~ Long Chapter ✍️
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"Gomu-Gomu Fruit? Rubber man?" Zoro stared at Luffy in disbelief.
Devil Fruits—things like that actually existed?
"You bastard! How dare you hit me?! My dad will kill you!" Helmeppo shrieked, clutching his rapidly swelling face where Luffy had punched him.
Pow! Pow! Pow!
Luffy's response was another barrage of punches.
"S-Stop! Stop it! If you keep hitting him, you'll really get yourselves killed!" The two nearby Marine soldiers, initially stunned by Luffy's rubber abilities, snapped back to reality as Helmeppo neared unconsciousness. They moved to intervene.
"Could you please not interfere with our captain's business?" Rowen asked calmly, the crimson-black light flickering faintly in his eyes.
VMM!
The next moment, an invisible wave washed over the two Marines. Their eyes rolled back, and they instantly collapsed, unconscious.
"W-What was that...?" Zoro watched, stunned. This man named Rowen merely narrowed his eyes, and Zoro's instincts screamed as a terrifying power surged from him, instantly knocking the two soldiers out cold.
Having never witnessed such power before, Zoro was utterly incredulous.
"That's called Conqueror's Haki. The weak can't maintain consciousness under its pressure," Rowen explained with a faint smile, the crimson-black light receding from his eyes.
"Conqueror's Haki?" Zoro murmured the unfamiliar term.
Since setting out, he'd become a bounty hunter out of necessity—needing money to survive—trading pirates for cash.
His formidable strength had earned him the title 'Pirate Hunter', but he'd never encountered powers as bizarre as these before.
Whether it was Luffy's rubber abilities or this man Rowen's power...
The sea truly is vast.
"Ah, much better. That scumbag needed a beating," Luffy sighed contentedly, looking at the now unconscious Helmeppo.
"Check Traits." Rowen thought inwardly, focusing on the knocked-out Helmeppo.
————
Helmeppo Trait: Reformed Boost (Pale Purple)
Reformed Boost (Pale Purple): Can undergo a redemption arc. Upon redemption, strength increases.
————
Even weaklings like him has a Pale Purple Trait?
And this scumbag had used his father's power to torment countless civilians!
Yet he could inexplicably get redeemed and become stronger? The original author's logic was baffling sometimes.
But... even though it's a Pale Purple Trait, it's completely useless to me.
Just as Rowen had that thought, another notification appeared.
—[Traits of Purple tier or higher can be converted into fixed Upgrade Materials.]—
—[Upgrade Materials can be used to enhance existing equipped Traits.]—
Reading the screen, Rowen confirmed the details, a slight smile touching his lips.
So that's how the System's upgrade function works.
Waste not, want not, I suppose.
"Plunder."
Helmeppo's Trait was instantly absorbed by Rowen.
"Convert."
Rowen focused on the Reformed Boost (Pale Purple) Trait.
—[Conversion complete. Current quantity of Potential-type Pale Purple Upgrade Materials: (1). ]—
Having used the function, Rowen now fully understood.
Basically, he could convert unwanted Traits into upgrade tools to enhance the Traits he did want.
However, White and Blue tier Traits couldn't be used for upgrades.
Also, only Traits fully plundered could be converted. Traits equipped from crewmates, being more like mirrored copies, couldn't be used as upgrade materials, even though Rowen could use them freely without restriction once fully equipped.
Only Traits of Pale Purple tier or higher, obtained through direct plunder, could serve as upgrade fuel for Rowen's own Traits.
Combat-related Traits were categorized as either Potential-type or Strength-type.
For example, the Faction Fortune (Apex Gold) plundered from Koby was a Potential-type Trait.
Luffy's Sun God (Apex Gold) was also Potential-type.
Rowen's already awakened Conqueror's Haki (Pale Gold), which could be directly used in combat, was a Strength-type Trait.
Traits like Luffy's Superhuman Physique (Deep Purple) and Zoro's Demonic Physique (Deep Purple) were also Strength-type.
For Strength-type Traits related to physical prowess (like Physique), the displayed tier represented the current level of power the owner could exert. It didn't indicate the Trait's ultimate potential ceiling.
The same applied to combat skill Traits like Zoro's Three-Sword Style (Deep Purple) and Luffy's Gomu-Gomu Fruit (Deep Purple).
Potential-type Upgrade Materials could only upgrade other Potential-type Traits, not Strength-type Traits.
Seeing this limitation, Rowen felt a slight pang of disappointment. If direct upgrading were possible, he might have considered using the Faction Fortune (Apex Gold) to boost his Conqueror's Haki.
While Faction Fortune (Apex Gold) had immense potential, it still paled in comparison to a fully mastered Conqueror's Haki - Infusion (Apex Gold).
