"Observation Haki, Armament Haki... huh? This kid actually awakened Conqueror's Haki too?"
Stussy was stunned as the information from Ethan Sugawa's blood unraveled before her eyes.
"And his mastery of all three Haki types is surprisingly refined. He's not at the level of the top elites yet, but his Haki control is already impressive. Given time, he could surpass even Roger."
What shocked her even more was the complexity of Ethan's bloodline he wasn't just of one race.
"With his three-meter height, he clearly has Giant blood. But the other bloodline…"
After digging deeper, Stussy's eyes widened in disbelief.
"The Three-Eye Tribe… he has the blood of the Three-Eye Tribe?"
The Three-Eye Tribe, known for their ability to decipher the Poneglyphs, had long been hunted to near extinction by the World Government. Very few remained in the world.
And Big Mom had found one.
"That woman's luck is unreal!"
Jealousy flickered in Stussy's eyes. "With someone from the Three-Eye Tribe, Big Mom might actually succeed in building Totto Land."
Big Mom had confided in her about her dream of uniting all races to create a utopia and had even invited her to join. Stussy had politely declined at the time.
But now, seeing Ethan's terrifying potential up close, Stussy's mind raced.
"How did he get a Devil Fruit so quickly? Linlin only captured him a few days ago."
Suddenly, a memory clicked into place Ethan had accompanied Big Mom to the God Valley battle.
"Could his Devil Fruit have come from God Valley?"
Stussy knew exactly how precious the treasures of God Valley were. Even the most ordinary item there would stir the entire world.
Every Devil Fruit stored in God Valley was originally reserved for the Holy Knights each one an absolute rarity.
And Ethan had consumed one.
"Three Haki types, dual elite bloodlines, and a top-tier Devil Fruit. This kid's future is limitless!"
The more she thought about it, the more Stussy broke out in cold sweat.
Ethan's current strength wasn't enough to shake the world yet, but once he had time to hone his skills and grow, he was destined to become a legend among pirates.
"For him to be wasted as Linlin's breeding tool in her Totto Land scheme is just too much of a shame."
"Can I… intervene?"
Stussy rubbed her chin, seriously considering her next move.
"Judging by how quickly that kid was ready to fight me earlier, he's clearly not the type to submit to anyone. There must be rebellion simmering in his heart."
The more she thought about it, the more convinced she became.
A glimmer of joy flashed across her face.
"He probably hasn't acted against Linlin yet because he knows he's still too weak to escape her grasp. But if I help him break free, he might remember that debt in the future and repay me handsomely."
Ever since Whitebeard abandoned her, Stussy had lost her strongest backing. She urgently needed a new, reliable ally.
And Ethan's potential had completely captivated her.
Her delicate hand slowly clenched into a fist as a determined glint burned in her eyes.
"Sorry, Linlin. But I've made up my mind Ethan is mine."
Even if Ethan was still unwilling to betray Big Mom, she would find a way to drive a wedge between them.
…
On the other side.
Ethan had no idea that most of his secrets had already been exposed.
Focused and undistracted, he arrived at the captain's cabin.
Looking down at the golden key Stussy had given him, his face filled with doubt.
"Can this really open Rocks' treasure vault?"
With cautious skepticism, he slid the key into the lock.
Click! The lock turned smoothly, and the door swung open.
"So Stussy wasn't lying after all!"
A flash of surprise crossed Ethan's eyes as he stepped inside.
What greeted him was a mountain of gold and jewels, dazzling enough to almost blind him.
A rough estimate put the treasure's value at several hundred million Berries.
And this was just one of Rocks' treasure stashes. His real hoard back at Fullalead must be on an entirely different scale.
This cabin's loot was just the tip of the iceberg.
But Ethan wasn't interested in the gold.
He knew full well power ruled the pirate world.
Without power to protect it, even ten billion Berries would eventually be stolen.
Besides, he hadn't come here for treasure.
He was here for forging materials.
"Rocks' collection of forging materials is huge, but the quality varies wildly. Sorting through them will probably take forever."
Pausing, Ethan suddenly thought of something.
"Wait I can use the 'Appraisal Master' trait. It helped me find Devil Fruits; it should be able to sift out forging materials too."
Activating the trait, lines of information instantly appeared before his eyes.
[Mysterious Wooden Box: Contains a 100 million Berries check. However, the box has been tampered with. Opening it will trigger an explosion.]
[Pink Stockings: Remnant belonging to a serpentine woman.]
[Refined Metal Gengkin…]
[Decayed Bones: Remains of a Sea King. Despite a thousand years, the bones remain unbroken and sturdy. The creature's unique bloodline allows these bones to retain some of its innate abilities. If made into a Homie, those abilities can be inherited.]
"Innate abilities?"
Ethan paused, studying the pile of bones in front of him with newfound interest.
The remains were massive even in death, the Sea King's skeleton stretched dozens of meters.
To fit them in the cabin, the bones had been cut into sections and stacked in the corner like a small mountain.
Ethan carefully pulled them out, attempting to piece them back together.
When the general outline of the creature took shape, his eyes gleamed with excitement.
"A centipede?"
Even though the reconstruction wasn't perfect, the hundreds of segmented legs left no doubt it was a centipede-type Sea King.
Such a creature was exceedingly rare. Most Sea Kings were massive sea beasts.
For Rocks to have stored its bones here spoke volumes about their value.
Ethan grabbed a random sword forged from Gengkin and swung it with all his might.
Not even a scratch.
Instead, the blade cracked and broke in half.
"Impressive hardness. Definitely top-tier forging material."
He was more than satisfied with this find.
However, seeing that the bones were in pieces, Ethan frowned.
"Even if it was whole when alive, now that it's been disassembled, can it still connect once a soul is infused?"
He wasn't sure if a fragmented skeleton could properly function as a Homie.
But he didn't have time to hesitate.
If it didn't work, he'd just have to find something else.
"Soul Power!"
A white orb floated from his palm and merged into the bones.
The previously separated bones began to slowly bind together.