Both time-traveled characters ended up as villainous henchmen.

It's transparent, refreshing, and completely unconstrained.

This was He Nian's first feeling after her outburst.

Originally, he seemed not to be fully recognized by the world. Although he had lived in the pirate world for more than ten years, he always felt that the world had a vague sense of alienation from him.

A part of his essence was not accepted by this world.

This feeling wasn't strong at first, but it became fully tangible when the black mist space descended.

That is, the unknown power that was previously hidden within him.

Now that the barriers have been broken down, that hidden power has begun to reveal its true nature, and the world has truly opened its arms to him.

He Nianqing couldn't help but shout out loud, releasing all the emotions that had been suppressed in his heart for fifteen years.

Even as bullets and shells rained down on him, he could not suppress the immense joy he felt at that moment.

Moreover, now that he was fully awakened, the rain of bullets and shells no longer posed any threat to him.

Even the bullet that was previously lodged in his body was expelled by the burst of his aura.

The initial burst of power not only stunned all the attacking pirates, but also caused the dense barrage of bullets to deviate from their original course under the impact.

He Nian clearly pictured the landing points of all the bullets: not a single one could hit him.

The remaining few shells, which were a little further away, were also easy to dodge.

Without much hesitation, He Nian moved swiftly, successfully escaping the original bombardment range in just a few breaths.

Rumble!

The sound of artillery fire filled the air, and most of the buildings at the port and docks disappeared in the roar.

On the rooftop of a house not far away, He Nian stood silently under the moonlight, watching.

After the effects of the artillery fire gradually subsided, He Nian returned to the half-destroyed port dock, casually picked up a gun from one of the remaining pirate soldiers that hadn't been destroyed, and began to finish off the pirates who were still unconscious.

Dylan was the first to be sent away, followed by the pirate officers on the big pirate ships, and finally a whole bunch of pirate fodder were taken down at the dock.

Time passed slowly, and on the silent, dilapidated port, only the crisp sound of gunshots rang out one after another.

The original residents of Ilit Town, after hearing the cannon fire from the harbor and waiting anxiously for nearly an hour, were all safe and sound.

Finally, some bold residents, along with the remaining security personnel, came to the port together.

It was nearly dawn, and the distant sea was gradually turning a pale white.

The port was half destroyed, with collapsed buildings everywhere, and the air still smelled strongly of gunpowder.

On the shimmering surface of the nearshore waters, the figure of a tall young man was holding a gun, continuously firing at the fallen pirates.

Of course, some pirates woke up during the process, but He Nian simply released that aura again, which stunned them once more.

At the same time, this is also his attempt to master this new ability.

The residents and security team members of Yilit Town were stunned by what they saw. After a long while, one of the security team members recognized that the person who was raising his gun and firing was He Nian.

"Isn't that... He Nian?"

"It was him who defeated those pirates and saved...us?"

Most of the people present couldn't believe this guess, but now was clearly not the time to remain in a daze.

After one member of the security team went back to the hideout to report the news, the rest of the men rushed towards He Nian's location, and all of them followed He Nian's example, finding a gun and starting to finish him off.

Gradually, more and more people gathered at the port, and the unconscious pirates were quickly wiped out.

Sunrise.

The golden rays of the rising sun spilled across the sea, gilding the ruins at the port with a golden edge, and draping the residents of Ilit Town, who were working on the ruins, in a golden veil.

When the navy that Mayor Derek had mentioned arrived, this was the scene they found.

Seeing that the pirate crew had been wiped out, the Navy did not linger. After taking stock of the losses on Irit Island and the list of the dead pirates, they set sail and left.

As for the bounty of the Dylan Pirates, since the original mayor, Derek, has died, it will be distributed after a new mayor is selected. At that time, the Navy will also bring funds for the reconstruction of Irit Town.

Of course, the timing is uncertain.

He Nian had already left the port and returned to Edmund's two-story house, where he fell fast asleep.

He had experienced several life-or-death battles that night, and was extremely exhausted both mentally and physically, in dire need of rest and recovery.

When He Nian woke up in the afternoon, Edmund was not home, but he had prepared an extremely lavish meal for her.

He Nian didn't stand on ceremony and immediately began to eat heartily.

Half an hour later, He Nian, having eaten and drunk his fill, came to the open space in front of Edmund's house, silently sensing the power within his body, and successfully mobilizing it again.

"As expected, it's different."

Feeling the aura emanating from his body, He Nian's face showed a thoughtful expression.

Based on the situation of the pirates around him when the ability first broke out, He Nian was able to easily deduce the name of his new ability.

Conqueror's Haki.

However, he always felt that the "Haki" he had awakened was somewhat different from the Conqueror's Haki in the One Piece world.

His "domineering aura" not only possesses the effects of Conqueror's Haki, but also comes with the powerful sensory abilities of Observation Haki.

It's more like a combination of two domineering styles.

No, it's not just a hybrid; it should be a more complex and efficient form of energy manifestation.

This energy is closely related to him personally and incorporates a great deal of his spiritual will and physical strength.

It's somewhat like... the primordial Qi in a world of one person?

Yes, it's the primordial Qi!

Furthermore, it incorporates the characteristics of chakra, which is composed of physical and mental energy.

However, because this energy system is not "in line" with the style of the pirate world, the world has created a "gap" between him and the world, which is why he has been unable to mobilize it.

And this power, which originates from his essence, will not disappear out of thin air, so it has remained hidden and unseen.

To this day, he successfully brought it out by using Conqueror's Haki as a starting point.

In other words, he successfully recreated the power he shared through the Black Mist Space by putting it in the shell of the One Piece world's power system.

At first glance, it looks like Conqueror's Haki, but upon closer inspection, it contains much more than just Conqueror's Haki.

He could even create a powerful Qi-refining method by relying on He Nian's Qi-refining technique, just like Hokage He Nian!

Upon realizing this, He Nian's heart suddenly felt invigorated.

If this method succeeds, then perhaps he will be able to use various special abilities without relying on a Devil Fruit.

Just as He Nian was preparing to try the Qi Refining Technique in the One-Man World again, Edmund returned.

"Alright, He Nian, if you've rested enough, come with me to town to help out. After this ordeal, we'll be very busy."

Edmund wanted to speak in his usual carefree tone, but the tone he finally uttered was heavy with sorrow, and his face was filled with grief.

Although they successfully repelled the pirates, Irit Island suffered heavy losses, with many people dying.

"It seems we don't have enough cemetery plots..."

Edmund turned and left, gazing at the cluster of tombstones in the distance, muttering to himself.

He Nian didn't say much. After quickly packing a few tools, he followed Edmund to the town of Ilit and joined the post-disaster reconstruction work.

The townspeople both respected and feared He Nian at this moment, and were unwilling to let him help them at all. However, at He Nian's request, they did not dare to obstruct him too much.

On the contrary, the surviving children in the town had no ill will towards He Nian and cheered around him, calling him the great hero who saved the town.