This was what Ian saw in his mind: his own attributes. It had taken him a long time to understand the meaning of each value.
Name: Ian
Level: 1Doriki
(Power Level): 7
Strength: 5
Agility: 5
Vitality: 10
Nen (Mental Force): 0
Skills: [Basic Swordsmanship] Mastery (23,014 / 100,000)
Cards: None
It seemed the game system had undergone changes. In the original game, strength was measured as "Combat Power," but now it appeared as Doriki, exactly like the measurement standard in the world of One Piece. According to Ian's memories, a value of 10 Doriki was the standard for an ordinary Marine; he had only 7, which seemed barely better than that farmer with a shotgun from Dragonball Z, who had a level of 5. He estimated this was due to his constant training at the dojo.
The Vitality value represented the damage he could withstand; if it reached zero, he would die. But the last section, "Nen," was the most interesting.
Watching the anime, he had always wondered what Enel's abilities were based on. Techniques like Mamaragan or Amaru couldn't just be summarized as a Devil Fruit; now, seeing this energy value, Ian understood: it must be the incarnation of Nen (or Mental Force) granted by the fruit, a capacity that could be strengthened through exercise. Even Haki likely belonged to the use of this mental force. Therefore, there were no weak fruits, only users who didn't train their Nen. People like Mihawk or Shanks, who possessed no fruits, relied entirely on their immense mental power and Haki.
However, Ian's value was zero. His Nen capacity was locked, and he had no idea how to activate it.
His only skill for now was Basic Swordsmanship. He didn't know how good he would eventually become, so he could only practice step by step. After three months, his mastery barely exceeded 20,000 points; he feared he would need to reach 100,000 to see a real change.
Regarding the Cards, Ian was speechless. He could see the shop in the system, but he couldn't pull any! It was all a matter of money. Drawing a card cost 500 Diamonds, but to get 500 Diamonds, he needed to top up 100,000 Berries. An exchange rate of 200:1! It was the most abusive recharge Ian had ever seen.
Unfortunately, his monthly allowance was only 500 Berries, courtesy of Master Koshiro. In this small village, there was nothing to spend it on, so except for newspapers, he saved everything he could—but he was still far from 100,000. It was practically a pay-to-win game.
Fortunately, like any card game, there was a "free draw" option. In the original game, the cooldown was 48 hours, but here it was 100 days!
When he saw the countdown, Ian almost collapsed: "Damn it! Is the system forcing me to pay or what?" It was depressing to have a system and not be able to use it. But time passed, and three months later, the moment for his first free draw was drawing near.
To leave this village and explore this strange world, he had to be strong. In this world, only the strong have a stage.
After finishing the 500-swing training ordered by Koshiro, Ian was panting. He took the exercise very seriously, using all his strength in every stroke, which quickly exhausted his ten-year-old body. Each session granted him about 500 mastery points. While mentally reviewing his progress, he heard Koshiro's voice:
"Next, sparring practice! Ian, Kuina! You two go first!"
Ian froze. "Us again?"
Koshiro had noticed Ian's training had become more rigorous and wanted to test his progress. The problem was that Kuina was much better than him. Every time they fought, she gave him a beating, making Ian feel embarrassed in front of his "sister."
Unlike the other dirty, snotty kids at the dojo, Ian and Kuina were always spotless, so she liked practicing with him. But once the duel began, Kuina transformed into a merciless monster. Despite being a girl, she had a stronger character than any boy and always fought with all her might.
Ian got into a stance, holding the shinai (bamboo sword) with both hands.
"Sentou Kaishi! (Begin the match!)" Koshiro ordered.
Kuina shouted immediately, raised her sword, and launched a lightning-fast strike. Ian blocked the blow, but the impact shook his hands. Before he could regain control, Kuina's next attack was already on its way. Her swordsmanship was the best in the dojo: fluid, fast, and powerful. In barely half a minute, they had clashed swords dozens of times; Ian barely managed to resist and found no opening to counterattack.
"Haaaa!" Kuina grew more aggressive. With a direct thrust to Ian's wrist, she disarmed the boy with a sharp blow. His bamboo sword went flying.
Damn it, I lost again, Ian thought dejectedly.
"Brother Ian, you've progressed so much!" Kuina said happily. "You're much better than before!"
"You're just comforting me..." Ian rolled his eyes while rubbing his aching wrist.
"Kuina is right!" Master Koshiro added with his usual smile. "Ian, you really have improved."
The other children looked at Ian with adoration. For them, holding out so long against Kuina was already a feat. If it had been them, they would have fallen in a second. Just as Ian was feeling overwhelmed by the gazes of those "mischievous brats," a loud voice resonated from outside.
"Is anyone here? I am a doujouyaburi (dojo challenger)! Let the strongest come out and fight me!"
Ian looked toward the door. A boy with a leaf in his mouth and arms crossed stood at the entrance. The sun shone behind him, revealing unruly green hair and prominent eyebrows. He looked both arrogant and stupid at the same time.
It was "Moss-head," Roronoa Zoro!
Ian recognized him instantly and fell into a trance. Although he had prepared himself mentally since learning he was in Shimotsuki Village, seeing Zoro in person felt surreal. But then, a thought made his heart sink as he looked at Kuina.
Zoro's arrival meant Kuina would die soon...
"Is my own sister going to die?" Ian was in shock. Even though he had just been defeated by her, he couldn't bear the thought of seeing her die. For the dojo students, Kuina was a sort of goddess; she was fierce, but she also cared for and comforted the injured like a loving sister. In three months, Ian had grown immensely fond of her.
Although Kuina's death wasn't Zoro's direct fault, his arrival marked the beginning of the tragedy. Ian didn't know how to look at the newcomer.
Nobody noticed Ian's internal conflict. Master Koshiro let out a laugh and walked toward the door.
"It's rare to see a dojo challenger these days!"
"Hmph!" Zoro replied proudly. "Don't underestimate me just because I'm a kid. I haven't lost in any of the nearby villages!"
"Well then, I accept your challenge," Koshiro smiled.
"If I win, I'm taking the dojo's sign!" Zoro declared.
"And if you lose?" the master asked.
"Lose? If that happens... I'll join this place!"
Koshiro laughed again: "It's a deal then... Ian!"
Hearing his name, Ian snapped out of his thoughts, but he was frozen with surprise.
Huh? What? Shouldn't Kuina be the one to fight him? Why is he calling me?!