(Leave your brains here; if you don't like it, please don't flame me. After going around in circles for half a year, I'm back to writing the fanfiction I love. For the sake of the plot, a few timelines have been adjusted slightly because of the protagonist's arrival. His combat strength makes him semi-invincible.)
"998..."
"999..."
"1000..."
"Huff, huff, huff. Finally finished."
In a remote corner of Ohara, far from the Tree of Knowledge at the island's center, a boy around ten years old repeatedly swung a long blade at the sea.
With every swing, a golden slash struck the water. If a powerful fighter had passed by, they surely would have cried out in shock: "Flying Slash!"
The boy shook out his slightly aching arms, a calm look appearing on his face.
"It's been five years since I came to this world, and that day is finally almost here. But my strength is still a long way from those two guys'. At most, I can only take Robin with me."
The boy was named Lin Yuan, an unquestionable member of the vast army of transmigrators from Blue Star. He had come to this world five years ago, his soul entering the body of a wealthy young master aboard a merchant ship attacked by pirates.
His predecessor had been unlucky. Although his guards had done everything they could to send him away, how could he survive alone on the sea in the end?
Alone in a lifeboat, he had drifted across the sea until he suddenly died of loneliness and fright.
That had worked out perfectly for Lin Yuan. By the time he woke up, the little boat had drifted onto an island. Only later did Lin Yuan gradually learn that this place was actually Ohara.
As a veteran anime fan, Lin Yuan had honestly been devastated when he first heard the news. He had never expected to drift here.
In the anime, a few years from then, Spandine and CP9 would arrive, along with the buster call launched by the navy's future Admirals, Akainu Sakazuki and Kuzan.
As he remembered it, no one survived in the end except Robin and Jaguar D. Saul, whom Kuzan had secretly let go.
With his small body, how could he survive a disaster that would wipe out the island?
Soon, however, he calmed down, because his predecessor's body had not been the only thing in the lifeboat. There had also been a chest.
Inside were some gold coins, a blade, and a box.
Lin Yuan had little interest in the gold coins, but he could still use them to buy food from the scholars, and there was enough to build a treehouse at the edge of the island, far from the Tree of Knowledge.
As for the single-edged blade with its exquisite patterns, Lin Yuan knew little about it. He only thought it was heavy and exceptionally sharp.
Lastly, there was the box. The moment Lin Yuan opened it, he was utterly stunned by what was inside. Anyone who had watched One Piece knew it was a Devil Fruit, something everyone dreamed of obtaining.
(As for why the son of a wealthy merchant would have things like a Famous Sword and a Devil Fruit, all I can say is, he's a transmigrator. It's bad enough that he doesn't have a system. Can't he at least have some other perks?)
The Devil Fruit was entirely crimson, with swirling patterns that gave it a noble air.
The moment Lin Yuan saw the Devil Fruit, he bit into it without a second thought. He didn't care what kind of fruit it was, nor did he care about the nauseating sensation.
He had been only five when he transmigrated. Even if people in the world of pirates were generally strong, he was still five.
And he was all alone, with gold coins and a blade that was plainly extraordinary. If someone discovered them, wouldn't they kill him in minutes?
Although Devil Fruits were said to have superior and inferior versions, and many were trash, Lin Yuan also knew that a Devil Fruit wasn't necessarily what made someone strong. Rather, it was strong people who made Devil Fruits famous, like Edward Newgate.
The Tremor-Tremor Fruit was indeed powerful, but it was also Whitebeard Newgate who had developed it until its name shook the seas. The two complemented each other.
Lin Yuan had wanted a powerful Devil Fruit too, but in his circumstances at the time, he had no choice.
But all transmigrators were protagonists, after all. Although Lin Yuan hadn't awakened any so-called system, he had obtained a Devil Fruit that had never appeared in the world of pirates.
Zoan, Mythical Zoan, Zhulong model: the Zhu Jiuyin Fruit.
The moment he ate it, that information appeared in Lin Yuan's mind. It completely overwhelmed him, and he nearly died of excitement.
After suppressing his excitement, Lin Yuan carefully analyzed the Mythical Zoan Fruit. It took him a full half day to finally confirm its abilities.
