"Don't be afraid…"
On the other end of the Den Den Mushi, Dragon looked momentarily stunned. Then he let out a quiet laugh.
"Relax. As the leader of the Revolutionary Army, my mental fortitude is far beyond what you can imagine," he said calmly.
"No matter how terrifying, absurd, or unbelievable something is, it won't frighten me. So—what is it you want to say?"
The call ended there.
Hack held the Den Den Mushi in his hand, carefully organizing his thoughts.
A few seconds passed.
He took a deep breath and spoke solemnly, his tone uncharacteristically serious.
"Leader… the things you said before. After spending this time with him, I finally believe them."
"…What?"
"You were right. Ryukawa—that kid—is a true genius. No… even 'genius' isn't enough to describe how terrifying he is."
Hack's voice trembled, unable to remain calm.
"He's a monster. The most terrifying monster to appear on the seas in decades."
The Den Den Mushi fell silent.
Clearly—even Dragon hadn't expected this.
Something must have happened.
Dragon could feel it keenly. Only something extraordinary could cause such violent emotional fluctuations in Hack.
As a veteran revolutionary, Hack had long since walked through the edge of life and death. Countless times.
For someone with such steady nerves to be shaken like this…
Whatever had happened was anything but ordinary.
Dragon's curiosity was fully piqued.
What exactly had occurred?
What could make an elite Revolutionary Army officer act so unlike himself?
"…What happened?" Dragon finally asked.
"Leader… do you believe this?" Hack swallowed hard.
"Ryukawa—that kid—he's already mastered Haki."
"…What?!"
Dragon froze.
For a moment, he couldn't speak.
Haki?
Ryukawa?
That boy?
He actually mastered Haki?!
That sounded… absurd.
Impossible, even.
In Dragon's memory, Ryukawa was only fourteen or fifteen years old.
At that age… Haki?
No—wait.
Suddenly, a chilling thought crossed Dragon's mind.
He remembered the dojo master once mentioning that he rarely demonstrated his true strength in front of his disciples. That alone ruled out the possibility that Ryukawa had learned Haki from the dojo.
So the question was—
Shimotsuki Village was tiny.
Who taught Ryukawa Haki?
If not the master… then who?
…Self-taught?
Dragon's eyes widened.
The hand holding the Den Den Mushi began to tremble slightly.
Even with his iron-like composure, he was shaken to the core.
Impossible… right?
That boy—stepping into the realm of Haki without a teacher?
Dragon's first instinct was denial.
Yet Hack's words forced him to hesitate.
He knew Hack well. Without absolute certainty, Hack would never speak recklessly—let alone exaggerate.
"Leader, do you understand what this means?!" Hack continued.
"That kid truly comprehended Haki on his own!"
"I honestly can't imagine how monstrous his talent must be—to grasp and skillfully control Haki without anyone guiding him!"
Hack poured out everything.
It was as if he had finally found someone he could confide in, releasing all the shock and disbelief he had bottled up for days.
He had held it in for far too long.
Finally—
Finally, there was someone he could talk to.
On the other end, Dragon exhaled heavily, forcing himself to steady his breathing.
Nearby, Ivankov shot him a puzzled look.
It was rare—extremely rare—for Dragon to show such visible emotional turbulence.
"What's going on…?" Ivankov wondered, watching closely.
After a long pause, Dragon spoke again.
"Which type of Haki did he awaken? Armament… or Observation?"
Hack didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he spoke mysteriously.
"Leader… I believe no matter how you guess, you won't get it right."
"This kid's talent is far more terrifying than you think."
"…Armament?" Dragon tried.
"No. That's not it."
"Observation?"
"Still wrong."
"Then what is it?!" Dragon frowned, completely confused.
Finally—
Hack answered.
"Both."
"…What?"
"Observation and Armament. Ryukawa has already comprehended both of them."
"Yes, Leader—you heard me correctly. He can skillfully use and control both types of Haki."
"Not just one…"
"But two."
"Two forms of Haki—both self-taught."
The Den Den Mushi went silent again.
Dragon's mind went blank.
Two…?!
Not just Armament.
Not just Observation.
But both—at once?!
What… what was he even hearing?
Hold on.
Ryukawa was only fourteen or fifteen years old.
Just a kid.
Who could explain to him—
Why a boy that young could master two types of Haki without any instruction?!
It made no sense.
