Chapter 40: The Arrival of Rocks
Luo Han's sparring match with Cole lasted until nightfall. Otherwise, given their inhuman stamina, they could've fought for five days straight without stopping.
"Alright! That's enough for today," Luo Han said, stepping back and looking at Cole.
"Okay, Han-ge. Let's head back then!" Cole replied.
"You go on ahead. I have something to discuss with the Divine Tree," Luo Han said, glancing toward it.
"Alright… Uh, Han-ge… I really wish I could talk to the Divine Tree too," Cole muttered shyly.
Ugh… That look gave Luo Han chills.
"I can't help you there! Your Observation Haki isn't strong enough. What do you expect me to do?" Luo Han sighed and shrugged.
Ever since Cole awakened his Observation Haki, he'd been pestering Luo Han nonstop, begging him to teach him how to talk to the Divine Tree.
But Luo Han had no idea how he managed it either. Ellis , the Divine Tree, had reached out to him first—it had all been her doing.
Luo Han had just been lucky.
Sigh… Cole sighed and shook his huge head.
"Well, I'm going back, Han-ge," he said before flying off toward the massive wooden lodge on the ninth-level plaza.
Cole had moved out—his size had long outgrown his parents' home. Uncle Witt and Aunt Lilian had built him a custom giant house in the plaza.
He spent his days there and only went home to sleep.
At least now, Cole was free from worrying about his parents arguing in the middle of the night.
Luo Han chuckled at the thought.
Whoosh! Luo Han flew up to perch on one of Ellis 's branches.
"Big brother, you're here," said Ellis as Luo Han opened his spiritual sense.
"You said last night you had a surprise for me. What is it?" Luo Han asked, his expression full of anticipation.
"Walk a little farther, and you'll see," she replied.
It looked like a fruit… but not a typical Scaled Fruit. Luo Han could sense something different.
He moved closer. It was a Scaled Fruit—golden in color, patterned with green swirls. Structurally identical, just larger.
"This… is what the Sea Kings were really after," Ellis said.
What kind of fruit was this, Luo Han wondered, that it had compelled so many Sea Kings to lurk for six months?
"This is my child," she said suddenly.
Hack! Cough!! Luo Han nearly choked mid-inspection.
He stared at the tree in shock.
"You… had a child? With who?" Luo Han asked, utterly baffled.
Forgive the reaction—he was single, and now even a tree was surpassing him in life milestones. It stung.
"I made it myself," Ellis replied innocently.
Oh… Luo Han suddenly remembered—some trees are hermaphroditic.
Was Ellis one of them…? Images of a certain Thai species popped into his head.
A wave of dread washed over him. Maybe he'd been too quick to call her "little sister"… or was it little brother?
"You can take my child with you when you go to sea. He'll be just like me," Ellis said.
Goosebumps. The word "brother" used to sound so pure and sweet. Now… it felt complicated.
"You want me to take… your child… and, uh, plant it?"
Luo Han stumbled through the question.
"Yes, big brother," Ellis replied sweetly.
"Alright… I'll take it when I leave," Luo Han said.
"But I don't have to take it now, right?"
"Nope!" she replied.
"Then I'll head back now, Ellis ," Luo Han said.
"Okay! See you later, big brother," she answered.
Luo Han flew down from the tree. As he passed by several homes, the aroma of dinner wafted out.
He sped up—tonight's meal smelled promising.
Back at home, he shared a quiet dinner with Grandma Mo.
Afterward, Luo Han told her he was planning to set out to sea in a few days.
He thought she might protest—but she didn't. Instead, she immediately began preparing food and supplies for his journey.
So kind… Luo Han looked at her gentle figure and felt genuinely lucky as a transmigrator.
That night, he slept soundly.
...
Boom! Boom! The next afternoon, sounds of Luo Han and Cole's training echoed across the sky above the island.
The islanders were used to it. They continued their work as usual, unbothered.
"Hmm? What's that?" a hunting squad member on the island peak pointed toward a black dot in the distance.
Tap. Tap. Luo Han and Cole landed, also noticing it.
Luo Han narrowed his eyes. This wasn't good.
His spiritual sense revealed that it wasn't just any object—it was a pirate ship.
"That's a pirate ship… and it's sailing steadily toward us," Uncle Kate said grimly as he arrived.
As the ship approached, its crew became visible—
A towering figure with wild hair and a wide, manic grin.
Behind him stood a man with a crescent-shaped white mustache and another with long golden hair like a lion's mane.
No doubt about it—the Rocks Pirates.
So… they'd come.
The vast, stormy sea known as the New World—had it finally reached them?
Luo Han felt his blood stir.
As the ship stopped near the seabed of Ring Tree Island—
A surge of Conqueror's Haki burst from Luo Han, sweeping toward the ship like a tidal wave.
"Hmph! Looks like there's a strong one here. Might make a good ally," Rocks muttered to his crew.
He turned and stared directly at Luo Han.
Then he released a far stronger wave of Conqueror's Haki, instantly crushing Luo Han's aura in return.
"Haha! Trying to compete with the captain in Conqueror's Haki… what a joke," one grotesque pirate sneered.
"Haha! If he knew our ship had over ten Conqueror's Haki users, he wouldn't be so confident," another added.
Whitebeard glanced at the mysterious island ahead, a look of pity flashing across his face.
The others remained expressionless.
"So strong… such overwhelming Conqueror's Haki," Luo Han said, withdrawing his own aura.
His gaze stayed fixed on Rocks, a glint of battle-lust flickering in his eyes.
He wanted to know how far he had come. A year ago, even Uncle Witt and Uncle Kate had ceased being his match.
As if sensing Luo Han's resolve, Rocks suddenly flew toward them.
He can fly? Luo Han thought, startled.
Then, his eyes widened. Sweeping his spiritual sense over Rocks, his jaw dropped.
That was insane.
He discovered that Rocks was surrounded by a constantly flowing, one-meter-thick layer of Armament Haki.
It was this haki that let him fly—like Luo Han's telekinetic flight, but using pure physical force.
Rocks had weaponized his Armament Haki into propulsion.
And not just that—it felt dense, like highly pressurized water that could explode with devastating force at any time.
Clearly, both his offense and defense were overwhelmingly powerful.
Luo Han had never imagined someone could push Armament Haki to such a level.
No wonder this man had forced Whitebeard, Golden Lion, and others to submit.
(END CHAPTER)
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