Shimotsuki Village: Zoro's Resolve

"You..." Higuma's eyes widened, but before he could finish speaking, he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

"Boss!"

"Boss, are you all right?"

Higuma's men hurried over to check his injuries.

"Damn it, he actually injured the boss this badly."

"Brat, you're finished!"

"Die!"

Higuma's men shouted as they charged at Lin Mo.

Lin Mo merely glanced at them.

Everyone stopped in their tracks, rolled their eyes back, and collapsed in a heap.

"Overestimating yourselves." Carrying the wine jar, Lin Mo called out to Zoro and Kuina, who were so shocked that their mouths hung open, "Let's go."

"Ah, coming." Zoro answered blankly, then looked at Kuina, who still hadn't recovered. "Hey, Kuina, snap out of it. It's time to go."

"Ah, oh!" Kuina shook her head, trying to clear it, then looked at Lin Mo's back. Her body began to tremble faintly.

Lin Mo was very strong. She knew that.

But she hadn't expected him to be strong to such an extent.

She even felt a fear that perhaps she would never be able to defeat him.

"Hey, Kuina!" Zoro called her again.

He had seen her condition and more or less understood what she was thinking.

Although Lin Mo's strength had frightened him too.

"Don't overthink it." Zoro continued, "Let's return to the dojo first."

Kuina nodded.

The two of them carried Lin Mo's wine and quickly chased after him.

Wherever Lin Mo went, the villagers instinctively cleared a path.

After Lin Mo and the others left, the villagers slowly recovered.

"My god! Who exactly is Lin Mo?"

"He took out an entire bandit gang by himself? Is he really just a child?"

"How terrifying. Once this child grows up, he might even surpass Mr. Koshiro."

"Why wait until he grows up? I think he might surpass Mr. Koshiro in just a year or two!"

"Anyway, it's fortunate that child Lin Mo was here. Otherwise, our losses would have been disastrous."

"Exactly! But what should we do with these bandits?"

"What else can we do? Everyone, let's throw them out of the village together!"

Shimotsuki Village: Zoro's Resolve

On the way back to the dojo.

Zoro and Kuina walked on either side of Lin Mo, carrying the wine jars.

Zoro couldn't help asking, "Lin Mo, that move of yours just now was so fast I couldn't even see it clearly. What technique did you use to defeat that bandit chief?"

Lin Mo replied casually, "One-Sword Style: Iai."

"What a cool name!" Zoro's eyes lit up.

Kuina was silent for a moment before asking, "Then what method did you use to knock down all those bandits just now?"

"Haki."

"Haki?" Zoro and Kuina exclaimed in unison.

Zoro asked curiously, "What's Haki?"

Lin Mo said nothing more.

He wasn't the sort of person who answered every question. Whether he wanted to answer or not depended entirely on his mood.

Seeing that Lin Mo didn't want to talk, Zoro wisely stopped asking.

The three continued walking in silence. Just before they reached Isshin Dojo, Zoro suddenly made a decision. "After almost being cut down by those bandits just now, I've decided. Starting tomorrow, I'm going to train in Three-Sword Style!"

The Zoro of the future had originally been a very powerful Three-Sword Style swordsman.

Lin Mo wasn't surprised at all.

Kuina, however, didn't quite understand. "You can barely manage two real swords, and you want to use three? I think you've gone crazy. How are you going to hold the third sword?"

"With my teeth!" Zoro answered firmly. "I won't let myself be put in such a passive position again. Even if I have no chance of winning, I'll fight with my swords! I won't just stand there foolishly and wait for someone to save me."

In fact, over the past year, Zoro had also trained his biting strength. He simply hadn't made up his mind to learn Three-Sword Style.

Kuina looked at him and remained silent for a long time.

"You really are an idiot. Aren't you afraid of shattering your own teeth..." Kuina continued, "Using three swords consumes far more stamina than using two. Since you've made up your mind, you'll have to increase your training load from now on if you want to withstand the strain of using three swords."

"I know." Zoro grinned. "I'm mentally prepared to drain every ounce of strength from myself and train like my life depends on it every day."

Lin Mo didn't offer any comment.

There was nothing to say.

As the three passed the dojo's rear courtyard and the lit corridor of the tea room,

Koshiro said with a smile, "You worked hard today, Lin Mo."

"Mm." Lin Mo answered casually without stopping and continued forward.

