One Piece: So What If I Sin, Lie, and Lust? I'm Still a Good Marine Chapter 74: A Shortcut to Awakening Conqueror’s Haki

"Conqueror's Haki..."

Momonga muttered under his breath, but quickly snapped out of it. He stared at his boss in disbelief, watching as Daren sat there, legs crossed, casually puffing on a cigarette.

"Wait! You've awakened Conqueror's Haki!?"

Daren glanced at him and chuckled.

"That's right."

During the battle on Rubeck Island with Doflamingo, Daren had ordered Momonga to lead the Marines in locking down the island, evacuating civilians, and setting up a security periter.

When Daren clashed with Doflamingo using Conqueror's Haki, Momonga had been too occupied issuing commands to notice.

"When did that happen!?"

Momonga drew in a sharp breath, completely stunned.

He'd heard how rare Conqueror's Haki was. In the entire North Blue, even the previous admiral—Sakazuki, known as a "monster"—had never awakened it.

Maybe in the Grand Line or the New World, plenty of powerful individuals had awakened it, but those were almost all legendary pirates.

Like the great pirate Whitebeard.

Or the mysterious Roger.

But in the Marines, those who could awaken Conqueror's Haki were exceedingly few.

As a military force under the World Governnt, the Marines emphasized strict discipline and hierarchy. There simply wasn't enough room for free will to flourish—especially with the Celestial Dragons lording over everything.

In such an environnt, for a Marine to awaken the "spirit of a king" was practically impossible.

As far as Momonga knew, the only Marines known to have awakened Conqueror's Haki were the current Fleet Admiral Kong, Marine Headquarters Admiral Sengoku, and Vice Admiral Garp—the strongest Marine, hailed as a "hero."

And now Daren was telling him he'd awakened Conqueror's Haki too?

Did that an... this guy's talent actually surpassed "monsters" like Sakazuki and Borsalino?

If he didn't know Daren so well, Momonga would've thought he was full of it.

"If you want to know when..."

Daren exhaled a puff of smoke, grinning faintly.

"I'd say it was probably around the ti Saint Xildes was attacked by Sea Kings and t an unfortunate end... sothing like that."

"Well, if you're interested in awakening your own Conqueror's Haki, I actually have a pretty good thod."

Momonga felt a wave of unease rise in his chest, but he still forced himself to ask,

"What is it?"

Daren flipped a coin into the air.

Mid-flight, the coin suddenly lted and twisted into a dagger, its cold blade gleaming sharply.

The tip pointed straight up at the sky.

"Kill a Celestial Dragon."

He said it casually.

...

Momonga's face twitched uncontrollably, several dark lines forming on his forehead.

"Are you serious?"

Daren shrugged.

"Who knows? Just a theory. But I'd say it's probably effective."

"This thod might not work that well on pirates—they're already lawless by nature. But for Marines, it would cause a drastic impact on their will."

"Conqueror's Haki, in my understanding, is ultimately an external manifestation of a person's will and spirit. It usually awakens under extre conditions."

"And I don't an physical danger. We're Marines—every mission puts our lives on the line. I'm talking about ntal extres."

"As Marines, from the mont we put on this uniform, we're trained and educated to follow orders, to uphold peace and justice. But deep down, we all know... that's a lie."

"Sure, we might be protecting justice, but in truth, our missions and actions are more often about preserving the rule of the World Governnt."

"And at the very top of that governnt, sitting high in the clouds, are the self-proclaid 'gods'—the Celestial Dragons."

Daren's voice gradually lowered. His deep eyes shimred with an unreadable light, and he smiled.

"For a Marine, what could be more thrilling than killing the almighty 'gods' who order us around?"

"So? Want to try it? Want to feel what it's like to slay a god? To see the grotesque faces of the Celestial Dragons howling in pain before you, to watch them kneel and beg for rcy, stripped of their dignity, their pride as descendants of the so-called Creator..."

"Aren't you even a little curious what that would feel like?"

Momonga t Daren's smirking gaze and instinctively shivered, taking a step back.

"Hahahahahaha!!"

Seeing that reaction, Daren burst into laughter.

Momonga rolled his eyes in irritation.

"You bastard, stop trying to tempt ... You really are a devil."

"No wonder that brat Doflamingo is completely under your thumb. Honestly, sotis I wonder if your Devil Fruit has so kind of brainwashing ability..."

He had to admit—even he had felt a flicker of temptation at Daren's words.

But the mont that thought surfaced, a chill swept over him, his skin crawling.

The floating dagger reverted into a coin midair, its markings, numbers, and design exactly the sa as before—flawlessly precise.

Daren caught the coin and gently placed it on the desk, smiling.

"Maybe such an ability does exist. But in the end, human nature is really quite simple."

"Everyone—whether they're in power or just a commoner—has weaknesses. They all have desires."

"Money, wealth, power, status, fa, beauty, gambling, cigarettes, wine... There are countless ways to kill a person. Violence is just the most direct."

"But if you want to break soone's will, you have to find their weakness."

"The desire to destroy—that's a weakness most people share."

"Don't act surprised. Our duty as Marines is to protect, sure. But we're human too. And humans have desires."

"When faced with sothing magnificent or breathtakingly beautiful, your first instinct might be to protect it, to admire it. But deep down, there's another impulse—a twisted urge to destroy."

"'If I destroyed sothing this beautiful with my own hands, what would it feel like...' Thoughts like that creep in more often than we care to admit."

"That's why the world is full of twisted love stories—people killing out of cruel obsession when they can't have what they desire."

"And what's the most sacred, most beautiful, most noble, and most revered thing in this world?"

"Of course—it's the World Governnt. The Celestial Dragons."

"Maybe, one day... when the people of this world look at the monstrous regi that's ruled for 800 years, and the fear in their eyes begins to shift into sothing else... just imagine what a sight that would be."

(40 Chapters Ahead)

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