One Piece: The True Codex

The disciples in the dojo exchanged puzzled glances. After Koushirou uttered those words, he stood with his hands behind his back, a faint smile lingering on his face. The young disciples, their minds brimming with wild imaginations, couldn't help but feel suspicious at his demeanor. They waited patiently, but no miracle occurred—the Wado Ichimonji didn't suddenly leap up and slash through the bamboo mat as they had envisioned.

"Sensei?" A slightly immature voice filled with confusion broke the silence in the hall.

Finally, Koushirou moved. He unsheathed the Wado Ichimonji once more, holding the blade upward, and set it on the ground. Then, he picked up a bundle of bamboo mats and tossed it onto the sword.

The Wado Ichimonji, being one of the 21 Great Grade Blades, was naturally razor-sharp, but it wasn't some mystical artifact imbued with supernatural sword energy. Without someone wielding it, the bundle of bamboo mats merely landed on the blade, embedding itself slightly before rolling off. It didn't split into two like its predecessors.

Koushirou smiled as he retrieved the bamboo mats and the Wado Ichimonji, then addressed the group: "A sword is important—extremely important—to a swordsman. But it is not the essence of a swordsman. The measure of a swordsman lies not in how sharp their blade is, but in their own capacity."

He pointed to Edmond, who was still standing there awkwardly with the rusty katana in his hand. "For a swordsman, the person is the foundation. Without a fine blade, even with a rusty sword, a true swordsman can still perform their craft. But if the blade remains without the person, no matter how sharp it is, what use is it? It cannot move on its own."

After finishing his explanation, Koushirou paused, his gaze sweeping over the disciples with a hint of expectation. "Do you understand?"

The response was a chorus of synchronized head-shaking. Among the disciples attending the lecture, the oldest was no more than eighteen or nineteen, while most were between eleven and twelve, with some as young as eight or nine. Such abstract, philosophical teachings were not easy for them to grasp.

"One Piece:The True Codex"Vallon shook his head so vigorously he resembled a bobblehead, drawing a chuckle from Aramis, who found the scene amusing. Aramis excelled at tasks requiring hard work and perseverance, but this kind of intellectual exercise was undoubtedly his greatest weakness.

William, however, didn't join in the head-shaking. His heart was shaken, but not by Koushirou's lecture. While the lesson was intriguing and insightful for someone with a mature soul like his, it wasn't enough to leave him stunned.

What truly shocked William was the sudden appearance of an image in his mind as Koushirou concluded his lesson. It was the text engraved on the stone platform in the Plaza of Fate, and now it had been updated with a few new lines:

Background Feat:

[Apprentice of the Isshin Dojo]: Your swordsmanship training originates from the Isshin Dojo in Shimotsuki Village of the East Blue. During the early years of honing your craft, the teachings of Koushirou, the dojo master, have greatly benefited you. This fact is widely recognized.

This was the first time William had experienced the influence of the Plaza of Fate outside of his dreams!

Recalling the changes in the Plaza of Fate after completing his first path, William began to suspect that the Plaza's capabilities and influence might expand as he successfully navigated more paths.

That night, William could hardly wait to fall asleep and return to the Plaza of Fate. The plaza appeared largely unchanged, except for the addition of a new path named [The Opportunist], which seemed related to his upcoming plans. However, he had no intention of pursuing this path for now.

Approaching the path of [Sword Prodigy], William saw that the stone tablet at the entrance listed the requirements: the technical feat [Basic Swordsmanship] and the background feat [Apprentice of the Isshin Dojo]. Having met both criteria, the fog that had previously obscured the path began to dissipate as he stepped forward.

Without looking back at the plaza, William pressed onward, his curiosity piqued about what lay beyond. Would the next plaza bring new functional enhancements, further validating his theories?

As he left the shadowed plaza behind, William strode forward. For some reason, he felt as though the darkness on either side of the path was stirring, as if it were ready to surge forth like a tidal wave and engulf both the path and himself.

Suddenly, a golden thread, accompanied by several silver threads, shot out from William's wrist. After trembling briefly in midair, they extended toward the end of the path, disappearing into the distance beyond his sight.

The golden Thread of Fate, representing Gin, and the resilient threads tied to Aramis, Vallon, Edmond, and others gently swayed. An invisible ripple emanated from them, causing the darkness on either side of the path to boil momentarily before calming once more.

William's eyes gleamed as he observed the Threads of Fate, which were seemingly guiding and supporting him along the path.

...

William still didn't know the full depth of swordsmanship in this world. Even now, he hadn't glimpsed the threshold for advancing his skills. And yet, his strength had increased tenfold compared to a year ago!

On the bright side, the task he had assigned to Edmond was finally making progress.

Over the past year, William had been diligently reading newspapers and gathering information. These papers ranged from local to regional and even global publications. Beyond staying informed, William was searching for a sustainable, long-term way to generate wealth. After all, even a mountain of gold could be depleted if squandered recklessly.

More importantly, he sought to establish a local network of connections and resources that would serve him in the future.

What distinguishes one pirate from another?

Take William's previous world as an example: Henry Morgan and Francis Drake were notorious pirates in the Atlantic and the Caribbean, engaging in heinous acts like slave trading. Yet, when they returned to England, they were celebrated as heroes, even rising to positions of power and nobility.

These pirates looted overseas, sold their spoils in English-controlled territories, purchased valuable supplies, and received intelligence support from allies. This image starkly contrasts with the traditional notion of pirates aimlessly wandering the seas, hoping to stumble upon merchant ships by sheer luck.

In reality, Spanish transport ships might have barely left port before these pirates received detailed intelligence on their routes, stops, and schedules, all delivered by informants.

The power of great pirates and sea lords extended far beyond the decks of their ships. Their influence encompassed vast networks of connections and resources, enabling them to maintain formidable fleets and recover from setbacks. Even when injured, they had safe havens to regroup and heal.

If the vast ocean were likened to a sprawling savanna, then pirates like Henry Morgan and Francis Drake were wolves—predators with keen senses and powerful tracking abilities. From the moment their prey left its den, they could smell its enticing scent and add it to their menu.

In contrast, pirate crews like Danton's were blind on the seas despite having eyes. They plundered whatever they stumbled upon, stashed their loot on uninhabited islands to rot, and were constantly on the run from the Marines. Such crews weren't even wolves; at best, they were headless flies.

A modern man from the 21st century, thrust into a world with even harsher living conditions, wasn't about to risk life and limb just to become a headless fly hunted by the Marines. Such a losing proposition was beneath William's contempt.

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