Chapter 12: Chapter 12 : Question, How Did Red Luffy Eat Rubber-Rubber Fruit?
Monkey D. Garp: "You idiot, Luffy!! Look at what Shanks taught you! What did you even learn from him?!"
Monkey D. Luffy: "Ah! Grandpa, I didn't even know about Haki back then..."
Shanks: "Blame me, blame me... I should've taught Luffy about Haki training from the start..."
Ever since Luffy set sail, Shanks had been keeping an eye on his progress.
In just a few months, Luffy had grown from a rookie into one of the Supernovas, with a bounty of 300 million berries!
It's clear that Luffy is exceptionally gifted!
If only I had taught Luffy how to train Haki like that Shanks did... I wonder how much stronger Luffy would be now...
["Kid, are you overwhelmed by all this talk? It would've been easier if you had learned the basics of Haki training earlier," Yasopp bellowed, sipping his drink with a laugh.]
["Not overwhelmed. It's rare to meet someone who's willing to teach me. The more I learn, the better," Luffy responded.]
["Oh? Kid, how about this—you pay for everyone's drinks, and I'll have the boss teach you the method to train Conqueror's Haki." Yasopp teased, winking at Luffy.]
[Hearing about Conqueror's Haki for the first time, Luffy's eyes sparkled.]
['Wait, Conqueror's Haki? Why didn't Grandpa ever mention this?']
["Yeah, interested in learning it? All it'll cost is a round of drinks..."]
[Lucky Roux chuckled from the side.]
["I want to learn!" Luffy slapped his money pouch, containing his secret stash, on the counter. "This is everything I've got. If it's not enough, I'll pay the rest later!"]
[Shanks rolled his eyes at Yasopp and Lucky Roux. "Stop messing with him, you two."]
[Then, Shanks pointed at them and said to Luffy, "Remember, these two are troublemakers."]
"But Uncle... I really want to learn how to train Conqueror's Haki!" Luffy insisted.
Before Shanks could reply, Benn Beckman placed a hand on Luffy's shoulder. "Kid, they're just messing with you. To train Conqueror's Haki, you need to be born with the talent! Conqueror's Haki is the mark of a king, and only one in a million has it!"
Shanks laughed too. "Yeah, they just wanted to take your money."
"You need to be born with talent to learn..."
Hearing that, Luffy felt a bit empty inside.
"I guess I don't have it after all..."
No wonder Grandpa never taught me about training Conqueror's Haki, it must be because I don't have it...
"Kid, take your money back and use it to get yourself something to eat!" Shanks pushed the money pouch back to Luffy.
"No!!"
At that moment, Luffy stubbornly blocked the money pouch with his small hand, looking up at Shanks with unwavering determination. "Uncle, please teach me how to train Conqueror's Haki! Just because I don't have it now doesn't mean I won't awaken it in the future!"
"Hahahaha!"
The entire bar erupted in laughter, the atmosphere becoming lively and cheerful...
These seasoned pirates had encountered countless youngsters like Luffy—brimming with self-confidence, only to be crushed by the harshness of reality...
The Luffy standing before them now is just like those countless boys full of naive dreams.
[So innocent and unaware...]
Kaido: "Wororo! This brat is way too cocky! Does he really think Conqueror's Haki is something you can just stumble upon?"
Charlotte Linlin: "There are always fools like this, thinking they're destined for greatness."
Edward Newgate: "I don't know what you two are laughing about. This kid is Garp's grandson and Dragon's son... Would it really be surprising if he awakened Conqueror's Haki in the future?"
Gol D. Roger: "Not surprising at all."
Rocks D. Xebec: "You two always back each other up, don't you?"
Gol D. Roger: "Get lost!"
Kaido: "Heh, just because he's a descendant of strong people doesn't mean he'll be strong. Hey, Luffy kid, have you awakened Conqueror's Haki yet?"
Monkey D. Luffy: "What's Conqueror's Haki?"
Everyone: "..."
——
[Ding!]
[Entering the quiz segment!]
At this moment, a question flashed on the big screen.
[Question: How did red Luffy obtain the Rubber-Rubber Fruit?]
[A: He didn't eat it.]
[B: Like white Luffy, he accidentally saw the Rubber-Rubber Fruit in a wooden box next to Lucky Roux and thought it was an ordinary fruit, so he picked it up and ate it.]
[C: The Rubber-Rubber Fruit rolled in front of Luffy by itself, and Shanks, seeing the opportunity, gave it to Luffy to eat.]
[D: Shanks didn't teach him how to train Conqueror's Haki, so Luffy held a grudge, stole the Rubber-Rubber Fruit, and ate it.]
[E: The bar owner Makino accidentally made a fruit salad using the Rubber-Rubber Fruit, and Luffy ate it unknowingly.]
[Please think carefully and answer wisely.]
[Punishment Mechanism 1:]
[If you answer within 5 seconds, Punishment Mechanism 1 will be activated.]
[Those who answer incorrectly will lose one year of their lifespan if they are alive, or be disqualified from participating in five future quizzes if they are dead.]
[Punishment Mechanism 2:]
[If you answer after 5 seconds, Punishment Mechanism 2 will be activated.]
[Answering incorrectly twice in a row will result in being disqualified from participating in two future quizzes.]