The problem was this: when facing opponents strong enough to resist Conqueror's Haki, keeping it constantly active would only waste stamina for no good reason.
No sensible fighter would choose to do that.
In fact, the true mastery of this terrifying power lay in wrapping it around one's attacks, just like Armament Haki, and unleashing concentrated strikes.
That was the most effective way to use it.
Yet learning to infuse Conqueror's Haki into combat was something almost no one could master.
Users of Conqueror's Haki were already rare enough; those who could refine it to this level were even fewer.
Within the entire El Pirates, it was likely only El himself who possessed this ability.
Doflamingo and Hancock had not yet learned how to integrate Conqueror's Haki into their attacks.
But in truth, they did not need to.
Both saw themselves as nothing more than the captain's right and left arms—tools to support and carry out his will.
They would not, could not, and had no desire to surpass El in any way.
Hancock in particular held this view with absolute conviction—so much so that even Doflamingo, who spent every moment flattering and studying his captain's every mood, found himself in awe of her devotion, feeling his own loyalty paled in comparison.
For Hancock, it was a matter of the heart; for Doflamingo, it was a practical decision.
He knew that in terms of raw combat strength, he could never hope to match El.
So rather than wasting effort competing where he could not win, he chose to develop other strengths, becoming as useful and valuable a subordinate as possible.
And so, while his officers could not match his own power, El rarely needed to step in when dealing with ordinary foes.
The current situation was a perfect example.
Even when Hody Jones's top officers attacked together, they gained no advantage against the El Pirates' crew—instead, they were being driven back in disarray.
"What is this fool doing?" Hancock frowned. "Does he intend to hide underground like a mole forever?"
She detested cowards who refused to face their enemies openly, lacking any shred of true courage.
At that moment, Issho stepped forward.
"Rise!"
With a single upward lift of his walking stick‑sword, a massive section of the ground floated into the air—carrying with it the countless foot soldiers of the New Fish‑Man Pirates, as well as Daruma, the piranha Fish‑Man who had been burrowing through the earth.
CRASH!
Daruma had never expected to find himself tunneling his way straight into the open sky.
He bit down hard, tearing off a chunk of rock and soil, but the ground beneath him vanished, sending him tumbling downward.
Before he could even hit the ground, a streak of pink light shot toward him—a heart‑shaped arrow.
THUD.
His heart gave one final beat. By the time Daruma struck the earth, he had already turned into a shattered stone statue.
This was the power of the Pirate Empress Boa Hancock's Devil Fruit: the Love‑Love Fruit, and its technique, Prison Arrow.
Anyone struck by the pink bolts would be turned to stone—whether they fell for her beauty or tried to ignore it.
Once petrified, they could be shattered and killed with a single blow.
In the blink of an eye, the New Fish‑Man Pirates had lost one of their strongest officers.
Elsewhere, the battle was going no better. Crocodile stood facing Dosun, the hammer‑wielding hammerhead shark Fish‑Man.
As a Logia‑type Devil Fruit user, Crocodile was nearly immune to all physical attacks—especially those not reinforced with Armament Haki, which were completely useless against him.
And as it turned out, Dosun was only capable of delivering ordinary, unenhanced strikes…
Granted, Dosun's attacks were anything but weak.
His raw strength was among the highest in the entire New Fish‑Man Pirates, and after swallowing the forbidden Energy Steroid EX, his power had surged even further.
Swinging his massive hammer, he brought down blows of terrifying force, shattering the ground with every strike—often injuring his own men standing too close.
But… no matter how hard he struck, he could not leave a lasting wound on shifting sand.
While the brute charged and swung wildly, Crocodile had all the time in the world to pluck a cigar from his pouch and light it.
The only reason he bothered to dodge at all was to keep the smoke from spilling from his mouth.
He looked at the broad, powerful Fish‑Man before him with an expression of weary exasperation.
"Have you had enough of this nonsense yet?"
"Is there anything going on inside that thick skull of yours?"
"Can't you see that swinging that hammer does absolutely nothing to me?"
Crocodile shook his head in disbelief.
He had faced countless opponents over the years—some incredibly strong, others weak—but rarely had he met anyone as utterly brainless as this blue‑skinned giant.
For some time now, Dosun's hammer had pounded into Crocodile's sand‑form, leaving craters and gouges with every hit—only for the sand to flow back together and restore itself in the blink of an eye.
How could this fool not see what was happening? Why did he keep repeating such futile attacks?
Crocodile was no ordinary pirate. Becoming one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea was not something anyone could achieve.
The World Government did not choose its allies based on strength alone—though that was a requirement—they also needed intelligence.
The Seven Warlords were meant to help maintain balance across the Grand Line, to keep other pirates in check.
Every one of them had been vetted and confirmed to possess both power and cunning.
Now, facing this blue‑skinned Fish‑Man who lacked both real strength and common sense…
__________________
For more advance chapters visit patreon.com/bars45.
For 10$- All advance chapters.
"Schedule"
Monday - Friday - Update 3 Chapters a Day
Saturday - Sunday - Off