At that moment, unaware that his declaration had already made the front page and was flying across the seas in the beaks of news birds, Lu En was calmly steering their small boat using his [White] tier Navigation skill.
"We're almost there. That's Shells Town ahead," he said, eyes fixed on the growing coastline with a faint smile.
There was a unique joy in spotting land after a long voyage—doubly so when it was the destination. The journey itself had been smooth: calm East Blue waters, a stocked ship thanks to Lu En's planning, and no storm or sea monster in sight.
It was almost... peaceful.
"Heh heh heh, that was fast! Told ya, we need a navigator if we're gonna make it to the Grand Line. And a musician too," Luffy added enthusiastically.
Before Lu En came aboard, Luffy's idea of navigation was letting the boat drift wherever the wind took it. Now that he'd experienced a proper course—quick and accurate—he was hooked.
"And a musician, huh?" Lu En chuckled. "Why am I not surprised?"
Music had always been one of Luffy's oddly persistent obsessions. Though their future musician wouldn't arrive until much later—after facing the Warlord Gecko Moria, no less.
Lu En's eyes narrowed slightly at the thought.
That wasn't far off now.
He had already confirmed it with his system: though the Shichibukai—Warlords of the Sea—were sanctioned by the World Government, their roots were still in piracy. As such, they counted under the Pirate Faction, making them viable targets for his Factional Fortune (Super Gold) tag to activate.
And among them, Moria was weak. A slow, overconfident relic of a pirate, practically handing Lu En a free meal.
But before Moria, there was someone... less easy.
Crocodile.
Wielder of the Suna Suna no Mi—the Sand-Sand Fruit, a Logia-class ability with devastating versatility.
Even within Logia fruits, it stood in the second tier of power. Just the fruit alone was enough to put someone on the level of a Warlord. And if that user mastered Haki? They'd be knocking on the door of Admiral-level strength.
But that still wasn't Lu En's ultimate target.
No, the one he wanted most was...
Goro Goro no Mi — the Thunder Fruit.
The embodiment of divine wrath. Speed, range, raw power—everything packed into one terrifying ability. A true natural disaster in fruit form. With that power, he'd be nearly untouchable.
And here's the thing:
Lu En could have them all.
That was the true power of his system.
After days of experimenting, he'd confirmed it—he could possess multiple Devil Fruit powers.
How?
Because his system didn't force him to eat the fruits.
It converted a user's Devil Fruit ability into a standalone Tag, which Lu En could steal and equip—like a skill module in a game.
No side effects.
No inability to swim.
No self-exploding from conflicting fruits.
Unlike Blackbeard, who had a unique body that let him hold two fruits, Lu En could stack as many as he could find.
Each fruit—each power—became a separate Tag in his system.
So yes, he could collect:
—The Sand-Sand Fruit.
—The Thunder Fruit.
—The Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
—Even the Mythical Zoan: Human-Human Fruit, Model Nika.
And all without risk.
Unlimited power, without limitation.
But before that...
He had to grow stronger. Much stronger.
After all, Crocodile and Enel may have lost to Luffy in the original timeline, but that was due to plot armor and dumb luck. Lu En didn't plan on leaving his life to fate.
Power mattered. And he needed more of it.
Not just in fruit abilities—but in physical strength, durability, stamina. All essential to unleashing the full potential of any Devil Fruit.
And when it came to raw, monstrous physique...
There was one man aboard the future Straw Hat crew who stood near the top.
Roronoa Zoro.
The Pirate Hunter.
A man whose sheer physicality rivaled giants, and who had taken hits most men would die from.
Lu En's lips curled into a smirk as their boat bumped gently against the dock.
He looked toward the small port town in the distance.
Shells Town.
"Why is everyone so terrified just hearing the name of their marine captain?" Luffy frowned, scratching his head after another failed attempt at asking directions.
The townspeople either ran off or trembled at the mention of Zoro. But even more so when he mentioned Captain Morgan.
"The Marines aren't always the good guys," Lu En said flatly. "Sometimes, the ones in uniform are worse than pirates."
And he knew this wasn't conjecture.
This region's so-called protector, Axe-Hand Morgan, was infamous—not for valor, but for tyranny.
While pirates were usually feared for raids or theft, most avoided needless slaughter. High bounties only brought stronger hunters and more heat.
But men like Morgan?
They ruled their towns like kings, abusing their power without oversight. And worse, they had the badge to shield them.
Lu En's thoughts drifted to Nezumi, the filthy Marine who helped Arlong control Nami's hometown in the future. That kind of filth was the worst of all.
The kind that wore justice like a mask.
He clenched a fist.
These were the ones he despised most.
But right now, they had another objective.
Their search brought them to the local Marine base.
And there—bound to a tall wooden cross, arms stretched wide in the sun—was a man.
Broad shoulders. Green hair. Eyes closed in a restless slumber.
Even tied up, he gave off an air of danger.
The Pirate Hunter.
Roronoa Zoro.
"There he is," Luffy said with a grin. "That's the guy, right?"
Lu En narrowed his eyes.
Time to see what kind of tags a monster like Zoro carried.
—
Author's Note:
The stage is set. One of the strongest swordsmen in the making is about to enter the game. What kind of Tags hide behind Zoro's legend? And how many can Lu En steal?
If you're enjoying the build-up, hit that flower, vote, or comment to keep this sea boiling!