Chapter 43: Ralph's Sea Classroom is now in session!
Zoro clutched the burning red mark on his cheek, a mix of humiliation and fury surging through him.
He glared fiercely at Ralph, gritting his teeth as he spat out the question:
"Ralph! What's the meaning of this?! Using the back of your blade? Are you insulting me?!"
Ralph watched the nearly enraged Zoro, his expression remaining calm as he shook his head.
"Insult? No. I simply chose the safest way to end the duel. As for what you believe—that scars on a swordsman's back are a disgrace, that a duel must use the blade's edge or it's disrespectful..."
He paused, then continued slowly, "Those are your rules as a swordsman. And I... am not a swordsman."
These words froze Zoro in place.
Ralph went on to elaborate his viewpoint, "Whether it's a blade or a sword, in my hands, it's merely a convenient tool. The purpose of a tool is to achieve a goal. As for the 'ceremony' and 'rules' of using it—that has nothing to do with me. I used the back of the blade because the goal was already accomplished: to determine the winner between us and avoid unnecessary harm."
This calm explanation struck Zoro harder than the earlier blow from the blade's back.
It meant that he, Roronoa Zoro, a man determined to become the world's greatest swordsman, had been defeated by someone who didn't even possess a "swordsman's heart"!
"How..."
Zoro muttered to himself, his face filled with disbelief. "How could someone without a swordsman's heart execute a move like that?! That decisive, one-strike technique?!"
"Of course it's possible."
Ralph's reply was resolute. "Because what I used was pure skill."
Observing the turbulent emotions in Zoro's eyes, he continued,
"Zoro, having dreams and a swordsman's resolve is good—it drives you to improve. But you must also face the reality: the East Blue, where we are, is called the 'Weakest Sea.'"
At this, not only Zoro, but even Nami, Usopp, Johnny, and Yosaku, who were listening nearby, were stunned.
"Those who come from the East Blue, aside from determination and perseverance, are far inferior in raw strength compared to fighters from other seas, let alone the true monsters on the Grand Line."
Ralph's tone carried a note of gravity.
"This is a tangible gap that requires effort, talent, and a great deal of time to bridge. Passion and resolve alone are meaningless in the face of an overwhelming power difference."
In response to Ralph's brutally honest words,
Nami and Usopp showed fear and concern, while Johnny and Yosaku gaped openly, clearly frightened by terms like "Weakest Sea" and "monsters."
However, in Lufia and Zoro's eyes, there was no fear—only a fiercer, blazing determination!
Zoro slowly straightened up, the swelling pain on his face seemingly forgotten as he tightened his grip on his sword.
"I only knew the destination of the greatest swordsman was out there, but I never understood the true scale of the gap between me and that man... After what you said, it's become much clearer."
He took a deep breath, his fighting spirit rekindling, even more refined than before:
"But I won't abandon my goal! For now, at the very least, I have to defeat a bastard like you—who has the talent of a swordsman but refuses to be one!"
"Alright!"
Lufia excitedly waved her fists, her rubber body bouncing on the deck: "That sounds so thrilling! Ralph knows so much! Tell us more! What's the Grand Line really like? How powerful are those monsters?"
Seeing that the two weren't discouraged but instead fired up with even greater determination, Ralph nodded inwardly.
He thought this was good—it was the perfect opportunity to give them some early spoilers about later power systems. Perhaps it could act as a catalyst, speeding up their growth.
"Alright," Ralph cleared his throat and, under everyone's curious gazes, began his little maritime lesson.
"Since you want to know, I'll tell you about the mainstream ways to grow stronger on the seas.
"One of them is something you already know—Devil Fruits."
He explained the general categories of Devil Fruits in detail: Paramecia, Zoan, and Logia.
He elaborated on their differences—the bizarre variety of Paramecia, the form changes and power boosts of Zoan, and the almost bug-like elemental transformation ability of Logia.
He even mentioned the deeper power of Devil Fruits—"Awakening"—and described the terrifying scenes of ability users affecting the environment, burning mountains, and boiling seas after awakening.
Hearing that Devil Fruit users could reach such near-godlike levels later on, Lufia's eyes sparkled as she exclaimed, "So amazing! So amazing!"
Usopp, on the other hand, trembled all over, sweating bullets, but his eyes also shone—it was hard to tell if it was excitement or fear.
He couldn't help but ask, "In that case, aren't Devil Fruit users practically invincible? Like Lufia—her rubber skin isn't afraid of blunt weapons, bullets, or even ordinary cannon fire. And Logia users don't even have a physical form to grasp... So, if you get a Logia Devil Fruit, doesn't that mean you're invincible?"
Ralph shook his head.
"Logia Fruit users do have a huge innate advantage. Right after gaining their abilities, they possess near-invincible potential. That's why Logia Fruits are often fought over by major powers. The three Admirals, the Navy's top combatants, are all Logia users."
