One Piece: Starting by Refusing Red-Haired Shanks's Invitation

"You..." Higuma's eyes widened, but he collapsed before he could finish speaking and lay unconscious.

"Boss!"

"Boss, are you okay?"

Higuma's men rushed over and checked his injuries.

"Damn it! He hurt the boss that badly."

"Kid, you're finished!"

"Die!"

Higuma's men charged at Lin Mo, shouting.

Lin Mo gave them one look.

They all stopped, their eyes rolled back, and they collapsed in a heap.

"You overestimate yourselves." Carrying his jar of Wine, Lin Mo called to Zoro and Kuina, who stood there with their mouths hanging open. "Let's go."

"Uh, coming." Zoro answered in a daze, then looked at Kuina, who still hadn't recovered. "Hey, Kuina. Snap out of it. Time to go."

"Oh! Right!" Kuina shook her head to clear it. Her gaze fell on Lin Mo's back, and her body began to tremble.

She knew Lin Mo was strong.

But she had never imagined he was this strong.

She even felt a frightening suspicion that she might never beat him.

"Hey, Kuina!" Zoro called again.

He could see what state she was in and had a fair idea of what she was thinking.

Lin Mo's strength had shaken him too.

"Don't dwell on it," Zoro said. "Let's get back to the dojo first."

Kuina nodded.

The two picked up Lin Mo's Wine and hurried after him.

Wherever Lin Mo walked, the villagers stepped aside without a word.

Only after Lin Mo and the others had left

did the villagers gradually recover.

"My god! Who exactly is Lin Mo?"

"He took out the entire bandit gang by himself? Is he really just a kid?"

"That's terrifying. When that kid grows up, he might even surpass Mr. Koshiro."

"Forget growing up. Give him a year or two, and I think he might surpass Mr. Koshiro then!"

"Anyway, it's a good thing that kid Lin Mo was here. Otherwise, we would've suffered terrible losses."

"Exactly! So what do we do with these bandits?"

"What else? We all pitch in and throw them out of the village!"

Shimotsuki Village: Zoro's Resolve

On the way back to the dojo,

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

Zoro couldn't help asking, "Lin Mo, that move was so fast I couldn't even see it. What did you use to beat that bandit leader?"

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

"That name is so cool!" Zoro's eyes shone.

After a moment of silence, Kuina asked, "Then how did you knock down all those other bandits?"

"Haki."

"Haki?" Zoro and Kuina said in unison.

Zoro asked, puzzled, "What's Haki?"

Lin Mo said nothing more.

He wasn't obliged to answer every question. Whether he answered depended entirely on his mood.

Seeing that Lin Mo didn't want to talk, Zoro knew better than to keep asking.

The three walked on in silence. As they neared Isshin Dojo, Zoro suddenly announced a decision. "After nearly getting cut down by that bandit today, I've made up my mind. Starting tomorrow, I'm going to train in Three-Sword Style!"

In the future, Zoro would become a powerful Three-Sword Style swordsman.

Lin Mo wasn't surprised at all.

Kuina, on the other hand, didn't understand. "You can barely handle two real swords, and now you want three? Are you crazy? How are you going to hold the third one?"

"In my mouth!" Zoro said firmly. "I won't let myself be that helpless again. Even if I have no chance of winning, I'll fight with my swords instead of standing there like an idiot, waiting for someone to save me."

In fact, Zoro had worked on his bite strength over the past year. He simply hadn't made up his mind to learn Three-Sword Style until now.

Kuina looked at him and stayed silent for a long while.

"You idiot. Aren't you afraid you'll break your teeth?" Kuina went on. "Three swords take a lot more stamina than two. If you're set on this, you'll have to train harder to keep up."

"I know." Zoro grinned. "I'm ready to train until I've got nothing left in me, every single day."

Lin Mo offered no opinion.

There was nothing to say.

As the three passed the lit corridor outside the tea room behind the dojo,

Koshiro smiled and said, "Thanks for the effort today, Lin Mo."

"Mm." Lin Mo answered casually and kept walking.

After delivering the Wine they carried to Lin Mo's room, Zoro and Kuina immediately returned to Koshiro's tea room.

Both looked at him expectantly.

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

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

"Hmm? How did you two hear 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, but Lin Mo was incredible! He took out their boss with a single move."

"Oh, that is impressive." Koshiro raised his teacup and took a sip.

"Right? Incredibly impressive!" Zoro said admiringly. "What was that move called again... One-Sword Style: Iai! That's it! Such a cool name!"

"Hmm?" Koshiro paused. "He really is gifted. He can already use Iai."

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

Koshiro smiled. "I can teach you both, but not yet. Master the basics first."

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

Koshiro smiled and continued, "Haki comes in three forms: Observation Haki, Armament Haki, and Conqueror's Haki. It's a latent power we all possess..."

Koshiro spent the next while giving Zoro and Kuina a simple explanation of Haki. The more the two children heard, the more excited they became.

In the days that followed,

Lin Mo kept to his usual routine: hunt, drink Wine at the tavern, then return to Isshin Dojo and drink some more Wine.

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

He had tried every kind of Wine at the tavern and fought nearly every beast in the surrounding valleys.

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

Back in Foosha Village, Red-Haired Shanks had helped him complete two progress tasks.

Here in Shimotsuki Village, Dragon had helped him complete two as well.

But he had completed only one involving each of the key figures, Koshiro and Zoro.

That suggested

the final task was likely connected to Koshiro or Zoro.

Perhaps a match with Koshiro would complete his progress.

With that in mind,

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

He hadn't gone far

when someone with three real swords at his waist came running toward him.

It was Zoro.

Ever since Lin Mo had defeated Higuma and his gang, Zoro and Kuina had stopped pestering him.

Lin Mo had found the past few days quite pleasant.

But now Zoro had come looking for him.

What does he want...?

Lin Mo kept walking, his face expressionless.

"Lin Mo, fight me!" Zoro came up to him eagerly.

Just as before,

Lin Mo walked around him, with no intention of fighting.

Seeing this,

Zoro hurried after him and said as they walked, "I'm not the same as before. I mean it. I've been training hard every day. I can even fight Kuina to a draw with Three-Sword Style now."

"Oh," Lin Mo said without much interest.

Zoro continued, "And I've figured something out. I won't ambush you anymore. From now on, I'll challenge you fair and square."

Lin Mo: "..."

Zoro ran ahead and stopped about fifty meters in front of Lin Mo. Facing him, Zoro clenched one sword between his teeth and held the other two in his hands, ready to fight.

When Lin Mo came within ten meters, Zoro crossed his arms, holding the two swords parallel and raised in front of the one in his mouth.

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

A faint sword aura spread out from him.

That stance...

That aura...

Lin Mo's eyes shifted.

Could that be Purgatory Oni Giri?

He remembered Zoro learning that move during the two years he spent apart from Luffy and the others, a decade from now.

It was only the beginnings of the move, and Zoro's stance wasn't quite right.

Still, Lin Mo hadn't expected him to improve so much in just a few dozen days apart.

He had even begun to grasp sword aura.

No wonder he would become a great Master Swordsman someday.

Lin Mo had never disliked people who worked hard.

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

Zoro stared at Lin Mo earnestly.

Lin Mo stopped and stared back at him in silence.