In a corner far from Raleigh, two marines were whispering to each other.
While oiling their swords and checking their flintlock guns, they chatted idly to pass the time.
Out of boredom, the topic eventually drifted to their captain.
"Hey, Hans, you've been here a while. Have you ever actually seen Captain Raleigh fight?"
The marine named Hans thought for a moment, looking puzzled.
"Now that you mention it... no. Captain Raleigh and Commander Momonga showed up six months ago. For this entire half-year, it's always been Commander Momonga leading the charge. The Captain just... watches from the ship."
The other soldier huffed. "I've been here two months, and all I've seen Captain Raleigh do is sleep or fishing. Never seen him train, never seen him fight. Why can't I have that kind of life, coasting on connections!"
He wasn't mad that Raleigh had connections to slack off—he was mad he wasn't the one slacking off.
Hans clapped him on the shoulder. "Come on, Beck. Everyone's got a different lot in life. We can't be him, but we can try to be like Commander Momonga."
At the mention of their other superior, both men's expressions changed.
"Speaking of, Commander Momonga is a beast," Hans said, his voice full of respect.
"In six months, not a single pirate crew in the East Blue has been able to stand up to his sword."
Beck nodded, his eyes shining with admiration.
"Commander Momonga is just... perfect. He's strong, he works harder than anyone, and he's good to us. It's just..."
Both of them glanced discreetly at Raleigh, who was still fast asleep.
In perfect unison, they muttered:
"Damn nepotism!"
"Damn nepotism!"
...
Another leisurely day passed.
The sun, no longer dazzling, had become a fiery red ball sinking toward the horizon.
The golden-tinged sunset cast a final ray of light across Raleigh's face.
Having slept the entire afternoon, Raleigh stirred.
He removed his eye mask, stretched lazily, and his bones popped in a satisfying chorus.
"Heh. Another comfortable day."
[Five hours of sleep during patrol. Slacking Value +500!]
[Ding! Slacking Value has reached 10,000. Begin the lottery?]
This was the entire system.
It didn't assign tasks or have a special shop. It just accumulated Slacking Value for a lottery.
The prize pool supposedly contained everything: Devil Fruits, all three types of Haki, Supreme Grade Swords, you name it.
Of course, most of the time, the rewards were junk.
He'd gotten Gion's underwear, Sengoku's seagull hat, and small piles of Berries.
Still, there was a pity system: every 100 draws would grant a random attribute increase.
"Draw."
[Ding! Congratulations, host, for drawing Armament Haki. If already possessed, it will automatically convert into an Upgrade Card.]
Raleigh smiled, looking at the card that appeared in his hand.
He'd drawn basic Armament Haki three months ago and had already mastered coating his limbs.
Staring at the crystal-clear card, he crushed it without hesitation.
Why save something good? For a special occasion? To let an enemy kill him and drop it as loot?
Not a chance.
Raleigh was all about safety first; he used every upgrade immediately.
A warm energy flowed through his body.
He focused, sensing the change in his body.
His Armament Haki could now cover his entire body, and the power-up had also enhanced his physical strength and durability.
He felt like he could punch a Sea King to death with one blow.
'Hmm, but I could already do that... Oh well.'
"System, check attributes."
[Host: Christian Raleigh]
Affiliation: Marines
Technique: 4
Physique: 6
Wisdom: 7
Haki: 3
Speed: 5
Devil Fruit: 0
The system quantified strength across six attributes, scored one to ten.
Technique: Martial arts, swordsmanship, marksmanship.
Physique: Stamina, durability, raw strength.
Wisdom: Knowledge, combat awareness, intelligence.
Haki: Number and mastery level of Haki types.
Speed: Movement, attack, and reaction speed.
Devil Fruit: Ability and development level.
You didn't need a Devil Fruit to be strong.
Garp, for example, had no fruit but was Admiral/Yonko level in his prime with maxed-out Haki, Technique, and Physique.
(By Marineford, age had dropped his stats).
(PS: Some broken Devil Fruits, like Sugar's or Luffy's, defied this scale.)
Raleigh's total stats were over 24.
Though he was still just a Captain, his actual strength was easily at the Vice Admiral level.
But since Momonga could handle every opponent they'd met so far, Raleigh was happy to let him take the charge.
It was, after all, a great way to earn more Slacking Value.
Waking up, Raleigh watched the figure still training relentlessly under the twilight, silently feeling his newly strengthened Haki.
He felt a small twinge of guilt.
'I'm such a scumbag,' he thought. 'Getting stronger just by lying around... Little bro Momonga would have a mental breakdown if he knew.'
To keep his friend from discovering the truth, Raleigh quietly masked his aura.
"Momonga!" Raleigh sprang up, vaulting onto the second-floor railing. "It's dinner time, isn't it? I want steak today!"
The setting sun backlit his silhouette, making him glow.
Paired with his ridiculously handsome face, he finally looked the part of a naval commander.
...
Unbeknownst to him, a warship from Marine Headquarters was already searching for his location, carrying special transfer orders.
On that warship's deck, a tall, black-haired girl watched the same descending sun.
She wore the "Justice" cloak of a Headquarters Commander over a red, fitted top and short hot pants, which did an excellent job of showing off her impossibly long, pale legs.
"Gion! Gion, please accept my confession! I truly love you!"
A rough-looking Marine Commander skidded to a dramatic one-knee kneel in front of her.
He held out a bouquet of roses, his eyes literally turning into pink hearts.
"Gion, you must accept me! Will you be my girlfriend?"
The plain-looking commander's plea didn't seem to move her.
Seeing her lack of response, he tried again.
The deck was now crowded with soldiers watching the show.
Some threw paper flowers, others set off firecrackers.
A few even held up a banner:
"COMMANDER TOKIKAKE'S THIRTEENTH CONFESSION"
The rest just cheered.
"Commander Tokikake, you're a real man!"
"You're so handsome Commander, I'm swooning!"