[U.T] Ch 24: The Next Destination—Syrup Village

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Somewhere in the East Blue, two ships were tied together and sailing side by side — one flying the Jolly Roger of the Buggy Pirates.

Luffy didn't look happy about it at all. He really wanted his own pirate flag.

But since the flag was painted right on the sail, they had no choice but to raise it if they wanted to keep moving.

Luffy looked like he was about to complain again, but one sharp look from Nami shut him up instantly.

Just like in the original story, Luffy left a bag of treasure behind to help rebuild Orange Town — and naturally, Nami gave him a solid scolding for it.

Still, she wasn't actually mad deep down.

Seeing what had happened to Orange Town reminded her of her own home, Cocoyasi Village, which was suffering under Arlong's brutal rule.

Helping them rebuild… was something she genuinely wanted to do.

And now, after spending time with Luen and the crew, she could really feel how different they were from other pirates.

She thought back to what Luen had told her, and her heart was in turmoil.

Should she… rely on them?

But could Luen and the others really stand a chance against that monster Arlong?

She had almost saved up the full 100 million Berries she needed to buy back Cocoyasi Village. Taking risks now didn't make sense, right?

But… could Arlong really be trusted?

No! She couldn't think like that. If she doubted herself now, then what was the point of working so hard to earn that money?

Nami stared blankly at the map in her hands for a moment before shaking her head hard.

"There's no doubt about it — sailing into the Grand Line with ships like these is completely reckless."

After calming herself down, Nami looked at the chart again and then at the two small boats tied together. She spoke seriously.

"We definitely need more crewmates."

Luen, sitting at the bow munching on an apple, nodded. "Yeah. And not just more people — this ship doesn't even have the proper equipment to keep us safe."

"Exactly!" Luffy agreed instantly. "We need a musician."

"A musician? Hahaha!"

Zoro burst out laughing when he heard that.

They were talking about going to the Grand Line — a place known as a graveyard for pirates — and Luffy's top priority was... a musician? His brain really did work differently from normal people.

"You idiot," Nami sighed, holding her forehead, clearly used to Luffy's nonsense by now. "Luen, back me up here. You know how to navigate too, right?"

At that moment, Luen, who had been quietly meditating and absorbing the sea's energy to strengthen his Haki with the help of his Trait — Born for the Sea (Super-Gold) — opened his eyes when he felt Nami looking at him.

"Relax, Nami. You're the navigator for our crew now. My navigation skills can't even compare to yours. You're the one who should decide our course," he said with a smile.

---

[Nami]

→Traits:

•Pirate Thief (Blue): A kind-hearted thief who only steals from wicked pirates. Skilled in the art of thievery.

•Navigation (Deep Purple): An exceptional navigator, capable of sailing smoothly across the Four Seas and the first half of the Grand Line.

•Weather Sense (Light Gold): Possesses a natural ability to precisely sense weather changes and has an extraordinary talent for climate awareness.

---

Since Nami hadn't officially joined the Straw Hats yet, Luen couldn't load any of her Traits.

But he really wanted the Weather Sense (Light-Gold) trait she had — even though it wasn't a combat trait.

After all, even Oda himself once said that Nami's ability to feel weather changes physically was so strong that if she had the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, she might surpass Zoro and become the second strongest on the crew.

And that's without the fruit — she just had Zeus and still powered up like crazy.

So, if Luen could get both the Weather Sense trait and the Rumble-Rumble Fruit… the possibilities would be insane.

But he wasn't in a rush. Nami joining was just a matter of time. He'd get that trait eventually.

As for navigation, now that they had a real navigator, Luen could just leave it all to her.

His focus was elsewhere — on getting stronger.

Right now, his Conqueror's Haki (Light-Gold) trait had started to change. Thanks to the constant training and enhancement from Born for the Sea (Super-Gold), a progress bar had appeared.

Conqueror's Haki (Light-Gold): Basic control achieved. Can knock out the weak with sheer pressure.
—> Next stage: Infuse attacks with Conqueror's Haki (Deep-Gold)

Once that progress bar was full, his Conqueror's Haki would automatically upgrade to Deep-Gold.

That meant he'd be able to infuse his attacks with it — like Yamato in the original story.

If he reached that level, he'd instantly rise to the top tier of the strongest pirate crews' right-hand men.

Conqueror's Haki was just that overpowered.

Even with just Deep-Gold, he'd be able to go a few rounds with a Yonko using Haki-imbued attacks — something most vice-captains or even admiral candidates couldn't survive.

But the progress was slow, and Luen was only making steady gains thanks to Born for the Sea — a luxury others didn't have.

Most powerful pirates had to rely on countless battles, spilled blood, and years of life-or-death experience to build up the strength to wield this kind of Haki.

Even legends like Whitebeard and Gol D. Roger didn't fully master infused Conqueror's Haki until they were in their 40s.

In fact, most of the current powerhouses — the Yonko and Marine Admirals — are over 50, except for Shanks who's not quite 40 yet.

That's how long it takes to build the kind of willpower needed.

But Luen didn't have to wait decades. With his trait, all he needed to do was keep training — and his Haki would naturally grow stronger.

The more he used it, the more impressed he was with Born for the Sea.

"Alright," Nami said, looking over the map. "If we keep heading south, there's an inhabited island not far from here. If we're lucky, we might be able to get a proper ship."

"Then let's go!" Luffy cheered, arms raised. "And get some meat!"

"Don't forget the booze," Zoro added.

"You guys…" Nami sighed again, her sharp-teeth persona returning.

"South, huh," Luen murmured, eyes fixed on the horizon.

He'd already looked at the map — their next stop was Syrup Village.

Not only was it Usopp's hometown…

It was also where the Going Merry, that legendary ship mourned by countless fans, would be born.

With his Superhuman Physique (Deep Purple) new trait, what Luen needed most now was a proper pirate ship with full facilities — and a chef.

Because only a real ship could store all the protein-rich meat his body needed.

These small boats could barely hold fruit — and fruit alone wasn't going to cut it if he wanted to make full use of his trait to grow stronger.

So, Luen closed his eyes again, letting the sea breeze wash over him as he continued absorbing energy, pushing his Conqueror's Haki to new heights.

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