The scent of oranges mixed with sweat surged in his nostrils. Xiano raised his right hand, gazing at the calloused scabs on his knuckles.
According to the secret manual, the essence of the Breathing Fist Technique lay in "nourishing blood with qi."
Through a special rhythm of breathing, the alveoli could exchange several times the normal amount of oxygen within a unit of time, causing the boiling blood to carry nutrients and continuously flush every muscle fiber.
This made physical training twice as effective, and the results would, in turn, further nourish the skin, flesh, bones, and tendons.
Day after day, over time.
His physical strength would gradually improve to a level far beyond that of ordinary humans. And when fully mastered, it would significantly break through the original limits of the human body, as if unlocking a Gene Lock, transforming him into a completely new species.
"A new species, huh…"
Xiano's eyes flickered with anticipation.
This world was filled with too many monstrously talented individuals.
Although his body had some aptitude for physical techniques, it still fell within the realm of an ordinary human.
On the high seas, it was far from enough.
It was like…
No matter how diligently Usopp trained, he would always remain Usopp.
Only by shedding the skin that limited his potential and revealing a new, formidable form could he have a chance to compete with monsters like Luffy and Zoro for the position of a main combatant.
If the Breathing Fist Technique could truly help him achieve this, then he had indeed stumbled upon a treasure, proving its value far exceeded the 700 Points he had spent.
Over the past three years, he had painstakingly saved just over 900 Points.
Moreover.
The benefits of practicing the Breathing Fist Technique didn't end there.
At this moment, he could clearly feel the rhythm of his heart pumping, like a sail filled with strong wind in a storm.
The lactic acid buildup that would inevitably occur in ordinary people after intense exercise was, under this breathing rhythm, transformed into the heat of muscle tremors.
The bruises left from punching the orange tree earlier were now rapidly fading away with the unique metabolic rhythm of the breathing technique.
If not for this.
Without any medical security, he wouldn't have been able to endure hours of hellish self-torture every morning and night, while still managing the orange orchard during the day.
"Deep Sea."
With a thought, Xiano summoned the system panel again.
The various attribute values hadn't changed yet.
This didn't surprise him. Training required long-term accumulation; it was never a one-day achievement.
Staring at the rows of data, he roughly estimated.
In his current state, he could easily defeat over a dozen grown men.
If he fully mastered the fist technique and truly transformed his body to a new level.
Dealing with a few ordinary Fish-men shouldn't be a problem.
However…
What he would face was far from just a few Fish-men.
Recalling the news he had seen in the newspaper after dinner, along with the photo of Jinbei's public appearance, a shadow deepened in the black-haired boy's pupils.
The newspaper hadn't gone into detail, but he remembered clearly.
One of the conditions for Jinbei agreeing to become a Warlord of the Sea was the release of his former Sun Pirates comrade, Arlong, and his crew from Impel Down.
Arlong, Arlong, Arlong!
Ever since the day he regained his memories, this name had hung over his head like the Sword of Damocles, making him feel constantly on edge, unable to sleep at night!
Originally, he didn't need to train so desperately, at least not this early.
He could have continued his childhood happily, spending each day in the warm, relaxed, and bright countryside of the East Blue.
But, he couldn't.
Arlong was coming! He was about to break ties with Jinbei and part ways with the Sun Pirates! With a group of loyal followers, he would come to the East Blue to live like a local tyrant!
If he remembered correctly.
In the original timeline, in the year 1512 of the Sea Calendar, eight years before Luffy set sail, the Arlong Pirates would set foot on Cocoyasi Village, ruthlessly demanding an exorbitant protection fee of 100,000 Berries per person per month.
The peaceful rural paradise would turn into a hell under oppressive rule, and Bellemere would be coldly shot by Arlong that day for the sake of her daughters.
And now…
It was already the late autumn and early winter of the year 1511 of the Sea Calendar.
He had only one year left… no, at most one year!
Thud!
A sense of urgency surged within him. Xiano's face darkened as he suddenly punched the tree trunk.
After enduring several days of continuous strikes, the tree finally triggered a chain reaction.
Crack, crack! Countless fine cracks spread across the tree like a spider's web, and in the next second, the entire seven to eight-meter-tall tree shattered into countless fragments, scattering all over the ground.
