[Ding! Guided Sanji and earned his admiration. Sign-in progress +20%. Current total progress: 40%. Reward: Shunpo Level +1. Current Shunpo Level: Lv2.]
Takumi had barely walked away when the system's notification chimed in his mind. Along with it, more knowledge about Shunpo flooded into his brain, making him feel lighter on his feet.
"Not bad, Sanji," Takumi thought, feeling somewhat satisfied.
But admiration? Why does that count toward the progress?
That part puzzled Takumi, but as long as it worked in his favor, he wasn't going to complain.
Stretching his arms, he found himself standing on the second-floor deck of Baratie, soaking in the warm sunlight. The heat made him feel a bit sleepy.
"Time for a nap," he muttered.
With a flick of his hand, Takumi summoned a lounge chair from his system storage, plopped down, and closed his eyes for a quick snooze.
He had barely started to doze off when, not too far away, a pirate ship flying an unfamiliar flag began creeping toward Baratie.
As soon as Baratie came into range, the pirates fired their cannons, aiming straight for the ship's rear.
The cannon fire jolted Takumi awake.
Frowning, he opened his eyes just in time to see the cannonballs racing toward him.
Without hesitation, he leapt from the chair and, in midair, used Night Guy to kick the cannonballs into the sea.
Landing back on the deck, Takumi's gaze locked onto the pirate ship that had dared disturb his nap, several hundred meters away.
In one swift motion, he drew his sword, swung it once toward the pirate ship, and sheathed it just as quickly. Then, he calmly returned to his chair and closed his eyes again.
Before he could fully relax, the pirate ship split cleanly in half and began to sink, its crew's screams and cries echoing across the water before fading into silence.
Everything was calm again.
"You've gotta be kidding me…"
Sanji had been looking for Takumi, wanting to thank him for the advice earlier. Takumi's words had unraveled a knot that had been weighing on his mind for a long time.
But as he followed Takumi's path, he witnessed something unbelievable: Takumi had kicked away cannonballs and, with a single swing of a wooden sword, sliced a pirate ship clean in half.
Sanji froze, too stunned to approach.
Swallowing hard, he slowly backed away, then turned and sprinted back toward the kitchen, his mind racing with what he had just seen.
The more he thought about it, the more excited he became. He couldn't help but test his own kicks in the air as he ran.
"Takumi's incredible! And he's my age... I can't waste any more time!"
With that, he ran straight to Zeff's room.
When Zeff saw Sanji coming, he frowned. "Did you finish washing all the dishes?"
Sanji grinned. "Old man, I've made up my mind. I want to learn your leg techniques!"
Zeff raised an eyebrow, then burst into laughter. "Hahaha! You? Learn my leg techniques? Don't kid yourself! Get back to work."
"I'll work hard!" Sanji said earnestly. "I'll master cooking too, and in my spare time, you'll teach me how to fight with my legs!"
Zeff stared at him, slightly taken aback.
Something was different about Sanji. He wasn't the same kid who had been sulking half an hour ago. Had he finally started to figure things out?
Zeff frowned, his voice gruff. "I never said I'd teach you how to cook."
Sanji just smiled. "That's fine. I spend enough time in the kitchen, anyway. If you won't teach me, I'll learn by watching. I'm not the same Sanji I was before. Just you wait, old man. I'll surpass you soon, both in cooking and in fighting."
"Hahaha, you? Surpass me? In this lifetime? Get back to your chores, kid."
"Say whatever you want. I've made up my mind, and nothing you say will change it!"
Before Zeff could respond, Sanji dashed off.
Zeff's grin quickly faded as he fell deep in thought.
That kid… Did someone talk to him?
It definitely wasn't Patty or the other kitchen brutes. And aside from them, the only other person with access to the kitchen was that one guest he had given special privileges to.
Zeff narrowed his eyes slightly.
It couldn't be… that kid, right?
Meanwhile, Takumi had enjoyed a peaceful nap for over an hour. Upon waking, he instinctively reached for his gourd of wine.
It was empty.
Before leaving the village, Takumi had stocked up on plenty of booze from the local tavern. But after eight days of sailing—filled with drinking, sleeping, and occasionally fending off sea monsters—he was down to just two jars of the special brew Koshiro had gifted him.
