Red-Hair's invitation / Setting sail: Everyone left stunned

One Piece: Starting by refusing Red-Hair's invitation

Author: Mingyou Jiuge

Synopsis:

Lin Mo transmigrated into the world of One Piece and activated the traveler check-in system. Completing check-in missions at designated locations earned him rewards. His initial check-in earned him [three types of Haki]. Checking in at Foosha Village earned him [Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique]. Checking in at Shimotsuki Village earned him [Cursed Blade Stardust]. Checking in at the Floating Restaurant earned him [Flash Step, Night Guy]. Check-ins at Loguetown, Drum Island, Alabasta, Sky Island, Enies Lobby, the Sabaody Archipelago, Impel Down... Red-Hair: "Rejected twice in a row. You really won't give me any face." Garp: "Even if we can't be comrades, we can still be friends. Lin Mo, come on, have some donuts with me! Ahahaha!" Whitebeard: "Lin Mo, become my son... Goodbye. Pretend I never said anything." Sengoku: "Akainu, come back! Lin Mo could destroy you with a single finger!" (He had barely finished speaking when Akainu died...)...

Chapter 1: Red-Hair's invitation

East Blue, Foosha Village.

A boy named Lin Mo, wearing a black T-shirt, pushed open the tavern door at noon, just as he always did.

"Makino, the usual."

Lin Mo went straight to the bar and sat down.

"Coming right up." Makino, the tavern's owner, had short, dark green hair and wore a headscarf. Smiling, she selected a well-aged bottle of good wine from the cabinet, opened it, poured some into a glass, and set it before him.

As the only tavern in Foosha Village, it served not only local regulars but also plenty of travelers passing through.

The drinkers who came here liked strong liquor. Occasionally, children such as Luffy dropped by too. Since the children didn't like alcohol, the tavern also kept fruit juices on hand.

Yet this quiet ten-year-old boy was the first child who enjoyed drinking that she had served in all these years.

Lin Mo raised his glass and took a small sip.

Makino smiled and asked, "How is it?"

"Pretty good."

Just then, a commotion broke out at the tavern entrance.

As the door opened, a cheerful voice rang out. "Hey, Lin Mo's here too!"

It was Red-Haired Shanks.

Right behind him, Yasopp and Lucky Roux bustled into the tavern with the rest of the Red Hair Pirates, calling for Makino to bring them drinks.

Red-Hair sat down beside Lin Mo, took off his straw hat, and placed it on the bar. He had yet to lose his left arm saving Luffy.

Makino brought over all the good wine.

Red-Hair opened a bottle and took a long swig straight from it, then laughed and patted Lin Mo on the back. "Ahahaha! Kid, have you got an answer to what I asked yesterday?"

Lin Mo calmly set down his glass and said casually, "I refuse."

"Huh? You're turning me down just like that? You really won't give me any face." Red-Hair put on a wounded expression.

The members of the Red Hair Pirates burst out laughing.

"Hahaha! The boss got rejected!"

"You can't even win over a kid? You're losing your touch, boss!"

"Ahahaha! Keep at it, Captain! We believe in you!"

Then Red-Hair took another long drink and laughed along with everyone as though nothing had happened.

The Red Hair Pirates were having so much fun that even Lin Mo, a transmigrator, couldn't help laughing along.

That was right. Lin Mo was a transmigrator, and ten days had passed since he arrived.

The special advantage Lin Mo received upon transmigrating was the traveler system. Each designated location came with a check-in mission.

Checking in wasn't simply a matter of reaching the location. He had to wait until the check-in progress bar filled completely.

The conditions for filling that bar... were something of a mystery. When Lin Mo first appeared in Foosha Village, it rose to just 30%. Having a drink at Makino's tavern added another 30%. Then, after meeting Red-Hair and treating him to a drink, his total progress reached 90%.

Once he completed that final ten percent, it would be time for Lin Mo to set off for the next check-in location.

But ever since he met Red-Hair a week ago, the progress bar hadn't budged.

