In addition to the "pet trusteeship" function, there was also an "attribute list" at the bottom of the panel. Currently, both "Haki" and "Devil Fruit Ability" within the three major categories were grayed out and unclickable, indicating they had not yet been awakened. Beneath "Physical Skills," however, several translucent lines of stats appeared.
Swordsmanship Lv3 (22/100)
Firearms Lv2 (9/50)
Riding Lv3 (52/100)
Swimming Lv2 (15/50)
Chain Mastery Lv3 (79/100)
Music Lv4 (112/1000)
Dance Lv4 (395/1000)
Etiquette Lv5 (7/5000)
When clicking on the "Swordsmanship" category, it opened up subskills: Slashing, Jumping, and Weapon Throwing—basic yet practical moves, typical for low-ranking bounty hunters or pirate crews. Currently, Vivi's Slashing and Jumping were Lv2, while Weapon Throwing had reached Lv3.
The panel's design seemed utterly irrational—why would things like music and dancing be filed under "Physical Skills"? It made no sense to her. But this clearly idiotic panel didn't care how she felt. It lumped everything together without discrimination.
As the only heir to the ancient Alabasta Kingdom, Princess Nefertari Vivi's predecessor had undergone rigorous etiquette training from childhood. Even this ridiculous panel recognized that effort: her Etiquette level was the highest among her stats. It was evident how painful the grind was, judging by the vast experience needed just to reach the next level.
As a transmigrator, Vivi had inherited her predecessor's memories, but she held no love for traditionally feminine arts like tailoring, dancing, or gardening. Those skills were irrelevant in this brutal pirate era. Don't expect a duck to win a bounty by performing a waltz or playing a shamisen. Vivi was pragmatic—she needed raw combat strength to survive, and that meant collecting every trump card she could.
She prioritized martial skills.
Haki, however, was still a mystery—entirely luck-based in this world. It wasn't something one could pick up just anywhere. Observation Haki and Armament Haki only awakened under life-threatening stress or intense training, and most ordinary bounty hunters had never even heard of it. Only elite fighters like CP9 members, Warlords like Boa Hancock, or Yonko Commanders wielded it with proficiency.
As for Devil Fruits, Vivi had her eye on one. Unfortunately, it was located deep within the New World—a nightmare zone infested with Yonko and Navy Admirals. With her current strength, setting foot there was equivalent to suicide.
Physical combat remained her only dependable path, and in that field, her most advanced skill was "Chain Mastery."
This was a specialty passed down from her predecessor—a clever tactic that lured enemies in with the image of a fragile noblewoman, only for her to unleash a steel chain at blinding speed. The chain's centrifugal force turned it into a slicing weapon, sharp enough to tear through bone. It was both elegant and brutal—a weapon that demanded finesse.
This chain technique had helped Vivi (while in disguise) build a reputation among bounty hunters. With the help of Igaram, she infiltrated the Baroque Works organization—founded by the Shichibukai Sir Crocodile—to uncover its true mastermind and save Alabasta.
After the transmigration, Vivi tried the chain attacks a few times herself and found them effective, but she no longer intended to rely on them as her core strategy. Instead, she wanted them to become her hidden trump card.
Swordsmanship was where her future lay. She remembered that one of her Baroque Works colleagues—Mr. 1, Daz Bonez—possessed the Supa Supa no Mi and had killer sword technique combined with his steel body. If even mid-level members had such strength, she had no choice but to rise quickly.
To grow stronger, she turned to her trusty pet duck, Karoo.
The duck was 1.5 meters tall and currently poking at a group of ants while pouting. He stiffened when he noticed Vivi watching him and turned his neck slowly—only to see her smiling sweetly.
Karoo could feel her intent. That smile meant she wanted something. And in this world of strange panels and mysterious powers, even ducks were affected. Being forcibly dragged around by an invisible interface was terrifying for him.
He needed motivation. After all, Vivi wasn't heartless.
"Come on, let me take your measurements and knit you a new hat?"
"Quack? Quack!"
The moment Karoo heard "new hat," he jumped for joy and flapped around the room, quacking excitedly.
Vivi did, in fact, know how to knit. The cotton-blue hat Karoo currently wore had been knitted by her predecessor. She inherited that skill, and making a replacement should've been easy…
"Go! Karoo Duck! Entrust: Two hours! Red Duck Style!"
Vivi tapped "Entrust" on the panel and selected "2 hours." Karoo bolted out the door with a burst of wind, disappearing in a cloud of dust.
"You're so full of energy, Karoo! I can't lose, either! Now—let's get to that hat…"
"…Wait, this pattern's kind of hard."
"…The knot doesn't seem right? Let me think again."
Easier said than done.
Fifteen minutes after Karoo left, Vivi was staring blankly at the mess in her hands. The pattern wasn't unfamiliar, but the hand skills just hadn't translated yet. She had spent over two weeks obsessing over swordsmanship and firearms training—knitting was clearly neglected.
She slumped forward onto the desk with a groan. A promise was a promise, though. She would figure this out.
As night fell, she dozed off while still tangled in yarn. But in her dreams, she had already decided: when she reached Swordsmanship Lv4, she would complete that hat. After all, what was the point of a beautifully made hat if she died the next day?
And if push came to shove… a straw hat would do. She remembered Portgas D. Ace once made a crude one for Little Oars Jr.—how could she do worse than that meathead?
After Karoo completed his third commission of the day, Vivi reevaluated the hat-making timeline.
Why?
Because hitting Lv4 in Swordsmanship was ridiculously hard now. She'd exhausted all the easy EXP sources.
Fighting, drinking, brawling—these were all common behaviors among bounty hunters. When someone used a skill in combat, there was a chance they'd drop attribute or experience orbs. Karoo's job was to scoop up those drops. But the guys in town were all weaklings!
She, as their leader (or at least one of them), knew their stats inside out. Most couldn't break past Swordsmanship Lv3. Even if she stripped the drops from everyone, the best she could do was crawl forward bit by bit.
Karoo had run three commissions—six hours in total. Her Swordsmanship had only gone up to Lv3 (31/100). Progress was slowing.
Picking up combat drops was her only method of passive grinding right now. If someone like Kaido or Whitebeard started brawling outside her front door, she could probably reach Lv7 just by lying in bed. But that wasn't happening.
And even if it did, Karoo wasn't invincible. Those glowing orbs were visible to everyone. If a strong fighter noticed the duck collecting essence near them, it would take a single second to squash him.
That was why Vivi always placed a strict time limit on Karoo's entrusted outings. The panel was brain-dead—it might send him sprinting into Marine HQ next!
While deep in thought, the town's central bell suddenly tolled, loud and frantic.
"Pirates! Pirates are coming!"
"There are three pirate ships!"
The lookout—one of their bounty hunters—came running and screaming down the hill. Vivi blinked, then reached down to rub Karoo's head as he returned.
"Hahahaha! Jackpot. Fresh leeks just arrived!"