The date was August 1st, 1439. In the East Blue Sea, on a quiet and relatively unknown island called Shellstone Island, there was a small village named Sea Pearl Village. It was a modest place, home to hardworking people and surrounded by calm waters that shimmered with the soft glow of early morning light.
On the outskirts of this village, in a worn-down shack that looked like it had been standing for longer than it should have, a black haired teenage boy with red eyes lay asleep on a wooden bed that offered little in the way of comfort. His name was Karn. Karn Molt. The room was dimly lit by the early rays of sunlight slipping through cracks in the walls, and the soft creaking of the old shack accompanied the gentle sound of waves in the distance.
(Picture Here)
Karn had entered this world exactly sixteen years ago. Born an orphan with no knowledge of his parents, he was raised entirely within the walls of the village orphanage. For most of his childhood, he had lived under the strict and simple routines of the orphanage, receiving only what was necessary to get by. When he turned fifteen, he left the orphanage to make his own way, working to survive. He began collecting pearls in the shallow waters near the sea, a job that earned just enough to keep him fed and sheltered, though it paid very little. Still, it was honest work, and he did what he could with what he had.
And now, he had just turned sixteen.
"Ughh," Karn groaned as he slowly sat up from the hard wooden bed, rubbing his eyes and letting out a tired sigh. His body was stiff from another uncomfortable night of sleep.
"I need to get some cushioning or something," he muttered under his breath. His voice was still rough from sleep as he pushed himself up and stretched his arms, his joints popping slightly as he tried to loosen his muscles.
No sooner had he stood up than a soft, high-pitched beep echoed faintly inside his head. He blinked and looked around the room, confused, until a screen suddenly appeared in front of his face. It floated in the air with a faint glow, displaying information he couldn't have expected to see.
(Karn Molt)
Strength: 7
Speed: 8
Durability: 5
Devil Fruit: (none)
Fighting Styles: (none)
Skills: (none)
Booster: (none)
Karn stared at the screen in shock, his mind racing. He had given up on the idea of ever having a secret system long ago. When he was younger, he used to dream about something like this, but over the years, reality had dulled those hopes. The thought that such a thing could really exist had become just another childish fantasy. And yet here it was, appearing out of nowhere on the morning of his sixteenth birthday. For a moment, a wave of joy surged through him, excitement bubbling up from deep inside. But that excitement quickly faded as he looked over his stats again. The numbers were low. Weak, even. Dissatisfaction took over as he realized just how little he had to show for himself.
He noticed a small mail icon in the corner of the screen, glowing slightly. Curious, he reached toward it and tapped it.
[System successfully downloaded. Beginner gift chest has been rewarded and you can claim it anytime: (CLAIM)]
Without hesitation, Karn tapped the claim button.
[Main system function has been unlocked. The Learning and Talent System is now active. The Learning and Talent System allows you to learn and understand things significantly faster than ordinary people. You can gradually improve how quickly you absorb knowledge using MP (Mastery Points). You earn Mastery Points by mastering things you have learned. MP can also be used to purchase items from the MP Shop. Please be safe and enjoy.]
"This is pretty cool," Karn said as he sat down once more on the edge of his wooden bed, his eyes fixed on the translucent screen still hovering in front of him.
He leaned forward slightly, letting his thoughts wander as he began imagining all the different things he might be able to do now that this strange system had appeared. The possibilities felt endless, and the more he thought about it, the more curious he became.
"System, can I learn things from books?" he asked. He was not really expecting a response and mostly said it to test whether the system would actually acknowledge his question or not.
[Yes, you can learn things from books, or seeing them in person. It doesn't matter.]
"Ok, cool," Karn said quietly, more to himself than to the screen. He nodded a little, mentally noting how useful that feature would be, especially since it meant he could learn skills just by studying or observing others.
Without wasting any more time, Karn immediately decided what he wanted to do. He already knew there was a swordsmanship book in the village library. He remembered seeing it a while back.