"Hey, kid." Red-Hair suddenly draped an arm around Lin Mo's neck and asked with a laugh, "Have you thought about what you want to do in the future?"

"Set sail, drink, eat meat, and see all the scenery the world has to offer." Lin Mo pushed Red-Hair away and continued, "I want to be a traveler with no restrictions."

At that, Red-Hair slapped the table and laughed. "Ahahaha! A traveler? Don't you think that would be a waste of your talent?"

Huh? Talent?

Could he have noticed something?

Before Lin Mo could speak, Red-Hair went on.

"Kid, other people might not see it, but don't think you can fool me."

They had actually known each other for less than seven days. Although Lin Mo looked like nothing more than a quiet ten-year-old, the things he occasionally said were often mature insights and bold declarations well beyond his age.

Other drinkers frequently mocked Lin Mo's remarks, but he never cared and never argued with them. If not for his age, Red-Hair might almost have mistaken him for an adult with a wealth of experiences behind him.

In short, despite the brief time they had spent together, Lin Mo's easygoing nature meant they hit it off immediately and became friends who could talk about anything.

Beyond that, while others might not recognize Lin Mo's strength, it couldn't escape Red-Hair's eyes.

Red-Hair was certain that this kid had awakened all three types of Haki!

Haki was a latent power almost everyone possessed. It was an innate ability born of presence, killing intent, fighting spirit, and the like. By controlling these invisible sensations, one could turn willpower into a formidable weapon.

Haki came in three types: Observation Haki, Armament Haki, and Conqueror's Haki. Apart from Conqueror's Haki and the highest level of Observation Haki, ordinary people could acquire this power through training, but not in a short time.

Awakening and mastering Armament Haki and Observation Haki at ten years old undoubtedly made him an exceptionally gifted kid. What if he also possessed Conqueror's Haki, which only one person in several million could have?

Most importantly, Lin Mo was only ten! That made him truly frightening.

And that wasn't even what Red-Hair admired most about Lin Mo.

When he first met Lin Mo in this tavern a week ago, he noticed that the kid possessed all three types of Haki. But his presence was still unstable, and although he had awakened all three types, he didn't seem to have fully mastered them.

Yet each day afterward, Red-Hair could clearly sense the kid's presence growing steadier and his strength increasing.

Red-Hair was certain that no one currently in Foosha Village could guide Lin Mo. Growing stronger every day through his own efforts wasn't something just anyone could accomplish. Stabilizing and improving Haki, in particular, wasn't supposed to produce results so quickly.

That alone showed just how frightening this kid was.

If he hadn't seen him every day over the past few days, he would never have believed that anyone could grow at such an astonishing rate.

He firmly believed that, in the near future, this kid would become someone who shook the entire world.

That was why Red-Hair had invited Lin Mo to join his crew yesterday and given him a night to think it over.

Although he had just been rejected...

No matter how talented he was or how quickly he grew, how far could a ten-year-old child sail alone on these perilous seas?

Red-Hair didn't want Lin Mo to die at sea so young, before he had finished growing.

"You've already awakened all three types of Haki, haven't you? With your talent, being just a traveler would be a real waste." Still unwilling to give up, Red-Hair continued, "Come aboard my ship. We can still travel the whole world, eat meat, and drink without a care. And you'll gain a whole shipful of companions you can trust with your life."

Lin Mo: "..."

He really did notice.

As expected of someone who would become one of the Four Emperors.

And Red-Hair was right. With his easygoing personality, life aboard his ship would probably be a lot of fun.

Besides, a group of entertaining companions he could trust with his life was certainly appealing.

Unfortunately, Lin Mo had never intended to join any faction.

Lin Mo shook his head and said firmly, "I'm used to being alone. No matter how much you say or how good your offer is, I'm not interested. My dream is simply to be a free traveler, bound by nothing. That's all."

Red-Hair froze for a moment. He hadn't expected Lin Mo to turn him down again.

If not for the unwavering determination in his eyes, Red-Hair would have kept trying to persuade him. "Kid, you'd better think this through. You're the first person I've ever invited aboard twice in a row. Are you sure you don't want to reconsider?"

