Chapter 1/6 - Preview of One Piece: The Strongest Trait System

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[1] : The Strongest Trait System!

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East Blue.

This was a luxury liner carrying socialites and wealthy merchants. Right now, it was bustling with activity, a grand ball in full swing, the elite passengers mingling and drinking inside.

Amidst the crowd, a figure with striking orange hair gazed out at the sea beyond the ship's railing.

"The Alvida Pirates—they should be showing up soon, right?"

Nami stared at the ocean, still settling after a recent whirlpool, her eyes thoughtful.

She'd gotten word that the Alvida Pirates planned to attack this liner, so she had changed into a formal dress and snuck aboard earlier.

Once the Alvida Pirates appeared and started their attack, she could use the chaos as cover to steal their treasure.

She was a thief specializing in stealing from pirates.

"My beautiful lady—may I have this dance?"

A light chuckle sounded from behind her.

Nami turned at the voice to see a handsome young man smiling at her.

"Of course."

Nami smiled lightly, placing her slender hand in the young man's.

"That whirlpool earlier was quite something, wasn't it?"

Rowen led Nami onto the dance floor, smiling as he looked at the woman dancing with him—the story's original heroine.

"It was! It gave me quite a fright."

Nami replied with a smile of her own.

Rowen simply smiled back without saying more, thinking inwardly.

"Read Traits."

Instantly, a translucent screen appeared before Rowen's eyes.

————

Nami Traits: Pirate Thief (Blue), Navigation (Deep Purple), Climate Sense (Pale Gold).

Pirate Thief (Blue): A good-hearted thief specializing in stealing from malicious pirates, possessing exceptional stealth and lockpicking skills.

Navigation (Deep Purple): Exceptional navigational skills, allowing for relatively smooth sailing across the Four Blues and the first half of the Grand Line.

Climate Sense (Pale Gold): An innate, powerful talent allowing her to precisely perceive weather changes using her own body.

As expected of the Straw Hats' future navigator. Even at the very start of the story, she already has one Deep Purple and one Pale Gold Trait.

————

Rowen felt a touch of admiration.

Rowen was a transmigrator from Earth. A month ago—he had crossed over from his world into the world of One Piece.

Just as Rowen was lamenting his arrival in this world teeming with monstrously strong individuals, he awakened his unique System.

—[The Strongest Trait System.]

As the name implied, Rowen could perceive the abilities of others as distinct Traits—and more importantly, he could Plunder and Equip these Traits himself.

Traits were divided into four tiers: White, Blue, Purple, and Gold. Straightforward, almost like tiers in a gacha game back on Earth.

White and Blue Traits had no further subdivisions, feeling common—like pulling junk in a gacha.

Purple and Gold Traits, however, were divided into three sub-levels: Pale, Deep, and Apex.

Just by being a pirate-robbing thief in the East Blue—the weakest of the seas—Nami's Navigation skill was already Deep Purple, and her innate Climate Sense was Pale Gold.

Once she joined the Straw Hat crew and entered the Grand Line, both of those Traits would likely level up fast.

Yes, Traits weren't fixed; they could be upgraded.

While others had to rely on talent and effort, Rowen could plunder and upgrade them directly through his System.

Trait (Rowen): Beast Strength (Blue).

Beast Strength (Blue): The raw strength of a wild beast.

Just a single Blue Trait. Compared to Nami's impressive Trait setup, it seemed rather pathetic.

But Rowen had only been in this world for a month. Furthermore, he'd gotten this Trait through sheer luck when he first arrived—there just happened to be a dead beast nearby.

This Beast Strength (Blue) was the Trait he had plundered from that dead animal.

Don't underestimate it just because it was a Blue Trait, though. Most ordinary pirates only had a few White Traits—if any valuable Traits at all. They were no match for Rowen.

It was thanks to this Blue Trait that Rowen had managed to stay relatively safe on these pirate-infested seas. Not long ago, he had found this ship—the very one where the story begins—and boarded it.

Trait (Ship of Beginnings): The ship where the One Piece story starts.

Traits like this didn't even rank as White; they were purely descriptive.

With this Trait confirming the location, Rowen wasn't worried about being on the wrong vessel.

As for why he sought out this specific ship? To acquire more high-tier Traits, naturally.

This ship was about to be overflowing with potential treasures.

A slight smile touched Rowen's lips.

Swish! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The next moment, countless cannonballs rained down from the sea. The resulting violent explosions instantly plunged the liner into chaos.

In the distance, a pirate ship flying a heart-and-skull Jolly Roger was rapidly approaching.

"Help! Pirates!"

"Don't panic! Please, stay calm!"

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The passengers' terrified screams and the captain's desperate shouts to maintain order echoed across the deck, but under the imminent threat of pirates and cannon fire, any semblance of control vanished.

"Perfect timing!"

Nami watched the ship flying Alvida's Jolly Roger draw near, a flicker of excitement in her eyes.

But very quickly, Nami realized something was off.

This young man she had just been dancing with—why wasn't he panicked in the slightest?

Instead, just like her, he was watching the approaching pirate ship, and his eyes held a distinct gleam.

No way… did I run into another thief?!

Nami immediately grew wary.

"It seems you have your own business to attend to, miss. Shall we go our separate ways then?"

Rowen released Nami's slender hand and smiled.

Then, without waiting for her reply, he turned and walked out of the ballroom.

"Doesn't seem like another thief—Strange."

Nami thought to herself, watching Rowen's retreating figure.

But it was obvious that this young man, like her, had boarded this ship with a specific purpose in mind.

