https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1046-Fifth-Emperor-What-Even-Is-That-/13540843/
Chapter 1047: Ceiling
Chapter 1047 Ceiling
The fifth emperor?
Kuro couldn’t fathom who’d believe such a thing.
Sensible people wouldn’t buy into that nonsense. Even fools probably wouldn’t—those simpleminded types trust no one and only care about fighting.
Kuro used to think William had some sense, but now… maybe not so much.
Logia-type abilities with monstrous strength? Kuro acknowledged that.
William’s combat prowess was solid, but unfortunately, his fighting style struck Kuro as eerily familiar.
Except for the Logia complication, every other technique William used felt like a pale echo of Kuro’s own skills.
So what was there to say? Dealing with someone like this was effortless.
Against anyone else, it might’ve taken effort, but against William? Kuro had him outmatched in both skill and raw power. Too familiar—he was practically an open book.
Still, Kuro hadn’t held back completely.
Don’t let the casual demeanor fool you; his Haki usage was no joke. The final move had unleashed Unified Haki—Kuro had grown tired of toying with this Williament.
“Still alive?”
Kuro glanced at William’s heaving chest, clicking his tongue. “Could’ve kept running that business of yours. What’d you go and become a pirate for? Pathetic ambition, big shot.”
“William!!”
Elmira’s face darkened, her hands instinctively tightening on her dual pistols. Even if it cost her life, she’d make this man pay.
“Not dead yet. No need to get so worked up.”
Kuro flicked his gaze toward her before gesturing at William. “Though if we wait much longer, he might be. Killing Intent’s running rampant inside him—messy business. But if he survives, I’ll give him a second chance.”
“If he lives, he knows where to find me. I’ll offer him a real shot at becoming a proper Great Pirate—none of this ‘fifth emperor’ nonsense ruling gutters like a desperate mouse.”
With that, his form floated upward, landing effortlessly on the awaiting Warship. The vessel set sail, ignoring the battered Pirate Ship as it navigated deeper into the Grand Line.
Watching the Warship vanish, Elmira lingered a moment longer before rushing to William’s side.
……
“Just like that?”
In the Warship’s office, Lida leaned forward, eyes fixed on Kuro, who casually bit down on a cigar.
“What else?” Kuro exhaled a smoke ring. “His combat power’s respectable—among the Seven Warlords of the Sea, he’s mid-tier. Matching that crocodile brute? Solid strength.”
“You could take him easy, right?” Lida pressed. “So why call it ‘respectable’?”
Kuro nodded approvingly. “You’ve grown. Remember—never let arrogance cloud your judgment. Stay humble, and you’ll go further. William’s downfall? He lost that balance. If he’d faced me with the same mindset he had back in East Blue, maybe we’d have had a real fight. But no—he made the same mistake as Donquixote Doflamingo. And unlike Luffy, I won’t let that slide. It’s practically suicide.”
The fool fixated solely on beating me. If he’d acted normally, Kuro wouldn’t have had such an easy time—would’ve taken real effort. But still, just effort.
Not that effort mattered much. The true combat titans of the Grand Line dwarfed this squabble.
“Listen up, Lida. Klah, you too. Combat power here splits into many forms—unarmed combat techniques, swordsmanship, Devil Fruit abilities. Master any one, and you’ll be a force. But that’s just the peak of mediocrity. You’ve seen me fight Bartholomew. Only combining all three—that’s true strength. The first three vary wildly; everyone’s got their style. But Haki? That’s universal. The tiers are fixed.”
Kuro bit his cigar, smoke curling. “You know the Armored Haki tiers—the four stages: Encasement, Hardening, External Release, and Destruction. Beyond that lies Unified Haki, called ‘Muramasa’ in Wano Country. Reach that, and you’ll touch the ceiling. Until then, stay humble.”
“Observation Haki has layers too. The pinnacle is hearing the universe’s whispers, though that depends on innate talent. But even the next tier’s formidable—Charlotte Big Mom peers into souls, and Yi Xiao Brother in the Navy reads minds. Future foresight, soul perception, universal hearing… Observation Haki masters abound. But unlike Armored Haki, this one demands aptitude. Don’t force it—strive, but don’t obsess.”
Observation Haki, really, was passive—like a sixth sense. Needed calm to activate. Panic rendered it useless.
Individuals’ traits shaped its growth. Lida’s and Kuro’s were both wide-range types. But Lida hadn’t cultivated his as far. Kuro’s main edge? Detecting opponents’ strength levels intuitively, without needing to test them. Others might sense “strong,” but not how strong—not without a clash.
The Grand Line had a ceiling. No one surpassed it—that was the limit.
Like back in his old world—human bodies had limits, no matter how strong.
“Hit that Haki limit, and if you’ve got Conqueror’s Haki—or something akin—and can Encase it, you might glimpse the Grand Line’s pinnacle.”
Kuro paused, then added, “Conqueror’s Encasement isn’t just for attacks. Spread it across your whole body. Layer Unified Haki, master your Devil Fruit’s essence, and you’ll unlock the ‘Second Form.’”
“Huh? But don’t you need unarmed techniques or swordsmanship?” Lida asked.
“Those are personal skills. How do you ‘add’ them? Once you’ve reached that form, it’s pure technique versus swordsmanship—equal footing. Then it’s just you versus the world.” Kuro explained.
The Second Form didn’t include unarmed or sword techniques—only Devil Fruit abilities.
Devil Fruits defined the Grand Line’s uniqueness, its combat power’s lifeblood. Kuro had never heard of unarmed techniques alone conquering the world.
Even Garp? Not quite.
Times change. Once, no one imagined the rise of “sea emperors.” That concept emerged only after Rocks fell.
In the World Government’s 800-year history, this era’s the true “Strongest Generation.”
Without Devil Fruit ability, even with Conqueror’s Haki encasing your body and Unified Haki’s power, you couldn’t hope for the Second Form. Only by fusing advanced Devil Fruit mastery with Haki could you reach that divine state.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
