One Piece: The Strongest Trait System novel Chapter 69

Chapter 69 - [69] : [BONUS] - An Unexpected Development! A True Man!

~ Thank you, This is the Bonus Chapter For Hitting 1,500 Powerstones~

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Vivi was utterly stunned.

What were these people talking about?!

Going to take down one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea—Crocodile?!

And so casually?!

Even for a great pirate with a bounty over 100 million Beri, weren't they underestimating the Warlords far too much?!

Seeing the relaxed smile on Rowen's face, Vivi bit her lip hard.

"Are you people insane?! That's one of the Seven Warlords! One of the seven great pirates granted legal plundering rights by the World Government! Even the Marines aren't authorized to interfere with them! Do you truly understand what being a Warlord means?!" Vivi screamed, her emotions finally cracking under the immense pressure.

Two years ago, as Princess Vivi of Alabasta, she noticed the shadow of Baroque Works behind the various incidents plunging her country into chaos.

She and Igaram, the captain of the Royal Guard, infiltrated the organization together. Vivi took the codename Miss Wednesday, while Igaram became Mr. 8.

During their infiltration, Vivi finally discovered the identity of Baroque Works' mysterious boss.

One of the Seven Warlords! User of the Logia-type Sand-Sand Fruit—Crocodile.

When Vivi learned the truth she had desperately sought, instead of relief, she felt only profound despair!

Crocodile, wielding his nearly invincible Logia powers in this region, frequently used his Warlord status to hunt down pirates causing trouble in Alabasta, earning him the reputation of a hero in the newspapers.

Meanwhile, her father, King Nefertari Cobra, faced growing distrust from the populace due to years of civil unrest and a devastating three-year drought, all secretly orchestrated by Crocodile.

Crocodile's influence in Alabasta had reached the point where it overshadowed even her father's authority.

Crocodile's power, fame, and Warlord status weighed down on Vivi, making it impossible to breathe. Facing him, even as a princess, she felt utterly powerless.

Now, hearing Rowen speak so casually about taking down Crocodile—It shattered the dam holding back years of suppressed pain and helplessness within Vivi.

"Uh... Miss Wednesday... Sorry to interrupt while you're emotional, but—maybe look at this report?" Mr. 9 awkwardly held out a newspaper he had acquired when looking for Rowen's wanted poster.

This newspaper specifically detailed the clash between 'Sky Sovereign' Rowen and the Warlord, Hawk-Eyes Mihawk.

Mr. 9 hadn't fully grasped the significance of the Warlords back then; after all, this was just the first stop at the entrance of the Grand Line.

Most operating here were small-time players. A pirate of Crocodile's caliber appearing in this region (due to intel about Pluton) was an extreme exception.

Of course, Mr. 9 hadn't thrown the paper away; funds were tight, and reading old news helped pass the time during their tedious food-scouting missions.

"Hm?" Vivi blinked, subconsciously taking the newspaper from Mr. 9. With her country in crisis and the horrifying discovery about Crocodile, she hadn't had the mind to read newspapers lately.

Seeing the front-page headline—detailing the clash between 'Sky Sovereign' Rowen and Hawk-Eyes Mihawk, one of the Seven Warlords and the World's Greatest Swordsman—Vivi's beautiful eyes widened dramatically.

"Y-Y-You..." After reading the report, Vivi stammered, looking incredulously at Rowen.

This man—had already clashed with one of the Warlords—Mihawk, whose fame arguably surpassed even Crocodile's?!

And the report mentioned Conqueror's Haki—what kind of power was that? The article described the clash between Rowen and Mihawk as—a Clash of Kings!

Such exaggerated language left Vivi, who had lived her whole life in Alabasta and knew little of such things, completely stunned.

"See how amazing Rowen is?! He's called the future King of the Seas! And I, Usopp, am acknowledged by Rowen himself as a brave warrior of the sea—That's why people across the seas call me Sky Sovereign Rowen's reliable partner, Usopp the Brave'!" Seeing Vivi's reaction, Usopp's old boasting habit flared up again. He pointed proudly at his long nose.

"Then you can handle Crocodile, Usopp the Brave," Zoro commented dryly, clapping Usopp on the shoulder with his 'villain' expression.

"Gack!" Usopp's expression instantly froze.

Him? Take down Crocodile?! That was suicide! Cold sweat beaded on Usopp's forehead, his legs starting to tremble again as he shot a pleading look towards Rowen.

"Hahaha!" Seeing Usopp's predicament, the others burst into laughter.

"Crocodile is mine. But there will definitely be battles for you," Rowen chuckled, then added reassuringly.

Crocodile's subordinates would have to be dealt with by Zoro and the others. Firstly, it provided valuable combat experience for his comrades, helping them grow stronger.

More importantly, although Rowen was confident against Crocodile, facing a Warlord still required his full attention; he wouldn't have the spare energy to deal with other Baroque Works agents.

Whether using Devil Fruit powers or Haki, intense battles demanded immense stamina. Focusing entirely on the main opponent was crucial. Kaido's defeat in the original story, worn down by multiple opponents, was the perfect example of what not to do.

"Leave it to me!" Usopp immediately declared loudly.

As long as he didn't have to fight Crocodile himself, he was fine. Besides, Usopp trusted Rowen wouldn't put him in harm's way; he'd surely be assigned a suitable opponent.

"But it's strange—If you're the Princess of Alabasta like Rowen said, why infiltrate Baroque Works?" Nami suddenly asked, her eyes lighting up. She smelled the scent of Beri.

"W-Well..." Vivi's gaze flickered nervously.

"Don't try to lie to us! Rowen possesses a power called Observation Haki—He knows what you're thinking! How else would he know you're the Princess of Alabasta?" Nami leaned closer to Vivi, gently lifting her chin, adopting her 'intimidating villain' expression as she looked into Vivi's beautiful face.

Rowen suppressed a chuckle hearing Nami's words.

While special forms of Observation Haki capable of reading minds and memories (like Red Count's) did exist on the seas, they were innate talents, impossible to train.

Rowen had mentioned such possibilities while educating the crew about the world, never expecting Nami to use it to bluff Vivi.

As for how Rowen knew Vivi's identity? He didn't need to explain, and Nami, Luffy, and the others wouldn't ask. Just as Rowen respected their pasts and secrets, they trusted him implicitly. That was the unspoken understanding among them.

"!!!" Sure enough, Vivi, largely ignorant of the wider world's intricacies, turned pale with fright.

'Reading memories?! Such power exists?!' But this man had a 100 million Beri bounty, clashed with the Warlord Mihawk, an event hailed as a 'Clash of Kings'—Perhaps possessing such power wasn't so strange after all?

"Not talking? Rowen, hurry up and read her memories!" Nami pressed, intensifying the bluff.

"I-I'll talk! Please don't read my memories!" Vivi cried, almost bursting into tears. 'A girl has many secrets! If he read everything... how could she face anyone ever again?!'

Vivi bit her lip and recounted everything:

Discovering Baroque Works agents stirring up trouble in Alabasta, infiltrating the organization with Igaram to find the mastermind and save her country, and finally, the despair upon learning it was Crocodile...

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Smack!

"Eh?!" Vivi looked at Nami's reaction, blinked, and seemed to understand. 'This girl—had a similar past experience?'

"But you still have to pay me something for my services, understand?" Nami leaned down close to Vivi with a mischievous grin.