Starting with two Kamui, they raised the flag of rebellion in One Piece.

Chapter 102 Domineering Aura! The Qualification of a King

So, where should we begin?

After some thought, Li Mingyuan's expression turned serious as he looked at Ace.

"First of all, it's quite a coincidence that you asked these two questions together, because they actually belong to the same power system, so there's no need to explain them separately."

"Hey Ace, before answering your question, I need to ask you something first: do you know how the strongest warriors on the high seas fight, besides those with Devil Fruit abilities?"

What are your fighting styles besides Devil Fruits?

Upon hearing the topic raised by Li Mingyuan, Ace frowned in thought.

After a moment's hesitation, he tentatively replied to Li Mingyuan, "Could it be... the fist of love?"

As soon as he said that, Ace couldn't help but laugh.

There's just nothing we can do about it.

When it comes to strong people without Devil Fruit abilities, the one who impressed him the most was undoubtedly that old man. And the old man's most common phrase when he hit people was something like "love's fist".

Upon hearing Li Mingyuan's words, he almost instinctively thought of the other party and took out this reply.

"An interesting reply, though it's not exactly wrong, but clearly, this isn't the answer you're looking for."

"In fact, although Devil Fruits can help many people gain immense power overnight, it is not the only way to become stronger in this world. Even without Devil Fruit abilities, people will find ways to improve their strength, either by modifying themselves or by using external objects, which can give them superhuman strength."

Li Mingyuan's face showed reminiscence as he calmly said, "And undoubtedly, among those numerous methods, there is only one 'ability' that can be compared to the power of a Devil Fruit, and some even say it far surpasses it."

"The name of that power is called Overlord!"

"Domineering?"

Ace subconsciously repeated the name.

Looking at Ace, who was engrossed in the story, Li Mingyuan couldn't help but recall the One Piece content he had watched in the past, as well as the settings etched deep in his memory along with that content.

The conversation with Ace was also deepening Li Mingyuan's own memory.

"Domineering aura, in essence, is a special power that humans use to transform intangible perceptions such as momentum and killing intent into fighting will."

"Ace, the Observation Haki you want to know about, and the other power within you, are actually both types of Haki abilities. Haki is divided into three main categories."

"There are three types: Observation Haki, Armament Haki, and Conqueror's Haki."

Li Mingyuan looked at Ace with a serious expression and said, "Haki is not only an ability that most people can learn and master, but it is also the true foundation upon which many strong people rely. Although many people cannot master this ability in their lifetime due to differences in aptitude, once they do, it signifies that they have already stepped onto the threshold of becoming a strong person."

"A powerful user of Haki, even Devil Fruit users have to temporarily avoid his edge. For example, the famous Marine hero Garp, who is said to be not a Devil Fruit user, but countless Devil Fruit users have fallen at his hands."

"In the battles between the world's top fighters, you may not have Devil Fruit abilities, but you almost cannot do without Haki."

Domineering.

The main battle system in the later stages of One Piece.

It is also one of the pillars of the combat systems of the two Great Pirate Kings, alongside Devil Fruit abilities.

From an outsider's perspective, its creation was most likely designed to counter the elementalization of nature-based elements.

After all, in the early to mid-stages of a battle, unless you come up with a specific way to counter it, no matter what character you are, you can't hit a Logia-type Devil Fruit user in the slightest.

This situation is acceptable in the early stages, but in the later stages of the One Piece story, a bunch of powerful characters from the established lore appear. If these characters are helpless against Logia-type Devil Fruit users, the level of power will deviate greatly from the author's intention. From the perspective of the story, the Logia type being invincible is too absurd.

Therefore, the emergence of the Overbearing System is inevitable, both from the perspective of the plot and from the perspective of external factors.

Li Mingyuan's impression of the domineering aura was actually quite good.

After the introduction of the Overpower System, the author no longer needs to rack their brains to find ways to break it like in the early stages. They can directly engage in battles by comparing the strength of their Overpower. From a creative perspective, this is definitely more beneficial than harmful.

