One Piece: The Strongest Trait System novel Chapter 56

Chapter 56 - [56] : The World Reacts!

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Syrup Village.

"M-Miss Kaya!" Merry burst frantically into Kaya's study.

"What is it, Merry? Why are you so panicked?" Kaya looked up from the sea map she was studying, wearing her reading glasses.

Kaya was waiting for Rowen's return. Once her health recovered, she wanted to travel with Rowen to many places. Just looking at these maps filled her mind with images...

Of course, having never been to sea, Kaya couldn't truly picture the sights beyond her island yet. But where they went wasn't important; who she went with was. Rowen's face was vividly clear in her mind.

"P-Please look at this!" Merry held out two wanted posters.

"Rowen!" Seeing Rowen's poster, Kaya immediately stood up and took it.

Because Captain Nezumi had been killed by Rowen, the photo used on Rowen's poster was still the one taken by the World Economic News Agency. Luffy's poster also now featured the WE News photo.

Click.

Kaya walked to the window, opened it, and looked out at the distant sea.

She held Rowen's wanted poster close to her heart.

"Rowen—I'll Wait for you to take me to sea." Kaya hugged the poster tightly, gazing at the distant ocean, her eyes curving into a smile.

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Baratie.

Rowen's and Luffy's wanted posters were pinned up in the most prominent spot.

After arranging the kitchen duties, Zeff stepped out onto the deck, looking out at the sea.

"A bounty like that—As expected of that man, Sanji... Fulfill your dream," Zeff smiled faintly.

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An unnamed remote island.

"Hey! Th-That guy is—!" Two pirates, observing the distant sea through a spyglass, suddenly exclaimed.

"H-He's..." The other pirate quickly ran over. Recognizing the man's figure, cold sweat drenched his forehead.

"Hawk-Eyes! What are you doing here?!" A group of pirates quickly surrounded Mihawk.

"Quiet. I'm not here for you. Where are your officers?" Mihawk asked calmly.

"B-Boss!" One pirate scrambled away, running deeper into the island.

"Boss! It's Hawk-Eyes! He—" the pirate yelled towards a man with distinctive red hair and only one arm, who currently had his head bowed.

Emperor Red-Haired Shanks!

"Yo, Hawk-Eyes. Rare to see you here," Shanks murmured, his head still bowed, his expression dark.

Mihawk had appeared before Shanks seemingly out of nowhere.

"I'm not feeling great right now. Did you come for a duel?" Shanks asked without looking up.

"I have no interest in dueling a one-armed man. Besides, you're hungover, aren't you?" Mihawk replied, pulling out two wanted posters.

"I encountered that interesting brat you mentioned—back in the East Blue."

"Hahaha! Luffy! He already got a bounty?" Hearing this, Shanks finally looked up, laughing heartily as he saw Luffy's poster. Thanks to the WE News report, Shanks already knew Luffy had set sail.

"However... there was another pirate who interested me more," Mihawk stated, unfolding the second poster.

"100 million Beri?" Shanks recognized Rowen's face; he'd seen it in the WE News report earlier. But the bounty amount still surprised him greatly.

100 million Beri—that figure held special significance.

Rookie pirates emerging from the Four Blues, after journeying through the first half of the Grand Line, converged at the Sabaody Archipelago.

Those rookies who rose rapidly upon first entering the Grand Line and reaching Sabaody, acquiring bounties exceeding 100 million Beri, were dubbed 'Supernovas'.

Reaching that bounty level required surviving the entire first half of the Grand Line and distinguishing oneself among the top rookies of their generation.

Yet Rowen... received a 100 million Beri bounty—before even entering the Grand Line—This was unprecedented in history.

Calling it explosive news was no exaggeration.

"I clashed my Conqueror's Haki against that young man's," Mihawk stated, looking intently at Shanks. "His future potential... might even surpass yours in terms of Haki, Red-Hair."

Mihawk recalled the clash with Rowen. He had seen in that young man the nascent form of the same overwhelming Haki that the late Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, possessed—the power to conquer all.

Just like when Mihawk witnessed Roger's execution. Just standing there, Rowen seemed to radiate light.

"Oh?" Hearing Mihawk's assessment, the grogginess from Shanks's hangover vanished, replaced by an astonishingly powerful flicker of Haki in his eyes.

"Well then... I'll certainly look forward to meeting him. But before that..." Shanks looked at Mihawk, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

"Hm?" Mihawk raised an eyebrow.

"DRINK! DRINK! DRINK IT ALL! We're celebrating today! Drink up! Hahahaha!" Shanks grabbed Mihawk, pulling him into an impromptu celebration.

"'Sky Sovereign' Rowen, hmm?" While urging Mihawk not to hold back on the drinks, a flicker of crimson-black light flashed deep within Shanks's own eyes. 'To receive such praise from Hawk-Eyes... I eagerly anticipate meeting him myself. And Luffy too!'

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Rowen's and Luffy's wanted posters spread rapidly across the globe.

Rowen's bounty, in particular, sent massive shockwaves through the seas.

Following the initial World Economic News Agency report, coupled with this explosive bounty issued by the Marines, Rowen's name became legendary overnight.

The WE News Agency further emphasized Rowen's clash with the Warlord Hawk-Eyes Mihawk, solidifying his unparalleled reputation.

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Aboard the Going Merry.

"Thwip!" Nami, having just bought a newspaper from a News Coo and grumbled about the price increase, stared wide-eyed at the two wanted posters that fell out.

"This is... ONE HUNDRED MILLION BERI!!!"

Arlong's bounty was only 20 million—the highest in the East Blue! In these waters, anyone exceeding 10 million was considered a major pirate! Nami had never even heard of a pirate in the East Blue with a bounty reaching one hundred million!

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