27. Zoro formally becomes a disciple of the Overlord of Western Chu!

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The moment of parting had finally arrived.
Red-Leg Zeff pretended to scold Sanji for his cooking, declaring he was kicking him out of the sea restaurant Baratie. Meanwhile, Luffy was beaming with joy as he recruited the gourmet chef—Sanji!
As they stood on the verge of departure, Patty looked deeply sorrowful.
"Sanji, you must be careful!"
Sanji, a cigarette dangling from his lips, froze for a moment.
Red-Leg Zeff watched Sanji’s receding figure in silence, then softly said, "Sanji, take care not to catch a cold."
Thump!
Sanji suddenly knelt and bowed his head to Red-Leg Zeff, choking with sobs: "Mr. Zeff, thank you for all your care over these years!"
The two had gone from being bitter enemies at the start to cherishing one another deeply later on. They were not just kindred spirits with a shared dream; they were like father and son, friends across generations. If Sanji had stayed in the East Blue, he likely would have spent his whole life unable to pursue his dream sea, the All Blue. This was a tragedy Red-Leg Zeff refused to witness.
Luffy plopped down onto the bow of the Going Merry, arms raised high, cheering:
"Set sail, Straw Hat Pirates!"
...
[Obtained: Extra-Large LCD TV x1]
[Obtained: Contra game cartridge x1]
[Obtained: Deluxe gaming console x1]
[Obtained: Super Mario game cartridge x1]
[Obtained: One barrel of Happy Fat-Boy Water]
[Obtained: Esdeath body pillow x1]
Chu Bawang was stunned. What was going on with this lottery draw? Why was it all items loved by shut-ins? TVs, game cartridges, consoles, soda, anime body pillows...
Chu Bawang rolled up his sleeves, his expression grave. "It seems it’s time to sacrifice Luffy’s romantic luck to change my fortune!"
"Great Supreme Lord, hear my urgent command... Great Mighty Heavenly Dragon, Prajna Buddhas, Om Mani Padme Hum... Western Paradise Tathagata Buddha and Jade Emperor... please bless me with a grand prize!"
[Ding! Obtained God-Tier Skill: God-Level Resurrection]
[God-Level Resurrection: Can resurrect the deceased and randomly extract one of their abilities.]
It’s over.
I’ve sacrificed Luffy’s romantic luck!
And it really did yield a god-tier prize!

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This is an absolutely divine skill. Everyone has lost someone dear to them, right?
Not to mention anyone else, just look at the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, from the world of One Piece!
If he were resurrected, it would certainly stir up massive waves across the world! One must know that the reason Luffy and countless other pirates set sail for adventure is precisely because the culprit, Gol D. Roger, ignited the Great Pirate Era at Loguetown!
Ever since then, pirates, who had long been silent, stepped back onto the stage of history in a dazzling display. Had it not been for Roger’s influence from behind the scenes, the world-shaking Summit War would never have occurred!
"Roger, a pirate world without you is truly lonely."
Just then, Luffy shouted his classic catchphrase to Sanji: "I am the man who will become the Pirate King!"
Chu Bawang burst into laughter.
Wanting to become the man who will be the Pirate King—is that not simple?
When I arrive at Loguetown and resurrect the Pirate King Roger, I’ll use my gender-bending ability to turn Roger into a woman...
Then, after bowing to heaven and earth, to the parents, and to each other, they shall be sent to the bridal chamber.
The name of Luffy, the man of the Pirate King, will surely echo throughout the heavens and earth!
Usopp turned to look at Zoro, who was wrapped in bandages, and asked with concern: "Zoro, how are your injuries?"
"Usopp, as a brave warrior of the sea, do you not know that scars are the medals of a man?"
"But your injuries are too severe. If Mihawk had used a bit more force, you would have been sliced in half at the waist!"
"Hmph! Sooner or later, I will challenge him again! When that time comes, I will surely avenge this defeat."
As he spoke, Zoro tugged at his wounds, causing him to grimace in pain.
Chu Bawang placed his palm on Zoro’s shoulder, his expression neutral:
"Don't move. If the wounds burst open, I don't know any healing arts."
"Ba... Bawang..."
Zoro was momentarily flustered.
With his personality, he rarely truly admired anyone. But clearly, Chu Bawang had achieved that!
As a swordsman, Zoro held 100% respect and admiration for Chu Bawang. If not for that, he would never have declared himself an unofficial disciple of Chu Bawang in front of Hawkeye and the others!
Zoro truly wanted to become the world’s greatest swordsman! He also understood that his talent alone was not enough to reach that position. He needed a mentor! A mentor who could point out the path forward!
And Chu Bawang possessed such power. He was still haunted by the sight of Chu Bawang summoning thousands of flying swords to slaughter the Black Cat Pirates!

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Strong.
He was simply too strong!
Seeing Hawkeye Mihawk only made this thought grow stronger.
"At first, even I thought that Bawang and Mihawk were evenly matched in swordsmanship."
"But looking at it now, even if Mihawk is the world’s greatest swordsman, there is still a chasm as vast as the sky between his strength and Chu Bawang’s!"
Yes.
When he returned the Black Blade 'Yoru' to Mihawk, he saw a flash of astonishment and confusion on the man's face! The world's greatest swordsman, Hawkeye Mihawk, had been completely powerless against Chu Bawang’s flying sword summoning command!
Who was stronger and who was weaker was clear at a glance.
Becoming an unofficial disciple of Chu Bawang might sound a bit humble. But looking at it from another perspective, paying this price was clearly worth it.
Because Chu Bawang was very likely the figure highlighted in ancient swordsmanship texts—
An Immortal Sword Saint from beyond the world!!!
Zoro silently patted himself on the back: "Zoro, oh Zoro, I really admire your cleverness, seizing the moment of the duel to claim you are Bawang’s unofficial disciple!"
"With this, I’ve truly latched onto a powerful backer!"
"So what if I'm an unofficial disciple? Even if I am, there’s still a chance to become a true disciple or a closed-door disciple in the future!"
"The position of the world’s greatest swordsman—it’s mine!"
Zoro’s little schemes naturally could not escape Chu Bawang’s discerning eyes!
But clearly, standing at the pinnacle of power, Chu Bawang couldn't be bothered to argue with Zoro. Of course, the most important reason was that there was a generous reward for training Zoro!
[System Mission: Train the world’s greatest swordsman. Mission Reward: Portal fragments x3, lottery chances x10]
As the saying goes, there is no profit in waking up early!
Chu Bawang was not the type to engage in charity; even if Zoro worshipped him, he couldn't just hand out benefits to others randomly! Nami was his goddaughter, so gifting her a Ruyi Jingu Bang was only appropriate. As for the rest of the Straw Hat crew, Chu Bawang had originally intended to let them fend for themselves...
But now, he just wanted to say: It’s actually quite satisfying.
Isn't it just training the world’s greatest swordsman?
That’s easy!
"Zoro, are you still going to address me by my name directly? Are you sure you don't want to change how you address me?"
Zoro suddenly realized, and performed a grand master-disciple ceremony toward Chu Bawang, his expression solemn:
"Four-Sword Style Pirate Hunter, Roronoa Zoro, pays respects to his Master!"