However, Nami didn't have time to ponder it further; the window for action was brief and wouldn't wait.

Nami quickly ripped off her elegant dress, revealing her practical thief's attire underneath.

She carefully observed the members of the Alvida Pirates who were already starting to board the liner.

Waiting until all the pirates from the enemy ship had charged onto the deck,

Nami produced a grappling hook, and with practiced skill, swung herself across the gap towards the Alvida Pirates' now relatively empty vessel.

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"Luffy's barrel—found it."

Rowen casually tossed the lifeless body of a pirate grunt aside and looked towards the interior of the captured liner.

After overwhelming the ship, the Alvida Pirates had rounded up the wealthy passengers, the captain, and the crew, placing them under guard. They then began ransacking the vessel for anything valuable.

This particular pirate grunt had the misfortune of running into Rowen.

Possessing [Beast Strength], Rowen had dealt with him easily.

—Trait (Barrel): The barrel containing Monkey D. Luffy.

A Trait indicator glowed, originating from a secluded storage room nearby. The description was simple and direct.

Rowen started walking towards that room.

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[2] : Golden Legendary!

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Inside the Hijacked Liner, in a secluded storage room.

A short, pink-haired kid wearing thick glasses, looking utterly terrified, was pushing a large wooden barrel. He was stopped by three pirate grunts—one skinny, one fat, one dark-skinned.

"Well now, look what the coward dragged in! Something useful for once, huh, Koby? We were gettin' kinda thirsty," the skinny pirate sneered, a malicious grin spreading across his face.

"Th-this belongs to the crew's spoils! If Miss Alvida finds out, she'll kill us!" Koby stammered, looking fearfully at the three pirates.

"She won't find out if you don't tell her. Right, Koby?" the dark-skinned pirate grinned, his expression turning threatening.

"Y-yes! Yes, sir! You're absolutely right!" Faced with the threat, Koby immediately put on a fawning, subservient expression.

"Alright, let me crack this thing open!" The fat pirate raised his fist, ready to smash the barrel open violently.

CRACK!

The next instant, a pair of fists shot out from inside the barrel, connecting squarely with the fat pirate's chin and knocking him out cold.

"AAAAHHH! Slept great!!!"

A boy wearing a straw hat popped out of the barrel, grinning widely and yelling.

"Who the—?!" The remaining skinny and dark-skinned pirates shouted in shock and anger.

"Huh? Why's he sleeping on the floor? He'll catch a cold," the straw-hatted boy wondered aloud, looking curiously at the unconscious fat pirate.

"IT'S YOUR FAULT, YOU IDIOT!!" Both pirates snapped, their faces contorting with rage.

"You little brat! You knew we were pirates, didn't ya?! You lookin' for trouble?!" The skinny pirate drew his sword, leveling it at the boy.

"Got any meat? I'm starving," the straw-hatted boy completely ignored him, turning instead to the stunned Koby.

"LISTEN WHEN SOMEONE'S TALKING TO YOU!" the skinny pirate roared.

"Fine! Have it your way! Die, brat!" The skinny pirate yelled, raising his sword to strike the boy down.

"Hm?" The straw-hatted boy turned, just about to react, when suddenly—

WHAM!

An immense, terrifying force struck the skinny pirate. He went flying backward instantly, the sickening crunch of shattering bones echoing through the room as he slammed against the bulkhead and fell silent.

"Y-you..." The last remaining pirate—the dark-skinned one—stared in absolute terror at the handsome young man who had suddenly appeared.

"Ah... Ah..." Koby watched the scene unfold, paralyzed by fear.

A single bare-fisted strike had silenced that pirate grunt. The sound of his bones breaking was horrifyingly clear and sharp.

That kind of power—it was even more terrifying than Miss Alvida with her iron mace!

"Who're you? You're pretty strong! Why did you help me?" the straw-hatted boy asked, grinning broadly.

"Name's Rowen. I'm a passenger on this ship. These pirates hijacked it, so I'm cleaning them up," Rowen replied with a smile, looking at the legendary Monkey D. Luffy.

Yep. He's real.

Then, his gaze shifted to Koby, who was cowering in the corner like a terrified clown.

Finally. Found him.

A slight smile played on Rowen's lips.

"Rowen? I'm Monkey D. Luffy! Nice to meet you!" Luffy grinned.

"Nice to meet you too," Rowen replied, smiling back.

"AAAAHH!!!" Just as Rowen and Luffy were introducing themselves, the last pirate grunt let out a terrified shriek, grabbed his two unconscious comrades, and fled as fast as his legs could carry him.

"Oh no! If he goes and gets his buddies, they'll come back and kill you both!" Koby cried out in panic upon seeing the pirate escape.

"I'm hungry," Luffy said, completely ignoring Koby and rubbing his stomach.

"I actually brought some food from the party upstairs. You like meat?" Rowen offered with a smile, pulling out some pre-prepared food.

"MEAT!!!" Luffy's eyes lit up like stars as he stared at the food Rowen produced. He immediately began stuffing his face, devouring everything ravenously.

"Rowen, you're a really good guy!" Luffy mumbled between mouthfuls, grinning.

Rowen just chuckled at that.

The 'merit' of feeding Luffy—does a clown like Koby even deserve to witness it?

Rowen then turned his attention fully to Luffy, activating his System inwardly.

"Read Traits."

A blinding, brilliant golden light flared into existence.

————

Luffy Traits: Superhuman Physique (Deep Purple), Conqueror's Haki (Unawakened) (Pale Gold), Powerful Connections (Special), Sun God (Apex Gold), Gomu-Gomu Fruit [Disguise] (Deep Purple), [Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Model: Nika (Unawakened) (Apex Gold)].

