Since leaving Shimotsuki Island, Zoro has never returned. Later, by chance, he joined the Straw Hat Pirates and has been heading towards the New World ever since.
Although he was forced to stop for a year, his strength improved rapidly under the life-or-death test of that mysterious person.
However, Zoro still harbors a deep desire to spar with Kuina one more time, to avenge those thousands of defeats.
However, he hadn't seen Kuina for many years, and he also knew about Lin Yuan and Kuina's relationship. He wasn't afraid of anything else, but he was afraid that Lin Yuan would come out and attack him as a couple, which would be a tragedy for him.
Lin Yuan seemed to have seen through Zoro's little scheme and said with a smile.
"What, you still want to challenge Kuina? This time you're confident. With the strength of Admiral and the swordsmanship of a great swordsman, you're considered a top-tier expert."
Being praised as a strongman by Lin Yuan made Zoro feel a little embarrassed, but he still nodded firmly.
"Yes, I made a promise with her that I would challenge her again once I improved my strength. However, Kuina will never know that I have improved so much. I'm afraid that she won't be qualified to let me draw my sword then."
As he spoke, Zoro got a little cocky. It's understandable, though; who would have thought he'd improved so much in just one year? Of course, this improvement was only possible after he faced the immense pressure of being on the verge of death.
Lin Yuan also knew about this. When he talked about it with Garp, Garp praised Zoro more than Luffy. There aren't many people that the old man would praise.
However, thinking about Kuina's current strength, Lin Yuan immediately laughed.
"Heh, you don't actually think that just because someone helped you improve your strength this year, you can easily defeat Kuina, do you?"
Seeing Lin Yuan's ambiguous smile, Zoro felt a sudden chill and exclaimed in disbelief.
How do you know about this? Do you know who that person is?
At this point, Zoro even stood up, his eyes filled with shock. Only the Straw Hat Pirates knew about this; they had been on that island for a whole year without any communication with the outside world.
Zoro was utterly shocked to discover that Lin Yuan knew about this; the thought sent chills down his spine. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
Erza and Emile, who were standing nearby, naturally knew about this as well, but they didn't say anything. They watched with great interest this junior brother that Kuina had mentioned before.
Just then, there was a knock on the door of the private room, and Batu himself pushed in a huge food cart, followed by two chefs wearing white hats.
"Sir, the food is ready. Shall I introduce it to you?"
Batu's attitude was very respectful, even somewhat humble, but everyone could feel his fervor for Lin Yuan.
Lin Yuan shook his head. He had eaten all sorts of things over the years and didn't need anything. As for Zoro, there was no point in talking to a brick wall. Apart from wanting to become the World's Greatest Swordsman and drinking, he didn't care about anything else. If Sanji were here, it might be a bit more interesting.
Just as the chef laid out the exquisite dishes, he personally prepared several fresh dishes. Lin Yuan chatted briefly with Batu before letting them leave.
But Batu's face flushed with excitement, and he was sweating profusely because Lin Yuan had personally promoted him two levels. According to the Chamber of Commerce's ranking system, he was not far from becoming a high-ranking member of the Chamber of Commerce.
Of course, Batu's existence was just a minor interlude. Lin Yuan didn't mind giving such a talent a chance; now, he could control the lives and deaths of millions with a single decision.
For Batu, a person from the lower middle class, Lin Yuan's words were the greatest opportunity of his life.
Looking at the dozens of exquisite dishes and the legendary wine, Zoro couldn't help but swallow hard.
Of course, this legendary wine is only for Zoro and his crew, since most of the world is poor, and the Straw Hat Pirates are also a bunch of paupers.
With difficulty, Zoro turned his gaze away from the food and wine and looked at Lin Yuan, awaiting his answer.
"Hey kid, can't you talk about this after you've eaten? This is the highest grade of ingredient on my island. Who knows when you'll get to taste it again?"
"Then can you tell me if you know who that person is?"
Zoro stared intently at Lin Yuan, wanting to know the answer; it would have been perfect if he hadn't swallowed so hard.
This kind of food is just a regular meal for Lin Yuan, Erza, Emile, but it's something Zoro rarely gets to eat. Even with Sanji, a top-notch chef, he can only watch helplessly without the ingredients.
Lin Yuan picked up a slice of translucent fish meat, as thin as a cicada's wing, and placed it in Erza and Emile's bowls before smiling and saying.
"You're still the same old you. I can tell you about this. Well, he's one of the stronger men under me now, but it was his own decision to train you. As for the rest, I can't tell you for now."
Zoro was completely dumbfounded. The fact that such a powerful expert was merely Lin Yuan's subordinate was undoubtedly a blow to him.
Zoro didn't doubt Lin Yuan's words; at their level, they wouldn't stoop to lying.
Zoro was speechless for a moment. Without any hesitation, he picked up the wine on the table and took a big gulp. The mellow taste made his eyes light up.
"This wine smells wonderful!"
Lin Yuan and the other two looked at Zoro with a mixture of amusement and exasperation; it seemed he had been quite taken aback.
Ignoring Zoro, Lin Yuan, Emile, Erza started eating, occasionally chatting about interesting things, but even these interesting things were considered major news on the high seas.
"Oh, Erza, I forgot to ask, did you find Laugh Tale earlier?"
"Yes, my sisters and I went there. There wasn't anything special up there, just some ores and stone tablets. However, the ores were somewhat similar in material to the Poneglyph, so we brought some back for testing."
"Yeah, there's nothing fun up there, but I talked to the other girls and we thought maybe we could turn it into a tourist attraction someday. Once all the ore is removed, it could be a big selling point."
Zoro only caught snippets of their conversation and was still reeling from Lin Yuan's words.
These exquisite dishes were only finished amidst Lin Yuan's cheerful laughter and Zoro's somewhat numb state.
"By the way, Zoro, if you really want to have a match with Kuina, I can arrange it. You two can meet in a week."
Upon hearing that he could spar with Kuina, Zoro instantly perked up.
"Okay, I'll wait for her!"
"Alright, since you've agreed, let's have a competition. Don't be surprised!"
"Hmph, I'm sure to win this time!"