The Breath of All Things

Lu Zhuo did not even glance at the carnage he had wrought. With a light leap, he landed on Kuro's ship and walked up to him, chuckling, "Honestly, I had no intention of speaking to small fry, but since you appeared in the original story and possess a footwork technique that interests me..."

Kuro finally snapped out of his shock at this moment. A flicker of vigilance entered his eyes, but he did not wait for Lu Zhuo to finish. With a sudden stomp, his figure vanished into thin air.

Seeing this, Lu Zhuo arched a brow. His eyes darted rapidly, yet he could not track Kuro's movements.

The next instant, Kuro appeared directly behind Lu Zhuo. Lu Zhuo's sword lashed out behind him in a fierce strike.

Clang!

With the sound of metal striking metal, Lu Zhuo gave Kitetsu a slight flick, parrying Kuro's cat claws.

On the other side, the hypnotist Jango finally reacted. Scared half to death, he scrambled on all fours toward the dying Nyaban Brothers.

Seeing the brothers' throats slashed open as they struggled in vain, his eyes filled with sheer terror.

To kill so many people in an instant! Even if Captain Kuro used that technique, he couldn't possibly be this strong. Just who is this man?

Lu Zhuo turned around to face Captain Kuro, a hint of approval in his eyes.

"This footwork isn't bad, though it's a bit different from the anime."

Hearing Lu Zhuo's words, despite being astonished that Lu Zhuo had blocked his claws, Captain Kuro's face remained etched with confidence and bloodthirsty intent.

"What is an 'anime'?"

Lu Zhuo gave a wicked grin and thrust his sword forward, laughing, "The thing that's going to kill you!"

However, before the blade could connect, Captain Kuro's figure vanished once more without a sound.

Lu Zhuo couldn't help but click his tongue in wonder; he had truly disappeared from his field of vision entirely!

"But it's a pity—you ran into me!"

With that, Lu Zhuo slowly closed his eyes. A moment later, a peculiar sensation bloomed in his mind.

Clang!

Sword and cat claws clashed again. Captain Kuro's face held a trace of shock; his sneak attacks from this angle had never failed before. Yet now... he had been blocked again?!

Startled, Kuro hurriedly resumed his footwork, his form fading away once more.

"So this is the so-called 'Breath of All Things'? I understand now!"

Eyes closed, sensing the aura around him, a smile tugged at the corner of Lu Zhuo's lips.

It turned out that the "Breath of All Things" was essentially a form of sixth sense. The initial level of this ability was to perceive all things, forming a unique kind of awareness.

As for the second level...

Lu Zhuo's eyes snapped open. He did not unsheathe his sword, but instead swung it lightly while still in its scabbard.

Cling-clang!

After a few faint sounds, Captain Kuro, standing to Lu Zhuo's left, stared at him in shock. The cat claws on his left hand had been snapped clean in two!

"How is this possible... his sword didn't even leave the scabbard!"

On the other side, the hypnotist Jango was utterly horrified, trembling as he spoke. He could not comprehend this scene at all! When had a first-rate swordsman ever appeared in the East Blue?

The Nyaban Brothers, their windpipes severed, watched this scene before their heads finally lolled to the side, closing their eyes in death.

"Heh, to sense the Breath of All Things is to sense... the weakest point. Attacking that weakest point with a single, lethal strike—that is what it means to be a true first-rate swordsman."

As if speaking to himself, Lu Zhuo felt satisfied. After all, once the mindset shifted, the ability was within reach!

"Such a powerful swordsman... who exactly are you?"

Captain Kuro could no longer maintain his composure, his body trembling as he asked.

Lu Zhuo glanced at him, a cruel smile playing on his lips. "Just a nobody. But, I'll be famous soon enough..."

By now, Captain Kuro's so-called footwork was beneath his notice.

A faint smile touched his lips as he uttered two words that made everyone's souls flee in terror.

"Shakushi!"

Without a sound, Lu Zhuo's figure vanished.

The next moment, the heads of the hypnotist Jango and the remaining pirates hiding in the distance sprayed blood into the sky.

"You! You! This is impossible! How could you have learned my footwork?"

Captain Kuro stared at Lu Zhuo in disbelief, his eyes filled with madness as he shrieked, "Spoon!"

Whoosh!

With a chilling aura of slaughter, Captain Kuro vanished from his spot once more.

However, Lu Zhuo merely shook his head and gave his right hand a slight flick. In that split second, he had already completed the motion of drawing and sheathing his blade.

Behind him stood Captain Kuro, his eyes filled with despair and resentment. His body was instantly sliced in two!

This footwork was actually of little use; anyone with a sharp eye could avoid stepping into his blind spot. Moreover, against a fellow first-rate swordsman, it was utterly useless and consumed a massive amount of stamina.

With a hint of disappointment in his eyes, Lu Zhuo walked gently forward.

He hoped the Soru and Geppo from the Navy Six Styles would not let him down.

Walking across the ship, Lu Zhuo felt the breath of all things, and within a few breaths, he located Nami.

Gently pushing open a door in the corner, Lu Zhuo looked at the petite figure huddled in the shadows. There was no blame in his expression, only a warm smile. If Nami didn't try to run away or pull little stunts, she wouldn't be Nami.

The resentment and shame he had expected were absent. Having spent the last few days constantly trying to escape, Nami had become utterly exhausted from her repeated "skirmishes" with Lu Zhuo, to the point that after hiding here, she had simply fallen asleep against the corner.

Watching Nami in her sleep, so adorable, Lu Zhuo felt an overwhelming sense of affection; he wished he could make her his woman right now.

However, it was not yet time...

He gently picked up Nami, returned to his own ship, and laid her down on her own bed.

