บท 58: Conqueror Clash
'He didn't lie.' Zack clearly felt the Conqueror Haki bursting out of him. Previously, it was only momentarily so he didn't think too much about it. But right now, it was completely pressing the mental pressure released against him.
This made him realize that he truly has awakened Conqueror's Haki. But, it also startled him. Luffy wanted to become pirate king and had the blood of Dragon.
Zoro had given up everything for the path of Swordsmanship, making his ambition so strong that it would awaken Conqueror Haki.
But, he was different.
Although he had a strange ability to heal faster, he didn't have parents like Luffy. At least, he didn't believe he had.
So, in his eyes, he only awakened it through his Ambition.
So, what was his ambition?
At first, it felt like his ambition was to become travel the sea and go on the greatest adventure.
But now, it seemed like his ambition was more than that.
He wanted to make Luffy ,King of the Pirates.
That was his ambition.
If Rayleigh or Charlotte Katakuri could have Conqueror Haki, why can't he?
He is also the Vice-Captain of the future King of the Pirates.
He is also a man who wanted to reach the peak of this world.
So, why would it be impossible for him to awaken Conqueror Haki?
At this moment, a strange smile appeared on a painful expression. He gritted his teeth and fully released his Conqueror Haki, suppressing the Mental Pressure.
Boom!
But the next moment, another aura burst out. Zack didn't look around nor he tried. Because when this aura burst out and collided against his Conqueror, he knew the owner of this Conqueror Haki.
Only then he realized that Luffy had also awakened Conqueror Haki through pressure of his own.
But surprisingly, when these two Conqueror Haki appeared, they didn't collide for long and instead merged. Of course, Luffy and Zack were completely unaware of it.
When this newly merged Conqueror was released, it created drastic pressure. It even spread so far that the entire Alubarne was asleep and the castle was shaking.
Fortunately, this was a Castle. It didn't break completely.
Thud!
Robin could no longer bear the pressure and passed out. Only Zoro , ussop and Sanji gritted their teeth and continued to resist the Conqueror Haki from Zack and Luffy.
'I am going to be the Greatest Swordsman in the world. How could I lose to a mere Conqueror Haki? This is the power of my Captain and Vice-Captain. I can't fall down. I must hold on.'
Zoro's eyes turned red as he bear the Conqueror Haki. His strong Willpower was slowly pouring out of him.
Different from him, Sanji's blood was reacting to the Conqueror Haki rather than his Willpower.
'Damn it! If I fall down now, I will lose to that Green-Haired Bastard. No, I can't fall down. I am a chef and the combatant of Straw Hat Pirates. If I can't even resist Conqueror Haki, how can I protect Miss Nami and Miss Robin?'
At this moment, Zoro and Sanji had the same thoughts.
'I can't fall here.'
Both were desperately resisting the Conqueror Haki. But, at the same time, Zoro's Conqueror Haki was fully released. The pressure upon Zoro became much smaller and he turned around, looking at Sanji with a mocking face.
Luffy didn't care about it. His eyes were just focused on Zack. He didn't even blink fearing that he would miss everything.
Although Luffy didn't care, Sanji wouldn't stand by seeing Zoro's mocking face. He gritted his teeth and tried to release his Conqueror.
Unfortunately, he wasn't born with Conqueror Haki.
'Damn it! Why can't I awaken it? Why can this moss head awaken Conqueror Haki but I can't?'
Sanji felt even more ashamed when he found that he couldn't release Conqueror Haki.
But, he wasn't the kind of person who would give up. It's just that he didn't realize what exactly does he needs to awaken Conqueror Haki.
Suddenly, some words rang in his head. These were just memories but enough to make him realize something.
[You need to have the ambition of a king to awaken the Conqueror Haki. Even if you are under someone, as long as your ambition is strong enough, it will awaken Conqueror Haki.]
Thinking about it, Sanji asked himself.
