Chapter 49: Observation Haki
Zhou Ning had been quite dissatisfied with his last time-traveling experience, finding it too mundane. Unlike the previous two urban worlds, the world of One Piece operated on the law of the jungle. If possible, he wanted to be a bit more radical this time.
[Preparing for time travel... 25 Time Travel Coins deducted.]
[Please select the time travel mode...]
[1. Direct Transmigration.]
[2. Use Parallel World Template.]
With nearly 1,000 Victa to his name, Zhou Ning felt he wasn't short on cash. If a good template appeared this time, he would buy it outright.
Two days had passed since his last trip. The three previous templates—the Outlaw, the Basketball Superstar, and the Demon Doctor—had all been refreshed. Three new ones appeared in their place.
The first was a fierce-looking warrior, shirtless and holding a longsword, with a red cape and impressive pectoral muscles. His personality was listed as fierce and belligerent. His talents were Bravery (Blue), Leonidas (Purple), and Endurance (Blue). His skills were Swordsmanship (Expert) and Melee Combat (Expert). The title was Spartan Warrior Zhou Ning, and it cost 15 Time Travel Coins. It was too mediocre and uninteresting. Why would I use this template for One Piece? To guard Thermopylae?
The second template was a returning fire-type esper, priced at 250 Time Travel Coins. He still couldn't afford it.
The third was an unassuming, bald version of himself wearing a yellow jumpsuit, red gloves, and a white cape. His personality was calm and low-key. He had no talents, but his skills were Secret Training (God-tier), Ordinary Punch (God-tier), and Serious Series (God-tier). The title was One-Punch Man Zhou Ning, and it cost a terrifying 2,000 Time Travel Coins. Nope, farewell!
Despite being relatively wealthy, Zhou Ning still shed tears of poverty.
He could only choose the first option.
[Spend one Time Travel Coin to re-roll talents?]
He declined. The three talents from his previous run were pretty good; he should be able to clear the simulation with them.
[You have selected Talent 1, Talent 6, and Talent 9.]
[Your current talents are: Mermaid, Doctor of Medicine, Portable Grandpa. Your permanent talents are: Tony Stark, Sports Genius.]
[Match successful. In this parallel world, you are a playboy, a scientific genius, and incredibly versatile. At age 20, you earned a medical doctorate and became a national swimming champion. You also own a simple, antique-style ring that you stumbled upon at a street stall.]
[Current World Exploration: 21.8%. When exploration reaches 66.7%, you will gain permission to unlock the next map.]
[The simulation will end upon your death.]
[Initializing time machine… 1%… 33%… 65%… 95%… Travel complete.]
[You have traveled to the year 1516. From this moment, the wheel of history begins to turn.]
July 1, 1516. You are adrift on the vast ocean, clinging to a piece of driftwood. With nothing to eat or drink, your only possession is the ring on your finger. You try to communicate with Roger in the ring, but there's no response. You realize you might need to provide him with more food.
July 2, 1516. After beginning your cultivation of Armament Haki, you realize that swimming could also be a form of spiritual practice. The ocean is rich with fish, and you manage to prepare a large amount of food. As expected, your food supply begins to dwindle by evening as Roger consumes it.
July 4, 1516. Today is your fourth day adrift. A bit of rain fell, and you collected enough fresh water to hold out for a few more days. To your surprise, you spot an island in the distance.
July 6, 1516. After two days of swimming, you reach the island, which is home to a village dotted with windmills. The islanders are warm and friendly, though there is one particularly obnoxious child. That child is none other than the future Pirate King, Luffy!
July 8, 1516. Using your astute medical skills, you treat the village chief for a sudden illness. With his help, you temporarily settle down in Windmill Village and open a small clinic. However, you are more concerned with physical training than with treating patients. A man must be self-reliant, after all.
July 12, 1516. You've read novels about countryside doctors, and now you're living the part. Using your playboy charm and handsome looks, you've managed to win the affection of the bar owner, Makino. Although rumors in your past life claimed she had a child with Red-Haired Shanks, you are certain that isn't the case right now. On another good note, the old man in the ring has finally woken up. As it turns out, he's an amnesiac on death row.
July 13, 1516. Though your first meeting with Luffy wasn't pleasant, you became friends thanks to Makino's mediation. The same went for Ace. Roger told you he felt an indescribable kinship with Ace. No kidding. Like father, like son.
July 15, 1516. At Roger's request, you sparred with Ace. You were undoubtedly beaten, but Roger was surprisingly pleased. Damn it.
July 17, 1516. Thanks to your deliberate efforts, your relationship with Roger has progressed rapidly. Roger tells you that while he doesn't recognize the term "Armament Haki," you will soon become very strong if you keep increasing your strength according to his methods. This was probably how he trained himself.
July 18, 1516. The training intensity Roger described was truly incredible. Fearless, you gave it a try and almost died. But as a medical student with a doctorate, having memorized anatomy textbooks thicker than bricks, what did you have to fear? As long as the training didn't kill you, you could recover and keep going.
November 29, 1516. Perhaps because you had practiced in your previous time-travel simulation, or perhaps because you had been training like a madman, you managed to master Armament Haki over a year earlier than before. That day, you fought Ace again and secured a narrow victory.
December 4, 1516. At Roger's request, you taught Ace and Luffy the method for cultivating Armament Haki. The Ace and Luffy of this world might just become much stronger than their original counterparts.
December 17, 1516. Your bond with the two brothers grew stronger by the day. In the original story, Ace was set to go to sea the following year, and you seriously considered recruiting them to form a One Piece-style TFBOYS boy band.
December 21, 1516. Today in Windmill Village, you unexpectedly ran into Garp, who had returned to visit his grandsons. You had hoped to learn some of his techniques, like Finger Pistol or Iron Body, but after you defeated Ace once again, the old bastard gave you an indiscriminate beating.
December 24, 1516. You rejected Garp's invitation to join the Marines. Are you kidding me? Join the navy while harboring the spirit of the Pirate King? That's hilarious.
December 25, 1516. You once again rejected Garp's invitation. You preferred being a free man on the sea to being a sailor. Your choice was freedom or death.
December 27, 1516. Garp told you that you had a high aptitude for Armament Haki, and perhaps even Observation Haki. If you performed well, you might be considered for training in the Rokushiki arts. Under his coercion and inducement, you shamelessly agreed. Perhaps playing the part of a spy—serving one master while loyal to another—was a viable option.
February 1, 1517. After a final intimate moment with Makino, you boarded Garp's ship, bound for Marine Headquarters. To your surprise, once you were out on the open sea, your companion, the "grandpa" in the ring, was even more excited than you were. He told you that a true man should embrace the sea and that being a pirate or a marine might not be so different after all.
February 2, 1517. Garp's warship took a strange route, bypassing the Red Line and instead sailing through the Calm Belt. On this day, you encountered a Sea King larger than a mountain. Although you only saw its vague silhouette, the sight was still incredibly shocking.
February 9, 1517. Today, Garp began teaching you Observation Haki. The old man's teaching method consisted of beating you half to death. It was simply outrageous. Roger completely agreed.
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