Chapter 62: He Never Intended to Win

Having said that.

Zoro tightened his grip on the long sword in his hand, the flame in his eyes burning ever brighter, when Xiang Gaowen's teasing voice suddenly reached his ear.

"You're still far from it!"

The next instant, a palm pressed against Zoro's chest.

A light push.

Zoro, already at the edge of the deck, lost his balance on the spot, his twin blades waving as he fell into the sea.

Plop!

A spray of water rose from the sea surface.

"Hahahaha~"

Nami couldn't help but let out a silvery-peal of laughter, and nimbly tossed a life ring down from the deck.

"Bastard!"

Zoro hugged the life ring tight, soaked through, and looked up at Xiang Gaowen on the deck with a smile at the corner of his lips, grinding his teeth in fury for a moment:

"Just you wait!"

"Sooner or later I'll throw you into the sea!"

Xiang Gaowen's expression didn't change as he said lightly:

"If you're going to say that, then I'll have to get my fun in a few times early, otherwise I'd be letting my future self down."

"Although I've never thought you could beat me, for that matter."

Get his fun in a few times early?

Zoro was stunned, and a sudden ominous premonition rose in his heart.

……

A few minutes later.

Zoro struggled to climb aboard, marched eagerly toward Xiang Gaowen, ready to continue the fight from before, when suddenly his legs went weak beneath him.

Lowering his head, he discovered the wound on his chest and abdomen had somehow reopened; fresh blood soaked the bandage, and under the sting of seawater the pain made him bare his teeth.

"If you're injured, don't push yourself. Heal up first."

Xiang Gaowen's voice came from the deck:

"From here to my base it's still about ten days. With your constitution, you'll be healed in at most three days. We can pick it up then, and it won't be too late."

"I'll be waiting!"

"Hmph!"

Zoro's mouth twitched in pain, yet he also knew clearly that what Xiang Gaowen said was, for now, his own best choice.

"What an arrogant bastard!"

He slowly slid his blades back into their sheaths, and the next moment felt the world spin, falling flat on his back.

The last thing his ears caught were the startled shouts of Johnny and Joseph……

The two stepped forward and carefully examined Zoro's wounds, and after confirming the latter was simply weak from not having eaten for several days, they set their minds at ease.

Joseph turned his head and looked at Xiang Gaowen with a pleading gaze:

"Mr. Xiang Gaowen, what do you think……"

After several days together.

They had long since seen clearly that the Xiang Gaowen before them was completely different from other pirates.

He had none of that cruel style; the whole man's bearing, on the contrary, matched his nickname "Knight" quite well.

And so they gradually lost the panic and unease from the very beginning.

"Go take care of this guy first…… ah forget it, let the ship's doctor re-bandage him, otherwise if the wound gets infected it'll be trouble."

"Thank you!"

Joseph said gratefully.

Xiang Gaowen waved a hand, and had the two carry Zoro into the cabin.

Xiang Keluo brushed past the two of them, walked onto the deck, and stood shoulder to shoulder with Xiang Gaowen.

He glanced at the wounds on Zoro's body, then noticed the undisguised appreciation in Xiang Gaowen's eyes, and said with a curl of his lip:

"You value that little brat that much?"

Xiang Gaowen didn't even lift his eyelids as he said lightly:

"At least as things stand now, his potential is the strongest on our ship — even above mine."

"You believe it?"

"As long as he gets the right guidance, in a few years he'll be lording it over your head."

Xiang Keluo rolled his eyes at him.

He had been about to open his mouth and retort, when his gaze happened to fall on Nami, who had just lain back in her chair and was sipping orange juice contentedly.

So he subconsciously closed his mouth.

After all, the past was vivid in his mind — washing all his companions' socks, and having to wash for a whole month; how could a single word "miserable" cover it?

Even now, thinking of it, Xiang Keluo subconsciously twitched his nose, and only after confirming there was no such smell on him did he let out a long breath.

He then turned his head to Xiang Gaowen and said:

"A monster like Nami who defies common sense — getting one in the East Blue in ten years is already pretty good. You still hoping to run into one every day?"

Xiang Gaowen was briefly taken aback, then said teasingly:

"You want to wash socks again?"

"Get lost!"

Having his dark history exposed, Kuro's face immediately fell, and he turned around and left with a scowl.

Before entering the cabin.

Kuro turned and said to Xiang Gaowen:

"Just watch!"

"With your current lax attitude, I'll surpass you before long!"

Boom!

After Kuro finished speaking, he slammed the cabin door shut heavily and walked toward the cultivation room, only to find that Ah Jin was already inside, looking at him with a challenging gaze.

Hmm?

Why does this look feel familiar? It's like I've seen it in a mirror.

Kuro's heart skipped a beat.

On the deck, Xiang Gaowen watched Kuro's back and reached up to rub his nose.

He smiled without speaking.

During this period, between combat and cultivation, Kuro and Ah Jin had contributed quite a bit of experience for him.

Although it would still take some time before leveling up, who could dislike the feeling of watching the experience bar grow?

I just love young people with this kind of drive!

Furthermore, with Nami joining the crew, in just a few short days, Xiang Gaowen's navigation skill had already increased by one level, reaching LV-2.

Far surpassing a certain ambitious first mate.

After Zoro rested peacefully for three days, his wounds had completely healed; obviously, even judging solely by physical ability, he was first-rate, after all, this was also proof of great potential.

And the first thing he did after recovering was to challenge Xiang Gaowen.

He did not adopt more efficient means such as ambush or drugging, but chose a frontal assault.

Such was his nature; if he was to win, he had to win honorably. How could a title of "strongest" won through underhanded tricks ever echo through the heavens?

At this moment.

Everyone on the ship gathered on the deck to watch the battle.

Kuro looked at Zoro and shook his head:

"In just a few days, no matter how fast one improves, there is still a limit. Has that brat not yet realized the gap between himself and Xiang Gaowen?"

"There is no hope in a frontal assault."

After pondering for a moment, Ah Jin said calmly:

"Perhaps this time he didn't intend to win at all."

Kuro was stunned, then turned his head and silently looked at the arena.

Xiang Gaowen stood holding his blade, his expression calm.

Zoro's momentum was fierce.

Clang!

Three blades were drawn simultaneously; Zoro assumed his stance, and the aura radiating from his body was visibly stronger than a few days ago.

"Ho, not bad progress!"

Xiang Gaowen's eyes lit up; could a single defeat lead to such growth?

However.

After all, it was fate; the man destined to snatch the title of "strongest swordsman" from Hawk Eyes naturally possessed such talent!

Meanwhile, Kuro, standing nearby, was now completely dumbfounded.

He was the strongest on the ship besides Xiang Gaowen; even Ah Jin was still a bit short.

Naturally, like Xiang Gaowen, he could see the change in Zoro.

To grow so much in just a few days?

No, are freaks like this really just clustering in the East Blue?

That's not right!

He turned to look at Xiang Gaowen, then at Ah Jin and Nami, and finally fixed his gaze on Zoro, frowning as he said:

"Once is luck, twice is coincidence, but three times can no longer be described by common sense."

"It seems this fellow Xiang Gaowen possesses an ability to discern others' talents; as if the moment he sees someone, he can already judge their potential?!"

"How does he do it?"

"It can't be that our world is a manga and Xiang Gaowen has read it, can it?"

(End of this chapter)