Chapter 3: New Template - Li Jing! Catching a Blade BarehandedAlthough Nami was completely bewildered and couldn't understand Luffy's intentions, she obediently nodded, "Since you're going, I'll lead the way. Shall we set sail now?"
As long as Luffy wasn't going to rescue those plundering and pillaging pirates, the kind-hearted Nami was happy to help; after all, her hatred for pirates was ingrained in her bones.
Luffy, however, waved his hand leisurely, "What's the rush? Eating is the most important thing. Let's finish this meal first. You haven't experienced it; being hungry on the vast ocean is worse than death."
Watching Luffy wolf down his food, Nami was speechless.
Then, Luffy swept away the entire table of food with astonishing speed, like autumn leaves in a whirlwind.
"Ah! That feels so good!"
Luffy sprawled out in his chair, stretching contentedly, giving this long-awaited lavish meal a five-star rating.
Nami, sitting opposite him, looked completely distracted. After Luffy's promise, she wished she could sprout wings and fly straight back to Cocoyasi Village to rescue her suffering neighbors.
Just then, Marine Headquarters Captain Joyce strode in from outside, his face full of obsequiousness.
"Young Master Luffy! Great news! Vice Admiral Garp has agreed to your request and is personally bringing your rank insignia and uniform from Marine Headquarters."
Joyce's face was plastered with a fawning smile as he bowed and scraped to Luffy.
In reality, a million curses were stampeding through his mind. That was a Marine Headquarters Captain!
I've worked my butt off for most of my life to climb to this position, and yet someone else just opens their mouth and gets promoted in one step. There's no justice in this world.
"What rank did you get?"
Nami, standing nearby, couldn't help but lean over and ask curiously.
"Marine Headquarters Captain."
Joyce felt a bitter taste in his mouth and said sourly, "Exactly the same rank as me."
Luffy was slightly surprised. He truly hadn't expected his grandfather to be so efficient, securing him such a secure job.
A Marine Headquarters Captain—while not quite reaching the "Admiral" rank, in the four seas beyond the Grand Line, this was already a top-tier officer with immense power, far more prestigious than any branch captain.
With this position, he could practically do whatever he wanted in the East Blue!
Luffy's mood instantly brightened, and he patted Joyce's shoulder vigorously with a smile: "That's great! From now on, we're practically inseparable colleagues, hahaha!"
Joyce's shoulder ached from the pat, but he could only force a smile.
Luffy turned to him and gave him a command: "I'm going to Shells Town later, and you're coming with me."
Joyce was clearly taken aback, his mind filled with question marks.
Shells Town?
What kind of remote corner is that?
Joyce, who mainly spent his time in high-level bureaus on the Grand Line, rarely had any business dealings with these remote branches in the East Blue, except for the occasional trip back to his hometown.
Luffy stroked his chin, his face radiating righteous indignation, and said, "I heard there's a scoundrel in that place who's tarnishing the Navy's reputation, constantly finding ways to exploit the people. I'm going there to rid the people of this scourge and clean house."
Upon hearing this, Joyce's sense of justice surged instantly. Being from the East Blue himself, he was like a great general on a campaign, his anger rising the moment he heard that a relative back home had been bullied by a petty county official.
"Young Master, don't worry! We'll set off immediately! However… I don't seem to have a nautical chart for Shells Town…"
Luffy waved his hand dismissively, pointing to Nami beside him, "The world's top navigator is right in front of you, what need do you have for a crappy chart?"
Joyce glanced at Nami with some surprise, then realized what he meant and nodded politely, "Then we'll have to rely on this young lady."
Nami, flattered, felt instantly elated. Normally, when she went to sea, whether it was the Marines, pirates, or passing merchants, everyone who knew she was a thief gave her the cold shoulder.
When had she ever received such respect from a Marine officer of this rank?
Seeing Nami's beaming face, Luffy chuckled inwardly.
Back in his previous life, watching anime, he always thought Luffy was a complete idiot who held a winning hand but squandered it terribly.
Despite having access to so many top-tier resources, he doesn't know how to utilize them, insisting on choosing a dead-end path where he's the enemy of the world.
