Chapter 3 – Luffy, I'm Coming to Steal Your Straw Hat!
The scent of oranges mixed with sweat churned in his nose. Shano raised his right hand, gazing at the scabbed calluses on his knuckles.
According to the manual, the essence of this breathing-based martial art lay in "nourishing the blood with breath."
By using a special breathing rhythm, it allowed the alveoli to exchange oxygen at multiple times the normal rate, letting the boiling blood carry nutrients and continuously flush every muscle fiber.
With that, physical training would yield twice the result with half the effort, and the gains would then feed back into strengthening skin, muscles, and bones.
Day after day, over time…
His body would gradually grow far beyond that of an ordinary human, and once it reached mastery, he'd break past the natural limits of the human body—unlocking something like a genetic gate and evolving into a whole new species.
"A whole new species, huh…"
Shano's eyes shimmered slightly, filled with anticipation.
In this world, there were just too many monstrously talented freaks.
His own body, while decent in terms of physical potential, still fell under the category of a regular human.
Out at sea, that meant nothing.
Just like…
No matter how hard Usopp trained, in the end, he was still just Usopp.
Only by shedding that skin—that limiting shell of Usopp—and revealing a bold, brand-new form underneath, could one even have a chance of standing alongside monsters like Luffy and Zoro, fighting for a main combatant's spot.
If this "Breathing Fist" could really help him do that, then he had seriously hit the jackpot back then. It would mean the technique was worth way more than the 700 points he'd spent on it.
After all, in the past three years, he'd scraped and saved, and only barely collected just over 900 points.
And that wasn't even all—
The benefits of training in this breathing technique didn't stop there.
Right now, he could clearly feel the rhythmic pulsing of his heart, like a ship's sail filled with storm winds.
Under normal conditions, after intense exertion, most people would experience lactic acid buildup. But with this breathing rhythm, it somehow transformed into heat energy that made his muscles tremble.
The bruises he got earlier from pounding on the orange tree were already fading away, processed quickly by the unique rhythm of the breathing art.
If not for that…
In a world with little medical support, there was no way he could abuse his body like this—training like hell for hours every morning and night—while still being able to help with orange picking during the day.
"Deep Sea."
With a thought, Shano summoned the system panel once again.
The attribute stats hadn't changed yet.
He wasn't surprised. Training always required time and accumulation—it was never something that changed overnight.
Staring at the data, he made a rough estimate.
Right now, he could already take down over a dozen grown men without much effort.
If the technique reached mastery, and his body evolved to that next level…
Taking on a few average fish-men shouldn't be a problem.
However—
That wasn't what he was up against.
He remembered the news he saw in the evening paper after dinner, and the photo of Jinbei's face on public display. A shadow flickered deep in the black-haired boy's eyes.
The newspaper didn't go into detail, but he remembered clearly.
One of the conditions for Jinbei becoming a Warlord of the Sea… was that they release Arlong and his old crew from Impel Down—former members of the Sun Pirates.
Arlong. Arlong. Arlong!
Ever since the day his memories returned, that name had hung over his head like a sword of Damocles, keeping him on edge, unable to sleep at night!
Originally, he wouldn't have needed to train so desperately—at least not this early.
He could've continued to enjoy his childhood, spending every day in the peaceful countryside of the East Blue.
But fate wouldn't let that happen.
Arlong was coming! He'd soon fall out with Jinbei, split from the Sun Pirates, and take a gang of loyal lackeys to the East Blue to live like a tyrant!
If he remembered right…
In the original timeline, in the year 1512 of the Sea Calendar—eight years before Luffy set sail—Arlong's crew would arrive in Cocoyashi Village, extorting a sickening 100,000 Berries per person per month from the villagers as "protection."
A peaceful, unbothered village turned into a hellscape under his oppressive rule. And it was on that day that Belle-Mère was coldly gunned down by Arlong—for the sake of her daughters.
And now…
It was already late autumn, nearing winter, in the year 1511 of the Sea Calendar.
That meant… at most, he had one year left.
Thud!
A wave of urgency surged in his chest. Shano's face darkened as he suddenly slammed his fist into the tree trunk.
After taking several days of punishment, the tree finally gave way.