Superhuman Physique (Deep Purple): Possesses physical capabilities far exceeding ordinary humans. Can rapidly absorb vast amounts of nutrients to strengthen himself. Incredible stamina provides ample fuel for Devil Fruit abilities. (Physique-type Traits can level up as the owner's body grows stronger).

Conqueror's Haki (Unawakened) (Pale Gold): The disposition of a king, possessed by only one in several million! Cannot be acquired through training. Initial mastery allows the user to overwhelm weaker-willed individuals into unconsciousness with sheer willpower.

Further mastery enables basic Conqueror's Haki Infusion (Deep Gold). Complete mastery of Infusion, combined with sufficient personal presence, allows one to reign as an Emperor on the seas (Apex Gold).

Powerful Connections (Special): Possesses one of the strongest networks of relationships in the world. If facing a fatal crisis, has a chance to turn disaster into fortune.

If pushed into a truly desperate situation, may randomly trigger one of the following effects: Pursuit by 'Fire Fist' Portgas D. Ace at full power; Intervention by 'Hero of the Marines' Monkey D. Garp's 'Fist of Love'; Arrival of 'Revolutionary Leader' Monkey D. Dragon; Rallying of the entire Red Hair Pirates crew led by Emperor 'Red-Haired' Shanks. (Special Traits cannot be upgraded).

Sun God (Apex Gold): The Sun God of the current era, a warrior who brings hope to the people. As long as people's hope remains, he can rise again stronger than before, fighting on endlessly.

Gomu-Gomu Fruit [Disguise] (Deep Purple), [Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Model: Nika (Unawakened) (Apex Gold)]: Appears to be the Paramecia-type Gomu-Gomu Fruit (Deep Purple), but is actually the legendary Devil Fruit, the Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Model: Nika (Apex Gold).

————

Golden Legendary!

Absolutely stacked! What an insanely powerful setup.

Even though Rowen had expected something impressive, seeing it laid out like this still made him incredibly envious.

And this was Luffy just setting out to sea. Compared to other pirates, he was operating on a completely different level—it was almost unfair.

Hmm, Sun God (Apex Gold)? Rowen contemplated this Trait. It was currently Luffy's only active Apex Gold Trait.

Other potential Apex Gold Traits, like the Human-Human Fruit, Model: Nika itself or the fully mastered Conqueror's Haki Infusion, were still dormant.

So, the Sun God (Apex Gold) ability: "As long as people's hope remains, he can rise again stronger than before, fighting on endlessly."

Ah, so that's why he kept getting back up over and over again when fighting Kaido in the original story.

Rowen understood now. What a ridiculously broken Trait.

But when he saw the Powerful Connections (Special) Trait, even Rowen, who knew the original plot inside and out, almost couldn't keep a straight face.

This was the first time Rowen had ever encountered a 'Special' Trait.

Yep, definitely the adventures of a super-privileged kid, complete with a 'summon the entire Red Hair Pirates crew' buff.

Forget about actually beating Luffy—even if you managed to push him into a corner, if this Trait triggered and Garp, Dragon, and Shanks all showed up together? Even Whitebeard in his prime would probably be overwhelmed.

However, Rowen's target wasn't Luffy. It was—

"You. You're one of Alvida's crew too, aren't you."

Rowen turned his gaze towards Koby—the boy who would later be known infamously as the "Hero"—and stated calmly.

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[3] : Plundering Koby's Traits!

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"You. You're one of Alvida's crew too, aren't you."

Rowen looked at Koby—the clown reviled by countless people, later known as the "The Hero."

He thought inwardly.

"Read Traits."

————

Koby Traits: Navigation (White), Conqueror's Haki (Unawakened) (Pale Gold), Faction Betrayal (Special), Faction Fortune (Apex Gold).

————

Even though he'd half-expected it, Rowen cursed silently.

A Special Trait—another damn Special Trait.

One Special, one Pale Gold, and one Apex Gold.

And that Apex Gold Trait was already active? Basically the same treatment as Luffy! Was this clown the original author's golden boy or something?!

The threshold for an Apex Gold combat-related Trait was typically an ability on par with an Admiral's strength, or potential destined to reach at least Admiral level in the future.

Of course, non-combat Traits like Nami's Navigation (Deep Purple) or Climate Sense (Pale Gold) operated on a different scale.

Which meant possessing an Apex Gold combat potential Trait essentially guaranteed becoming a top-tier powerhouse, at least Admiral-level, down the line.

But Koby? Him? Did he even deserve that?

And this pathetic excuse for a pirate actually possessed Conqueror's Haki? The disposition of a king?

Looking at Koby, with his thick glasses and utterly cowardly demeanor, Rowen felt a surge of disgust.

He quickly reviewed the Trait descriptions.

————

Navigation (White): Basic navigation skills, suitable for sailing in relatively calm waters.

Conqueror's Haki (Unawakened) (Pale Gold): The disposition of a king, possessed by only one in several million! Cannot be acquired through training. Initial mastery allows the user to overwhelm weaker-willed individuals into unconsciousness with sheer willpower.

Faction Betrayal (Special): At a critical moment, will commit an act of betrayal, causing significant losses to their affiliated faction. (Special Traits cannot be upgraded).

Faction Fortune (Apex Gold): When an iconic powerhouse of the user's affiliated faction falls, their 'fortune' or 'legacy' will transfer to the user, greatly increasing their strength. (Requires being near the target when they fall).

————

"..."

Reading the descriptions, Rowen decided to retract his earlier question about Koby being the author's golden boy.

