One Piece: Honey Badger Speedruns the World

The training ground was deathly silent for a full half minute.

As the terrifying dark red shockwave slowly dissipated, the pebbles that had been floating against gravity finally fell to the ground with a series of crackling sounds.

"Huff... huff..."

Lund knelt on one knee, panting heavily.

Even as a seasoned elite of the martial arts community, his back was soaked with cold sweat from that instantaneous shock to his soul.

He looked up, his gaze complex as he looked at the honey badger boy not far away who was slowly concealing his aura.

Gone was the violent rage that had threatened to tear everything apart. Now, Goss was as calm as a deep pool, but Lund knew what kind of monster lurked beneath it.

"Hey, Commander..."

Lund wiped away a bead of cold sweat and gave a wry smile.

"Was that... Conqueror's Haki?"

"Ah, it can't be wrong."

Pedro sheathed his sword, his usually lazy single eye now filled with solemnity and shock: "The qualities of a king, one in a million."

"I never imagined... that such a monster would be born in Zou."

He glanced at Goss, then at the stunned Felix and Mia in the distance.

"Although it's still immature, and even passively triggered, this spirit..."

Pedro took a deep breath.

Goss cracked his neck, making a crisp "crack" sound.

The cathartic release he felt just now, as if his soul had left his body, left him feeling somewhat exhausted, but what followed was an unprecedented sense of clarity.

"Sorry, I couldn't control myself."

Goss said apologetically.

But when he looked down at his still slightly trembling hands, his eyes were frighteningly deep.

He knew very well what had just happened.

That's Conqueror's Haki.

Having confirmed this, Goss felt no sense of being a "chosen one," but rather a feeling of relief and calm.

"That's right."

Goss clenched his fist, feeling the violent impulse lurking in his blood.

"I knew it! If they're already the honey badger that never gives up, it would be strange if they didn't even have this much spirit."

Before this, facing the approaching Jack and the new world overrun by monsters, although he said he was not convinced, there was actually an invisible wall in his heart - that was the tacit acceptance of "class difference".

Subconsciously, he felt that he was the challenger and the weaker party.

But just now, the moment Conqueror's Haki was released...

That wall collapsed.

Goss raised his head, his gaze passing over the crowd and fixed on the distance.

He didn't utter any grand words; his face was frighteningly cold.

"I was worried that with only agile claws, I wouldn't be able to break through the defenses of monsters like Kaido, and that no matter how high my goal was, I would only be a Yonko's first mate."

"Now that I have Conqueror's Haki as my entry ticket..."

Even when facing generals and the Four Emperors.

At that moment, he no longer felt that sense of powerlessness when looking up at the high mountains.

Instead, there was a sense of eagerness in the hunter when he discovered that his bow and arrows had been replaced by a hunting rifle.

"Jack..."

Goss licked his fangs, and the red light in his eyes stopped flashing and settled into a bottomless pool of stagnant water.

It seems I need to change my goals.

Killing Jack was just the first step.

I want to see how many punches Kaido can withstand from me.

Seven Warlords of the Sea, Four Emperors, Pirate King, the pinnacle of the world.

I will climb to the top step by step!

"Hmph, good lad."

Lund stood up, dusted himself off, and looked at Goss with a completely different expression.

It's no longer the appreciation of a senior looking at a junior, but an equal, even slightly reverent, recognition.

"Although the match wasn't finished, it's a draw. Your skill level is more than enough to participate in the rookie martial arts tournament a week from now."

Lund paused, his tone turning serious: "However, don't think that's all there is to it. Although you have Conqueror's Haki, you don't yet know how to actively use it."

"In this year's martial arts tournament, the Heroes' Guild has a real monster on their side. That guy is considered a top candidate to become the next leader of the Heroes' Guild. Right now, your chances of winning against him are no more than 20%."

"Oh? Even stronger than Senior Bilund?"

Goss raised an eyebrow.

"Much stronger."

