"You... you're part of the Alvida Pirates too, aren't you?"
Lu En's eyes locked onto Koby — the pink-haired, glasses-wearing boy cowering in the corner like a kicked puppy.
The so-called "Coward King."
The clown that nobody respected.
"Access Traits."
A light flickered across Lu En's vision.
—Trait (Koby): Basic Navigation [White]
—Trait: Conqueror's Haki (Unawakened) [Light Gold]
—Trait: Betrayer of Factions [Special]
—Trait: Factional Fate [Ultra Gold]
Even though Lu En had expected something ridiculous... he still cursed under his breath.
Another special trait?! A light gold?! And an ultra gold?!
Was this guy secretly the author's beloved long-lost son?!
That Ultra Gold trait — and it was already activated — was on par with what Luffy had. A trait that only characters with Admiral-level power or that kind of future potential could possibly possess.
Granted, support traits like Nami's Navigation Mastery [Deep Purple] or Weather Sense [Light Gold] followed a different scale. But for combat-based traits, Ultra Gold meant a future top-tier powerhouse.
But Koby?! Really?
And that wasn't even the most insulting part.
He had Conqueror's Haki?!
The so-called "will of kings" — in this little jellybean of a man?
Lu En stared at the thick lenses and trembling chin.
Absolutely disgraceful.
He began reviewing the details.
Basic Navigation [White]: Able to steer ships across calm waters.
Conqueror's Haki (Unawakened) [Light Gold]: A rare king's disposition, possessed by only one in a million. Can knock out the weak by presence alone when awakened.
Betrayer of Factions [Special]: At pivotal moments, betrays their current faction, resulting in severe loss for that side. (Special traits cannot be upgraded.)
Factional Fate [Ultra Gold]: When a powerful figure from one's faction falls, this trait absorbs their fate, significantly boosting the user's strength. (Only activates when near the fallen figure.)
Lu En stared blankly for a long moment.
Then he quietly took back his earlier joke about Koby being the author's long-lost son.
No. He must be the real father.
It all made sense now.
Why this pathetic clown was ever hailed as the "Next Marine Hero" despite being Koby.
Why he suddenly got stronger after Garp's downfall at Hachinosu.
It was this trait — Factional Fate [Ultra Gold].
"Fall" didn't have to mean death. As long as a key figure's era ended and Koby was within range, their "fate" would transfer to him.
Luffy fought Kaido and got stronger only after being knocked out multiple times — and even that required an Ultra Gold trait.
But Koby?
He just had to stand there and watch someone important fall. Bam — level up.
And combined with Betrayer of Factions [Special]?
Yeah. That definitely explained the nonsense during Marineford — when Koby leapt out in front of Akainu, of all people, to beg for a ceasefire.
And Akainu actually stopped.
The same man known for Absolute Justice — hesitating because of this clown?
Now Lu En understood.
That trait didn't just empower Koby — it warped fate itself.
It caused massive consequences for the Marine faction.
Red-Haired Shanks showed up. Luffy escaped. The Whitebeard remnants withdrew successfully.
The Marine side lost big.
And later, because of Koby's very existence, Garp's legendary era finally ended — and that fed directly into Koby's own power via his trait.
Back on Blue Star, Lu En had cursed the author's ancestors the day he read that part of the manga.
But now?
He just smiled.
The stronger Koby's traits were… the more valuable they'd be once stolen.
Lu En's gaze sharpened.
"Wait… are you on their side too?" Luffy asked mid-bite, chewing down another slab of meat.
"I-I was… but I had no choice…" Koby stammered.
Lu En didn't wait for excuses.
"If you're part of the Alvida Pirates—then lie down."
With a single, brutal kick, Lu En struck Koby square in the chest. The beastlike power behind the blow slammed Koby into the wall, knocking him out cold.
"Lu En… He didn't even fight back. Why kick him?" Luffy asked, frowning slightly as he swallowed.
"Because he betrayed his comrades," Lu En said simply, locking eyes with Luffy.
Luffy blinked, processing that.
It wasn't that he was softhearted — he just didn't like hurting people who couldn't defend themselves. Probably something he picked up from Shanks.
"He betrayed… his crew?"
"Yeah. He's part of the Alvida Pirates, but he just warned us about them. That's betrayal. On the sea, betraying your crewmates is the worst thing a man can do."
Lu En's tone was calm but firm.
"Comrades are people you entrust your life to."
That last line hit home.
Luffy gave a slow nod, finally understanding.
Now it made sense.
Lu En had given him meat, fed him when he was starving — a true act of camaraderie.
And this Koby guy?
They'd barely exchanged a few words. If he was the kind of person to turn his back on his own crew, then yeah — Luffy would punch that kind of guy too.
Hard.
"Yeah… you're right," Luffy said, his grin returning. "Traitors are the worst."
Lu En's expression didn't change, but his eyes gleamed.
"Steal."
He focused on Koby's unconscious form. The system only allowed trait theft from targets who were completely unconscious.
These traits were wasted on you anyway.
Come to me.
WHRRRRR…!
A faint hum vibrated through Lu En's body as the golden traits were pulled from Koby's soul and absorbed into his own.
Success.
A small smile touched his lips.
—Trait (Lu En): Basic Navigation [White]
—Trait: Beast Strength [Blue]
—Trait: Conqueror's Haki (Unawakened) [Light Gold]
—Trait: Factional Fate [Ultra Gold]
From popgun to cannon.
Just moments ago, he only had a single blue trait.
Now?
Light Gold and Ultra Gold.
The real stuff.
As for that Betrayer of Factions [Special] trait?
Lu En rejected it.
He had standards.
Strength could be cruel, cold, even ruthless. But never clownish.
That trait was only good for one thing: disgusting people.
It couldn't be upgraded. It couldn't empower others. And it wasn't worthy of the Strongest Trait System.
He left it behind.
Even the Basic Navigation [White] was more useful out at sea.
DING!
A screen only Lu En could see lit up with a soft golden glow.
"First Ultra Gold trait acquired. Reward granted."
—Conqueror's Haki [Light Gold] has been activated.
Lu En's eyes gleamed.
An unexpected bonus.
And just like that, the sea shifted in his favor.
Author's Note:
The fire is only just beginning! Bookmark, vote, and comment to fuel this journey!