Rayleigh chuckled. "You've certainly done your research...
"Oh well, considering all this treasure, I suppose I can lend a hand."
Noir smiled. While having Rayleigh take on Enel as a formal apprentice was different from simply having him help with training, Enel wasn't Luffy. There was no need to be greedy.
To Rayleigh, Noir was likely just an intriguing newcomer, someone he found interesting enough for a bit of conversation and camaraderie.
With the Haki training settled, Rayleigh looked at the pendant hanging around Noir's neck, a thoughtful expression on his face.
"I never would have guessed that the infamous Devil Noir was royalty from the Kingdom of Noitem."
Noir froze, then quickly asked, "You know about Noitem?"
Rayleigh shook his head. "I've only heard bits and pieces. My former captain mentioned it a few times."
His former captain… That would be Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King.
"What... what did he say?"
Rayleigh rubbed his chin, trying to recall. "Just some observations from Roger. He said Noitem was a brave nation."
"He mentioned they possessed a Poneglyph and had delved into the true history of the world."
Noir nodded. He and Robin had discussed this many times. They believed that this was the reason the World Government had destroyed Noitem.
A strange smile spread across Rayleigh's face as he revealed something shocking:
"Not only that, but they were also conducting all sorts of bizarre experiments, all related to Devil Fruits."
"I heard they were trying to create a special vessel, a vessel capable of containing the power of every Devil Fruit in the world, effectively turning that vessel into the ultimate Devil Fruit user!"
A cold sweat trickled down Noir's back. That experiment sounded like an attempt to create a god!
In that light, Noitem's destruction seemed… almost justified.
Rayleigh, seeing Noir's stunned expression, continued, "Roger and I were the only ones who knew about this speculation. I reacted much the same way you are now."
Noir suddenly remembered something and blurted out, "Did they succeed?"
Rayleigh shook his head. "Certainly not. Noitem was destroyed, and all their research and data were confiscated."
"If they'd completed that vessel, both Noitem and the World Government would have acted long ago."
Noir breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a flicker of gratitude.
Honestly, if such a being existed, even he would be terrified.
But if that's the case, could my System be somehow connected to Noitem's research…?
Though there's a lot of advanced technology in the One Piece world, creating something like a System… that seems a bit far-fetched, doesn't it?
Rayleigh grabbed a bottle of sake from outside and took a long swig. "That research fell into the hands of the Government. With Vegapunk's further development, they've achieved things like giving Devil Fruits to inanimate objects and other such applications."
Noir nodded, understanding dawning. Noitem's vast research combined with Vegapunk's genius-level intellect – such advancements weren't surprising.
Piecing together the information he'd gathered, Noir realized this kingdom, founded by the "D" clan, was clearly not to be trifled with.
"One more thing," Rayleigh added casually. "The survivors of Noitem seem to be looking for you."
"Looking for me?" Noir was surprised.
Mihawk had mentioned this before. Noir knew that a group of Noitem survivors existed, and he'd been searching for them.
Rayleigh stroked his beard. "They caused quite a commotion in Sabaody, even attracting the attention of the Marines. I believe they were looking for you."
A smile spread across Noir's face. It seemed the survivors had somehow learned of his identity.
Were they seeking him out to pledge their allegiance and help him reclaim Noitem?
If so, their loyalty was quite touching.
Noir pressed Rayleigh for more information about Noitem, but even the seasoned pirate had nothing more to offer.
Aside from the World Government, Rayleigh was likely the most knowledgeable source Noir had access to.
He would have to find Noitem himself to uncover more secrets.
With that, Noir left Enel, Wyper, and Lucci under Rayleigh's tutelage, waiting patiently for the Ark Maxim's coating to be completed.
The coating process didn't take long, but Noir intentionally waited for almost a month, finally receiving the long-awaited System upgrade notification.
"System upgrade complete. New features unlocked."
The familiar, cold, mechanical voice filled Noir with a sense of anticipation. "What's new? Tell me."
"First, Devil Fruit Talent Cards are no longer acquired through interactions with story characters. The host will automatically receive one Talent Card per month."
"Second, befriending story characters grants Talent Evolution Cards, which can be used to upgrade the host's talents below Dark Gold quality once."
"Third, the host no longer needs physical contact to copy talents. Talent Cards can be used as long as the target is within the host's line of sight."
A brief silence followed. Noir asked hesitantly, "That's it?"
Another pause. The System responded calmly, "Yes, that is all."
Well, that's not bad.
The updates were quite useful, especially the removal of the physical touch requirement for talent copying.
If it weren't for that limitation, Noir would have copied Kizaru's abilities long ago. He wouldn't have been kited for so long.
Having a consistent source for Talent Cards was also a significant improvement.
And instead of acquiring talents directly from story characters, he now received Talent Evolution Cards.
Being able to upgrade talent quality was incredibly beneficial for Noir's current situation.
After all, to create a Dark Gold talent, he needed to fuse two Gold talents.
With Evolution Cards, he could directly enhance the quality, saving himself the trouble of tedious training.
As Noir explored the System's new features, Puff respectfully entered the room. "Captain, are we ready to depart?"
Noir stretched, a grin spreading across his face. "It's time. Let's head to Fish-Man Island."
Puff nodded and left to inform the crew.
Noir called Enel back as well. Rayleigh's teaching was truly effective. In just a few days, Enel had already grasped the fundamentals of Haki.
As they prepared to leave, Enel, usually so conceited, seemed reluctant to part with Rayleigh. Noir couldn't help but marvel at Rayleigh's charisma and teaching ability.
With the Underworld Pirates' flag raised high, the bubble-coated Ark Maxim slowly descended into the water. Noir stood on deck, shouting to Rayleigh, who was seeing them off,
"Goodbye, Rayleigh! We'll spar again sometime!"
Rayleigh sat cross-legged on the shore, watching Noir and his crew sail away, a pensive expression on his face.
Though their time together had been short, he had a feeling that Noir would make waves in the world.
In the coming era, the era of pirates that Roger had anticipated, Devil Noir would undoubtedly leave his mark!
...
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