"Display Traits."
Lu En stood tall, the newly awakened light-gold trait blazing across the interface only he could see. A confident gleam lit up his eyes.
—Trait (Lu En): Basic Navigation [White]
—Trait: Beast Strength [Blue]
—Trait: Conqueror's Haki [Light Gold] (Awakened)
—Trait: Factional Fate [Ultra Gold]
Conqueror's Haki (Light Gold): Initial mastery achieved. Can now control the King's Will precisely, causing weak-willed individuals to faint instantly.
Those too weak to gaze upon a king shall collapse before his presence.
Lu En closed his eyes.
Within him surged a mighty, primal force — potent and sovereign. One flick of his will, and it would erupt outward like a storm, sweeping aside the feeble with overwhelming pressure.
He hadn't just awakened Conqueror's Haki.
He'd skipped the entire two years of harsh training that Luffy underwent under Rayleigh in the original timeline — and leapt straight into controlled mastery.
Luffy's early Haki had been wild and indiscriminate — allies and enemies alike would collapse. Only after years of training did he learn to focus it.
Lu En?
He could already deploy it precisely.
Of course, the trait hadn't evolved beyond Light Gold — not yet. To push it further, he'd need to integrate Haki into his attacks. Only then could it reach Deep Gold, the tier Yamato's Haki had achieved.
Deep Gold traits were the realm of Admiral-candidates — or those destined to become one.
Right now, Lu En's Haki could only knock out the weak — but this was the East Blue. That alone was more than enough.
Owning Conqueror's Haki wasn't just strength.
It was a key — a gateway to the summit of the world.
Once he mastered Haki infusion and gained enough will to bear it, this Light Gold trait could evolve into Ultra Gold.
That was the level where kings were born.
And Conqueror's-infused attacks?
Even an Admiral without it would struggle to endure a single strike.
Beneath a King-Level existence, all were ants.
And Lu En?
He now held the first stamp on his passport to kingship.
With the Trait System behind him, fully mastering this path was only a matter of time.
"Ahhh, I'm full~!"
Luffy rubbed his belly with a goofy grin, looking completely satisfied.
He had just devoured all the food Lu En had given him. Of course, with Superhuman Physique [Deep Purple], Luffy could devour mountains and still be hungry.
That trait wasn't just about stamina — it allowed him to rapidly absorb nutrients and convert them into physical power.
For now, he was content. His stomach might not be bursting, but he wasn't starving anymore.
"Hey, Lu En," Luffy asked, tilting his head. "Are you a pirate?"
"Not yet," Lu En replied, smiling faintly. "Just a passenger on this ship."
"Well then—" Luffy grinned, eyes gleaming.
"Wanna join my crew? Be my crewmate?"
The question was direct. No hesitation.
Sure, Lu En had shown some impressive strength — but for Luffy, that wasn't the deciding factor.
What convinced him was something deeper: Lu En's words about comrades.
Because of Shanks, Luffy held the bond of nakama above all else.
Lu En's belief in the value of comrades had struck a chord.
"Oh? So you're a pirate after all." Lu En chuckled knowingly.
As expected. The invitation came.
Feeding Luffy meat, expressing a shared philosophy… it had all paid off. Not only had he avoided any friction over the Koby situation, but he'd also earned a healthy boost to his favorability.
Now, the question remained:
Should he accept the invitation of the future Yonko — the Sun God himself?
Lu En's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"I'm going to be the King of the Pirates!" Luffy declared, raising his head proudly with that signature, infectious grin.
A golden screen popped up before Lu En's eyes.
Invitation from Monkey D. Luffy detected. Join the Straw Hat Pirates?
—Unlock: Load traits from crew members.
—Factional Fate [Ultra Gold] alignment will update to: Pirate Faction.
Lu En blinked.
He almost thought he'd misread it.
But no — he hadn't. And even for someone with his high-tier traits, this was a pleasant surprise.
A gift-wrapped golden opportunity.
Of course he'd drooled over Luffy's trait list — who wouldn't? Luffy's trait synergy was among the most ridiculous in the entire world.
But trying to steal them?
That was suicide.
Right now, Luffy hadn't even awakened Nika yet, nor developed Second or Third Gear. His Devil Fruit powers were still at Deep Purple level — a solid foundation but far from complete.
But Lu En?
He only had one offensive trait — Beast Strength [Blue] — and his Haki wasn't yet strong enough to knock Luffy out.
Luffy had king-level willpower. A simple Haki burst wouldn't work.
And even if Lu En somehow won, how would he deal with the aftermath?
Garp. Dragon. Shanks.
The three most terrifying men in the world — all of whom would burn the world for Luffy.
Lu En wasn't dumb enough to poke that hornet's nest.
No — there were better ways to rise.
And now, the system had just revealed one of them.
By joining the crew, he could directly load traits from Luffy.
No need for bloodshed. No need for danger.
And Factional Fate [Ultra Gold] would now draw strength from the fall of Pirate Faction giants.
The Four Emperors.
The Warlords of the Sea.
Even though the Warlords were officially under the World Government, they were essentially pirate lords with legal looting rights — and thus, still counted.
And who was best positioned to face off against those titans?
The Straw Hats.
Joining them wasn't just the smart choice.
It was the optimal one.
Lu En had already considered joining them eventually.
After all, he was still growing. Traveling with Luffy was the safest way to develop.
Now? With all these benefits?
He didn't hesitate for even a second.
"Then I'll be counting on you, Captain."
Lu En extended his hand with a smile that gleamed like polished gold.
Behind that smile, he could already see Luffy's traits slowly becoming his.
Koby's stolen traits.
Luffy's loaded ones.
The road ahead shimmered with limitless potential.
"Heeheehee! Welcome aboard, Lu En!"
Luffy grinned wide.
Lu En — his very first crewmate.
Author's Note:
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