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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 172: Symbol of an Era
"Goodbye."
Three days later, Hachi and Nami boarded the ship. Ace stood at the port, smiling and waving. "Nami, your injuries haven't healed yet. You must take care."
Nami nodded. "I understand."
Ace continued, "Hachi, make sure to protect Nami and go find Jinbei first."
"I will," Hachi replied earnestly.
Nami hesitated for a moment and asked, "Should I let Dad..."
"No need," Ace shook his head and added, "I'll be back in four years."
"Then do as you wish," Nami nodded, no longer trying to insist.
The Sea Vessel slowly set sail, heading into the distance, and soon vanished from sight.
“Ace, hurry up.”
A tall woman stood behind him, impatiently saying, “It’s almost time for the gathering.”
“Okay.”
Ace followed Cecilia as they walked toward the depths of the deserted island, arriving at a courtyard.
At that moment, many people had already gathered in the courtyard: Ace, Feng Kelei, Heckler, Elken, Cecilia, and Christmas.
Bola was in Drum Kingdom, with only three days left until the Coronation Ceremony.
Vivi remained by Lucci's side, responsible for their safety.
“What does the president want us for this time?” Feng Kelei asked in confusion.
“Will the president actually appear before us?” Elken said eagerly.
“It seems you two are the only ones who don’t know who the president is,” Christmas chuckled.
Elken asked in surprise, “Have you all met the president?”
“I’m sure it’s not just us; even you have seen them.”
Cecilia smiled and said, “The president has long been before us.”
"Is that so? Among the people I've met, who could be the president?" Feng Kelei was puzzled.
Just then, a loud noise echoed from a distance, and Xiaqiu slowly approached everyone.
"Some of you know me, while others do not. Let me introduce myself."
Xiaqiu began to speak, "I am the president of Baroque Works."
"Huh?"
Feng Kelei and Elken both exclaimed in disbelief.
However, after a moment, Elken looked around at the others and asked in surprise, "You all don't seem shocked. Did you already know?"
"When we found out, our level of surprise was no less than yours," Christmas replied with a smile.
"So you are the president; I feel like I've seen you before," Feng Kelei recalled the giant beast that accompanied Nico Robin, her expression a mix of surprise and recognition.
"Enough with the small talk."
Xiaqiu surveyed the crowd and continued, "My identity no longer needs to be concealed. Today, I openly ask you: are you willing to continue your loyalty to me?"
"Of course."
Cecilia replied lazily, "Following the president will make me stronger, and there are formidable opponents as well. I will pledge my loyalty to the president."
"Heckler respectfully said, 'My Devil Fruit Ability was given to me by you, President, and you made me stronger. I will loyally serve you.'
'My fruit and firearms were also provided by you, so of course, I won't leave Baroque Works,' Christmas replied with a smile. 'Besides, I've always wanted to know how far we can go in Baroque Works.'
'Well then,' Elken scratched his head and said, 'Although it's a bit unexpected, you've done me a favor, President, and I am willing to continue my loyalty to you.'
'What about you?' Xiaqiu looked at Feng Kelei, who smiled and said, 'I have no objections. You are Nico Robin's partner, so naturally, you are also my partner.'
Xiaqiu nodded and said, 'In that case, everything remains the same. However, today I want to introduce a new member to everyone. He is our r1 in Baroque Works and will fight alongside us for the next four years. You should all know who he is.'
'The captain of the Whitebeard Second Division, Fire Fist Ace, with a bounty exceeding five hundred million.'
Xiaqiu looked at Ace, who stepped forward and adjusted his hat.
'Although I already knew about this, I still find it hard to believe,' Christmas said, shaking his head at the scene.
'Fire Fist Ace once fought to a standstill against Jinbei, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, before joining the Whitebeard Pirate Crew,' Heckler remarked. 'I never expected we would become colleagues.'
The presence of a powerhouse on the level of the Seven Warlords of the Sea joining this organization surprised everyone. With such a strong figure, Baroque Works would only grow stronger.
'Alright.'"
The voice of Xiaqiu echoed as he looked at everyone and said, "I have gathered you all here today. Perhaps some of you do not respect me as your president and do not believe I have the strength to lead you."
Hearing this, the crowd slightly raised their heads to look at Xiaqiu.
Xiaqiu smiled at them and continued, "So I will give you a chance to challenge me. No matter what you do, I will not hold it against you."
"This..."
They may have had such thoughts in their hearts, but they did not dare to act on them or admit it.
At that moment, Heckler stepped forward and said, "President, from three years ago to one year ago, I have sparred with you. Although I lost every time, I am stronger now than I was back then. I would like to test my strength against you, if that is acceptable?"
