One Piece: Starting from Awakening the Cosmo at Marineford

Aaron stood up: "Let's go."

Lark and Finnbjerg stood up. Bernard was somewhat taken aback, hesitated for a moment, and then also stood up.

The golden lion was enraged and instantly unleashed its Conqueror's Haki.

Aaron turned around abruptly, took a step forward, and shielded Lark and Finbuddy behind him.

The surging, powerful aura swept over Aaron's body like a tangible force, pressing down on him like a raging sea.

Aaron remained unmoved, like a reef in a raging tide.

Conqueror's Haki continuously washed over Aaron's body, again and again.

Aaron's face was solemn as he stared intently at the golden lion.

Suddenly, he felt something inside his body burst open, and something invisible yet substantial surged out, retaliating against the Golden Lion's Conqueror's Haki.

The Golden Lion roared, "Conqueror's Haki! Good lad, you certainly have the makings of a king!"

The golden lion's Conqueror's Haki suddenly intensified, becoming even more somber, as if water had turned into a viscous gel, attempting to envelop Aaron and suffocate him.

A few months ago, when Aaron faced Garp's overwhelming Conqueror's Haki, he was just a hair's breadth away from awakening Conqueror's Haki.

Unfortunately, Garp had no intention of killing him; he was merely testing him.

Just as Aaron was about to awaken his Conqueror's Haki, Garp suddenly gave up his attempt, causing Aaron to fail at the last minute.

Now, provoked by Aaron's words, Golden Lion was truly enraged and harbored murderous intent. When he unleashed his Conqueror's Haki, he naturally held nothing back.

This murderous Conqueror's Haki instantly broke through the shackles that bound Aaron's Conqueror's Haki, allowing his long-suppressed Conqueror's Haki to be released in an instant.

The two powerful auras of Conqueror's Haki collided fiercely, constantly compressing and dispersing the air in the hall.

A fierce wind raged through the hall, cleansing the bodies and souls of these pirates.

The sound of "thumps" continued to ring out. Some of the weaker pirates around them could not resist and lost consciousness, collapsing on the table or the ground.

Lark, Finbdi, and Bernard were the least affected and remained unharmed because they were behind Aaron.

"Hahaha! Good lad, not bad! I didn't misjudge you!"

The golden lion suppressed its domineering aura and looked at Aaron with a smug look in its eyes.

Aaron also restrained his aura, feeling the growth of Conqueror's Haki within his body.

The Conqueror's Haki had been accumulating and growing within him for several months, and finally found the right opportunity to awaken.

Golden Lion smiled and looked at Aaron: "Stay! With your help, I might as well compete for the title of King of the World! But the first step is to find One Piece and ascend to the throne of Pirate King."

You should know that becoming the Pirate King isn't just an empty title. Countless pirates on the high seas will flock to me, drawn by my name, to become my allies.

Therefore, if you want to become the king of the world, you must first become the pirate king!

"Someone, get him a different table and chairs, and bring him fresh food and drinks!"

Several more maids entered from outside the hall and began to busy themselves.

The tables, chairs, and plates had already been shattered into pieces under the combined impact of the two men's overwhelming power.

Aaron smiled slightly, walked to the rearranged table, and sat down casually.

Lark, Finbdi, and Bernard returned to the table and sat down.

Following the Golden Lion's instructions, the four maids did not leave but remained to serve Aaron at his table.

"Hahaha! That was exhilarating! I haven't felt this good in a long time! Phoenix, everyone, cheers!"

Aaron picked up the bowl, tilted his head back, and drank it all.

"Cheers!"

The pirates who were still sober cheered and toasted.

After a hearty meal and drinks, the Golden Lion laughed loudly, kicked over the tables and chairs, and left with two beautiful women in his arms.

Four maids led Aaron and his companions to their luxurious guest rooms.

The next day, more than a dozen pirate crews arrived on the island.

A grand banquet was held again that evening, with Aaron once again having a separate table, sitting opposite the Golden Lion.

On the third day, even more pirate crews arrived, totaling 28.

As a result, there are now over a hundred pirate crews participating in the Golden Lion's "Gathering of Heroes".

Nearly 20,000 pirates have gathered on the island, creating a formidable force.

The golden lion was overjoyed.

These past few days, whenever he had free time, Golden Lion would come to chat with Aaron, telling him about his big plans for the future.

That evening, the setting sun dyed Lion Island blood red.

Standing atop the lion's head, watching the sunset, the golden lion said to Aaron beside him, "Tomorrow, let's conquer this world together!"

Aaron smiled but remained silent.

The Golden Lion said with a hint of sadness, "It's a pity that after all these years of hard work, I still don't have a son or daughter, let alone any grandchildren."

However, with you carrying on my legacy, I have no regrets. You don't mind making you my deputy, do you?

No objections.

Aaron smiled, but inwardly he was trembling with fear: "Golden Lion, you've taken advantage of me; you're courting death!"

The Golden Lion continued to express his admiration for Aaron.

The banquet became even grander in the evening.

There were 98 tables of people in the hall, but only the captain and core staff were allowed to sit down.

Aaron looked them over and saw that many of them were escaped convicts from Impel Down.

In addition, he also saw several familiar faces.

The seven people sitting at that table—six men and one woman—were all dressed in impeccably tailored suits, making them stand out starkly among the group of poorly dressed pirates.

Especially strangely, a white dove was riding on the shoulder of the leader, and the dove was also wearing a custom-made suit.

Hibari couldn't help but examine the group a few times, and whispered to Aaron, "They're all very strange. They're too serious; they don't seem like pirates."

Lark did not recognize them.

As a secret intelligence agency of the World Government, the appearance of the members of the CP organization is kept secret.

In other words, members of the CP organization don't know each other except for those within their own department.

These seven people are Rob Lucci, a former CP9 member, Kaku, and Kalifa's group.

Aaron wondered if they had been recruited back by the World Government.

However, they were still wearing black suits, not the CP0's white uniforms.

Perhaps they want to earn merit and then use that as leverage to apply for rejoining the CP organization?

Aaron's thoughts shifted quickly, but he didn't dwell on it.

With the Golden Lion making such a grand announcement, it's natural that some people with ulterior motives would infiltrate.

It's likely that the Golden Lion anticipated this, but he didn't pay it any mind.

The golden lion stood on the stage, full of vigor and high spirits.

"Everyone! I hereby announce the official formation of the Flying Pirates! I, Shiki the Golden Lion, am now the Governor-General of the Flying Pirates!"

A cheer erupted in the hall: "Golden Lion! Golden Lion!"

Golden Lion Shiki thoroughly enjoyed the moment. As the cheers subsided, he pointed at Aaron and declared, "Most of you have already witnessed Phoenix's strength. I hereby declare him the Vice-Commander of the Flying Pirates! While I'm away, you will all obey his orders!"

"Phoenix! Phoenix!"