Starting as a Pirate by Turning Down Red-Hair's Invitation

Koshiro wanted to say more, but after a moment's thought, he let it go.

Lin Mo looked at Kuina, speechless.

He had only come to say goodbye.

That was all.

How had he ended up being challenged again...?

After a moment of silence,

Lin Mo decided not to accept.

"Ten years." Lin Mo met Kuina's eyes. "We'll have our duel then. Once you're stronger, come find me in the New World."

With that, Lin Mo turned and left Isshin Dojo without lingering.

Kuina stood there in a daze.

Koshiro smiled and stroked her hair. "Before your duel, work hard and grow stronger."

"Father." Kuina looked up at Koshiro. "Didn't you say a girl couldn't become the world's greatest? Do you think I have a chance of beating Lin Mo?"

"Who can say what the future holds?" Koshiro smiled. "Kuina, you should know your father isn't narrow-minded. You're my daughter, and selfishly, I don't want you risking your life fighting others to become number one. I hoped you could stay by my side and grow up healthy and happy, like an ordinary girl."

"Father, then... what you said that day wasn't how you truly felt?" Kuina's eyes shimmered.

Koshiro smiled. "Of course not."

"Then why are you..."

"I've thought it through these past few days," Koshiro continued. "If I kept standing in the way of someone working as hard as you, wouldn't that make me the one in the wrong?"

"Thank you, Father." Kuina smiled through her tears. The weight that had hung over her heart for days finally lifted. "Father, there's something I'd like to ask you."

"Go ahead."

"I want to surpass Lin Mo. Please teach me swordsmanship that will make me stronger."

Kuina's gaze was resolute.

"All right," Koshiro agreed without hesitation.

Just then, Zoro returned.

Seeing Kuina and Master Koshiro by the dojo entrance, he asked, puzzled, "Kuina, Master, what are you doing here?"

Kuina immediately spotted the Wado Ichimonji at Zoro's waist. She froze, then asked in disbelief, "Why do you have the Wado Ichimonji?"

"Lin Mo gave it to me," Zoro answered. "I challenged him earlier. I lost, but he gave me pointers on the sword move I invented—the one I used when we fought to a draw. Seriously, Lin Mo's incredible. Just a few pointers from him made that move at least twice as powerful. I broke a sword testing it, so he gave me the Wado Ichimonji."

After a brief pause, Zoro added, "I don't know why he gave it to me. Maybe it was because I broke my sword."

Kuina clenched her teeth, furious.

Koshiro watched Zoro thoughtfully.

Zoro scratched the back of his head and gave a sheepish grin.

Koshiro said, "Lin Mo doesn't do things on a whim. If he gave you the Wado Ichimonji, it means you've earned his recognition."

"What?" Zoro exclaimed. "Really? Lin Mo... he actually recognized me?"

"Hmph!" Kuina said indignantly. "How nice for you. Before leaving, he sparred with you, gave you pointers, and even handed over the sword. Don't get cocky, Zoro. I'm not giving up on the Wado Ichimonji. I'll win it back with my own strength. And in ten years, I'll beat Lin Mo before you do!"

"Huh? Ten years?" Zoro asked, baffled. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't tell me you didn't know Lin Mo was leaving."

"What?" Zoro exclaimed. "He's leaving? When? Why didn't he tell me?"

Kuina paused. "He said he'd already told you."

"When did he..." Before Zoro could finish, he remembered what Lin Mo had said before their duel. His face changed. "He can't have left long ago, right?"

Kuina nodded.

Without another word, Zoro sprinted toward the docks.

"Go on." Koshiro gently patted Kuina's back. "You should see Lin Mo off too."

Kuina hesitated, then ran after Zoro.

Shimotsuki Village wasn't far from the docks.

Lin Mo reached them after a walk of about ten minutes.

He found the little Ship he had left by the shore.

He climbed aboard the Ship and untied its mooring rope.

Opening System Navigation, he set sail toward the Floating Restaurant Baratie.

Then Zoro's voice rang out from the shore.

"Lin Mo!" Zoro stared at Lin Mo's back on the boat, already dozens of meters away, and shouted, "Thank you!"

Lin Mo glanced back.

Kuina reached the shore and, like Zoro, shouted to him, "In ten years, I'll come find you in the New World! Until we have our duel, you'd better stay alive. I won't let you lose to anyone else before I beat you!"

"Lin Mo!" Zoro raised the Wado Ichimonji high and shouted, "I'll beat you before Kuina does! Then I'll use the Wado Ichimonji to become the World's Greatest Swordsman!"

Speechless, Lin Mo looked back at Zoro and Kuina.

