Chapter 6

6. Entering the World of One Piece

Time passed quickly, and on April 15th, Liu Hao received a notification from his counselor. He knew that his first dimensional journey was about to begin.

"Everyone here is an elite of Zhonghai University. I believe you have some guesses. Indeed, this time you have the opportunity to participate in a journey through dimensional space.

I hope you cherish this opportunity. Remember, these spots are given to us by our People's Army.

As the principal, I hope you make this opportunity more meaningful, turning this dimensional space journey into a chance to improve yourselves."

Huang Haidong's speech was serious and somewhat worried. Although the military claimed there was no danger, this was relative to military personnel, whose willpower far exceeded that of students. Would these students collapse mentally if they were killed in the dimensional space? No one could guarantee that.

"Of course, this opportunity is not mandatory. If anyone does not want to participate, they can opt out. After all, the risks are significant, and no one will mock someone who values their life!"

Huang Haidong's words caused a slight stir among the students, but they quickly became quiet again. The people standing here had at least one attribute at the second stage. These individuals were already dedicated to their strength. Although the principal mentioned the risks, they believed the dangers were within a controllable range. The temptation to personally explore the dimensional space was too great.

"Is no one opting out? The military will have you sign a liability waiver. I hope you think carefully about whether you really want to participate in this dangerous journey."

The liability waiver was just one page, a few hundred words. Liu Hao read it and signed his name. Regardless of which dimensional space he entered, he believed that as long as he wasn't too unlucky, there wouldn't be much of a problem.

A total of 36 people from Zhonghai University were selected for the test, and Zheng Zhi was among them. A large group of helicopters carried them across the East Sea to a military base. Each person was given a small booklet, which contained the military's accumulated knowledge and precautions for exploring the dimensional space.

1. If you die in the dimensional space, you will be revived on Earth, but the military cannot guarantee that you will definitely be revived on Earth.

2. If you die or return from the dimensional space, you will be unable to re-enter that space for one year.

3. The land animals in the dimensional space are highly dangerous, generally at the second stage or higher. There are massive creatures in the ocean, and the larger they are, the more dangerous they are. The highest known stage for marine creatures is the sixth stage, but there is a possibility of higher stages.

4. There are many pirates in the ocean, who are generally inhumane and often destroy towns. Do not think about surrendering; surrender will only result in more cruel torture.

5. There is a dimensional navy in the ocean, but it is likely that they are in collusion with the pirates or even maintaining their own power. It is not advisable to trust them.

6. The dimensional world has transformation abilities, such as the Devil Fruits, which can transform people into different forms, like cat people during battles, increasing their strength. The extent of the increase varies. A weakness is that they fear seawater.

7. It is currently impossible to determine what abilities the Devil Fruits will grant. The consequences of consuming them in unknown conditions are at your own risk.

...

Liu Hao finished reading the booklet and marveled at the military's extensive exploration. However, some important information was still missing, such as the concept of Haki, which was not mentioned. The Navy's Six Powers were only briefly mentioned, emphasizing that cultivation requires the third stage. The Devil Fruits were not categorized into Zoan, Paramecia, and Logia types.

If there were no hidden details, the military's exploration was limited and possibly in remote areas, likely within the Four Seas.

After staying at the military base for three days and training with the soldiers, Liu Hao even learned a set of military boxing, which was a valuable skill. The military boxing was a compilation of numerous martial arts, with a higher intensity than the Taizu Long Fist. With this skill, even if he returned and focused on military boxing, his improvement would be much faster.

On the fourth day, a group of people was gathered and orderly passed through a diamond-shaped portal, about eight meters high and five meters wide. After a slight dizziness, they arrived on an island, where they saw the Five-Star Red Flag flying high. Liu Hao felt a lump in his throat.

Clearly, this island was under the control of the Dragon Nation. One could imagine the sacrifices made by the military personnel to secure this small island. Finding the portal was already difficult, and who knew if they would end up in the mouth of a Sea King after entering. The ocean in the One Piece world was vast, and the chances of falling into the sea were high.

Liu Hao felt that the reason students were involved was that a suitable island had only recently been found. Otherwise, the cultivation program would have been implemented in junior high schools three years ago.

The group was taken to a military camp and given a day to adapt. The subsequent exploration would be entirely on their own. The booklet of precautions was taken back before entering the dimensional space, indicating that there were other reasons for their caution. This made Liu Hao realize he couldn't reveal his identity as an Earthling and needed to find a way to blend in as a native.

Before departure, Liu Hao learned that they were in the East Blue of the One Piece world, which made him feel relieved. Compared to the other seas, this was fortunate. As Luffy's hometown, the familiarity was the highest, and the chances of blending in without revealing his identity were the greatest.

