C9 Frost Moon Village's Dragon's Probing

From the moment Long caught sight of Lin Mo in the village last night, he knew there was something extraordinary about the boy. At just ten years old, Lin Mo possessed a level of swordsmanship that could effortlessly defeat Guina, and he had even demonstrated a hint of Kenbunshoku Haki. Clearly, the child was exceptionally gifted—a promising prospect.

Yet, Long sensed something was missing; he believed Lin Mo's abilities extended far beyond what he had shown. Determined to uncover the full extent of the boy's talents, Long decided to test him with his own Haki.

Koshiro's face tensed when he realized Long was using Haoshoku Haki to gauge Lin Mo. "Long, remember, Lin Mo is still just a child!"

"Don't worry, I'm fully aware," Long replied, his gaze fixed intently on Lin Mo.

Unintimidated, Lin Mo met Long's piercing eyes head-on. As soon as he sensed Long's intent to test him with Haki, words became unnecessary—their silent understanding was enough.

Even though Long's probe was merely scratching the surface and bore no ill will, Lin Mo responded in kind. He quietly sealed his wine gourd and narrowed his eyes.

Then, with a burst of energy as formidable as Long's, Lin Mo released his own aura, clashing with the Haki in the air. The impact sent a powerful shockwave through the room. A loud crack echoed as the tea table before them splintered into fragments, and the walls of the tea room were webbed with cracks from the force of their confrontation.

Neither Lin Mo nor Long had unleashed their full power.

"Interesting, you certainly haven't disappointed me," Long said, his smile growing. He was ready to escalate the output of his Haoshoku Haki, eager to test Lin Mo's limits.

Just then, Koshiro, with a swift motion, grabbed each of them by the shoulder, halting the standoff. His voice carried a note of displeasure, "Enough! Are you two trying to ruin my dojo? Stop this at once!"

Though taken aback by Lin Mo's possession of Haoshoku Haki, Koshiro knew this was not the time for astonishment. A clash of Haoshoku Haki was serious business—not to be taken lightly. A misstep could lead to the destruction of the entire dojo, or worse, Frost Moon Village itself.

He recognized that both combatants were holding back, merely engaging in a probing exchange. Yet, the sheer destructive potential was evident. If he didn't intervene, the damage to the tea room would be the least of their worries. The real tragedy would be if any of the children training in the dojo were injured.

Koshiro's words simultaneously caused both of them to withdraw their Haki.

With an apologetic tone, Long said, "Sorry, I lost my composure for a second there."

Koshiro let out a resigned sigh. "You two are a handful. Long, why are you picking a fight with a kid?"

Long chuckled, then turned his attention to Lin Mo. "Lin Mo, have you heard of the Revolutionary Army?"

Lin Mo gave Long a silent, knowing look.

He had a hunch...

Was this guy about to extend an olive branch to him?

Before Lin Mo could respond, Long went on, "We live in a world where the strong prey on the weak. Too many incompetents hold power, leaving countless defenseless people to suffer. The Revolutionary Army exists to topple the unjust dominion of the Celestial Dragons, to free those who are oppressed, and to create a world that is more harmonious, equal, and free."

After a brief pause, Long pressed on, "Koshiro tells me you want to be a traveler. What's so great about that? You're just squandering your talents. Why not join the Revolutionary Army and help me bring down this rotting world? What do you say?"

"Not interested," Lin Mo replied bluntly. "Revolutionary Army, Navy, pirates—it's all the same to me. I just want to be a free traveler, unbound by anyone's rules. No matter how noble your future endeavors might be, they're of no concern to me."

No sooner had Lin Mo finished speaking than a notification chimed in his mind.

Beep! Engaging with the leader of the Revolutionary Army, sign-in progress +10%. Current total progress: 60%. Reward: Haoshoku Haki level increased by +1, current Haoshoku Haki level: Lv. 3.

In that moment, Lin Mo's entire aura elevated as his Haki surged.

Before he could even savor the moment, another system alert echoed in his thoughts.

Beep! Declining the invitation of the Revolutionary Army's leader, sign-in progress +10%. Current total progress: 70%.

Lin Mo was momentarily taken aback, then a surge of elation filled him. His sign-in progress had jumped by 20%!

His intuition had been right; Long's appearance was no fluke. Indeed, interacting with this man had triggered the completion of his sign-in task.

After making progress with his sign-in tasks twice in a row, Lin Mo was perplexed to find he'd only received one reward. Mulling it over, a realization dawned on him: the sign-in task rewards must be connected to the people he encountered, and each person could only trigger a reward once.

The instant Lin Mo's Haki surged, Dragon and Koshiro's faces tensed with gravity. The same thought struck them: The kid's gotten stronger! He hadn't really done much—just a brief clash of Haki—and yet, his power had mysteriously escalated. Had he experienced some kind of sudden enlightenment?

Dragon's gaze shifted from admiration to eager anticipation as he watched Lin Mo. He now grasped the truth behind Koshiro's words from the night before: Lin Mo was a miracle. At just ten years old, his remarkable talent and strength were undeniable. In time, he was sure to become a pivotal figure capable of altering any situation. To let him slip away would be the Revolutionary Army's greatest loss.

With that in mind, Dragon ventured, "I understand your desire for freedom, for a life unencumbered by rules. But you're only ten, still a child. It's far too dangerous for you to be out there alone. Join the Revolutionary Army, and at least until you've come into your own, we can provide a measure of protection."

"No," Lin Mo replied firmly. "I don't need a shield, nor will I align with any faction. No amount of persuasion will change my mind."

"Lin Mo," Dragon began.

"I'm leaving now." Lin Mo cut him off, rising to his feet and exiting the chaotic tea room.

Koshiro made no move to stop him. Dragon massaged his temples, exasperated. "Such an intractable kid..."

Koshiro chuckled, "Lin Mo has a mind of his own. Convincing him is no simple task."

Outside in the courtyard, Zoro, who had been knocked back by Lin Mo's punch, landed squarely in front of the tea room's entrance. As he struggled to his feet, nursing his aching body, he grumbled, "Damn, that was a hard hit." But then, his eyes caught the dramatic encounter between Lin Mo and Dragon's clashing Haki through the open doorway.

"Eh?" Zoro stood frozen in shock, completely dumbfounded.

It wasn't until Lin Mo nonchalantly strolled out of the tea room that he snapped out of his trance.

As Lin Mo's figure receded into the distance, a flicker of intrigue danced in Zoro's eyes.

His hand instinctively tightened around the shinai.