'My dream is to find All-blue. Even most of the chefs do not believe that such an ocean exists. So, why isn't my dream enough to awaken Conqueror? Is it because it's just a dream, not an ambition?'
'King of Pirates, a man who stands at the peak of all pirates. World's Greatest Swordsman, a man who stands at the peak of all swordsmen. A Vice-Captain who would never lose to his captain in order to help his captain fulfill his ambition.'
'Hehe! I understand. This is his goal. His ambition is different. Even if he hasn't realized it yet. His ambition is to become the Strongest Person in this world. Only then he can help Luffy clear all kinds of obstacles.'
'Then, what should be my ambition?'
When Sanji asked himself, he was confused for a moment. He looked at Zack who was focused on Crocodile. He looked at Luffy who was focused on Zack.
And, he looked at Zoro and suprisingly ussop who was struggling to resist the Conqueror Haki from Zack and Luffy. Finally, he looked at his crew members who have passed out.
At this moment, he realized something.
He realized his ambition. At the same time, the words that he said a long time ago came to his mind.
'I promise I will be so fast that I will never be late to save my friends.'
When this thought came to his mind, he laughed at himself.
'I couldn't even save them from getting knocked out. How can I break my promise that easily? I understand. I must become the Guardian.'
'That moss head is the hand of Straw Hat Pirates. Zack is the mind of the Straw Hat Pirates. Luffy is the heart of the Straw Hat Pirates. Then, I will become the Legs.'
'If moss head is a sword, then I will become a shield. If moss head is a combatant, then I will become a Guardian. I will protect the crew.'
'I won't lose to moss head.'
Sanji roared inside his mind and at this moment, his Willpower soared. Before this, he never thought of himself as an ambitious person. He only thought of himself as a fool with a foolish dream.
But, right now, he would never abandon his dream even if it costs his life. He will never lose to Zoro. No matter what, he, Sanji of the Straw Hat is the Guardian.
Unlike both of them , a storm of thoughts was going on in Ussop's mind with one question ' Why am I still standing here ? For a coward like me, why am I still resisting ? Why? This pressure I think I can't stand it but again why?'
He was looking at the wide space search for an answer. His heart was beating a marathon, only a thought occurred to him ' Is it instinct that keeping me awake to not miss anything? But why to a failure like me!!'
His short whole life was flashing before his eye and each moment eyes were getting heavy. But suddenly flash of faces and memories of his promise to Kaya , his time with Straw hat crew along with words of luffy and Zack. His eyes shone with life 'Through out my life I have lived in shadow of others. At childhood, in the shadow of my father. I made lies and feed them to myself because I didn't wanted to be my father's shadow not after my mother's passed way due to his absence. Then when I grew up, I realised that I have someone I wanted to protect, someone I loved, Kaya. I didn't want to follow my father footsteps to leave but I wanted to strong for her. I was a coward.'
' One day, a boat came near the shore when I meet strangers. I talked to them, I laughed with them and I ate with them . They called themselves pirates. I thought I knew them as my father was one of their category. So when trouble came to me, I never expected help from them and I thought they will betray me. Leave before trouble approaches .'
'But it was a miracle a I got one. I saw them stand by my side. I saw someone who was weak as me but the difference is he had the courage that I lacked. I watch him, more I watch , the more I wanted to be like him. Slowly I realised that it not only him even if I am not with them, far away from them it will still be family I want to be part of, a place where a orphan like me can call home . And for sake of them, I need to be strong, good enough to surpass them so that I can be there when they need me most. For sake of all of their dreams I need to be brave enough to make it happen.'
Flashback
Its during the night time after Zack announced that everyone is going to fight members of Crocodile's gang .
On his bed looking at the rain outside of the window, Ussop laid with lot of thought in his mind. It was natural for a meek person like him to say wake at night after knowing that he is about to fight someone stronger than him in the coming battle. Mind coming up with all the possibilities of everything that can go bad if he messed up. Confidence running low as it could.
