The factors that determine the outcome of a fight are many.

Strength is the most fundamental, but beyond that lie things like inner resolve, belief, external conditions, and whether the opponents' abilities counter each other.

Often, upsets happen because of those factors.

But no matter what—

All of it still rests on strength.

"Well done."

Sitting casually on the rail, Magnus grinned. "Rocks, you've got real talent in taijutsu, but your attacks are still lacking. If you can forge your weapon into a kokutō (black blade), then even Ripley's Busoshoku won't be enough to defend against you."

Ripley's victory over Rocks came down to brute force overpowering finesse. Knowing he couldn't truly injure her, she attacked without hesitation.

When her fists grew to giant size, her Haki couldn't fully cover them — it was mostly just raw power.

But if Rocks' blade became a true kokutō, Ripley would have to coat herself in Haki every time, or be cut — and she couldn't keep that up for long.

"A non-fruit user is either a swordsman or a pure taijutsu fighter — or both," Magnus explained.

On this sea, a so-called black blade was a sword that, over years of constant Haki infusion, evolved to permanently retain its hardened, sharp qualities even without being coated.

Such blades were rare beyond counting.

"Rocks. Try my blade."

Magnus tossed his own sword to Rocks.

"Wrap it in your Haki."

Magnus' blade, Frost Shade, was just a step short of becoming a full-fledged black blade — and that last step could still take years.

But this was a good lesson for the young ones.

"Captain's great sword, Frost Shade, huh…"

Not a Supreme Grade, but still one of the 21 Great Grade blades of the world — a famous weapon.

Though Magnus held the title of great swordsman, that really referred to his swordsmanship skill. He was known more for his Devil Fruit and taijutsu.

Rocks was following the same path.

Rocks' own blade was an ordinary weapon, reforged many times over the years — but he never let it go. Not just because of the memories it carried, but because Magnus had once told him: if your Haki is strong enough, even an ordinary blade can cut down a Supreme Grade.

Haki was everything.

Rocks tried wrapping Haki around Frost Shade — but imbuing a weapon was far harder than coating a fist. Only a true swordsman could do it easily.

And the moment his Haki entered Frost Shade, Rocks' expression changed.

"This blade… it's absorbing my Haki!"

He broke into a cold sweat — it felt like Frost Shade was drinking his Haki dry in seconds.

"Now — strike me with it!"

Magnus sat there smiling.

Rocks hesitated, then slashed.

Vwooom!

The air rang as a massive blade of light, over ten meters long, erupted from Frost Shade and swept toward Magnus, sharp enough to seem like it could cut the ship in half.

But Magnus just raised a hand.

Busoshoku Kōka (Armament Hardening).

Snap!

The blade of light shattered like glass.

Everyone watching froze in shock.

Rocks was dumbfounded — all that Haki and it still crumbled under one slap?

"Don't look so surprised," Magnus waved casually.

"That's an advanced form of Busoshoku. If you want to hurt me, you'll need to learn that level yourself."

Mastering both Kenbunshoku and Busoshoku made you a true fighter.

But to make a name in the New World among pirates with bounties in the hundreds of millions, you had to master the advanced forms.

Rocks was barely at the level of a typical big-name pirate — he still had a long road ahead.

"Next — Newgate and Linlin."

Magnus called Linlin over.

"Linlin, I'm going to teach you a surefire move. Learn it, win, and I'll make you ice cream later."

"Really?!" Linlin's eyes sparkled.

"Mm. Really."

Magnus rested his hand over hers.

"Feel this rhythm. It's already inside you. Try to move it, and wrap it around your body."

"…Rhythm?"

Linlin was naive, but she trusted Magnus implicitly — he'd never let her go hungry. And he promised ice cream.

So she earnestly followed his lead — something Rocks and Newgate hadn't been able to do so quickly.

Magnus was just testing a theory.

If Linlin's monstrous body was the result of uncontrolled Haki, then focusing it properly might even it out.

Concentrated Haki became visibly black, swirling like a current around Magnus' arm.

"This won't be easy… it took me three months," Ripley muttered.

"It took me a year," Rocks added.

The three of them exchanged glances — no way Linlin could just learn Haki in one go, right?

"I got it!"

Linlin suddenly beamed, and a terrifying wave of Haki flared in her little hand, making Ripley, Rocks, and Newgate all instinctively tense.

Ripley: "???"Rocks: "???"Newgate: "???"

In under five minutes, Linlin unleashed a torrent of Haki that eclipsed even Ripley's.

"…Is this what they call a genius?"

"No — that's a monster!" Rocks was torn between awe and envy.

If he had that much Haki, he'd never have lost to Ripley.

Newgate just stared at her little hand, then at his own.

"…I forfeit."

He wasn't stupid — no point in stepping up to be crushed.

Quantity ruled when it came to Busoshoku — and Linlin had more than enough to crush any average opponent.

Magnus still made them fight anyway — no quitting without a fight!

Afterward, he cautioned Linlin not to casually unleash her Haki, and gave Newgate the same kind of guidance he'd given Rocks.

The six matches wrapped up quickly.

As expected, Linlin's overwhelming Haki dethroned Ripley, claiming first place.

Ripley pouted.

"Captain… you rigged the rankings. Who gives last-minute tips like that before a match?"

Clinging to his arm, she whispered in his ear, "Or are you just afraid of what I'd ask if I won?"

Compared to whatever Ripley had in mind, Linlin's wish was bound to be simpler.

"Linlin, don't waste this win," Ripley advised. "Wait till you're older — then you can really make the captain pay up!"

She winked at Linlin.

"Don't worry about food — the galley's mine. Anything you want, just take it!"

Linlin hesitated, torn between her ice cream wish and Ripley's plotting.

"…Is that okay?" she asked.

"As long as it doesn't kill me," Magnus chuckled.

In the end, he always had the final say anyway.

Anyone thinking they could control him was sorely mistaken.

He'd show Ripley what a captain's dignity meant!

And so the first White Wolf crew tournament ended, giving Magnus a clear picture of his crew's current strength.

A month passed quickly.

And as the familiar shores of Sphinx came into view, Magnus knew the next chapter of their journey was about to begin.

(End of Chapter)

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