OPTC Chapter 272 Solid Foundations
"Ha!"
"Hah!"
Even though today had been busy with a warship visit (to mooch a meal, of course) and entertaining Issho as a guest, Zhang Da Ye still hadn't skipped his sword training.
During his recent battle against the Beast Legion under the Golden Lion, Zhang Da Ye had cut through countless horns, fangs, and claws—each from beasts bred with steel-hard bodies. Those fights had taught him a great deal.
Now, what he needed most was to recall that feeling, to make it something he could summon anytime, anywhere.
A strike that could cleave steel wasn't achieved by simply controlling power and angle—it demanded a touch of spirit and intent. If Zhang Da Ye had to describe it, he'd call it something… mystical, almost beyond words.
The practice drained his focus. When fatigue started to creep in, he didn't rest. Instead, he methodically went through every basic sword form a few more times before finally sheathing his blade and wiping the sweat from his face.
Issho asked, "Do you train this hard every single day, young Da Ye?"
"Not exactly. I used to push myself until I could barely stand. These days I train even longer, but it's been a while since I've collapsed."
"That's impressive."
"It's alright, I guess. By the way, Uncle Issho, you're a master swordsman, aren't you? How would you rate me?"
Issho pondered for a moment. "Your foundation is solid."
Zhang Da Ye: …
Was that praise or a backhanded insult?
Sensing Zhang Da Ye's mood dip, Issho asked, "How long have you been practicing the sword?"
Zhang Da Ye counted with his fingers—he'd arrived here in early May, summoned Artoria in June, and now it was the end of November. "About half a year, I guess. Half a year ago, I still needed Tom to save me from roadside bandits. Haha."
He remembered that cleaver-wielding thug, Sword, who'd given him his first bit of loot. He wondered if that guy had ended up in Impel Down or the Sabaody jails.
"To reach this level in just half a year?" Issho was astonished. From his observation haki, Zhang Da Ye's presence already felt stronger than most Marine captains he'd met. His swordsmanship alone surpassed what many couldn't achieve even after a decade of effort.
Compared to Issho, of course, it still wasn't much—but considering that half a year ago this man couldn't even fend off small-time robbers, the growth was astounding.
"Young man, you truly have remarkable talent."
"Not that much," Zhang Da Ye replied modestly. He knew he had a decent cheat, but compared to the real overpowered ones, he still had a long way to go.
Just then, Tom appeared with a tray. When he lifted the lid, a savory aroma filled the air.
"Ramen tonight! Uncle Issho, want a bowl?"
"That's perfect! Truth be told, ramen's my favorite." Issho grinned as he slurped happily.
A fellow foodie, it seemed. Unfortunately, he wasn't someone who could be bribed onto the ship with a few bowls of noodles.
…
The next morning, the promised Marine reward arrived—two manuals and two crates of Berries.
As they handed them over, Kizaru reminded him, "If possible, please don't spread the information in these manuals casually, Mr. Da Ye."
"Got it, I understand." Zhang Da Ye nodded seriously—"not casually" meant "after careful consideration," right? He'd always been good at reading comprehension back in school.
Issho said his farewells. "Thank you for your hospitality. I must be on my way. Until fate lets us meet again."
"See you, Uncle Issho. Come back anytime for another round of gambling!" Zhang Da Ye waved.
"Hahaha…" Issho laughed awkwardly and didn't answer. Visiting was fine—but gambling again? Maybe not. He'd lost so badly last night that he'd nearly sworn off gambling altogether. Best to hit a few casinos elsewhere to rebuild his confidence. Rumor had it several new ones had opened on Sabaody recently.
Zeo and the Kirin Lion also came to say goodbye. "Thank you, benefactor. If you ever visit the Bruchoia Kingdom, please let me repay your kindness!"
"We'll visit when we can. Safe travels."
Kizaru stepped forward next. "We'll take our leave as well. It's time to escort these islands back to the Grand Line." He clearly wanted to go before Zhang Da Ye could drag them aboard for breakfast.
"Wait!" Zhang Da Ye called out. "Do you have any maps of the East Blue?"
He suddenly realized all his navigation charts were of the Grand Line—nothing on the Four Seas. Sailing blindly without a map was a death sentence, unless you were some chosen idiot like Luffy who always stumbled onto people somehow.
"Ah, sorry. We can't hand out official charts." Kizaru looked troubled. "Tell you what, Strawberry—have the navigator draw the route to the nearest island."
Zhang Da Ye blinked. So sea charts really were strategic material, huh?
"Yes, sir." Strawberry went below deck and returned with a hand-drawn map. "This marks the nearest island. At your current speed, you'll reach it in a day. It's not a big town, but you should be able to find an ordinary chart there."
Zhang Da Ye took the pencil sketch—it showed their position and the island's, complete with coordinates and scale. He handed it to Shark Chili.
Shark Chili nodded. "I can read it. No problem."
"Thanks."
…
Soon, the dozen floating islands began to move, and the Marine warships sailed away.
Zhang Da Ye watched them go. They'd gained plenty this trip—treasures, money, training manuals on Haki and the Six Powers, and new connections with Kizaru and Issho.
If he had one regret, it was not getting to talk with Aokiji. The man was like a ghost—Zhang Da Ye suspected he'd been napping somewhere the whole time, slacking off even more than Kizaru.
Once the Marines were gone, everyone gathered to examine the manuals.
The first one was about Haki. It began with an overview of the three types, noting that Conqueror's Haki was innate and extremely rare, impossible to train. The bulk of the content focused on Armament and Observation Haki.