If you insist on being a pirate, what significant role can your grandfather, a naval hero, play besides occasionally letting you off the hook?
At most, he'll turn a blind eye during pursuits.
But what if you infiltrate the naval system?
Are you kidding me? Will Shanks, Dragon of the Revolutionary Army, and Ace turn against you just because you wear a naval coat?
Obviously not. In their hearts, you'll always be a brother they'd risk their lives for.
That's the so-called freedom in the pirate world.
But this freedom is utterly useless to Luffy. If it weren't for his protagonist's halo and deep-rooted connections, he would probably have been nipped in the bud by the Five Elders the moment he declared war on the World Government at Enies Lobby.
So-called freedom, in the final analysis, is built upon absolute strength. Unfortunately, Luffy in the original story is just a willful, stubborn fool, only knowing how to recklessly charge forward.
If Luffy had a regular position in the Navy, the credit for defeating Crocodile in Alabasta wouldn't have gone to that chain-smoking Smoker.
Soon after, the group boarded a majestic warship and sped towards Shells Town, cutting through the waves.
Just then, a notification sounded in Luffy's mind.
[Ding! The Sea King template trial period has ended. The template loading has been automatically reset. The current 10% completion rate has been saved. The next template is being randomly selected…]
"Huh? It's already time?"
Luffy paused, his steps faltering slightly.
"What's time?"
Nami, walking beside him, keenly noticed his muttering and asked curiously.
The moment he finished speaking, the golden Sea King Trident in Luffy's hand crumbled into countless points of light, like a sand sculpture weathered by wind, scattering into the air.
At the same time, Luffy felt all the powerful passive buffs from the Sea King template vanish instantly.
His body, which had been brimming with explosive power, suddenly felt weak.
"Tsk tsk, this feels like I've been hollowed out."
Luffy clenched his fist and sighed helplessly.
Nami, standing nearby, spat lightly and rolled her eyes: "What are you muttering about? And where's that pitchfork you used to shovel manure?"
Luffy: "..."
"That's the real Poseidon Trident! The legendary weapon of Poseidon, the sea god! It's not for shoveling manure!"
Seeing Luffy jumping up and down excitedly, Nami playfully stuck out her tongue: "But it really looks like the pitchfork Bellemere used to fertilize the orange trees..."
Luffy rubbed his eyes in exasperation. Her meddling had made it impossible for him to recall that divine weapon; all he could think of was the image of it stuck in a pile of fertilizer… Ugh! That was the sacred Trident of Poseidon!
Luffy waved his hand, too lazy to argue with her anymore, and instead focused on sensing the changes in his body.
Just as he had predicted, his Observation Haki hadn't disappeared with the removal of the Sea King template.
It was only because he had lost the "Super Perception" ability that the range of his Haki had shrunk considerably.
As for his physical strength, although it has declined somewhat, it's still comparable to Luffy's Gear Second form in Water 7. Unfortunately, he hasn't yet fully grasped the specific techniques for generating Gear Second.
Because he hasn't achieved enough accuracy in replicating the original, and hasn't been able to solidify one of Sea King's core abilities, Luffy felt somewhat regretful.
Luffy shook his head helplessly, silently thinking,
"Hurry up and randomly draw the next template."
[Ding! Randomly drawing...]
[Congratulations, host, you have obtained this random template... Li Jing!]
"Li Jing?"
Luffy was stunned. The name sounded incredibly familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.
It wasn't until the phantom of a middle-aged man in an ancient-style long robe, carrying a long sword, slowly appeared in mid-air that Luffy's pupils contracted sharply.
"Holy crap! It's him!?"
Luffy was overjoyed, almost bursting into laughter.
This was Li Jing from *100,000 Cold Jokes*!
The man hailed as the number one swordsman of the Shang Dynasty!
And what made him truly terrifying wasn't his unparalleled swordsmanship, but rather his truly terrifying and unsolvable causality skill!
100% guaranteed to be caught bare-handed by a blade!