This piece of trash was DEFINITELY the author's goddamn favorite!

No wonder! No wonder this clown, despite being utterly pathetic, could somehow become the so-called "Next Generation Marine Hero."

No wonder when Garp met his end on Hachinosu Island, this clown Koby inexplicably powered up so drastically.

It was all because of this Faction Fortune (Apex Gold) Trait!

This clown basically absorbed all of Garp's "Marine Hero" legacy to boost himself!

"Falls" didn't necessarily mean death—just the definitive end of their era on the seas. As long as Koby was within range when it happened, he could snatch their 'fortune'.

Luffy's power-up on Onigashima—even with his Sun God (Apex Gold) Trait—at least came after Kaido beat him senseless with that club multiple times.

But Koby? Thanks to Faction Fortune (Apex Gold), he just needed to be nearby when an iconic figure from his side fell, and bam—massive power boost.

Combine that with the Faction Betrayal (Special) Trait... it was practically designed to work together.

Rowen finally understood. No wonder this clown had the gall to jump out and try to stop Akainu during the Summit War. And no wonder Akainu, despite his ruthless personality, actually wasted time listening to this clown's whining, delaying things significantly.

He was being influenced by the Trait.

Faction Betrayal (Special): Causes significant losses to their affiliated faction at a critical moment.

From the Marines' perspective, that delay allowed the Red Hair Pirates to arrive, enabled Luffy's successful escape, and let the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates withdraw. Weren't those massive losses?

And later on, it was because of this same clown, Koby, that the era of the Marine Hero, Monkey D. Garp, came to a definitive end.

And then Koby used his Faction Fortune (Apex Gold) Trait to absorb that legacy and strengthen himself.

Back when Rowen was still on Earth reading this unfold, he'd cursed the original author's entire family line more times than he could count.

But now? For Rowen, the stronger Koby's Traits were, the better.

Rowen glared at Koby, a sharp glint in his eyes.

"What? You're one of them too?" Luffy asked, still munching on the food Rowen gave him, looking over at Koby.

"I... I am, but there's a reason—" Koby stammered hesitantly.

"If you're part of Alvida's crew, then stay down."

Rowen had no time to listen to this clown's excuses. He lashed out with a powerful kick, fueled by his Beast Strength, knocking Koby unconscious instantly.

"Rowen! He wasn't even fighting back! Why'd you kick him?" Luffy asked, swallowing his food as he looked at the unconscious Koby.

"Because he betrayed his crewmates," Rowen stated seriously, looking directly at Luffy.

Luffy's personality wasn't exactly that of a naive saint; he just generally didn't attack people who couldn't fight back.

That was probably Shanks's influence.

"Betrayed his crewmates?" Luffy blinked.

"That's right. He's part of Alvida's crew, yet he warned us about them. Betraying your comrades like that—it's the most despicable thing you can do on the seas. Comrades are precious people you should be able to entrust your life to," Rowen declared firmly.

Whether Koby was forced into Alvida's crew or not didn't matter. Right now, his faction was the Alvida Pirates.

On the surface, he acted weak and subservient, doing Alvida's bidding. But secretly, he was constantly plotting to betray them and join the Marines.

Yet, even after joining the Marines, he'd still backstab them occasionally, causing significant losses to their faction. He was the ultimate clown.

Among the Marines, Akainu might be disliked by many for his "Absolute Justice," but Akainu wasn't a clown.

A powerful person could be evil, bad, or extreme—but they absolutely couldn't be a clown.

Koby's very existence seemed designed purely to disgust people.

"Oh, I see."

Luffy nodded in complete agreement upon hearing Rowen's passionate words about comrades.

After all, Rowen had given him lots of food, including meat, when he was starving.

And Rowen's understanding of what comradeship meant resonated deeply with Luffy.

As for Koby? At this point, Luffy had only just met him. Thanks to Rowen's intervention, they hadn't even exchanged more than a couple of sentences.

Luffy's earlier question was purely due to Shanks's influence—not attacking the defenseless.

Now that he understood Rowen's reason for attacking, Luffy almost felt like applauding.

Guys who betray their comrades were exactly the type of people Luffy wanted to punch the most.

"Plunder."

Rowen focused his gaze on the unconscious Koby, his eyes flashing.

To plunder a Trait, the target needed to be in this unconscious state.

Do you think a clown like you deserves to possess Traits like these?!

Gimme that!

VMMMM!

Visible only to Rowen, Koby's Traits flowed out and were absorbed into his own body.

Success!

A grin spread across Rowen's face.

————

Rowen Traits: Navigation (White), Beast Strength (Blue), Conqueror's Haki (Unawakened) (Pale Gold), Faction Fortune (Apex Gold).

————

Talk about an upgrade! A massive upgrade!

Before, Rowen only had the single Blue Beast Strength Trait. Now, he instantly gained one Pale Gold and one Apex Gold Trait.

As for the Faction Betrayal (Special) Trait? Rowen naturally left it behind. Like he'd thought earlier—a strong person could be evil, bad, or extreme, but never a clown. That Trait was purely disgusting.

With the Strongest Trait System, Rowen didn't need to rely on such clownish abilities to gain power.

Besides, Special Traits couldn't be used to upgrade other Traits, making it useless to him anyway.

The Navigation (White) Trait, however, might still have some minor use out on the sea.

—[First-time plunder of a Gold-tier Trait detected. Reward granted.]—

—[Conqueror's Haki (Pale Gold) has been Awakened.]—

A notification screen, visible only to Rowen, materialized before him.

An unexpected bonus! Nice.

