One Piece: Starting by Refusing Shanks

At first, Marco's interest in Takumi was purely based on the boy's strength and calm demeanor. Whether Takumi accepted the invitation or not didn't matter much to him.

But now, things were different.

Takumi had caught the attention of the Marines, and not just any Marine—Vice Admiral Garp, the hero whose strength rivaled that of an Admiral, had taken an interest in him!

This was enough to prove that Takumi was far from ordinary.

That's why Marco had called Whitebeard to report on the situation.

Whitebeard had been utterly shocked by the news about Takumi. Immediately, he considered recruiting the boy himself. However, he also realized that if Garp had spent two days trying to sway Takumi and still failed, then this kid must have an iron will, nearly impossible to move.

"Marco, did you already extend the invitation?" Whitebeard's voice came through the Den Den Mushi, calm but curious.

Marco sighed, "Yeah, I did, but he turned me down. He said he's just a traveler and doesn't need a family or attachments. It's really frustrating."

"Hahaha!" Whitebeard suddenly burst into laughter. "A traveler, huh? What an interesting kid. I'm starting to want to meet him myself."

Back in the Baratie, on the second floor in the employee quarters, Takumi had just entered the room when Sanji came running over, excitement written all over his face.

"Takumi, was it really you who took down Krieg?" Sanji's eyes were wide with amazement.

Takumi casually nodded, "Yeah."

"You're amazing! Everyone was so scared of Krieg. But you, who's about my age, weren't scared at all and even defeated him easily. Man, I'm so jealous. I wish I were as strong as you. How did you do it? Did you use your sword? But your sword's made of wood, so it shouldn't be able to kill anyone, right? Or did you kick him? Ah, I'm so excited! Tell me how it all went down!"

Takumi remained silent, feeling annoyed by Sanji's endless questions.

Is this guy always such a chatterbox?

He could've sworn that in the pirate crew, Sanji wasn't this talkative—unless he was talking to a pretty woman.

What the hell is going on here? This is driving me nuts!

Just as Takumi was growing increasingly irritated, the system's notification echoed in his mind:

[Ding! Gained the acknowledgment of Whitebeard, Edward Newgate. Sign-in progress increased by 10%. Current progress is 90%. Reward: Conqueror's Haki level increased by 1. Current Conqueror's Haki level: Lv4.]

Before Takumi could even process why he had suddenly received Whitebeard's acknowledgment without even meeting him, a powerful force radiated out from him.

Although it lasted only a brief moment, it was enough to knock Sanji unconscious instantly.

Conqueror's Haki was different from Armament Haki and Observation Haki. When its level increases, those around can usually sense it—especially if they're strong.

Back in Shimotsuki Village, both Dragon and Koushirou had sensed his growing power.

But this time, when his Conqueror's Haki leveled up, the effect was much more intense, spreading out like a shockwave, even surpassing the distance his swordsmanship upgrade had previously reached.

Downstairs in the restaurant, the lively atmosphere came to an abrupt halt.

Marco's crew and the Baratie cooks all collapsed where they stood, unconscious.

Only Zeff and Marco, who had just finished his call with Whitebeard, remained standing.

"What was that just now…?" Marco was stunned. "Was that…Conqueror's Haki? Who did that?"

Zeff's expression was grave. He could tell that the Haki had come from upstairs! And as far as he knew, only Sanji and Takumi were up there.

Without wasting a moment, Zeff bolted upstairs, with Marco right on his heels.

When they reached the employee room, they found Sanji passed out and Takumi standing there, completely unfazed.

"It was you, wasn't it, Takumi?" Zeff asked, his voice heavy with concern.

Takumi glanced at the two men in the doorway and responded calmly, "Yeah."

Zeff rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on. "I never imagined you'd have Conqueror's Haki… But even if you do, you shouldn't let it loose like that. It's too dangerous."

"I don't think he did it on purpose," Marco said, his tone serious. "It seems like his Conqueror's Haki grew stronger, and the force just leaked out on its own."

"Really?" Zeff was surprised. "If the unintentional release of his Haki has this much power, what would happen if he unleashed it fully?"

Marco chuckled, "We'd probably get caught in the crossfire."

Zeff shuddered at the thought, involuntarily sucking in a breath. "That's terrifying."

"Takumi," Marco began, "are you really not interested in joining the Whitebeard Pirates?"

"No," Takumi replied, exasperated.

"I just spoke with Pops. He really wants to meet you," Marco added.

Takumi was silent, piecing things together.

So that's why I suddenly received a progress update from Whitebeard.

Seeing Takumi's silence, Marco continued with a grin, "You're planning to head to the Grand Line, right?"

Takumi nodded, "Yeah."

"Alright, then. If you ever see the Moby Dick, come meet Pops. You two might get along—you both love a good drink. Who knows, you might end up as drinking buddies," Marco suggested lightly.

Takumi nodded noncommittally.

Marco saw right through it but decided not to press further.

"Well, I guess we'll be on our way now. My crew has eaten enough, and it's time to head back to the ship. Not sure when they'll wake up, though. Looks like I'll have to carry them back myself."

With that, Marco left the room, talking to himself as he went.

Zeff stood in silence, watching Takumi for a long moment before finally letting out a sigh. "Alright, let's just close up early tonight."

With that, he too left the room.

After a considerable amount of effort, Marco managed to carry his unconscious crew back to the ship. Once there, he immediately called Whitebeard again.

"Pops, I think I understand why Garp is so interested in Takumi. Not only is his swordsmanship top-notch, but his Conqueror's Haki is incredibly strong too. Who knows, he might even have mastery over Armament and Observation Haki…"

The next day, Sanji woke up groggy and confused.

The last thing he remembered was talking to Takumi when a sudden, terrifying sensation washed over him, and then…nothing.

He jumped out of bed and immediately spotted Takumi standing on the deck, sipping from his flask as he looked out at the sea breeze.

"Takumi!" Sanji called out, rushing over. "What happened last night? I remember talking to you, and then I just blacked out."

Takumi didn't respond.

Sanji looked at him with concern, "Are you okay?"

Takumi glanced at him and shook his head, "I'm fine."

Sanji let out a relieved sigh, "Good, good. As long as you're okay."

Takumi smiled slightly, hanging his flask back at his waist.

At that moment, a familiar voice echoed from downstairs.

"Hey! What happened to the deck? Were there pirates here yesterday?"

Takumi's face fell as a sense of dread washed over him.

Why is Garp back again?

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