[U.T] Ch 21: Child Of The Sea

— — — — — — 

"Show traits."

At Luen's command, a glowing screen appeared in front of him.

[Luen]

→Traits:

•Basic Navigation (White)

•Beast Strength (Blue)

•Conqueror's Haki (Light Gold)

•Faction Fortune (Super Gold)

•Born for the Sea (Super Gold)

•Superhuman Physique (Deep Purple) [Loading…]

•Beast Physique (Deep Purple) [Loading…]

•Demonic Aura (Special) [Loading…]

•Sun God (Super Gold) [Loading…]

...

—[Born for the Sea (Super Gold)]—

•Possesses unmatched swimming talent.

•As long as you swim in the sea, your inner strength increases—leading to stronger Haki!

•The "inactive" tag is gone.

— — —

This super gold trait that had dimmed before due to Buggy eating the Chop-Chop Fruit had now been reactivated in Luen's body.

Born for the Sea (Super Gold)—the ultimate cheat for Haki training—was his now!

Luen closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Whoosh—

The sea breeze brushed gently against his face.

"Everything's changed."

He slowly opened his eyes, a confident smile forming at the corner of his lips—a smile full of strength and presence.

No doubt about it. This was the cheat code for mastering Haki.

Even though he hadn't even gone for a swim yet, just feeling the sea breeze on his skin, Luen already felt different—completely different from before.

He could clearly feel it—the energy of the sea within the wind.

In the world of One Piece, the sea's energy is everywhere. What Whitebeard once said—"Everyone Is A Child Of The Sea"—wasn't just talk.

It's just that most people can't sense the sea's energy at all.

Only two kinds of people can feel it clearly: One, Devil Fruit users—those cursed by the sea and rejected by its energy. Two, those like Luen, who hold the Born for the Sea (Super Gold) trait.

But while Devil Fruit users are rejected—unable to move freely in the sea—Luen is the exact opposite.

With this trait, he can absorb the sea's energy and grow even stronger.

That confidence—that overwhelming confidence—was flowing through him now. It felt like he'd become the sea's chosen one.

He hadn't even touched the water yet. Just from feeling the energy in the air, Luen could already sense a shift deep inside him.

It was like a fish finally returning to water. Comfortable, empowered—and fueled by the sea's feedback loop—he was filled with self-assurance.

This feeling… it was way too good.

Luen looked out at the vast ocean, the urge to dive in overwhelming.

Swimming in the sea would boost his strength—and in turn, power up his Conqueror's Haki.

With Born for the Sea (Super Gold), fully mastering Advanced Conqueror's Haki (Super Gold)—and reaching Yonko level power—was just a matter of time.

More than that, with this trait, Luen's Haki potential was now among the absolute peak in the One Piece world!

Kaido once said, "Only Haki can transcend all."

Then with this potential, Luen was destined to stand above everyone—on top of the world.

A proud grin spread across his face.

'Stand above the Heavens. I'm the Sky King,'

That line he once said—just to sound cool, gain some fame, and see if it affected how traits loaded—didn't feel cringe anymore.

Back then, it felt a bit edgy. Now? It felt right.

Talking big without strength is just dumb.

But with power to back it up? That's called ambition.

Luen's mindset had completely evolved.

---

"Y-you bastards! How dare you treat me like this?!"

Right then, Buggy finally regained consciousness after passing out from the pain.

The first thing he did was activate his Chop-Chop Fruit, splitting his lower body into even more pieces.

No way he was taking another brutal hit from those two—his poor balls were practically begging for mercy. His future as a man was in serious danger if he wasn't careful.

"You're tougher than you look."

Luen was in such a good mood that even looking at Buggy didn't piss him off anymore.

Without Buggy, he wouldn't have reawakened such an OP trait.

More importantly, that trait gave Luen the mindset of a real powerhouse.

"…You seem different than before."

Buggy, still furious and wanting to lay into Luen and Luffy, paused when he looked at Luen.

He hesitated.

Buggy had sailed with Roger for years. Sure, he wasn't strong now, but his instincts were sharp.

Before, even though Luen had Conqueror's Haki, Buggy didn't see him as a real threat.

It wasn't just about strength—it was about presence. Luen didn't have the aura of a true strongman.

Guys like Roger or Rayleigh—just standing there, without using any Haki—you could feel how terrifyingly strong they were.

That pressure? That aura? It came from their mindset and spirit.

But now?

Luen was completely different.

He stood there—and Buggy felt it.

Strong. So strong it was scary.

It was like Luen had transformed into a whole new person.

Buggy spaced out for a moment, then shook his head hard.

Damn it—he even thought he saw a glimpse of his old Captain Roger in this guy.

That same overwhelming energy that said, "I'll crush everything in my way."

"Cut the crap! You made me look pathetic—I'll show you my glorious revenge!"

Maybe because Luen reminded him of the good old days with the Roger Pirates—maybe because his own current state pissed him off—Buggy snapped.

"Chop-Chop—Full Assembly!"

He shouted, trying to reattach all his floating body parts.

Whoosh!

"???"

Buggy blinked in confusion.

Only his feet came back.

"M-MY BODY PARTS!!!"

He looked around and saw it—

Nami had tied all his pieces together with rope.

Right now, Buggy only had his head, hands, and feet.

Classic Chibi Buggy.

"Hehehe, nice work, thief."

Luffy grinned, stretching his arms way back like slingshots.

"Fly, Buggy!"

"Gomu Gomu no…"

"Wait, stop—!"

Buggy screamed, seeing those massive rubber arms hurling toward him.

"ROCKET!"

BOOM!

With a loud yell, Luffy punched Buggy into the sky like a shooting star.

"HAHAHA! We won!"

Luffy cheered with his fists raised.

He knew Buggy didn't have info on Shanks, and since the Chop-Chop Fruit made it hard to do lasting damage, sending him flying was the best play.

"Huh, so when you get punched into the sky, you really do turn into a star. That's fun."

Luen raised a hand to shade his eyes, chuckling as he watched Buggy twinkle into the distance.

Whether he'd manage to collect his body parts like in the original story? Well… that's up to Buggy's luck.

Straw Hat Pirates vs Buggy Pirates—complete victory for the Straw Hats.

But for Luen, who gained Born for the Sea (Super Gold)?

It was more than a win.

It was an overwhelming one.

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