From the moment Dragon first saw Takumi in the village last night, he knew this kid was something special.
At just ten years old, he already had the sword skills to easily defeat Kuina. And just now, when Takumi showed a bit of Observation Haki, Dragon could tell this kid had incredible potential. But still, something felt off, like there was more to him than met the eye.
Dragon decided to test Takumi's true strength using his Conqueror's Haki.
When Koushirou realized what Dragon was doing, his expression tensed. "Dragon, Takumi is just a kid!"
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," Dragon replied, his gaze locked on Takumi.
Takumi didn't back down; he stared right back into Dragon's sharp eyes.
The moment he felt Dragon unleash his Haki, Takumi knew there was nothing more to talk about. Even if Dragon's test was just a small display, with no malicious intent.
He quietly put the stopper back on his sake gourd, narrowing his eyes.
Then, a powerful aura burst forth from Takumi, clashing with Dragon's Haki.
A shockwave exploded outwards as their Conqueror's Haki collided. With a loud crack, the tea table in front of them shattered into countless pieces, and the walls around the tea room cracked under the immense pressure.
Neither Takumi nor Dragon was going all out.
"Interesting," Dragon said, a smile growing on his face. He was just about to ramp up his Haki to see how much Takumi could handle when Koushirou suddenly grabbed both of their shoulders, stopping them in their tracks. "That's enough! Are you two trying to destroy my dojo? Knock it off!" he scolded, clearly unhappy.
Although he was surprised that Takumi had Conqueror's Haki, this wasn't the time to dwell on that.
A clash of Conqueror's Haki was no small matter.
If they weren't careful, they could easily demolish the entire dojo, maybe even the whole village.
Koushirou could see that neither of them was using their full power, but even this little test had caused significant damage. If he didn't stop them, the tea room being destroyed would be the least of their worries—what if one of the kids training in the dojo got hurt?
Hearing Koushirou's words, both Takumi and Dragon retracted their Haki.
"Sorry, I got carried away," Dragon said, looking a bit apologetic.
Koushirou sighed. "You two are really something else. Dragon, what are you doing messing with a kid like this?"
Dragon chuckled before turning back to Takumi. "Takumi, have you ever heard of the Revolutionary Army?"
Takumi stared at Dragon, feeling a bit exasperated.
Of course, he knew about it.
This guy isn't about to try recruiting me, is he?
Before Takumi could respond, Dragon continued, "This world is one where only the strong survive. Too many corrupt leaders cause harm to those who can't protect themselves. The Revolutionary Army exists to overthrow the oppressive rule of the Celestial Dragons and the World Government, to liberate the oppressed, and to create a world that's more harmonious, equal, and free."
After a brief pause, Dragon added, "I've heard you want to be a traveler. But why waste your talents on that? Join the Revolutionary Army and help me bring down this decaying world and bring light to it. What do you say?"
"Not interested," Takumi replied bluntly. "Whether it's the Revolutionary Army, the Navy, or pirates, I don't care. I just want to be a free traveler with no strings attached. Whatever you plan to do in the future, no matter how noble, it's got nothing to do with me."
Just as Takumi finished speaking, a familiar sound echoed in his mind.
[Ding! Interacted with the leader of the Revolutionary Army, Dragon. Progress: +10%. Current Progress: 60%. Reward: Conqueror's Haki Level +1, Current Conqueror's Haki Level: Lv3.]
Immediately, Takumi felt a surge of power as his Haki level increased, making him feel even stronger.
But before he could fully enjoy the sensation, the system chimed again.
[Ding! Rejected the invitation from Dragon, leader of the Revolutionary Army. Progress: +10%. Current Progress: 70%.]
Takumi was momentarily stunned, then couldn't help but feel pleased. A 20% boost in progress!
Looks like I was right—Dragon's appearance wasn't random. Interacting with him really did help complete my mission.
But even with two progress boosts, I only got one reward.
After thinking it over, Takumi realized something.
The rewards from the sign-in missions are likely tied to the people I interact with. And it seems like I can only get one reward per person.
Both Dragon and Koushirou noticed the change in Takumi's aura as his Haki level rose.
They both had the same thought: This kid just got stronger!
He hadn't done anything special, just a brief clash of Haki, but his strength had somehow increased!
Did he have some kind of sudden breakthrough?
Dragon's gaze, which had been one of admiration, now turned into one of eager anticipation.
Now he understood what Koushirou meant when he said Takumi was a miracle.
At just ten years old, this kid had an extraordinary gift and strength. He was sure to become a key figure capable of shifting the tides in any situation.
If they let him slip through their fingers, it would be a huge loss for the Revolutionary Army.
With that thought, Dragon couldn't help but speak up again. "I get it, you want freedom and no strings attached. But you're still just a kid, only ten years old. Traveling alone is dangerous. If you join the Revolutionary Army, at least until you've fully grown, we can be your safety net."
"No." Takumi's response was firm. "I don't need a safety net, and I won't join any group. It's no use trying to convince me."
"Takumi—" Dragon started, but Takumi cut him off, standing up.
"I'm leaving," he said, walking out of the now-destroyed tea room.
Koushirou didn't stop him.
Dragon sighed, rubbing his temples. "That kid is stubborn as a mule…"
Koushirou laughed. "Takumi's a kid who knows exactly what he wants. Convincing him isn't going to be easy."
Outside in the courtyard...
Zoro, who had been knocked down by Takumi earlier, had landed right in front of the tea room door.
After struggling to his feet, aching all over, he muttered, "Damn, that was a hard hit…"
But when he looked toward the open tea room, he caught a glimpse of the moment when Dragon and Takumi's Haki collided.
"What the…?" Zoro was stunned, frozen in place.
It wasn't until Takumi walked out of the tea room, seemingly unbothered, that Zoro snapped out of it.
As he watched Takumi's figure disappear into the distance, Zoro's eyes glimmered with determination.
His grip tightened on his bamboo sword.