That represented true Emperor/Admiral level power.
Still, while disappointing, the limitation made sense. Potential was just potential, not actual strength.
Being able to directly convert potential into overwhelming power would be like creating something from nothing, violating fundamental laws of reality.
This realization deepened Rowen's sense of being in a real world. Even with his powerful System, basic principles still applied.
To truly reach the pinnacle of this world, the System merely provided the ticket. Becoming the strongest ultimately depended on his own efforts.
Rowen smirked slightly. Good. That makes it interesting.
Let's see just how far I can go.
—[Kingly Disposition increased. Conqueror's Haki intensity increased.]—
Another notification flashed.
Just as I suspected. The strength of Conqueror's Haki is tied to that concept of 'Kingly Disposition' from the story.
Rowen noted this inwardly.
It confirmed the correctness of his decision to make a high-profile debut and claim the 'Sky Sovereign' epithet.
In the One Piece world, only by building a fearsome reputation, using the blood and failures of enemies as nourishment, could one truly stand at the absolute top.
Looks like I'll need to be even more high-profile in the future. Get that bounty nice and high.
Anyway, with Luffy's connections backing him, he didn't need to worry too much about attracting unbeatable enemies prematurely.
Rowen resolved his future course.
Having clarified his path, Rowen continued examining the upgrade function.
It required ten Upgrade Materials of the same tier to raise a Trait by one sub-level.
For instance, the Potential-type Pale Purple material obtained from Helmeppo—ten of these could upgrade another Potential-type Pale Purple Trait to Potential-type Deep Purple.
Compared to others who had to train slowly over time, this method was incredibly fast.
Rowen was quite satisfied. From now on, even useless Traits of Purple tier or higher could serve a significant purpose.
And without his most valuable (albeit pathetic) Pale Purple Trait, Helmeppo was now utterly worthless.
"You guys are pirates, right? Why are you getting involved in this mess?" Zoro asked at that moment, clearly confused.
"When you see scum like that, you gotta punch 'em!" Luffy declared matter-of-factly with a grin, then looked straight at Zoro.
"Hey, you! Wanna be my nakama?" Luffy extended the invitation.
"Why would I want to become a villain?" Zoro retorted, baffled by Luffy's logic.
"But I've already decided you're gonna be my nakama!" Luffy stated with absolute certainty.
"Hey! Will you listen when someone's talking?!" Zoro snapped.
"But if you don't agree, you'll just die here, right? A man like you must have ambitions you need to fulfill. Are you really content to die here?" Rowen interjected calmly.
"..." Zoro fell silent instantly.
Die here? How could he possibly be content with that?
If he were, how could he have endured twenty days without food through sheer willpower?
To become the world's greatest swordsman, to make his name echo even in the heavens—that was his promise to his deceased childhood friend, Kuina.
It was Zoro's ambition!
"Oh yeah! You're a swordsman, right? Where are your swords?" Luffy suddenly asked.
"That guy took them," Zoro replied, glancing towards the unconscious Helmeppo.
"Huh? Then I'll go get your swords back for you! If you want them back, you gotta be my nakama!" Luffy grinned, then grabbed the unconscious Helmeppo and started dragging him away.
"Hey! Wake up! Where are Zoro's swords? If you don't tell me, I'll beat you up some more!" Luffy yelled, slapping Helmeppo's face.
"Luffy, the Marine base is that way," Rowen called out, pointing in the opposite direction of where Luffy was heading.
"Oh, right! Thanks, Rowen!" Luffy quickly changed direction and dashed off again.
"That guy... he really doesn't listen to anyone," Zoro muttered, his eyebrow twitching as he watched Luffy disappear.
"And you actually acknowledge him as your captain?" Zoro asked, looking at Rowen who had stayed behind.
"Luffy might seem like an airhead most of the time, but he's incredibly reliable when it counts," Rowen replied with a smile, then turned to Rika.
"You should head home now, Rika. Things are about to get chaotic here," Rowen said gently.
"But..." Rika hesitated, looking down at the now slightly cooled rice balls in her hands.
"Give them here," Zoro suddenly said.
Rika blinked, then her small face broke into a radiant smile.
"Here you go, big brother!"
Watching Zoro hungrily devour the rice balls she made, Rika's smile grew even brighter.
"Delicious. I'm full," Zoro said after swallowing the last bite, a faint smile on his face.
"I'm so happy! Thank you, big brother!" Rika beamed, then looked towards Rowen, understanding that it was because of him that Zoro had eaten her food.
"See? Isn't a child's sincerity more precious than gold?" Rowen smiled, observing the scene.
"Yeah," Zoro admitted, a genuine smile gracing his own features.
BOOM!!!
Just then, a massive explosion rocked the area.
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