Chapter 1628 Kidd Wants to Get Stronger

"Hey, straw hat..."

Kidd used his only remaining left arm to pat Luffy's shoulder heavily, the action carrying his usual rudeness.

His injuries were far from healed; the direct collision with Feng Xi's earth-shattering roar still caused his internal organs to ache faintly.

But what bothered him even more was the sense of powerlessness brought about by the stark difference in strength exposed in that battle. More clearly than ever before, he realized his own inadequacy.

"Let me go first, I'm more eager to become stronger than you!"

Luffy glanced at him, and unusually, didn't try to take it. He just grinned, revealing his white teeth, and leaned back, indicating that Luffy should go first.

Kidd walked to the counter with somewhat unsteady but unusually firm steps.

He gently placed the helmet he had been holding in his arms on the counter, raised his head, and met the shop owner's gaze without flinching.

At this moment, Kidd had reined in his usual arrogant and unruly demeanor, as if he feared nothing.

His face showed a calmness that had settled after a crushing defeat. After being confronted head-on by the Five Elders, especially by Feng Xi, whose attack contained top-tier Conqueror's Haki sonic waves, he was severely punished, and his self-esteem was inevitably somewhat shattered.

My desire to become stronger has never been stronger!

He wants to become stronger, to become stronger at all costs!

He wanted to get his revenge, to make those arrogant guys pay the price, to avenge his dead brothers, and to take revenge on the Night Demon!

Kidd's voice was deep, "I have no other thoughts, I just want to keep getting stronger!"

His gaze swept over the helmet on the counter that amplified his Magnet-Magnet Fruit power. A complex emotion flashed in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a more determined light. "I'm not considering changing my patron. Please make my Devil Fruit even stronger!"

The helmets on the counter no longer satisfied him!

He needs a more fundamental and profound breakthrough; he needs to push the strength of the Magnet Fruit to at least the level of fruit liberation.

If we could ascend to the heavens in one step and reach that legendary realm, that would be even better.

The shopkeeper watched him quietly, his gaze fixed on the helmet, and his lips twitched almost imperceptibly. "It seems that this item you've traded from me is no longer enough for you."

Kidd snorted coldly, which was taken as tacit agreement.

His breathing is still relatively smooth, and his recovery ability is extraordinary. If it were any other ordinary naval officer, they would have been shaken so badly by Feng Xi's roar that they would have been unable to wake up for several days, or even suffered a mental breakdown.

But this level of recovery is insignificant in the face of an absolute difference in strength.

The shopkeeper's gaze returned to Kid's face, dissecting him with surgical precision, "The Devil Fruit ability you've developed so far can only put you in the second or third tier at best."

Only second- or third-rate quality?!

This assessment was like a red-hot needle, piercing Kidd's heart.

He didn't refute it, but just gritted his teeth, because he knew it might be true.

Compared to the Five Elders, the Four Emperors, and those true monsters, his current power is indeed insufficient.

The shop owner held up two fingers, "Two directions: one is to delve deeper and hone your Conqueror's Haki, pursuing a higher level of entanglement or even a higher realm."

"Dual-polarity specialization in your Magnet Fruit, seeking a breakthrough in the fruit's power itself—awakening, liberation, and even domain."

Which path do you want to choose?

Kidd answered almost without hesitation. While Conqueror's Haki was important, it was more of an auxiliary skill to him, merely an added bonus.

His core strength always lies in that Paramecia-type Magnet-Magnet Fruit, a fruit that is excellent enough and has great potential.

"I still rely more on my Devil Fruit ability," Kid's voice was resolute and unwavering.

"Okay," the shop owner nodded, seemingly expecting this.

He turned around, facing the wooden cabinet behind him that held countless treasures. His fingers traced a few lines in the air, and a seemingly inconspicuous drawer silently slid out.

The shop owner took out a bottle from it.

It's another transparent bottle, made of a material that resembles crystal but isn't.

The bottle wasn't large, but what it contained drew everyone's attention.

There was no liquid in the bottle, only a constantly swirling and flowing golden light.

The light was not dazzling, but rather very soft, as if it were alive, quietly shimmering in the bottle.

The shop owner gently placed the bottle on the counter, saying, "This contains my understanding of the Magnet Fruit."

"It is not the infusion of power, nor specific moves, but the essence of knowledge about the nature of magnetism, the application of magnetic fields, and even how to resonate with the underlying rules of the world."

The shopkeeper's gaze seemed to pierce through the bottle, looking into the depths of Kid's soul. "You can slowly comprehend it. By combining it with your own thinking and fighting style, you can glimpse the path after the fruit awakens, and it's even possible to comprehend the expansion of the domain."

Domain expansion!?

These four words made Kidd's breathing become heavy instantly, and his eyes were fixed on the golden light in the bottle, as if he wanted to see through the bottle wall.

But he quickly suppressed his excitement, raised his head, and looked at the shop owner again, "What price do I need to pay?"

The last time he traded this augmented helmet, it caused him to part ways with his good brother Kira. Kidd would always remember the feeling of losing an important bond and becoming all alone.

After separating from Kira, he completely disappeared. Kid searched for him in the Sabaody Archipelago, but still couldn't find any trace of him. He probably went to sea with another ship.

Kidd could only comfort himself that Kira would be alright; he should still be alive, at least he was far from the battlefield and wouldn't die now.

What will we have to give up this time when faced with even more tempting knowledge?

It seems that Kid has nothing to lose. The pirate crew he built was wiped out by the Night Demons, leaving only him and Killer, this ill-fated couple.

Kid has no family or loved ones to hold him back, and even the last vestige of friendship in his heart has been severed. Is his ambition to challenge the Four Emperors something he can trade away?

“I’m not really interested in your lifespan; it’s not worth it for you to trade your soul to me,” the shopkeeper said thoughtfully, looking Kidd up and down.

Suddenly, an interesting idea popped into my head: "I've suddenly become quite interested in your luck. Why don't you hand it over to me? It won't have much of an impact on you..."

Taking away someone's luck was something no one expected. But what's the use of taking away luck? Is something that can't be quantified really useful?

Kidd believes that having luck taken away is just a bit of bad luck at most. As long as you pay more attention in the future, it will be fine. At least it's better than the lifespan of a trader!