, even time itself seemed to freeze.
About two seconds later, a shocking scene unfolded.
Law's entire body trembled; his small eyes were wide open, and cold sweat formed on his forehead.
"Is this something a human can even do?"
Doflamingo's expression also turned grave.
Where Kojin's punch had grazed the sea, a massive trench had formed. Where the force ultimately landed, thousands of meters away from the battleship, a huge depression appeared. Tens of millions of tons of seawater surged upwards against gravity, rippling outwards in all directions and instantly forming a massive tsunami.
"So this is Conqueror's Haki Infusion?" Doflamingo muttered.
Staring at Kojin, he felt a deep fear rise in his heart. It was clear that this wasn't even close to his full power. Their earlier clash had been nothing more than casual play to him.
"The gap between me and the top of the world… is this vast?"
This crushing realization hit him hard, leaving him with a rare sense of powerlessness.
For the first time in his life, he felt completely inadequate.
"Only by understanding the gap between yourself and others can you develop true respect and the drive to improve."
"Do you want to become stronger, Doflamingo?"
Kojin grinned, his smile slightly eerie.
"Of course. So, what must I give in return?" Doflamingo asked immediately in a low voice.
He desperately wanted that terrifying power. The temptation was irresistible. No matter the cost, he was willing.
"A price?"
"No, no… for now, there's only one thing you need to do."
Kojin shook his head with a smile.
Then his gaze shifted to Rosinante. The latter stiffened, a bad feeling rising within him.
"That is… during the upcoming training, do your best to try and kill your younger brother."
Doflamingo's pupils shrank, then he smiled.
"I'd be more than happy to."
Meanwhile, Rosinante and Law's expressions changed drastically. Not far away, figures such as Smoker and Buggy watched with amused smiles, clearly treating the situation as entertainment.
The battleship prepared to leave the harbor as the Marines raised the anchor.
At that moment, a figure came running wildly towards them.
"Wait! Wait for me!" The figure shouted as he ran.
Buggy poked his head out and quickly recognized him. 'Yo, isn't that the guy we just rescued?'
"Why's he chasing after us?" Smoker shook his head, looking puzzled.
Kojin turned to look and found the man oddly familiar.
"Don't leave! Please take me with you! I want to become a Marine too!" The man shouted, panting heavily.
"Didn't I already tell you? Drake, I don't have the authority to recruit people on my own!" Buggy yelled.
'Lieutenant Commander Buggy, please take me with you! I have nowhere else to go!" Drake shouted.
At that moment, Kojin froze, his gaze landing on the man again. "What's his name?"
Buggy was a bit surprised but quickly answered, "Drake. We rescued him while clearing pirates on the island."
"To be precise, his name is X Drake." Smoker added.
"Let him aboard." A slight curve appeared at the corner of Kojin's lips as he smiled.
"Huh?" Buggy was stunned.
"Huh, what? Vice Admiral said let him aboard!" Smoker slapped his forehead and laughed.
A moment later, Drake was brought onto the battleship. The first thing he did was bow deeply to Kojin in gratitude.
"Thank you for taking me in! I want to become a Marine!"
Kojin smiled and nodded. "Alright. From today on, you are a Marine."
Drake was stunned. "That simple?"
"It's that simple." Kojin smiled.
Drake glanced suspiciously at Buggy, who was looking at the sky, and Smoker, who was whistling, wondering if they had been rejecting him subtly earlier.
Regardless, the result was good: He had finally become a Marine.
"May I ask who you are?" Feeling that this Vice Admiral's approachable aura, Drake asked boldly.
"Kojin. You can call me Vice Admiral Kojin, just like them.' Kojin replied with a smile.
Looking at the hawk-nosed man in a swordsman's hat, he couldn't help but feel emotional.
Four.
This trip to Minion Island had yielded four key figures, all of whom had tremendous potential.
The man before him, aged around twenty, was none other than X Drake, the future commander of the Marine Headquarters' secret special unit, SWORD.
"Kojin?"
"You're that Kojin?!"
Drake exclaimed in shock.
His expression became complicated. His father had mentioned this name many times before.
"How many Kojins are there in the Marines?" Kojin chuckled.
He raised his hand and pointed at Donquixote Rosinante and Trafalgar D. Water Law, who were nearby.
"From today on, you'll train together with them."
Drake nodded heavily.
He was shocked and excited to have encountered a legendary Vice Admiral of Marine Headquarters. After all, Barrels had once said that, of all the people in the Marines who upheld justice, Kojin was one of the most iconic legends.
Serving under such a man suited him perfectly.
The battleship slowly set sail, leaving Minion Island behind.
Donquixote Doflamingo was more than willing to pay the price. Almost as soon as the ship started moving, he attacked Rosinante without hesitation.
However, to his surprise, his younger brother, who was using Rokushiki, was much stronger than before.
"You've been hiding your strength well, Rosinante! To conceal your identity, you've willingly taken injury after injury."
Doflamingo sneered, his attacks growing even more ruthless.
Meanwhile, nearby, Law and Drake were also undergoing painful training. Smoker and Buggy were putting them through the same brutal training that they themselves had once endured.
Cries echoed across the entire battleship, one after another, without end.
"Doflamingo is going too far. At this rate, Rosinante will die," Eveya said worriedly.
Kojin let out a light chuckle. "If he can't even pass this test, then let him die."
Such cold words left Eveya stunned, but she knew well that this Vice Admiral valued Rosinante deeply.
"Doflamingo is a smart man. He understands my true intentions," Kojin said calmly.
Eveya paused, then fell into thought.
Moments later, Rosinante was pinned to the ground by Doflamingo and beaten unconscious with punch after punch.
"Tie him up with a rope and throw him into the sea. Oh, and make sure to hold on tight; otherwise, if he's lost, it'll be difficult to find him again." Kojin said expressionlessly.
Doflamingo accepted gladly.
A few moments later, Rosinante arced perfectly through the air before plunging into the sea.
Almost instantly, terrified screams echoed back.
Doflamingo held the rope formed from threads in his hand as he looked down at his younger brother struggling in the seawater, a glint flashing in his eyes.
"That man really values you, doesn't he…" He muttered.
This kind of life-or-death torment was probably intended to draw out Rosinante's potential, perhaps even awakening his Conqueror's Haki.
Once that happened, the gap between them would rapidly shrink.
"That brat really latched onto a powerful backer…" Doflamingo inwardly clicked his tongue, feeling a trace of envy.
On the other side, Eveya held up a Den Den Mushi toward Kojin, her expression serious.
"It's from Headquarters!"
Kojin frowned slightly. "Who is it?"
"Vice Admiral Tsuru!" Eveya spoke the unexpected name.
But what Tsuru said next made Kojin's expression turn even more serious.
(End of Chapter)
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