Luffy stood in position, gripping his wooden sword with both hands and facing Zoro with a serious look.
Zoro, on the other hand, carefully studied Luffy, searching for an opening.
Time passed, but neither made a move.
Luffy was observing. He knew Zoro was likely around eight or nine by now, definitely not weak. He probably could handle several low-tier pirates with ease.
Zoro didn't move either.
Luffy was full of openings. Too many. It was suspicious.
Given what his junior had said earlier, that Luffy was incredibly strong, Zoro figured those openings were just bait.
Still locked in a silent standoff, Luffy finally grew impatient.
He raised his wooden sword and lunged at Zoro.
"Fast!" Zoro barely managed to dodge left, then swung his twin swords upward, aiming for Luffy's exposed arm mid-air.
But Luffy kicked off the ground in an instant, leaping over the counterattack. The two had now traded one strike and one dodge each.
Luffy came in again, thrusting his sword like a spear straight at Zoro's chest.
Zoro raised all three of his swords, two in hand, one clenched in his mouth, and parried with precise coordination.
He was about to retaliate… when he realized he couldn't move.
Somehow, Luffy had locked his strength mid-clash.
Luffy, noticing his attack had stalled, spun away and reset the distance between them.
But Zoro didn't let up.
He charged in, crossed his two swords in a deadly X-formation, and slashed downward with full force.
Luffy swung up his sword to block it, but the moment the blades clashed, his wooden sword shattered into three pieces.
The sword in Zoro's mouth also came loose, flying straight toward Luffy's neck.
With no time to react properly, Luffy raised his right arm and blocked the strike barehanded.
"So in the end… fists work better." He shook his arm, unaffected.
It didn't hurt, but his health bar had definitely dropped.
From that alone, he could estimate Zoro's power, and his sword technique bonus.
"What…?"
Zoro's eyes widened in disbelief.
That last strike was strong enough to break solid rock. Yet Luffy stood there, unscathed.
Luffy didn't waste a second.
While Zoro was frozen in shock, Luffy's fist rocketed forward and smashed into his nose.
Zoro flew back, crashing hard into the dojo wall before collapsing in a heap, completely unconscious.
The entire dojo fell into stunned silence.
Koushirou and the students stared in disbelief.
Koushirou wasn't too shocked that Luffy beat one of his students.
He knew well that in this world, some people were simply born stronger.
But Zoro wasn't just any student, he was Koushirou's personal protégé, the best sword talent he'd ever seen.
By the age of nine, Zoro could have opened his own dojo.
At first, Koushirou hadn't thought much of the fight, Luffy had only used a wooden sword.
But now… Zoro had been knocked out in a single punch.
"A terrifying boy…" Koushirou murmured, adjusting his glasses.
"Forgive me, Master Koushirou," Luffy said humbly. "My swordsmanship isn't good enough to rely on in a fight."
Koushirou shook his head slowly.
"Strength is strength. Enemies won't play fair, they'll use their best against your weakness. You've taught Zoro an important lesson today."
"Uh…" Luffy scratched his head, unsure how to respond.
Thankfully, Koushirou continued:
"If you plan to stay here a while, I'll have someone take you to Zoro's room. It's spacious enough for two."
"Thank you, sir." Luffy bowed politely.
─────────🏴☠️─────────
Night fell.
The moon was full, glowing so brightly that anyone who looked at it would feel a pang of homesickness.
Zoro stirred and opened his eyes, staring up at the familiar ceiling of his room.
Traditional Japanese woodwork, of course, thanks to Koushirou's taste.
"Right… The last thing I remember was, "
"You're awake?" The voice came from the veranda.
Zoro turned his head and saw the boy who had knocked him out, sitting casually on the step between the garden and the room, head tilted, watching him.
"You're strong." Zoro said at last, unsure what else to say.
Luffy shook his head.
"No. I'm still weak."
Zoro didn't respond, unsure what to make of that answer.
After a moment, Luffy spoke again.
"Do you have a dream?"
The question caught Zoro off guard.
He squinted at the moon, as if searching his memories.
"My dream… is to become the world's greatest swordsman. Whether I'm seen as good or evil, I want my name to echo through the heavens and be known in every corner of the world!"
Luffy chuckled.
"That's so cool, even if you're still just a little guy."
He turned to look at the moon.
"That really is an amazing dream."
Zoro suddenly felt they were getting along surprisingly well.
