MTLNOVEL Chapter 1: Chapter 1
The autumn wind sweeps over the fallen leaves, bringing an unspeakable loneliness to the whole land. Under a tree not far from the Isshin Dojo in Shimotsuki Village, an ordinary little boy is basking in the sun, staring into the distance with an expression of quiet frustration.
The boy's name was Dong Ze, and he had always believed himself to be blessed.
When he arrived in the world of One Piece, he had thought that his knowledge of future events would allow him to make a name for himself, standing among the legends, challenging the likes of Whitebeard and Blackbeard with confidence.
But reality was cruel. Talent was an unshakable wall, and he had to admit that cultivation required more than just effort.
For two years, he had trained relentlessly at Isshin Dojo, carrying weights, swinging his sword endlessly, and sparring until exhaustion. Yet, not only could he not defeat Kuina, but he was still struggling against the green-haired newcomer, Roronoa Zoro. It was nothing short of humiliating.
Perhaps he truly had no talent in swordsmanship. Just two days ago, Kuina had bested him once again in a dojo match, making him question whether he was simply destined to be weaker than a girl younger than him.
Frustrated, he snuck out of the dojo, hoping to clear his mind.
"If this goes on, forget about taking on Whitebeard—I'll be lucky if I can handle Buggy!"
"Heh!"
A small purple squirrel perched on a tree branch above him tilted its head mischievously before tossing a half-eaten pine nut directly at his forehead.
Distracted, Dong Ze barely reacted before the pine nut struck him right between the eyebrows.
For a moment, he thought he heard a strange "ding-dong" sound echo in his mind.
"Little rascal!"
Dong Ze sat up in a daze, rubbing his forehead as he scanned the branches for the culprit. The squirrel, unfazed, chattered twice before disappearing into the dense foliage.
Sighing, he looked down at the fallen pine nut and chuckled wryly.
"Good thing this isn't Monk Xu Zhu's pine nut, or I'd be done for."
Unfortunately for him, fate seemed to have a sense of irony. As he lay back down, a ripe fruit detached from a branch above and dropped straight onto his forehead.
Unlike the pine nut, this one packed a real punch.
"Ugh!"
Stars danced in his vision. As he groaned, something flashed in the corner of his eye—a line of strange text appearing in his mind:
[Iron Head Skill Proficiency: 20/1000]
He blinked in disbelief, rubbing his eyes. The text remained.
An idea struck him. Hesitantly, he turned toward the thick tree trunk beside him, hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and rammed his forehead against it.
A fresh wave of dizziness washed over him, but as soon as his vision stabilized, he checked the floating text again.
[Iron Head Skill Proficiency: 21/1000]
A grin spread across his face.
"Is this… my golden finger?"
If he could see his proficiency in cultivation, this could change everything. However, he needed to test its limits.
…
After multiple trials, he discovered two key functions.
First, he could quantify his training, giving him a clear sense of progress and direction. Second, it seemed he could unlock unknown skills through certain actions. That was how he had apparently awakened Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) earlier, though at a very rudimentary level.
He had been protecting a mischievous little monkey in the back mountain from a hailstorm of thrown stones, and in the chaos, he suddenly sensed an attack before it happened. It was faint, but it was there. His near-death experience seemed to have triggered an early awakening of a power that usually took years to cultivate.
However, unlocking new abilities seemed to require suffering. It was as if he needed to endure a certain threshold of hardship before the system would grant him access to a skill.
Still, he hadn't fully grasped how proficiency increased. Not every action contributed progress. He had headbutted the tree multiple times, but his Iron Head Skill proficiency hadn't increased each time.
He glanced around and spotted a large green boulder nearby. Eyes shining with determination, he clenched his fists, ready to test his limits.
Before he could move, an orange blur flew at him.
"Dong Ze! You idiot!"
A powerful kick sent him tumbling backward just as the massive stone dislodged and crashed onto the spot where he had been standing moments before. The impact shook the ground, sending dust into the air.
Kuina stood there, arms crossed, glaring at him with her usual fierce expression.
"Are you trying to get yourself killed?! Do you think your skull is tougher than Seastone?!"
Groaning, Dong Ze struggled to lift himself. "If you got kicked unexpectedly like that, you'd be seeing stars too…"
Kuina frowned, shifting awkwardly. "Tch. You just got destroyed by Zoro earlier, and now you're out here testing your skull against rocks? Are you that desperate?"
He winced at the reminder. Roronoa Zoro had been nothing short of a training demon, pushing himself beyond human limits. First, he had trained with two swords. Now, he was up to three. His physical strength had grown absurd, and even Kuina sometimes hesitated to meet him in direct combat.
History was following its destined path. The two prodigies of Isshin Dojo were locked in a fierce rivalry. One would fall, and the other would carry their will, striving to become the world's greatest swordsman.
Dong Ze knew how it would end. He clenched his fists.
"Give me a hand. I can't move."
Kuina hesitated, then extended a hand. "Fine. But seriously, stop going up against Zoro like that. That idiot trains like a wild beast. If you keep challenging him, you're just asking for trouble."
Dong Ze laughed weakly as she pulled him to his feet. "Says the girl who just launched me ten meters with one kick."
Kuina turned red but said nothing.
History was unfolding as it was meant to. But this time, Dong Ze had his own path to carve.
He wasn't planning on playing the same game. He had a golden finger.
And he was going to use it to change everything.