He stood up and walked straight toward the door of his shack, pushing it open and stepping outside.
Usually, during this time of the morning, Karn would already be heading out toward the coast to begin searching for pearls or casting his lines into the water in hopes of catching something he could sell.
It was the routine that had kept him going ever since he left the orphanage, and though it never paid much, it had been enough to get by.
But now, with the appearance of the system and its potential to help him grow stronger, those usual tasks felt less important. He felt that improving himself, even if only a little at a time, was worth more than the small handful of berry he might have earned today.
….
After walking for about five minutes along the worn path that led through the village, Karn finally arrived at the village library. The building was small and plain, with faded stone walls and a wooden door that creaked slightly when opened. Despite its size and quiet presence, the library was known by the villagers as a place where one could always find at least a few books worth reading.
Karn stepped through the entrance and made his way toward the front desk, where the librarian sat behind a neat stack of papers. As he approached, he put on a friendly smile, wanting to be polite after not visiting for such a long time.
"Hello, Miss Elva. I haven't seen you in a while," Karn said, addressing the woman behind the desk. She had blonde hair that fell just past her shoulders and clear green eyes that always seemed to notice more than she let on.
"Yes, I'm surprised to see you here," Elva replied, returning his greeting with a calm smile of her own. "The last time I saw you was last year, when you came in and borrowed that book about how to fish."
As Elva Raye spoke, Karn looked slightly embarrassed. His eyes shifted briefly toward the floor as he recalled the memory. It had been a moment of pride at the time, but hearing it mentioned now made him a little self-conscious. Still, he quickly lifted his head again and brought back his earlier smile, trying to brush off the feeling.
"Well, everyone starts somewhere, right?" Karn said with a small shrug, trying to keep the mood light.
Elva gave a slow nod and made a soft humming sound in agreement. "Mmm, so what brings you here today?" she asked, looking at him with curiosity.
Karn took a moment before answering, then said, "Today I thought it was finally time I learned how to fight. I want to be able to defend myself, so I'm looking for some books or manuals on swordsmanship."
Elva raised one eyebrow slightly, clearly interested in his sudden motivation. She considered his words for a moment before responding.
"Alright. Just make sure you don't hurt yourself, and be sure to bring the book back when you're done," she said as she pointed toward a bookshelf that stood a little apart from the others. It was smaller and held fewer books than the rest, and it was clear that this section had not been used often.
"All the fighting books and things like that are over in that aisle," she added, motioning toward the shelf again. "We don't have very many books on combat or weapon training, so you might not find anything especially helpful."
"Okay, I'll keep that in mind," Karn replied as he turned away and headed toward the bookshelf she had pointed out. After spending a few moments scanning the worn spines and shifting through a few titles, he eventually spotted a book that caught his eye. Its cover was plain, but printed clearly across the front were the words The Basics of Swordsmanship.
He reached out and took the book from the shelf, holding it under his arm. Then, with a quick glance back toward the front desk, he gave a simple farewell to Elva, thanked her, and stepped out of the library. Once outside, he began making his way back to his shack.
….
As Karn sat down on his wooden bed, he wasted no time and immediately opened the book he had just borrowed from the library. The moment he flipped it open, the system interface appeared in front of him again, floating silently in the air.
(Book: The Basics of Swordsmanship)
[Pages Read: 0 / 215]
[Lethality: ★]
The interface was short, clean, and to the point. There were no flashy effects or unnecessary words. Karn didn't think too much about it. He turned his attention to the book and flipped to the first page, his eyes scanning the lines with focus. As soon as he finished reading the first page, another notification appeared in front of him.
(Swordsmanship EXP +150)
The moment this message appeared, Karn felt a sudden rush in his mind and body. It was as if a wave of instinct and knowledge had been poured directly into him. His muscles felt slightly more responsive, and there was a strange clarity in his thoughts, almost like he had spent years training with a sword instead of just reading a page.