Looking at her soft, pink face, still wearing a smile in her dreams, Lu Zhuo leaned down and gave her a light kiss.

Standing there, Lu Zhuo said softly, "Your body is mine, and your heart will be mine as well!" His words carried a domineering tone. As if sensing something in her sleep, Nami curled up, clutching her blanket tighter.

Lu Zhuo quietly closed the door, went to the deck, cleared it, and looked up at the sky.

"The plot has shifted significantly. Kuro is gone, and Nami will be gone soon too. I wonder if the butterfly effect will cause the entire world to change beyond recognition?"

A trace of worry flickered in Lu Zhuo's eyes. After all, what he relied on most was his intimate knowledge of the plot's development. If the story changed completely, he would lose a powerful advantage.

Forget it, even if it's lost, it doesn't matter. As long as he possesses great strength, everything can be settled. Besides, even if the plot changes, the data remains the same.

Knowing the abilities of his enemies in advance, he could naturally find ways to target and kill them one by one.

Aside from Big Mom and Kaido among the Four Emperors, he already knew the abilities of almost all other high-level figures. Of course, there were also the mysterious Commander-in-Chief Kong and the Five Elders.

However, he couldn't reach those people for the time being, so his first goal would be the Four Emperors!

With a firm look in his eyes, Lu Zhuo gripped the Nidai Kitetsu with both hands, his muscles trembling.

Three seconds later, a massive sword beam swept across, slicing the Black Cat Pirates' ship in two!

After this move, Lu Zhuo looked somewhat exhausted. After all, he was currently only a first-class swordsman, still a long way from being a master swordsman. Using a shortcut to unleash such a powerful sword beam consumed a massive amount of stamina.

A day passed quickly, and Lu Zhuo was up early as usual to practice his swordsmanship.

A sharp scream suddenly came from inside the ship. Nami ran out in a panic, and upon seeing Lu Zhuo on the deck, drawing and sheathing his sword with the precision of a machine, her delicate body swayed, and she nearly collapsed to the ground.

"How far is the nearest Navy branch?" Lu Zhuo asked with a smile as he looked at her.

Yet in Nami's eyes, that smile was like seeing a ghost. She stammered, "A... about a day and a half's journey..."

Am I dreaming? That's impossible!

No, I must be dreaming. It seems I've been worn out by this bastard...

Thinking this, Nami breathed a sigh of relief, but then her eyes caught sight of a head mounted on the ship's mast.

It was... the head of Captain Kuro, with a bounty of 16 million Beli!

Nami covered her mouth, nearly gasping aloud. Although she had thought Lu Zhuo was strong and had witnessed his battle with the Flower Blade Captain, she hadn't expected that she had vastly underestimated his true power.

During the fight with the Flower Blade Captain, Lu Zhuo had less than ten percent of his stamina left, and his sword had been countered by a high-grade blade, which was why he had been in such a sorry state.

Watching the man who continued to swing his sword like a machine, a flicker of struggle appeared in Nami's eyes.

If he could defeat Captain Kuro with a 16 million Beli bounty, then he should be able to defeat Arlong, who has a 20 million Beli bounty.

No, that won't work! This guy, he doesn't look like a good person at all; he must be a pirate too. I can't trust him!

With that thought, Nami shook her head and left the deck, feeling somewhat dejected.

Lu Zhuo saw all of this, but he said nothing, continuing his movements.

He raised his sword gently, pressed it down slowly, and when it reached his waist, he suddenly exerted force, executing a subtle, precise strike.

Through the original story and his three years of practicing swordsmanship in this world, he had learned that the most important thing to becoming a master swordsman was to comprehend sword pressure.

What was sword pressure? When Lu Zhuo first heard the term, he hadn't understood it at all.

As his swordsmanship improved, his broad perspective soon allowed him to grasp the meaning of sword pressure.

To become a master swordsman meant being able to unleash powerful strikes, carrying massive sword beams capable of splitting a ship in two!

When swinging the sword, one must feel the resistance of the air, use that resistance, and break through it to make the sword faster and stronger—that was how one became a master swordsman!

Knowing about sword pressure in advance, Lu Zhuo had been practicing his draw-strike incessantly.

This basic movement allowed his sword to unleash a burst of powerful force in an instant.

It was this that allowed Lu Zhuo to unleash subtle sword beams even without fully comprehending sword pressure! This was the root of Lu Zhuo's strength; as someone from another world, his pioneering mindset was the fundamental reason for his rapid progress!

After practicing for a long time, Lu Zhuo wiped the light sweat from his forehead, took a deep breath, and walked into the cabin.

"Oh, right, Nami. Drawing a simple chart of the East Blue should be easy for you. Help me finish this, and you can go!"

Lu Zhuo called out to the somewhat sorrowful Nami.

Hearing this, Nami's expression brightened. Her eyes darted around, and she turned her head, saying, "No way! For the chart I draw, you have to pay at least 10 million Beli! My charts are definitely the most detailed in the world; they can turn someone who knows nothing about navigation into a navigator, they can..."

"Fine, I agree!"

Watching her, Lu Zhuo smiled slightly, cutting off whatever else she was about to say.

Hearing Lu Zhuo agree, Nami nearly bit her own tongue.

He actually agreed? How is that possible? Is this guy really such an idiot? That was ten million Beli!

She lowered her head to hide her smile.

However, the constant trembling of her body betrayed her.

Watching her, Lu Zhuo couldn't help but want to tease her, so he said, "Last time you stole eleven million Beli from my pirate ship. Hmm, you only need to give me another one million Beli and we'll be even!"

Nami, who had been overjoyed, saw her smile freeze instantly, and she felt as if black and white lines were covering her forehead. She had stolen from countless pirates, and although she had never met Lu Zhuo before, she couldn't refute him.