Keep Bluffing!

"Come on, let's make a promise. We'll strive together to become the World's Greatest Swordsman."

Zoro was completely swept up in his fervor, so excited he looked like he might pass out at any moment.

Unfortunately, no one shared his enthusiasm.

A cold breeze swept through, and the trees rustled.

Even Zoro felt a little awkward.

"I never said I wanted to become the World's Greatest Swordsman!"

Dunn stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"If you're learning swordsmanship, don't you want to become the strongest?"

Zoro's eyes widened as he clenched his fists, seeming unable to believe what Dunn had said.

Kuina was curious, too.

"I'm different from you two. You both have firm dreams, but I don't. Maybe even after you become the World's Greatest Swordsman, I'll still be an insignificant nobody.

"Then, when I go out and someone picks on me, I'll tell them my junior brother or sister is the World's Greatest Swordsman. That way, I can eat and drink without paying."

Dunn said with a smile.

Zoro and Kuina gave him scornful looks.

"That's so depraved!"

Zoro said, exasperated, but then he frowned.

"Wait, I'm the senior disciple."

Zoro realized.

"I taught you swordsmanship, so you should call me your senior sister."

Kuina nodded repeatedly.

"Look at you two. You're going to become the World's Greatest Swordsman, yet you're still so stingy. It's just a form of address. I'm older than you, so it makes perfect sense to call you my junior brother and junior sister, right?"

Dunn said with an exasperated look.

"Does it?" Zoro scratched his short green hair and looked at Kuina.

"Uh..." Kuina scratched her cheek, but didn't answer.

"Besides, we're so close. It makes perfect sense for me to use your names to get free meals in the future, right?"

Dunn added.

Zoro and Kuina looked at each other, unsure how to respond.

They felt that there was something wrong with Dunn's argument, but couldn't figure out how to refute it.

"Hyahaha! You've sure got a way with words, kid. You've got those two all confused."

Suddenly, a voice rang out. Dunn whipped around.

Behind a tree near the dojo, someone with a head bigger than his body stood with half his head peeking out.

"Monster!"

Zoro's eyes nearly bulged out of his head.

"Don't say things like that!"

Dunn slapped Zoro back down to the ground as he jumped up.

"This man belongs to a rare race in the sea, the Big-Head Tribe."

Dunn said with a perfectly serious expression.

Zoro looked shocked, while Kuina looked curious.

"So this is one of those strange races in the sea you told us about. They really are strange."

Kuina sighed with amazement. The sea really was mysterious.

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

Dragon had gone to talk with Koushiro, so Ivankov had come out on his own. He'd heard voices from a distance and wandered over, where he'd overheard the three children talking.

They had impressive ambition, wanting to become the strongest in the sea and the World's Greatest Swordsman.

Then he'd heard the older one fooling the two younger ones.

And now he'd even assigned himself a race.

"Hyahaha! Kid, I'm not from the Big-Head Tribe. I'm human."

Ivankov walked over under Zoro and Kuina's curious gazes, speaking as he came.

"How do you know you aren't?"

Dunn turned to look at Ivankov as he approached and asked calmly.

"What if your ancestors were? Maybe your race died out over the long ages, and you're the only one left?"

Zoro and Kuina nodded repeatedly, finding Dunn's explanation very convincing.

"My parents were both human."

Ivankov was taken aback and instinctively argued back.

"That's still possible. Like I said, over the long ages, the Big-Head Tribe nearly died out. The survivors married humans, and their bloodline was hidden. It just happened to resurface in your generation."

Dunn said with a perfectly serious expression.

"So that's what happened!"

Zoro said, looking enlightened.

"Don't believe him. He's obviously making it up."

Ivankov was speechless when he saw Zoro actually playing along.

That older kid really was silver-tongued. He was almost starting to believe him himself.

"You say I'm making it up, but where's your proof?"

Dunn looked completely at ease, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

Kuina and Zoro looked at Ivankov expectantly, clearly hoping he would produce some proof.

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

Ivankov hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.

How could he prove something like that?

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

Dunn spread his hands.

Ivankov hesitated, then nodded.

"Wasn't that race something you just made up? I know a lot about history, and I've never heard of any such tribe."

Another voice suddenly joined in.

A tall figure in a hooded cloak approached. His voice was sharp, his words ringing like clashing metal.

Three blood-red question marks hovered above his head.

Dragon!

Dragon, who had just emerged, was also sizing up Dunn.

After finishing his discussion with Koushiro about food supplies, Koushiro had mentioned the boy who had recently arrived at Isshin Dojo—a boy with exceptional talent.

Naturally curious, Dragon had come to take a look.

Of course, nothing that happened here had escaped his Observation Haki. He'd watched the two children get fooled from beginning to end, and even Ivankov had been thrown off balance by Dunn's sophistry.

"Just because you've never heard of it doesn't mean it doesn't exist."

Dunn looked Dragon up and down, lingering a little longer on the shoe print on his face.

"You have a point."

Dragon nodded slightly.

"Boss!"

Ivankov was a little embarrassed.

Dunn was definitely wrong, but Ivankov couldn't figure out how to refute him.

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

Dragon waved Ivankov off, then looked at Dunn and asked.

"Go out to sea? That's not happening."

Dunn immediately shook his head.

Whether Dragon meant setting sail now or recruiting him, Dunn had no intention of doing either.

"So your dream is to wait until those two become powerful figures in the sea, then use their fame to get free food?"

Dragon chuckled.

He certainly didn't believe it. After all, when it came to raising food supplies this time, Koushiro had contributed far more than most. The reason, of course, was the money this boy named Dunn had provided.

"Why not? Zoro, you don't mind, do you?"

As he spoke, Dunn turned to ask Zoro.

Zoro scratched his head.

He actually felt like it wasn't right.

But when he thought about it, once he became the greatest swordsman, letting his junior disciple eat without paying probably wouldn't be a big deal.

"I... I don't mind!"

Zoro nodded.

Dragon's gaze fell on Zoro. He could already tell that the green-haired kid had been thoroughly fooled.

"Koushiro said you're learning how to guide Armament Haki?"