"Even if that kid really is a monster… we still can't afford any slip-ups."
Hack hesitated for a moment, then gave his orders to Sabo and the others beside him.
"Just in case, spread out. Keep a close eye on that ship and wait for my signal."
"Got it."
Sabo and the others dispersed.
Every gaze locked onto the figure ahead.
Ryukawa.
He walked forward, step by step, until he reached the edge of the coast.
His feet stopped.
He lifted his head.
Ryukawa looked up at the men in black suits standing on the deck of the sailing ship. His expression was a little playful, with a strong hint of anticipation.
"Donquixote Family?"
On deck, the man in the lead stared at Ryukawa with emotionless eyes and finally spoke.
"Yeah."
Ryukawa's eyes flickered, but his face didn't show a single ripple.
"The goods?"
The leader clearly didn't want to chat, nor did he want to waste time. His words were short, sharp, and straight to the point.
"The goods? My people will bring them over soon. No need to rush."
Ryukawa walked up the gangplank and onto the ship.
"Hm?"
Sensing his movement, the leader's brows twitched. His expression turned slightly sour, but he still didn't say anything.
Ryukawa was young, sure.
But for CP agents, it wasn't unheard of to see someone this age handling a deal of this level.
"What a roomy deck."
Standing on the ship, Ryukawa spread his arms slightly, enjoying the cool, refreshing sea breeze brushing across every pore of his skin.
From here—
He could see the endless sea, a vast blue stretching all the way to the horizon.
"Tell your men to move faster. We don't have that much time to waste here."
The leader, Morrison, frowned, staring coldly at Ryukawa.
Of course he knew—
Once this deal was done, he had to clean up.
In other words…
Everyone involved in this trafficking ring…
was going to be wiped out.
No witnesses. No leaks.
With that in mind, there was no reason for him to show any courtesy to Ryukawa. Impatience and hostility were written plainly on his face.
"Wait—!"
A middle-aged man suddenly stepped forward from the group, leaned in close to Morrison's ear, and whispered:
"Captain, something's off. I clearly remember the contact isn't this kid. It's a blond guy."
"Hm?"
Morrison's pupils shrank.
As a veteran CP operative, in just a single instant—
Countless possibilities flashed through his mind.
In the end, he reached a conclusion.
Something had gone wrong with this deal.
"Kid, who the hell are you?!"
Morrison stared at Ryukawa, eyes turning icy. His hand went to his waist, and he drew a handgun, the muzzle aimed squarely at Ryukawa's forehead, ready to fire at any moment.
"So you finally noticed?"
Ryukawa chuckled.
"Alright, no point wasting more time with you."
"Let me give you a proper taste…"
"Of the new ability I just awakened."
"Fair warning: it's very scary. You'd better brace yourselves. Even I don't really know how bad it's going to be for you."
The smile at the corner of his lips was full of strange meaning.
"You've got guts, brat—"
Morrison roared in fury.
At the exact same time—
Ryukawa slowly closed his eyes.
Following the method etched into his memory, he moved his will and pushed at that hidden power sleeping inside his body.
Buzz.
Buzz, buzz.
A faint pressure rippled out from Ryukawa's body.
With him as the center, that thin layer of aura spread outward.
At the same time—
As that aura expanded, what had originally been as calm and flat as a slow stream…
Suddenly turned into a raging river, roaring and surging.
His presence turned thick and overwhelming.
An earth-shaking will surged skyward, blasting in all directions.
The pressure spread out in a perfect circle, covering every inch of the ship.
Not a single corner was spared.
Especially the area closest to Ryukawa—
there, the pressure was at its heaviest and most terrifying.
Buzz, buzz!
Waves of willpower rolled out like crashing surf, smothering the entire ship.
Boom!
His aura climbed higher and higher, like a tide swelling into a colossal tsunami.
A terrifying flow of pressure flooded every direction.
In less than a second—
It had shrouded the ship from bow to stern.
Every plank, every shadow—
All wrapped in that invisible force.
This was…
Conqueror's Haki.
Yes.
Ryukawa had unleashed the Conqueror's Haki he had just awakened.
His execution—
Smooth. Effortless.
Not a single trace of stiffness.
Everything flowed as if it had been his since birth—
natural, inevitable, free of resistance.
This heaven-shaking Conqueror's Haki—
Exploded outward and shook the four seas.
Originally—
The twenty-something CP agents on deck were still glaring at him with cold eyes, ready to move at Morrison's command.
But the very next second—
The terrifying wave of will silently crashed into their bodies.
That overwhelming pressure squeezed every cell in their bodies, slammed into their minds, and poured into their skulls like a raging tide.
Then—
Thud! Thud!
One CP operative after another rolled their eyes up, foam bubbling at the corners of their mouths as they lost consciousness and toppled over.
One down—
Then another—
And another—
Once they started falling, it was like knocking over dominoes.
In just a blink—
The deck full of suits was sprawled across the floor.
What had been more than twenty agents—
Now had only a single man still standing.
The squad leader, Morrison.
Aside from Morrison, every other CP operative lay there unconscious, completely wiped out by Ryukawa's Conqueror's Haki.
"Wh-what is this…?!"
Morrison was stunned.
He couldn't even begin to process what he'd just experienced.
Why…
Why was it that everyone except him had collapsed?
What had just happened?
What did he go through in that instant?
He didn't know.
He couldn't explain it.
Even with all his years as a CP agent, this was the first time Morrison had ever encountered something this terrifying.
"Th-they're all down…"
"Every single one of them…"
"Except me… everyone dropped…"
His throat bobbed, his hands and feet turning cold.
He stared at his unconscious comrades strewn across the deck—
A chill climbed from the soles of his feet all the way up his spine.
This was too bizarre.
Too horrifying.
It shattered everything he thought he understood.
Strange and inexplicable things like this—
Always made people instinctively fearful.
Right now, Morrison was drowning in that fear.
And this entire impossible scene—
Was clearly visible from the shore.
Hack, Sabo, and the other Revolutionary Army members all stood there—
Eyes wide.
Jaws slack.
Just like Morrison—
Their brains had temporarily crashed.
What the hell… was that?!
What just happened?
How did they all just—
Drop?!
And more importantly…
It looked like—
Ryukawa hadn't even moved.
That was the scariest part.
From their point of view—
He had just been standing there quietly on the deck.
And yet—
Everyone fell.
If he didn't do anything…
Then what made them collapse?!
They couldn't figure it out.
They simply couldn't find an answer.
Silence.
Heavy, suffocating silence.
Along the coast near Octagon Town—
The atmosphere was so still it was almost frightening.
No voices.
No sound.
Just—
Absolute quiet.
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