Pedro interjected, "But before that, here's a good opportunity for you to practice."

Pedro lit a cigarette and exhaled a smoke ring: "There's a friendly match between the Musketeers and the new members of the Knights of Fame the day after tomorrow."

It was called a friendly match, but it was actually a contest between the two teams' newest players who had joined the team within the past year.

I think it would be a good opportunity for you to show your skills. I heard that the Musketeers recruited a top-notch fighter who came back from overseas this year, which would be a good chance for you to broaden your horizons.

"A friendly match, huh...?"

A red light flashed in Goss's eyes, and his desire to fight grew stronger.

……

A dozen minutes later.

"Well……"

Fei Li Si rubbed her throbbing temples and woke up groggily.

In that instant, she felt as if she had been hit hard on the back of the head with a sledgehammer, and her consciousness was instantly cut off.

"What happened... was it an earthquake?"

She struggled to sit up, only to find Mia sitting beside her with a blank expression, her eyes staring straight ahead.

Following Mia's gaze.

There stood Lord Lund, who was usually aloof and arrogant, with his arm around Goss's shoulder. The two chatted and laughed like old brothers who hadn't seen each other for years.

"That Sky-Splitting Claw move you just used was quite interesting. Did you develop it yourself?"

"Lund's Thunder Cannon was also very powerful, but luckily it didn't hit me."

"Hahaha! Don't give me that!"

Seeing this, Scarlet Briar pinched her thigh hard.

pain!

Not a dream!

"It really...it's actually true..."

Looking at the back of that figure chatting and laughing with the high-ranking members of the martial arts group, Fei Lisi felt a surge of hot blood rush to her head, and her cheeks burned as if she had been slapped dozens of times.

A sense of absurdity and shame, almost suffocating her, welled up inside her.

"What...what was I just doing?"

The scene from a few minutes ago replayed uncontrollably in her mind:

Like a self-important genius, she pointed at the beast that could go toe-to-toe with Lund and screamed at him to take off his muscles, which symbolized his strength...

She even humbly pleaded for him, begging Lund to give him a chance to "clean toilets and move things"...

"I'd even clean toilets if I could get into the logistics department!"

"Throw away all the cotton stuffing inside you!"

The words she had just spoken kept lingering in her mind.

She thought she was saving the brother and sister from a position of great power, using her meager social standing to help them.

I'm such a fool. Just because I dated Lund, I think I'm on the same level as him.

This embarrassment made Fei Lisi clench her palms so tightly that her nails dug into her flesh.

Just then, a black bear dressed in a black suit hurriedly ran into the training field.

"Excuse me, is Miss Mia here?"

"I...I'm here."

Mia raised her hand blankly.

The black bear immediately trotted over and respectfully handed over a document: "Miss Mia, hello! I'm the personnel specialist from the Swift Legs Merchant Guild. I'm here to inform you on behalf of Boss Baal!"

"Given your outstanding work performance, Boss Barr has decided to promote you to head of the Overseas Trade Department!"

This is the letter of appointment. My monthly salary has increased to 200,000 Berries. I won't need to deliver packages anymore; I'll just sit in the office and manage documents!

"The supervisor?! Two hundred thousand Berries?!"

Mia was so startled she almost threw the letter of appointment away. She used to deliver packages for a month, working herself to the bone, and only earned a little over ten thousand Berries!

"Is this... a mistake?"

"That's right, that's right!" the black bear said with a forced smile.

"Boss Baal said this is basic treatment for Lord Goss's sister!"

Even after the messenger left, Mia still felt like she was dreaming.

She turned her head and looked at Goss, who was smiling and walking towards her.

At this moment, all the misunderstandings, worries, and distrust turned into tears.

"elder brother……"

"Silly girl, why are you crying?"

Goss came over and gently wiped away her tears, as easily as he had wiped the dust off his clothes.

"Let's go."

Goss pulled up the still-dazed Faith and then picked up Mia.

"Let's go out for a big meal! The most expensive kind!"