" Can't sleep"
A voice snapped him out of his thoughts, Ussop looked to his side to notice Zack still awake.
" Just have somethings in mind" calmly replied back to the figure.
"Don't worry, I put much of the thoughts before deploying you along with other while selecting your opponents."
"I know but what if at the most needed moment I message up. All our efforts will be in vain."
"It won't happen because you will win. I know it, luffy know it and so do others."
" But what if I did lo..." Ussop was about to argue with him but was cut by Zack.
" Have some faith, only thing you lack is confidence. Be confident a little in your skills. You are stronger than most."
" How about this , let me tell you story of Sniper King, the one who never missed his Target....."
With that Zack started residing Ussop , the story of Ussop's himself in name of Sogeking who with his sniping skill made it to the top with some changes here and there like adding story of Batman ,Yan Shuangying ,etc conquering his fears and his fight against crime of the dark world in the story. By the end of it , Ussop was left with stars in his eyes.
Flashback ends
' Captain be my guide in this journey and let me bear your burden to carve the road for all our dreams . I want to protect this family that I gained even at the cost of my own life. Its a promise of a life time that I will become brave and strong to do so. I will be the man who surpasses Sogeking, the legend who never missed his mark and never backed from a fight ever in his life.'
At this moment, a powerful aura burst out of him. But when it did, something magical happened. Zack instantly turned around and realized something.
Although he hadn't been pressured before, he could still feel the Conqueror from Zoro. But for some reason, his Conqueror merged with his Captain's Conqueror and pressed Zoro's Conqueror.
But, right now, he could feel threatened by Zoro's conqueror. So, when he turned around, he instantly realized something. This wasn't Zoro's Conqueror.
It was Zoro , Ussop and Sanji's conqueror. His expression became weird.
'Is this truly a forbidden love between Sanji and Zoro? The moment both released their Conqueror, they merged to fight against Luffy's and my conqueror. And has the Prophet, the God himself has awakened his conqueror as well.'
A minute ago, he clearly remembered his Conqueror Clashing against Luffy's Conqueror. It was only because his respect and love for his captain were very high that somehow his Conqueror merged with Luffy's conqueror.
But, this didn't happen to Zoro and Sanji. Because the moment Sanji's conqueror exploded, it instantly merged with Zoro's Conqueror. And then lastly Ussop's conqueror merging to balance both sides.
And, even though it has been a minute since he released his Conqueror, it didn't stop neither did Luffy's conqueror.
More importantly, five people from this ship awakened Conqueror Haki.
Although it hasn't been confirmed, there were four Conqueror Haki users in Roger's Ship excluding Oden. And, if Oden was included, there would be five.
Of course, if Yamato was included in their Ship, there would be six Conqueror Haki users as well more than Rogers.
But the most surprising was Sanji's Conqueror and Ussop's conqueror. Because it never awakened in the original story. At least, he didn't remember both awakening it but was speculated in fan theory.
Zack didn't think too much and turned his eyes at Crocodile. At this moment, the bet was finally successful. He released a deep breath and suddenly burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Luffy, Sanji, Zoro, Ussop I succeed."
Hearing his words, their Conqueror Haki suddenly disappeared. Even Zack's Conqueror Haki had disappeared. Their eyes widened for a moment and smiles appeared on their faces.
"Hahaha! I knew you could do this." Luffy giggled.
"But, wasn't it too easy?" Sanji tilted his head in confusion and asked.
"No matter what, he succeeded. That's all it matters." Zoro chuckled as well.
"Well, Sanji, it wasn't that easy. I didn't know the condition of the bet. It turns out to be the mental pressure. If it wasn't for Luffy and mine conquerors merging together to press the mental pressure released by my card, I would have failed."
Zack shook his head and stood up as he continued.
"But, I found out something. This mental pressure seemed to be related to the amount of vitality or reward that I bet on."
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