One Piece: Heaven-Defying Luck

As the small boat sailed under the strong wind for a couple of hours, the trio found themselves settling into their routines.

Zoro, feeling bored, uncorked a bottle of wine to numb his mind, while Nami was engrossed in reading a map she had fortunately found in Morgan's coffer, occasionally adjusting the rudder.

"Is that the Grand Line map?" Xun asked curiously as he sat on the edge of the boat, playfully splashing the water with his feet.

He recalled that this map had been stolen by Buggy in the original events, but this time, their group had arrived earlier, and Buggy had likely not ventured into the surrounding waters yet.

Nami raised her head and gave Xun a surprised look.

"Yes, it is… but…" She hesitated, frowning slightly. "I doubt it's authentic."

Zoro glanced at her with mild curiosity, taking a long sip from his wine bottle.

Xun immediately understood her doubts. "Is it because of the mountain part? Don't overthink it. The entrance to the Grand Line is, in fact, a mountain."

Both Nami and Zoro stared at him with incredulous expressions.

Xun sighed helplessly. "You really need to let go of your old perceptions. This world is far more magical than you can imagine. A mere mountain is nothing. There are even sky islands and underwater islands. The truly strong can destroy islands and entire nations at will."

Pausing for a moment, Xun continued, "I was planning to wait until we had more crew members before sharing some of the world's 'common sense,' but I might as well tell you now. You'll just have to pass it on to the newcomers later."

Zoro and Nami, now deeply intrigued, leaned in, their full attention on Xun.

"This world," Xun began, "is an ocean-dominated planet divided into six seas: East Blue, West Blue, North Blue, South Blue, Paradise, and the New World."

Nami interrupted, her face scrunched in confusion. "The four seas… I've heard of them. They're separated by the Calm Belt, and traveling across them is nearly impossible. But what are Paradise and the New World?"

Zoro, still nursing his wine, furrowed his brow, equally puzzled.

Xun elaborated, "What you call the Grand Line is actually split into two parts: Paradise and the New World. Paradise is the first half, less dangerous but still treacherous. The New World is the second half—where true monsters roam."

"To cross the Red Line and travel from Paradise to the New World," he added, "you need to coat your ship and sail underwater to Fish-Man Island."

Nami's face turned pale as she stammered, "Is… is the Grand Line ruled by murlocs?!"

Her voice quivered, and Zoro, watching her reaction, began to suspect that she was hiding something. He stayed silent, focusing on Xun instead.

Xun's lips twitched, struggling to suppress his laughter. "Murlocs ruling the world? That's the funniest thing I've ever heard!"

Nami glared at him, her eyes full of confusion and indignation.

Zoro raised an eyebrow, noticing her tension, but he kept quiet, continuing to listen attentively.

Xun, adopting a teasing tone, said, "Let me guess—you've heard stories about murlocs being ten times stronger than normal humans, and their advantage in the water makes them seem invincible, right?"

Nami nodded, her expression serious.

Zoro, on the other hand, gave her a look that screamed disbelief. To him, the notion seemed ridiculous. He could already overpower dozens of men without breaking a sweat, and murlocs' strength seemed irrelevant outside of water.

Nami caught his skeptical look and exploded. "What's with that expression?!"

Zoro immediately turned his head, unwilling to provoke her wrath. Xun, meanwhile, chuckled happily at the exchange.

"Nami-chan," Xun said, "murlocs do have an advantage over normal humans. But did you forget? Not everyone is normal."

Nami's mind flashed back to Xun's demonstration of strength against the Sea King. She felt her tension ease, though her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. Compared to Xun's inhuman strength, even Arlong seemed laughable.

"Nami-chan," Xun continued, "humans in this world are far more monstrous than all other races combined. That's why they rule the seas. A strong human can obliterate a town with one punch or destroy an island in a single battle."

"As for murlocs," he added with a smirk, "they're a minority that can be bullied or enslaved at will. If not for Fish-Man Island's good relations with many strong humans, they might've been wiped out already."

Both Nami and Zoro gawked in disbelief, their voices rising in unison. "Impossible!"

Xun shook his head. "That's why I said you lack common sense. Humans in this world may seem disadvantaged compared to other races, but they possess incredible potential."

Turning to Zoro, he said, "Take you, for example. You look like a healthy young man, not overly muscular or exaggerated in build. So why are you so strong? Why can you defeat opponents twice your size?"

Nami blinked, taken aback, while Zoro scratched his chin and replied matter-of-factly, "I just know how to use my strength. Isn't it normal to unleash ten times your base power in a fight? Plus, I'm a swordsman, so I naturally have more precision and power."

Nami's fist slammed down on his head. "Normal?! That's not normal at all!"

Zoro grumbled, rubbing his head, but turned to Xun with genuine interest. "So? What's the secret?"

