Rain stared at the number on the screen that represented "evil" —[Sin Index: 270]— then glanced down at the clearly "good" entry beneath it —[Wish List].
"The system's judgment is brutally cold. It only counts the crime itself."
That realization inevitably made him think of someone else.
"If even someone like Buck, who some civilians see as a 'righteous thief,' has a Sin Index as high as 270…"
"Then what about that famously bold and free-spirited Roger? That Pirate King countless people admire — how many ordinary people lost their homes and lives because of the Great Pirate Era he started?"
"So what kind of astronomical, terrifying number would his Sin Index be?"
At that thought, Rain gave a bitter little shake of his head.
He didn't keep dwelling on whether Buck "deserved" to die, nor did he sigh over how complicated human nature was.
Because he knew very clearly that whether it was this "righteous thief" Buck in front of him, or the legendary "Pirate King" Roger, their rights and wrongs were not something someone like him had any standing to judge.
In this world where the strong rule, the weak don't even have the right to talk about good and evil.
And right now, Rain was undoubtedly still weak.
For him, there was only one thing that truly mattered—
to get stronger, no matter the cost.
He temporarily pushed aside his curiosity about the Wish List and focused instead on the [Selectable Rewards] in front of him.
At his mental command, three brand-new cards appeared before his eyes.
[Option 1: Physique Inheritance]
Description: Inherit "Lone Walker" Buck's Intermediate physique.
[Option 2: Skill Inheritance · Stealth]
Description: Inherit Buck's stealth techniques honed while evading pursuit, currently at [Intermediate] level.
[Option 3: Skill Inheritance · Marksmanship]
Description: Inherit Buck's firearm marksmanship, polished over years as a thief, currently at [Intermediate] level.
Rain's eyes widened slightly.
"Intermediate-level skills…"
That was an entire tier higher than the Basic skills he'd drawn before. Whether it was Stealth or Marksmanship, both were fatally attractive to someone like Rain who believed in lying low above all else.
His gaze slowly swept across the three options.
"There's no 'Minor' next to Physique this time." He noticed the detail at once.
"Makes sense," Rain thought, recalling the file. "He committed the crime last Wednesday and got executed today. Not even a week. With an R5 overall rank, there's no way his physical condition would've deteriorated much in that short a time."
Heat flared in his chest.
A nearly full [Physique Inheritance] from an R5-level powerhouse — that was absolutely enough to give him a huge leap forward.
But Rain only thought for about three seconds.
"Skills can wait. A strong body is the foundation for surviving in this world!"
"[Physique Inheritance]!"
The moment he confirmed his choice, a surge of energy far purer than anything he'd felt before blasted into his body like a flood released from a dam!
"Urgh—!"
Rain groaned, every muscle in his body tensing at once as he lay on the bed, veins bulging on his forehead.
This time it wasn't the tearing pain from before, but an extreme, almost unbearable swelling ache, like he was being forced open from the inside.
He felt like a balloon being pumped full of water from a fire hose. Every muscle fiber, every bone, groaned under the impact of that massive energy.
Cold sweat slid from his temples. He clenched his teeth and poured all his will into guiding and absorbing the power raging through his body.
A few minutes later, when the energy was finally "digested," Rain collapsed on the bed, drenched in sweat, gasping like he'd just finished a marathon.
But under all that exhaustion was a sense of power unlike anything he'd ever felt before—like every cell in his body was packed with explosive strength.
And along with that strength came a wave of hunger so intense it nearly knocked him out again.
"Hungry… so hungry…"
He dragged himself out of bed, enduring the soreness and weakness, eyes locked on the clock on the wall.
There was still one hour until the mess hall opened.
…
Same time that evening, in the mess hall.
By the time Rain carried his eleventh tray back to his corner, the entire place had fallen silent.
Every Marine, including old Hank from the kitchen, stared at the slender boy with the appetite of a giant like he was some kind of monster.
Rain ignored all the stares and cleared the last tray of food.
Only then did that terrifying hunger finally begin to fade.
Leaning back in his chair, he savored the solid feeling of being back in control of his body.
He couldn't help thinking, "One R5-level physique boost costs almost eleven people's worth of food just to make up the energy deficit. If it's SSR-level or even UR-level in the future… I'll probably need to eat an entire Sea King in one sitting…"
…
Late at night, when everything was quiet, Rain changed into plain civilian clothes and slipped into Loguetown's darkness like a black shadow.
Following the trail in Buck's memories, he passed several alleys and arrived at an abandoned brewery on the edge of town.
In the underground cellar, beneath a loose stone slab, he found a waterproof leather chest. Inside, bundles of Berries were stacked neatly.
Then, using the address from Buck's memories, he found a small wooden house lit by a single dim oil lamp. He didn't knock right away but retreated into the shadows to watch quietly.
The house was tiny and poorly insulated. Through the window, he saw a capable-looking middle-aged woman with graying hair at her temples, carefully mending something.
At the same time, a soft, off-key lullaby drifted out from inside, warm and gentle.
Once Rain was sure he had the right place, he took out a letter he'd written beforehand, unsigned. In it, he briefly explained where the money came from and what Buck's last wish was.
He placed the chest and the letter quietly by the door.
Then, imitating the knock code from Buck's memories, he tapped three times on the wooden door and, without waiting, melted back into the darkness.
He heard the woman's puzzled footsteps, the sound of the door opening, and then a choked, tearful sob—full of joy and grief all tangled together—as she saw the letter and the chest of money.
On Rain's way back to the base, the cold mechanical voice rang in his mind.
[Buck's Last Wish: The Trust] Completed.
[Calculating unknown reward…]
[Reward calculation complete!]
[Reward: You may choose one more item from "Lone Walker" Buck's remaining "Selectable Rewards"!]