In addition, the domineering and visceral combat is undoubtedly a visual feast for readers like Li Mingyuan who love action comics. In particular, the most exciting battles are still fresh in Li Mingyuan's memory even today.

However, Li Mingyuan cannot deny that there are also many people in the One Piece fandom who dislike the existence of Haki.

Firstly, since Haki was added to the combat system later, it's inevitable that some bugs will appear. For example, in the early episodes of the anime and manga, there was no close-up of the screen turning black when Haki was used. It's understandable that strong characters have techniques like Ryuo that allow them to attack from a distance, but the same applies to grunts, which makes it a bit confusing.

Especially in the past, many people were saying things like "turning black is just a form of expression, added later to make it easier for readers to identify, and Haki has no color." But after the Wano Country arc, Oda tells you that Haki does have color, and you can even forge a black sword by covering your weapon with Haki for a long time. This is a mark of a swordsman.

These plot inconsistencies are difficult for many to accept.

Furthermore, even setting aside the issue of color change, the introduction of the Haki system meant that Logia-type Devil Fruit users could be hit, and Luffy's rubber body was not immune to attacks. As a result, in the early episodes that were already drawn and could not be changed, all the characters who appeared at that time, regardless of their background or role, were assumed not to have mastered Haki. Even some characters who had a presence and role much later in the story should have possessed Haki, but unfortunately, they appeared too early and could only be ignored.

This strange sense of conflict also made many fans of the early characters feel betrayed, and the plot felt awkward to watch.

As for the second point, the reasons why many people dislike domineering behavior are more common.

The addition of the Haki system has turned many battles into a contest of Haki strength in the end, which many people find too boring and lacks the flavor of the early battles where you rack your brains to outwit and outmaneuver Devil Fruit users.

Furthermore, with the addition of Haki, water pipes, flip-flops, and knives can clash. In fact, if one side has stronger Haki, the flip-flops can even break the knife. The presence of external weapon systems is weakened, making it almost impossible for the character to turn the tide except through their own strength.

While this situation explains why swords and other such items are not very expensive in the One Piece world—even if they are valuable, they are dispensable to the strong—it also leads to a sharp decrease in the presence of many characters. Without Haki, they are considered inferior and incapable of doing anything.

The above only describes the situation in the comics.

If the anime is included, many people attribute the poor viewing experience of the later episodes of One Piece to the Haki system, as the anime added a lot of cool special effects in the later episodes, which also caused some light pollution.

Overall, from an objective standpoint, there are indeed quite a few problems.

Now that Li Mingyuan has actually transmigrated to the world of One Piece, he has no choice but to accept this situation, whether he likes it or not. If he wants to become stronger in the future, he will also have to master Haki.

So far, Li Mingyuan has tried to cultivate while sailing on the ship, but perhaps due to his aptitude or insufficient external stimulation and pressure, he has not succeeded no matter how hard he tries.

Based on the premise that the Haki system is the underlying logic of this world, how to understand and acquire this power is not much different for Li Mingyuan and Ace; they are both novices. This will be the focus of their exploration for a long time to come.

After listening to Li Mingyuan's words, Ace fell into deep thought, seemingly lost in thought.

Seeing this, Li Mingyuan paused for a moment before continuing to speak.

"Observation Haki is the power to strongly sense the presence of the opponent. Once this power is enhanced, one can extract the location and number of enemies outside one's field of vision, as well as the actions the opponent will take in the next instant."

"As for the other power hidden within you, Ace, it is called Conqueror's Haki."

""

"This is a talent that only one in millions possesses, and it is the most unique of the three types of Haki. This kind of Haki cannot be learned through training. Moreover, even if one can control Conqueror's Haki freely, it still cannot be strengthened through training. It can only be enhanced through the user's own growth."

Is it impossible to acquire through learning?

Upon hearing this, Ace looked up in surprise at Li Mingyuan.

"Those who possess Conqueror's Haki can intimidate enemies without lifting a finger, simply by their aura. They can even cause opponents much weaker than themselves to faint. However, if not controlled properly, it can also harm those around them."

