Bluff! Keep Bluffing

"Come on, let's make a pact to charge toward becoming the world's greatest swordsman together."

Zoro was completely consumed by fervor, so excited he looked as if he might pass out at any moment.

However, no one responded to his excitement.

A cold breeze blew through, causing the trees in the forest to rustle.

Even Zoro felt a bit awkward.

"I never said I wanted to become some world's greatest swordsman!"

Dunn rubbed his chin, deep in thought.

"Since you're learning the sword, don't you want to become the strongest?"

Zoro's eyes widened, his fists clenched tight, seemingly unable to believe Dunn's words.

Kuina was also a bit curious.

"I'm different from you two. You both have firm ideals, but I don't. Maybe by the time you become the world's greatest swordsman, I'll still be an insignificant nobody."

"When that time comes, if someone bullies me when I'm out, I'll just say my junior brother or junior sister is the world's greatest swordsman. Then I can eat and drink without paying."

Dunn said with a beaming smile.

Then, the gazes of Zoro and Kuina turned to disdain.

"How degenerate!"

Zoro said, sounding as if he were disappointed in Dunn's lack of ambition, but then he frowned.

"Wait, I'm the senior brother."

Zoro finally realized.

"I'm the one who taught you swordsmanship, so you should call me senior sister."

Kuina nodded repeatedly as well.

"Look at you two, you're going to be the world's greatest swordsman, yet you're so petty. It's just a form of address; I'm older than you, so calling you junior brother and junior sister is perfectly reasonable, right?"

Dunn said with a helpless expression.

"Is it reasonable?" Zoro raised a hand to scratch his short green hair and looked at Kuina.

"Uh..." Kuina raised a hand to scratch her cheek, unable to provide an answer.

"Besides, since we're so close, it's also perfectly reasonable for me to use your names to dine and dash in the future, right?"

Dunn said again.

Zoro and Kuina looked at each other, not knowing how to respond.

Both felt there was something wrong with Dunn's logic, but they didn't know how to refute it.

"Hee-haw! You little brat sure can talk; you've got them both confused."

Abruptly, a voice appeared, and Dunn turned his head sharply.

From behind a tree in the direction of the dojo, a person whose head was larger than his body stood there, revealing half of his face.

"A monster!"

Zoro's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

"Don't talk nonsense!"

Dunn slapped the jumping Zoro back down to the ground.

"This person is from a special race on the sea, the Big-Head Tribe."

Dunn said with a serious face.

Zoro looked shocked, and Kuina looked curious.

"So this is the peculiar race on the sea you mentioned; it really is quite peculiar."

Kuina was full of wonder; the sea was truly mysterious.

Meanwhile, Ivankov, who had been eavesdropping the whole time, was speechless.

Dragon was discussing matters with Koushiro, so he had wandered off alone. Hearing voices from afar, he had drifted over and caught the conversation between the three children.

Their spirit was decent enough, talking about becoming the strongest on the sea or the world's greatest swordsman.

Then, he heard the older one hoodwinking the two younger ones.

And now, he had even invented a race for him.

"Hee-haw! Little brat, I'm not some Big-Head Tribe member; I'm a human."

Ivankov walked out, approaching under the curious gazes of Zoro and Kuina, while speaking.

"How do you know you aren't?"

Dunn turned to look at the approaching Ivankov and asked in a calm tone.

"What if your ancestors were, but your race died out over the long passage of time, leaving only you?"

Zoro and the other nodded repeatedly, finding Dunn's words quite reasonable.

"My parents are both human."

Ivankov was taken aback, instinctively refuting the claim.

"That's still possible. Like I said, over the long passage of time, the Big-Head Tribe has nearly gone extinct. The survivors married humans, and their bloodline was hidden away—it just happens that in your generation, the bloodline has resurfaced."

Dunn spoke with a look of utter sincerity.

"So that's how it is!"

Zoro said, his face dawning with realization.

"Don't listen to him; he's clearly talking nonsense."

Seeing that Zoro was actually playing along, Ivankov was left speechless.

This older brat was truly silver-tongued; he had even managed to make Ivankov himself start to believe it.

"You say I'm talking nonsense, then produce the evidence."

Dunn remained composed, the corners of his mouth curling upward slightly.

Then, Kuina and Zoro looked at Ivankov with expectant faces, clearly waiting for him to provide proof.

"I... I don't have any evidence."

Ivankov hesitated for a moment before shaking his head.

How could one possibly produce evidence for something like this?

"See? Since you have no evidence, that means it's entirely possible you are indeed from the Big-Head Tribe, right?"

Dunn spread his hands.

Ivankov hesitated, then nodded.

"Isn't this race something you just made up? I know quite a bit about history, and I've never heard of such a tribe."

Another voice suddenly joined the conversation.

A tall figure wearing a hooded cloak walked over, his voice sharp and ringing like clashing metal.

Three blood-red question marks hovered above his head.

Dragon!

Dragon, who had stepped out, was also sizing up Dunn.

Just moments ago, after he finished discussing grain supplies with Koushiro, Koushiro had mentioned the boy who had recently arrived at the Isshin Dojo—a boy with exceptionally high talent and aptitude.

Dragon was naturally curious, so he had come over to take a look.

Everything that happened here had naturally not escaped his Observation Haki; he had watched the entire scene of two children being swindled, to the point where even Ivankov had been made to doubt himself by the sophistry.

"Just because you haven't heard of it doesn't mean it doesn't exist."

Dunn's gaze swept over Dragon, lingering for a moment longer on the footprint on his face.

"If you put it that way, that also makes sense."

Dragon nodded slightly.

"Leader!"

Ivankov felt a bit awkward.

He knew what Dunn said couldn't be right, but he didn't know how to refute it.

"Have you ever thought about going out to sea?"

Dragon waved a hand at Ivankov, then looked at Dunn and asked.

"Going out to sea? That won't do."

Upon hearing this, Dunn shook his head immediately.

Whether it was about setting sail now or Dragon trying to recruit him, he had no intention of doing either.

"So, your dream is to wait until these two become powerhouses on the sea, and then use their fame to eat without paying?"

Dragon found this amusing.

He certainly didn't believe it; after all, regarding the grain collection this time, Koushiro had contributed far more than others, and the reason, naturally, was the money provided by this child named Dunn.

"Is that not allowed? Zoro, are you unwilling?"

Dunn said, turning his head to ask Zoro.

Zoro scratched his head.

Actually, he felt that doing such a thing wasn't right.

But thinking about it, if he were to become the world's greatest swordsman, surely it wouldn't be a big deal for his junior brother to eat without paying.

"I... I guess so!"

Zoro nodded.

Dragon's gaze fell upon Zoro, seeing clearly that the green-haired brat had been completely led astray.

"I heard from Koushiro that you are learning how to guide Armament Haki?"