Amidst the gasps of the crowd, he changed his tone: "But even so, there are still four top-tier pirates known as the 'Four Emperors' on the seas, carving out their own territories in the New World. Even the Navy can't do anything about them."
Mentioning the Four Emperors made Lufia even more excited—Ralph had told her before that Shanks was one of the Four Emperors!
Usopp was also thrilled—his father, Yasopp, was on the ship of one of the Four Emperors, the Red Hair Pirates!
Ralph took the opportunity to drop a key piece of information: "Among these Four Emperors, three are Devil Fruit users. The only one who hasn't eaten any Devil Fruit is 'Red-Haired Shanks'!"
"Shanks is awesome!" Lufia cheered proudly.
But Zoro keenly grasped the core of the issue.
"Ralph, are you saying... there are forces on the seas that can rival, or even counter, Devil Fruit powers?"
"Of course," Ralph affirmed with a nod.
"Otherwise, how do you think Dracule "Hawk Eyes" Mihawk reached the pinnacle as the world's greatest swordsman without eating any Devil Fruit?"
Today's content from Ralph was intricately connected, thoroughly building up everyone's anticipation. At this most critical moment, everyone urged him: "Ralph, hurry up and tell us! What exactly is that miraculous power?"
Ralph stopped keeping them in suspense:
"The most obvious weakness of Devil Fruit users is their fear of seawater. But true powerhouses must have ways to prevent themselves from falling into the ocean. Thus, people discovered a mineral containing the power of the sea—Seastone."
He explained the effects of Seastone—weapons crafted from it could harm Devil Fruit users, including Logia types.
Usopp immediately brightened up: "Then let's find some Seastone and make bullets out of it! Then no matter what Navy Admiral we face, wouldn't we be able to take them down with one shot?"
Lufia joined in the excitement: "So amazing!"
Ralph promptly poured cold water on their enthusiasm:
"That's an important strategic resource. The deposits are basically tightly controlled by the World Government—how could they easily end up outside? Moreover, processing Seastone is extremely difficult. Currently, only the World Government's scientists and a very few factions can independently complete precision processing."
Usopp immediately deflated like a punctured balloon: "Then us ordinary people have no hope?"
Zoro guessed: "Could Hawk Eye's black blade be made of Seastone?"
"No," Ralph finally revealed the answer, "That power is called—Haki!"
He explained the three types of Haki in detail:
Observation Haki can enhance perception, predict attacks, and sense enemies beyond line of sight.
Armament Haki can enhance attack and defense, and can physically touch the real bodies of Logia Devil Fruit users, making it key to countering them.
And the most mysterious, possessed by only one in ten thousand—Conqueror's Haki, refined from a person's spirit and capacity. Without lifting a finger, one can intimidate or even knock out opponents with sheer presence alone.
"Red-Haired Shanks and Dracule "Hawk Eyes" Mihawk stand at the pinnacle of the seas precisely because of their supreme Haki power!"
After this information-packed "little sea class," the fire in Lufia and Zoro's eyes burned even brighter. They felt the path ahead had become clearer, and their goals seemed a step closer!
Just then, Nami, who hadn't spoken for a long time, suddenly spoke up weakly, her voice carrying a barely noticeable tremor:
"Ralph... you know so much about the Grand Line and even the New World... then do you know... about the 'Fish-Men' race?"
Actually, during the lesson, Ralph had noticed Nami's complexion wasn't quite right, as if she had been preoccupied with something.
He had been waiting, waiting for Nami to ask this question herself.
"Of course I know," Ralph affirmed.
Seeing Lufia and Usopp curiously gathering around again, he briefly explained the difference between mermaids and Fish-Men, describing the Fish-man race's physical prowess far exceeding ordinary humans and their ability to live underwater.
Lufia and Usopp listened with shining eyes, both expressing their desire to see them with their own eyes.
But Nami seemed to tremble even more violently!
Ralph looked at Nami's pale face and asked softly: "Nami, what do you want to know about this race?"
Nami's hands unconsciously clutched the hem of her clothes, her body beginning to tremble slightly as if recalling something utterly terrifying. Her voice carried deliberately concealed fear with a thread of hope:
"I... I want to ask... in the New World, is there... a way to defeat Fish-Men?"
Ralph's expression instantly turned peculiar, and he scratched his head.
Seeing his reaction, Nami's heart sank abruptly. She pressed urgently, her voice growing more frantic: "Don't tell me... in the Grand Line and New World, the Fish-Men race is so powerful that... they're completely undefeatable?"
"No, Nami, you've misunderstood."
Seeing her tense and frightened appearance, Ralph explained with complicated emotions, "Let me put it this way—"
He paused, then uttered words that left everyone stunned and made Nami freeze instantly on the spot:
"In the Grand Line or New World, creatures like Fish-Men... are generally captured to be used as slaves!"
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