Driven by curiosity, Karn quickly opened his stats screen to check for any changes. Sure enough, the progress was reflected there.
(Karn Molt)
Strength: 7
Speed: 8
Durability: 5
Devil Fruit: (None)
Fighting Styles: (Level 0 ~ 1) Swordsmanship (50 / 150)
Skills: (None)
Booster: (None)
His swordsmanship had previously been at level zero, but with the 150 experience points gained from the first page, it had now reached level one. Karn could already feel a new level of understanding within him. The movements, grips, and balance described in the text made more sense now, almost as though his body instinctively understood what the words meant.
With that realization, he made up his mind. He decided he was going to read the entire book from start to finish. It only had 215 pages, and if the progress continued like this, he knew it would be worth the time.
….
Approximately seven and a half hours later, Karn had finally reached the end of the book. His back was slightly sore from sitting in the same spot for so long, but he had pushed through without taking a single break. The system once again displayed a new update.
(Book: The Basics of Swordsmanship)
[Pages Read: 215 / 215]
[Lethality: ★]
(Book Complete)
(Swordsmanship EXP +500)
By this point, Karn was mentally exhausted. He had been absorbing techniques, footwork, and sword theory for hours on end. The constant flow of information had taken its toll on his focus. He yawned slightly, feeling the weight of the long reading session.
"I'll just check my progress tomorrow," Karn said to himself in a quiet voice. Without any further thought, he turned off the lanterns that lit up his shack and laid down on the wooden bed, letting his tired body rest.
….
The next morning, as soon as he woke up, the first thing Karn did was open his status screen. He sat up and blinked a few times before focusing on the interface.
(Karn Molt)
Strength: 7 ~ 16
Speed: 8 ~ 10
Durability: 5 ~ 9
Devil Fruit: (None)
Fighting Styles: (Level 13) Swordsmanship (550 / 3,000)
Skills: Core Strength, Grip Strength
Booster: (None)
His eyes scanned over the updated stats. His swordsmanship had reached level thirteen, which surprised him. Although it was far from being master-level, it was certainly no longer in the beginner range. He could tell just by looking at the numbers and recalling how much information had settled into his mind that he would now be able to hold his own in a fight. At the very least, he could defend himself against weaker enemies, maybe even fend off small-time pirates if he had to.
"I need a sword so I can test my swordsmanship," Karn mumbled as he got up from his bed. He picked up his small pouch of berries, slung it around his shoulder, and stepped out of the shack into the morning light.
….
A short while later, Karn arrived at the village marketplace. The area was lively with people moving around between stalls and small shops. He moved steadily through the crowd, keeping an eye out for any store that might sell weapons. Eventually, he spotted a small shop tucked near the edge of the market that had a few blades displayed on the wall behind the counter.
He stepped inside the shop and looked around until his eyes landed on a sword behind the shopkeeper. It was a long, well-shaped blade, roughly the length of his arm, and something about it caught his attention immediately.
He pointed at the weapon and addressed the man behind the counter. "How much you want for this, boss?" Karn asked casually, still keeping his eyes on the sword.
The owner, a middle-aged man with short black hair and a plain shirt, gave him a quick glance before answering. "Well, kid, that thing's gonna cost you forty-five thousand berries. Not that much."
"Sure, boss. Here," Karn replied without hesitation. He reached into his pouch, pulled out the full amount in coins, and placed them neatly on the counter.
The shopkeeper nodded, then turned around and grabbed the sword off the rack. He handed it to Karn and gave him a brief smile. "Take care, kid. Don't get hurt," he said as he extended his hand for a handshake.
Karn gripped his hand and shook it firmly. The man's expression twitched slightly as he felt the strength in Karn's grip, but he didn't say anything about it.
"Take care, boss," Karn said as he turned and walked out of the shop with the sword now in his possession.