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

Just then, someone hurried through the tavern door.

The newcomer sat down at the busiest table. Looking as though he had just heard the hottest news in town, he said excitedly, "Have you heard? Kuina, who's never lost a match at Isshin Dojo, was beaten by an outsider yesterday!"

Shimotsuki Village: Zoro's enthusiasm

"What? Kuina lost to an outsider?"

"Are you sure? Kuina's strong. Hasn't she beaten everyone who's challenged the dojo these past few years? How could she lose?"

"Well, I suppose it's not that strange. She's only eleven. Plenty of adults are stronger than her."

"Right. One loss isn't a big deal. Kuina's still young. Whoever beat her must be an incredible adult."

Everyone was shocked that the undefeated Kuina had lost, but remembering how young she was made it easier to accept.

The man who had brought the news wagged a finger and shook his head. "No, no. It wasn't an adult. It was a kid carrying a Wooden Sword. I heard he's even younger than Kuina."

The moment he finished speaking, the noisy tavern fell silent.

A few seconds later, everyone erupted.

"What? A kid younger than Kuina beat her? Are you sure?"

"Impossible! How could Kuina lose to a little kid? He must have cheated!"

"Hey, we're not that gullible. Keep spreading lies and we'll give you a beating!"

Seeing that no one believed him, the man said helplessly, "It's true. Kuina really lost to that kid. She even gave him her favorite sword."

"Liar! Kuina treasures that sword. There's no way she'd give it to some outsider kid!"

"Exactly. You must have gotten something wrong. We're not that easy to fool!"

As everyone argued back and forth, Lin Mo hung his freshly filled Wine Gourd at his waist and hopped off his stool.

In full view of the tavern, he walked calmly toward the door.

The instant he pushed it open and stepped outside, someone shouted, "Look at that kid's swords!"

Every eye turned to Lin Mo.

He really did have a Wooden Sword and a real sword at his waist. The real one looked especially familiar. Eyes widened all around the tavern, faces turning pale with disbelief.

"Wait, isn't that Kuina's sword?"

"Seriously? Kuina really lost to a kid younger than her?"

"Who is that boy? He beat Kuina, and she'd never lost before. That's incredible!"

"Ah! I laughed at him earlier. You don't think he'll hold a grudge, do you?"

Ignoring the uproar behind him, Lin Mo left the tavern without looking back.

Over the next few hours, word that an outsider kid had beaten Kuina of Isshin Dojo spread throughout Shimotsuki Village.

Lin Mo had wanted to finish his check-in task quietly, then leave without a fuss.

Instead, he had become the center of attention in Shimotsuki Village.

To avoid trouble, he would have to spend less time walking around the village.

Lin Mo went straight back to Isshin Dojo.

He had just entered the back courtyard when Zoro came trotting toward him, brimming with excitement.

"Lin Mo!" Zoro said. "I heard you went hunting in the mountains this morning. Were you training? Take me with you next time."

Lin Mo: "..."

Not again.

This annoying guy...

Lin Mo walked past Zoro without a word.

Zoro didn't mind his cold shoulder. He stuck to Lin Mo like glue, following him and pressing on. "I've finished my basic training for today. Why don't we go train in the mountains now?"

Lin Mo's answer to Zoro's "enthusiasm" was still silence.

When Lin Mo continued to ignore him, Zoro kept following. "Lin Mo, didn't you say I should counter each move as it comes? I can't learn that just by thinking about it. I need to keep fighting people stronger than me. So I've decided: besides challenging Kuina every day, I'm going to fight you too!"

Lin Mo stopped short.

He wanted no part of it.

"Leave me out of it!"

Zoro stopped too, baffled. "Why?"

"I don't have time," Lin Mo said.

"Huh?" Zoro asked in surprise. "So you really do think I'm too weak to bother fighting?"

Lin Mo couldn't be bothered to explain. "That's right."

With that, he started walking again.

Zoro watched Lin Mo's back and tightened his grip on his bamboo swords. After a moment's hesitation, he charged with a yell. "If you won't fight me, I'll keep attacking until you do! I'll make you draw your sword! Ha—take this!"

Lin Mo sensed the killing intent closing in behind him.

Without looking back, he sidestepped several times and easily dodged every attack.

Then, when Zoro rushed in front of him, Lin Mo threw a punch and sent him flying into the courtyard.

He glanced at Zoro lying dozens of meters away, struggling to get up and failing.

Let's see you follow me now.

Lin Mo gave a faint chuckle and walked on.

As he passed the tearoom, Koshiro called from inside, "Lin Mo, come have a drink. There's someone I'd like you to meet."

Lin Mo paused and looked over. Dragon, who had arrived the night before, sat across from Koshiro.

Dragon was no ordinary man, and his appearance in Shimotsuki Village at this particular time could hardly be a coincidence. Interacting with him might even advance the task.

After a moment's thought, Lin Mo entered the tearoom and sat beside Koshiro.

"Would you like some tea?" Koshiro asked with a smile.

"No, I have wine." Lin Mo lifted his Wine Gourd, pulled out the stopper, and took a sip.

Koshiro smiled. "Lin Mo, this is my friend Dragon."

Lin Mo nodded politely. "Hello."

"How old are you?" Dragon asked with interest.

"Ten," Lin Mo said casually.

"You can hold your liquor," Dragon said with a faint, unreadable smile. "Koshiro tells me you're good at Swordsmanship."

"I'm all right."

"How modest." Dragon studied Lin Mo closely. "You only showed a little of it, but you used Observation Haki to dodge that kid's attacks just now, didn't you?"

Lin Mo looked up at him. "That's right."

It was no secret.

"I thought so. You're even more interesting than I expected. But I can't shake the feeling there's something more." Dragon's lips curved. Then his expression changed, a flash of gold appearing in his sharp eyes. A powerful presence surged outward from him and engulfed the small tearoom.

Shimotsuki Village: Dragon's test

From the moment Dragon had seen Lin Mo in the village the night before, he had known the boy was no ordinary child.

At only ten, Lin Mo had the Swordsmanship to defeat Kuina in an instant. The glimpse of Observation Haki he had shown just now made his talent even clearer. He had tremendous potential.

Yet Dragon still felt there was more to him than that.

So he decided to test Lin Mo with Haki.

When Koshiro realized Dragon was using Conqueror's Haki to test Lin Mo, his expression stiffened. "Dragon, Lin Mo is still a child!"

"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing." Dragon kept his eyes fixed on Lin Mo.

Lin Mo met Dragon's piercing gaze without flinching.

The moment Dragon had released his Haki to test him, Lin Mo had lost any desire to talk.

Dragon's test might have been only a fraction of his strength, and he might have meant no harm.

Lin Mo quietly put the stopper back in his Wine Gourd.

He narrowed his eyes.

An equally powerful presence burst from him and collided with Dragon's Haki.

A violent wave surged sideways as their Conqueror's Haki clashed. Crack! The tea table shattered into countless pieces, and dense cracks spread across the tearoom walls under the force of the shock wave.

Neither Lin Mo nor Dragon had gone all out.

"Interesting. You haven't disappointed me." Dragon's smile widened. He was about to release more Conqueror's Haki and see how much Lin Mo could withstand.

But Koshiro grabbed each of them by the shoulder and stopped them in time. "Enough. Are you two trying to destroy my dojo? Stop it, both of you!"

He was stunned that Lin Mo possessed Conqueror's Haki too, but this was no time to dwell on it.

A clash of Conqueror's Haki was no joke.

One wrong move could destroy the entire dojo, perhaps even all of Shimotsuki Village.

He could tell neither of them was using his full strength. This was only a test, yet it had already caused so much damage. If he let them continue, losing the tearoom would be the least of his worries. The children training in the dojo could be hurt.

At Koshiro's words, both men withdrew their Haki.

"Sorry," Dragon said. "I got carried away."

Koshiro sighed helplessly. "You two are a handful. Dragon, you're a grown man. Why are you picking a fight with a child?"

"Haha." Dragon chuckled, then turned back to Lin Mo. "Lin Mo, do you know about the Revolutionary Army?"

Lin Mo stared at Dragon without a word.

He knew where this was going...

Is he about to recruit me?

Before Lin Mo could answer, Dragon continued. "This is a world where the strong prevail. Too many worthless people hold power, and countless defenseless people suffer for it. The Revolutionary Army exists to overthrow the unequal rule of the Celestial Dragons, who control the World Government. We'll free the oppressed and make this world more harmonious, equal, and free."

After a pause, Dragon went on. "Koshiro says you want to be a traveler. What's so good about that? It would be a waste of your talent. Why not join the Revolutionary Army? Help me bring down this decaying world and usher in a brighter one. What do you say?"

"No," Lin Mo said bluntly. "The Revolutionary Army, the Marines, the pirates—I'm not interested in any of them. I just want to travel freely, without anyone telling me what to do. However noble your cause may be, it has nothing to do with me."

The moment Lin Mo finished speaking, a system notification sounded.

Beep! Clashed with Dragon, leader of the Revolutionary Army. Check-in progress +10%. Current total: 60%. Reward: Conqueror's Haki level +1. Current level: Lv. 3.

As his Haki improved, Lin Mo's presence grew noticeably stronger.

Before he could enjoy it, another system notification rang in his mind.

Beep! Rejected an invitation from Dragon, leader of the Revolutionary Army. Check-in progress +10%. Current total: 70%.

Lin Mo froze, then felt a rush of delight. His check-in progress had jumped by twenty percent!

I was right. Dragon didn't show up by chance. Interacting with him really does advance the check-in task.

But although his progress had increased twice in a row, he had received only one reward.

After thinking it over, an idea came to him.

The rewards from check-in tasks were probably tied to the people involved, and each relevant person could grant only one reward.