"What about you?" he asked. "You're already so strong at your age. What's your dream?"
Luffy stared at the moon, his eyes gradually becoming distant.
In his old life, back on Earth, he'd had no great ambitions. Just enough money to live, buy things he liked, take care of his parents… That was all.
After coming to this world, he had no vengeance, no tragic backstory, no grand goal. He just wanted to grow stronger. Freer.
But if he had to name a dream…
He wanted to see his parents again.
He wanted them to know he was doing well, even if he wasn't just cooped up at home anymore.
He wished they understood that staying by his computer wasn't just for games.
He wanted to see their surprised faces when they found out how much he'd saved up on his own.
But…
That dream felt like one he could never reach.
"Dad… Mom…"
Luffy slowly stood, still gazing at the moon.
A moon just like Earth's.
"My dream?"
He raised a hand, as if trying to grasp the moon.
"If I could… I'd like to go back and see them again."
Tears began to flow quietly down his face.
Zoro didn't know who Luffy meant by "them."
Didn't know if they were in this world or not.
But somehow… he felt it.
His own eyes grew moist too.
They stood there silently, gazing up at the full moon for a long, long time.
A breeze rustled the leaves.
Ripples spread across the pond in the courtyard.
Then, Luffy turned toward Zoro and asked:
"Zoro… Do you want to get stronger?"
Zoro nodded firmly.
"I've always been trying."
"No, not that kind of strength." Luffy spread his arms toward the moon.
"I mean really stronger. Faster. Better."
Even with his small frame, the passion behind his words made Zoro take him seriously.
Luffy took a deep breath.
"You know, most of this world is covered by ocean. And that ocean is divided into four seas, the Grand Line, and…"
"The New World."
Zoro didn't speak, just listened.
Luffy continued.
"The Four Seas are mostly filled with ordinary people. Some strong ones appear, sure, but their real goal is always the same, to get to the Grand Line, and then the New World."
Zoro's head spun from all this information, but he nodded along.
Luffy sighed.
"You might not realize it, but in the New World, there are swordsmen as strong as Master Koushirou… everywhere. Some of them could beat him easily."
Zoro's pupils shrank.
That shocked him.
To him, Koushirou was strong, maybe not unbeatable, but certainly someone he wouldn't catch up to for a long time.
But Luffy said the New World was filled with people like that?
Unconsciously, Zoro clenched his fists.
He turned to Luffy.
"What's your point?"
Luffy grinned, stretched out his hand, and said seriously:
"Zoro… Become my crewmate. Let's grow stronger together. Let's stand at the top of the world."
Zoro didn't answer right away. He stared into Luffy's eyes, cool and calm.
"Why should I?"
Luffy slowly lowered his hand, smiling.
"Because I can make you stronger. Faster than anyone else. I can help you become the strongest."
Before Zoro could respond, the sliding door between the bedroom and hallway opened.
Koushirou stepped in quietly.
He approached them, looked up at the moon, and said softly:
"It's beautiful tonight."
Then he turned to Zoro.
"Zoro, Luffy's right. The world is big. Much bigger than this place."
He sighed.
"You're gifted. I'm confident I haven't wasted your potential. But our paths are different. I can't teach you much more."
Placing a hand on Zoro's head, he added:
"I don't know why Luffy said what he did… but I can see the confidence in him. If you truly want your name to reach the heavens, maybe following him isn't a bad choice."
Being discussed like that while present was awkward, but Luffy simply held out his hand again and said quietly:
"I promise."
"Of course, the choice is yours."
Koushirou added.
"And… sorry for overhearing your conversation."
Luffy smirked.
"Yeah right. Like I'd believe it was an accident. Adults are all the same."
And so, the three of them fell silent.
They sat together in the courtyard, gazing at the full moon, each lost in their own thoughts of the people they missed.
==========
You can find much more on my Patreon: Patreon.com/Veltoria
There are currently 5 active fanfictions on Patreon, with over 217+ advanced chapters available across them!
From Naruto Onwards, I Control Time — Up to Chapter 203
Haikyuu!!: Rise of Sengoku — Up to Chapter 117
Danmachi: Is It Wrong To Aspire to Be An Adventurer? — Up to Chapter 55
Legend of Hogwarts (Harry Potter x League of Legends) — Up to Chapter 53
I Am Luffy: Partner System Online (One Piece) — Up to Chapter 30