Li Mingyuan chuckled and stared into Ace's eyes. "Besides that, this power is said to have even higher-level applications, a secret known only to the true strongest on the sea. Possessing this power means you've obtained a ticket to the very top."

"Congratulations, Ace."

"To be honest, even I have no clue about Conqueror's Haki right now. Although I really want to have it, until I'm actually in that situation, the reality is unknown. From this perspective, I'm actually quite envious of you."

Ace quickly waved his hand, somewhat awkwardly interrupting Li Mingyuan.

"Forget it, forget it. What kind of kingly talent is this? Coming from someone stronger than me, these words are completely unconvincing. Speaking of which, you were still standing after being hit by this Conqueror's Haki yesterday, weren't you?"

"I feel that this thing is much worse than the Flame-Flame Fruit."

Although Ace had gained a basic understanding of Haki thanks to Li Mingyuan's explanation, he still felt a sense of disappointment.

They say it's something that surpasses Devil Fruit users, but I don't know who said that.

Especially the Conqueror's Haki, which was touted as something almost divine by Li Mingyuan. He was somewhat interested in Observation Haki, but he found Conqueror's Haki completely incomprehensible.

It's an ability that only works on weaklings, and its ability to clear out weaklings is probably not as good as the Flame-Flame Fruit. At least the Flame-Flame Fruit deals real damage, and even strong people would have to block it in an area attack. However, Conqueror's Haki is completely useless against strong people.

Is this thing really stronger than a Devil Fruit?

Listening to Ace's complaints, Li Mingyuan's eyes held a meaningful look, but he didn't say anything more.

Instead, he changed the subject.

"Ace, I've already explained the two powers you asked about earlier, Observation Haki and Conqueror's Haki. But the third type of Haki that I didn't explain earlier—Armament Haki—is actually the power you should really pay attention to."

"Um?"

Ace, who had previously been clearly superior to Conqueror's Haki in comparison to the Mera Mera no Mi (Flame-Flame Fruit), instinctively looked up at this moment.

Immediately afterward, while he was still somewhat distracted, a statement that shocked him rang out.

"Because of Armament Haki, it can directly grasp the physical form of a Devil Fruit user!"

At this moment, Li Mingyuan stared intently at Ace, his expression calm.

"Armament Haki can enhance an individual's defensive capabilities, acting like an invisible armor. It can also be transformed into offensive power, allowing one to contend with Devil Fruit users and even touch the physical form of Logia-type Devil Fruit users."

"This is also the real reason why users of Haki can fight against Devil Fruit users."

"No matter what kind of ability user they are, they cannot be invincible in front of a strong Haki user. Moreover, unlike Conqueror's Haki, Armament Haki does not have the same threshold as Conqueror's Haki. In theory, anyone has the qualifications to learn it."

"Of course, that includes you and me, Ace."

Ace murmured, "Armament Haki... Haki."

Just a second ago, Ace didn't care much about the power of Haki, but now his expression was extremely solemn, and he imprinted the power of Haki into his heart with an unprecedented level of importance.

If we were to rank the three types of Haki in order of importance based on Ace's impression, it would be roughly Armament Haki >

Observation Haki > Conqueror's Haki.

The phrase "being able to grasp the physical form of a Devil Fruit user" not only meant that he would be hit, but it also made Ace suddenly recall many things from the past.

For example, how exactly did the old man manage to hurt Luffy, who has the Gum-Gum Fruit ability?

Is this what they mean by "the fist of love"?

Ace couldn't help but cover his face as he thought this.

"That's about it. That's roughly all the information about domineering aura."

"I've briefly introduced the three types of Haki to you, but what I've said is far from all there is to Haki. You'll have to explore and master more about Haki on your own during your future voyages."

"After all, although I know a lot, I haven't actually mastered much myself, so even though I'd love to teach you how to cultivate Haki, I just can't do it."

Li Mingyuan looked at Ace with gentle eyes, "I hope the information I shared with you before I left today will be of some help to you."

"On this vast ocean, one day we will meet again."