This was the Zhu Jiuyin mentioned in the Classic of Mountains and Seas, also known as Zhulong, said to be the ancestor of dragon gods. All dragon gods had evolved from its bloodline.
And this Zhu Jiuyin had nothing to do with Zhu Jiuyin, the ancestral witch of the Witch Clan.
The "Classic of the Great Wilderness" in the Classic of Mountains and Seas recorded: "Beyond the northwestern sea and north of the Red River stands Mount Zhangwei. There is a god with a human face and a red serpent's body, its vertical eyes set straight. When it closes its eyes, there is darkness; when it looks, there is light."
Broadly speaking, it meant that Zhu Jiuyin lived in the bitterly cold north, with a human face, a serpent's body, and red skin.
Its powers were immense. Whenever it opened its eyes, night became day; whenever it closed them, day turned back into night.
The Classic of Mountains and Seas also described it elsewhere: when it blew out a breath, dark clouds immediately covered the sky and snow fell thickly, bringing winter; when it breathed out again, the sun immediately blazed fiercely enough to melt metal and stone, bringing summer.
It could go without eating, drinking, sleeping, or breathing. Its body stretched a thousand li, and its divine power could illuminate the nine netherworld springs.
Although a single Devil Fruit could never be developed to that extent in the world of pirates, the words "Mythical Zoan" were enough to show how powerful the fruit was.
At the time, Lin Yuan had gleefully said, "The Zhu Jiuyin Fruit! I've actually become the ancestor of all dragons!"
From then on, Lin Yuan had the ability to survive on Ohara. After he taught a few people blinded by greed a lesson, the people of Ohara also learned of his existence.
In particular, after Lin Yuan developed the ability to transform parts of his body into those of a beast god, no one dared provoke him anymore. They only called him Demon Lin behind his back.
But none of that bothered Lin Yuan in the slightest. He wasn't going to kill everyone over a few words; as a transmigrator, he still had some basic principles.
After eating the Devil Fruit, Lin Yuan's greatest interest apart from developing it was practicing the sword-uh, the blade.
At first, he hadn't dared touch the sharp blade, because he had once accidentally knocked it off the wall, and its unsheathed edge had pierced straight through the wooden floorboards.
So Lin Yuan had started by making several wooden swords to practice his swings. Only two years later, when he had made some progress developing his fruit's power, did he exchange the wooden sword in his hand for the blade.
He reckoned it was at least a Famous Sword; otherwise, it couldn't have been so sharp. He really didn't know who his predecessor had been, but he didn't think the boy had been an ordinary wealthy merchant's son.
As for why Lin Yuan had persisted in practicing with a blade after obtaining a powerful fruit, besides it being a man's romance, he thought his physique would be best paired with the skills of a great swordsman.
Aside from Garp and Zephyr in the navy, who relied on their fists, all the other powerful fighters were masters of weapons.
Lin Yuan wasn't going to be foolish enough to use his fists to clash head-on with other people's blades, swords, and spiked clubs in the future.
And although Lin Yuan had eaten a Mythical Zoan Fruit, he wasn't going to reach some monstrous giant's height. He would only be a little taller than an ordinary person.
So from then on, Lin Yuan set himself a training plan: develop his fruit, temper his body, and practice swordsmanship.
A full three years passed, and he finally achieved some modest success. Not only had he developed his fruit well, but under the influence of the Zhu Jiuyin Fruit's formidable power, he had even awakened Armament Haki.
With his formidable physique and a thousand sword swings every day, Lin Yuan had finally reached the level of a swordsman half a year ago, allowing him to unleash Flying Slashes.
It wasn't that Lin Yuan had never considered leaving the island, but at first he was too weak to dare venture out to sea alone. Later, he discovered that the surrounding waters had already been blockaded. For some reason, and because of his own strength, he would not leave for the time being either.
A few days ago, while buying supplies, Lin Yuan had noticed quite a few unfamiliar faces on the island. His heart stirred, and he knew Ohara's end was drawing near.
As for saving Ohara, given his age, no one would believe him, and he didn't have the strength to do it anyway.
Just as Lin Yuan was making preparations in secret, a pleasant voice suddenly rang out. "Brother Lin Yuan, I came to play with you."