One Piece: The Strongest Trait System novel Chapter 99

Chapter 99 - [99] : [BONUS] - The 400-Year Promise! Super Reward!

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On the outskirts of Jaya Island.

A peculiar house stood here—Only half a structure, the missing wall replaced with wooden planks, which also extended the building, decorated with a fairytale-like castle painting, giving it a very flamboyant look.

This was the headquarters of the Saruyama Alliance.

"Boss! I heard that Sky Sovereign Rowen went on a rampage in Mock Town! Many famous pirates died at his hands! Even Bellamy the Hyena, that vicious pirate with a 55 million Beri bounty, got his entire crew wiped out just for jumping in front of the man... That guy—is the most vicious, super great pirate on the seas right now! What if he decides to just massacre everyone on Jaya Island?! Let's get out of here and lay low for a while!"

Masira, who had encountered Rowen's crew earlier, now stared fearfully at the two figures before him.

One looked like a orangutan—Shoujou, captain of the Shoujou Pirates, another faction of the Saruyama Alliance.

The other was a man with a distinctive diamond-shaped face.

—Montblanc Cricket, descendant of Montblanc Noland, the protagonist of the 400-year-old "Liar Noland" story.

"Calm down! He just killed a Warlord, that's all! I bet I could become a Warlord too!" Shoujou declared, though his voice wavered slightly, trying to sound tough.

"THIS IS NO TIME FOR JOKES! Confidence is one thing, but that man can casually cause terrifying natural disasters—If you really faced him, you wouldn't even know how you died!"

Masira yelled, spittle flying as he berated Shoujou.

Does this idiot have any sense? Bellamy the Hyena, a notorious pirate in these waters, got his entire crew annihilated just for jumping in front of Rowen!

According to his men who scouted Mock Town and barely escaped, the entire town had become that vicious pirate's domain!

For all they knew, that ruthless monster was probably conducting a horrifying, inhumane massacre right now.

If he sensed their presence here... he might come slaughtering his way to their doorstep!

This was the pirate rumored to slaughter countless people at the slightest whim—the most vicious pirate on the seas!

The thought of that horrifying consequence made Masira tremble with fear.

"Calm down. Those are just rumors. You can't believe everything you hear," Cricket stated, exhaling a puff of smoke, his eyes holding a complex emotion.

He was here because of his ancestor from four hundred years ago, Montblanc Noland, who claimed this island held a city of gold.

When the king found nothing, and Noland, even facing death, refused to deny the city's existence, he was executed.

Noland had been branded a liar for centuries, a name that shamed his descendants.

Cricket himself had borne this stigma since childhood.

To clear his ancestor's and family's name, he gave up being a pirate, came to Jaya, and had been diving in these waters ever since—searching for proof of the City of Gold. Unfortunately, he had found nothing so far.

Because of his own experiences, Cricket knew how destructive rumors could be—a linguistic force capable of ruining a person, even an entire family...

He inherently distrusted such tales; otherwise, why would he still be here, searching for a city of gold?

"Well said. You must be Montblanc Cricket," an appreciative, hearty laugh suddenly interjected.

Cricket, Shoujou, and Masira turned towards the sound, their pupils instantly constricting.

"Sk-Sk-Sky Sovereign ROWEN!" Masira collapsed to the ground, staring in terror at the man who had just appeared. _{ƒrēewebnovel.com}

'What did he just say?! This man—actually showed up right in front of them! Did he finish slaughtering Mock Town and come for them next?!'

"B-Boss! You get out of here!"

Shoujou, usually supremely confident, now felt his legs turn to jelly.

Only by facing this man directly could one truly sense how terrifying he was. Just standing there, he radiated immense power, an overwhelming presence...

'Is this the terrifying aura of a man with a bounty over 1.1 billion Beri?!' Shoujou stared, horrified.

"B-Boss! We'll hold him off! He's a Devil Fruit user—He can't swim! You run!" Masira, though terrified, forced down his fear for the sake of the man he respected most, Montblanc Cricket, and stood defiantly before Rowen's group.

"Hey, hey! Didn't your boss just say those are just rumors, and rumors can't be trusted?" Rowen asked, amused, looking at the two men—one resembling a gorilla, the other an orangutan.

Though not particularly strong or handsome, their willingness to overcome fear and stand before a man they respected, ready to die—that showed the true spirit of men of the sea.

A flicker of appreciation appeared in Rowen's eyes.

"Shishishi! Diamond-Faced Uncle is right! Those are just rumors! Rowen and Vivi are really nice people!" Luffy grinned, already bestowing Cricket with a nickname based on his appearance, as was his habit.

Luffy instantly liked Cricket's demeanor.

"Sky Sovereign Rowen. Straw Hat Pirates. Your reputations precede you," Cricket stated, stepping in front of Shoujou and Masira, shielding them. "Do you have business with me?"

He wasn't a fool... The famous Sky Sovereign Rowen and his crew seeking him out, even knowing his name—they clearly wanted something.

As for a massacre? He never believed those rumors anyway, and he didn't sense any killing intent from these people.

In fact, they didn't seem like typical pirates at all.

"Diamond-Faced Uncle! We need to use a Knock-Up Stream to get to Skypiea! Rowen said you know how!" Luffy blurted out their purpose with a grin.

"SKYPIEA?!" Cricket, Shoujou, and Masira stared, stunned.

This fanciful legend—people still believed it?

If it were anyone else, they'd scoff. But the ones asking... were Sky Sovereign Rowen and his crew.

"You... believe Skypiea exists?" Cricket asked, his eyes flickering with intense emotion.

"Of course! Rowen said Skypiea exists, so it definitely does! Shishishi!" Luffy grinned confidently. The others also wore expressions of absolute trust. Rowen was never wrong.

"A Knock-Up Stream... If one were to go to Skypiea, that would indeed be the only way," Cricket murmured, his eyes suddenly shining brightly.

Skypiea—in these waters, it was widely considered a fanciful legend, something only naive children who believed in fairy tales would accept.

Anyone in this region claiming to believe in Skypiea was usually laughed at.

But this man before him—Sky Sovereign Rowen, Cricket didn't believe the rumors about massacres or overthrowing kingdoms.

But some facts were undeniable: this man had killed a Warlord, defeated an Admiral Candidate, and possessed a bounty exceeding 1.1 billion Beri!

Without exaggeration, even across the entire Grand Line, he was an absolute powerhouse!

For such a man to speak of Skypiea's existence with such conviction! Perhaps... the legendary Skypiea really did exist...

Cricket's eyes shone with startling intensity.

If the legendary Skypiea existed...

Then what about the City of Gold his ancestor, Montblanc Noland, believed in?

Could it also... possibly exist?!

"Alright. I'll help you!" Cricket stated firmly after a moment, exhaling slowly.

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