Chapter Nine: I Refuse to Submit as the Woman in Power

Conqueror’s Haki!

The innate quality of a “King!”

Don’t be fooled by how, in the original Pirate tale, those who awakened Conqueror’s Haki seemed numerous—almost as if it were a common commodity. But remember the sheer number of pirates that roam the seas; among millions, those capable of awakening this power are truly one in a million.

Now, as Hancock’s body trembled violently and an overwhelming aura erupted from her, if not for Tiger’s startled cry behind him, Chu Yi would never have imagined that Hancock could awaken her Conqueror’s Haki simply by experiencing a life-or-death crisis.

Was awakening such an extraordinary power... really this simple?

He knew Hancock possessed this Haki in the original story, but this was still Conqueror’s Haki—couldn’t she have awakened it with a bit more gravity?

He always thought his own talent was exceptional: breaking through his fruit’s bottleneck during a crisis, unfurling the Asura’s Wings without fully transforming. Yet his pride was short-lived, for Hancock made it clear what it meant for one mountain to be higher than another.

As Hancock’s latent power was unleashed, a sonorous hum resonated through the air!

An invisible force blanketed both ships, instantly robbing all the pirates aboard of conscious thought. One after another, with dull thuds, those who had dared dream of seizing Chu Yi and his companions rolled their eyes back and collapsed on deck, utterly defeated by her will.

Such was the terror of Conqueror’s Haki!

But since Hancock had released her power unconsciously, its force wasn’t limited to the enemy pirates alone; Chu Yi and Tiger were caught within its surge as well.

Tiger, by virtue of his own strength, shrugged off Hancock’s unrefined Haki as if it were a passing drizzle. Chu Yi, however, already strained from maintaining his Asura’s Wings, staggered under the assault. Were it not for the added fortitude of his Asura consciousness, he might have collapsed alongside the fallen pirates.

Fortunately, Hancock’s power came as swiftly as it went.

As burning bullets clattered harmlessly off Chu Yi’s wings and fell to the deck, the oppressive might of Hancock’s Haki receded.

He turned to Hancock, ready to offer praise.

But one look made it clear something was wrong—she had fainted with her eyes closed, and he hurried to catch her.

"Tiger, is Hancock alright?"

“She’ll be fine—just exhausted,” Tiger replied with a gentle shake of his head. “With a body like hers, Haki is far beyond what she can control, let alone Conqueror’s Haki, which is rare even among millions. Still, awakening it is a blessing. Kid, looks like you’ll have company in your future training.”

In other words...

You want me to train both myself and Hancock at the same time?

Chu Yi had considered guiding the future Empress’s training, but only after he had grown stronger himself. Hancock’s sudden awakening, however, forced his hand.

Yet, as Tiger said, with her Haki awakened, Hancock would surely have to contribute when the time came to rescue her sisters. After all, the Celestial Dragons’ domain was no easy place to invade.

After settling Hancock in the cabin to rest, Chu Yi, by habit, went to the pirate ship to gather spoils, secretly exchanging a portion for points in the system shop. Finding that he only had two hundred thousand berries—far short of what he needed for the awakening materials he’d had his eye on—he returned to the ship and proactively asked Tiger to begin his training.

Clearly, Chu Yi’s sudden eagerness was fueled by a man’s pride.

Having a strong partner was a good thing—at least she could protect herself, and Chu Yi wouldn’t have to worry about enemies targeting his companion while he was occupied elsewhere.

But only if he remained stronger than his partner!

As long as his relationship with Hancock was secure, strength disparities wouldn’t matter to her—but Chu Yi himself would never accept being the weaker one.

All things considered, the idea of a woman taking charge might appeal to some, but not to Chu Yi.

He was a man who preferred to be on top!

Tiger, oblivious to Chu Yi’s feelings, simply assumed that the hardships of life and death had inspired a new resolve in him, and was gratified. After clearing the battlefield, returning the unconscious pirates to their ship, and leaving them to drift as fate decreed, Tiger’s infernal death training commenced as scheduled.

And the content of that training?

As Chu Yi had anticipated: Fishman Karate.

...

Time passed quickly—half a month went by in a blink.

Half a month prior, Hancock had awakened her Conqueror’s Haki for the first time, displaying her kingly potential. Tiger, intent on nurturing both Chu Yi and Hancock, took advantage of Chu Yi’s foundational Fishman Karate training aboard the ship to lead them to a mysterious island he’d discovered by chance.

The island was small, about the size of a town, and named “Sea Bream Island”—a name certainly chosen by the tasteless Tiger.

Though the name was uninspired, the island’s wondrous properties amazed even Chu Yi.

Perhaps due to its unique geographic location, or some innate peculiarity, the moment Chu Yi stepped ashore he felt his body grow heavier. The island’s secret lay in its gravity, which differed from the outside world.

According to Tiger, the deeper one ventured, the stronger the gravity became. The shore, where Chu Yi and Hancock trained, had double the normal gravity; deeper in, there were areas with tenfold, even a hundredfold gravity. Tiger himself treated the hundredfold zone as strictly forbidden.

For in the area of hundredfold gravity, one faced more than just crushing force—there lurked fearsome beasts.

Even mentioning those monsters left Tiger visibly unsettled, and Chu Yi realized that Tiger must have suffered greatly there.

Nevertheless, with the system’s aid, Chu Yi believed he would one day conquer the island. For now, though, the focus was on training.

In the beginning, Chu Yi and Hancock trained on the shore—in the region of double gravity.

But as days went by, the gap between them grew ever more apparent.

At present, Hancock still struggled in the twofold gravity zone. Even such a modest increase made her movements labored and difficult. Had she not possessed a gentle, resilient spirit beneath her delicate exterior, she might have given up long ago.

Chu Yi, on the other hand, had already achieved a small personal milestone—he had taken his place “on top” in his dynamic with Hancock.

For in just half a month, Chu Yi was now training in the tenfold gravity zone!