Haki/Haoshoku Haki

**Haoshoku Haki** is a rare form of Haki that allows the user to exert their own willpower over others. This type of Haki cannot be attained through training and only one in several million people are born with this ability.

It is said that whoever possesses this type of Haki has the qualities of a king, and are known as **Supreme Rulers** (覇王 *Haō*).

Haoshoku Haki is considered an extremely dangerous threat and a highly valuable asset by powerful groups such as the Marine Admirals and the Four Emperors.

## Background

It was first demonstrated by Shanks, when he used it to scare off the Lord of the Coast, though it was not fully explained and revealed. Later on, during a meeting with Whitebeard, he used it to knock out most of the crew, which the few still standing attributed to his superior Haki.

Luffy first displayed the effects of this type of Haki against Duval's bull, Motobaro, much to everyone's confusion. He displayed it again on Amazon Lily while battling Sandersonia and Marigold, knocking out a large portion of the audience observing the match. This is also the first time it is referred to by name. Luffy also used it to knock out the wolves attacking him and Bentham in Impel Down, although he was poisoned badly by Magellan at the time and still had no control over it. Luffy exhibiting it during the Marineford War was enough for the Marine admirals to become wary enough of him that they prioritized his elimination afterward.

After the timeskip, Luffy is proficient enough to tame monsters, as well as knock out a selected group of individuals without affecting any of the bystanders using Haoshoku Haki, displaying his new-found proficiency in the skill. Luffy was even able to use it while unconscious.

It has been implied a number of times that this Haki is based on lineage. Doberman, for example, noted that Luffy possessing Haoshoku Haki made sense since he is the son of the Monkey D. Dragon, the Leader of the Revolutionary Army. It is later shown that Portgas D. Ace, Charlotte Katakuri and Yamato also possess this Haki type just like their parents (Roger, Big Mom and Kaidou respectively). However, not all children from the same parent are born with Haoshoku Haki, as Donquixote Doflamingo, Boa Hancock and Katakuri are the only ones among their siblings to possess it.

It has been shown that when two users of this Haki clash, it causes a rippling or shockwave effect, cracking the air similar to the Gura Gura no Mi. This is simply referred to as a **Haoshoku Clash** (覇王色の衝突 *Haō-shoku no Shōtotsu*, literally meaning "Supreme King Color-Clash"). The shock waves from the Haoshoku Haki clash between Luffy and Chinjao were strong enough to blast people out of the coliseum arena into the water below. The Haoshoku Haki clash between Luffy and Doflamingo produced shockwaves that pushed Trebol and Law's incapacitated body away from them.

During a battle between Gol D. Roger and Edward Newgate, the Haoshoku Haki clash between these two legendary pirates resulted in a massive shockwave that spread across the island and nearly capsized the enormous ship, Moby Dick.

## **Usage**

This type of Haki grants the user the ability to dominate the wills of others. Unlike the other types of Haki, Haoshoku cannot be attained through training, instead its users must be born with the ability and can only learn to control it after discovering that they have it. Only one in several million people are born with this Haki. Portgas D. Ace was shown unwittingly using Haoshoku Haki at the age of 10. Additionally, Haoshoku Haki cannot be strengthened through direct use like the other two forms of Haki. Rather, the user can increase their force of will by becoming physically stronger. Thus, although the ability can manifest at a young age, Haoshoku users generally do not consciously manifest and make full use of their abilities until adulthood.

The ability to affect someone depends on the Haki user having greater strength of will than the person the Haki is being used against. The greater the power gap, the more easily the victim will succumb. Those with stronger wills can resist or even ignore the effects of Haoshoku Haki.

### **Basic Techniques**

#### **Domination**

Haoshoku Haki can be used to temporarily dominate the psyche of others and intimidate them. This has been most explicitly shown against animals, with usages of Haoshoku causing them to either become fearful and flee or become docile for a brief period, with both effects happening instantly. This domination may end up resulting in the victim losing consciousness a short time later, as shown by Motobaro. Additionally, the kraken Surume was shown obeying commands from Luffy after being intimidated by a glare from him, but the overall degree of control that Haoshoku users can assert over animals purely with this Haki is unclear.

This technique's effect on humans and other races of equivalent intelligence is currently rather ambiguous. On Amazon Lily, when Luffy unleashed Haoshoku Haki while shouting at Boa Marigold and Boa Sandersonia to stop attacking their petrified countrywomen, the two sisters were shown to be taken aback by the outburst and ultimately obeyed his command, though it is uncertain whether their action was unconsciously influenced by the Haoshoku usage to any degree. In other instances, people in the vicinity of Haoshoku usage whose wills are strong enough to avoid incapacitation have not demonstrated much indication of being dominated by the user's will. While Haoshoku Haki users are almost always shown in high-ranking leadership positions, it remains unknown if this Haki plays any sort of a role in their ability to attract followers (other than people who consciously follow Haoshoku users out of admiration for the Haki like Doflamingo's executives). Of course, since Haoshoku users are stated to have the "qualities of a king", they are naturally expected to possess personality traits that make them effective leaders.

