Starting a Pirate's Journey by Rejecting Red-Hair's Invitation Chapter 8

Lin Mo was drinking in his room when a system prompt suddenly rang in his mind, making him pause.

Immediately after, an even more powerful Sword Aura spread out from his center, surging within this small room.

He even quieted his mind, and actually managed to feel the Breath of All Things around him!

His strength had grown stronger once again!

Lin Mo's gaze involuntarily turned toward the Wado Ichimonji placed to the side.

In the original One Piece story, Kuina had fallen down the stairs and died because she went looking for a whetstone for the Wado Ichimonji.

Now this sword belonged to him.

Then, Kuina had no reason to go looking for a whetstone anymore, thereby avoiding the crisis of falling to her death.

It looks like I'll be able to complete the Shimotsuki Village mission soon. Lin Mo continued drinking in a great mood. The feeling of sitting inside the house while joy falls from the sky wasn't bad.

Returning to half an hour ago.

Kuina narrowly defeated Zoro.

Zoro lay on the grass, unwillingly covering his face. "Damn it! Just a little bit more, how frustrating..."

Kuina stared at him with a dark expression. "I'm the one who's frustrated."

Zoro let go of his hand and looked at Kuina.

Kuina continued, "When girls grow up, they become weaker than boys. You've already caught up, and I'll be defeated by you soon. Zoro, you often say that, about becoming the World's Best Swordsman. Father told me that girls can't do it. I understand, I've understood this kind of thing for a long time, but, but I'm just so frustrated. Zoro, it must be nice being you. Because you're a boy, I want to become the World's Best Swordsman too. If, if I could also be born a boy..."

Zoro got up from the grass, growing angrier the more he listened. "You already beat me, so stop complaining! It's so cowardly to say things like that! You're the target I've always aimed to defeat! What's this about men and women? Are you going to say this even if I actually beat you in the future? It makes it sound like I didn't win through my own strength. Then wouldn't someone like me, who's been training this desperately and hard, look like an idiot? Stop saying things like that!"

Kuina gazed at Zoro with tears in her eyes.

Zoro walked closer to her, gritting his teeth. "Promise me, one day, either you or I will definitely become the World's Best Swordsman!"

Gazing at Zoro's firm gaze, Kuina was taken aback for a moment, then looked relieved as she said, "Idiot, even though your strength is weaker than mine..."

"Then it's a settlement!" Zoro reached his hand out to her, insisting, "But before becoming the strongest swordsman, let's compete first to see who defeats Lin Mo first."

Kuina's eyes flickered as she reached out and grasped Zoro's hand, smiling. "Fine, it's a settlement! Just wait and see, it'll definitely be me who beats him first!"

The next day.

Lin Mo woke up early as usual to go hunting in the valley.

The little tail behind him, however, went from one to two...

Moreover, the two fellows acted as if they had planned it, coming over to spar with him one after the other from time to time. Even after being rejected, they refused to give up and actually learned to launch sneak attacks.

Although they were beaten down and chopped by Lin Mo's hand every time.

The following days were all like this, no matter how many times Lin Mo knocked them down.

Yet it didn't extinguish their 'enthusiasm' in the slightest. The two of them still cheerfully and relentlessly did the exact same thing every day.

Koshiro saw it all, but always smiled warmly, with no intention whatsoever of stopping his daughter and disciple.

He completely tacitly approved of their pestering and clinging to Lin Mo.

That evening.

When Lin Mo knocked Zoro and Kuina down in the dojo's backyard for the Nth time.

Koshiro smiled warmly and waved at Lin Mo from the corridor. "Lin Mo, come over for a moment."

Lin Mo glanced at him.

Dragon was there too.

It seemed Dragon was about to leave.

Lin Mo walked over.

Dragon smiled gently. "I've stayed here for too long this time, I should be going."

"Oh." Lin Mo responded casually.

Dragon continued, "Are you sure you won't reconsider coming with me?"

Lin Mo stated directly, "Not considering it."

Seeing that Lin Mo truly didn't care at all, Dragon had no choice but to temporarily give up on recruiting him. "Alright, since you're unwilling, I won't force it. If you encounter any trouble in the future, you can come to Baltigo to find me."

Baltigo was the base of operations for the Revolutionary Army.

Lin Mo accommodated him by nodding.

Dragon smiled, then turned to look at Koshiro, saying without avoiding suspicion, "Thank you for gathering the food this time."

Koshiro smiled gently. "It's nothing. What are your plans next? This place isn't far from Foosha Village in the Goa Kingdom. You haven't been back in a long time, right? Are you going back to take a look?"

"No." Dragon shook his head. "Now is not the time, I'll talk about it after some time passes."

Koshiro nodded and said, "Alright, just notify me in advance when you come next time."

"Alright." Dragon responded and didn't say anything more, leaving Shimotsuki Village before nightfall.

In the original plot, Luffy never knew who his father was until he passed through Water 7 located on the Grand Line.

Dragon was a very cautious person who didn't easily expose his weaknesses, so very few people knew his background. Even his trusted subordinates in the Revolutionary Army didn't know he had a son.

Although Koshiro didn't explicitly state it during their conversation just now.

It wasn't hard to see that Koshiro was one of the very few people who knew Dragon inside and out.

From this, it could be seen.

The relationship between these two was indeed extraordinary.

However, whatever the case might be.

Lin Mo wasn't interested. The only things he was interested in were completing the sign-in progress missions and alcohol.

"If nothing's the matter, I'm leaving." Lin Mo prepared to return to his room to drink.

Koshiro called out to him again. "There's a festival in the village tonight, want to go take a look?"