After Zoro and Kuina delivered the wine they were carrying to Lin Mo's room, they immediately returned to Koshiro's tea room.

The two gazed at Koshiro expectantly.

"What is it? Is there something you want to ask me?" Koshiro asked with a smile.

Kuina hurriedly asked, "Father, what is Haki?"

"Hm? How did you learn about Haki?" Koshiro thought for a moment, then asked, "Did Lin Mo use Haki to deal with those bandits?"

"Yes!" Zoro nodded. "Teacher, you weren't there. Do you know how cool Lin Mo was? He used just one move to take out the leader of those bandits."

"Oh, then that really was impressive." Koshiro lifted his teacup and took a sip.

"Right, right, super impressive!" Zoro said admiringly. "What was that move called again... One-Sword Style: Iai, that's right! What a cool name!"

"Hm?" Koshiro paused briefly. "As expected of someone with extraordinary talent. He's already mastered iai."

Zoro's eyes flickered. "Teacher, can you use it too? Teach me. I want to learn!"

Koshiro smiled. "I can teach you both, but not now. Train your fundamentals properly first."

Kuina said unhappily, "Father, you still haven't told us what Haki is!"

Koshiro continued with a smile, "Haki? It's divided into Observation Haki, Armament Haki, and Conqueror's Haki. It's a latent power that each of us possesses..."

After that, Koshiro gave Zoro and Kuina a simple explanation of Haki. The two children grew more excited and thrilled the more they listened.

In the days that followed,

Lin Mo continued living the same three-point routine every day: hunting, drinking at the tavern, and returning to Isshin Dojo to drink.

Before he knew it, he had already spent nearly twenty days in Shimotsuki Village.

He had tried every kind of wine in the tavern, and he had practically hunted all the wild beasts in the surrounding valleys.

It was time to complete the final twenty percent of the progress quest and leave.

Previously, in Foosha Village, he had completed two progress quests through Red-Haired Shanks.

Here in Shimotsuki Village, he had also completed two through Dragon.

Meanwhile, the key figures Koshiro and Zoro had each only completed one.

From this, it was clear that the final quest was very likely related to Koshiro or Zoro.

Perhaps sparring with Koshiro once would complete the progress.

With that thought,

Lin Mo, having completed his hunting training for the day, prepared to return to the dojo and find Koshiro.

He hadn't gone far

when a man with three real swords hanging from his waist came running toward him.

It was Zoro.

Ever since they had defeated Higuma's bandit group, Zoro and Kuina had stopped bothering him.

These days, Lin Mo had been living quite comfortably.

But why had Zoro come looking for him now?

What was this guy planning...

Lin Mo continued walking forward expressionlessly.

"Lin Mo, spar with me!" Zoro rushed up to Lin Mo excitedly.

Just as before,

Lin Mo simply walked around him, with no intention of making a move.

Seeing this,

Zoro hurried after him, saying as he walked, "I'm not the same person I was before. Really! I've been undergoing special training every day during this time, and now I can fight Kuina to a draw with Three-Sword Style."

Lin Mo responded absentmindedly, "Oh."

Zoro continued, "Also, I've thought it through. I won't ambush you anymore. I'm going to challenge you fair and square."

Lin Mo: "..."

Zoro suddenly ran fifty meters ahead of Lin Mo and stopped. He then faced Lin Mo, put one sword in his mouth, gripped the other two in his hands, and prepared himself.

When Lin Mo was less than ten meters away, Zoro crossed his arms and raised the two swords in his hands parallel to the sword clenched between his teeth.

"Lin Mo, accept my challenge!" Zoro said indistinctly around the sword.

A faint sword aura spread outward from him.

That stance...

That aura...

Lin Mo's eyes flickered.

Could it be Purgatory Oni Giri?

He remembered that Zoro should only learn this move ten years later, during the two years after he and Luffy parted ways.

Although it was still only a prototype, and Zoro's stance was far from standard,

Lin Mo hadn't expected this guy to improve so much after only a few dozen days apart.

He had even grasped a trace of sword aura.

As expected of the man who would become a Great Swordsman in the future.

Lin Mo had never particularly disliked hard workers.

"I've always wanted to have a proper fight with you, Lin Mo. Please, accept my challenge this time!"

Zoro stared at Lin Mo seriously.

Lin Mo stopped walking and silently stared at him.