One Piece: The Strongest Trait System novel Chapter 174

Chapter 174: [174] : [BONUS] - What Does It Mean to Be a Pirate? Understanding Life and Death!

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Kuma trembled uncontrollably. Nika was the faith of the Buccaneer race. As a descendant, Kuma had inherited this belief, revering Nika since childhood.

His joining the Revolutionary Army, his activities of liberation—were all influenced by his faith in the Sun God, Nika.

To learn, just before his consciousness faded completely, that Dragon’s son was the Nika of this era—Kuma felt immensely content, incredibly fortunate.

And to actually witness Nika’s descent with his own eyes...

A fanatical light burned in Kuma’s eyes.

Faith... in any world—was the most fervent of emotions.

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"Rowen, I can’t Awaken yet. I’ve almost finished digesting the ’Desire for Liberation’ you gave me—" Luffy stated, sensing Kuma’s fervent emotion, scratching his head.

Luffy, too, was desperate to Awaken. He didn’t know much about Nika or care for the legend of the Sun God.

But the Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Model: Nika—was, according to Rowen, the Strongest Devil Fruit. Once Awakened, he would truly become one of the most powerful individuals on these seas.

Whether to become King of the Pirates or to help Rowen become the man who stood above all—Luffy desperately needed this power.

But he couldn’t Awaken just because he wanted to—the conditions weren’t met. No matter how hard Luffy tried, it was impossible.

"I wasn’t talking about now. Have you forgotten the power of the Revive-Revive Fruit?" Rowen asked with a knowing smile.

"The Revive-Revive Fruit? Doesn’t that only work on people after they’ve died?" The crew all looked towards Kuma. Rowen’s words immediately reminded them of Crocodile and Enel, now serving Rowen from the underworld.

"Speaking of which... what did you mean earlier when you said you were about to lose consciousness?" Sanji keenly picked up on the key point, looking at Kuma.

"If you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to," Sanji added, sensing Kuma’s sudden emotional turmoil.

"No, it’s fine. Sky Sovereign Rowen has been honest with me—what need is there for me to hide anything?" Kuma took a deep breath.

Sky Sovereign Rowen had no reason to tell him any of this. Even if it was for the Paw-Paw Fruit, Rowen had countless other ways to obtain it—he didn’t need to go to this trouble.

For Rowen to so directly tell him the great secret of Nika, fulfilling one of his greatest wishes—if Kuma hid anything now, he would despise himself.

Soon, Kuma recounted everything that had happened to him, including the connection between the Buccaneer race and Sun God Nika...

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"UWAAAAAAAAAH! KUMA! YOU—YOU’RE A REAL MAN!" Franky wailed, moved to tears, patting Kuma’s massive frame.

"I never imagined the Warlord known as ’Tyrant’ had such a past," Sanji commented, deeply moved.

Kuma’s tenderness towards a child who wasn’t his own, whom his beloved had with another... it reminded Sanji of his own childhood, filling him with emotion.

’A man like this... truly deserves to be called a father.’

"Sorry... I can’t Awaken right now, so I can’t let you see Nika," Luffy said, also wanting to help this man fulfill his wish, but unfortunately lacking the strength.

"But with Rowen here, you can see me Awaken later, even after you die! Shishishi!" Luffy grinned, uttering the most morbidly cheerful statement.

But Luffy didn’t see it as morbid.

This was the man who could smile in the face of his own execution and say, "Looks like I’m dead."

Besides, with Rowen’s Devil Fruit abilities, even after Kuma died, Rowen could find him in the underworld.

"After I die?" Kuma stared, stunned.

"THAT’S RIGHT! Rowen’s Revive-Revive Fruit and Door-Door Fruit abilities combined allow him to freely travel to the underworld and bring souls back! Rowen is a Man of the Underworld... Don’t worry about dying; Rowen can bring you back—" Nami declared proudly, puffing out her chest.

"Words might not make sense... let me just show you," Rowen said, looking towards the lifeless Moria.

The shadows had all returned to their owners.

"Yohohoho! My shadow is back!" Brook exclaimed excitedly, looking at the shadow at his feet.

"COME FORTH—"

WHOOSH!

Rowen opened an Air Door. He reached in and pulled out a sword.

"That’s—!" Zoro’s pupils constricted sharply.

"A blade with an irregular ’ō-chōji’ midare hamon (temper line), black-purple scabbard, with a red sawtooth pattern... One of the 21 Great Grade Swords, and a black blade, just like Mihawk’s Yoru—Shusui,"

Rowen stated, unsheathing Shusui with a smile.

The national treasure of Wano. And the second known black blade, besides Yoru. Even among the 21 Great Grade Swords, this blade was top-tier.

However, Shusui wasn’t a black blade forged by Zoro himself. The process of a swordsman forging a black blade was akin to a martial artist forging their Iron Fists—creating their own ultimate, personalized weapon.

A black blade could only unleash its full 100% power in the hands of its creator. Shusui was destined to be a transitional sword for Zoro, to be traded later for Enma, a blade better suited for him.

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"Take it," Rowen tossed Shusui to Zoro.

Zoro caught it, examining it intently...

For a swordsman, a good sword was incredibly alluring. And a black blade, like Mihawk’s—and one of the 21 Great Grade Swords, like Wado Ichimonji...

"A black blade needs to be forged by the swordsman himself; only in the creator’s hands can it unleash its full power. But even so, Shusui is among the best of the Great Grade Swords. It will make you stronger. Replace Yubashiri with it,"

Rowen instructed.

Zoro’s current swords were Wado Ichimonji (Great Grade), and Yubashiri and Sandai Kitetsu (both Skillful Grade).

In the original story, Yubashiri was destroyed during the Enies Lobby arc by the Rust-Rust Fruit user.

But in this timeline, an enemy of that level wouldn’t even be qualified to stand before Zoro; Conqueror’s Haki would easily deal with him. So Yubashiri was still intact—

—But now, it was falling behind Zoro’s strength. Sandai Kitetsu, being a cursed sword, synergized with Zoro’s Asura Aura, making it stronger than Yubashiri. So, replacing Yubashiri was the only choice.

"I understand," Zoro nodded.

If you don’t give up some things, you’ll end up with nothing... This was an ironclad rule of the sea—A resolve required of any strong warrior!

Yubashiri could no longer keep pace with him, nor with the path Rowen was forging...

REPLACING IT WAS NECESSARY!

’I’ll place Yubashiri in storage. When I reach the pinnacle of the world’s swordsmen, this famed blade I once wielded will also have its own fame across the seas.’

Rowen also smiled.

The resolve of his comrades—needed no questioning. They would follow in his footsteps, helping him become the King who Stood Above All.

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Moria was weak, but he had quite a few good things...

The Clear-Clear Fruit, the black blade Shusui, his Warlord ’fortune’ that Awakened the Flare-Flare Fruit... and the Shadow-Shadow Fruit.

"Plunder."

Rowen acquired Moria’s Shadow-Shadow Fruit. Moria’s current strength was insufficient to provide any significant boost to Rowen’s physique or Haki.

"MORIA-SAMA!" Perona, the only remaining of the three subordinates, sobbed sorrowfully.

"Negative Hollow——!" Perona activated her Devil Fruit ability.

POOF!

FWOOSH!

GLARE!

WHAM! BAM! THUMP!

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BOOM!