Next Bonus, 100!!
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As Cabaji launched into one of his acrobatic feints, preparing to unleash a smoke bomb, Zoro, sensing the attack with his eyes closed, snapped them open the instant Cabaji lunged.
His twin blades flashed in a deadly cross, while the sword clenched in his teeth cut off any chance of retreat.
The two swordsmen blurred past one another.
A spray of blood erupted.
A deep gash tore across Cabaji's chest.
Zoro had won.
With the main threat neutralized, Saga made short work of Mohji.
Viola, for her part, was a capable fighter.
Her powerful kicks cleared out a number of the grunts, and with her Glare-Glare Fruit, she had more than enough power to protect herself.
But the main event was the battle between Luffy and Buggy. With his Chop-Chop Fruit and his cunning tricks, Buggy had managed to give Luffy a run for his money.
Until Luffy discovered his weakness.
His feet.
When Buggy split himself apart, his feet had to remain on the ground. His ability had a fixed range—a 200-meter radius with his feet as the center.
If any part of his body went beyond that range, he would lose control of it.
Luffy seized on this weakness.
With a single Gum-Gum Bazooka, he sent Buggy flying.
The battle was over.
Zoro and Saga thanked Luffy, who in turn invited them to join his pirate crew.
"The Grand Line?"
"That's right! I'm gonna find ten crewmates, and we're gonna have adventures on the Grand Line!"
Saga politely refused. His village had been destroyed by pirates when he was a child; he'd seen their cruelty firsthand and had no desire to become one himself.
Zoro, however, was tempted.
This battle had shown him his own shortcomings. To honor the promise he'd made to Kuina so long ago... he had to go to the Grand Line. He had to seek out stronger opponents.
Saga, his partner, saw the look in his eyes. "You know," he said, trying to ease the tension, "if you leave, I get a bigger cut of the prize money."
Zoro knew Saga didn't care about the money. Most of the prize money he earned was sent back to the Isshin Dojo to support Koshiro in taking in homeless children.
He was just trying to make it easier for them to part ways, to absolve him of any guilt.
Even so, the desire to become stronger burned in his heart.
After a night of consideration, Zoro agreed to Luffy's offer, becoming the third member of his crew.
The treasure they confiscated from the Buggy Pirates was left to the villagers to rebuild their town.
The three of them then set off for their next destination.
Not long after they left Orange Town, a Marine warship arrived.
Captain Morgan frowned at the sight of the battle-scarred, half-destroyed village.
The Buggy Pirates... had been defeated.
After getting a rough idea of what had happened from the villagers, he realized that this kid, Luffy, was someone to keep an eye on.
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Two days later, Luffy, Zoro, and Viola arrived in Syrup Village.
Luffy had heard about Usopp from Shanks and Yasopp, and he'd come looking for him.
But when Luffy invited him to join his crew, Usopp refused.
As they were about to leave, the three kids—Carrot, Onion, and Pepper—found Luffy.
They begged him to help Usopp cure his "fear-of-the-sea" disease, to help him find himself and become a truly brave warrior.
It turned out that over time, the kids had come to realize that Usopp's boasts were a cover for a deeper issue. He refused to go near the sea. The moment he set foot on a boat, he would be overcome with fear and run away.
The deaths of Ron and the other crewmen had left a deep scar on his soul.
Viola confirmed their story, saying that she had seen into Usopp's heart. The truth was, he desperately wanted to go out to sea with them.
But he was suffering from a "can't-get-on-a-boat" disease.
After learning the truth, Luffy decided to invite Usopp to join his crew one more time.
They had a duel on the island.
After a barrage of Luffy's "persuasion" and a few heavy punches, Usopp was left bruised and swollen.
Just then, Onion and Pepper came running, shouting that Carrot had fallen into the sea and needed help.
Usopp rushed to the shore and saw Carrot struggling in the distance.
Without a second thought, he jumped into a small boat and rowed out to save him.
In the end, he learned that it had all been a setup to help him let go of the past. The knot in his heart finally came undone.
He returned home and said goodbye to his mother.
"I'm going to become a man just like my father," he said.
As a thank you for helping Usopp overcome his trauma, Kaya's loyal butler, Merry, gifted them a caravel he had designed himself.
Usopp, in turn, put his artistic talents to use and designed the crew's flag.
The pirate crew was now complete. The Going Merry had officially set sail.
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While Luffy and his crew were just beginning their adventure...
Aboard the Empress...
Within its island-sized interior, the special training was in full swing.
As night fell, nearly the entire crew was assembled. Some sat alone, meditating and reflecting. Others were engaged in physical training or sparring.
Here, the "activation" effect of the Devil Fruits and the restorative power of the soul crystals created the perfect training environment. Injuries were repaired almost instantly, leaving only a brief period of weakness. The fear of "death" was non-existent.
And there were more than enough strong fighters to go around, allowing everyone to test their new abilities against a variety of different styles.
And at the center of it all was Jin—a man who defied all logic.
He accepted all challengers. One-on-one, one-on-many, it didn't matter.
At first, Loki, Katakuri, Gion, and Jinbe thought their new powers gave them a chance to win.
Then, Jin beat them so thoroughly they began to question their own existence.
Even when several of them teamed up, they couldn't win.
It was a harsh lesson in just how powerful he truly was.
Jin moved through the training grounds, pacing like a lion surveying his territory, his gaze taking in everything.
On his shoulder sat a small child, no bigger than his hand, a pacifier in her mouth, her large eyes blinking with a lively intelligence.
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~ 70 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon
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