Zoro Joins

Zoro looked into Lott's sincere eyes, somewhat puzzled. "What kind of partner? A bounty hunter?"

"Of course not! To be honest, we're a pirate crew." Lott stood and walked over to Zoro. At over six feet tall, he stood a head taller than Zoro.

Hearing that they were a pirate crew, Zoro's gaze instantly turned cold.

He had no fondness for pirates. As a bounty hunter, he knew all too well how vile they were.

Raiding merchant ships, killing people, bullying the weak, pillaging homes-there was practically no evil they wouldn't commit.

"Don't be so quick to refuse. The kind of pirate I'm talking about might be different from what you've seen. Besides, pirate is just a label. Our goal is the pinnacle of the world."

Zoro couldn't help scoffing. "Pirates are pirates. What's the difference?"

He didn't believe there was any such thing as a good pirate.

Although Lott was the most famous bounty hunter in the entire East Blue, in Zoro's eyes, his becoming a pirate was probably a fall from grace.

"I believe I'm fairly well-known in the East Blue. Have you ever heard of me doing anything evil?"

Zoro thought for a moment. "No, but you could just keep being a bounty hunter instead of becoming a pirate."

Lott shook his head at that. Zoro was still too young to see the true nature of the world. "You can't avoid becoming a pirate just because you don't want to be one. Do you know what a pirate is in this world?"

Zoro answered without thinking, "Aren't they just a bunch of robbers?"

Lott wagged his index finger. "No! You're being too simplistic. Pirates are defined by the World Government and the Marines. Burning, killing, and pillaging aren't what make you a pirate. If the Marines think you're a pirate, then you're a pirate. As long as you threaten the interests of the Marines and the World Government, they'll label you one."

"Why would I threaten the Marines? Aren't we supposed to be on the same side?" Zoro was having trouble following Lott's words.

Lott gestured for Zoro to sit down. "Let me tell you about this world..."

"So there are some things you can't see clearly from within the Marines, and you might often end up working against them. Wouldn't that make you a pirate?" At this point, Lott thought again of Kuzan, the former Marine Admiral whom he somewhat admired.

He had given up a perfectly good secure position, a fine job where he could clock in and out every day, just like that.

Kizaru was the practical one, clocking in and out every day and never doing anything extra. He collected an Admiral's salary and enjoyed a comfortable life.

Hearing Lott's words, Zoro pondered them. Is that how it is?

Lott continued, "You can't sail the seas without companions. Take you, for instance. Weren't you forced to become a bounty hunter because you don't know how to navigate, have no sense of direction, and couldn't find your way home?"

"Shut up! I... that's not why!" Zoro was like a puppy whose tail had been stepped on.

He didn't want to admit it, but getting lost really had left him unable to return to Shimotsuki Village. With no other choice, he had become a bounty hunter.

So whenever he hunted pirates with bounties, it all came down to luck.

Looking at Zoro's expression, Lott knew these few words alone couldn't sway his will.

He then asked, "Zoro, do you have a dream?"

"A dream?" At the word "dream," two figures fighting appeared in Zoro's mind. "I once promised someone I'd become the World's Greatest Swordsman."

A gleam flashed through Lott's eyes at that answer. "Oh! That's quite an ambitious dream. Do you know how to become the World's Greatest Swordsman?"

"Obviously! If I beat the World's Greatest Swordsman, won't that make me the greatest?" Zoro answered without thinking.

At the same time, his left hand unconsciously settled on the hilt of one of the swords at his waist, his fighting spirit surging.

Lott glanced at Zoro, his expression unchanged.

Inside, however, he was secretly delighted, because he knew this was probably the key to Zoro's heart.

He gently swirled the cup in his hand and asked, "Then do you know who the World's Greatest Swordsman is?"

Zoro looked at Lott as though he were an idiot, rolled his eyes, and said,

"Of course I do. Every swordsman should know. The World's Greatest Swordsman, Hawk-Eye, Dracule Mihawk."

Lott tilted his head back, recalling the manga he had read in his previous life. When Luffy sailed out to sea and reached Baratie, he had encountered Hawk-Eye, who was pursuing the Krieg Pirates.

Zoro had even challenged Hawk-Eye. Although he had lost terribly, he had earned Hawk-Eye's recognition.

But at this point in the timeline, Hawk-Eye should still be on the Grand Line.

"Hawk-Eye isn't in the East Blue. He's on the Grand Line."

"The Grand Line? I'll definitely go there."

Hearing that the World's Greatest Swordsman, Hawk-Eye, was on the Grand Line, Zoro's eyes blazed with fighting spirit.

"Do you know how to navigate? Do you have a ship? Do you know where the Grand Line is?"

"I..." The three devastating questions left Zoro completely stumped.

"Join my ship. My goal is the pinnacle of the world, and my next destination is the Grand Line. Hawk-Eye is there, along with plenty of people who aren't as famous but whose swordsmanship might be no worse than his."

After listening to Lott, Zoro lowered his eyes and began weighing the pros and cons.

"Don't you think this world is too twisted? Come turn this world upside down with me."

At that moment, an astonishing surge of bold spirit poured from Lott, soaring straight into the sky.

Looking at Lott, who seemed to shine before him, Zoro couldn't help feeling a surge of boldness himself. "All right! I'll join your ship, then. But I don't have a hundred million Beli!"

"Hahaha! As my companion, how could I possibly charge you passage?"

With his left thumb, Zoro pushed against his sword's guard, exposing a section of the blade. Sunlight struck it, flashing coldly.

"One more thing. I will become the World's Greatest Swordsman. If you keep me from fulfilling that dream, I'll cut you down."

Knowing that Zoro had an extremely strong sense of pride, Lott found those words perfectly reasonable.

Lott extended his hand toward Zoro. "Since we're both planning to turn this world upside down, the World's Greatest Swordsman? Of course that's something you have to achieve."

Looking at the hand before him, Zoro extended his own.

Smack.

Their hands clasped.

"Welcome aboard. I'm sure you won't regret it."

[Ding. Congratulations to the host on gaining one new companion. Rewards received: Advanced Armament Haki ×1; Intermediate Conqueror's Haki ×1; 100 million Beli; Skybreaker upgraded to intermediate; one pair of flip-flops that never wear out.]

As the system's voice sounded in his mind, Lott distinctly felt some changes occur in the Skybreaker beneath his feet.

Fuse all the cards!

[Ding. Fusion successful!]

System, open my personal panel.

[Name: Lott;

Sex: Male;

Age: 17;

Observation Haki: Intermediate (special type), Future Sight, sensing people's hearts;

Armament Haki: Advanced;

Conqueror's Haki: Intermediate;

Physical Arts: Advanced;

Electromagnetic Fruit development: Intermediate;

Pirate ship: Intermediate Skybreaker.]

Lott nodded. His current combat strength probably wasn't enough to defeat an Admiral yet, but he could still hold his own for a while.

Next, he should first go take a look at that so-called tribute from the Tribacana Kingdom, and rescue those little gi... slaves while he was at it.

Pah, pah, pah... of course it wasn't for any little girls.

Rather, he wanted to see the tribute that had sent the entire world into a frenzy. He didn't know what it was, but he imagined it certainly wouldn't disappoint him.

"Oh, right. I'll go into town and ask where the Tribacana Kingdom is."

With that, Lott vanished in a teleport.