For Armament, the best way to learn was to fight users of it—experience the sensation directly. A weaker but workable method was constant physical training to strengthen the body and refine control. The stronger and more attuned your body, the easier it was to manifest and command that power.
It also included instructors' notes and firsthand descriptions from Marines who had first awakened Haki—a kind of reference for others to compare their experiences.
"So the Marines' method is basically beating Haki into recruits by letting veterans pound them?" Zhang Da Ye mused. "Maybe that's why Garp loves smacking his grandson—he's just teaching him. …Or maybe he just likes hitting people."
Rui Meng Meng sighed. "But none of us can use Armament yet. We'll just have to train harder."
Ye Yan said, "No wonder they told us to train at Marine HQ—it's just code for 'come get beaten up.'"
"We might as well go someday," Zhang Da Ye said. "Did you see how fast Kizaru ran off? He probably didn't want us mooching more meals. Next time, we'll go to Marineford itself and exhaust every single chef."
Artoria's eyes gleamed with unexpected determination.
"Let's finish reading first," Shark Chili said dryly. "Try to act human for once."
The next section covered Observation Haki. It described it as a "sixth sense" beyond the usual five, a controllable form of intuition.
Combat remained the best way to develop it, though risky. So they recommended blindfolded training—blocking sight and hearing, relying purely on instinct to dodge attacks.
Of course, it wasn't something you mastered quickly. Even with talent, it took a year or two. Some awakened it through extreme emotional stress, but that method was dangerous—too much mental strain could break a person entirely.
More pages described personal experiences—some said it felt like growing a third eye, others like viewing the battlefield from above.
After finishing the Haki manual, Ye Yan remarked, "So the Marines can't mass-produce Haki users either—they just have enough people to share experiences, record them, and pass them down. Over time, the collective knowledge becomes immense."
Coming from a noble background, he understood that concept well.
"Anyway, if anyone wants to learn, just follow the methods and sensations described here," Zhang Da Ye said, opening the second manual on the Six Powers.
It started with an introduction—Shave, Iron Body, Paper Art, Moonwalk, Tempest Kick, and Finger Gun—each described in detail, along with the requirements.
The user's "Douriki" had to exceed 500—superhuman level—to even begin learning them. For those unable to measure that, there were alternative benchmarks for strength and speed.
Zhang Da Ye clapped Ye Yan's shoulder. "You probably don't meet the standard yet, huh? Keep training."
"What the hell? That's insane!" Ye Yan groaned. "I've been training nonstop for over a month, eating twice as much, and I'm still not qualified?!"
"My condolences," Zhang Da Ye said cheerfully. "I'll start with Shave and Moonwalk myself. Tempest Kick looks cool too. Paper Art and Finger Gun? Meh."
Artoria chose to focus on Moonwalk first, using Shave for reference.
Rui Meng Meng hesitated, then decided to just follow the boss's lead.
Shark Chili glanced at his own fins. "I'll pass. I'll stick to Fishman Karate—it's just as good if mastered."
Perona's physique was even weaker than Ye Yan's, and she had zero interest in getting stronger. Her "training" consisted of mandatory PE sessions ordered by Zhang Da Ye. As for the Six Powers? No thanks.
Brook examined the manual. "Yohoho~ seems difficult for me too. But with such a light body, maybe I can master Moonwalk!"
Tom squeezed in, peering over the others. The page showed the Shave technique.
"Ten or more rapid steps in a second…" Tom muttered. He tried it—his feet blurred, then he tripped and face-planted, shattering his teeth on the deck.
Breaking teeth on hardwood decks—that was peak Tom.
But he didn't give up. He read further: "The key to generating power is…"
Nodding, Tom tried again. *Whoosh—bang!* He flew sideways and slammed into the railing, bending into a U-shape.
Undeterred, he read the next line: "To control direction…"
This time he launched himself perfectly—straight into the mast. His limbs stretched out before he slowly slid down, eyes spiraling, tongue hanging out, tiny Amber ships spinning above his head.
"Sexy Tom's Six Powers Tutorial: Three Steps to Disaster." Zhang Da Ye hauled him onto a chair, brushed away the cartoon ships, and tucked his tongue back in. "See? Easy."
Ye Yan, offended by earlier remarks, huffed. "If that idiot can try, so can I." He attempted Shave.
Thump-thump-thump—he dashed left, then right, then left again. "Huh… harder than it looks."
"Maybe finish learning it before calling it hard?" Zhang Da Ye said.
"I *did* try!"
"Ohh," Zhang Da Ye said thoughtfully. "That was training? I thought you were just warming up."
Rui Meng Meng sighed. "Boss, that kind of talk is why people want to hit you."
"It's fine," Zhang Da Ye shrugged. "Ye Yan can't beat me yet."
He meant physically. In a real fight, Ye Yan would probably outsmart him.
"Damn it! Don't underestimate the youth!" Ye Yan shouted in mock fury.
Their bickering was cut short by Shark Chili. "Boss, we should set sail soon. The ice below us looks like it's starting to refreeze."
"No way! Seawater doesn't freeze that easily."
"Still, the temperature's low, and the currents here are calm. The ice might reform. Best to leave now before we're trapped."
"Fair point. Kizaru's light tricks didn't warm the place up anyway. Alright, let's move."
They hoisted the sails and steered toward the small island marked on their crude chart.
Meanwhile, across the world, a major headline spread:
"Legendary Pirate Falls — A New Era Begins!"
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