One Piece: Power-Power Fruit

Chapter 18 Lao Tzu's Observation Haki Can't Reach

Chapter 18: Lao Tzu's Observation Haki Can't Reach It

The snow-covered mountain village finally welcomed the melting of spring. Thanks to the efforts of the remaining villagers, the village was rebuilt and began to show some signs of life. And so, another year passed.

Spring of the 1520th year of the Haiyuan calendar!

Unbeknownst to him, Mu Chong has been in the world of One Piece for four years. Four years ago, he met Issho on a small island, and their two years together forged a friendship. Two years later, after being critically injured and near death, he was saved by Issho, who gave him a new lease on life. Determined to stop living aimlessly, he began a two-year training program.

Four years have quietly passed. At this moment, in Mu Chong's mind, memories of the past on this island flashed by like a slideshow. He opened his arms once more to embrace the air, then resolutely turned and left the mountain stronghold.

"Did Brother Mu just leave like that?"

"What a pity! The new clothes for Brother Mu were almost finished!"

"I wonder if Brother Mu will ever come back after he leaves..."

"Then, what shall we do then?"

At the village gate, the villagers who had lived with Mu Chong for over a year watched the man and cat slowly disappear down the mountain path, chattering amongst themselves, their eyes filled with reluctance and confusion.

Mu Chong could no longer see these scenes. At this moment, he was dressed in pure white clothes, wearing a white cloak, carrying a large bundle on his back, and with an ordinary long sword hanging at his waist, walking towards the sea.

At sixteen years old and 1.85 meters tall, he exuded youthful energy and vitality in the morning sunlight.

"Meow……"

Beside Mu Chong, the white cat, now even larger, followed step by step towards the sea, also carrying a package on its back.

Now, the white cat's size is almost identical to that of an adult white tiger. With its long fur and strikingly handsome face, it's undoubtedly a top contender for the most beautiful cat in the world. Its dashing appearance is even comparable to the Maine Coon cat of Mu Chong's previous life. It's grown up to be...

"Mumu, is there still no trace of Uncle Yixiao?"

The wooden cat, who was walking along, suddenly asked the white cat a question, and a hint of disappointment began to appear on its face.

"Mumu" is the name Mu Chong came up with for the white cat. After racking his brains countless times, it was the name that finally came out without any technical skill.

"Meow... Lulu..."

The white cat Mumu raised its head, sniffed the air with its nose, and then shook its head in a human-like manner.

"Meow meow meow!!!"

The next moment, the white cat Mumu's face showed anger, and it meowed at Muchong, as if to say: You old bastard, you have Observation Haki, but you want me to smell it? How can I smell anything?

"Alright, I wonder what Uncle Yixiao has been up to. He's been gone for a month already, shouldn't he be back by now? I told him today was the day he was going out to sea, but I haven't seen him since..."

Mu Chong raised his left hand to rub his nose, glanced back at the mountain stronghold that had disappeared at the end of the mountain path, gave a helpless bitter smile, and then quickened his pace down the mountain.

A month ago, Yixiao suddenly left the island. He didn't tell Mu Chong where he went, only promising to come back to see Mu Chong off when he went out to sea. But he hasn't been seen since.

At this moment, on the shore where Mu Chong often practiced, stood three figures. These three were pointing and discussing something at a ship anchored in the sea in front of them.

My gaze lingered on the wooden hull in the sea. It was a small sailing vessel, about the height of a one-story building, and roughly the size of a basketball court in length and width. Its exterior was unremarkable, and indeed, it was unremarkable.

This ship was built by everyone on the island over a full year through constant experimentation and modifications, bit by bit, and is a small vessel that can barely meet basic daily needs.

To build this ship, everyone turned the entire island upside down, filling it with all available metal and wood—a truly all-out effort in shipbuilding.

"Meow?"

As soon as they reached the shore, the white cat Mumu meowed and nuzzled the pensive Mu Chong with its head.

"Huh? What's wrong? Huh? Why are there still people there? Aren't the villagers all in the mountain village?"

Sensing the white cat Mumu's movements, Mu Chong was initially puzzled, but then, understanding its meaning, he looked up at the seaside, now even more confused.

A person and a cat, filled with doubt, quickly approached the ship. Three figures beside the ship gradually became clearer.

"Uncle Yixiao? It's Uncle Yixiao!! Hahaha!!"

When Mu Chong recognized Yi Xiao as one of them, his face lit up with joy. He quickened his pace, even running with the large bundle on his back, and happily charged towards Yi Xiao.

"Haha! Brother Mu looks to be in great shape!!"

The speaker was Yi Xiao, who had been away for a month. He had returned to the island yesterday evening, but instead of going back to the mountain stronghold, he and two other people spent the night on the beach, seemingly studying something on the hull of the ship.

"Uncle Yixiao, it's so good to see you back! I thought you weren't coming back! Hahaha!!"

Mu Chong, who ran up to Yi Xiao, was a towering 1.85 meters tall, but at that moment his expression resembled that of a child.

Hmm~ Sixteen years old, definitely a child in front of Yixiao.

"Today is the day Brother Mu sets sail, how could I forget? Is everything ready?"

Yi smiled, his face full of satisfaction as he looked at Mu Chong. Since the pirate attack on the village a year ago, he knew better than anyone what this boy had gone through in the past year.

For over a year, day and night, rain or shine, Mu Chong relentlessly pushed himself to the limit. The weight that Yi Xiao placed on him grew heavier and heavier, until even Yi Xiao himself was surprised—it was a remarkably impressive number.

Besides training, Mu Chong undergoes a frenzied battle every three days. These include sparring with Yi Xiao, life-or-death struggles against pirates, and duels against ruthless gladiators in the arena. All of these hone Mu Chong's survival skills, making him visibly stronger.

After a year of fighting and traveling to many places under Yi Xiao's leadership, Mu Chong finally learned the location of this nameless island.

The location where Mu Chong stood was an unnamed island in the first half of the Grand Line. According to the information he had, it was close to one of the seven shipping routes of the Grand Line. Because there was a large island about ten days' voyage away that served as a stopover point for the route, this island was rarely passed by by pirates and had a very low profile.

When Mu Chong first heard the name of the large island mentioned in the information, his heart skipped a beat. Countless emotions flooded his mind, a mixture of unfamiliarity and familiarity, even a sense of tension and excitement.

Because in the original work, this island contains a wealth of information, and the events it involves have garnered significant attention from One Piece fans.

The name of this large island is... Jaya Island!!!

When Mu Chong first heard this name on the island, he instinctively looked up at the sky above, and then his Observation Haki was unleashed in a frenzy, a commotion that surprised even Yi Xiao standing nearby.

A moment later, Mu Chong withdrew his Observation Haki, shook his head at Yi Xiao with a look of utter defeat, and cursed inwardly.

"Damn it, my Observation Haki can't reach it..."