The next day, morning fog covered the entire hall.

Luffy was still asleep in bed.

In a clearing in the distance of the gym, Sauron walked slowly and alone to a stone monument.

"Guina, if it were you, what would you choose..."

Zoro sat at Guina's grave, his hands behind his back, looking up at the faint sunlight in the sky behind the mist.

The air is mixed with water vapor, and it is a bit depressing to breathe.

Slowly, Sauron felt himself in a strange place.

Here, Zoro travels back in time, back to before the final battle with Guina.

The battle began.

It's just that, this time, the ending is different.

In the face of Guina's fierce slash, Zoro withstood Guina's attack with one of his experienced swords, and slashed at Guina's wrist with the other.

"Smack..."

Guina's sword was knocked to the ground by Sauron.

Zoro looked blankly at the defeated Guina.

Guina looked at Zoro with a smile and said, "Zoro, you have become stronger. ”

Zoro looked at his hands, then at Guina, and said softly, "I, have I really become stronger?"

Guina smiled and said, "It's really getting stronger, but it's not strong enough, you still need to be stronger." ”

After saying that, Guina stepped forward and nodded Zoro's forehead and said, "You have to be strong enough, strong enough that I can hear your voice even in heaven." ”

"Heaven, what are you talking about, Guina?"

Guina withdrew her hand and smiled sadly, "I'm leaving, Zoro. ”

Zoro shouted in confusion, "You want to go?" Where to go?"

It's a strange feeling, like you already know the answer, but you don't want to get it.

Suddenly, a monster appeared, with three heads, white bony faces, and nine bladed arms like praying mantises.

Guina stood behind the monster, smiling tearfully and waving goodbye to Sauron.

"Nope! Guina! Where are you going! ”

With tears streaming down his face, Zoro reached out in a vain attempt to pull Guina back.

But Guina was getting farther and farther away, and Sauron fell to his knees, looking up and crying.

The monster raised an arm, slashed it.

In an instant, the heavens and the earth collapsed, and the whole world was divided into two halves with Sauron as the boundary, and then little by little it was reduced to ashes.

In the darkness, Sauron pounded the ground with his hands and wept.

"Whoa... Whoa..."

Zoro opened his eyes.

"Are you awake?"

Luffy held an oil-paper umbrella to cover his little body and Zoro.

"Is it raining?" Zoro stood up and silently looked at the world outside the umbrella, not knowing whether to say it to Luffy or to himself.

Luffy took another step forward with his umbrella and said in a calm tone, "Well, your face is wet with rain." ”

Zoro wiped the water from his face and muttered, "Is it..."

"Let's go back."

Actually, when it was just overcast, Luffy had already come to Zoro with an umbrella, and there might be rain on his clothes, but the liquid on his face, Luffy knew very well where it came from.

Zoro looked back at Guina's grave and then at his own toes.

The events of the dream were still very clearly in Zoro's mind.

"Luffy!" Zoro shouted.

Luffy turned his head and looked at Zoro.

Zoro said confusedly, "Can you really make me stronger?"

Luffy smiled and said, "That's going to ask you." ”

Zoro grinned.

"Yes. So, what are we going to do in the future? ”

"We're pirates!"

Luffy handed the umbrella to Zoro because Zoro was too tall, and Luffy was really uncomfortable playing.

Zoro was stunned for a moment, lowered his head, and after a while muttered, "Pirates? Pirates are nothing! Even if I become a bad guy, I want to be the strongest one! ”

Thinking of the groundbreaking monster in his dream, Zoro always had a strange feeling of weakness and familiarity.

Taking the umbrella, Zoro led the way and flew back.

Luffy was wondering why Zoro had decided to follow him, but he wasn't prompted by the system.

'Is it because there is no formal consent......

Inside the gym.

Koshiro sat in the room with a soft face.

Watching Luffy and Zoro get closer and closer, one big and one small.

"Sooner or later, it will come." Koshiro sighed.

Originally, Koshiro was going to let Zoro become an adult and then let him go out to practice, but Luffy's strength and invitation changed Koshiro's mind.

As soon as he entered the house, Luffy walked in first, and Zoro put away his umbrella and put it at the door.

Luffy walked in front, and Zoro followed closely.

'Hey! It's a nice feeling. ’

"We'll leave tomorrow, and there are still some things, let's clean up today." Luffy turned to Zoro and said.

"Tomorrow... I see. ”

I have to say that Zoro's personality really makes Luffy comfortable.

Even if you are still a child, you can still let go of your mentality.

On the one hand, Luffy has such strength at such a young age, and on the other hand, it is also the death of Guina and the strange dream in the morning that deeply stimulated Zoro.

Walking into the main hall, Koshiro was kneeling and sitting on the right seat.

There are also two cushions, three delicate cups, and a pot of tea.

"Master." Zoro came in and said hello first.

"Koshiro senpai." Luffy also saluted.

Koshiro always kept a polite smile, pointed to the two cushions in front of him, and said to the two, "Come and sit here for a while." ”

Luffy and the two sat down one after another, face to face with Koshiro.

Every time he saw Koshiro's smile, Luffy always had an inexplicable sense of terror. Squinting or something is the scariest thing.

"Zoro, you've already decided, haven't you?" Koshiro asked as if he already knew the answer.

Sauron's eyes widened, and he said solemnly, "Yes, master! I've decided to follow Luffy and continue my practice. After speaking, he kowtowed heavily.

"I'm sorry! Master, I've decided to go with Luffy to be a pirate. ”

For so many years, Zoro has called Koshiro "master" only a handful of times, let alone such a formal salute.

Koshiro picked up a cup of hot tea and blew the hot air, and the steam spread a thick layer of mist on Koshiro's glasses, making his eyes even deeper.

"Pirates..."Koshiro paused and continued, "Sauron, you just need to remember that whether it's pirates, the navy, or ordinary people. First of all! You are a swordsman! ”

"Yes! Remember! Sauron didn't look up, because his tears weren't over yet.

Koshiro stood up, took down the big quick knife and the text of Daoichi hanging on the wall, and handed them to Zoro in front of him.

"Zoro, this is what Guina left behind, and I think you must need her very much."

“... Ancient... Guina..."

The tears on Sauron's face had not yet been wiped away, and he raised his head to look at the master, and the words of harmony in the master's hand.

"I see." Zoro took the text with both hands, "I will definitely be with this knife!" Climb to the top of the world! ”

Zoro pulled out the near-height Kazuchi text, held the horizontal knife in his hand, and felt it carefully.

On the side, Luffy and Koshiro continued to talk.

"Zoro, the most talented kid I've ever seen.

Although I don't know how you cultivated so strong at such a young age, I don't want you to live up to Zoro's talent.

If that's the case, it's better to let him stay here, although he has less experience, but the foundation will be stronger. ”

"Koshiro-senpai, I can assure you that I have a way, and!

Trust me, I'm Monchi. D. Luffy, will surprise the world. ”

Nearly two hundred points of spiritual power, although less than half of the overlord color, but at this age, he can release such coercion, which has to shock and convince Koshiro.

"In that case, Zoro will leave it to you."

"Don't worry!"

【Ding! The host gets the first partner, meets the requirements for opening the partner system, and the partner system is opened. 】