**Chapter 3: The First Knots of Fate**
**Windmill Village, 1508, Haiyuan Calendar. The Back Mountains.**
The air in the secluded mountain clearing hummed with suppressed power. Two years of relentless, hyper-accelerated training had transformed the landscape into a pockmarked testament to a grandfather's 'love' and a grandson's desperation.
A fist, large enough to eclipse the sun, shot forward with speed that belied its size. It wasn't enhanced by the tell-tale black sheen of Armament Haki—Garp was limiting himself, a maestro conducting a symphony of violence with precision. Even so, the force behind it was enough to pulverize stone.
Luffy, now six but with the coiled grace of a seasoned fighter, didn't block. His body moved before his mind fully registered the threat. **Soru.** He vanished from the spot, the shockwave of the missed punch ruffling his hair as he reappeared five meters away.
***BOOM!***
The ground where he'd stood erupted, leaving a crater deep enough to bury a man. Luffy eyed the destruction, a single bead of sweat tracing a line down his temple. "Grandpa," he said, his voice steadier than it had any right to be for a child. "A direct hit from that would turn me into paste, not a person. Are you trying to remodel the island or train your heir?"
"AHAHAHAHA! Love is never gentle, boy! It's a hammer that forges the strongest steel!" Garp bellowed, already lunging again, his laughter echoing off the shattered cliffs. "And steel doesn't complain!"
The dance continued. Luffy flowed through the Six Powers with an instinct that was nearing perfection. He weaved through a barrage of fists with **Kami-e**, his body contorting like a leaf on a gale. He countered a sweeping kick with a **Rankyaku** of his own, the air slash screeching as it deflected off Garp's hardened forearm. He walked on air with **Geppo**, creating angles of attack and escape that defied gravity.
In his mind, his panel was a living record of his progress.
---
**[Status Panel]**
**Designation:** Monkey D. Luffy
**Biological Age:** 6
**Designation:** Fulcrum
**Haki:**
* **Kenbunshoku Haki:** Awakened (Adept - 50% Proficiency) - *Passive danger sense. Predictive intuition against singular opponents.*
* **Busoshoku Haki:** Dormant (Biological Lock: Immature Neural Pathways)
* **Haoshoku Haki:** Dormant
**Physical Arts: Rokushiki (Mastery)**
* **Tekkai:** Perfected (30%) - *Can activate instantaneously, even mid-movement.*
* **Soru:** Perfected (75%) - *Near-silent execution. Capable of short, consecutive bursts.*
* **Kami-e:** Perfected (40%) - *Can flow with the 'intent' of an attack, not just its motion.*
* **Geppo:** Perfected (50%) - *Sustained aerial mobility for several minutes.*
* **Rankyaku:** Perfected (39%) - *Can launch slashes from various kicks, not just the standard form.*
* **Shigan:** Perfected (44%) - *Fingertip penetration depth exceeds steel bullet ballistics.*
**Abnormal Physiology:** [Empty]
**Alteration Points:** 150
---
He was hitting a wall. His body, for all its supernatural training, was still six. The Rokushiki were tools, but they were built on a physical frame that had its limits. He needed a new kind of power. A deeper power.
Panting, he created distance with a series of rapid **Geppo** steps. "Grandpa! The Six Styles are at their peak for me! I need more. Teach me Haki. Properly."
Garp stopped, finally, and scratched his chin. The boisterous laughter faded, replaced by a more serious demeanor. "Your Observation is already sharp, kid. Sharp as a tack. You feel my attacks before I commit. But Armament… that's different. It's not just will; it's about the body's ability to channel it. Yours is still growing. Forcing it could snap something important." He looked at his grandson, a flicker of awe in his eyes he'd never admit to. "Frankly, it's monstrous you've come this far. Most Marines spend a decade to get where you are."
"But knowing the path is different from walking it," Luffy pressed, strategically using Garp's own philosophy. "I want to understand the map before I'm ready for the journey."
Garp grunted, conceding the point. "Fine. Listen close. Kenbunshoku, what you have, evolves. First, it's a simple 'spidey-sense' for danger. Then, its range expands. You can feel the presence of many, track them, sense their emotions. At its peak… they say you can peer a few seconds into the future. See the attacks before the thought to make them even forms."
Luffy nodded, filing the information away. His current 50% was firmly in the 'advanced spidey-sense' stage.
"Busoshoku," Garp continued, clenching his fist. "It's the manifestation of your will as an armor, a weapon. Basic awakening lets you harden and empower. The next stage is emission—projecting that force, hitting without touching. And the pinnacle…" His voice grew grave. "…is internal destruction. Letting your Haki flow into a target and shatter it from within. It's not about brute force. It's about precision and overwhelming spiritual energy."
The description sent a thrill through Luffy. This was the key. Not just to power, but to efficiency. To defeating opponents who were physically superior.
"I understand," Luffy said, his mind already racing ahead. The 'biological lock' was a problem. Could Alteration Points bypass it? The system had said it operated within the world's rules. Forcing Armament might break him. But perhaps he could… *lubricate* the process. He made a mental note to experiment later.
He then shifted tactics, his expression turning into one of childish curiosity. "Grandpa, the dojo… it feels like practicing in a cage. I heard there's a famous one in Shimotsuki Village. The Isshin Dojo. Their master is supposed to be incredible. Can we go? I want to see real swordsmanship."
Garp blinked, thrown by the sudden change of subject. "Shimotsuki? Koshiro's place? Hmph. I suppose a change of scenery wouldn't hurt. Maybe seeing you get whacked with a wooden sword will teach you some humility! AHHAHAHA!" The laughter returned.
