A King's Will.

Several days later, the Bull Pirates were celebrating in a hidden cove, confident they had escaped the wrath of the Roger Pirates. Their captain, Bullhorn, sat at the head of a massive table, greedily counting the treasure they had stolen from the merchant ship.

"To our victory!" Bullhorn roared, raising his mug. His crew cheered, drunk on both power and alcohol.

But the celebration was cut short when the first explosion rocked the cove.

Outside, the Oro Jackson had arrived, and the Roger Pirates were already storming the Bull Pirates' hideout. Cannon fire boomed, and within moments, chaos erupted.

Rayleigh, Gaban, Nozdon, and the rest of the crew fought their way through the Bull Pirates with ease. Gol D. Roger himself led the charge with his sword ace, cutting down enemies with a force that sent shivers through the battlefield.

In the end, the Bull Pirates stood no chance. Roger's wrath was swift and brutal, his crew tearing through the opposition like a storm. Amid the bloodshed and chaos, Bullhorn, the captain, was the only one left alive, bound tightly with shackles and thrown before Gol D. Roger.

"Roger... why are you targeting us?" Bullhorn spat, his voice thick with anger and confusion. "We're both pirates."

Roger stood tall, his iconic grin nowhere to be found, his eyes dark with intent. "Nothing personal," he said coolly. "Just payback... for my new crew member."

Crocus stepped forward, holding the blue-eyed infant Thomas in his arms, the golden necklace still gleaming around the baby's neck. Bullhorn's expression shifted, recognition dawning in his eyes as he recalled the wealthy couple desperately lowering the lifeboat into the sea, trying to save their son.

"You did this... all this... for that worthless child!" Bullhorn roared in disbelief. His voice echoed through the clearing, his rage palpable.

Roger's gaze turned icy, and in an instant, his Conqueror's Haki exploded forth, a crushing wave of power that slammed into Bullhorn, bringing him to his knees. The captain of the Bull Pirates struggled to breathe, his body trembling under the weight of Roger's will.

(I should try it now) thinking this I tried the one of the skills I copied from Roger.

Before Roger could respond, something unexpected happened. A second wave of Conqueror's Haki, far weaker but unmistakably swept through the area.

The crew of the Oro Jackson froze, their eyes widening in shock. The source of the haki wasn't Roger. It was the baby. Thomas King.

Crocus stood still, staring at the child in his arms as an aura briefly radiated from the one year old. Even Roger's eyes widened in surprise, his usually unshakable composure faltering for a brief moment.

The silence that followed was heavy, the air thick with disbelief. The members of the Roger Pirates exchanged glances, stunned by what they had just witnessed.

After what felt like an eternity, Roger broke the silence with a booming laugh, his face lighting up with pure excitement. "Ha ha ha haa! Bullhorn," he said, grinning once more, "are you saying this kid...this kid with the qualifications of a king...is worthless?"

Bullhorn's eyes filled with terror as Roger stepped forward, unsheathing his sword, Ace, the blade gleaming in the fading sunlight.

"No... wait..." Bullhorn muttered, his voice weak, panic taking over as the full gravity of his situation hit him.

But Roger was already moving. In one swift, effortless motion, he brought Ace down, cutting through the air with lethal precision. Bullhorn's screams were silenced in an instant as the captain of the Bull Pirates fell lifeless to the ground, his blood pooling at Roger's feet.

[Ding! Annihilation of bull pirates completed. Crew bounty of ฿734,260,000 stored in storage space]

The air was still once again, the only sound the gentle lap of the ocean against the shore. Roger sheathed his sword, turning back to his crew, his gaze lingering on the child now resting peacefully in Crocus' arms.

"This kid..." Roger murmured, almost to himself. "He's going to be something special."

Rayleigh stepped forward, placing a hand on Crocus's shoulder and looked at me. "It looks like the world has big plans for Thomas King." I raised my hand and pulled Rayliegh's loosely hanging hair tendril and chuckled.

Roger's grin returned, full of mischief and playful. "Then it's our job to make sure he gets there."

And so, Thomas King, the child who had unleashed Conqueror's Haki at just a year old, was now truly part of the Roger Pirates. A baby with the potential of a king, destined for a future beyond anyone's wildest imagination.

——————

Thomas's POV:

I woke up to Roger's face hovering above me the same night they he took me in, his usual mischievous grin bright as he waved a finger in front of my eyes, trying to entertain me. As I blinked and adjusted, a wave of surreal realization hit me. This wasn't a dream, I was really on the Roger Pirates' ship.

My mind snapped to attention. The system. I had been given the ability to copy skills, but until now, I hadn't had the opportunity to test it properly. I whispered "Status," hoping to see the panel appear before me.

[Thomas King]

[Age: 1]

[Strength: 3]

[Physique: 3]

[Agility: 3]

[Spirit: 3]

[Vitality: 3]

[Devil Fruit: None]

[Skills: None]

[Special Skills:

– Devil Tree(Top)

– Worldly Summoning(Top)

– Ship Overlord(Top)]

[System Skills:

– Copy(Top)

– Evolve(Top)

– Identify(Top)

– Storage(Top)]

My stats were dismally low, as expected from a baby. But now that I had access to this system, I knew I could change that. The fact that I had no skills yet... that was about to be fixed.

I turned my gaze to Roger, watching him playfully jab his finger toward me. This was my chance.

(Identify) I thought quietly, focusing on him.

[Gol D. Roger]

[Age: 53]

[Strength: ???]

[Physique: ???]

[Agility: ???]

[Spirit: ???]

[Vitality: ???]

[Skills:

– Swordsmanship(Mastery)

– Armament Haki(Mastery)

– Observation Haki(Mastery)

– Conqueror's Haki(Mastery)]

[Special Skill: Voice of All Things(Advanced)]

I was in awe. Even though I couldn't fully see Roger's stats, his skill list was as expected—absolutely insane. It made sense why he was called the Pirate King.

(Copy), I whispered in my mind, carefully selecting the key skills: Swordsmanship, Armament Haki, Observation Haki, Conqueror's Haki, and the mysterious Voice of All Things. I felt a sudden jolt of energy, as though these skills were being pulled from Roger and integrated into me.

[Ding! Copy complete.]

[New Skills Added:

– Swordsmanship(Basic)

– Armament Haki(Basic)

– Observation Haki(Basic)

– Conqueror's Haki(Basic)

– Voice of All Things(Basic)]

I was ecstatic seeing the skills I copied from the Legendary Gol D Roger himself. It was almost a dream come true.

Seeing me grin Roger was happy and started making funny faces thinking I was enjoyong playing with him.