"Of course," Xiaqiu replied with a smile and a nod.
"Then please forgive my rudeness."
With that, Heckler stomped his feet on the ground and suddenly appeared thirty meters in the air. His body flipped upside down as he raised his arms, muscles bulging, before leaping down.
A ten-ton steel fist.
Accompanied by his words, his figure plummeted towards Xiaqiu's head, yet Xiaqiu made no move to evade.
Boom.
Heckler's fists struck Xiaqiu's horns with tremendous force, creating a deafening sound that reverberated in everyone's hearts.
After a brief pause, a wave of Shockwave spread out in all directions.
Crack, crack.
The surrounding walls shattered with a thunderous roar, turning into rubble that fell to the ground.
"What immense power."
Ace couldn't help but click his tongue at the sight.
The force behind Heckler's strike was tremendous, something even he couldn't achieve.
Of course, this move required Heckler to first use his arm strength, then channel his body's explosive power, and finally utilize the fruit's ability, making it a triple explosion.
In terms of pure physical prowess, Ace was still on a significantly higher level than Heckler.
Moreover, this attack required charging up, leaving many openings, and the technique was easy to predict. If one couldn't find the right moment to strike, its effectiveness would be greatly diminished.
Yet even so, such immense power was commendable.
However, when this strike landed on Xiaqiu's head, it proved ineffective.
Xiaqiu did not retaliate and simply took the hit.
Bang.
Heckler was sent flying, landing far away, his arms visibly swollen, a result even after he had mitigated the force.
"This..."
Seeing this scene, everyone couldn't help but gasp. In the face of that strike, Xiaqiu was completely unharmed.
Not only that, but he didn't retaliate at all; he simply took the hit.
In reality, Xiaqiu had used Armament Haki, forming an invisible armor around his head rather than infusing it into a specific part of his body.
Heckler struck the Haki, unable to break through the defense, and was directly rebounded away. Even with the force mitigated, he still suffered significant damage.
"Even Heckler couldn't hurt the President," Elken remarked. "It seems I won't be able to do it either."
He was the owner of the Exploding Fruit, and the destructive power of explosions was no less than that of Heckler, but in terms of sheer strength, he fell short.
"Then President, can I give it a try?"
Christmas asked with a grin. "Using my Gate-Gate Fruit ability?"
"Of course," Xiaqiu nodded lightly.
"Alright, here I go."
Christmas extended her hand and pulled forward, opening a portal of air. She stepped inside and vanished into thin air.
"Such a peculiar ability."
Ace was somewhat surprised by this scene; such a power was indeed perfect for assassination.
Christmas vanished, only to suddenly reappear between Xiaqiu's first and second legs on the right side, reaching out her right hand to touch Xiaqiu's side.
Christmas hoped to use the Gate-Gate Fruit to alter Xiaqiu's body, but her efforts were in vain.
The anticipated change did not occur.
"Even my ability is useless."
Christmas could open doors on any object, but it had no effect on the president, leaving her utterly shocked.
"Is there anyone else who wants to give it a try?"
Xiaqiu looked around.
"With our strength, we can't possibly harm the president," Cecilia shook her head. "But the president does have one flaw."
"Flaw?" Xiaqiu asked curiously, looking at Cecilia.
Cecilia smiled and said, "That would be speed. I believe that neither I nor Heckler can match the president's speed."
"Speed, huh?"
Xiaqiu nodded and smiled, "Then let's give it a try."
"Are you going to compete with me in speed?" Cecilia asked, somewhat surprised.
Xiaqiu shifted her body, facing them sideways. "Let's have the contest here."
"Alright."
Cecilia walked over to Xiaqiu's side, positioning herself not at the front but in front of her first leg, still within Xiaqiu's front half.
"Here I come."
Suddenly, Cecilia transformed into her Half-Orc state, her powerful bird-like legs gripping the ground tightly. She confidently declared, "President, I'll only use the power of the fruit; I won't use Shave."
"Okay."
Xiaqiu nodded, and in the next moment, Cecilia dashed forward, becoming a blur as she sped ahead.
However, she had barely run twenty meters when a strong gust of wind surged around her.
Boom.
A massive figure swept past her side, standing parallel to her before crashing heavily to the ground, sending up a cloud of dust.
"Is this Shave?"
Cecilia's expression was one of surprise, and she couldn't help but stop what she was doing. She was in the very presence of Cecilia.
Not only that, but everyone around her was equally astonished by the scene unfolding before them.
In the entire Baroque Works, Cecilia represented speed; many believed her to be the fastest.
However, it now seemed that she was a bit slower than the president.
