A Pirate's Journey Begins with Turning Down Red-Hair's Invitation

Lin Mo nodded.

The Tavern Owner chuckled. "Got any money? I don't serve freeloaders."

Lin Mo pulled a handful of Beli from his pocket and set it on the bar.

The Tavern Owner glanced at the money.

He pocketed it without hesitation, took a bottle of Rum from the shelf, and placed it in front of Lin Mo.

"This stuff's strong. Don't say I didn't warn you. A kid like you will be drunk after two swigs."

Lin Mo ignored him.

He pulled out the cork and took a long drink straight from the bottle.

The Tavern Owner hadn't been exaggerating.

The moment it touched his tongue, a fierce heat hit his throat, followed by a mellow finish.

Seeing the look on Lin Mo's face, the Tavern Owner laughed.

"Well? Told you so. This isn't the sort of drink a kid can handle."

Lin Mo set down the bottle and smiled. "Good stuff. Two more bottles, please."

"Huh?"

The Tavern Owner blinked. "You're sure you want two more?"

Lin Mo nodded and kept drinking.

Puzzled, the Tavern Owner took another two bottles from the shelf and set them before him.

Lin Mo uncorked them and poured both into his empty Wine Gourd.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the tavern.

A tall man pushed open the little wooden door. He had short silver hair, two cigars clenched between his teeth, a large coat with "Justice" written on the back, and a Jitte strapped to his back.

"Old man, I'll have a glass of Rum."

That voice...

Lin Mo turned to look.

He recognized the newcomer at once: Smoker, the Marine lieutenant commander stationed in Loguetown.

Smoker was still young, in his twenties. He had probably graduated from the Marine Academy not long ago.

There should also have been a girl named Tashigi with him, one who looked a lot like Kuina.

But at this point, Tashigi probably hadn't graduated from the Marine Academy yet.

The Tavern Owner seemed to dislike Smoker. His voice turned sour.

"What rotten luck, seeing someone I can't stand first thing in the morning. I've got no liquor for you. Get out."

Smoker paid no attention to his attitude. Cigars in his mouth, he sat down beside Lin Mo.

"Business so bad you're serving kids now? Looks like this tavern won't be around much longer."

He glanced at Lin Mo, who was filling his gourd, and grinned at the Tavern Owner.

"Whether I close up is my business. I don't need you running your mouth about it," the Tavern Owner snapped.

"You're not welcome here. Out. Get out!"

"Hahaha!"

Smoker laughed, showing no sign of leaving.

Just then, outside the tavern...

A Marine hurried through the door.

"There you are, Lieutenant Commander Smoker! We've had word that Pirates have appeared at the harbor. Please get there at once."

At that,

Smoker rose immediately and left the tavern without another word.

As for Lin Mo,

once his Wine Gourd was full, he finished the remaining Rum and hopped off the stool.

The Tavern Owner looked at him. "Leaving?"

Lin Mo gave a small nod, left the money for his drinks, and walked out.

He had barely stepped outside

when a boy with a green rooster-like mohawk dashed past him.

Loguetown: Lin Mo Wants to Keep a Low Profile

Was that... Bartolomeo?

Lin Mo hadn't expected to run into that shameless guy so soon.

Bartolomeo would become a die-hard fan of Luffy after Luffy set out to sea.

Before becoming a Pirate to chase his idol, he had even led an underworld gang that controlled 150 streets.

In short, he was trouble the moment you got involved with him.

Lin Mo had no idea where Bartolomeo was rushing off to so early in the morning.

Nor did he care.

Next,

he needed to take a look at the Execution Platform where Roger had died.

With directions from a few townspeople, he soon reached Central Square.

He looked up at the Execution Platform, which stood dozens of meters high.

Without giving it much thought, Lin Mo climbed up.

The moment he stood steady on its square platform, a system notification sounded in his mind.

Beep! Successfully reached the top of Roger's Execution Platform. Sign-in progress +10%. Current total progress: 20%. Reward: mastery-level Divine Departure.

In an instant,

a deeper understanding of Divine Departure filled Lin Mo's mind.

Before he could examine it closely,

"Hey, kid up there! Get down right now! That's a special Execution Platform under the World Government's jurisdiction. Unless you want to be arrested, get down here!"

A Marine below shouted at him through a megaphone.

Hearing that,

Lin Mo looked down at the man from above.

A crowd of townspeople had already gathered.

"Look, there's a kid on the Execution Platform."

"Who is he?"

"No idea. Never seen him before. How did he get up there?"

Everyone talked at once.

Lin Mo didn't want to draw too much attention.

He could have jumped straight down from that height.

But he was still a ten-year-old child. To ordinary people, there was no way he could jump from a platform that high and come away unharmed.

So, to keep a low profile,

he began climbing down the iron framework beside the platform.

Smoker happened to be returning along the main street with a squad of Marines and a group of newly captured Pirates.

When he spotted Lin Mo climbing down the framework, he paused. "Isn't that the kid from the tavern?"

That brief lapse in attention

gave one of the captured Pirates an opening. A small pistol slid from his sleeve, and he fired at Smoker with a nasty grin.

Smoker reacted instantly.

He twisted aside, dodged the shot, and snatched the gun from the Pirate's hand.

Just then,

cries of alarm erupted across the square.

"Oh no! That kid's dead!"

"Someone save him!"

"Hurry! Help that kid!"

Smoker looked toward the noise.

The bullet the Pirate had fired was hurtling straight toward Lin Mo.

Even with the power of the Smoke-Smoke Fruit, Smoker couldn't stop it in time.

Lin Mo stared at the approaching bullet in exasperation.

Dodging it would be easy.

But if he did, the bullet would strike the Execution Platform's framework.

The impact would probably bring the whole thing down...

And he was still ten meters above the ground.

An ordinary child would be killed or badly injured by that fall.

If he landed without a scratch, everyone would notice.

But stopping the bullet outright would have the same result.

Whatever he chose, he was bound to become the center of attention.

He only wanted to keep a low profile. Why did he never get the chance?

With no better option,

Lin Mo kept one hand on the Execution Platform's framework

and coated his other hand in Armament Haki.

In front of everyone,

he reached out.

He caught the speeding bullet in his palm.

Then

the entire square fell silent.

A few seconds later,

shouts of disbelief broke out again.

"Huh? Was that real? You've got to be kidding!"

"Did I see that right? That kid caught a bullet with his bare hand?"

"Was the bullet fake? How could anyone catch one barehanded and be fine?"

"No way! I heard the gunshot. That bullet was real!"

Cold sweat beaded on the Pirate's forehead. "How? That bullet was specially made! It's several times more powerful than an ordinary one. Who the hell is that kid?"

Smoker stared at Lin Mo's arm, which had already returned to normal.