One Piece: The Strongest Trait System

[92] : Explosive Bounties! The Emperors! Seas in Upheaval!

"I-I got a 30 million Beri bounty too," Nami sniffled, looking towards Rowen.

WANTED - DEAD OR ALIVE

'CAT BURGLAR' NAMI

BOUNTY: 30,000,000 Beri!

"Hey! What about me?! Did I get a bounty?" Sanji yelled, rushing over upon hearing Zoro's 100 million.

"Yeah, here's yours. 'Black Leg' Sanji. Bounty: 50 million Beri," Usopp replied, handing over Sanji's poster.

Usopp, initially glum about his own bounty, now wore a strange expression.

"How come it's so much lower than that moss-head's?!" Sanji roared furiously, snatching the poster. But the moment he saw it, he froze.

"WH-WHO IS THIS?!" Sanji yelled, staring at his wanted poster. Unlike the others, which featured photographs, Sanji's poster displayed an incredibly abstract, crude sketch.

"Pfft—HAHAHAHA! Looks exactly like you, Curly-Brows!" Zoro glanced at it and burst out laughing.

Even Rowen struggled to suppress a chuckle. 'Looks like even with an earlier bounty, Sanji couldn't escape this fate.'

"ARE YOU BLIND?! MOSS-HEAD!" Hearing Zoro, the already furious Sanji completely lost it.

Armament Haki coated his leg as he launched a barrage of kicks at Zoro.

"He does look just like you, Mr. 50 Million," Zoro taunted, infusing Wado Ichimonji with Haki as he parried Sanji's attacks, continuing to mock him with the bounty amount.

Watching Sanji and Zoro fight, Rowen's eyes flickered thoughtfully.

After awakening Armament Haki, Sanji had also prematurely mastered Diable Jambe.

More importantly, as Sanji awakened Haki, his Modified Exoskeleton genes were also slowly awakening.

This awakening wasn't instantaneous, but gradual. Currently, the 'Strength' and 'Resilience' modifications from Vinsmoke Judge were awakening.

The full 'Exoskeleton' would only manifest once these genes fully awakened.

No wonder Sanji's physical durability in the original story, despite lacking a specific physique Trait like Luffy or Zoro, never fell significantly behind theirs.

"What about me? Did I get a bounty?" Chopper bounced excitedly over to Rowen.

"Sorry, Chopper. Not yet,"

Rowen replied, gently petting Chopper's comfortable fur with a smile.

Because Chopper hadn't made a public appearance during the Alabasta incident, only the East Blue era members received new bounties this time.

Of course... there was one more person.

"I-I got a bounty... 110 million Beri?!" Vivi stared blankly at her wanted poster.

WANTED - DEAD OR ALIVE

Key Instigator of the Extreme Malice Alabasta Incident!

'PRINCESS OF MALICE' VIVI

BOUNTY: 110,000,000 Beri!

"Wait a minute... What is this 'Extreme Malice Alabasta Incident'?" Nami suddenly noticed the common wording.

After reading the accompanying newspaper article, the entire crew stared in shock.

How did 'they' become the ones who tried to overthrow the Alabasta government?!

"Just the World Government's usual tactics," Rowen commented dismissively.

"Because of the World Economic News Agency's report, my defeat of Crocodile and repelling of Gion couldn't be covered up. Plus, with you joining us, Vivi, they simply decided to pin all the blame on us."

"However... this bounty..." Rowen picked up his own new wanted poster.

"Isn't that around 113.5 million Beri, similar to Vivi's? Shishishi! My bounty is higher than yours now, Rowen!" Luffy grinned cheerfully, misreading the number again.

"You can make the same mistake twice, Luffy? That's 1 billion, 135 million Beri," Rowen corrected with a smile. Luffy had misread his first bounty too.

"EH?!!!" Hearing the corrected number, even Zoro and Sanji stopped fighting instantly.

Everyone stared at Rowen, then yelled in unison.

"ONE BILLION?!" Chopper and Usopp hugged each other, screaming.

"ONE BILLION!!!" Nami and Vivi gasped, staring blankly at Rowen.

"With a bounty like this... the next ones they send will be Admirals," Rowen commented, a confident smile playing on his lips.

"Admirals," Hearing the word, even Robin felt a slight tremor. But seeing Rowen's calm, composed demeanor, Robin's own unease gradually subsided.

Rowen looked at his wanted poster thoughtfully. 'Looks like the World Government has completely locked onto me now.'

But everything was still within Rowen's plan.

Soon, they would reach Skypiea—a place beyond the World Government's reach.

Once he obtained the Rumble-Rumble Fruit—based on his projections of optimal Devil Fruit power... even if Aokiji came at them with full force, not holding back, they could still escape.

As for Blackbeard... before reaching Skypiea... Rowen glanced at Luffy.

Through their spiritual bond, Rowen's and Luffy's powers were linked.

Though Rowen hadn't equipped the unawakened Gomu-Gomu Fruit Trait, by transmitting spiritual power to Luffy via Haōshoku Coating, Rowen had received some feedback from that 'Strongest Devil Fruit'.

Namely—they might not encounter the Dark-Dark Fruit user at all.

Nika and the Dark-Dark Fruit seemed like complete polar opposites.

Nika granted limitless imagination, fighting with absolute freedom.

The Dark-Dark Fruit stripped away all abilities, arguably even imagination and desire. Utterly opposed.

Furthermore, both fruits possessed strong wills of their own, choosing their masters.

And based on Nika's behavior—that will could subtly influence events. Despite being obtained by the World Government, it was then 'stolen' by Shanks, brought to Foosha Village, and eaten by Luffy.

Now, Rowen sensed from the fruit's will that it, and the Dark-Dark Fruit, seemed to have some kind of unspoken agreement—to avoid a direct clash until both their masters had fully matured.

In the original story, Luffy and Blackbeard, though they met, never truly clashed due to various coincidences.

Now, with Rowen as an unexpected factor, perhaps the two fruits wouldn't even allow their users to meet prematurely.

'Interesting... The secrets of this world... keep getting more interesting.' Rowen smiled.

The next moment—

BOOM!

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