"President, have you mastered Shave?" Heckler couldn't help but ask.
"That's right."
Xiaqiu smiled and said, "I mastered Shave not long ago."
After defeating Blackbeard and his four crew members, Xiaqiu had gained nearly one and a half Vice Admiral's worth of Enhanced Energy. His body had been further strengthened, and his leg strength had surpassed that of a Vice Admiral's legs and arms.
He could now execute ten rapid steps in an instant because he had familiarized himself with the Shave technique over the past month.
Thus, once he met the conditions, he only needed half a month to master Shave.
His speed was even slightly faster than Cecilia's.
Cecilia's running speed in her Half-Orc state was a tad slower than Shave, but not by much—around twenty-five meters per second.
Xiaqiu's Shave allowed him to propel himself forward with such force that he could cover a distance equal to his own body length due to his height, leg length, and stride.
Xiaqiu could advance about fifty to sixty meters with a single dash, nearly twice the distance of Cecilia.
In terms of straight-line speed, few could match him.
However, the problems were evident.
His agility was poor; while he could cover straight distances quickly, changing direction mid-dash was difficult.
Moreover, evading enemy attacks was challenging, while it was relatively easy for opponents to strike him.
Additionally, the stamina consumption made it hard for him to engage in prolonged battles.
The ratio wasn't particularly high either; his body length approached sixty meters, and his dash covered the same distance—sixty meters in just one second.
If that ratio could be increased to three or four times his body length, its practicality would significantly improve.
Regardless, Xiaqiu's speed had increased considerably.
Previously, he could run about thirty meters per second; now he could double that, greatly enhancing his combat capability.
The main focus moving forward would be to continue strengthening himself. After breaking through the frequency limitations, the next step would be to accumulate power, allowing him to leap further each time.
But no matter what, with the dash ability, his battles became much easier.
"Is there anyone else who wants to challenge me?" Xiaqiu looked at the crowd.
Cecilia sighed and said, "We are not as skilled as you; the gap in strength is just too great."
Xiaqiu turned to Ace and asked, "What about you?"
"I'll pass," Ace replied with a smile. "If we were to compete, it would probably cause too much commotion. Besides, no matter what happens, I will remain loyal to the President for four years."
"That's good to hear."
Xiaqiu glanced at everyone and said softly, "From now on, you all need to take your work seriously. I won't treat you unfairly. But if anyone has ulterior motives..."
As Xiaqiu's words fell, they suddenly felt a powerful aura rushing toward them.
Boom.
Everyone's bodies trembled, feeling as if their breath had stopped; the air seemed to freeze, as if a giant hand was reaching for their hearts.
Christmas, who had the weakest physical constitution, swayed and collapsed to the ground.
"What is this?"
Ace showed no signs of discomfort as he looked at Xiaqiu, his eyes filled with astonishment.
How could this be possible!
"Cecilia is returning to the casino, while Elken and Christmas are heading to Drum Kingdom. Feng has a mission for you, Ace. Heckler, you two will leave with me."
Xiaqiu issued command after command. By afternoon, Xiaqiu and Ace Heiklei returned to Second Island, the island where Lucci was imprisoned.
"So, President, you captured P9 and obtained Six Styles from them?" Ace looked at Lucci, somewhat surprised.
Xiaqiu nodded. "That's right."
"Rob Lucci, the strongest of P9 in eight hundred years."
Ace gazed at the person in the cage and couldn't help but say, "You haven't appeared before everyone in a long time, yet I didn't expect you to become a prisoner."
Lucci replied coldly, "I also didn't expect that Whitebeard's Second Division Captain Ace would become a subordinate of a giant beast."
Ace smiled and said, "He saved the lives of me and my companions; naturally, I must repay him."
"Is that so?"
Lucci narrowed his eyes, not expecting it to be this way. However, with Ace's addition, Baroque Works had likely surpassed some of the Seven Warlords of the Sea's forces.
Lucci coldly remarked, "But your strength should be greater than his, right? Are you willing to be a subordinate?"
"I don't mind serving my benefactor," Ace replied with a smile. "As for strength? I cannot defeat him. His domain is the sea, and he can use Armament Haki. Even if I could overpower him, he could easily retreat into the water."
Although Xiaqiu possesses the ability to use Shave and Armament Haki, his agility is lacking, and his Haki has its limits.
As long as he maintains a distance, it is unlikely that he can defeat Xiaqiu.
Ace and Jinbei are evenly matched in battle; although Jinbei suffers on land, Ace's abilities can counteract his Armament Haki.
Overall, Xiaqiu is somewhat behind Ace in terms of strength.