"No." Lin Mo directly refused.

At this moment, Zoro and Kuina trotted over.

Zoro said excitedly, "Shimotsuki Village holds a lively festival at the end of every month, and it's a lot of fun. Lin Mo, let's go check out the festival together."

Kuina said proudly, "I don't really like shopping around, but if you're going, I can reluctantly accompany you."

Lin Mo: "..."

Lin Mo refused, "Not interested, not going."

Koshiro smiled warmly. "There will be quite a few villagers bringing out fine wine they brewed themselves to sell tonight. Each family's taste is very unique, and you can't buy this kind of alcohol at a tavern, you know."

Hearing this, Lin Mo halted his pace toward his room.

Koshiro looked at Zoro and Kuina. "What are you still standing there in a daze for?"

The two looked at each other and smiled, immediately grabbing Lin Mo's arms from left and right, pulling him outward.

"Aunt Sugimoto's brewed wine should be quite delicious." Kuina recommended. "Uncle Dragon's friend, that Okama uncle with the super large face and somewhat frightening appearance, whenever he comes to the village, he always goes to Aunt Sugimoto's place to buy wine to drink. Usually, the wine from her place isn't sold to outsiders, but because Uncle Dragon and my father have a good relationship, that aunt makes an exception and sells them some even when it's not a festival day."

"Is wine really that delicious?" Zoro asked uncomprehendingly. "I secretly took a sip before, and it wasn't even as good as fruit juice."

Lin Mo pulled his arm out from the hands holding him by Zoro and Kuina, saying speechlessly, "How can the two of you be so thick-skinned..."

Zoro laughed brightly. "No way, do you have some misunderstanding about me and Kuina?"

Lin Mo: "..."

Kuina said with a giggle, "Actually, Lin Mo, every time you ignore us and knock us down with a single blow, you're training us, right?"

Lin Mo: "..."

No, really, I wasn't...

Zoro continued, "My reaction speed and ability to take hits have improved a lot compared to before. Thanks to Lin Mo's teachings."

Lin Mo: "..."

Uh? When did I teach you that?

Kuina went on, "I've always wanted to ask, a lot of the time, Kuina and I launch sneak attacks on you at the same time. You don't even look at us, so why can you dodge all our attacks?"

"Right, right." Zoro hurriedly nodded in agreement. "I've always wanted to know this too. Lin Mo, just tell us, how do you do it?"

Chapter 12: Shimotsuki Village: Bandit Higuma's Provocation Facing the serial bombardment of questions from Zoro and Kuina.

Lin Mo indicated that he simply didn't want to pay attention to them.

Indeed, no matter how those two acted cute and spoiled, Lin Mo simply ignored them.

Having truly run out of options, Kuina suddenly thought of an idea. "Lin Mo, as long as you tell us, I'll take out all the allowance I've saved up over the years and buy you drinks, how about that?"

Not how about that at all.

Lin Mo said speechlessly, "No need, I have my own money."

"Don't be so stingy." Zoro muttered.

As they spoke, the three of them had already arrived at the most bustling night market street in Shimotsuki Village.

Hawking and shouting filled the streets everywhere. People came and went in a very lively scene.

Lin Mo was still relatively calm.

Zoro and Kuina's little faces were flushed red, looking around left and right with great excitement.

Kids were indeed kids, after all.

"Over there." Kuina pointed to a row on the left side of the street, specifically at a middle-aged woman using a handcart as a stall and shouting out sales, and said, "That's Aunt Sugimoto. The wine she brews sells the best and fastest. If we came a little later, it'd probably be sold out."

Even as she spoke, quite a few people had already gathered around that small handcart, starting to line up to purchase the limited supply of wine and water.

The three of Lin Mo immediately headed over, lining up at the very back of the queue.

"Go play by yourselves."

Lin Mo didn't want these two fellows following him the whole time.

Kuina smiled. "Aunt Sugimoto's wine is limited, you know. Each person can only buy a small jar. Zoro and I being here means we can help you buy two extra jars."

Just as Kuina's voice trailed off.

A group of fierce-looking people extremely roughly pushed the crowd aside and arrived at Sugimoto's stall.

Leading them was a tall, long-faced man with a cross-shaped scar on his forehead and a sword hanging at his waist.

It was Higuma the bandit.

He was the guy who had poured wine on Red-Haired Shanks, one of the future Four Emperors.

Although the situation at the time was that Shanks was broad-minded and didn't bicker with him.

Judging from the current timeline, Higuma's group probably hadn't gone to Foosha Village yet and hadn't encountered Red-Hair and his crew.

"With so many people lined up, the wine must be good. I'll take this entire cartload," Higuma said loftily.

The surrounding villagers stepped back in fear, one by one.

"B-But the wine from my place is limited. Each person can only buy one small jar," Sugimoto asked nervously. "If you want to buy some, c-could you go line up?"

"Line up?" Higuma sneered. "I'm a bounty criminal with an eight million Beli bounty, and you're making me line up?"

Sugimoto was scared almost to tears, and the villagers dared to be angry but didn't dare to speak up.

A bounty criminal worth eight million Beli was no joke; these powerless villagers didn't dare provoke them.

Zoro and Kuina both instinctively touched the wooden swords they had brought and wore.

Kuina's cold voice suddenly rang out. "I don't care how many Belis your bounty is worth, this is Shimotsuki Village, and we won't allow you to run amok here."

"That's right!" Zoro nervously gripped his two wooden swords tightly. "We won't let you guys act so domineering here."

Higuma tilted his head to look at the three of Lin Mo and let out a scoff.

The lackeys behind him laughed even more audaciously.