*Perfect,* Luffy thought. *The first thread.*
---
**Isshin Dojo, Shimotsuki Village.**
The rhythmic *clack-clack* of wooden practice swords filled the air. Inside, a green-haired boy, his face a mask of furious determination, squared off against a dark-haired girl whose calm precision was a stark contrast. Roronoa Zoro and Kuina. Their two thousandth battle was a familiar dance of frustration and effortless skill.
"HAHAHAHA! EXCUSE THE INTRUSION!" Garp's voice preceded him, booming into the dojo and halting all practice.
The master of the dojo, Shimotsuki Koshiro, with his ever-present gentle smile and closed eyes, started slightly. "Vice Admiral Garp? To what do we owe this… unexpected honor?" He was nervous. A Marine Hero didn't just visit a quiet dojo without reason.
Zoro and Kuina stared, wide-eyed at the giant of a man.
Luffy's eyes, however, were locked on the two children. This was the moment. *Ding. Significant narrative divergence initiated. Early encounter with Roronoa Zoro and Kuina. +50 Alteration Points.*
The points were secondary. His focus was on the girl. Kuina. Her fate was a stupid, wasteful tragedy. A narrative loose end he could tie up. A strong asset he could secure. And the boy… Zoro's raw, unyielding spirit was a force of nature waiting to be channeled.
"This guy… he's strong," Zoro muttered, his instincts ringing alarm bells despite Luffy's small size.
"I," Zoro declared, stepping forward with all the arrogance of a boy who'd never truly been beaten, "will challenge you!"
Luffy almost smiled. So predictable. "Of course." This was the fastest way to earn their respect—and their curiosity.
Zoro adopted his clumsy three-sword style stance. He charged. And in the next instant, he was flat on his back, the wind knocked out of him, his wooden swords scattered. He hadn't even seen Luffy move. A single, gentle application of **Soru** and a pinpoint tap was all it took.
Luffy extended a hand. "I'm Monkey D. Luffy. You're strong. But you're trying to cut down trees with your forehead. You need better tools."
Zoro stared, stunned. The defeat was too absolute to be angry about. It was just… a fact.
"What was that?" Kuina asked, her curiosity overpowering her propriety. "You didn't use a sword."
"It's called Rokushiki. A physical art. I can teach you," Luffy said, his offer casual but his eyes intense. He turned to her. "You want to be the world's greatest swordsman, right?"
Kuina's pride flared. "I will! I'll prove that women can be just as strong as men!"
It was then that Koshiro, with a gentle sigh, interjected. "Kuina, my dear, it's not about desire. As you grow, men will naturally develop greater physical strength. It is a sad truth of our biology. Your path will be… harder." He meant it kindly, but the words were a death knell to a young girl's dream.
Luffy saw the light in her eyes dim. This was the core of the poison.
"Is that true?" Luffy asked, tilting his head with feigned innocence. "But Grandpa told me stories. One of the Four Emperors ruling the seas is a woman. I've heard of female Admirals in the Navy who can part the oceans with a swing of their sword. And if raw strength is the issue, doesn't the power of Devil Fruits or," he paused for effect, "mastering Haki, make that irrelevant? Right, Grandpa?"
Garp, munching on a cracker he'd produced from nowhere, nodded. "The kid's got a point! I've seen women who could toss sea kings like they were skipping stones!"
The impact was immediate. Kuina's head snapped up, a new, fiercer fire igniting in her gaze. The limiting belief her father had unwittingly instilled cracked.
"Really?" she whispered, her voice full of renewed hope.
Zoro, ever competitive, was already back on his feet. "Your fighting style… can it work with swords?"
"It makes everything better," Luffy confirmed. "Stay and spar with me. You'll see."
The next few days were a whirlwind. Even together, Zoro and Kuina couldn't touch Luffy. But with every loss, they learned. They adapted. Luffy didn't just beat them; he gave them a single, crucial piece of advice after each match. *"Your footwork is slow." "You telegraph your swings." "You're not breathing right."* Their progress, under this pressure-cooker guidance, was exponential.
One evening, listening to Koshiro lament their plateau to Garp, Luffy saw his opening. He found Zoro and Kuina nursing their bruises.
"The dojo's limits are too small," he stated plainly. "Come back to Windmill Village with me. Train with us. I'll teach you Rokushiki. My grandfather will train you in the Navy's combat methods. Kuina, the power you need to overcome any physical disadvantage—Armament Haki—you're closer to awakening it than you think. In a few years, you could both be true sword masters."
Zoro scowled. "I'm not going anywhere until I beat her!"
Luffy looked at him, his gaze suddenly older than his years. "Making her your benchmark is fine. But making her your *only* goal is small. A great swordsman doesn't just defeat one rival; they conquer every challenge before them to stand above all. She will acknowledge your strength when you've earned it through true growth, not just by beating her in a dojo."
The words hit Zoro differently than any defeat had. They reframed his entire world.
Kuina looked from Luffy to her father, who was watching the exchange with a complex expression of worry and hope. "Can I… really become that strong?"
Garp answered, his voice uncharacteristically serious. "If you have the will, girl, I'll give you the means. The Navy's resources could make a great swordsman out of a determined rock."
The decision was made. Koshiro, seeing the unbreakable resolve in his daughter's eyes and the new perspective in Zoro's, reluctantly gave his blessing.
As they sailed back to Windmill Village, Luffy watched his two new companions. Zoro, grumbling but with a new light of ambition in his eyes. Kuina, standing tall at the railing, staring at the horizon as if she could already see her future there.
*Alteration Points: +200. Major character trajectories altered. Ripple effect: Significant.*
Luffy allowed himself a small, private smile. The first knots of his crew, of his alliance, were tied. He hadn't just saved a life; he'd gained a brilliant swordswoman and kept a future rival sharpened by her presence. It was efficient. It was strategic.
It was only the beginning. The beginning of something great.