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 thus are known as Supreme Rulers (覇王).

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 Bon Clay 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 Summit War of Marineford 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 Monkey D. Luffy, Portgas D. Ace, Charlotte Katakuri and Yamato also possess this Haki type just like their parents and grandparents (Monkey D. Garp, 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). 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.

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.

Shanks has shown the ability to unleash his Haoshoku Haki from considerable distances to intimidate even individuals such as Marine Admiral Ryokugyu. Upon being hit with his Haoshoku Haki, Ryokugyu appeared to be in pain and almost paralyzed by the force. In addition, Shanks seemed able to communicate with Ryokugyu somewhat through his Haki.

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 capable of going up against large hordes of enemies and incapacitating most, if not all of them in an instant. It is even possible to knock out tens of thousands of enemies at once, as demonstrated by Luffy, who knocked out 50,000 members of the New Fish-Man Pirates. According to Oda, Shanks or Rayleigh could have knocked out all 100,000.

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)—thin streams of black (w/ red) 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). So far, this has been witnessed with Whitebeard versus Shanks, Kaidou versus Big Mom, Roger versus Whitebeard, and Kaidou versus Luffy.

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) 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, Luffy's fists, legs and body, Big Mom's fist, Yamato's Takeru, Zoro's Enma, Wado Ichimonji and Sandai Kitetsu, Rayleigh's body, Shanks' Gryphon, and Garp's fist.

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 was "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, the only individuals seen capable of infusing Haoshoku Haki are Gol D. Roger, Edward Newgate, Kaidou, Monkey D. Luffy, Big Mom, Yamato, Roronoa Zoro, Silvers Rayleigh, Shanks, and Monkey D. Garp.

Observation Killing
Observation Killing (見聞殺し) is an advanced Haoshoku Haki technique which allows for the control of one's own aura or presence, negating an opponent's ability to see into the future with Kenbunshoku Haki. This technique has only been briefly mentioned so far, with Shanks being the only confirmed user.

