Defeat

"...Hawk Eyes!"

Zoro was startled to hear the name and abruptly stood up, his gaze fixed on the man in the corner.

His hands rested on his sword hilts, unconsciously gripping them tightly.

"What's wrong, Zoro?" the others asked, confused.

Lina, seeing this, knew what he was about to do, but...

The gap in strength is too great. Should I stop him? Lina couldn't help but think.

He couldn't guarantee that the story would unfold as it originally did. If Zoro were to die here...

However, when he looked up and saw the determined look in Zoro's eyes, he abandoned the idea of stopping him.

This was Zoro's own path. Besides, even if he tried to persuade him, Zoro probably wouldn't listen.

Hawk Eyes walked directly towards the door, not sparing Zoro, who was staring intently at him, a second glance.

"Wait!" Zoro shouted, "You're the World's Greatest Swordsman, aren't you?"

As he spoke, he drew his sword with one hand and pointed it at Hawk Eyes. "I challenge you!"

"I have no interest in the weak," Hawk Eyes said indifferently, continuing to walk towards the door.

"Don't be so arrogant, you bastard!" Zoro gritted his teeth and chased after him.

"Hey, Zoro!" Nami called out urgently, looking at the others. "Quick, go stop him! Didn't you hear that he cut a pirate ship in half with one sword?"

"We can't, Nami," Luffy said, putting down his food and speaking seriously. "I promised Zoro I wouldn't get in his way."

"Sigh~, let's go," Lina sighed and stood up, walking towards the door.

The chefs stood frozen for a moment, then immediately ran towards the kitchen.

"Hey, everyone, come out and see! Those customers are going to challenge Hawk Eyes!"

"Really?"

"Hey, wait a minute, isn't that guy a famous bounty hunter?"

"It really is him, Roronoa Zoro!"

The kitchen immediately became lively, and everyone poured out of the restaurant.

Sanji had a strange expression on his face as he put down his cooking utensils and walked out. "Seriously, what's with these guys? Do they like dueling so much?"

On the deck outside the restaurant, Zoro blocked Hawk Eyes, Wado Ichimonji already held between his teeth.

His purpose for going out to sea was to find the man before him.

To defeat him, make his name known throughout the sea, and fulfill the promise he made years ago.

A desire never seen before appeared in Zoro's eyes.

"I appreciate your spirit. Since that's the case, I'll consider it a post-meal exercise," Hawk Eyes said, taking off the cross around his neck and drawing a small knife. "I don't have a smaller knife, so come on."

On the second-floor deck, in addition to Lina and the others, the Baratie chefs, led by Sanji, were gathered, all watching the duel with anticipation.

"World's Greatest Swordsman versus Roronoa Zoro!"

"I never thought I'd get to see a duel of this caliber."

"I can't even imagine what it would be like if they actually fought."

All the chefs stared intently at the scene below. They knew both were strong, but they had no concrete idea of how strong.

Their own strength was far from that of either man, so they could only judge based on reputation. And Zoro, in the East Blue, had quite a reputation.

However, Three minutes later...

"The scar on his back!"

"It's a swordsman's shame!!!"

"..."

Is it rude to laugh now?

Lina found this famous scene both infuriating and amusing. While his eyes held worry, he couldn't help but gain a bit more respect for Zoro.

Hawk Eyes drew Black Blade Night, using it for the final blow to end the battle.

With his back to Zoro, who had fallen to the deck, Hawk Eyes left leisurely, only leaving behind a faint remark:

"Go and become stronger, Roronoa. I will hold onto the title of the World's Greatest Swordsman for you."

Lying on the deck, Zoro covered his face with one hand and wept, while the other held Wado Ichimonji towards the sky.

"Until I defeat him! I will never lose again!!!"

...It was as if he were speaking to everyone present.

as if swearing an oath to someone in the sky...

The duel ended, and Lina and Usopp immediately rushed down to help Zoro up from the ground.

