Upgradable Traits!

"Gum-Gum Fruit? A rubber man?" Zoro stared at Luffy in disbelief.

Devil Fruits—those things of legend—actually existed?

"You bastard! How dare you hit me?! My father will definitely kill all of you!" Helmeppo clutched his rapidly swelling face after Luffy's beating and let out a shrill scream.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Luffy answered him with another barrage of punches.

"St... stop! Don't hit him anymore! If you keep this up, you'll really lose your lives!" The two Marines beside them had initially been frozen in shock by Luffy's stretched rubber body, but seeing Helmeppo on the verge of passing out, they finally snapped out of it and hurried forward to stop him.

"Could you please refrain from interfering with our captain's business?" Rayson spoke calmly, and Conqueror's Haki, black as ink, flashed deep within his eyes.

The next moment, an invisible mental wave spread from him like ripples, sweeping over the two Marines. Their eyes rolled upward, their bodies went limp, and they collapsed to the ground unconscious.

"What was that just now...?" Zoro stood nearby, dumbfounded. This man named Rayson had merely narrowed his eyes, yet Zoro's battle-honed instincts had frantically warned him of danger. He sensed a terrifying force sweeping out, knocking two sturdy Marines unconscious in an instant.

Zoro had never seen such a horrifying method in his life, and his mind churned violently.

"That's called Conqueror's Haki. The weak who can't withstand that pressure can't even stay conscious." Rayson explained blandly as the dark crimson glint flowing through his eyes gradually faded.

"Conqueror's... Haki?" Zoro quietly mulled over the completely unfamiliar term.

Ever since leaving home and going to sea, he had been forced to become a bounty hunter to make a living, relying on captured pirates' bounties to cover his daily expenses.

Though his formidable strength had earned him the title of Pirate Hunter, he had never even heard of a strange power like this before.

Whether it was Luffy's unbelievable rubber body or Rayson's unfathomable pressure...

This sea truly was vast and boundless.

"Ah, that felt much better. Scum like this deserves a beating." Luffy clapped his hands in satisfaction, then grinned at Helmeppo, sprawled on the ground like a dead dog.

Inspect traits. Rayson silently thought, focusing on the unconscious Helmeppo.

> Helmeppo's Trait: Turning Over a New Leaf (light purple)

> Turning Over a New Leaf (light purple): Possesses the potential to reform. After completely turning over a new leaf, his strength will grow.

Even trash like him had a light-purple trait?

And this bastard had relied on Morgan's authority to commit every kind of evil in town!

A piece of scum like him could actually redeem himself and grow stronger? The original author's logic was sometimes truly baffling.

But... even if it was a light-purple trait, it was completely useless to me.

As this thought flashed through Rayson's mind, a new notification appeared on the system panel.

> [Plundered traits of purple grade or above can be converted into corresponding grade upgrade materials.]

> [Upgrade materials can be used to strengthen equipped traits.]

Looking at the explanation on the screen, Rayson understood how it worked, and a knowing smile appeared on his face.

So this was how the system's upgrade function worked.

At least it ensured nothing went to waste.

Plunder.

Helmeppo's trait was immediately absorbed by Rayson.

Convert.

Rayson locked onto the trait "Turning Over a New Leaf (light purple)" and dismantled it.

> [Conversion complete. Current potential-type light-purple upgrade materials: (1).]

After trying out this new function, Rayson had a clear grasp of it.

Simply put, he could convert unneeded surplus traits into upgrade items to nourish and strengthen the traits he needed.

However, white- and blue-grade traits could not be converted.

Furthermore, only traits completely obtained through plunder could be dismantled as materials. Traits he mirror-equipped from his companions could be freely equipped and used without limit, but they could not serve as fuel for upgrades.

Only purple-grade and higher traits that he had personally seized by force could be used to feed his core abilities.

Combat traits were divided by the system into two major categories: potential-type and strength-type.

For example, the "Factional Fortune (ultimate gold)" that he had forcibly taken from Koby was, by nature, a potential-type trait.

Luffy's "Sun God (ultimate gold)" likewise belonged to the potential-type category.

Meanwhile, Rayson's awakened "Conqueror's Haki (light gold)" belonged to the strength-type category because it could be directly used in battle to provide a boost.

Luffy's "Transcendent Physique (deep purple)" and Zoro's "Demon Physique (deep purple)" were also strength-type traits.

For strength-type traits geared toward direct combat power, such as physical strength, the grade shown on the panel represented the level of power the user could currently exert, rather than the ultimate limit they could eventually reach.

The same logic applied to combat skills such as Zoro's "Three-Sword Style (deep purple)" and Luffy's "Gum-Gum Fruit (deep purple)."

Potential-type materials could only upgrade potential-type traits and could not affect strength-type traits.

Seeing that limitation, Rayson felt somewhat regretful. If direct strengthening had been possible, he had even considered converting "Factional Fortune (ultimate gold)" to forcibly feed his "Conqueror's Haki."

Although Factional Fortune had astonishing potential, it still could not compare to true Conqueror's Haki infusion.

That was extraordinary power representing the threshold of the sea's very strongest—the Four Emperors and Admirals.

Still, such a restriction made sense. Potential was merely a future possibility; it was not the same as ready-made combat power that could be used immediately.

If potential could be directly transformed into invincible brute force, it would be equivalent to creating something from nothing, violating the world's underlying logic.

This realization made Rayson increasingly feel that he was in a real world of flesh and blood. Even with the system's convenience, the most fundamental laws of cultivation still existed.

To stand at the pinnacle of the world, the system had merely given him a pass. How far he could ultimately go would still depend on measuring every step with his own feet.

A smile appeared on Rayson's face. This made things more interesting.

Let's see just how high I can climb.

> [King's Bearing has increased. Conqueror's Haki strength has increased.]

Another notification flashed through his mind.

Just as I expected, the strength of Conqueror's Haki was completely tied to the original work's theory of "King's Spirit."