Chapter 3: Luffy, I'm Here to Steal Your Straw Hat!

The scent of tangerines mingled with sweat surged in Shano’s nostrils as he raised his right hand, staring intently at the calloused knuckles crusted with old scabs.

According to the secret manual, the essence of this breathing fist technique lay in “nourishing the blood with energy.”

Through a special frequency of controlled breathing, the alveoli exchanged several times more oxygen per unit of time, causing the boiling blood to carry nutrients that continuously washed over every muscle fiber.

This made physical training twice as effective, with the results feeding back into the flesh, sinews, and bones.

Day after day, over time...

His bodily strength would gradually surpass that of ordinary people by far, and upon mastery, would break through the human body’s original limits dramatically—like unlocking genetic chains, transforming him into an entirely new species.

“A whole new species, huh...”

Shano’s eyes flickered with anticipation.

In this world, there were countless monsters born with astonishing talents.

His own body, though blessed with some physical aptitude, ultimately remained within the bounds of ordinary humanity.

Out in the vast sea, it was simply not enough.

It was like...

No matter how diligently Usopp trained, he would always just be Usopp.

Only by shedding the limiting skin of Usopp and revealing a bold, new form beneath would he stand a chance to compete for the main fighting roles alongside monstrosities like Luffy and Zoro.

If the “breathing fist” could truly help him achieve that, then he had indeed stumbled upon a rare treasure—its value far exceeding the 800 points he had paid.

In three years, he had barely accumulated just over a thousand points; spending 800 had nearly emptied half his lifetime savings.

Moreover,

The benefits of training this breathing fist extended beyond just that.

At this moment, he could clearly feel the rhythm of his heart pumping, like a sail billowing in a storm.

The lactic acid buildup that usually followed intense exertion was, under this breathing rhythm, converted into the heat energy of muscle tremors.

The bruises left on the tangerine tree from his recent strikes were now rapidly fading thanks to the unique metabolic rhythm of the breathing method.

Without this, lacking medical support, he wouldn’t have been able to endure hours of self-inflicted, hellish training every morning and night while still managing the daytime orchard work.

“Deep sea.”

A thought stirred in Shano’s mind, and he summoned the system panel once again.

The various attribute values had yet to change.

This did not surprise him; training required accumulation over time—it was never an overnight success.

He stared at the rows of data, roughly calculating in his mind.

At present, he could already easily defeat a dozen fully grown men.

If the fist technique reached mastery and his body transformed to a new level,

Dealing with a few ordinary fishmen should be no problem.

However...

What he faced was far more complex than just a few fishmen.

Remembering the news he had seen in the paper after dinner, along with Jinbei’s publicly revealed photo, a shadow deepened in the dark-haired boy’s eyes.

The newspaper didn’t elaborate, but he remembered clearly.

One of the conditions for Jinbei agreeing to become a Shichibukai was the release from Impel Down prison of Arlong and his crew, who had once been comrades in the Sun Pirates.

Arlong, Arlong, Arlong!

Since the day his memories returned, that name had hung over him like the sword of Damocles—constantly pressing on his mind, making him restless and sleepless!

Originally, he need not have trained so desperately, nor begun so early.

He could have joyfully continued his childhood, living each day of his East Blue village life warm, easy, and bright.

But fate would not allow it.

Arlong was coming! Soon to clash irreconcilably with Jinbei, breaking from the Sun Pirates! Bringing with him a band of loyal followers to impose his tyrannical rule over East Blue!

If he recalled correctly,

In the original timeline, the year was 1512 in the Kaiyen calendar—eight years before Luffy set sail—when Arlong’s pirate crew set foot in Cocoyashi Village, ruthlessly extorting every villager a monstrous protection fee of 100,000 berries per person each month.

The peaceful rural paradise was transformed into a nightmare under oppressive rule, and it was on that day that Bell-mère was coldly shot by Arlong to protect her daughter.

Now...

It was late autumn, early winter of 1511.

He had only one year left... no, at most one year!

Thump!

A surge of urgency flooded his chest as Shano’s face darkened, and he struck the tree trunk with a fierce punch.

