After developing his Silent Force, Rosinante discovered that by silencing resistance, friction, presence, sound, and anything else that hindered his blade, he could create the Soul-Severing Blade.
This was the very technique he had used to strike Borsalino. With all external resistances erased, his sword moved with unparalleled speed and absolute silence—so swift and deadly that even someone of Borsalino's caliber failed to react in time. Compared to his previous Silent Blade, which merely suppressed sound, the Soul-Severing Blade was on an entirely different level.
Not long after mastering this technique, Rosinante's Observation Haki evolved to a new stage—it allowed him to sense life itself.
Ordinary Observation Haki could perceive movement and power levels based on aura, allowing a user to determine whether a target was human or animal. However, life itself was an entirely different concept—one that couldn't be sensed through ordinary means. It was only due to Rosinante's unique soul mutation that he had gained the ability to perceive life's very essence.
Rosinante had always believed that if Doflamingo possessed Conqueror's Haki, then he, as a fellow Celestial Dragon by blood, must also have the potential to awaken it. More importantly, as a reincarnator, his soul was far stronger than before.
For the longest time, he assumed that Conqueror's Haki was a power of the soul—after all, it could knock enemies unconscious. Thus, he believed that all he needed to do was find a way to awaken it from within.
However, as his Observation Haki continued to evolve, allowing him to perceive the very essence of life, Rosinante unexpectedly triggered the awakening of his Conqueror's Haki.
Only then did he realize—he had been mistaken all along. Conqueror's Haki did not originate from the soul. It was a force of will, a suppression of lower life forms by those on a higher plane of existence.
This world revolved around the cultivation of the physical body. Whether it was Devil Fruits or Haki, everything required a powerful flesh vessel to wield them effectively.
When individuals reached an extreme level of strength—figures like Gol D. Roger, Whitebeard, Golden Lion, Garp, and later, the Four Emperors—their physical bodies surpassed human limits, elevating their life force to an entirely new dimension.
The descendants of these beings naturally inherited their superior life potential, though it often lay dormant deep within their bodies. Only through an indomitable will and relentless training could they awaken their latent life force. This manifestation was what the world knew as Conqueror's Haki.
In essence, Conqueror's Haki was the suppression of weaker life forms by higher ones.
Individuals with Conqueror's Haki weren't just born with a powerful spirit—they were born with a superior life essence, making them naturally more gifted than ordinary people.
Because of this elevated existence, their growth was not as restricted by common bottlenecks. As long as they continued training, their strength would naturally soar.
This was why the world regarded those with Conqueror's Haki as born kings.
After awakening his Conqueror's Haki, Rosinante's potential surged drastically. His Observation Haki improved significantly, and soon after, his Armament Haki awakened as well.
By harnessing his Silent Force, Rosinante developed new techniques:
.Perceiving an enemy's attack and using Silent Force to erase or weaken its impact.
.Sensing the presence of a Devil Fruit within a user's body and silencing its abilities.
Initially, Rosinante had planned to keep these abilities hidden, waiting for the perfect opportunity to catch his enemies off guard.
But against Borsalino, secrecy was not an option. If he had held back his powers, he would have been the one to fall.
In truth, Rosinante was still weaker than Borsalino in terms of raw power. His victory had been due to Borsalino's overconfidence—an opportunity that Rosinante had exploited masterfully.
"Borsalino is strong... but I will be stronger. Once you've lost to me, you will never surpass me again. Hahahahaha!" Rosinante laughed.
Defeating Borsalino filled him with overwhelming confidence. His Haki, especially his Conqueror's Haki, surged even further.
With his vastly improved Observation Haki, Rosinante easily sensed the movements of the Navy. He knew that Kuzan and Sakazuki were leading a large-scale search for him in Loguetown.
However, Rosinante had no intention of causing trouble before the execution of the Pirate King. Instead, he chose to remain hidden in the void.
Despite the presence of numerous powerful Observation Haki users in Loguetown, none of them could detect him.
Firstly, his Observation Haki had already reached an extreme level. Secondly, the Silent-Silent Fruit erased all traces of sound, aura, and presence, making it the natural enemy of Observation Haki. Unless someone's Observation Haki surpassed his by multiple levels, they would never find him.
At Loguetown's harbor, Fleet Admiral Sengoku stood alongside the three Monster Vice Admirals and Navy Chief Strategist Tsuru, awaiting the arrival of a legendary figure.
One by one, elite Navy officers disembarked from the fleet. There were over ten Vice Admirals among them. Leading them was none other than the man hailed as the Navy's Greatest Hero—"Iron Fist" Garp.
"Yo, Sengoku, Tsuru," Garp greeted casually as he stepped off the warship.
"Garp, how was the trip?" Sengoku asked with a smile.
"Ran into a few idiot pirate crews. Wiped them out on the way," Garp laughed nonchalantly.
"You're still as flashy as ever, Vice Admiral Garp," Kuzan commented.
However, the damaged state of the warships suggested that Garp's journey had been anything but easy.
After all, Roger's conquest of the Grand Line had earned him the undisputed title of Pirate King. His capture was an insult to all pirates. Many refused to accept it. Along the way, countless pirate crews had attempted to free him.
If not for the presence of Garp and other high-ranking officers, it was doubtful whether the Vice Admirals alone could have successfully delivered Roger to Loguetown.
At last, the infamous Gol D. Roger was escorted off the warship, shackled in seastone cuffs.
As he stepped onto the dock, he took a moment to scan his surroundings before grinning.
"Loguetown, huh?" Roger chuckled. "Been a long time. Hahaha! Guess it's only fitting—I'll be laid to rest where it all began."
There was no trace of fear in his eyes. Despite his restraints, Roger walked with the pride of a king returning from battle.
At that moment, Roger glanced upward toward the sky.
Just one look.
Yet that single glance sent a cold sweat running down Rosinante's back.
Roger had found him.