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Finally resuming after the long break, the new issue of One Piece featured the continuation of the unexpected battle between Monkey D. Garp and former Marine Admiral Kuzan "Aokiji", now allegedly a member of the infamous Blackbeard Pirates. As Garp arrived on Fullalead Island to rescue his disciple, Koby, Kuzan stood up against him.
The new chapter includes a scene that prompted One Piece fans to debate if Kuzan can use Advanced Conqueror's Haki, an ability that is commonly regarded as the mightiest power in the series.
Among the few individuals born with the Color of Conqueror, only a handful are strong enough to evolve their Haki further, upgrading their combat prowess on a whole different level. Admittedly, it would be very impressive if Kuzan, who is a fearsome Logia Devil Fruit user, was also able to use the Advanced Conqueror's.
Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers from the One Piece manga up to chapter 1087.
Can former Admiral Aokiji use the most powerful type of Haki in the One Piece world?
The Haki that "only a handful of the very strongest can use"
As the deciding factor for most battles as well as the power that enabled Gol D. Roger to stand above others, Haki is depicted as the mightiest resource in the One Piece world, surpassing even Devil Fruits. The idea that a superior Haki equates to a stronger character isn't true for every single comparison, but, in most cases, it is.
The Advanced Conqueror's Haki is the superior level of the Color of Conqueror, the power to impose one's own will on others, which is already a rare ability in itself. Although few reach a notable level of mastery, all One Piece characters can potentially use Observation and Armament Haki. Instead, Conqueror's Haki is only available to the "Supreme Rulers" who are born with it.
These individuals have exceptional potential. Their willpower is such that they never give up, and they often have the greatest ambitions. Their overwhelming aura causes the weakest people to get intimidated and even lose consciousness in their presence.
Unlike the other types of Haki, the Color of Conqueror can't be trained directly, as it is the embodiment of the owner's spirit. A natural-born Conqueror's Haki user can just learn how to direct his aura at a specific target, as the aura itself only becomes more powerful if the user increases his overall might.
Even among those born as Supreme Rulers, only a few are strong enough to evolve further, using the Color of Conqueror to empower their bodies, weapons, and attacks. This grants them a far superior level of strength, which sets them apart from others.
The skill has yet to receive an official name, but most One Piece fans conventionally call it "Advanced Conqueror's Haki." Since its introduction, this power has been emphasized as a game-changing ability. Kaido described it as the signature ability of the absolute strongest characters, implying that it's an asset that separates the best from the mere good.
Fighters who can use this ability are inherently among the mightiest by the mere virtue of it, considering that even individuals such as Eustass Kid, Charlotte Katakuri, or Donquixote Doflamingo weren't strong enough to do the same, despite being born as Conqueror's Haki users and being powerful pirates in their own right.
A testament to the immense boost granted by the Advanced Conqueror's Haki, it allowed Luffy to evolve from being a pushover compared to Kaido to becoming a serious challenge for the Emperor. Likewise, Zoro, who was having trouble against King, Kaido's right-hand man and a Lunarian survivor, quickly annihilated him once he started using this power.
As of One Piece chapter 1087, the only confirmed users of Advanced Conqueror's Haki are these ten outstanding individuals:
- Shanks - One of the Four Emperors. The captain of Red Hair Pirates.
- Monkey D. Luffy - One of the Four Emperors. The captain of the Straw Hats.
- Roronoa Zoro - A master swordsman. Luffy's right-hand man.
- Gol D. Roger - The man who found the One Piece and became the Pirate King.
- Silvers Rayleigh - The fearsome "Dark King". Roger's former right-hand man.
- Edward Newgate - One of the Four Emperors. The World's Strongest Man.
- Monkey D. Garp - The legendary Marine who cornered Gol D. Roger.
- Kaido - One of the Four Emperors. The World's Strongest Creature.
- Yamato - Kaido's offspring. Self-proclaimed "Oden Kozuki".
- Charlotte Linlin - One of the Four Emperors. The captain of Big Mom Pirates.
What happened in the latest chapter of One Piece?
