Chapter 4: Four Years Later
Time flew by.
Aside from eating, sleeping, and training, Luo Lin barely did anything else. He completed every system quest with ruthless discipline. When there was no time limit, he pushed himself even harder than before.
The original 100,000 sword swings had taken him 10 days. This new quest—100,000 weighted push-ups + 100,000 squats with no daily quota or deadline—was supposed to take forever if he slacked off. The system had banked on him getting lazy.
Seventeen days later, he finished it early.
Total miscalculation on the system's part.
"Uwooooh!"
The instant the quest cleared, a notification rang out. Warm currents surged through every inch of his body. His muscles tightened and hardened, his skin cleared up, and raw power flooded his limbs. He felt like he could punch a cow into next week.
He stretched with a satisfied groan (the classic full-body lazy stretch).
"Haa~ That feels amazing!"
"I've never felt anything like this before!"
Unable to resist, he walked up to a tree thick enough for two people to hug, cocked back his fist, and hit it with everything he had.
CRACK!
Wood chips exploded outward. The tree shuddered violently, deep cracks spiderwebbing across the trunk.
At least a thousand pounds of force behind that punch. Luo Lin grinned—he was satisfied.
He pulled up the panel. Everything else was the same, but the snarky comment in parentheses had changed:
(Now possesses the barest sliver of self-preservation ability)
Progress! Huge progress!
As long as he kept roasting—er, motivating—the system into giving him more quests, he'd be the strongest man in the world in just a few years.
…
Time passed like a galloping horse.
Four years vanished in the blink of an eye. It was now the year 1500 in the Sea Circle Calendar.
Luo Lin was 10 years old. Robin was 8.
And the Ohara Incident—the one that haunted him—was happening this year.
Two years ago, Gol D. Roger, the man who had it all—wealth, fame, power—was executed in Loguetown in the East Blue. Luo Lin had gone to watch. As a die-hard One Piece fan, how could he miss it?
Eight-year-old Luo Lin had hitched a ride with a merchant caravan. For fun, he even tracked down the random background NPC who was supposed to ask Roger the legendary question. Right as the guy opened his mouth, Luo Lin interrupted him.
Of course, another random passerby immediately asked it anyway. Roger gave his speech. The Great Pirate Era began.
Plot armor was real. You couldn't fight fate that easily.
Now, standing on the deck of a merchant ship sailing back toward Ohara, Luo Lin watched the island grow closer. The corners of his mouth lifted unconsciously.
He'd been away for over two months this time—longer than ever before. Robin was definitely going to be thrilled to see him.
"System, panel!"
Host: Portgas D. Luo Lin Age: 10 Swordsmanship: Advanced Haki: Intermediate Armament, Beginner Observation Rokushiki: Soru (Shave) (Finally counts as a proper strong person)(Author's setting: Swordsmanship tiers → Beginner → Intermediate → Advanced → Swordsman → Great Swordsman)
Over the past four years, Luo Lin had nagged the system so relentlessly that it had mentally collapsed and started ignoring him. The longest dry spell had been five whole months with no quests—he'd thought it had actually unbound itself.
The turning point came after he witnessed Roger's execution. Ever since then, the system's rewards got way better. Not only swordsmanship, but Rokushiki, Haki, and even weapons started dropping.
The blade at his hip right now? One of the 21 Great Grade Swords—Shinrai (True Eternity).
As the merchant ship docked, Luo Lin grabbed the souvenirs he'd brought for Robin, waved to the captain (who had already paid his "escort fee"), and hopped straight off the gangplank.
Yes—paid.
Ever since the Great Pirate Era began, merchant ships were prime pirate bait. A ten-year-old he might be, but Luo Lin's current strength put him at the top of the first half of the Grand Line, let alone the West Blue.
Any caravan he traveled with was guaranteed safe. Captains paid him gladly, and he never had to spend a single Berry on passage—just flash a little skill every trip.
The dock was still a good walk from his place. No rush. He was home.
He strolled leisurely toward the little beachside cabin he'd built after the original pirate ship rotted away. He'd hired carpenters, turned it into a cozy two-story wooden house facing the sea, complete with a fenced yard where he grew seasonal fruits and vegetables (former hikikomori or not, he loved gardening).
Not a speck of dust inside despite him being gone three months—Robin had clearly been cleaning regularly. Only the two of them had keys.
Carrying the gifts, he headed to Robin's favorite reading spot.
Sure enough, eight-year-old Robin sat on her usual stump, completely absorbed in a book.
Thanks to four years of Luo Lin's aggressive feeding schedule, she was no longer the scrawny kid from the manga. Soft cheeks, healthy glow, and—she had actually shot past him in height by a few centimeters!
"Soru!"
Using Shave, he flashed behind her in an instant, covered her mouth with one hand, and pressed the sheathed blade lightly against her back.
"Don't move, or I won't be nice~"
But instead of panicking like he expected, delicate arms sprouted all over his body—choking his neck and pinning his arms.
He could've broken out easily, but it was Robin. He didn't want to hurt her, so he just froze.
Robin twisted violently, ready to retaliate—then realized who it was and instantly dismissed her powers.
"Luo Lin?! You're back!"
