One Piece: Starting by Refusing Red-Hair's Invitation

Smoker continued, "Where are you from?"

"Foosha Village."

"Huh? Foosha Village? That sounds familiar..." Smoker thought for a moment, but couldn't place it.

Aokiji stroked his chin and gave him a hint. "Isn't that Garp's hometown?"

Smoker jolted. "Right! Foosha Village is Vice Admiral Garp's hometown. Since you're from there, do you know him?"

Lin Mo did know Garp.

In fact, he had only just shaken off that old pest at Baratie a few days ago.

But if he told the truth, Smoker would probably never stop asking questions.

Without dwelling on it, Lin Mo shook his head. "I've heard of him. Never met him."

"Never met him? Are you sure?" Smoker asked, deeply skeptical.

Just then,

Aokiji suddenly sat down cross-legged on the floor.

Smoker looked at him, speechless. "What are you doing?"

"Tired of standing. I'm sitting for a bit." Aokiji waved a hand. "Don't mind me. Carry on."

The interruption threw Smoker off his stride.

"Forget it," Smoker said, his head aching. "Kid, one last question. You say you're a traveler. Where do you plan to go next?"

"The Grand Line," Lin Mo answered without hesitation.

Smoker paused. "You're planning to go alone?"

"Yeah."

"Do you know what kind of place the Grand Line is? A kid like you would be going there to die."

"Smoker, that's a bit much." Resting his cheek on one hand, Aokiji tilted his head and said without expression, "Maybe this kid really will make a name for himself on the Grand Line."

"What kind of name can a traveler make for himself? He's only ten years old." Smoker kept his eyes fixed on Lin Mo. "If you're set on going to the Grand Line, fight me once. If you win, I won't stand in your way again. If you lose, you join the Marines."

Loguetown: A Marine Captain Pushes His Luck

Smoker had made up his mind that morning, when he saw Lin Mo catch a bullet barehanded using Armament Haki.

If Lin Mo wasn't a Pirate, Smoker would recruit him into the Marines!

It wasn't just Lin Mo's talent for Armament Haki at such a young age that caught his eye.

It was also his composure under pressure and his keen eye for detail.

Bullets moved fast.

Even someone capable of blocking one would struggle to perceive it clearly enough to catch it.

The slightest mistake would come at a bloody, painful cost.

Yet Lin Mo had done it with ease.

That was why Smoker had taken such an interest in him.

If he could use this chance to bring Lin Mo into the Marines, it would be all gain and no loss.

Smoker's intentions were perfectly clear.

Lin Mo was exasperated.

So Smoker had planned this from the start. He was just waiting for me to take the bait.

If I wanted to be a Marine, I would've said yes when Garp tried to recruit me. Why would I wait until now?

Lin Mo had no intention of fighting or joining the Marines. He was about to refuse

when Aokiji's languid voice rang out again. "This kid isn't a Pirate, is he? There's no bounty on his head, and he doesn't seem to have broken any laws. Picking a fight with someone so much younger than you in public doesn't sound like you, Smoker."

Smoker shot Aokiji an exasperated glare. "Whose side are you on?"

"The side of justice, of course." Aokiji waved a hand. "You don't have to think about fighting all day. The weather's so nice. Wouldn't it feel good to find a sunny spot and take a nap?"

Smoker: "..."

The way Aokiji put it, Smoker really did sound like he was bullying Lin Mo.

A bead of cold sweat slid down Smoker's forehead.

He was still only in his twenties. He had his pride.

"Hey, Lin Mo." Smoker cleared his throat. "It's just a friendly sparring match. You won't refuse, will you?"

"I refuse," Lin Mo said.

Smoker choked on his cigar smoke and coughed several times. "Cough, cough! Fine, we don't have to fight. Then just join the Marines."

"No."

"Kid, don't push your luck!"

Aokiji cut in again. "Seems to me you're the one pushing your luck, Smoker."

Smoker: "..."

Smoker snapped. "Aokiji, did you come to Loguetown just to undermine me?"

"No." Aokiji scratched his head, looking innocent. "I'm just calling it as I see it. If he doesn't want to join the Marines, let him be. Why are you so determined to recruit him?"

"With Lin Mo's talent, it would be a waste if he didn't join the Marines. He calls himself a traveler now, but what if he joins the Pirates someday?" Smoker said with a deep frown.

Aokiji looked at Lin Mo. "Kid, do you want to become a Pirate?"