Rowen's eyes gleamed with anticipation.

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[4] : A Collection of Super Traits!

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"Check Traits."

Rowen thought, feeling energized as he looked at his newly awakened Conqueror's Haki Trait.

————

Rowen Traits: Navigation (White), Beast Strength (Blue), Conqueror's Haki (Pale Gold), Faction Fortune (Apex Gold).

Conqueror's Haki (Pale Gold): Initial mastery of Conqueror's Haki. Can be precisely controlled to overwhelm weaker-willed individuals into unconsciousness. The weak do not even possess the right to look directly upon a King!

————

Rowen closed his eyes—sensing a formidable—controllable power within him.

With just a thought, he could unleash this power, causing the weak to faint instantly.

He hadn't expected such a reward for acquiring his first Gold Trait. Not only had his Conqueror's Haki awakened, but he'd also skipped the two years Luffy spent training with Rayleigh to control it in the original story.

He could already use his Conqueror's Haki with precision.

When Conqueror's Haki first awakens, like Luffy's initial bursts in the story, it's uncontrollable—an indiscriminate wave of pressure affecting friend and foe alike.

Only after dedicated training can it be precisely controlled to avoid affecting allies. This was the level Luffy reached after training with the 'Dark King' Rayleigh for two years.

However, since both stages primarily involved using Haki to intimidate the weak into unconsciousness, the Trait itself hadn't undergone a qualitative change; it remained Pale Gold level.

Only by evolving further—reaching the stage where Conqueror's Haki could be preliminarily infused into attacks—would it evolve into a Deep Gold Trait.

That was the level Yamato displayed in the original story.

A Deep Gold combat Trait typically corresponds to the strength level of a Yonko Commander or an Admiral Candidate, or the potential to definitively reach that level.

Although Rowen's Conqueror's Haki could currently only knock out the weak,

In the East Blue, there was Virtually no one who could remain conscious when faced with precisely controlled Conqueror's Haki. It was more than sufficient for now.

Possessing Conqueror's Haki meant Rowen now held the ticket to becoming one of the truly top-tier powerhouses on these seas.

Once he fully mastered Conqueror's Haki Infusion and possessed sufficient presence ('Kingly disposition'), it would upgrade to an Apex Gold Trait, allowing him to reign as an Emperor on the seas.

The so-called Yonko/Admiral level.

Furthermore, because Infused Conqueror's Haki attacks were so overwhelmingly powerful, their sheer offensive capability surpassed even that of Admirals who couldn't use the technique.

A full-power strike from such a peak individual could overwhelm Yonko Commanders or Admiral Candidates, who couldn't even withstand a single blow.

Below the level of Emperors and Admirals, all are mere ants!

Fortunately, Rowen had already secured his pass to reach that level.

With the Strongest Trait System at his disposal, Rowen was confident that fully mastering Infused Conqueror's was only a matter of time.

"Ahhh, that hit the spot!"

At that moment, Luffy finished devouring all the food Rowen had given him, patted his belly, and grinned widely.

With his Superhuman Physique (Deep Purple) Trait, that amount of food was naturally far from enough to truly satisfy Luffy's appetite.

But that was because the Trait allowed him to rapidly digest and absorb massive amounts of nutrients to strengthen himself, enabling his astonishing eating capacity.

To simply stop feeling hungry, however, the food had been sufficient.

"Hey, Rowen, are you a pirate?" Luffy asked, looking at him.

"Not yet. I'm just a passenger on this ship," Rowen replied honestly, not bothering to hide it.

"Then how about it? Wanna join my crew? Be my nakama?" Luffy grinned.

Rowen had already demonstrated considerable strength.

But Luffy didn't choose his crewmates based solely on strength.

What truly made Luffy decide to invite Rowen was his earlier speech about comrades.

Because of Shanks's influence, Luffy valued his comrades above all else.

Rowen's words had resonated deeply with him.

"Oh, so you're a pirate too?" Rowen asked, pretending not to know, a smile playing on his lips.

Just as planned. He invited me.

Preparing the meat beforehand and giving that speech about comrades definitely worked.

Not only did it prevent any issues regarding Koby, but it also significantly boosted Luffy's opinion of him.

So, should he accept the invitation from this future Emperor, the current Sun God?

Rowen's eyes flickered thoughtfully.

"Yep! I'm the man who's gonna be King of the Pirates!" Luffy declared, his mouth stretching into that infectious, signature grin, teeth bared.

—[Invitation detected from Monkey D. Luffy. Accept? ]—

—[Accepting allows equipping Traits from affiliated crew members.]—

—[Upon acceptance, the affiliated faction for Faction Fortune (Apex Gold) will be updated to Pirate Faction.]—

A notification screen, visible only to Rowen, appeared before him.

This made Rowen blink instinctively, thinking he must have misread it.

After carefully rereading and confirming he hadn't made a mistake, a flash of genuine surprise and delight crossed Rowen's eyes, despite all the High-tier Traits he'd already acquired.

What an incredible, unexpected bonus!

It would be a lie to say Rowen wasn't extremely envious of Luffy's Traits. It was arguably one of the most potent potential combinations in the entire One Piece world.

But actually plundering them? That was impossible.

Even though this was Luffy just starting out, before awakening Nika's power,

And his Gomu-Gomu Fruit, without Gear Second and other developed techniques, was only at the Deep Purple level (meaning he could skillfully use its basic properties),

Luffy was still likely too much for the current Rowen, who only had Beast Strength and a basic Conqueror's Haki blast.

After all, Luffy also possessed the disposition of a King. The chances of knocking him out with just a Haki blast were slim.

