Chapter 2: Charlotte Linlin's Talent Card
The sea breeze whistled past, carrying the crackle of firelight. Flames danced in the night, their glow casting two swaying shadows—a giant and a boy—against the rock wall.
Linlin hugged her knees, eyes locked on the last piece of grilled fish still sizzling over the fire. Every so often, she licked her lips with greedy anticipation.
Roy, however, wasn't watching the fish at all. His gaze stayed fixed on Linlin.
Not in that way.
He had no interest in Linlin, neither the innocent girl before him nor the monstrous pirate she would one day become.
What held his attention were the gray cards floating faintly before his eyes—cards only he could see.
Each card shimmered with strange patterns, spinning slowly in the air. A cartoon image of young Lingling appeared on the surface, along with a few faint lines of text. But most of it was obscured by curling wisps of mist.
Talent Card.
Roy's system could assess intimacy values, measuring the bond he formed with someone. Once a certain threshold was reached, rewards would come.
Two key benefits stood out:
Each increase granted him intimacy points. These points could suppress the chaotic pull of time and space. With enough, he might even solve his problem permanently.
At an intimacy value of 60, he could copy the target's innate ability—their talent card.
For example, the girl in front of him. If he reached 60 with Charlotte Linlin, he could copy her card.
In short, his system was like a strategy game: the closer the relationship, the greater the rewards.
And the system whispered another truth—
[The higher the intimacy value, the stronger the copied talent card.]
"Use 50 intimacy points," Roy murmured.
[50 intimacy points cleared!
Next chaotic time travel delayed: 4 years and 2 months.]
One point equaled one month of stability. And from what he'd seen, the difference in rewards between a normal passerby and a key figure like Linlin was vast.
"Mom… Dad, where are you?" Linlin whispered to the sky. Snowflakes drifted down, but the rock overhang above their heads shielded them.
Roy, lost in thought, barely noticed. He was already mapping out the path ahead when Linlin's curious voice pulled him back.
"Hey, why are you here?" She tilted her head, blinking at him.
Roy picked up the last grilled fish and handed it to her with a faint smile. "My home… it's gone. My family's long gone. Wherever I go—that's home."
"Oh…" Linlin's expression softened. For a moment, she looked guilty, as if she'd touched a wound without meaning to.
Her simple mind assumed he was just like her—abandoned, left alone in the world. Pitiful, just like her.
The thought tugged at her young heart, and her fondness for Roy grew.
She glanced at the endless sea, then back at the boy sitting by the fire. Her eyes sparkled. "If my parents really left me… then, can we be best friends forever?"
She took the fish from his hand and devoured it in a single bite.
[Intimacy with Lingling +10!]
"Of course," Roy replied with a gentle smile.
So simple. A bit of food, a sense of shared fate, a few kind words—and just like that, his intimacy rose again.
Another step closer. Just 10 more points…
Roy thought silently, watching the flickering fire.
The night deepened. After a while, Linlin curled up against the rock wall, drifting into sleep with childlike ease.
Roy fed more wood into the fire, leaned against the stones, and allowed himself to drift into a light, watchful rest.
When Roy first traveled to the One Piece world 800 years ago, he was only a child—abandoned since birth.
It wasn't that he had no parents. It was simply that his parents didn't want him.
From the moment he could remember, he had been taken in by a kind old man. But after only a few short years, the old man died of illness, leaving Roy alone once again.
From then on, Roy survived by himself. In this dangerous world, a helpless child sleeping in the open learned quickly—light sleep was second nature. Safety first. Life was precious.
"Crackle~"
In the middle of the night, the fire burned low. Weak flames flickered as the sea breeze swept through, threatening to snuff them out at any moment.
Roy stirred, half-dreaming, then snapped awake as the cold wind bit into him. He reached for the stack of firewood at his side and quickly fed the flames.
Only when the fire blazed again did he let out a tired yawn. His gaze shifted to Linlin, who was still fast asleep.
"Rustle~"
Roy reached into his pocket and carefully unwrapped a small package. Inside was a little dry food, preserved against the elements. He had prepared these rations earlier, knowing that his chaotic time-travel left him in random places at random times. His pockets were filled with layers of food wrapped against water.
He chewed quietly, eyes resting on Linlin's.
This girl would one day join the infamous Rocks Pirates. Decades later, she would rise to become one of the Four Emperors—an unstoppable force in the New World.
Roy wondered what kind of talent card he could gain from her.
Steel-like defense?
Unmatched strength, able to crush giants even as a child?
Or perhaps her overwhelming Haki?
He waved a hand, and three cards shimmered into view before him—one white, one green, and one blue.
[Observation Haki Talent (Green): Very weak, difficult to awaken]
[Armament Haki Talent (White): Very poor, no hope of awakening]
[Attraction to the Opposite Sex (Blue): Not bad, a bit handsome, but at least not disliked]
…Pitiful.
Talent cards ranged in quality: white, green, blue, purple, and orange. White was the weakest, orange the strongest—just like in a game.
Roy sighed. He needed Linlin's's talent. The temptation was too great.
After tending the fire, he ate a little more and eventually drifted into another light sleep.
At some point, the snowfall ceased. But the cold wind still cut deep, and the night remained as dark as ink.
…
A night passed.
By morning, snowflakes had woven a thin white veil over the ground. As the first ray of sunlight broke over the horizon, it painted the sea in gold and drove the night away.
"Gurgle~"
Linlin's stomach growled thunderously, jolting Roy awake.
"Let's go," he said, slinging his empty backpack over his shoulder. "We'll find food."
"I'm so hungry~" Linlin groaned, rubbing her belly. But when she heard the word food, her face brightened instantly. She grinned and said, "Yeah! Roy is the best!"
Two figures—one small, one enormous—set out together. Each step left a mark in the snow: Roy's feet crunching lightly, while Linlin's steps shook the ground itself.
Roy walked with the morning sun at his back, eyes fixed on the distance.
This was Elbaf—the legendary land of giants.
And here, during this era, lived Sister Carmel… the bearer of the Soul-Soul Fruit.