One Piece : From Slave to Fleet Admiral

Conqueror's Haki—the mark of a king that appears in only one among millions.

This unique form of Haki belongs solely to those chosen by destiny itself!

This power isn't determined by strength alone, but purely by whether one possesses that qualification.

Those who wield this power are born leaders destined to stand at the top of the world, the exclusive Haki of absolute rulers.

This very reason makes Conqueror's Haki exceptionally rare within the rigid hierarchy of the Marines.

After all, such a system, bound by rules and order, is fundamentally incompatible with the domineering spirit that surpasses all others.

Pirates are different.

Lawless by nature, they're the scum of these seas—producing nothing, only taking.

And unfortunately, a lot of these bastards possess Conqueror's Haki than the Marines!

This has always been a lingering pain for the Marines.

But now, watching Jake erupt with black lightning in the projection, Kizaru's momentary stupor gave way to an irrepressible grin.

That bastard Sakazuki really struck gold this time!

From the moment Jake revealed his Conqueror's Haki, the title of leading figure among the new generation of Marines belonged to him alone!

A Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit user with Conqueror's Haki!

Such an individual's minimum starting point would be Admiral candidate material!

The future Marines might very well reach their peak during Jake's generation!

No matter what, he couldn't allow anything to happen to Jake here.

Realizing this, Kizaru's golden glow intensified as he pushed his Observation Haki to its absolute limit.

The moment he sense the slightest killing intent from Katakuri towards Jake, he will intervene instantly.

Starting a war with an Emperor for Jake's sake meant nothing—not because of Jake's potential strength, but simply because a Conqueror's Haki user's mere presence would provide immense positive influence and attraction for the Marines!

Katakuri stared at Jake, who now radiated Conqueror's Haki as well.

His expression wavered between astonishment and reluctant acceptance.

Yes!

Only another Conqueror could have written that letter brimming with such audacity and spirit!

Only a Conqueror would dare face him despite their overwhelming power difference!

Unexpected, yet perfectly logical.

Fascinating!

Absolutely fascinating!

It seems the winds of change are gathering at this very moment!

A Marine's Conqueror's Haki user!

The tides of this era are shifting—if this man grows unimpeded, he might become the one to end the Great Pirate Era!

At this thought, Katakuri's lips curled into an involuntary smile.

His previously monotone voice now trembled with excitement.

"I acknowledge you, Marine! Tell me your name!"

Facing the increasingly oppressive Conqueror's Haki from Katakuri, Jake desperately held his ground and responded.

"Jake Lawrence!"

"Charlotte Katakuri!"

After Jake declared his name, Katakuri formally introduced himself in return.

Then his Conqueror's Haki intensified further, sweeping over everyone present like a violent storm.

Most people's consciousness began to fade—whether pirates or marines, the terrifying clash of haki had now escalated beyond what ordinary people could withstand!

Though it didn't reach the level where the sky split apart like during Whitebeard and Red Hair's first meeting, within a 60-meter radius centered around Jake and Katakuri, clear signs of storm-like devastation appeared.

Thud! Thud!

The sounds of collapsing bodies echoed continuously as most succumbed to the Conqueror's Haki shockwave, journalists included.

This was an indiscriminate, arena-wide collision of Conqueror's Haki between the two.

Morgans, feeling the terrifying Haki that seemed ready to swallow him whole, showed no fear on his face—only exhilarated flush.

A Conqueror's Haki user among the marines!

This was BIG news!

Moreover, the right-hand man of a Yonko crew—no, the vice-captain himself—had personally acknowledged Jake as a man he recognized!

This meant that the marine soldiers before them was undoubtedly the future leader of the new marine generation!

If published in tomorrow's papers, such headlines would undoubtedly break sales records!

Titles already flashed through his mind:

"Shocking! The Conqueror's Prodigy Among Marines!"

"Yonko Commander Endorsement - Dawn of the Marine King Era?!"

"Breaking: The Beginning of The Great Pirate Era's End!"

As these headlines swirled in his mind, Morgans practically saw mountains of Berries raining towards him.

He barked at his still-conscious subordinates.

"Now! Photograph everything! Even if you faint—do it after snapping the shots! 1 million Berries per photo! Stay sharp! Anyone failing gets fired immediately!"

This carrot-and-stick approach worked miraculously.

Despite their inferior physiques compared to marines and pirates, the reporters stubbornly pressed their shutters before collapsing.

Even Morgans himself only allowed unconsciousness to take him after verifying his overflowing archive of footage.

Behind T-Bone's protective stance, Monet watched Jake radiating terrifying pressure without a trace of envy—only gleaming admiration in her eyes.

Jake, I always knew you could do this!

T-Bone's eyes reddened as he sniffled slightly, murmuring.

"The future of the marines... stands right before me."

On the pirate side, Galette stared at Jake matching Katakuri's Conqueror's Haki outburst, her expression betraying unconcealed shock and dread.

Who the hell is that guy?!

Are we really going to be captured by the Marines here?!

But Jake, at the center of the storm, wasn't faring well.

His Conqueror's Haki couldn't withstand Katakuri's at all.

If he hadn't been continuously using Healing Prayer to restore his stamina and spirit, he would have been defeated by Katakuri within seconds of their clash.