Plunderer: Master of the Multiverse

Swish!

The blade gleamed, and in a flash, several massive boulders beside Alex split apart, their cut surfaces as smooth as polished glass.

The inky black sheen of the White Dragon Sword in Alex's hand slowly faded. He gently ran his fingers along the cool blade and nodded to himself: "The swordsmen in the One Piece world are seriously destructive. Compared to martial arts world swordsmen, their raw power is in a whole different league."

It made sense when he thought about it. Forget top-tier fighters like Hawkeye in the One Piece world. Even Zoro, before the big war at the top, could slice through an iceberg blocking their pirate ship.

Two years after that war, he was even more fearsome. In the clash with the Donquixote Family, Pica's giant stone form towered like a mountain, yet Zoro cleaved it with a single stroke.

The crystal measuring device displayed his stats. It had been six months since arriving in the Storm Riders world, and Alex's crystal points had climbed to 170. Not a bad growth rate.

But when it came to destructive power, his crystal points, combined with his enhanced physique, had reached a downright terrifying level.

"Master, that's incredible!" Duanlang, standing nearby, watched Alex's sword flash carve through the boulders in an instant. His eyes sparkled with awe. That sword strike felt unstoppable, like it could cut through anything.

After training under Alex for six months, Alex never hid his practice sessions from Duanlang, letting him observe freely and even ask questions whenever he had them.

So, over the past half-year, Duanlang had come to realize just how powerful his master was. Better yet, he could see with his own eyes that Alex kept getting stronger.

"How's your training going?" After sizing up his own swordplay gains, Alex turned his attention to Duanlang.

"Master, I've started condensing the Armament Haki you taught me, but it's super faint and can barely coat my weapon…"

Unlike Alex, who wielded the White Dragon Sword, Duanlang held just a wooden sword.

As he spoke, Duanlang swung the wooden sword down, slicing a fist-sized rock beside him.

As his blade struck, the rock split clean in half, and Duanlang checked his wooden sword, relieved to see it was barely scratched.

"Not bad. Your Armament Haki's still weak, but it's already boosting your attack power. You've got serious talent…" Alex observed the scene and gave a calm nod.

On the surface, Alex stayed cool, but inside, he was stunned.

A faint red glow from the crystal measuring device scanned Duanlang. Seeing the 58-point value, Alex's expression flickered with surprise.

In just six months, training in the One Piece world's power system, Duanlang had hit 58 crystal points. That growth rate was jaw-dropping.

The One Piece world's hallmark was physical prowess. Beyond the body's energy, the physique itself was insanely tough—something the crystal device couldn't measure.

Looking at Duanlang, the change was obvious. These past months of grueling training, plus the perks of being Alex's disciple—plenty of hearty meals—had transformed him. In half a year, he'd shot up in height.

His body was solid, too. Clothes hid it, but strip them off, and you'd see muscles carved like stone, each one brimming with strength.

"Duanlang… Duanlang…" As the master and apprentice honed their martial arts, a young girl's voice rang out. A teenage maid hurried over, clutching a bundle of clothes.

"Master Duanlang, I've washed your clothes for you…" The little maid set the neatly folded stack beside him and said.

"Yeah," Duanlang replied with a curt nod, barely glancing at her. He dove back into his sword practice, sweat pouring down his face.

After setting down the clothes, the maid didn't leave. Instead, she crouched nearby, watching Duanlang train with curious eyes.

Most martial artists would hate being watched during practice, but Alex didn't mind, so she showed no fear.

After a bit, Alex spoke up: "Kong Ci, isn't it about time you delivered lunch to Nie Feng and Bu Jingyun?"

Yup, this little maid was Kong Ci!

"Oh, thanks for the reminder, Master Alex! Duanlang, I'll swing by tomorrow," she yelped, realizing she'd lost track of time watching. The maid thanked Alex, then dashed off, but not before calling out to Duanlang.

Duanlang, lost in his training, didn't respond to Kong Ci's farewell.

Watching Kong Ci scamper away, Alex grinned knowingly. In the original story, she was a tragic figure, caught in a messy love triangle with Nie Feng and Bu Jingyun, used by Xiongba as a pawn to pit Storm Riders against each other, and ultimately sacrificed.

Who'd have thought, at such a young age, Kong Ci seemed to have a crush on Duanlang? Maybe girls really did mature faster emotionally?

"Alright, Duanlang, take a breather…" Seeing Duanlang's body nearing its limit, Alex called out, urging him to pause.

"Master, I still can't pull off Shave. My body's not strong enough, and my Armament Haki's too weak. Nie Feng's growing crazy fast. If I don't push harder, I'm worried he'll leave me in the dust…" Sitting down, Duanlang took the towel Alex handed him, his young face set with determination.

"Not bad, keep that fire burning…" Duanlang's words earned a nod of approval from Alex.

Alex knew well that for kids, a bit of praise could go a long way.

Duanlang and Nie Feng had always been tight, often sparring and pushing each other. So, Duanlang was well aware of Nie Feng and Bu Jingyun's strengths.

But it was exactly because of those two prodigies' rapid growth that Duanlang felt the pressure.

Duanlang was holding back a ton of drive, and Alex could see it. Back then, Xiongba had only chosen Nie Feng and Bu Jingyun as disciples in front of the World Alliance, snubbing Duanlang, the son of the Southwood Blade Master. Now, Duanlang was dead-set on proving Xiongba's choice was a mistake, determined to show his martial arts would outshine Nie Feng and Bu Jingyun's!

Having clear goals, grit, hard work, and ambition—these were all strengths in Alex's eyes, key to Duanlang's future rise.

"By the way, what do you think of Kong Ci?" Alex asked Duanlang, a spark of curiosity in his voice.

In the Storm Riders world's ancient setting, entertainment was scarce, but Alex couldn't resist a little gossip.

"Kong Ci? She's only a maid of World Alliance," Duanlang scoffed, shaking his head. After a slight pause, he added, "And she's kind of a pest. She keeps bugging me during practice. She's supposed to be Nie Feng and Bu Jingyun's maid, but she's always washing my clothes and stuff. Could it be…"

At that, Duanlang huffed and said, "Could it be that Bu Jingyun's sending Kong Ci to distract me, hoping to mess with my training and get ahead?"

Thwack!

Before Duanlang could finish, Alex gave him a light tap on the head.

"Master, why'd you smack me?" Duanlang whined, rubbing his head with a pout.

"First off, I've told you before: people may be rich or poor, but there's no such thing as noble or lowly. If it weren't for me, you might've ended up a handyman in World Alliance. So, high status doesn't make someone better, and low status doesn't make them less," Alex said firmly.

Even though the apocalypse hit three years ago, the idea of equality had been drilled into Alex since childhood.

So, whether it was a servant or a maid, Alex never looked down on them or treated them as lesser, unlike others might.

"And…" Alex shifted gears, adding, "I'd suggest you appreciate this moment. When you're older, you might realize these are some of the best days of your life."

Yup, take Nie Feng in the original story: his mom was called the most beautiful woman in the martial world, and with his good looks and kind heart, he won over plenty of admirers along the way.

Even Bu Jingyun had Yu Chuchu, who adored him.

And Duanlang? Well, Alex could see why he stayed single for so long. The kid was so focused on training, he barely noticed anything else…