One Piece My strange ability

Chapter 10: Answer

Back in the dormitory, Karen didn't rush to draw the lottery. Instead, he washed up first, checked the time, and waited for the right moment.

He opened the system interface in his mind:

2338/10000!

A speculator with a reputation.

The evaluation, though still brief and simplistic, had changed. Where it once called him a little-known toad, it now labeled him a well-known speculator.

Karen was puzzled by the change but didn't dwell on it. After all, speculator sounded much better than toad.

With growing excitement, he clicked on the word "lucky draw" in his mind.

Although this was Karen's second time drawing the lottery, his heart still raced with anticipation. He didn't know what rewards were in the prize pool, but that didn't stop him from fantasizing.

"God bless, God bless," Karen thought. "Give me Saiyan bloodline, Himura Kenshin Swordsmanship, Heavenly Flame, Martial Soul, Ninjutsu, Sharingan, Devil Fruit..."

With an excited heart and trembling hands, Karen stared nervously at the lottery interface.

---

Afternoon: Elite Selection Grounds

In the afternoon, the atmosphere in the elite selection field had shifted. Compared to the morning's massive crowds, there were far fewer people now. A quick glance revealed about 600 individuals, all Marine elites with power levels above 500.

The gathered Marines were chatting animatedly.

"Surprising that you passed the first test," Hina said, approaching Karen with curiosity.

"Uh, lucky, just lucky…" Karen replied, looking a bit sheepish. Ever since his impromptu public confession to Hina, he hadn't dared to approach her again.

"Luck only gets you so far. Passing means you have strength. But Hina doesn't recognize your courage," Hina added, her tone teasing.

"Huh?" Karen was confused. What did she mean by not recognizing his courage?

"They're all saying Hina rejected your confession, but only you and Hina know the truth. Hina didn't say anything at the time," she continued, crossing her arms with a faintly icy smile.

Karen's mind raced. Wait, what? Is this about that confession?

"Well… I thought you were embarrassed to refuse, so I just walked away…" Karen stammered, scrambling for an explanation.

"Hina didn't respond because you caught her off guard. But publicly confessing to someone you barely know? That's not courage—it's reckless," Hina explained.

Karen winced at the truth. Public confessions might seem romantic, but without any prior connection or feelings, they only made things awkward for the recipient.

"I acted on impulse. You were so beautiful, I couldn't help it. It was disrespectful, and I'm sorry," Karen admitted, guilt evident in his voice.

"Impulsive, huh? Fine, Tina forgives you… somewhat." Hina pulled out a box of women's cigarettes, lit one, and exhaled a puff of smoke toward Karen. "Don't you want to know my answer from that day?"

Karen, who wasn't used to this body's reaction to smoking, coughed awkwardly. Her words left him stunned. The answer from that day? Does that mean… she accepted?

Karen was conflicted. While Hina was undoubtedly charming and capable, his focus was solely on growing stronger. Relationships were distractions, yet he couldn't deny that Hina's answer intrigued him.

Hina smiled faintly, extinguished her cigarette, and turned to leave without another word.

Karen watched her go, his lips curling into a wry smile. Funny woman. What a personality.

---

"Excuse me, are you Cuculo Karen?"

Karen turned at the gentle voice behind him. A tall, lanky man with yellow hair and a kind smile stood there.

"Yes, that's me. Who are you?" Karen asked curiously.

"My name is Rosinante. I'm also a recruit participating in this selection," the man replied.

Karen's heart skipped a beat. He recognized him instantly: Donquixote Rosinante, formerly a Celestial Dragon, who had renounced his title after witnessing his brother, Doflamingo, murder their father. Rosinante had later gone undercover to betray Doflamingo for the Marines, ultimately sacrificing his life to save Law in a tragic tale of heroism.

"What can I do for you?" Karen asked, keeping his composure.

"Nothing much. I heard about you and got curious," Rosinante said with a laugh.

Karen's eyebrow twitched. How much attention did that confession draw?!

"Also, I noticed you're new here. You probably don't have many friends yet," Rosinante continued, glancing around at the small groups forming on the field. "I'm not close to many people either, so I thought we could connect."

Karen smiled at his sincerity. Rosinante's kindness was genuine and disarming.

"I see. Well, thank you," Karen said, extending a hand.

Rosinante shook it warmly.

"Nice to meet you, Cuculo Karen."