After days of repeated blows, the tree finally reacted.

Crackling sounds! Countless fine cracks spread across the trunk like spiderwebs at lightning speed. In the next moment, the entire seven or eight-meter-tall tree shattered with a thunderous roar, fragments falling like rain.

In the moonlight filtering through the drifting wood chips, the boy’s gaze gradually hardened into iron.

He was angry now.

Wasn’t Arlong just a petty pirate with a 20 million berry bounty? Not even considered trash in the Grand Line, let alone the New World.

Why dare he lay a finger on his home? Why bring so many years of pressure upon him?

When his memories first awakened, Shano would have advised Bell-mère to move away. Now, absolutely not!

Cocoyashi Village was his home now, the place that had given him countless warmth and healing.

The orange groves, the meadows, the streams and the shore—all held memories with his family. Even the great white dog at the village entrance, once nearly sacrificed by him, had become a companion.

Why should they leave?

Damn it!

Arlong was the one who should be driven away!

After several more sets of punches against the wooden post until his dwindling strength was completely exhausted, Shano’s turbulent rage gradually subsided.

He climbed to a high place and sat down, the distant dock faintly visible.

The salty sea breeze brushed his shoulders as he tilted his face upward, gazing at the winding Milky Way across the sky. Waves crashed into hidden reefs, scattering silver fragments that flickered in his starry eyes.

“I have to set sail.”

He whispered to himself.

Cocoyashi Village was simply too small.

To East Blue, it was like a tiny, inconspicuous star at the edge of a brilliant galaxy.

The world outside was vast. To gain more points and become stronger, he absolutely could not remain confined to this small corner.

In fact, as soon as he realized a single sheep couldn’t be milked repeatedly, he had already planned to set sail and find other fat sheep.

But he was only ten then, barely 1.4 meters tall, a tiny beanpole who couldn’t even defeat the village’s large goose; setting sail would have been courting death.

Now he had some ability to defend himself, but officially venturing out to explore remained too dangerous and premature—that was a task for adulthood.

However,

If there was a clear objective, hitching a ride on passing merchant ships along safe routes for a quick round trip was a good option.

It minimized his family’s worries and lowered the chance of accidents.

As for who to choose as a target...

There was almost no need to think twice. Shano immediately locked the answer deep in his heart.

Monkey D. Luffy!

The straw hat once belonging to Pirate King Roger had now likely been passed into Luffy’s hands by Shanks, and it was precisely this straw hat that Shano had set his sights on.

It was the most treasured object in the entire East Blue, both a symbol cherished by the “Son of the Sea” and a relic carrying the historical significance from Joy Boy to Roger.

No other item was more “valuable” than this straw hat.

As for how Luffy would react to losing it, and how the future timeline might shift...

He did not care.

Not one bit.

Compared to strengthening himself to protect his family, those matters were insignificant.

—————

Decision made,

Shano put on the coarse wool sweater Bell-mère had knitted with care, took a deep breath, and strode beyond the orange groves.

Passing the last wooden post, he casually picked up the wooden sword resting nearby.

Though it was said he was practicing swordsmanship, he hadn’t swung the sword once the entire time—only throwing punches.

This was unavoidable.

He had started sword training before the fist technique.

At age ten, he had spent 100 points to exchange for a basic swordsmanship manual, but he was never talented in that area. Despite spending more time, he barely reached beginner level.

Energy was limited; one had to play to one’s strengths and avoid weaknesses.

So when Shano realized his greater aptitude in physical arts, he poured all his effort into the breathing fist technique, essentially abandoning swordsmanship.

Gains must come with losses.

Now, carrying the wooden sword during training was merely a habit.

Before entering the village, Shano glanced back once more at the distant dock.

By tradition, in the coming days, the first batch of ships procuring oranges would arrive there.

Usually three or four cargo ships from different merchant guilds, each with distinct trade routes.

But all of them would dock at major port towns, facilitating transfers to vessels bound for Windmill Village and nearby areas.

Time was of the essence; he didn’t want to wait any longer.

Set sail!

When the first batch of cargo ships arrived, he would leave immediately!

Luffy, here I come!