Besides, even if Rowen somehow won, could he—still relatively weak and undeveloped—possibly handle the inevitable retaliation from Garp, Dragon, and Red-Haired Shanks?

As the saying goes, a wise man doesn't stand under a crumbling wall. There were plenty of other ways to acquire powerful Traits without putting himself in such immediate, overwhelming danger.

But now... things were different. He hadn't expected the System could allow equipping Traits from fellow crew members!

By joining the Straw Hat crew, he could potentially access Luffy's incredible Traits.

And the Faction Fortune (Apex Gold) Trait worked just as Rowen suspected—becoming a pirate would align it with the Pirate Faction.

This meant that whenever iconic figures of the Pirate Faction met their end, as long as Rowen was present, he could potentially absorb their 'fortune' and significantly boost his own power.

The most iconic figures in the Pirate Faction were naturally the Four Emperors.

And arguably, the Seven Warlords of the Sea—though nominally affiliated with the World Government—mostly operated their own pirate domains and possessed legitimate rights to plunder; they likely counted as part of the Pirate Faction too.

And what faster way was there to eventually confront the Emperors, Warlords, and other iconic figures of the Pirate Faction than by joining the Straw Hat crew?

Whether it was equipping Luffy's super Traits or positioning himself to benefit from the fall of major pirate figures via his Faction Fortune (Apex Gold) Trait, joining the Straw Hats was clearly the optimal choice.

Besides, Luffy himself was quite admirable. Rowen had already considered joining the Straw Hats as a viable option anyway.

Since Rowen wasn't fully developed yet, the Grand Line still held uncertainties. Traveling with the main protagonist crew offered the safest path for him to grow stronger steadily.

And now, with such a massive benefit waiting for him? There was no need for further hesitation.

"Alright then. Looking forward to working with you, Luffy."

Rowen extended his right hand towards Luffy, his smile radiating genuine brilliance.

Looking at Luffy, it was as if Rowen could already see those amazing super Traits slowly becoming his own. Naturally, his smile was incredibly bright.

Koby Traits plus Monkey D. Luffy's Traits... the future is certainly looking exciting.

"Shishishishi! Looking forward to it too, Rowen!"

Luffy grinned back just as brightly.

Rowen was his very first crewmate.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

[5] : Shining Conqueror's Haki!

---

—[Detected acceptance of Monkey D. Luffy's invitation. You are now a member of the Straw Hat Pirates.]—

—[Faction Fortune (Apex Gold) faction updated to: Pirate Faction.]—

—[Traits from Straw Hat Pirate members can now be equipped. Currently available target: Straw Hat Captain, Monkey D. Luffy.]—

—[Available Traits for Equipping: Superhuman Physique (Deep Purple), Sun God (Apex Gold), Gomu-Gomu Fruit [Disguise] (Deep Purple). Equip?]—

————

After Rowen confirmed his acceptance of Luffy's invitation, the notification screen, visible only to him, appeared.

Very user-friendly—the Strongest Trait System displayed the three equippable Traits from Luffy, each with an "Equip Now" option next to it.

The Powerful Connections (Special) Trait couldn't be equipped, as it stemmed from Luffy's unique background and relationships. However, as Luffy's comrade, Rowen would still benefit indirectly from it, so it didn't really matter.

Rowen thought for a moment, then mentally selected 'Yes' for Superhuman Physique (Deep Purple) and Sun God (Apex Gold).

He chose not to equip the Gomu-Gomu Fruit [Disguise] (Deep Purple).

Before awakening into the Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Model: Nika, the standard Gomu-Gomu Fruit was just average among Paramecia types.

To draw out significant power from it required developing techniques like Gear Second, Third, and Fourth.

And based on information from the original story, using those Gears consumed the user's lifespan. For Rowen, who could simply plunder the abilities of others as Traits, the trade-off wasn't worth it.

Later, once Luffy awakened and gained Nika's power, Rowen could just equip the Nika ability directly.

That ridiculously broken Nika-exclusive power of imagination—that was the true strength of the fruit.

After Rowen made his selections, two new Traits appeared on his status.

————

Rowen Traits: Navigation (White), Beast Strength (Blue), Conqueror's Haki (Pale Gold), Faction Fortune (Apex Gold);

Superhuman Physique (Deep Purple) (Equipping...): [||.....]

Sun God (Apex Gold) (Equipping...): [|......]

————

Simple and clear. However, compared to direct plundering, the progress bars for equipping were definitely slow.

The Superhuman Physique (Deep Purple) was okay; after a short while, the bar had visibly moved, at least slightly.

But the Sun God (Apex Gold)? That progress bar hadn't budged at all—at least, not noticeably to Rowen's eyes.

Well, it made sense. It was an Apex Gold Trait, after all. Equipping it completely would surely take a long time.

Fortunately, Rowen had now joined the Straw Hat crew. He had plenty of time to let the equipping process run. He wasn't in a rush.

Being able to equip them at all was infinitely better than just staring helplessly at Luffy's powerful Traits, unable to plunder them at his current level.

Sooner or later, these Traits would belong to Rowen anyway.

He could test things out later, see if there were ways to speed up the equipping process.

"Alright! Let's set sail! First, we need to find a boat. Mine got swallowed by that giant whirlpool," Luffy said, adjusting his straw hat with a grin.

Having found his first crewmate, Luffy was in an excellent mood.

"If we find a boat, I actually know some basic navigation," Rowen replied with a smile.

This was precisely why Rowen had bothered plundering Koby's Navigation (White) Trait.