The Windmill Village in the East Blue seemed like the best choice but was actually the most difficult. It was the hometown of Monkey D. Garp, and any stranger would not escape Garp's vigilance. With Garp's influence, investigating someone was easy. Moreover, Garp might already know about the contact between the One Piece dimensional space and other dimensions, making the Windmill Village the least safe option.

The nearby garbage dump was a better cover. Claiming to be from the Windmill Village garbage dump, as long as he didn't draw attention to himself in the village, was a good method.

The second choice was the Frost Moon Village, the hometown of Roronoa Zoro. There were no Marines, and from the fact that Zoro, a mysterious child, was taken in by Koshiro, it was clear that Koshiro didn't care where you came from. It was the year 1511, and Luffy was seven years old, so Zoro was likely around the same age.

If Liu Hao had the potential for swordsmanship, Koshiro might take him as a disciple, or he could charge for lessons. However, did he have the potential? With only 1,000 beli, which was sponsored by the military, it wasn't very meaningful.

The third choice was to claim to be from Kukushili Village, the hometown of Nami. Kukushili Village was likely occupied by the fishman Arlong. Even if the Marines investigated, they would likely hand the matter over to Arlong, who might deny Liu Hao's existence. This was a high possibility.

Liu Hao didn't think the World Government would investigate so thoroughly. As long as his combat strength wasn't high enough to pose a significant threat, the World Government wouldn't bother with individual investigations.

Having a native identity was more for the future, when he needed to cultivate Haki and needed a pass to travel in the One Piece world.

A real merchant ship left the base island, heading for the predetermined destination, Loguetown. Along the way, they passed several islands, but none of them were the Windmill Village, Frost Moon Village, or Kukushili Village. Liu Hao frowned; he needed to make a choice.

In the One Piece world, the maximum stay was one year, after which they would be forcibly ejected from the dimensional space.

Liu Hao didn't plan to leave early. The return point was the entry point, which reassured him. If he were randomly ejected into the Pacific Ocean, it would be a disaster.

For one year, choosing to cultivate on an island was also an option. The food in the One Piece world was highly nutritious, and Liu Hao felt full with just one portion. The high energy content and rapid absorption would make a year of training in the One Piece world far more effective than a year on Earth.

He needed an island with mountains and wild animals, preferably with a small village, and no Marines. However, such choices were often visited by pirates, making them dangerous.

Ultimately, Liu Hao chose to disembark on an island closest to the Frost Moon Village. The island had two villages, not forming a town, with the villages on the north and south sides separated by mountains and forests. The interaction between the villages was low, and crossing the forest was more dangerous than sailing to a nearby town.

Liu Hao disembarked at the small village on the north side. To his surprise, Zheng Zhi also followed, and they were the only two who chose this location as their starting point.

"How did you decide?" Liu Hao asked curiously.

"I think having a native identity is important. Instead of going to a town, it's better to be in a small village. Exploration is meaningless for us beginners. We can't compete with the military. My goals are to obtain a native identity and to improve my physical strength."

"Smart! I think the same. Now, we need to figure out how to survive. With our current physique, it's hard to become hunters, let alone fishermen."

"So, you're in luck, buddy. I have money!"

Zheng Zhi's words made Liu Hao elated. He didn't question where Zheng Zhi got the money; he just needed the money.

"What's the plan?" Liu Hao and Zheng Zhi didn't enter the village but stayed on the beach for a while.

"Have you thought about the housing prices?" Zheng Zhi asked.

"Bro, I think building a house is better than buying one! We can cut the trees ourselves and hire people, sharing the benefits with most of the villagers. Besides, do you think a village will have the concept of multiple houses per person?" Liu Hao rolled his eyes.

"It seems we're lucky to team up. Any other ideas? Let's discuss!"

Zheng Zhi nodded, agreeing that it was better to discuss than to act alone.

"We don't need a fancy house. A simple one will do. We can buy a small piece of land, plant some crops, and make the villagers feel that we plan to stay. This will help us integrate and increase our chances of obtaining a native identity."

Liu Hao, being from a rural background, understood this. His only concern was whether there was any available land for sale. Zheng Zhi nodded in agreement.

"Starting today, we need to change our names. According to the information, we need names that fit the environment in this dimension."

"Should we take humble names?" Zheng Zhi agreed with the idea but had no specific suggestions.

"Let me decide. Based on our demeanor, we shouldn't be too low. From now on, you will be called Tiger D. Zheng, and I will be called Tiger D. Liu."

"Is the middle letter from the Marine