The courtyard was quiet.
Bathed in moonlight, two small figures stood motionless, their shadows stretched long on the ground.
Lin Mo tossed the bamboo sword back to Zoro.
Zoro fumbled to catch it, eyes wide with disbelief. "Wait… was that stone really shattered by you? But you didn't even strike it! What… what just happened?"
Lin Mo glanced at Zoro, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Listen carefully, Zoro. There are swordsmen in this world who cannot cut anything, yet with that same blade, they can cut through everything. A truly powerful swordsman can protect what they wish to protect, and just as easily, sever what they wish to sever. You've got a long way to go. Keep working hard."
With that, he gently patted Zoro's shoulder and turned to leave the courtyard.
The evening breeze brushed past, lifting the hem of his robe and strands of his hair.
Zoro stood rooted, staring after him, thoughts racing.
Can't cut anything, but can cut everything?
If he had heard this before, he wouldn't have believed someone like that could exist.
But Lin Mo had just shown him it was possible with action, not words.
Using just an ordinary bamboo sword, he achieved the impossible.
They were about the same age, yet…
That guy really is a monster.
"Hey! What are you doing alone in the courtyard?" came a cool, slightly impatient voice. It was Kuina.
Snapping back to reality, Zoro didn't turn to look at her. Instead, he kept his eyes fixed on the shattered rock and said with a serious expression, "Kuina, that Lin Mo guy… he's insanely strong!"
Kuina followed his gaze. When she saw the fragments of stone strewn across the ground, she instantly guessed it was Lin Mo's doing, though she didn't seem the least bit surprised. "Tch. Smashing stones with Wado Ichimonji? What a waste."
"No, that's not it!" Zoro picked up the bamboo sword Lin Mo had used. "He used this."
"What?" Kuina glanced at the bamboo sword in Zoro's hand, her eyes flashing with astonishment. "A bamboo sword? He broke the stone with that? You're kidding."
"It's true!" Zoro said firmly. "Kuina, I think I finally understand why the teacher said those things to you."
Elsewhere
After leaving the Isshin Dojo, Lin Mo was planning to stop by the village tavern to sample the local brew.
Though the sake Koshiro had given him was unique and delicious enough to last for a while, that didn't mean he'd stop seeking out new flavors.
However, just as he arrived at the only tavern in Shimotsuki Village, he caught the owner locking up.
The man wiped the sweat from his brow and turned to leave, only to flinch in surprise when he saw Lin Mo standing there. Realizing it was just a child, his tone turned gruff. "Hey, kid. It's late. What are you doing here?"
Lin Mo raised a brow, unimpressed. "You don't open at night?"
The man paused for a moment, then continued, "You must be from out of town. My tavern only operates during the day. If you're picking up sake for the adults at home, come back tomorrow."
With that, he walked off.
Lin Mo didn't argue. Turning back, he made his way toward the dojo.
Passing a small vendor stall that sold flasks, he stopped.
After a moment of thought, he chose one, paid for it, and hung the new sake gourd at his waist.
Just then, a group of figures draped in deep green cloaks passed by behind him.
That presence…
Lin Mo turned to look.
At the same time, the leader of the group turned to glance at him.
Their eyes met.
Lin Mo remained calm, utterly unshaken.
The other man's eyes flickered with a trace of surprise.
The glow from the paper lanterns at the vendor's stall cast a faint light on the cloaked figures, revealing part of the leader's face beneath the hood.
The red, square tattoo on the left side of his face confirmed it.
Monkey D. Dragon.
Leader of the Revolutionary Army. Son of the Marine hero Garp. And future father of the Pirate King, Luffy.
"Hey, Dragon, what're you doing? We shouldn't linger. If someone spots us, we'll have trouble. Let's move," whispered a broad-faced companion beside him, trying to keep his voice down.
Another of their group muttered, "Ivankov, your ridiculous face already drew attention…"
"Fwahaha! What did you just say? Say that again!" Ivankov wheeled around and headbutted the speaker.
The poor man teared up in pain, biting back his protests.
Dragon turned his gaze back around and kept walking, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Interesting."
A few minutes later.
In the tea room behind Isshin Dojo.
Koshiro didn't seem surprised by the sudden visit from these guests.
"I thought you'd be arriving in a few days," he said with a calm smile, sipping his tea. "Looks like the plan's going smoothly."
"Well enough," Dragon replied, lifting his cup and taking a sip. "This tea isn't bad."
"Come on, Koshiro! I want sake!" Ivankov complained. "Every time we visit, you treat us to your best sake. What's with the stinginess today?"
Koshiro chuckled and shook his head. "It's not that I didn't want to. I already gave away all my best bottles."
"What? No way! You gave them all away?" Ivankov gawked. "I begged you so many times and you always refused. Who's so important that you'd hand it all over?"
"That kid," Dragon said, still sipping his tea, sounding casual.
Ivankov blinked. "Kid? What kid?"
Koshiro looked surprised. "You met Lin Mo already?"
Ivankov scratched his head. "Lin Mo? Who? That the kid you were talking about?"
"We saw him briefly on the street," Dragon answered. "He had Wado Ichimonji and a sake gourd on his waist. Didn't flinch when he saw me. And from what I could sense, his strength isn't below Kuina's. Looks like you've taken in quite the disciple."
Ivankov blinked again. "We saw him just now? When? How did I miss that?"
"I wish he were my student," Koshiro said with a soft chuckle. "But he refused to stay at the dojo."
"What?" Dragon set down his tea, surprised. "He's not your disciple?"
Koshiro nodded. "I hoped he'd stay, but he didn't want to."
"Wait a sec!" Ivankov interrupted. "You guys hear me or not? Stop ignoring me!"
Dragon ignored him. Looking back at Koshiro, he continued, "You gave him your finest sake and Wado Ichimonji. If he still chose to leave despite such generosity, then he must have something important he needs to do."
"Perhaps," Koshiro murmured, sipping his tea again. "Technically, the sword and the sake were prizes. He won them fair and square after beating Kuina. So they weren't really gifts."
"You knew he'd win. You set the sword and sake as prizes, but you were already planning to hand them over. That's no different from giving them outright."
Just as Dragon finished speaking
Footsteps echoed down the corridor.
Everyone in the tea room turned to look toward the open sliding door.
A small figure passed calmly by, two swords and a sake gourd at his waist.