Rowen hadn't forgotten that in the original story, before Nami joined as their navigator, Luffy basically just drifted aimlessly.

And in the story, it was Koby the clown who used his basic navigation skills to guide Luffy to find Zoro.

Now that Rowen had dealt with Koby, he naturally needed to take that Trait to temporarily fill the role of the Straw Hat Pirates' navigator.

"You're a navigator too?! That's great! It's really great that I got you on the crew, Rowen!" Luffy exclaimed, genuinely surprised and happy.

"It's just basic navigation, really. I wouldn't call myself a proper navigator. It's fine for sailing in calm waters like the Four Blues, but my skills aren't good enough for the Grand Line—Luffy, you want to become King of the Pirates, right? You definitely have to go to the Grand Line," Rowen said with a smile.

"Of course! You have to conquer the Grand Line to become King of the Pirates! I promised someone," Luffy declared, holding his straw hat in his hand, his eyes filled with reminiscence.

Rowen knew Luffy was referring to his promise with the Emperor, Red-Haired Shanks.

"In that case, finding a navigator who can handle the Grand Line is absolutely necessary," Rowen stated, the image of a certain beautiful woman he'd danced with not long ago flashing through his mind.

"Shishishi! Crewmates and stuff, of course I'll find more! I'll definitely find them!" Luffy plopped his straw hat back on his head, laughing optimistically.

CRASH!

Just then, a figure crashed through the deck ceiling from above, landing heavily right in front of Rowen and Luffy with the force of a wild boar.

"So you're the brats causin' trouble for my crew, huh?!"

A monstrously ugly creature, barely resembling a human, wielding a giant iron mace, snarled, revealing a cavernous mouth.

Above the shattered hole in the deck, numerous pirate grunts peered down.

"Doesn't look like 'Pirate Hunter' Zoro," Alvida sneered after scanning Luffy and Rowen, her grotesque mouth twisting into a vicious grin.

"Zoro?" Luffy looked puzzled.

"Koby! You useless waste of space! Are you still alive down there?!" Alvida bellowed down at the motionless Koby lying nearby. Getting no response, Her boar-like face contorted with annoyance.

She didn't care if Koby was alive or dead; she was furious that she wasn't hearing his usual fawning praises.

"Who's this rude old lady?" Luffy asked curiously, pointing directly at Alvida.

"!!!" The Alvida Pirate crew members on the deck above froze in terror, too scared to speak.

"Hahaha! That's 'Iron Mace' Alvida. She has a bounty of 5 million Beri," Rowen couldn't help but chuckle at Luffy's bluntness.

"Read Traits."

He then focused on Alvida.

————

Alvida Traits: Iron Mace Wielder (Blue), Super Thick Skin (Blue).

Iron Mace Wielder (Blue): Can effortlessly wield an incredibly heavy iron mace that ordinary people cannot lift.

Super Thick Skin (Blue): Even falling from a ten-story building, the owner's fat, thicker than a wild boar's hide, allows them to emerge unharmed.

————

Seeing Alvida's Traits, Rowen couldn't suppress the smirk forming on his lips.

'Super Thick Skin'. Yep, pretty accurate description.

Luffy's comment, combined with Rowen's laughter, was the ultimate insult in Alvida's eyes.

"DIE! Both of you damn brats!" Alvida roared, raising her massive iron mace to crush Rowen and Luffy.

WHOOSH!

Using his Beast Strength, Rowen pushed off the floor powerfully. He and Luffy leaped up through the hole Alvida had just made, landing smoothly on the main deck.

"My name's not 'damn brat'! It's Monkey D. Luffy! I'm a pirate! Nice to meet you!" Luffy announced with a grin.

"Who cares what a little brat like you is called!" Alvida charged up after them.

"What a scary old lady," Luffy commented with a sigh.

"BRAT!" Alvida's eyes were completely bloodshot with rage now.

Her pirate grunts knew this was their cue to act. If they didn't, an enraged Alvida would surely bash their heads in with her mace later.

With battle cries, they swarmed towards Luffy and Rowen, intending to overwhelm them with numbers.

"Hey! Ganging up on us isn't fair!" Luffy shouted, preparing to fight back using his Gomu-Gomu abilities.

"Leave this to me."

Rowen reached out, stopping Luffy.

A dark, crimson-black light suddenly flared within his eyes.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

[6] : I Will Stand Above All! 'Sky Sovereign'!

---

"Rowen! Can you handle all these guys?" Luffy asked with concern, watching Rowen step forward to face the Alvida Pirates alone.

"Don't worry. Dealing with trash like this? My abilities are way more efficient than yours for this, Luffy," Rowen replied, a confident smirk playing on his lips. The dark, crimson-black light in his eyes seemed to shimmer faintly.

"Trash? You got some nerve, brat! Think you're 'Pirate Hunter' Zoro or something?" Alvida snarled, veins bulging on her forehead. Combined with her boar-like features, she looked even more grotesque.

Right now, 'Pirate Hunter' Zoro's reputation among East Blue pirates was formidable.

Even pirates with bounties in the tens of millions were wary of him.

"Zoro? Of course not. But..."

Rowen's eyes suddenly sharpened. The next instant, the terrifying crimson-black light within them solidified, erupting outwards with insane ferocity.

"Remember this name—'Sky Sovereign' Rowen! The man who will, in the future, stand above all!"

BOOM!!!

Conqueror's Haki exploded outwards.

Crackling arcs of crimson-black energy roared through the air.

Every single member of the Alvida Pirates caught in this terrifying blast—including Alvida herself—froze with looks of utter horror.

