One Piece: The Strongest Trait System novel Chapter 167

Chapter 167: [167] : The Soul Legion! A Mirror of the Five Elders!

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A wave of spiritual energy emanated from Crocodile’s soul—

As the ’Man of the Underworld’—having Awakened the Revive-Revive Fruit, and further enhanced by the Awakened Human-Human Fruit’s intellect, Rowen could easily interpret the meaning within this spiritual fluctuation.

’Sky Sovereign Rowen! WHY! Why are you in this world of the dead?!’

Crocodile’s soul pulsed violently.

This was the man who had destroyed everything he had!

His dreams, his very life—utterly extinguished in Alabasta!

His hatred for this man was now etched into his very soul. Though, a soul was all he had left...

Souls entering the underworld, like Brook upon his resurrection, appeared as yellowish, cloud-like wisps, lacking a physical form.

Only Rowen, as both a Man of the Underworld and an Ultimate Human, could distinguish between souls and understand the meaning of their spiritual fluctuations.

If Crocodile had a physical form now, he would surely be grinding his teeth to dust.

Completely dead, now existing only as a soul, Crocodile knew with certainty: the man before him was NOT dead. Anyone who died and entered the underworld existed as a soul.

Yet this man stood here in his living, physical body!

And around this man’s body coiled a power that made Crocodile’s soul tremble in fear—a power he knew all too well...

The power of a Devil Fruit!

After becoming a soul, his perception of Devil Fruit powers was even clearer.

’He came to the underworld with a physical body, using a Devil Fruit ability? And he found me... Was killing me in the mortal world not enough? Does he want to completely obliterate my soul too??’

Crocodile’s soul pulsed with hatred, and profound terror.

This Devil Fruit ability was a nightmare for a soul like him. It was the power to destroy souls!

’Soul and body destroyed’ was just a phrase—but truly facing such a fate, even the former Warlord Crocodile felt his very soul shudder.

"Don’t be so tense. It’s been a while since I’ve seen an old friend. Why so nervous??" Rowen asked with a smile.

Crocodile’s soul flared.

’OLD FRIEND?? This bastard buried my dreams and my life in Alabasta! And now he calls me an old friend?! WHAT INSULTING NONSENSE!’

"Oh? You don’t want to be my friend? What a shame," Rowen sighed, then extended his right hand, wreathed in the power of the Revive-Revive Fruit.

HSSSSSSSS!

A strange white smoke began to rise from Crocodile’s soul.

"IT’S BEEN A LONG TIME, MR. ROWEN!" Crocodile’s soul instantly pulsed with politeness.

Are you kidding?? That’s the power to truly obliterate souls. My soul is actually disappearing!

As the saying goes: a wise man knows when to bow.

As a soul, facing this man who could freely traverse the underworld and possessed the power to utterly destroy souls—BOWING WAS NOT SHAMEFUL!

"That’s more like it," Rowen chuckled.

"Mr. Rowen... You went to such great lengths to find me in the underworld... what do you want from me? As you can see, I am nothing but a soul now," Crocodile’s soul pulsed.

"No rush. First, let’s catch up on the news from the world of the living," Rowen replied, producing a stack of newspapers and inviting Crocodile to have a look.

"Hm?" Crocodile had no idea what this man was planning. He floated obediently over to the newspapers.

One look—and he was completely stunned.

’WHAT THE HELL IS THIS NEWS?!’

Sky Sovereign Rowen defeated Marine HQ Admiral Aokiji? Severed his leg??

Became the Fifth Emperor of the Sea?

User of the Awakened Rumble-Rumble Fruit, an Ultimate Human from the Awakened Human-Human Fruit, and a Space-manipulator from the Awakened Door-Door Fruit!

WHAT??

Even Marine HQ Admiral Akainu—that monster—was defeated by Sky Sovereign Rowen?

A Buster Call suffered a devastating blow?! Enies Lobby was breached by this man??

The World’s Strongest Ability User. The Man Who Can Steal Everything!

The Fifth Emperor. Sky Sovereign Rowen!

Bounty: 3,988,900,000 Beri?!

And the Straw Hat Pirates—those previously unremarkable rookies—all had bounties exceeding 100 million? They were already a super pirate crew on the level of an Emperor’s?