However, Xiaqiu's home ground is the sea, where Ace is no match for him. Even in a land battle, Xiaqiu can defend with Armament Haki and use Shave to escape back to the water.
Against Ace, Xiaqiu can temporarily remain undefeated.
Curiously, Xiaqiu asked, "Ace, don't you know Armament Haki?"
"No."
Ace shook his head and said, "For the past two years, I've been focusing on developing my Devil Fruit ability. I'm almost done with that; now I can shift my focus to Haki."
"I see."
Xiaqiu nodded. Ace had only been at sea for three years; he obtained his fruit in the first year and ended up in a stalemate with Jinbei by the year's end.
In the following two years, he focused on developing his Devil Fruit ability.
Much like Lucci, who concentrated on physical techniques and honed his Six Styles over five years of missions without ever using Armament Haki.
Once focused, it can definitely be accomplished within two years.
Ace curiously asked, "But I'm really curious, how did the president learn Haki? You used Armament Haki to withstand attacks, right? If I'm not mistaken, you used Observation Haki against Christmas. And the last one that appeared was undoubtedly Conqueror's Haki. It's impossible for a giant beast to learn Haki; how could Conqueror's Haki possibly manifest in a purely beastly form?"
The shock from the first two was relatively mild for Ace.
The most terrifying aspect was Conqueror's Haki; only those with the qualities of a king could possess it. So what kind of kingly qualities did it have?
"Observation Haki and Conqueror's Haki? Are you joking, Ace?" Lucci asked, astonished.
Xiaqiu smiled and said, "Although you haven't seen it, there's no evidence to prove that only one person can possess it, right?"
Observation Haki and Armament Haki are obtained through consumption, while Conqueror's Haki is something one inherently possesses. However, after using it once, one can no longer feel or actively control it.
It was only after consuming Blackbeard that he felt Conqueror's Haki gathering in every part of his body, like fireflies.
When he summoned the fireflies, an invisible force would be released around his body.
"The president is not wrong."
Ace nodded and looked at Xiaqiu, asking, "What I'm really curious about is what exactly does the president intend to do? Mastering the Three Types of Haki, learning the Six Styles, gathering subordinates, and establishing a vast organization. What is the president's goal?"
"Goal?"
Upon hearing this, Xiaqiu laughed heartily and then countered with a question: "Ace, let me ask you something. Whose era is it now?"
"Whose era is it?" Ace paused slightly.
Xiaqiu replied, "Twenty-two years ago, Roger's death marked the beginning of the Age of Exploration. He acquired the Great Treasure and proclaimed its existence with his dying breath, igniting a surge of ambition among many. Now, who can truly lead an era?"
Ace thought for a moment and said, "Dad is the closest person to that."
Xiaqiu chuckled, "Whitebeard is old. His body is decaying; he is no longer in his prime and cannot support an era."
Ace countered, "But he has us. We will help him achieve that."
"Is that so?"
Xiaqiu shook his head with a smile, "You hope for him to obtain the Great Treasure and become the One Piece, but that's merely imposing your will upon him. Moreover, under the balance of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the Naval Government, and the Four Emperors, he has already lost his chance to reach the pinnacle."
If it weren't for their involvement, Whitebeard would indeed have ushered in an era. He would have done so through a world-shaking war and his own death while proclaiming the existence of the Great Treasure, thus continuing the Age of Exploration.
This current era would bear Whitebeard's name.
But now, while Whitebeard's reputation remains formidable, it has become merely a legend; his uniqueness can no longer shine brighter.
Ace looked at Xiaqiu and asked, "So who does the president think this era belongs to?"
"Ace, why do you believe this era belongs to a 'person'?" Xiaqiu gazed at Ace with a mocking smile.
Ace immediately realized something and looked at Xiaqiu in surprise. "You mean..."
"You..."
Lucci's expression grew heavy, yet there was a hint of disbelief.
Heckler sensed Xiaqiu's intentions, and his demeanor became somewhat fervent.
"That's right."
Xiaqiu declared loudly, "I want this era to bear my name, to have history etched with my existence, so that everyone who hears my name will tremble in fear."
Having come to this world, how could one die without a name, unnoticed and forgotten?
To intervene in history, to change history, to become history.
Ultimately, to become a symbol of the age.
This was Xiaqiu's ultimate goal!
Ace and Lucci stared blankly at Xiaqiu, astonished by the magnitude of his ambition.
They instinctively believed it was impossible, yet here he was, possessing intelligence that rivaled their own, capable of speech, mastering the Six Styles, wielding the Three Types of Haki, and creating a powerful organization—these feats seemed almost unattainable.
He had turned too many impossibilities into possibilities.
So how could his aspirations not have a chance of realization?
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