Red-Haired Shanks was generous, forthright, and easygoing. He had a good temper, got along well with his subordinates, and valued friendship deeply. Even setting aside his future as one of the Four Emperors whose power commanded fear far and wide, his character alone made Lin Mo very willing to be his friend.

But join his pirate crew?

Impossible.

Lin Mo shook his head. "My mind's made up. There's no need to keep trying to persuade me."

The moment he finished speaking, the system's notification rang out in his mind.

Beep, beep! Successfully refused Red-Hair's invitation. Check-in progress +10%.

Beep, beep! Foosha Village check-in mission complete. Congratulations, host. You have obtained the all-attribute chakra constitution and the skill Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique.

Chapter 2: Setting sail: Everyone left stunned

Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique?

That was one of Naruto's incredibly powerful Fire Release techniques, in which the user refined chakra into intensely hot flames, shaped them into a fire dragon, and sent it charging at the enemy.

Lin Mo had never expected to obtain a skill from Naruto in the world of One Piece.

Still, delighted as he was, one thing left him speechless. If refusing Red-Hair's invitation completed the final progress, why hadn't his first refusal done it?

So Red-Hair really was just tossing the idea out there the first time...

Lin Mo immediately opened the status panel that only he could see.

Name: Lin Mo.

Age: 10.

Check-in location: Shimotsuki Village (0%).

Constitution: all-attribute chakra.

Haki: Armament Haki Lv2, Observation Haki Lv2, Conqueror's Haki Lv2.

Skills: Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique (beginner).

System Space: 10 × 10 × 10 cubic meters.

The three types of Haki and System Space were part of the beginner's gift package the system gave Lin Mo when he first linked with the traveler system.

The levels listed after his Haki indicated its strength. Unlike the natives of the One Piece world, Lin Mo only needed to complete check-in progress tasks to raise his Haki levels.

Meeting Red-Hair and treating him to a drink, for instance, had increased his progress by 30% and also rewarded him with a one-level increase in all three types of Haki.

His gaze shifted to Shimotsuki Village, listed beside the check-in location.

As expected, completing a check-in at one place revealed the next location.

Now that his next check-in location had appeared, it was time to leave.

But before he left, he should at least treat Red-Hair and the others to a proper round of drinks.

A smile curved Lin Mo's lips. "Everyone's drinks are on me today. Drink as much as you like."

He hadn't spent the past few days hunting wolves, bears, and tigers for nothing. He had improved his proficiency with Haki and earned plenty of Beli, killing two birds with one stone.

"What's got you feeling so generous all of a sudden?" Red-Hair asked with a smile.

Lin Mo said casually, "I'm getting ready to leave."

Red-Hair paused, but before he could say anything, someone approached.

Lucky Roux came over with a piece of meat on the bone in one hand and a Den Den Mushi cradled in the other. "Boss, it's for you."

"For me? Who is it?" Red-Hair took the Den Den Mushi.

A roar erupted from the Den Den Mushi.

"Hey! Red-Hair, you bastard! Did you go to Windmill Village?!"

Recognizing the voice of Luffy's grandfather, Garp, Red-Hair stood and headed outside with the Den Den Mushi. "Haha, what's got you so worked up? If you were here, I'd treat you to a drink."

"If I were in Windmill Village, I'd arrest you! Bastard, you've been a bad influence on that brat Luffy! Stay away from him, you hear me?!"

"Hahaha!" One moment, Red-Hair was laughing; the next, he grew calm. Turning sideways, he looked at Lin Mo, who sat at the bar with his back to him, and suddenly became serious. "Garp, you know something? I've found a supernova with limitless potential."

"What supernova? They're just a bunch of brats who have a little ability and think they're hot stuff..."

"No, he's different. Given time, that kid might shake the world."

Garp fell silent at Red-Hair's words.

Although they stood on opposing sides, Garp knew Red-Hair well enough to understand that anyone who caught his attention and earned such high praise was no ordinary person.