A shocking gash across his chest, extending from the upper right across his entire upper body.

Lina jumped back onto the ship to get medicine, and the two of them bandaged Zoro.

Meanwhile, at the restaurant entrance.

"That idiot is your nakama, why didn't you stop him?" Sanji lit a cigarette and asked Luffy, who was standing nearby.

Luffy glanced at Sanji, "That's his dream. Zoro has his own path."

"Does it have to go this far?" Sanji looked up and exhaled a puff of smoke, saying faintly, "...Dreams, such ephemeral things, are worth risking your life for?"

"Yeah, that's why they're called dreams." Luffy's tone was calm yet firm, "Don't you have anything worth risking your life for?"

"Something worth risking my life for..."

Leaning against the wall, Sanji closed his eyes and slowly took a drag from the cigarette in his hand.

"Have you heard of the Azure Sea?"

"The Azure Sea?"

"It's a legendary ocean where all the fish from the four seas gather...

"It's said to be somewhere in the Grand Line. After the old man dies, I'll go to the Grand Line. I'll find that ocean even if it takes my whole life."

Luffy couldn't help but glance at Sanji, then suddenly made a strange expression, "Hee hee hee, we're going in too! We're just short a cook. Come with us!"

"No, I have a reason I must stay here."

"What? Didn't you say you were going to the Grand Line?"

On the third-floor deck, Zeff leaned on the railing with his hands behind his back, looking down at Sanji and Luffy below. The corners of his mouth turned up slightly, and he muttered, "You're smiling quite happily, you brat. Perhaps you've finally found a ship worth joining."

After Lina finished bandaging Zoro, she helped him into the restaurant. Fortunately, his heart wasn't injured. Hawk Eyes still felt a sense of cherishing talent.

Although the wound was deep, it only affected the flesh. With Zoro's physique, he'd be fine after some rest.

Seeing that Zoro was out of danger, everyone else was relieved.

Lina, Nami, and Usopp slowly enjoyed the delicious food, while Luffy and Sanji continued their duel.

It's worth mentioning that under Luffy's pestering, they had made a bet for this duel. If Luffy won, Sanji would join them. If he lost, they would never come to Baratie to look for him again--

--Except for Nami.

"With Luffy's appetite, he's bound to win," Nami said confidently. She had witnessed firsthand yesterday how Luffy had exhausted five villagers.

Lina, however, was dismissive, "It's hard to say with Sanji. I'm already thinking about how to cheat."

Yes, I'm despicable, so what.

However, before Lina could make a move, someone in the kitchen had already taken the initiative.

"Sanji, it's time for you to leave here." Zeff said calmly.

Sanji remained unmoved. He was busy with his spar against Luffy, his attention entirely focused on the kitchen utensils in his hands.

"I said, you're fired, Sanji." Zeff continued.

Only then did Sanji slowly put down the kitchen utensils in his hands, his expression gradually turning grim:

"Old man, what kind of joke are you playing!"

"Do you want me to die with regret? Set sail, Sanji. I don't want to be your burden."

"What burden? I want to stay here myself, it has nothing to do with you!"

"What about the Azure Sea?"

"I'll set sail after you die!"

"Get lost. Rather than seeing me off at my funeral, why not tell me if the Azure Sea is real while I still have a few years to live."

Zeff's voice remained calm, "One of us has to go and see it, right?"

Sanji was silent for a moment, then finally couldn't hold back and knelt down with a thud.

He kowtowed heavily to Zeff, tears streaming down his face as he cried, "Old man! I will never forget your great kindness!"

The kitchen was silent. All the chefs had consciously left when Zeff entered.

"Uh... sorry, wrong way."

At the kitchen entrance, Lina stood frozen, looking at the touching scene with some awkwardness.

Because in his hands, he held a nest of ants.

They were undead he had just found outside, made from crushed ants, and he had planned to sneak in and cause trouble.

He had just walked in and witnessed this scene.

Sanji: "..."