She bounded forward, eyes sparkling with joy. He'd been away a lot these past few years, and every single time he came home with presents—pretty dresses, rare snacks, little trinkets.
Luo Lin reached out and ruffled her hair (a habit four years in the making). She no longer dodged; she secretly loved it.
He handed her the gift box.
She tore it open immediately.
"Waa! Strawberry cake!"
"Brought it specially for you. Dig in!"
"I'm starting~!"
One giant bite later, cream was smeared all over her face, pure bliss written across it.
Luo Lin smiled gently. Thanks to him, Robin's personality had brightened so much over the years.
Two bites in, she grabbed a piece and shoved it into his mouth.
"You too!"
"Mmm, delicious!"
"Hehe~"
They finished the cake and walked along the beach, one asking about his adventures, the other recounting every little detail.
"Oh! I almost forgot—I have to return a book to the Tree of Knowledge this afternoon!"
"I'll come with you!"
They headed toward the gigantic tree at the island's center.
Along the way, people still gave Robin strange looks, but nobody dared speak up anymore. Some wouldn't even meet her eyes.
Because Luo Lin was walking right behind her.
Everyone on Ohara knew: mess with Robin, and the next second you'd have a sword at your throat.
The worst offenders were the original four brats from years ago. Luo Lin had put each of them in bed for half a month. When their parents came raging, he beat them too—then, for good measure, sliced a two-person-thick tree clean in half with one swing.
The island went dead silent. Dare to be angry, but never dare to speak.
After the Great Pirate Era began, pirates occasionally harassed Ohara. Luo Lin killed more than a few in broad daylight. The fear only grew.
Even Robin's aunt and uncle treated her a thousand times better now—they were terrified he'd actually murder them one day.
Robin walked with her head high, chest puffed out. Having someone who had her back felt amazing.
Half an hour later, they reached the Tree of Knowledge.
The scholars at the entrance recognized them instantly and waved them in. Robin had been borrowing books since she was tiny; they all knew she was just a sweet, brilliant kid with a Devil Fruit.
Dr. Clover especially—he was the first to accept her and let her study archaeology with the adults. And Robin was a genius; she understood things without needing to be told twice.
"Dr. Clover, I'm here to return a book!"
"Oh, little Robin! And little Luo Lin too! Hand it over!"
A wild-haired old man who looked like he belonged in a punk band walked out—Dr. Clover himself.
"Doctor, how many times do I have to tell you—stop calling me 'little Luo Lin'! It sounds like 'little loli'!"
"Details, details! Luo Lin, why not join us and study archaeology?"
As a hardcore One Piece fan and top student back in his old life, Luo Lin understood history way too well. The first time he casually dropped some insights, Clover's jaw hit the floor and he'd been trying to recruit him ever since. Four years running. Still no.
"Nope! I'm training to become strong enough to protect Robin!"
Clover didn't push. He turned to Robin instead.
"Little Robin, your archaeologist doctoral exam is in a few days. Feeling confident?"
"Of course, Doctor! I'm super confident!"
She waved her little fist, brimming with pride.
After returning the book and borrowing a new one, they left.
…
The next few days were peaceful.
One sunny morning, Luo Lin was practicing basic swings as usual—even with Advanced Swordsmanship, he never skipped fundamentals.
"Luo Lin!"
"You're here! You haven't come by in days—exam over?"
"Yep! Finished yesterday! So I came straight to you today!"
"Let's go!"
"Where?"
"To celebrate the end of your exam—big fancy dinner!"
"Don't you usually celebrate after passing?"
Luo Lin didn't care. He was hungry, and any excuse worked. Catch a single fish and he'd call it a feast.
His appetite had reached Luffy-tier levels anyway. The two of them demolished nearly 100,000 Berry worth of food before stopping.
After eating, Robin said she had something to do at the Tree of Knowledge. Luo Lin tagged along.
The moment they pushed open the giant doors, confetti and streamers exploded everywhere.
"Congratulations, Robin!!"
"As expected of Olvia's daughter!"
Dr. Clover and all the scholars cheered and clapped.
Clover dug into his pocket, pulled out a small box, opened it, and held it out to her.
"Congratulations, Robin! You scored a perfect 100 on yesterday's doctoral exam!
From this day forward, you are officially an archaeologist with a doctoral degree! This badge proves it—take it!"
"Really?!"
"Really!"
"Thank you, Doctor!!"
Robin jumped for joy. Luo Lin grinned beside her.
"Congrats, Robin! You're amazing! Looks like today's celebration feast was spot-on!"
Then Clover's expression turned solemn.
"Listen well, Robin."
"Yes, Doctor!"
"This Tree of Knowledge is 5,000 years old. It houses countless historical texts gathered from all over the world—the largest, oldest library on the planet! By deciphering these texts, there is no historical mystery we cannot solve!"
"You must never forget: our duty as scholars is to uncover the truths of history and contribute to the world!"
"That is the reason we exist!"
"I understand, Doctor! So… does that mean I can research the Void Century too?"
Robin's eyes shone with excitement.
Clover's eyes nearly popped out of his skull.
"W-What?! No! Absolutely not! Anything else is fine—just never that one!"
==============================================================Support me and be 100 chapters ahead of webnovel:
patreon.com/inkshield