Xun smiled, raising a hand to mediate. "Zoro is right, Nami. It is normal—for this world. Humans here have incredibly resilient bodies capable of withstanding tremendous stress. What Zoro is doing is essentially 'body control.' When you reach a point where you can exert a hundred times your base strength, you'll unlock your true potential and awaken something called Haki."

"Haki?" Zoro asked, his interest piqued.

Xun nodded. "It's a power that only manifests when you've mastered control over your body and spirit. There are even martial arts, like the Marines' 'Six Powers,' that help train the body to reach its limits."

Zoro looked stunned. He had spent years training and fighting to push his limits, but hearing that his current tenfold strength was still far from awakening his true potential felt like a punch to the gut.

"I've only reached tenfold…" he muttered. "Does that mean I'm still weak?"

Xun nodded confidently.

"Don't doubt it—you are!"

Nami smirked triumphantly, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

"So, you're just a little karami, huh?"

She seemed to be thoroughly enjoying this revelation. After learning a bit more about the true power of the strong in this world, her previous fear of murlocs now seemed laughable. That was precisely why Xun had chosen murlocs as his example. While he knew Nami wouldn't flee or make a dramatic scene, it was better to ease her worries. He much preferred her relaxed, teasing smile over the stress-filled frown she'd worn earlier.

Zoro, however, clenched his fist in irritation. Meeting Xun's calm, indifferent expression, he felt a spark of determination light in his chest. His gaze burned as he asked, voice trembling slightly,

"Captain, what about you? Have you awakened your Haki?"

"Haki, huh?" Xun replied with a smirk. "You should focus on reaching a hundred times your strength before you ask about that."

Zoro's question made Xun reflect on his own journey. When he had mastered the arts of body control, granting him the ability to infinitely stack his power, he had considered learning Haki. However, his luck instinct had warned him against it.

It felt as if encountering Haki at that time would yield lesser benefits. That's why he had deliberately chosen to wait. Based on his limited understanding of lifeforms in this world, he had started piecing together some of the deeper truths:

Lifeform Type 1 seemed to focus primarily on physical strength. (Supplemented by mind and soul)

Lifeform Type 2 emphasized the mind and intellect. (Supplemented by body and soul)

Lifeform Type 3 leaned heavily into spiritual or soul-based power. (Supplemented by body and mind)

Xun's deduction was clear—if he could allow his body and mind to reach a transformative state, there might be extraordinary surprises waiting for him.

Shaking off his musings, Xun addressed Zoro directly, his tone growing serious.

"But don't feel bad. The reason I'm telling you all this isn't to mock you. I promised you something before you joined me, didn't I? Today, I'll fulfill that promise. I'll give you the key to achieving your dreams—to becoming one of the strongest in this world."

Both Zoro and Nami stared at him in awe, their eyes brimming with anticipation. In a world where the strong devoured the weak, refusing the opportunity to grow stronger would be unthinkable.

As Xun extended his will outward, the duo suddenly felt as if they were connected to something greater than themselves—a higher existence that saw through their very essence. Their entire beings felt exposed, as if they were transparent under an incomprehensible gaze.

Fear and awe gripped their hearts as Xun's voice rang in their minds.

"Focus. That's my mind you're feeling. I'm about to transmit knowledge to you. Brace yourselves."

Still reeling from the experience, the two nodded hesitantly, choosing to trust him.

Xun paused briefly, contemplating how best to proceed. It wouldn't be wise to directly implant the knowledge into their minds—it was their first time, after all. He needed to ease them into it.

Within the spiritual landscape of their minds, Xun created something simple yet profound: a small bookshelf.

Inside Zoro's mind, the shelf contained simplified Body Control Arts, capable of mastery up to a thousand times normal strength—a level that would already place him among the strongest in the world. Additionally, it housed advanced knowledge of Extreme Swordsmanship.

Nami's bookshelf was similar, with the Body Control Arts as its foundation. However, hers also included a comprehensive Navigation Knowledge Pack, covering everything from advanced cartography to understanding weather anomalies and sea currents.

Nami gasped aloud, her voice tinged with shock.

"What's this bookshelf that suddenly appeared in my mind?!"

Zoro frowned, also aware of the strange phenomenon.

Xun chuckled lightly, reassuring them. He understood that suddenly gaining what felt like an additional organ in one's consciousness could be unsettling.

"It's a small library that stores knowledge," he explained. "Try touching it with your mind. You'll see what I mean."

Despite their surprise, the duo chose to trust him. Tentatively, they reached out toward the shelves within their minds.

As soon as they made contact, their expressions shifted—eyes dulling, mouths slightly agape. They appeared completely entranced, their bodies eerily still.

Xun sighed in relief, knowing the process had succeeded. Their numb expressions weren't alarming to him; it simply meant they were fully immersed in absorbing the new knowledge he'd shared with them.

Watching over them, he smiled softly. "Step by step," he muttered. "This is just the beginning."