The next moment, their eyes rolled back into their heads, and they collapsed, unconscious.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Bodies littered the deck.

The entire Alvida Pirate crew was wiped out in an instant.

Under the pressure of Conqueror's Haki, the weak don't even have the right to look directly upon a King!

The crimson-black light in Rowen's eyes gradually subsided.

"SUUUUGEEEEEE!!!" (AMAZING!!!)

Luffy stared, jaw dropped, as Rowen took out the entire Alvida crew—including that rude old lady—with just a look.

His eyes went wide, and he started yelling excitedly.

Got to admit, Luffy really knew how to provide positive reinforcement for his comrades.

Seeing Luffy's exaggerated amazement, combined with the feeling of unleashing Conqueror's Haki for the first time, left Rowen feeling pretty damn good.

"But... I feel like I've seen that power before. When I was little, something like this happened too," Luffy mused after his initial burst of excitement, a thoughtful, faraway look in his eyes.

He remembered when he and his brothers were captured by some thugs. Just when he was in danger, the thugs had suddenly fainted.

"That's called Conqueror's Haki. Under its influence, anyone with a weak will instantly passes out," Rowen explained calmly, looking at Luffy.

Luffy was likely remembering the time 'Fire Fist' Portgas D. Ace first awakened his own Conqueror's Haki to protect young Luffy from danger.

But afterwards, Ace, disgusted that this power came from the bloodline he despised—that of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger—completely sealed it away.

Rowen wouldn't judge Ace's actions.

He wasn't Ace; he hadn't lived through Ace's suffering. He wouldn't stand on high from an outsider's perspective and casually say, "It's foolish not to use the power you have."

After all, for Ace, his mother died because the Marines were relentlessly hunting Roger's bloodline.

And throughout his childhood, because of that same bloodline, he was shunned by everyone, treated as someone who shouldn't even exist.

In modern terms from Rowen's old world, it was a classic case of childhood trauma stemming from his family background. Ace just wanted to escape that influence.

But if he hadn't sealed away his Conqueror's Haki, given Ace's potential, he likely wouldn't have met the tragic end he did in the original story.

Ultimately, Ace just didn't have the disposition—the Kingly Spirit—required.

However, for Rowen, Ace's choice, and the upcoming Summit War, were extremely advantageous.

Whitebeard—the man known as the 'World's Strongest Man'—was undoubtedly the current figurehead of the Pirate Faction.

When his era ended, how much stronger would Rowen become thanks to his Faction Fortune (Apex Gold) Trait? Rowen eagerly anticipated finding out.

Furthermore, Rowen was absolutely determined to acquire Whitebeard's Tremor-Tremor Fruit.

The difference between top-tier Devil Fruits and garbage ones was greater than the difference between humans and pigs.

That early notion—likely born from insufficient information—of "There are no useless Devil Fruits, only useless users," had long been debunked by later events in the story.

The inherent potential cap of each Devil Fruit ability was clearly defined.

A fruit's power depended fundamentally on the fruit itself, supplemented at most by the user's stamina and physique (since activating abilities consumes the user's energy).

The fact that Sabo, immediately after eating the Flare-Flare Fruit, could wield its power at a level equal to, or even greater than, Ace's was clear proof.

But for any given Devil Fruit user, their power ceiling based solely on the fruit was fixed the moment they ate it. Further growth relied on mastering Haki and other skills.

A powerful Devil Fruit, upon being eaten, could instantly elevate someone to at least the level of a Warlord.

The reason Whitebeard was called the man capable of destroying the world was solely due to the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.

Rowen had no intention of letting Blackbeard snatch such a Supreme Devil Fruit.

The Summit War—Rowen absolutely had to participate.

Starting now, he needed to get stronger, fast, so he could claim the biggest prize during that pivotal conflict.

A determined glint shone in Rowen's eyes.

"But Rowen, when you said you're gonna stand above all... that sounded really cool! 'Sky Sovereign' Rowen... Shishishi! That's a great nickname!" Luffy exclaimed. At this point, he didn't grasp the true significance of Conqueror's Haki; he was far more interested in Rowen's declaration.

"The Pirate King's first mate—the man known as the 'Right Hand of the Pirate King'—his epithet was 'Dark King'. Since you aim to be the Pirate King, I figured 'Sky Sovereign' would be a fitting title for me, as your comrade," Rowen explained with a smile.

It wasn't that Rowen was being overly dramatic just for show. This was his debut on the world stage, essentially.

And everyone knew, in the world of One Piece, the shutters of the World Economic News Agency's cameras were everywhere.

Rowen naturally wanted a relatively cool-sounding epithet for himself.

Otherwise, who knew what kind of ridiculous nickname those Marine guys might slap on him later?

Rowen's method for choosing was simple. The Pirate King's Right Hand, Silvers Rayleigh, was the 'Dark King' (Meiō - Underworld King/Pluto).

The three Ancient Weapons in the One Piece world were 'Pluton' (Meiō - Underworld King), 'Poseidon' (Kaiō - Sea King), and 'Uranus' (Ten'ō - Sky King/Heavenly King).

'Dark King/Pluton' was taken by Rayleigh. 'Sea King/Poseidon', for someone else.

That left 'Sky King/Uranus' (Ten'ō). It sounded good. 'Sky Sovereign' was a suitable adaptation.

His declaration about standing above all in the future also served as a neat explanation for the epithet's origin.

Furthermore, this was also a test for Rowen.

—[Detected increase in bond with equipping target. Trait equipping progress increased.]—

A line of text appeared on the notification screen, making the corner of Rowen's mouth curve upwards slightly.

Just as expected.