Crocodile began to question his entire existence.

FAKE NEWS!

That was Crocodile’s initial reaction.

But thinking carefully... impossible.

Would Sky Sovereign Rowen go to such great lengths to come to the underworld just to show him fake news?

Don’t be ridiculous!

This was the man who buried his dreams and his life in Alabasta!

So... all this news was real?

Had he been dead for many years?

But Crocodile checked the dates on the newspapers. Only a few months had passed since his death...

What kind of hellish joke was this?

Oh, wait, this is the underworld hell. Never mind.

But Crocodile still found it absurd. In just a few months, Sky Sovereign Rowen could defeat both Aokiji and Akainu one-on-one?!

He had almost defeated the entire roster of three Marine Admirals!

As a former Warlord and Logia user, Crocodile knew all too well how powerful the three Logia Admirals were—each was a walking natural disaster.

Especially Akainu, user of the Magma-Magma Fruit with the strongest offensive power—even users of Haōshoku Coating had to be careful against him!

Yet Akainu—lost to Sky Sovereign Rowen in a one-on-one fight?

No wonder he had a bounty close to 4 BILLION BERI... That bounty was solidly in Emperor territory!

At this moment, Crocodile felt a strange sense of release.

Damn... even Aokiji and Akainu lost to this man... so my loss was perfectly normal, wasn’t it?

Sengoku the Buddha was also outmaneuvered by this man’s schemes... so my dream being buried was perfectly normal too—

—His luck was just terrible...

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Only the Revive-Revive Fruit’s power could truly harm an elemental Homie—and that power was in Rowen’s and Brook’s hands; nothing to worry about.

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When this man first appeared, his claim to ’stand above all’ was dismissed by many as arrogance.

But now, he had truly become an Emperor-level super pirate—with a bounty close to 4 billion.

"And—you also need to atone for what you did to Alabasta. Fighting for me is the best atonement—" Rowen added, a ghostly light flickering in his eyes.

The earlier invitation was a show of respect for a fighter of Crocodile’s caliber. After all, top-level Homies possessed independent consciousness; to have Crocodile fight for him at full strength, some respect was necessary.

But likewise, if Crocodile was foolish enough to refuse... The Revive-Revive Fruit’s power could completely destroy his soul.

A Homie controlled by Rowen, a Revive-Revive Fruit user, unlike Zeus with Big Mom, couldn’t so easily betray him—Rowen possessed the true power to destroy souls!

"What a terrifying man—makes one shudder from the bottom of one’s heart," Crocodile’s soul pulsed.

"Alright, If it’s you, I accept. Sky Sovereign Rowen," Crocodile’s soul finally pulsed in agreement. After all, refusal meant annihilation.

And under such circumstances, this man still showed him respect, extending a formal invitation.

To be driven by a man so young, who had defeated Aokiji and Akainu, who was now challenging the very Empty Throne—it wasn’t a shameful thing.

"Excellent," Rowen replied with a satisfied smile.

"Now then... one more fellow."

WHOOSH!

Rowen activated his Revive-Revive and Door-Door Fruits, opening another Air Door.

FWOOSH!

His right hand, wreathed in the power of the underworld, plunged into the door and snatched something...

"D-Damn it! Who dares grab me—a GOD?" A familiar, arrogant voice echoed from within the door even before the soul was pulled out.

"It’s me!" Rowen replied calmly, dragging Enel’s soul out from the door.

"R-ROWEN???" Enel’s soul nearly dissipated from sheer terror.

His Divine Dream had been shattered by this man with just three punches. He had been beaten so badly his life flashed before his eyes—

How could he possibly see this man again—here in the underworld?

And appearing in his living form?

"He is?" Crocodile’s soul pulsed curiously.

"Enel. Former user of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit," Rowen introduced.

"So your Rumble-Rumble Fruit ability came from this fellow," Crocodile’s soul pulsed in understanding.

"Wh-What do you want from me, Rowen?" Enel stammered fearfully. He was beaten into submission by Rowen. He had no desire to experience that again...

"Stay here quietly, and await my summons. Crocodile—you explain things to him," Rowen stated calmly.

Towards someone like Enel, who only understood force—no politeness was necessary.

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