#### **Incapacitation**

By overpowering the will of those around them to an even greater degree, a Haoshoku Haki user is capable of knocking people and animals in their vicinity unconscious. Whether or not a person is rendered unconscious depends on the degree of their strength in comparison to the user's; generally, normal citizens and common soldiers and pirates are most likely to be knocked out by Haoshoku Haki, whereas people established to be capable, powerful, and strong-willed are far less likely to fall victim; Oda has stated that anyone who is knocked out by Haoshoku Haki is essentially "not worth fighting" the user directly.

People who just barely have enough willpower to withstand a Haoshoku user have been shown to become light-headed and are forced to concentrate in order to remain conscious, and although sufficiently powerful people can resist this power without issue, they are still able to sense the Haki being used. The greater the strength and willpower that a Haoshoku user possesses, the more people they are capable of incapacitating. Sufficiently powerful Haoshoku users are frequently capable of going up against large hordes of enemies and incapacitating most, if not all of them in an instant.

Unknowing or inexperienced Haoshoku users frequently first manifest this ability unconsciously by shouting at those around them with the intent of trying to get them to stop doing something, and their release of Haoshoku Haki will tend to indiscriminately impact everyone in their vicinity who is weak-willed enough. With training, a Haoshoku user is capable of incapacitating people simply by looking intently at them, or even by just walking past them. Sufficiently skilled Haoshoku users can also limit the effect of their Haki when using it in a crowded area, being capable of choosing not to knock out certain people. Additionally, Haoshoku users have even demonstrated the ability to incapacitate others while unconscious, with their spirit remaining unyielding even as their body gives out.

####  **Pressure**

If used with a sufficient degree of power, Haoshoku Haki is capable of damaging inanimate objects and structures in the user's vicinity. This was first shown when Shanks used Haoshoku on the Moby Dick to such a degree that it not only knocked out many of the Whitebeard Pirates around him, but also slightly cracked some of the wood composing the ship, which had withstood the incredibly harsh sailing conditions of the New World since the era of Gol D. Roger, more than two decades prior.

When two Haoshoku users clash, they will generate "black lightning" (黒き稲妻 *kuroki inazuma***?**)—thin streams of dark energy that crackle. This energy will often stretch up high enough to be seen from anywhere on the island where the clash is taking place. This effect was first demonstrated and noted when Luffy and Chinjao clashed in the Corrida Colosseum. Additionally, the force of a Haoshoku Haki clash will create shockwaves that will shake the surrounding area and can even blow away nearby people and objects. When Gol D. Roger and Whitebeard, two Haoshoku users who are among the most powerful people to ever live, clashed, the resulting impact blew back all of the flora and fauna on the entire island and even exerted tremendous force on their ships on the coast. When Kaidou fought Big Mom for half a day, Kaidou's subordinates were extremely concerned that they would destroy the fortress they were in and even the entire island of Onigashima in the course of a long battle.

Additionally, Haoshoku clashes between particularly powerful individuals have even resulted in a massive rift in the sky above them, known as "splitting the heavens" (天が割れ *ten ga ware***?**). So far, this has been witnessed with Whitebeard versus Shanks, Kaidou versus Big Mom, Roger versus Whitebeard, and Kaidou versus Luffy.

### **Advanced Techniques**

#### **Infusion**

A very small number of particularly powerful Haoshoku Haki users, stated to only be a "handful" by Kaidou, are able to "infuse" (まとえる *Matoeru*) their body and weapons with this Haki in a way that is very similar to Busoshoku Haki, greatly augmenting the power of their attacks. After infusing themselves with Haoshoku Haki, the Haki is emitted from the part it is focused at in the form of black lightning; as seen with Roger's Ace, Newgate's Murakumogiri, Kaidou's Hassaikai, Big Mom's fist, Luffy's fists and legs, Yamato's Takeru, and Zoro's Enma, Wado Ichimonji, and Sandai Kitetsu.

This application provides such an immense boost in power, it allowed Luffy to clash evenly against Kaidou, the man known as the strongest living creature in the world; he was able to strike Kaidou without making physical contact with him and even deal him damage, whereas his earlier use of advanced Busoshoku-enhanced attacks were "too shallow" and had no significant effect. Luffy was also able to use this application to deflect Kaidou's kanabo with a kick, whereas the best he could do with his highly trained Busoshoku was barely block a strike from the kanabo with both arms, and his arms were left in pain afterwards.

All users so far are extremely skilled in Busoshoku Haki, which can also be used in conjunction with Haoshoku infusion to augment their overall effectiveness. The advanced Busoshoku application of damaging objects without making physical contact with them has often been seen with people using Haoshoku infusion, but it should not be taken as a sign of Haoshoku infusion by itself, as it has been shown that infused objects can make physical contact with what they strike.

So far, Roger, Whitebeard, Kaidou, Luffy, Big Mom, Yamato, and Zoro have been seen infusing Haoshoku Haki.

## **The Qualities of a King**

According to Marigold and Trebol, Haoshoku Haki is proof of an individual who possesses the "qualities of a king" (王の資質 *ō no shishitsu*), a candidate chosen by heaven. Haoshoku Haki users need not been born of a royal bloodline, nor does it require one to strive to become royalty; it only needs one to have the greatest of ambitions (the goal of earning a significant position, the strive to be the best in the world at something, etc.).

Many of the people who have been shown to possess Haoshoku Haki share a royal position or epithet or attained some highly respected status, which indicates their dominating role: