Chapter 198

"I don't really have anything to do right now either. Compared to stirring up another big incident, it's probably better to stick by your side."

"……."

"Besides, there are a few things I want to talk over with you."

……………………

Sea Circle Calendar 1520, June.

Luffy and Zoro and the others arrived at Orange Town, clashed with Buggy who had occupied the town, and by chance ran into Nami, who was temporarily staying with Buggy's pirate crew.

After Luffy sent Buggy flying with a single Gomu Rocket, Nami asked Luffy, "Are you planning to go to the Grand Line?"

"Of course. I'm the man who's going to be King of the Pirates."

"Then... if I give you a sea chart of the Grand Line, will you take me with you to the Grand Line?"

Nami took out the sea chart she had stolen from Buggy and said to Luffy and Zoro and the others.

"Sure."

Luffy said without the slightest hesitation.

After Nami came aboard and demonstrated her rich knowledge of navigation, Luffy proposed that she join their pirate crew as their navigator, becoming his second crewmate.

"I'll have to think that over carefully."

As Nami answered Luffy, she leaned against the ship's railing, gazing into the distance, her short orange hair tousled by the sea breeze, her eyes full of anticipation and nostalgia: "I promised someone that I would find the very best crewmates, become a navigator that even he would look at with new eyes, and then meet them again on the sea."

As Nami spoke, she turned her head and smiled at Luffy and Zoro: "So I can't just become your crewmate on a whim."

"In other words, you want to see whether we're worth being your crewmates before you consider whether or not to join us as a navigator. That's what you mean, right?"

Zoro, standing to the side with his arms folded, looked at her and said.

"That's right."

Nami nodded to him: "Until then, I'm only in a cooperative relationship with you."

"Hehehehe! Is that so, is that so."

Luffy, sitting on the ground, pressed one hand on the straw hat atop his head, flashed a wide grin of big white teeth at Nami, his smile utterly bright and confident. "Don't worry, we'll definitely become the crewmates most suited for you!"

……

Mid-June.

The Straw Hat Pirates, now with three members, arrived at the sea restaurant, where they happened to run into Hawkeye, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea and the world's greatest swordsman, who had come to the East Blue to relax.

How could Zoro let this chance slip by? He challenged him on the spot.

The result, just as in the original, was that Hawkeye easily defeated him wielding only a small knife, and even gravely wounded him with a single slash.

This battle also let Zoro, who had always been very confident in his own strength and swordsmanship, see just how weak he truly was.

Just how far was the distance between himself and the world.

"Roronoa Zoro, I'll remember your name. Keep getting stronger, young swordsman."

Hawkeye sheathed the black blade Yoru that had cut through the three long swords in Zoro's hands, his hawk-like eyes glancing at Zoro, who lay in a pool of blood with his chest sliced open. "You said you wanted to find that man called Luo En. If you see him, tell him I'm waiting for him, waiting to fight him at full strength."

After saying this to Zoro, Hawkeye boarded his coffin-like small boat and departed alone.

"In his eyes, is Luo En already an opponent worthy of his all-out fight?"

Zoro lay in the pool of blood, his consciousness growing hazy. Before his eyes, it seemed, appeared the image of little Luo En from back then in the dojo, wearing a white training uniform, holding a bamboo sword in one hand as he stood before him.

In Zoro's dimming vision, that little Luo En from his memory gradually transformed into a young man dressed in black, his expression composed, a black blade in hand, his gaze sharp.

Just as before, he stood before the fallen Zoro, his gaze glancing down at him, like a Shanfeng that Zoro could never hope to scale.

So that's how it is…

After leaving the dojo, Luo En had kept growing too, and had now reached the same level as this man…

Just how far was I still from them…

This thought surfaced in the mind of the gravely wounded Zoro, making him feel his own powerlessness as never before.

"Zoro!"

Anxiously worried, Luffy shouted at him and sprinted toward him.

And just as he was about to reach Zoro, who lay in the pool of blood—

A tall, broad-shouldered figure in black suddenly appeared before Zoro, a black blade hanging at his waist.

It overlapped perfectly with the phantom of that person Zoro had imagined in his fading consciousness.

"Yare yare, you really are in a sorry state, Zoro."

That somewhat familiar, light laugh rang in Zoro's ears, just like back then.

"An illusion…"

Zoro tried hard to open his eyes and see clearly, but couldn't manage it, and gradually slipped into unconsciousness.

175, you're… Luo En?

Time rewinds to one month earlier.

The Grand Line.

Sabaody Archipelago.

"!!"

Lei Li and Xia Qi stared at Kuina and the others, who had suddenly appeared before them, both surprised and delighted.

"You really are still alive."

Konis, her golden long hair falling to her waist and dressed in white, curved her eyes into a smile at the two: "Of course, we're not the type to die so easily."

Luo Bin, who had grown even more mature and lovely after not seeing them for over two years, smiled at the two: "Xia Qi, Lei Li, it's been a long time."

"Didn't expect us to come, did it? Did we give you a scare?"

Bonney, her pink long hair draped over her shoulders, winked and smiled at the two.

Kuina, her blue hair tied in a long ponytail and twin swords hanging at her waist, nodded to the two of them: "Looks like we'll be troubling you for a while longer."

"Sorry to intrude!"

Xiao Qi bowed deeply to the two of them and shouted loudly.

Carrot, who had come down from Zou Island together with Luo Bin and the others, stared at Lei Li and Xia Qi, her face full of curiosity.

Are these two acquaintances of Luo Bin and the others?

After a long round of joyful reunion small talk.

Lei Li and Xia Qi also came to understand some of the situation regarding Luo Bin and the others.

After Luo En engineered the attack on Wano Country and the massive incident that gravely wounded Kaido.

During those two years of vanishing without a trace.

He and they had all stayed on that Zou Island, each carrying on their own training, and only left the place a month ago.

"Then why did you come back from the New World to this side of the Grand Line?"

Xia Qi asked curiously.

Bonney sipped the champagne in front of her and answered: "The captain decided it; we're not too clear on it either."

"Where is he?"

Lei Li asked.

"He dropped us off near the Sabaody Archipelago and left, saying he wanted to wander the seas alone, and told us to come to your side and wait for him."

Luo Bin said to Lei Li.

Lei Li took a swig of his drink and laughed heartily: "Still as willful as ever, really sounds like that guy's style."

"Oh right, right, Senior Lei Li, Master said to ask you to teach me about Haki."

Xiao Qi said earnestly to Lei Li.

Lei Li was taken aback.

Xiao Qi bent at the waist, lowered her head toward him, and said loudly:

"Please!"

"I also hope you can give me some pointers on my swordsmanship."

Kuina also spoke up to Lei Li.

"Then I also…"

Conis also looked toward Lei Li.

Lei Li, bottle in hand, faced with the three sudden requests, looked a bit dumbfounded.

"…Huh?"