A Terrifying Powerhouse

Check traits... Rayson silently thought, and a panel appeared before his eyes.

> Rayson's traits: Navigation (white), Beast Strength (blue), Conqueror's Haki (awakened) (pale gold), Factional Fortune (ultimate gold), Child of the Sea (ultimate gold);

Transcendent Physique (deep purple) (equipped): [|||||...]

> Demon Physique (deep purple) (equipped): [||...]

> Ashura Aura (special) (equipped): [|...]

> Sun God (ultimate gold) (equipped): [||...]

> Child of the Sea (ultimate gold): Born a Child of the Sea! Possesses unparalleled swimming talent and reigns supreme in all waters! Simply swimming in the sea continuously enhances one's kingly bearing, strengthening Haki without limit~

The tag marked "inactive" was gone.

This ultimate gold trait, which had once dimmed after Buggy ate a Devil Fruit, now blazed brilliantly within Rayson, fully restored to life.

Child of the Sea—the cheat-like Haki training aid—finally belonged to him!

Rayson closed his eyes and took a slow, calming breath.

Whew...

The cool sea breeze brushed against his face.

"Everything... is different now..."

Rayson slowly opened his eyes. There was something new in his expression, the look of someone who had fused with a brand-new kingly bearing.

It truly was a godly aid for tempering one's spirit and Haki.

Even without setting foot in the ocean, merely sensing the sea breeze blowing toward him already felt utterly different from before.

Rayson could clearly feel the rhythm of the vast ocean carried within the wind.

In the world of pirates, the sea's power was everywhere. Whitebeard's words—"Everyone at sea is a child of the sea"—were no empty claim.

It was simply that ordinary people could not perceive that feedback at all.

Those who could sense those waves were either Devil Fruit users rejected by seawater,

or beings like Rayson, who possessed the Child of the Sea trait.

Yet Devil Fruit users were rejected by the sea and could not even move freely in the water.

Rayson, on the other hand, could wield the ocean's power and make himself ever stronger!

Confidence—an unprecedented sense of control! It was as though he had become the most favored child of these waters.

Even before entering the water, merely breathing air infused with the scent of the ocean had already brought a wondrous transformation to his state of mind.

As comfortable as a fish returning to water, the ocean filled his soul with abundant confidence.

This feeling... was simply marvelous.

Rayson gazed into the distance, a desire to leap into the sea and swim surging from the depths of his heart. As long as he swam in the ocean, he could build up his spirit and grow stronger!

With the Child of the Sea trait, tempering his Conqueror's Haki to the stage of coating and stepping into the realm of the peak Four Emperors was merely a matter of time.

Not only that, with this trait, Rayson's Haki potential would stand at an unprecedented pinnacle in the world!

Kaido had once said: only Haki could surpass all things.

Therefore, Rayson, who stood at the potential summit of Haki, was destined to look down upon all living beings!

Proud confidence formed into a calm smile on Rayson's face.

The bold declaration he had deliberately shouted earlier to make a name for himself, establish his prestige, and cooperate with the system in triggering Luffy's bond had sounded somewhat ridiculous at the time.

But now, with the true talent of Child of the Sea, everything seemed perfectly natural.

Arrogance without strength to support it was stupidity, but with enough cards in hand, it was the ambition of the strong.

His state of mind had undergone a qualitative change.

"B-Bastard! How dare you treat me like this?!" At that moment, Buggy finally woke from the intense pain.

He instinctively activated his splitting ability, breaking himself into even more pieces.

If those two guys hit him a few more times like before, his weak point would really be completely ruined.

"You're quite tenacious," Rayson said approvingly. He was in an excellent mood now, and there was even a hint of warmth in the way he looked at Buggy.

After all, without Buggy, he would never have obtained such a world-shaking trait.

More importantly, this gift had granted Rayson the extraordinary bearing of a top-tier powerhouse.

"You... why do you feel a little different from before?" Buggy gritted his teeth, wanting to take revenge on Luffy and Rayson. Yet the instant his gaze met Rayson's, his heart suddenly trembled, and his movements stalled for half a beat.

Having spent many years aboard Roger's ship, Buggy might have been weak, but his eye for things remained.

Although Rayson's Conqueror's Haki had been astonishing before, Buggy had not considered him some peerless master.

This was not merely about strength. The earlier Rayson had also lacked a certain aura.

Like Captain Roger, or First Mate Rayleigh... even when they stood silently without doing anything, an oppressive presence that made one suffocate would naturally emanate from them.

That was the dignity possessed only by those who stood at the top of the pyramid.

But now, Rayson gave him an exceptionally similar feeling.

Powerful! Even standing motionlessly where he was, this man appeared utterly terrifying!

Compared to before, he was practically a different person.

Buggy shook his head, feeling dizzy.

Was I cursed? In that instant, he had actually seen the shadow of Captain Roger in this young man.

That invincible momentum seemed ready to trample everything standing in its way beneath its feet.

"Enough nonsense! You hurt me this badly—watch me send you on your way with a flashy move!" Perhaps Rayson's bearing had stirred memories of Buggy's glorious years aboard Roger's ship. Comparing them to his current misery, he immediately flew into a rage.

"Chop-Chop... Body Assembly!" Buggy roared, preparing to reassemble his scattered parts.

Whoosh!

"!!!" Buggy looked down at himself, utterly dumbfounded.

The only things that flew over... were a pair of feet.

"Ah! Where's my body?!" Buggy looked to the side and let out a furious scream.

It turned out Nami had already used thick rope to tightly bind his limbs and torso, which had been scattered across the ground, into a bundle.

At that moment, Buggy was left with only a head, a pair of hands, and a pair of feet floating in the air.

"Hehehe! That thief is amazing!" Luffy grinned broadly, stretching his arms far behind him.

"Fly, Buggy!"

"Gum-Gum..."

"Ahhh! Stop!" Seeing the ever-lengthening fist rapidly closing in, Buggy let out a shrill scream.

"Rocket Launcher!"

Luffy shouted. Buggy's upper body and head turned into a streak of light, shooting straight into the sky and becoming a twinkling star in the distant heavens.