Crack crack! Countless fine cracks spread across the bark like a spider's web. The next second, the entire seven- or eight-meter tall tree exploded with a loud bang, breaking into pieces and scattering all over the ground.
Amid the drifting wood dust illuminated by moonlight, the boy's gaze turned steely cold.
He was pissed now.
So what if it was just Arlong? A mere 20-million-Berry bounty—he wasn't even considered a proper threat on the Grand Line, let alone the New World. Trash like that dared lay hands on his hometown? Dared to weigh down on him for so many years?
Back when his memories first returned, Shano had tried to convince Belle-Mère to move away. But now? Not a chance in hell!
Cocoyashi Village was his home now, too. It had given him warmth, comfort, and healing.
The orange groves, grassy fields, streams, and shores… every inch of it was filled with memories with his loved ones. Even that big white dog he almost sacrificed once had become a part of the family.
Why should they leave?
Screw that.
Arlong was the one who should get the hell out!
He struck the training post with another flurry of punches, until his nearly drained stamina was completely exhausted. Only then did his frenzied, violent emotions begin to calm down.
He climbed to a higher point and sat, the distant pier just barely visible.
The salty sea breeze swept across his shoulders. Shano lifted his face, gazing at the winding Milky Way above. Waves crashed against the reefs, breaking into silver sparks, reflecting the starlight in his eyes.
"I have to set sail."
He whispered to himself.
Cocoyashi Village… was just too small.
In the East Blue, it was like a tiny star on the edge of the radiant galaxy.
The world out there was vast. If he wanted to earn more points and grow stronger, he couldn't stay confined to this corner forever.
Honestly, the idea of heading out to find new "fat sheep" came to him the moment he realized he couldn't keep milking the same ones forever.
But back then, he was just ten years old—a 140-something cm shrimp who couldn't even beat the geese in the village. Going out to sea would've been suicide.
Now, at least, he had some ability to protect himself. Still not enough to freely roam the world, but…
If he had a clear goal in mind, tagging along with a passing merchant ship and following a safe route for a quick trip might not be a bad idea.
That way, he could avoid making his family worry, and the odds of an accident wouldn't be too high either.
As for who the target should be…
—He didn't even need to think about it. The answer was already locked in his heart.
Monkey D. Luffy!
The Straw Hat once worn by the Pirate King Roger had likely already been passed down to Luffy by Shanks. And that was what he was after.
Something that the protagonist of the world treasured like his life—an item carrying the legacy of Joy Boy and Roger.
Across the entire East Blue, there probably wasn't anything more "valuable" than that straw hat.
As for how Luffy would react to losing it, and what changes it might cause to the timeline—
He didn't care.
Not even a little.
Compared to getting stronger to protect his loved ones, none of that crap mattered at all.
—————
His decision made.
Shano pulled on the coarse wool sweater that Belle-Mère had knitted for him by hand, took a deep breath, and strode out of the orange grove.
As he passed the final training post, he casually picked up the wooden sword leaning beside it.
He claimed to be out practicing swordsmanship, but really, he'd spent the whole session throwing punches—the sword hadn't moved an inch.
That couldn't be helped.
In fact, he'd started practicing swordsmanship even before his martial arts training.
When he was ten, he'd spent 100 points to buy a basic sword manual. But sadly, he just didn't have a knack for it. Even after putting in extra time, he'd only barely reached beginner level.
Human energy was limited, so he had to play to his strengths.
Once Shano realized his greater potential in hand-to-hand combat, he devoted himself entirely to the "Breathing Fist," and swordsmanship was more or less abandoned.
You gain some, you lose some.
Now, carrying a wooden sword during training was just a habit, nothing more.
Before entering the village, Shano turned to glance once more at the distant harbor.
If things went the same as usual, then in just a few days, the first batch of cargo ships for orange purchases would dock there.
There were usually three to four ships, belonging to different merchant guilds, each running its own trade route.
But they all passed through some big port cities, so with a transfer or two, he was bound to find a way to Windmill Village.
The earlier the better. He didn't want to wait any longer.
Set sail!
As soon as the first batch of cargo ships arrived, he would set off immediately!
Luffy, here I come!`