Xun stood at the foot of the gigantic library, awe-struck. The structure was so massive that he looked like a mere speck of dust in comparison. From his vantage point, the library seemed even larger than a planet, and it might truly be.
Earlier, he had observed it from afar, but now, standing close, he realized the sheer immensity of it. Whether it was the vast sea of laws surrounding the library or the hovering god-like form in the sky, everything seemed to transcend the boundaries of space and time.
Fortunately, this was a mindscape, and here, his thoughts reigned supreme. With a single idea, an illusory prompt appeared in front of his eyes.
Xun chuckled, amused by what he saw. The prompt looked oddly familiar.
"A Google bar? Interesting…"
With a playful smirk, he began typing:
[Physical Arts] [Body Control Arts] [Combat Experience] [Weapons Arts]…
As soon as he finished, his consciousness seemed to separate from his 'physical body' and was plunged into an endless sea of knowledge.
Countless techniques unfolded before his eyes, and a brief scan was enough for him to grasp the essence of each.
The library didn't just hold all the knowledge of the One Piece world but extended to other planets across the vast universe.
Whether it was Garp's lifetime of experience, the legacies of legendary figures like Ryuma, Joy Boy, or even Im, Xun found himself surrounded by wisdom. There were even countless unknown names—individuals whose exploits had never reached his ears.
Techniques for generating force capable of amplifying damage by tens or hundreds of times. Methods for training and controlling the body, such as the Six Powers (Rokushiki).
What caught his attention most was a unique physical technique reminiscent of an anime he loved—Toriko. That series had almost rivaled the "big three" of Naruto, One Piece, and Bleach.
This technique bore similarities to Food Honor/Immersion. It enabled practitioners to strengthen themselves by consuming energy sources like food, control every part of their body to an extreme degree—making training more efficient and potent—and unleash devastating force with minimal effort. The technique originated from an advanced civilization in the One Piece universe and utterly dwarfed the Six Powers in comparison.
Xun continued skimming through various fields of knowledge:
Swordsmanship, kicking techniques, weapons mastery, meditation, music, cooking, navigation, shipbuilding…
The more he explored, the more amazed he became. This library was merely the tip of the iceberg, but it offered him a glimpse of how prosperous and advanced a universe could be.
"Haki… No wonder it's so omnipotent," he muttered, utterly captivated.
He called upon the Haki knowledge section and was stunned by the descriptions.
Haki, it turned out, was the planet's energy—omnipresent in all life and even inanimate objects. Everything seemed to be composed of it.
Armament Haki was a fusion of this energy with the vitality of the physique. Observation Haki was the mind, amplified by energy, giving rise to a myriad of superhuman abilities such as mind-reading, precognition, memory-reading, brainwashing, perceiving and exploring, future prediction...
As for Conqueror's Haki, it was even more astonishing. It represented the soul's power to interfere with reality—an ability capable of denying reality itself.
Techniques like the entanglement of Conqueror's Haki were merely crude applications of its potential. Properly mastered, it could not only overpower Observation and Armament Haki but also disrupt Devil Fruit abilities. At higher levels, it could destroy objects on a deeper, conceptual level, making it nearly impossible to defend against.
After a long period of exploration, Xun finally decided on what to learn.
He chose Body Control Arts, particularly the technique resembling Food Honor. He also selected advanced swordsmanship training, a powerful kicking technique with force-stacking capabilities, unmatched cooking techniques, navigation knowledge, and shipbuilding skills.
Of course, not everything was for himself. He was already preparing for his soon-to-be comrades.
He wasn't worried about the difficulty at all.
With his near-heaven-defying comprehension, he could easily perfect these arts and share them with his nakama.
As he remained in deep thought, a sudden sensation brought him back.
Someone was poking his face.
Opening his eyes, Xun saw Nami standing over him, her cheeks slightly red.
Her nose wrinkled in annoyance.
"Wake up, lazy pig. We've already arrived at Shells Town…"
Xun blinked, startled.
"So soon?"
Nami tilted her head, sharing his surprise.
"We were really lucky. A sudden strong wind came out of nowhere, and I lost control of the rudder."
She looked at him with a hint of resentment, as if blaming him for sleeping so soundly while chaos unfolded.
"I thought we were doomed for sure, but somehow, nothing happened. The wind brought us to our destination in no time. When I checked the surroundings, we were already here."
Then, her gaze turned suspicious.
Xun raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"
Nami hesitated.
"Are you some kind of lucky Devil Fruit user or something? Ever since I met you, everything has gone so smoothly it's scary…"
After all, Nami had spent eight grueling years sailing, never once stumbling across a treasure chest worth even a million Beli. Yet, since meeting him, she had easily amassed hundreds of millions, making her feel relaxed and hopeful for the future.
Now, a sudden wind had effortlessly carried them to their destination. Earlier, it was a storm. What's next?
Though Nami had been deceived by Arlong due to childhood trauma, she was sharp when it came to other matters.
Xun didn't answer her.
She would find out the truth in time.
Instead, he scratched his head sheepishly.
"Nami… How about buying me some clothes? It'd be embarrassing to walk around town like this…"
Nami's face flushed as she gave him a once-over, seemingly gauging his measurements. After turning her gaze away from his well-built figure, she huffed.
"Hmph, think of it as repayment for helping me recover my treasures!"
Xun was speechless but nodded in exasperation.
Watching her dash off the boat without a second thought for her 'wealth' and disappear into the crowd, Xun breathed a sigh of relief.
"Fortunately, she won't run away…"
If he wanted, he could enter his god form, where omnipotence wouldn't be a problem, let alone creating clothes. But he worried that his aura might leak out and cause something catastrophic.
He decided to spend more time training in his mindscape, focusing on how to wield only fragments of his god form.
This way, he could practice his new techniques while mastering the nuances of his mythological abilities.