What are those two even here for...?

After a moment, he raised a hand and waved.

The two onshore waved back at once and called in unison, "Safe travels!"

At the Floating Restaurant: The Boy Who Refused to Waste Food

Lin Mo left Shimotsuki Village and spent a full week sailing.

At noon on the eighth day, the Baratie's Ship finally came into view.

The Baratie was a famous Floating Restaurant in the East Blue.

Anyone who ate there had to follow one rule: absolutely no wasting food.

With its many fully armed fighting chefs, the Baratie was also known as the restaurant that bore the name "battle."

From what Lin Mo knew of the Floating Restaurant,

its head chef and owner, Red-Leg Zeff, and Sanji, who would briefly become its sous-chef in the future, were probably the key to completing this check-in task.

Lin Mo's little boat drew steadily closer to the Baratie.

It was lunchtime,

and plenty of Ships were already moored around the restaurant.

Lin Mo tucked his Small Boat between two larger Ships and tied it off.

As soon as he stepped onto the Baratie's deck,

the system notification he hadn't heard in some time sounded in his mind.

Beep, beep! Congratulations, host, on reaching the check-in location: the Floating Restaurant Baratie. Check-in progress +10%. Current total progress: 10%. Rewards: new skill Flash Step Lv. 1; System Space expanded tenfold. Current total System Space: 100 × 100 × 100 cubic meters.

One hundred by one hundred by one hundred cubic meters was enormous. Filled with food and Wine, it could keep Lin Mo alone well fed for an entire year.

As for Flash Step,

once the system fed the skill's information into his mind,

Lin Mo's eyes lit up.

It was a skill from Bleach that let the user move so quickly the other person couldn't see them, appearing beside them or farther away.

Its advanced form, Utsusemi, could even let him slip out of an encirclement in an instant.

For Lin Mo, Flash Step was an excellent support skill.

He opened the red doors leading to the dining hall.

Lin Mo walked in calmly.

Quite a few customers were already seated and eating.

Just then,

a burly man with a huge mouth and a gorilla-like face approached Lin Mo, rubbing his hands together.

"Welcome, kid. We don't serve penniless customers here. Got any money?"

Lin Mo looked up at him.

It was Patty.

Patty had once been a pirate before joining the Floating Restaurant as a chef and fighter.

Paying for a meal at a restaurant was only natural.

Lin Mo saw nothing particularly wrong with Patty asking about money right away.

He reached into his things

and pulled out a pouch of money, weighing it in his hand.

Patty's ears perked up, and his face broke into a grin. "The customer is king! Right this way, sir."

After seating Lin Mo at an empty table, Patty produced a menu. Rubbing his hands together, he grinned so broadly that his eyes narrowed, looking downright sleazy. "What would you like to order?"

Lin Mo glanced over the menu.

The prices here really were much higher than at restaurants onshore.

Lin Mo ordered a few dishes at random.

Patty had just finished writing down his order

when the Baratie's doors opened again.

Two young men in Marine uniforms appeared first.

Behind them strode a tall, powerfully built man wearing a dog-head hood.

"Welcome, Vice Admiral Garp." As soon as Patty saw him, he hurried over with a smile.

"Hahaha!" Garp laughed. "It's been ages since I had the Baratie's desserts. Go on, bring me all the good ones you've got."

"Of course! Coming right up." Grinning, Patty seated Garp at the table to Lin Mo's right.

The two Marines who had come with Garp stood rigidly behind him.

Lin Mo glanced over.

It really was Luffy's grandfather, Dragon's father, the Marine Vice Admiral known as Iron Fist Garp.

Garp's strength had long surpassed that of a Vice Admiral. After all, he had once pursued Pirate King Roger and driven him into desperate straits more than once.

He had repeatedly refused promotion to Marine Admiral, which was why he still held the rank of Vice Admiral.

Lin Mo remembered that Garp had called Red-Hair while he was in Foosha Village.

This time, Garp had probably returned to the East Blue to see Luffy there.

Lin Mo hadn't expected to run into Garp at the Baratie of all places.

He took a sip of Wine.

Lin Mo set his Wine Gourd on the table.

At the next table, Garp sniffed and turned toward him. "Kid, what are you drinking?"

"Wine," Lin Mo replied casually.

Garp's gaze shifted to the Toyako at Lin Mo's waist. He rubbed his chin for a moment, then asked, "Are you a Swordsman?"

Lin Mo kept drinking Wine, with no intention of answering.

At that, Garp burst out laughing. "Hahaha! You're an interesting kid. What's your name?"

Lin Mo swallowed his Wine and answered calmly, "Lin Mo."