The Qualities of a King
This man... He has the "qualities of a king", the disposition to stand above others...!!! According to Marigold and Trebol, Haoshoku Haki is proof of an individual who possesses the "qualities of a king" (王の資質), 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:
 * Gol D. Roger was the father of Portgas D. Ace and the captain of the only crew in history to circumnavigate the Grand Line, attaining the title of "Pirate King" for his unparalleled accomplishments among pirates.
 * Silvers Rayleigh was the right-hand man of the Pirate King Roger and is known by his epithet "Dark King".
 * Shanks is the chief of the Red Hair Pirates and one of the Four Emperors. He spoke to Edward Newgate as an equal, and is on track to claiming the One Piece.
 * Monkey D. Luffy is the son of Monkey D. Dragon, the grandson of Monkey D. Garp and the sworn brother of Portgas D. Ace. He is also the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, among the fastest-ascending pirate leaders in the present day, showing the drive to become the next Pirate King. His ability to attract followers is well-renowned, particularly after over 5000 pirates swore allegiance to him and formed the Straw Hat Grand Fleet despite Luffy not desiring this, and these events have caused him to be acknowledged as one of new members of the Four Emperors.
 * Portgas D. Ace was the son of Gol D. Roger, the adoptive grandson of Monkey D. Garp, and was the sworn brother of Monkey D. Luffy. He was also the captain of the Spade Pirates, having gained enough notoriety to get invited into the Seven Warlords of the Sea at one point. He would later join the Whitebeard Pirates, becoming the 2nd Division Commander, similar to Kozuki Oden.
 * Edward Newgate was the captain of the Whitebeard Pirates and formerly was one of the Four Emperors who ruled over territory in the New World. He was widely considered the closest rival to the Pirate King Roger, possessing the titles of "Strongest Man in the World" and "Man Closest to One Piece" until his death.
 * Monkey D. Garp is the father of Monkey D. Dragon, the grandfather of Monkey D. Luffy and the adoptive grandfather of Portgas D. Ace, and is known as the "Hero of the Marines". He always refuses a promotion to the rank of Admiral due to not wanting to be subservient to the World Nobles, and constantly does whatever he wishes despite orders. Garp has clashed with several powerful pirates in his time, including the Pirate King Gol D. Roger and several other conquerors, and even continues to be active after his prime. He was also someone close to the Pirate King, having fought alongside him before he attained this title, and before Roger's execution spoke to him as a confidant.
 * Sengoku was the fleet admiral of the Marines until two years ago and was one of the strongest and most renowned Marines during the era of Roger.
 * In addition, both his epithet ("the Buddha") and Devil Fruit are in reference to the founder of a religion.
 * Charlotte Linlin is the mother of Charlotte Katakuri, and the captain of the Big Mom Pirates, formerly one of the Four Emperors, and queen of the Totto Land archipelago. She allied with Kaidou with the goal of conquering the world, and has been a powerful presence in the New World for six decades. Linlin's crew believed she would be the one to claim the One Piece and become the new Pirate King, and she had the ambition to do so.
 * Charlotte Katakuri is the son of Big Mom and one of her Three Sweet Commanders. Widely considered to be the strongest member of the crew save for her, Katakuri has frequently taken charge over his crewmates. He governs over Komugi Island as its minister. He also built up a reputation that led to family members idolizing him to a great degree.
 * Boa Hancock is the captain of the Kuja Pirates and the empress of Amazon Lily, being beloved by men and women alike for her unparalleled beauty. Her first voyage as a pirate was so impactful that she received a high bounty and an invitation to join the Seven Warlords immediately afterwards.
 * Donquixote Doflamingo is the captain of the Donquixote Pirates, whose current executives notably started following him at a young age specifically because he possessed Haoshoku Haki. He also formerly ruled Dressrosa as its king for the past decade and accumulated great power as a broker in the Underworld under the codename "Joker". In addition, he was born a World Noble, and is the only of his direct biological family to remain attached to the title after his parents renounced the Nobles.
 * Kaidou is the father of Yamato, and the governor-general of the Beasts Pirates, and was formerly one of the Four Emperors. He is regarded as the "Strongest Creature" in the world and previously ruled over Wano for 25 years. He allied with Charlotte Linlin with the goal of conquering the world. His crew believed he would be the one to claim the One Piece and become the new Pirate King, and his second in command at one point believed him to be Joy Boy.
 * Yamato is the son of Kaidou and used to be known by the epithet "Oni Princess". In addition, he had made the decision early in life to become Kozuki Oden, who also possessed Haoshoku Haki and kingly qualities of his own.
 * Eustass Kid is the captain of the Kid Pirates. Having possessed the highest bounty among Worst Generation members for a large portion of the group's existence, he has constantly demonstrated an unbreakable drive to reach the top.
 * Kozuki Oden was the heir to the shogunate of Wano Country, an independent nation renowned for its military strength. He conquered the country's lawless region of Kuri, leading to his appointment to the position of its daimyo. Oden was also the leader of the notoriously strong group of samurai known as the Nine Red Scabbards and inspired their future rebellion to overthrow the tyrannical leader of Wano. In addition to this, he was the second division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates and sailed alongside Gol D. Roger at the end of his journey, meaning he visited Laugh Tale.
 * Roronoa Zoro is the most renowned member of the Straw Hat Pirates aside from Monkey D. Luffy, having the goal of becoming the Strongest Swordsman in the World. Onlookers who have witnessed his strength and willpower have expressed surprise at Zoro not being the Straw Hats' captain, leading them to wonder how powerful Luffy is.
 * Chinjao was the leader of the powerful and infamous Happo Navy, being considered to be a rival to the Marine Monkey D. Garp and Gol D. Roger while in their prime.
 * Among non-canon Haoshoku users, Naguri was a former pirate captain, while Douglas Bullet, though never a conventional leader, constantly worked to get stronger for the purpose of taking over the world and defeating every global power to achieve the title of Pirate King.

While this is shown to be a very rare gift among the world as a whole, it is noted by Don Chinjao that the New World is filled with numerous others who possess the ability to use this Haki. He explains that Luffy will most certainly encounter them and fight them for the title of Pirate King. His words prove true, as Luffy would face more Haoshoku users in the New World, each proving to be an extremely powerful opponent he needed to defeat in order to accomplish his goal at the time.

