Ethan was quite satisfied with his current rate of growth. His foundations felt solid in every direction.
It was now the first half of Sea Circle Calendar 1506, getting very close to 1509.
If possible, he wanted his strength in all aspects to reach at least the master level before he took part in the great events to come.
Another gain from this time was that his Analyze power had upgraded.
Ethan knew his talent was actually very average. Reaching his current level of strength was largely thanks to Analyze. The further he climbed, the higher the tier of power he touched, and the less that ability could help.
He had not expected that the power of the era sealed inside the Poneglyph could raise it again.
Of the ten Poneglyphs currently known, four were ones Ethan could theoretically reach.
Two were in Alabasta, one was on Skypiea, and one was on Fishman Island.
All of those locations were already part of Ethan's long term plans.
After half a month of recovery on the small island, Ethan and Robin resumed their journey.
Now that Ethan had stepped into the realm of swordmaster, it was hard to find worthy opponents in the Four Seas. His improvement came almost entirely from deep self training and dissecting the essence of his own power.
He had also added "making the light feel heavy" to his regimen. Every day, he carried a small wooden stick and would casually swing it now and then.
Passersby only saw a grown man waving a little stick like a fool. They had no idea that this one stick could cleave a giant boulder in two.
They spent another half year in the West Blue, and by the time they were done, Ethan had another pile of manuscripts.
He sealed them up and mailed them back to the East Blue.
Then they stepped into the last of the Blues, the North Blue.
The North Blue was also famous as the birthplace of many powerhouses. It was different from the East Blue, which had become the center of an era. The North Blue produced the sort of people who would become pillars holding up the age.
For example, Akainu Sakazuki, Kizaru Borsalino, and forces like the Donquixote Pirates and Germa 66.
And the legendary figure, the "liar" Noland.
Once they arrived in the North Blue, they naturally heard the little tale that had spread everywhere, "The Big Liar Noland".
Its protagonist, Noland, was a fool and a liar who was always telling tall tales. Even when he was executed, he still insisted that the City of Gold really existed.
But in truth, everything Noland had said was real.
More than four hundred years ago, in Sea Circle Calendar 1122, during his third voyage on the Grand Line, the fleet admiral and botanist Montblanc Noland of the Luvneel Kingdom in the North Blue had been forced by a storm to dock at Jaya.
There, he happened to save the Shandian people, who were being ravaged by "Tree Fever", and he put an end to their tradition of live human sacrifices. He and the "great warrior" Kalgara became close friends at first sight.
Although Noland saved the Shandians, he had cut down all of their "sacred trees" as part of the cure, and the tribe misunderstood him as a sinner who had trampled their traditions and faith.
Kalgara drove him away in rage, only to learn from Moose, after Noland had left, why the trees had been felled.
Failing to make it in time to see Noland off became the deepest regret of his life.
In Sea Circle Calendar 1127, Noland sailed again under his king's orders to find Jaya and the City of Gold.
However, by then, Jaya had already been blasted into the White White Sea.
Unable to find the golden city, Noland was convicted of deceiving his king and executed, bearing the label of "big liar" for the next four hundred years.
Right up to his death, he had guessed that the golden city had sunk under the sea due to tectonic shifts, but no one was willing to listen to him anymore.
And that was not all to Noland's story.
In Dressrosa in the New World, four hundred years ago, Noland had also stood up for the oppressed Dwarves, the Tontatta tribe, and helped them regain their freedom.
The Tontatta had forged a statue of Noland in their village to commemorate his kindness.
Such a legendary figure from four hundred years ago had been misunderstood for four centuries. Time really had buried far too many truths.
When Luffy rang the Golden Bell on Skypiea, the tolling that echoed across the sky had been the best proof Noland could ever have asked for.
By this time, the North Blue already had the Donquixote family and the Germa Kingdom.
So while traveling the North Blue, Ethan kept his movements extremely cautious.
Finally, at the end of 1506, they completed their route through the North Blue.
Now it was time to return to the East Blue. To go home.
Robin was in a great mood. Traveling with Ethan made her happy, but going home with him made her twice as happy.
She loved their little house in the East Blue, and she loved all the books in her study.
Humming a tune, the two of them carried their luggage off the passenger ship and walked back into Shimotsuki Village.
When they opened their door, they found the room full of dust.
This time, there was no need for Robin to use her Devil Fruit. Ethan simply shook the wooden stick in his hand. A gentle sword wind swept through the house.
Dust on every surface and in every corner was swept up into the air, and with another flick, it was all blown neatly into the trash bin.
That was the realm of making the light feel heavy.
After a simple round of cleaning and a trip out to buy ingredients, they cooked a rich dinner.
Then Ethan went back to his room to rest.
Tomorrow, he still had to visit Koushirou and give him a surprise.
…
The next morning.
Ethan straightened his clothes, picked up a bundle of specialty goods from the four seas, and went to pay his respects to Koushirou.
"Koushirou-sensei, long time no see."
The instant he saw Ethan, Koushirou froze for a moment.
He could not feel any of the sharp aura Ethan should have had.
A swordsman who had trained for years always carried a unique edge about him. But Ethan's edge had vanished.
Could it be…
A towering sword intent flared skyward and vanished in the next heartbeat, a will that sought to overturn heaven and earth, unleashed and then perfectly drawn back.
So it was true. Ethan had stepped through the threshold into swordmaster.
And he was not a common swordmaster, but one who had already carved out his own path.
"It seems your journey through the Four Seas was quite something."
"There were… a few twists and turns," Ethan replied. "It is all thanks to your guidance, sensei. Without the support of the Shimozuki style, I could never have made it this far."
"Being able to teach a genius like you is my honor as well.
"The Shimozuki style for you basically ends here. There are still a few last words I should pass on."
Ethan sat up straight, listening carefully to this final inheritance of the sword.
"At the beginning of the sword path, Observation Haki is crucial. It is equivalent to your sword heart.
"Later, as your swordsmanship grows deeper, Armament becomes more and more important.
"Among swordmasters, cutting steel is nothing remarkable. So you need to use Armament Haki to coat your blade, to protect the sword itself while also increasing its lethality.
"If you want to climb higher, you must fuse Armament and your sword into one and forge a black blade. That is the mark of a swordmaster at the summit.
"For a swordmaster, a good sword is extremely important. In a clash between equals, it can decide life or death."
So, a great grade blade. It seemed that the search for a famous sword also had to be put on the agenda.
His current fine grade blade could no longer withstand high intensity battles. Ethan knew that very well.
(End of Chapter)
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