"Not interested," Lin Mo said flatly.

"See?" Aokiji turned back to Smoker. "He says he isn't interested in becoming a Pirate. Can you let him go now?"

Smoker had nothing to say.

A few Marines were watching awkwardly from the doorway.

They had left him unable to move forward or back down.

If he stubbornly insisted on fighting Lin Mo,

his reputation would suffer whether he won or lost.

What irritated him most was that damn Aokiji refusing to back him up...

If Lin Mo were a Pirate or a Bounty Criminal, Smoker would have grounds to fight him.

But Lin Mo wasn't a Pirate, and there was no bounty on his head.

That made things difficult.

After weighing his options, Smoker bit down on his cigar and said reluctantly, "Go. You'd better not give me a reason to come after you. If you do, I'll chase you to the ends of the earth and catch you myself!"

Lin Mo: "..."

With your strength? Save it.

"Oh," Lin Mo said flatly.

Smoker stepped aside to let him through.

Lin Mo left the office and collected the bounty money with a Marine from outside leading the way.

After leaving the Marine base,

Lin Mo followed the route he remembered straight back to Roger's Tavern.

Rayleigh was chatting with the Tavern Owner. When he saw Lin Mo return, he smiled. "How much did you collect?"

Lin Mo took out the Beli he had divided up. He kept two million for himself and gave the remaining 2.55 million to Rayleigh.

After all, Rayleigh had caught one more man than he had.

Rayleigh kept one million for himself and gave the remaining 1.55 million to the Tavern Owner.

"Huh? This is far too much, Mr. Rayleigh. I can't take it." The Tavern Owner tried to hand the money back.

Rayleigh smiled. "I'll be staying in Loguetown for the next few days, and I'll stay at your tavern. Consider it payment for my drinks and lodging."

"But... but it's too much," the Tavern Owner said, troubled. "Mr. Rayleigh, I really can't take your money."

"If you won't take it, I'll take Lin Mo somewhere else for a drink."

Rayleigh actually rose to his feet as he spoke.

The Tavern Owner had no choice but to give in. "All right, I'll take it. Happy now?"

The Tavern Owner looked at Lin Mo. "Kid, you're not from Loguetown, are you? If you've got nowhere to stay, you can stay here like Mr. Rayleigh. Until you two leave, drink as much as you like."

Lin Mo nodded. "Okay."

It made no difference to him where he stayed.

"Lin Mo," Rayleigh said suddenly, "you still owe me a bottle of good wine."

"I know," Lin Mo said, exasperated.

"Since the owner's covering all our drinks until we leave, you'll have to treat me the next time we meet after leaving Loguetown," Rayleigh continued.

Lin Mo: "..."

"Hahaha!" Rayleigh laughed and took a drink. He opened a bottle for Lin Mo too and pushed it toward him.

Lin Mo picked up the bottle and had barely taken a sip

when footsteps sounded outside the tavern.

A gang of fierce-looking men kicked open the little wooden door and barged in, making a racket.

"Bring out all your liquor." Their leader was a fat man with two large axes at his waist. He looked formidable.

"Sorry," the Tavern Owner said without expression. "Someone's booked the whole place. Go drink at another tavern."

"Hey! Do you know who our boss is? You got a death wish, talking to him like that?"

"You'd better bring out the liquor, or we'll smash up your place!"

The men behind Fatty shouted threats.

Just then,

a frail-looking man in a jacket bearing a red snake design and a blue-and-white striped bandanna appeared at the tavern entrance behind the gang.

"Move," the man in the bandanna said coldly.

The two men blocking his way turned and glanced at him with disdain.

"Who's this guy?"

"Never seen him."

"He's telling us to move? What a joke! Get lost unless you want to get hurt!"

The two burst into raucous laughter.

The man in the bandanna drew a Double-Barreled Gun without changing expression. Without so much as blinking, he fired twice and shot both men in the head.

Loguetown: Dark King Rayleigh's Approval

"Bastard! You're dead!"

"Get him, boys! Kill the one who fired!"

The companions of the two men who had been shot roared and charged toward the man in the bandanna at the door.

"You're the ones who are dead."

The man in the bandanna narrowed his eyes. He put away the Double-Barreled Gun, drew a pair of tonfas with rounded ends, and darted through the gang.

When he came to a stop in front of their leader, Fatty,

the entire tavern fell silent.