One Piece: Failure’s Road to the Pirate King

The Black Sails Ship grew increasingly distant. Bogart glanced at the Warship, which had lost a mast but was already making efforts to repair itself, and asked, "Vice Admiral Garp, should we pursue?"

"Puhahahaha!"

Garp threw his head back and laughed heartily: "If the bridge is broken, it will cause quite a bit of trouble. Let's stay here. Besides—"

He looked at the Black Sails Ship, which was fading quickly from view, and said, "We can't catch up. Their ship is too fast."

"Vice Admiral, the other side has... that kind of qualified man. Are we really going to let him go?" Bogart pressed his lips together and urged.

That guy named Sage was no ordinary person.

Not to mention his extraordinary talent for rapid learning and comprehension in battle, just his potential alone, if left unchecked, would lead to a disaster as he grew.

No, with that kind of strength, he might already be a disaster.

"Natural Disaster." Bogart murmured, recalling that evaluation.

"Puhahahaha!"

Garp laughed again, turning to look at the empty, broken bridge and said, "Isn't it great!"

"Vice Admiral, you can't say that." Bogart reminded him.

"Ah."

Garp scratched his head, grinning, "Then let's forget it!"

...

"Sage, we did it!"

Renetia rushed to the bow of the ship, cheering and jumping with joy: "We escaped from Garp! We evaded the pursuit of the Navy Hero; you truly are a born conqueror!"

She turned around, raising her hands towards the still somewhat incredulous slave laborers, who seemed as if they were dreaming, and shouted, "You are no longer laborers! Celebrate, you have become Pirates!"

"Oh!!!"

On the Black Sails Ship, the slave laborers erupted in thunderous cheers, celebrating their rebirth from the daily toil and abuse.

Pirates?

They were originally people without rights, non-member nationals and criminals, and the things they had done to survive were not exactly righteous. Even among those who were law-abiding, in this endless, massive bridge, they would gradually transform into beasts yearning for freedom.

As long as they could be free, what wouldn't they do?

Glancing at the cheers on the deck, Sage raised his arm and looked at his fist, "Did we successfully escape...?"

"What's wrong, Sage! You completed your plan!" Renetia laughed.

"No."

Sage shook his head, turning towards the sea in the direction of the bridge, "It's not a complete escape, but... the outcome is good."

The old man let it slide. 

In that level of battle, even if it went according to his plan, Sage would still have to pay a price to shatter the bridge.

He was even prepared to use his 'Destruction Hole.'

Otherwise, escaping from Garp would not be so easy.

Even then, he couldn't guarantee whether he could truly escape. Judging by the power of that old man's last punch, he could easily smash the ship with one blow, and with two more punches, Sage could be done for, directly sent to Impel Down.

Even at that moment, he had already mastered Armament Haki and Observation Haki, but it didn't help.

To be precise, it was precisely because he had mastered these two types of Haki that he dared to conclude that he couldn't escape at all.

"The gap is too large." Sage clenched his fist tightly, murmuring, "Is this the power possessed by the renowned strongmen of the Sea?"

He was certainly willing to fight; he wasn't afraid of fighting. Sage wasn't the cautious type.

But a battle with such a vast disparity was indeed unnecessary.

Fortunately, he had mastered these two types of Haki in this battle.

The Observation Haki was forced out by Garp's overwhelming punch. Under that kind of pressure, a slight misstep could lead to being knocked down by a single blow. The extreme pressure heightened his alertness, enhancing his perception, successfully forcing out Sage's Observation Haki.

"Just as I thought, I was already touching this perception at that time; I just needed that final push. A life-and-death struggle is truly the means to elevate one's will and perception."

Observation Haki allows one to sense the power of 'sounds and movements.' In a state of extreme calm, it radiates perceptive ability, enabling one to read the opponent's position, number, and even the strength of their aura, and can instantly read the actions the opponent is about to take.

Before being pressured by Garp, Sage already had this perceptive ability. After all, the Big Dipper Fist also emphasized internal martial arts; otherwise, how could he observe the enemy's Secret Acupoints?

He just couldn't bring it out, but now, the pressure had forced it out.

"It's not about predicting the future or listening to the voices of all things; it's just ordinary Observation Haki."

Sage sighed, feeling a bit regretful.

He thought he might have something special; after all, possessing Conqueror's Haki, perhaps his Observation Haki was also unique.

But the reality proved that just like how people on the Sea often say that natural types are rare, yet a more rare Mythical Beast Type exists.

Every day, they boast about Conqueror's Haki being one in a million, only to have a top-tier Observation Haki pop up that's one in ten million.

Compared to the ordinary Observation Haki's ability to read movements and sense auras, those advanced Observation Haki possess the ability to predict the future, listen to hearts, and the sounds of all things, even influencing others' minds and thoughts, creating a strong resonance, making them far rarer than Conqueror's Haki.

Sage was just an ordinary Observation Haki, but... he gazed at his arm, "Armament Haki."

Armament Haki enhances personal defensive capabilities, thus evolving into offensive power.

"Ah, I see. Before fully awakening, but having touched it, one can unconsciously use Haki. However, such people cannot see 'colors' and cannot use it freely."

The Haki of Armament Haki made him realize the key to this Haki.

Haki is, after all, a power hidden within people, especially Armament Haki, which everyone possesses. Once the will is ignited, its offensive capability will surge, achieving what one usually cannot do.

But at that time, such a person would have already touched the power of Haki.

When Garp threw that punch in mid-air, he must have already 'touched' it, which is why he was able to block Garp's punch and then counterattack.

Since he had already 'touched' it, Sage could certainly control it.

"Fighting spirit, killing intent, intimidation—whatever it is, as long as it's related to strong will, it can manifest Haki. And if this will can be freely manipulated, then—"

On his fist and wrist, a streak of pitch black gathered, as if it had been smeared with black paint.

"Oh, this is the feeling—free manipulation, then covering it, that's hardening."

Compared to that unconscious 'touch,' the 'hardening' after free manipulation allows Haki to cover the body. Through training, it can even be activated in every part of the body, allowing for free control of 'hardening,' and can even extend to objects being touched.

This power can enhance both defensive and offensive capabilities in all aspects.

Then he slightly squinted, and the black fist suddenly began to flow, as if wrapped in a thin layer of air waves.

After hardening, it's wrapping!