[Ding! Li Jing template successfully equipped]
[Character reset countdown: 6 days 23 hours 59 minutes]
[Current restoration accuracy: 0%]
[Please check the attribute panel for detailed attributes]
"Quickly open the attribute panel!"
Luffy impatiently immersed his consciousness into his mind, wanting to confirm if it was really as explosive as he thought.
[Host: Luffy (Monkey D. Luffy)]
[Currently loaded template: Li Jing (Ten Cold Jokes)]
[Equipment: Ordinary Longsword]
[Talent Ability: 100% chance of catching a blade barehanded]
[Skills: 100% chance of catching a blade barehanded (single target), 100% chance of catching a blade barehanded (group), 100% chance of catching a blade barehanded (targeted), Peerless Swordsmanship]
[Character Reset Countdown: 6 days 23 hours 59 minutes]
[Character Recreation Accuracy: 0]
"It really is this amazing skill!"
Luffy excitedly pulled himself out of his mind, a smile involuntarily spreading across his face.
It's Li Jing from the Ten Cold Jokes!
He possesses a causal control skill that ignores level and defense!
The key is that this skill doesn't require any recreation accuracy at all; it unleashes 100% power immediately!
Luffy casually reached into the air, and to Nami's astonishment, an antique-looking longsword appeared out of thin air in his hand.
Luffy chuckled, drew the longsword sharply, and swung it casually at the air.
"Ah!"
Nami suddenly exclaimed, her body seemingly out of control, instantly teleporting to Luffy's side. With a "thud," she half-knelt, her hands precisely catching Luffy's longsword with a "snap."
"Hahahaha! This skill is so much fun!"
Luffy, watching this, couldn't help but burst into excited laughter.
Nami, on the other hand, knelt on the ground, completely bewildered, her large eyes filled with confusion.
Who am I? Where am I? What did I just do?
When did my speed become so fast? I was in front of Luffy in the blink of an eye, and inexplicably caught his sword?
Luffy, satisfied, sheathed his sword. It was confirmed! This kind of causal-level skill, no matter how much the system weakens it, is still a dimensional reduction attack at the rule level!
And what surprised Luffy even more was the "Li Jing Peerless Sword Technique" that followed!
In the original story, the scene where he catches a blade bare-handed is so captivating that Li Jing's actual swordsmanship is often overlooked.
But since he's considered the greatest swordsman of the Shang Dynasty, his swordsmanship must have been terrifying.
That was the Shang Dynasty, teeming with demons and monsters. While not as exaggerated as in the original Investiture of the Gods, it was still a highly dangerous era. The fact that he guarded Chen Tang Pass for so many years is enough to prove the value of Li Jing's title as the greatest swordsman.
His only serious display of skill was when he effortlessly cleaved a serrated dragon, larger than a Tyrannosaurus Rex, in two with a single stroke.
Hooking, hooking, pointing, flicking, stabbing, slashing—countless subtleties of swordsmanship flooded Luffy's mind.
Sword and body became one, body and breath became one, breath and spirit became one. Luffy seemed to grasp something, and casually swung his sword towards the sea. A sharp sword aura shot out, cleaving a deep trench in the ocean's surface.
"You actually know swordsmanship?"
Nami stared in disbelief at Luffy's cool sword-sheathing pose, her mouth agape in astonishment.
In the world of One Piece, swordsmanship is the only training style that can stand independently from physical combat.
"Swordsmanship, huh?"
Luffy stroked his chin, a Versailles-like smile on his face. "Just some casual little tricks, haha."
Li Jing's so-called swordsman's way was a legendary swordsmanship path from his previous life on Earth, completely different from the pure brute force swordsmanship in One Piece.
Luffy could clearly sense that if he could unleash the full power of Li Jing's swordsmanship, he could probably fight Hawkeye Mihawk for three thousand rounds without even breaking a sweat.
Just as Luffy was rubbing his hands together, preparing to practice his swordsmanship and improve his character's accuracy,
the lookout's penetrating voice drifted down from the high tower:
"Reporting, Colonel Luffy! Shells Town spotted ahead! Approaching!"
"Arriving so soon?"
Luffy looked up in surprise at the faint outline of a small island appearing on the distant sea.