Even Dragon—who had seen the world—felt his thoughts dissolve into chaos.
At that moment, he finally understood.
Why Hack's emotions were fluctuating so violently.
Because that boy… had already done something so horrifying.
"Leader… do you think that's the end of it?" Hack continued, his voice rising.
"I thought so too. But just today—just now—I discovered something even more terrifying."
"Those two forms of Haki… were only the beginning."
"What's happening with that kid can't be described with words anymore."
"He's a monster. A true monster—one that appears on the seas once every hundred years!"
Hack grew more and more agitated.
"Just now…"
"I realized that not only can he skillfully control two types of Haki…"
"He also possesses the third."
"The final… and greatest form."
"…Conqueror's Haki."
"Yes."
"Leader, you didn't mishear—and I'm not mistaken."
"That kid truly has Conqueror's Haki."
"He used it—right in front of me."
"That was Conqueror's Haki… the kingly potential that appears only once in a million!"
"My god… his talent is simply too terrifying."
"Even now, I can't believe it."
"A boy—who not only possesses Conqueror's Haki, but awakened it at this age…"
"And can already control it with proficiency!"
"That alone is enough to shake the world!"
"And the most terrifying part?"
"There's no one around him who can use Conqueror's Haki."
"That means…"
"Just like the other two forms, his Conqueror's Haki was self-taught—completely comprehended by his own monstrous talent."
As Hack finished speaking—
Dragon was utterly stunned.
He stood frozen, Den Den Mushi in hand, mouth slightly open, yet no words came out.
…What?
What kind of situation was this?!
First Armament.
Then Observation.
And now even Conqueror's Haki?!
Fully controlled?!
Was this real?
For a brief moment, Dragon felt as though reality itself had become unreal.
He wanted to doubt it—
But the words came from Hack.
That alone meant they were true.
Yet they were so shocking that even Dragon couldn't digest them immediately.
"Leader…"
"I never imagined his talent could reach this level."
"I misjudged him."
"…No. I think even you misjudged him."
"His talent is far beyond our imagination."
After emptying everything he had been holding inside, Hack decisively ended the call.
He knew—
Dragon would need time to process this.
Because these revelations were simply too world-shattering.
Just as Hack expected—
Dragon stood there, dazed and rigid, the shock written plainly across his face.
"…We really misjudged him," Dragon murmured.
"Completely."
"To think I failed to notice his talent was this monstrous…"
"Even after all my years on the sea… I still misjudged someone."
"A fifteen-year-old boy…"
"Mastering Observation and Armament Haki…"
"And even awakening Conqueror's Haki—while controlling it with ease."
"It's unbelievable."
"And the most terrifying part…"
"All three forms were likely self-taught."
Dragon's vision blurred.
Three forms of Haki—comprehended without a teacher.
What kind of monstrous talent did that require?
Such aptitude alone was enough to eclipse the entire sea.
If spoken aloud, no one would believe it.
Yet it had happened—
To a fourteen- or fifteen-year-old boy.
"Dragon… what happened?" Ivankov finally asked, sensing something was wrong.
"Ryukawa… that kid is a true monster," Dragon said, turning to him, his voice heavy with awe.
They had both misjudged him.
But in the end—
It wasn't their fault.
It was simply that—
Ryukawa was too monstrous.
"Do you believe it?" Dragon asked quietly.
"A boy… who can self-teach and master all three forms of Haki?"
Ivankov's pupils shrank.
A horrifying guess surfaced in his mind.
"…You mean?"
"It's him," Dragon confirmed, exhaling deeply.
Ivankov was stunned.
"Conqueror's Haki…"
"That's the kingly potential that appears only once in a million."
"And that kid… has it?"
unbelievable.
Dragon's expression twisted with regret.
"So much regret…"
"If I'd known…"
"If I'd known his talent was this monstrous…"
"Even as the leader of the Revolutionary Army…"
"I should've thrown away my pride and dragged him into our ranks no matter what!"
His heart was bleeding.
With talent like Ryukawa's—
In just a few years, he would inevitably stand at the very top of the seas.
And the Revolutionary Army…
Had already missed their chance.
The thought made Dragon clutch his chest, a sharp pain spreading through him.
"…If we turn back to Shimotsuki Village now," Dragon asked hoarsely,
"…would it still be in time?"
Ivankov froze.
For the first time ever—
He saw Dragon, the leader of the Revolutionary Army…
Look like this.
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