[U.T] Ch 4: Joining the Straw Hat Pirates

— — — — — — — 

Looking at the newly unlocked Conqueror's Haki trait, Luen felt an undeniable surge of excitement.

[Luen]:

•Basic Navigation (White)

•Beast Strength (Blue)

•Conqueror's Haki (Light Gold)

•Faction Fortune (Super Gold)

—[Conqueror's Haki (Light Gold)—

A preliminary mastery of Conqueror's Haki, allowing precise control. It can knock out weaker opponents, making them unworthy to even look upon the king!

---

Luen closed his eyes, feeling a terrifying power within him. With just a thought, this force could burst out, rendering weak-willed enemies unconscious.

He hadn't expected such a bonus from his first golden-tier trait.

Not only did he awaken Conqueror's Haki, but he also skipped the two years of training that Luffy had undergone with Rayleigh in the original story. He could now use it precisely from the start.

When Conqueror's Haki first awakens, like in Luffy's case, it is uncontrollable, affecting everyone indiscriminately, allies and enemies alike.

Only after strict training can it be refined to target specific individuals, like Luffy's level after his two years of training with the "Dark King" Rayleigh.

However, since Luen's Conqueror's Haki still only served to intimidate and knock out the weak, its tier remained Light Gold.

It would need to evolve further, reaching the stage of "Conqueror's Coating" to become Deep Gold—the same level as Yamato's in the original story.

Deep Gold-tier combat traits are typically at the level of an emperor's right-hand man or an admiral candidate, or they signify the potential to reach that level.

Though Luen's Conqueror's Haki currently only affects the weak, in the East Blue, there are almost no opponents capable of resisting his precisely controlled Haki.

Right now, it's more than enough.

Having Conqueror's Haki is akin to obtaining a golden ticket to the ranks of the world's strongest.

Once he fully masters Conqueror's Coating and has the necessary strength of character, he can upgrade this ability to Super Gold, placing him among the true kings of the sea—the Emperor's Class!

Conqueror's Coating is immensely powerful. Purely in terms of attack power, it surpasses even the regular strikes of an admiral-level combatant.

At this level, a single full-power blow could be enough to defeat even high-ranking officers or admiral candidates.

Below an Emperor, all are mere ants for a reason!

Fortunately, Luen had already secured his path to Emperor-level strength. With the Ultimate Trait System on his side, it was only a matter of time before he mastered Conqueror's Coating.

"Ah, that was a great meal!"

At that moment, Luffy, having devoured all the food Luen had brought, patted his stomach with a satisfied grin.

With his Superhuman Physique (Deep Purple), this amount of food was nowhere near enough to fully satisfy him. However, his ability allowed him to rapidly absorb nutrients and use them to strengthen himself, explaining his monstrous appetite.

Still, at least for now, this meal was enough to stave off hunger.

"Hey, Luen, are you a pirate?"

Luffy turned toward him curiously.

"Not yet. Right now, I'm just a passenger on this ship."

Luen didn't try to hide the truth.

"Then, do you want to join my crew? Be my crewmate!"

Luffy grinned widely.

Luen had already displayed considerable strength, but Luffy's standards for choosing crewmates weren't based on power alone.

What truly made him extend this invitation was Luen's views on companionship.

Due to Shanks' influence, Luffy values his crewmates more than anything.

Luen's words earlier had resonated deeply with him.

"Oh? So, you're a pirate?" Luen pretended to be surprised, smiling.

As expected, Luffy had invited him.

Preparing meat in advance for Luffy and talking about the importance of crewmates had worked just as planned.

Not only had he prevented any potential complications regarding Koby, but he had also earned Luffy's goodwill.

Now, the question was—should he accept the invitation from this future Emperor and Sun God?

Luen's eyes flickered with thought.

"That's right! I'm the man who will become the Pirate King!"

Luffy grinned, flashing his signature infectious smile.

Just then, a notification appeared before Luen, visible only to him:

[Detected an invitation from Monkey D. Luffy. Do you accept?]

[Upon acceptance, you will gain access to crew member-exclusive Trait-sharing.]

[Upon acceptance, your Faction Fortune (Super Gold) will update to reflect your new allegiance to the Pirate faction.]

Luen instinctively blinked, thinking he had misread it. But after carefully confirming the message, even he—a man already possessing multiple high-level traits—felt a surge of excitement.

This was an unexpected jackpot!

Of course, he had been interested in Luffy's traits. After all, the Straw Hat Captain possessed one of the most broken trait combinations in all of One Piece.

However, outright stealing them was out of the question.

Right now, Luffy had just set sail. He hadn't yet awakened his Nika Fruit powers, and his Rubber-Rubber Fruit abilities were still at a basic Deep Purple level, without Gear Second or any advanced techniques.

Even so, Luen knew he couldn't beat him.

After all, Luffy had the makings of a king. There was a low chance that Luen's Conqueror's Haki could knock him out.

And even if he somehow won, could he really handle the wrath of Garp, Dragon, and Shanks? Those three would annihilate him for hurting Luffy.

A wise man doesn't stand under a collapsing wall. There were plenty of ways to gain strong traits without inviting death upon himself.

But now—this changed everything.

The system allowed him to load the traits of his crewmates!

By joining the Straw Hat Pirates, he could gradually gain access to Luffy's superpowered traits.

Furthermore, Faction Fortune (Super Gold) was confirmed to work even for pirates. That meant he could steal the fortune of powerful figures within his Pirate faction when they fell.

And who were the most iconic figures in the pirate world?

The Four Emperors.

Even the Seven Warlords—who, despite being technically under the World Government, mostly operated as pirate kings—should still count under the pirate faction.

And what better way to hunt the Emperors and Warlords than as part of the Straw Hat Crew?

Whether it was sharing Luffy's traits or reaping the rewards of fallen pirate legends, joining the Straw Hats was the smartest move.

Plus, Luffy was an easygoing guy, and Luen had already considered this as an option.

He wasn't at full power yet, and following the protagonist's journey provided a safer way to grow.

Now, with a massive opportunity staring him in the face, there was no reason to hesitate.

Luen stretched out his right hand toward Luffy, flashing a brilliant smile.

"Then… let's sail together, Luffy."

Looking at Luffy, he could already envision those super-powered traits slowly becoming his own.

Between Koby's traits and Luffy's traits, the future was looking bright.

"Shishishi! Let's go, Luen!"

Luffy grinned just as brightly.

Luen was officially his first crewmate.

.

.

.