Awakening Methods
It is currently unknown if there is an actual way to awaken this Haki, since it cannot be learned, only controlled after one discovers that they are one in several million people to be born with it. So far, all seen cases of people awakening their Haoshoku involved them using the ability subconsciously while in a state of distress, but also with an unwavering will.

Training Methods
Silvers Rayleigh has stated that although this Haki can be controlled, it cannot be trained to become stronger directly. Since it is, in essence, the embodiment of the user's spirit, it can only become stronger if the user themselves becomes stronger.

Anime and Manga Differences

 * In the manga, those hit with Haoshoku Haki foam at the mouth after or while losing consciousness, whereas, in the anime, they simply faint.
 * In later episodes, the use of Haoshoku Haki causes the affected area, excluding the user, to be highlighted in a dark blue tint. However, this could just be for dramatic effect. In the One Piece Film: Z, the Haoshoku Haki's use creates a circular purple wave. In the anime, the user of Haoshoku Haki has a dark purple aura around him. This can be seen only in Episode 723. In Episode 893 however, Haoshoku Haki has a gold sparkling effect visually similar to the Pika Pika no Mi.
 * In the case of Roger and Whitebeard, their pupils also shine with a red glow.

Translation and Dub Issues
Though the "Haō" in Haōshoku is translatable to "king", it refers to a "warring king" or "conqueror", one who rules by power and conquest. The term "Overlord" has been used by some translators.

Trivia

 * Haoshoku was the first form of Haki introduced in the series, in the first chapter no less.
 * It is also the only form shown in the 4Kids dub.
 * Garp and Sengoku are currently the only known Haoshoku users who are Marines and not pirates.
 * All known canon Haoshoku Haki users have also mastered Kenbunshoku and Busoshoku Haki.
 * Haoshoku is currently the only type of Haki that is not known by an alternate name in a certain country, likely due to its rarity.
 * Kenbunshoku is called "Mantra" in Skypiea.
 * Busoshoku is called "Ryuo" in the Wano Country.
 * So far, in nearly all cases where a Haoshoku user has been or has wanted to become a subordinate to someone-else, it has been to another Haoshoku user:
 * Luffy, as a child, wanted to join the Red Hair Pirates led by Shanks.
 * Zoro is a combatant of the Straw Hat Pirates, led by Luffy.
 * Shanks, Rayleigh, and Oden (and non-canonically Bullet) were led by Roger in the Roger Pirates.
 * Oden and Ace were both second division commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates, led by Newgate.
 * Katakuri is a Sweet Commander of the Big Mom Pirates, led by his mother, Linlin.
 * Yamato technically served as a member of the Beasts Pirates, led by his father, Kaidou before rebelling.
 * Additionally, he desired to sail under Ace, and then Luffy after Ace died.
 * Monkey D. Garp served as the Vice Admiral of the Marines, then led by the Fleet Admiral, Sengoku.
 * The possible exceptions are Rocks D. Xebec, whom Newgate, Linlin, and Kaidou served while in the Rocks Pirates, Kong who both Sengoku and Garp once served in the Marines, and now Sakazuki, as they are unconfirmed to have Haoshoku Haki.
 * While both Luffy and Garp possess Haoshoku Haki, Monkey D. Dragon has yet to show any usage of it, though it has been hinted by both Doberman and Emporio Ivankov that he may have it.
 * In some points in the story, people that do not have Haoshoku Haki have been mistaken to possess it for one reason or another:
 * Caesar Clown's attack, Karakuni was mistaken for Haoshoku Haki by one of the Marines of G-5, after it knocked out several enemies.
 * When Charlotte Cracker intimidated the nearby Homies into withering away, Luffy quickly assumed that it was Haoshoku Haki.
 * Usopp convinced some members of the Beasts Pirates that he was using Haoshoku Haki against them, when the Haki was actually coming from Big Mom.
 * While berating Luffy and Jinbe at one point, Nami appeared to be using Haoshoku Haki, though this was mainly a gag and not to be taken seriously.

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