In One Piece 1087, Kuzan recovered after being struck by Garp's devastating Blue Hole attack and resumed fighting the old Marine, who in the meantime had been stabbed by the vicious Shiryu. In a brief but emotional flashback, the chapter recalled Garp and Kuzan's shared past as master and apprentice.
Back in the day, Garp had Kuzan undergo unreal training that involved punching through the hulls of huge warships, literally employing them as punching bags. To make it harder than it already was, Devil Fruit powers or Haki weren't allowed. In the present, Kuzan used a technique called Ice Glove to harden his hand before punching his former teacher, who retaliated with his own fist.
The two struck each other in the face, with the impact resulting in a big explosion that blew them both away. As massive black lightning bolts were unleashed all around, One Piece fans started speculating if Kuzan used Advanced Conqueror's Haki like his former master Garp.
So, did Kuzan display the Advanced Conqueror's in One Piece 1087?
To use Advanced Conqueror's Haki, one needs to be born with the Color of Conqueror and possess a high enough level of overall strength. As a former Marine Admiral, Kuzan definitely fits the strength requirement. He is certainly stronger than Yamato, the less powerful of all Advanced Conqueror's Haki users.
With regards to the other requisite, so far it has never been stated or even implied that Kuzan is a natural-born Conqueror. However, it's not impossible for him to be one, as he is a man with enough willpower to challenge Akainu and fight against him relentlessly to decide who would become the new Fleet Admiral.
Being Garp's long-standing disciple, it would make sense for Kuzan to have Advanced Conqueror's Haki like his teacher. Looking at the panels of the clash between Kuzan and Garp, they have their fists blackened, and there's thick black lightning around both as well as the surroundings, creating a huge explosion.
Allegedly, these elements are typical features that identify the usage of Advanced Conqueror's Haki. However, if Kuzan really used it, why would Oda leave it so ambiguous? Every other time that a user of this mighty power was revealed, the author of One Piece ensured to make it clear to readers.
When an Advanced Conqueror's Haki-enhanced attack is about to be performed, Oda emphasizes it with a panel that clearly shows black lightning sparks enveloping the user's hand or weapon. Such a highlight was totally absent in Kuzan's case. No black lightning was seen around his hand.
On the contrary, there was an evident focus on the usage of the Ice-Ice Fruit. Moreover, when someone performs an Advanced Conqueror's Haki-enhanced attack, the weaklings nearby immediately faint, even if they are not directly targeted by the strike. This is a result of the Color of Conqueror spreading all around.
It was clearly visible when the Haki leaking from Shanks and Zoro's swords knocked out the Kid Pirates and, respectively, the Beasts Pirates. When Kuzan made his move, however, no minion of the Blackbeard Pirates fainted, despite many of them being nearby.
Lastly, when there is a clash between two top-tier characters who are both able to use Advanced Conqueror's Haki, the impact splits the sky. This didn't happen when Garp and Kuzan clashed, despite both of them being top-tier fighters. All things considered, the most logical answer is that Kuzan didn't use the Advanced Conqueror's.
Kuzan vs Garp's Haki clash in One Piece 1087, outlined
His clash with Garp created an explosion with thick black lightning, but this happened even when Ulti and Luffy collided. Their confrontation gave rise to the same exact consequences, just on a smaller scale, which makes sense as the combined might of Luffy (who wasn't even using his Gears) and Ulti is much lesser than that of Garp and Kuzan.
Needless to say, Ulti is not an Advanced Conqueror's Haki user. She is not even remotely strong enough, and she doesn't even possess the basic Color of Conqueror. So, the explosion and black lightning triggered by Garp and Kuzan's clash don't necessarily mean that the latter used that power.
Frosty air surrounds both Garp and Kuzan, even though it's clearly a result of the latter's Devil Fruit ability. So, it's definitely possible for black lightning to encircle both fighters despite being created by only one of them.
Most likely, Kuzan employed Advanced Armament Haki (which, unlike the Color of Conqueror, he is a confirmed user of) and his Ice-Ice Fruit to equalize the power output of Garp's Armament and Conqueror's Haki. Considering that Garp was notably weakened as a result of the wound he suffered from Shiryu, this makes sense.
