Chapter 7: Training

He had thought that the first treasure in his life would be a Devil Fruit, but it turned out to be nothing more than some ordinary berries, lacking any element of surprise.

"Breathe of despair."

As he reached the bottom of the pirate ship, his Observation Haki involuntarily sensed that overwhelming emotion.

Upon pushing open the door, he discovered many blank-faced individuals, their spirits completely drained—these were people who had been captured by the Great Sword, Kuka, and forced into slavery.

With the ability to perceive good and evil through his Observation Haki, he could also sense human emotions. The despair emanating from the captives weighed heavily on his heart, making him feel as if a massive stone was pressing on his chest, quite uncomfortable.

"Crack!!!"

"The Great Sword Kuka has been killed by me, and the entire pirate crew has been wiped out. Now you are all free."

Li Yuan casually picked up a knife and cut the chains binding the slaves, then turned and left the ship's hold. The pervasive despair below made him feel very uneasy.

"Ah, the fresh air outside feels so good!"

Li Yuan sighed with relief.

"Sir, my name is Lazi Li. Please take me in; I'm willing to follow you and work as hard as I can!"

As Li Yuan stepped out, a girl dressed in a white dress, seemingly only fifteen years old with a budding figure, followed him closely.

He had noticed that among all the slaves, only her eyes still held a glimmer of light.

"You are now free. On this small island, as long as you do not become lazy, you can feed yourself and even look for your family. You don't need to serve me."

Li Yuan waved his hand. Right now, he had no interest in getting involved with women; at this stage, women would only slow down his swordsmanship.

"Sir, I am the daughter of the island lord of Clack Island. I have learned medicine since childhood and am a good doctor on the island. I should be of value to you."

"Before this, the Great Sword had already killed my entire family. I have no family left."

"Rest assured, the Great Sword just took me not long ago and died by your hands. I am still clean!"

Lazi Li fixated her gaze on Li Yuan, speaking without any hesitation.

"Oh? Why do you want to follow me?"

Li Yuan couldn't help but glance at this bold girl a few more times. He had to admit that while Lazi Li's figure was not remarkable, her face was surprisingly beautiful.

Her face and figure even amazed Li Yuan, who had seen countless stars before. Her golden shoulder-length hair and stunning beauty reminded him of Android 18 from Dragon Ball.

"Without strength, one cannot control one's own destiny and will ultimately become a vassal of the strong or even a slave to others!"

"I want to stay by your side and become strong, so I don't have to experience such despair again."

Lazi Li expressed her thoughts candidly.

In her view, even living on this island could still result in being plundered by pirates, just like her previous home. Only by having powerful strength could she ensure her safety and protect her family and friends in times of crisis.

And Li Yuan, so young and looking her age, had the power to annihilate the Kuka Pirates and had saved her, granting her freedom. He was undoubtedly someone she could rely on, her safe harbor.

"Very well, your words have moved me. My name is Li Yuan, and I can give you the opportunity to stay by my side."

"However, I have no use for useless people. If your performance does not meet my expectations, I can dismiss you at any time."

Li Yuan's Observation Haki sensed that Lazi Li was not lying.

Her strong desire for power made him optimistic about her, so he decided to keep her. Furthermore, as a doctor, even if she couldn't become a combat member, she could serve as the ship's medic.

"Thank you, Sir Li Yuan, for taking me in!"

Lazi Li said gratefully, a tear falling from her eye uncontrollably. She had finally taken the first step toward controlling her destiny.

"Big Brother, all the pirates are bound!"

Seeing Li Yuan come down from the pirate ship, Kano rushed over.

"After they wake up, interrogate them to see if there are any navigators among them. If there are, keep them; if not, kill them all. You handle it personally!"

Li Yuan said seriously as he looked at Kano.

"Big Brother, rest assured, I will complete the task."

After thinking for a moment, Kano replied.

"Very good. Her name is Lazi Li. Have Karu take her to the sword academy to practice swordsmanship with everyone."

Li Yuan nodded in satisfaction, then pointed to Lazi Li behind him.

After giving his instructions, Li Yuan returned to the sword academy. This time, he didn't practice but lay on his bed, pondering the gains from this battle and reflecting on his shortcomings during the fight.

After this battle, his swordsmanship had improved, becoming sharper and more ferocious, or rather, more suited for killing.

Most importantly, he had awakened the Conqueror's Haki, a kingly aura!

He clearly understood his strength; now, even against a pirate with a bounty of fifty million, he could win.

"Next, I will continue practicing swordsmanship, striving to break through to the Sword Hero realm as soon as possible, and then learn the Marine Six Styles. My body is strong, but I lack techniques to fully utilize that strength."

"If I learn Soru, my speed will significantly increase, and Geppo will enhance my aerial combat abilities. Tekkai will complement my Sword God Body Refinement Technique perfectly."

"Once I master the Marine Six Styles, the technique known as Life Return that I learn later should be comparable to the third level of the Sword God Body Refinement Technique. By then, my Sword God Body Refinement Technique can break through to the third level."

"Only after awakening the Busoshoku Haki will the true effects of the Sword God Body Refinement Technique be revealed."

Li Yuan summarized the gains and losses from the battle while considering his future training plan.

His strength was still too weak; he couldn't even defeat a pirate with a bounty of one hundred million. Going to sea was too dangerous; he needed to wait until he encountered a bottleneck before setting off.

The next morning, after finishing breakfast, Li Yuan prepared to practice the Marine Six Styles.

"Big Brother, Big Brother, the master of the Sharp Blade Academy and some key personnel left the island overnight last night."

Kano hurriedly ran over to say. 

---

**Translator notes:** If you like my work you can support me here 

https://ko-fi.com/zxc1015

Thanks!