In the moonlight filtering through the flying wood chips, the boy's eyes gradually turned as cold as iron.
He was getting angry.
It was just Arlong, a mere 20 million Berry bounty, a nobody who wouldn't even count as a small fry in the Grand Line, let alone the New World.
How dare he set his sights on his hometown? How could he bring so much pressure over the years?
When he first regained his memories, Xiano had advised Bellemere to move away. But now, that was absolutely impossible!
Cocoyasi Village was now his hometown too, a place that had given him warmth and healing.
The orange groves, the grassy fields, the streams, and the coastline—everywhere was filled with memories of him and his family. Even the big white dog at the village entrance, which he had almost sacrificed back then, had grown on him.
Why should they leave?
Screw that!
It's Arlong who should get the hell out!
He threw a few more punches at the wooden stump until his already depleted stamina was completely exhausted. Only then did Xiano's frenzied and violent mood gradually calm down.
He climbed to a high spot and sat down, the distant dock faintly visible.
The salty sea breeze brushed past the boy's shoulders. Xiano tilted his head back, gazing at the winding Milky Way in the sky. The waves shattered into silver fragments against the reefs, reflecting the flickering starlight in his eyes.
"I have to set sail."
He whispered to himself.
Cocoyasi Village was, after all, too small.
For the East Blue, it was like a tiny, insignificant star at the edge of this brilliant galaxy.
The outside world was vast. If he wanted to earn more Points to make himself stronger, he absolutely couldn't confine himself to this small corner.
In fact, as soon as he realized that he couldn't keep milking the same sheep, he had already considered setting sail to find other "fat sheep."
But back then, he was only ten years old, a little bean sprout barely over 1.4 meters tall, who couldn't even beat the village geese. Setting sail at that time would have been suicidal.
Now, he had some ability to protect himself, but it was still too dangerous and premature to officially set sail and roam the seas. That was something he should do after he became an adult.
But.
If there was a clear goal in mind, following a merchant ship along a safe route for a quick round trip would be a good choice.
It would avoid worrying the family while also minimizing the chance of encountering unexpected dangers.
As for who the target should be...
—Xiano didn't even need to think twice. The answer was immediately locked in his heart.
Monkey D. Luffy!
The straw hat that once belonged to the Pirate King, Roger, should now be in Luffy's hands, passed down by Shanks. And what Xiano had his eyes on was precisely this straw hat.
It was something the "Child of Destiny" valued as much as his own life, and it carried the historical significance from Joy Boy to Roger.
In the entire East Blue, there was almost nothing more "valuable" than this straw hat.
As for how Luffy would react if he lost the hat, or how the future timeline might change...
Xiano didn't care.
Not one bit.
Compared to improving his strength to protect his family, these things were utterly insignificant.
—————
With his mind made up,
Xiano put on the thick-knit sweater that Bellemere had personally made for him, took a deep breath, and strode out of the orange grove.
As he passed the last wooden stake, he casually picked up the wooden sword placed beside it.
Although he had come out to practice swordsmanship, he had spent the entire time practicing his fists, not once swinging the sword.
It couldn't be helped.
In fact, he had started practicing swordsmanship even before he took up boxing.
At the age of ten, he had spent 100 Points to exchange for a basic swordsmanship manual. However, he simply had no talent in this area. Despite spending more time on it, he had only barely reached a beginner's level.
A person's energy is limited, so it's best to focus on one's strengths.
Therefore, when Xiano realized he had a greater talent for martial arts, he poured all his energy into the "Breathing Fist Technique," essentially giving up on swordsmanship.
Gains come with losses.
Now, the only reason he still carried the wooden sword during his training was out of habit.
Before entering the village, Xiano took one last look back at the distant harbor.
According to past conventions, within the next few days, the first batch of cargo ships coming to purchase oranges would dock there.
There were usually three or four ships, each belonging to different trading companies with different routes.
But they would all pass through some large, prosperous port towns. From there, he could easily find a ship heading to the Windmill Village area.
It's always better to act sooner rather than later. He didn't want to wait any longer.
Set sail!
As soon as the first batch of cargo ships arrived, he would set sail immediately!
Luffy, here I come!
(End of Chapter)