Sailing: His comprehension is against the sky, and he comprehends the Eight Gates at the beginning.

It seems that the increase in strength is related to whether the opponent has awakened their Conqueror's Haki and the strength of their Conqueror's Haki.

However, Luffy was still quite satisfied with the improvement he received.

Chapter Twelve: Ace Awakens Conqueror's Haki

The intermediate forest between Golpo Mountain and the waste terminal.

Ace led Luffy and Uta to a giant tree.

"Sabo, are you there? Sabo?!"

Ace cupped his hands into a megaphone shape and shouted towards the top of the giant tree.

Soon, the group saw a boy wearing a blue hat peek out and say something.

"What have you been up to these past few days, Ace?"

"I've already pulled off several hits in the last few days."

Suddenly, Sabo noticed two unfamiliar people standing next to Ace and immediately became alert.

This is where they hide their treasure; they must not let outsiders discover it.

"Who are these two guys?"

Luffy then introduced himself with a smile.

"Yo! I'm Luffy, and this is Uta."

Sabo looked puzzled and questioned Ace.

"What exactly happened, Ace?"

Ace scratched his head.

"Well! This is hard to explain. Anyway, come down first, and I'll explain it to you slowly."

...

Several tens of minutes later.

"What? You're saying Luffy knocked you down with one punch?"

Sabo looked shocked and exclaimed.

"Careless! Careless! I already told you I was careless."

"Hey, are you even listening to what others are saying?"

Ace grimaced in anger, arguing defiantly.

"Hahahaha! I never thought Ace would get taught a lesson like that! Hahahaha..."

Sabo completely ignored Ace's excuse and burst into laughter, slapping his thigh.

Boom!

Just then, Ace suddenly punched Sabo on the head in anger, instantly stopping Sabo's laughter.

If he can't beat Luffy, then he can't beat Sabo?

Sabo clutched his head in anguish and looked at Ace.

"Ace..."

Ace, on the other hand, crossed his arms and turned his head away arrogantly.

"Humph!"

Through Ace's introduction, Luffy officially met Sabo.

In the days that followed, the group spent their time either sparring with each other or robbing bandits and criminals of their treasures at the wasteland terminal.

However, after sparring with Ace a few times, Luffy was no longer able to improve his Conqueror's Haki from him.

Ace's Conqueror's Haki has not yet awakened, and the potential for improvement is still too low.

...

Waste terminal.

"They really made a fortune this time!"

“Mr. Porsche is right! As soon as that greedy merchant heard about the treasure of the Grand Line, his expression changed drastically and he rushed out.”

"Actually, it's all just trash that drifted to the beach! Hahahaha..."

The two men joked back and forth about the treasure they had just snatched from a merchant, laughing heartily.

Suddenly, they noticed two small figures appearing in the light mist ahead.

As the two continued forward, wanting to investigate further, two figures simultaneously leaped up, their steel pipes falling heavily onto their heads.

After a while.

Ace and Sabo excitedly carried their newly acquired treasure, marveling at their find.

"This looks like quite a haul! A whole bag full!"

"Yes! We're one step closer to our dream."

The two left leisurely.

Unbeknownst to them, someone had already noticed them in secret.

...

The forest in the middle.

Sabo was sleeping alone at the top of the giant tree when he suddenly heard voices of people talking nearby.

"Ace and Sabo, they're notorious brats around here."

"They were the ones who stole your treasure last time, weren't they!"

The tall, imposing Burjami asked the man beside him who had had his treasure stolen by Ace and Sabo last time.

One of them answered.

"Yes, I am so ashamed. I was too careless at the time."

Berjami looked furious.

"How audacious! They actually dare to touch our pirate crew's money."

As he spoke, he asked the other person next to him.

"You followed them around here last time, didn't you?!"

“Yes, I saw them come here with my own eyes.”

Upon hearing the conversation below, Sabo was already sweating profusely.

If we let these people continue searching here, their treasure will surely be discovered.

In a moment of desperation, Sabo leaped into the air and ran away into the distance.

The sudden commotion immediately attracted the attention of Berjemi and his group.

"Come on!"

...

The Dadan family.

Luffy and the others were still fast asleep.

Suddenly, the door was pushed open.

"Something terrible has happened, Luffy!"

The noise woke everyone in the room.

Luffy slowly opened his blurry eyes and saw Ace standing at the door, looking frightened and filled with worry.

"What's wrong, Ace?"

Ace rushed up to Luffy, handed him a note, and said...

"I found this note nearby when I went to see Sabo this morning."

Luffy took the note, which read:

“Sabo is in our hands. If you want to rescue him, bring all your treasures. - Bluejam and his gang.”

"Bruggeam?!"

Luffy muttered to himself, "I think I've heard this name before."

“Bluejam is the captain of the Sapphire Pirates. Because they pay tribute to the kingdom, they are not bound by the law. If Sabo falls into their hands, he will definitely be killed.”

Ace said worriedly from the side.

Upon hearing this, Luffy recalled that this Bluejam was the pirate who forced Ace to awaken Conqueror's Haki in the original work.

Thinking about all this, Luffy suddenly had an idea.

Perhaps we can use this Bluejam to awaken Ace's Conqueror's Haki, and then he can teach him from the side.

This will not only improve Ace's strength, but also allow me to spar with Ace later and enhance my own Conqueror's Haki.

Thinking of all this, Luffy said to Ace.

"Ace, you've trained for so long, you should be able to handle the task of saving Sabo, right?"

"Let's go! I'll be watching from the shadows, and if you can't do it, I'll take action."

Ace was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, but then he was filled with fighting spirit.

"I will definitely rescue Sabo."

...

Waste disposal terminal, a pirate ship on the coast.

Sabo was tied to a pillar, and Berjemi kept punching him.

At this moment, Sabo was covered in blood, mentally confused, and looked extremely weak.

"Still won't tell, kid? Hurry up and tell us where the treasure and Ace are, and you won't have to suffer like this."

Sabo, his breath fading, spoke in a weak voice.

"I...I won't tell you. Besides, your punch is much weaker than Ace's."

Upon hearing this, Berjemi was instantly enraged and, baring his teeth, swung his fist at Sabo again.

boom!

Just then, a small figure suddenly leaped onto the deck.

"stop!"

Ace, holding a steel pipe, suddenly changed his expression upon seeing Sabo's appearance, his face instantly filled with rage.

Upon seeing Ace appear, Burjami stopped punching.

The other pirates also turned their gazes toward it, their eyes filled with amusement.

"Well, did you bring the treasure?"

While asking the question, Berjami suddenly noticed that Ace's hands were empty and immediately frowned.

"You don't want to die, do you? Dare not bring back the treasure you stole from us?"

When Bluejem saw Ace appear, a smile appeared on his face.

But when he learned that Ace had not brought any treasure, his murderous intent completely overwhelmed him.

“Berjemi!”

Brugge gave a low, guttural call.

Berjami immediately understood, clenched his fist, and walked towards Ace.

The two quickly entered combat mode.