Chapter 120: Sworn Brotherhood
Brook knew well that those who had awakened Conqueror’s Haki rarely, if ever, truly submitted to another. Their convictions were so strong that forced submission could shatter them, preventing further growth—or even causing them to lose their Haki altogether.
That said, there had been exceptions. Fire Fist Ace was one such case. A Conqueror’s Haki wielder, he had joined the Whitebeard Pirates and pledged absolute loyalty to Whitebeard. In doing so, he let go of his ambition to surpass Gol D. Roger and claim the title of Pirate King. The Ace who once competed with his brother, Luffy, for the crown of Pirate King had disappeared.
Instead, he became the man who devoted himself to helping Whitebeard reign supreme, believing only in the strength of his captain, relishing in the fatherly love he received. And just like that, his Conqueror’s Haki lost its unique edge, blending into the background.
Those who awakened Conqueror’s Haki under a captain’s command were usually unwaveringly loyal—Rayleigh to Roger, Katakuri to the Charlotte Family.
But then there were anomalies like Yamato, a so-called inheritor of Oden’s will, wielding Conqueror’s Haki against her own father, Kaido. A disgrace, a traitorous leak in Kaido’s otherwise indomitable armor.
Even in the Navy, figures like Sengoku had developed Conqueror’s Haki under a structured chain of command, using it to reinforce the Marines’ dominion over the world.
In other words, if one’s actions contradicted the convictions they held upon awakening their Haki, that power would regress. But if their belief had always been to serve a person or a force, and they stayed true to that belief, their Haki would continue to strengthen—even if they weren’t absolute rulers themselves.
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"Strength, profit, and even emotional bonds can tie people to us. Once they come, leaving won’t be so easy. Yohohoho~"