Psshhh—
As the colorless, odorless healing spray dispersed from the nozzle, it gently settled onto Zoro's wounds.
The skin that had been cut open by rubble immediately began to knit back together.
By the time the bottle was empty, Zoro's tightly shut eyes slowly fluttered open—
like a streak of white light cutting through endless darkness, rapidly widening, pushing the night away.
Light returned to his world.
"…What… happened to me?"
Still weak, Zoro blinked in confusion.
He turned his head—
and saw a chibi, two-heads-tall Luffy grinning stupidly right beside him.
"You're awake, Zoro!"
Seeing that Arelon's medicine really worked, Luffy happily greeted him.
Zoro stared at him for a long moment.
Then, with the serenity of a man who had accepted everything—
he calmly closed his eyes again.
"Ah… so I was dreaming~"
"..."
"A dream? That kind of escapist behavior doesn't suit your character at all, Zoro~"
At that moment, Arelon's clear youthful voice rang out.
Zoro's eyes snapped open.
"Well? Luffy held back a little at the end. Can you stand?"
Arelon extended a hand to help him up—
but that small gesture only made Zoro even more confused.
"Wait!"
He turned sharply, staring at the mini Luffy beside him.
"So I'm… not dreaming?"
"But then…"
He pointed at Luffy.
Right then, Luffy's body began to swell—
as if the elasticity limit of a rubber band had been reached.
POP!
A crisp, clean sound.
The doll-sized Luffy instantly returned to normal.
"That's the side effect of one of Luffy's techniques. There's no good solution yet."
Arelon laughed, pulling Zoro up.
Though Zoro had passed out, it had only been a sparring match.
Luffy had controlled his strength well—Zoro was simply stunned and exhausted, nothing more.
But now that he was back on his feet, Zoro still looked dazed.
Some of it was physical…
But more of it came from the deep powerlessness he'd felt before Luffy's strength.
After pausing a moment, Zoro finally lifted his head, gaze solemn:
"Arelon…
can you tell me…"
"…what the world outside is really like?"
"The outside world, huh…"
Arelon sighed, as if recalling distant memories.
Then he grabbed Luffy—now restored—by the cheeks and tugged on them while speaking:
"It's complicated."
"You just need to know this:
On the Grand Line, people stronger than this idiot are as common as grains of sand or cattle on a plain."
He wasn't exaggerating.
Luffy's current strength was already close to his Enies Lobby level—maybe a little short, maybe not.
But compared to the New World two years later, where practically everyone had Armament Haki?
A Luffy who hadn't even begun learning Haki yet…
really wouldn't stand out.
"What did you say!?"
As expected, Zoro's fingers trembled.
His first reaction: impossible. Absolutely impossible.
But…
Would Arelon lie to him?
The answer was obvious.
Zoro ultimately accepted the truth, though his feelings were complicated.
But then Arelon added another clean, merciless strike:
"And also…"
"Your goal—the current World's Greatest Swordsman, Dracule Mihawk…"
"If he wanted to defeat Luffy…
one swing would be enough."
"The gap… is that big?"
Zoro's eyes dimmed.
Arelon had said only a few sentences—
yet in Zoro's mind, it was as if an impossibly massive mountain had risen before him, its peak lost among the clouds.
"What's wrong? Thinking of giving up?"
Arelon suddenly asked with a light smile.
"Give up? Impossible!"
Zoro shook his head with a bitter smile.
Then he rested his hand on his sword, took a deep breath.
"It's just… I suddenly realized the road ahead is a lot longer."
But then, his eyes hardened once more.
He looked up toward the drifting clouds.
"If something like this were enough to make me give up,
I might as well die chasing my dream!!!"
"Exactly!"
Luffy instantly joined in, laughing.
"Dreams are supposed to be chased with your life on the line!!!"
"And Arelon—"
Luffy turned his head, balling his fist, indignant.
"Saying people stronger than me are everywhere… that's too much!"
"I'll make you see it with your own eyes—
how I knock all those guys flat!!!"
"You're gonna be shocked! Right, Zoro!?"
"Right!"
Zoro clutched his sword, feeling power rush through him like a tide.
"You'll see, Arelon!!!"
"Forget the Grand Line—
even Mihawk, I'll defeat him sooner or later!!!"
"Is that so?"
Arelon smirked, then sighed lightly.
"Then you might end up disappointed."
He pressed down the brim of his hat, eyes clear as glass:
"Because I've never once doubted…
that you two could achieve all of that."
"And with a trainer like me around—
no matter how strong you become, I won't be surprised."
Then he looked at Zoro again:
"Remember today's defeat, Zoro."
"A true strong man isn't defined by strength alone—
but by heart."
"Let this loss become the force that drives you forward.
Grow into a real warrior as soon as possible!"
"I'll work hard!"
Zoro clenched his fist, mimicking Luffy.
"I believe you."
Arelon smiled gently—
though deep in his eyes flashed a faint glimmer of successful scheming.
Yes, yes, yes!
Pressure creates motivation!
This exact outcome was what Arelon had predicted even before planning their sparring match.
He wanted Zoro to feel the weight of the outside world.
For guys like Luffy and Zoro, no matter how great the pressure was,
it would only turn into power.
The East Blue was far too weak.
Nothing here could push them.
That was a problem.
Their talent was too good—wasting it would be criminal.
He even regretted that in the past two and a half years, he hadn't seriously pushed Luffy to train harder.
After all, he didn't originally plan to sail with him.
But now?
Everything was different.
"Nami!"
Arelon suddenly turned to the girl standing not far away, dazed, lost in thought.
"Ah!?"
Nami jolted, quickly replying:
"W-What is it?"
"What are you daydreaming about!?"
Arelon walked over and flicked her on the forehead.
"Didn't you see Luffy and Zoro getting all fired up!? Aren't you gonna come join the hype?"
"No way!"
Nami puffed her cheeks.
"I'm not some hot-blooded idiot like them."
"And stuff like bonds and friendship—I totally don't get it."
"Oh? Really?"
Arelon's grin turned sly.
He suddenly unzipped the backpack behind him.
This wasn't the game inventory—
just the regular pack he carried when he set out to sea.
So when it opened, Nami clearly saw the pile of cash and small jewels they had looted from Morgan's office.
Nami: !!!
"And now?"
Arelon looked at the suddenly sparkling eyes.
"At your command, Lord Arelon!!!"
Nami dropped to one knee instantly, overflowing with fighting spirit.
"I'll charge through fire and water without hesitation!!!"
~~--------------------------
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