After some thought, he decided against drinking Koshiro's wine for now.
Standing up and stretching, he stowed his lounge chair back in his system storage and followed the faint scent of alcohol toward Baratie's second-floor storage room.
As luck would have it, Sanji emerged from the room carrying a bottle of wine.
When the door opened and Sanji spotted Takumi, he froze.
"Uh, what are you doing here?" Sanji asked, startled.
Takumi's eyes were fixed on the bottle of wine in Sanji's hands. "How much for that?"
"Oh, this? Five Berries per glass. You're not thinking of drinking, are you?" Sanji asked cautiously.
"Yeah."
"Here, take this bottle. I'll just grab another," Sanji said cheerfully, handing the bottle to Takumi.
Takumi blinked. "?"
"It's no big deal," Sanji assured him. "Next time you want a drink, just let me know. I'll sneak you in here, you drink, and I'll keep watch."
Takumi chuckled softly.
This kid sure knew how to cozy up to people.
Takumi appreciated the gesture but wasn't one to take advantage of someone's hospitality without paying his dues.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a pouch with 100 Berries and tossed it to Sanji.
Sanji fumbled to catch it. "Wait, what's this?"
"For the wine."
With that, Takumi uncorked the bottle, took a swig, and found the taste acceptable.
He emptied the rest into his gourd and handed the empty bottle back to Sanji.
As he turned to leave, Sanji called after him. "Where are you going?"
"Hunting," Takumi said simply.
Sanji's eyes widened, and his excitement from earlier came rushing back as he remembered witnessing Takumi kicking away cannonballs and slicing a pirate ship in half. Bursting with energy, he followed after Takumi as they headed downstairs together.
"So, are you going after pirates? I saw it! You kicked away those cannonballs and cut that pirate ship in half with a wooden sword! That was amazing, Takumi! Tell me, when did you start learning leg techniques?"
Takumi's eye twitched slightly.
This question sounded awfully familiar...
Takumi remembered now.
This was the same question Zoro had asked him back in Shimotsuki Village.
Without giving it much thought, Takumi replied to Sanji with the same answer he had given Zoro back then: "Less than half a day."
"What?!" Sanji was so shocked he almost dropped the bottle of wine he was holding. "You're kidding! Less than half a day, and you could already fight the old man to a standstill?"
"Believe what you want," Takumi replied, brushing off Sanji's disbelief with the same indifference.
Sanji hesitated, then continued walking alongside Takumi, unable to let the matter rest. "It's hard to believe, but you don't seem like the type to lie. Takumi, how did you train your leg techniques? Can you teach me?"
Takumi could almost see the mission progress bar moving forward. But with too many people around in the restaurant, now wasn't the time for a private lesson.
"Come find me tonight."
With that, Takumi headed straight for the restaurant's front door.
Sanji didn't follow him further. Instead, he tightened his grip on the wine bottle, his body trembling with excitement.
"Does this mean… he's going to teach me? That's awesome! I'll make sure to learn everything I can!"
"Hey, kid!" a customer at a nearby table, waiting for his order, called out impatiently. "Is that bottle of wine you're holding the one I ordered?"
Snapping back to reality, Sanji quickly put on a grin. "Yes, right away."
He popped the cork and began pouring the wine for the customer—only to realize after a few moments that not a single drop was coming out. That's when he remembered: Takumi had poured the entire bottle into his gourd just a moment ago...
Meanwhile, Takumi had stepped out onto the deck in front of Baratie's main entrance.
Where there had once been a cargo ship docked next to his small boat, a battleship had now taken its place.
At that moment, Garp was standing on the deck of the battleship.
Seeing Takumi emerge from Baratie, Garp grinned and called out, "Hey, kid! Are you leaving?"
Takumi couldn't be bothered to answer. He hopped onto his small sailboat, untied the rope, and began steering towards the Calm Belt.
He wasn't planning on leaving Baratie for good—just heading out to hunt some Sea Kings, get in a bit of practice, and maybe bring one back to the restaurant.
Back at the dojo, he had always brought back game to show his appreciation for being allowed to stay. This time would be no different.
Seeing Takumi sail off, Garp immediately ordered his men to lower a military dinghy, then followed after Takumi himself.
Garp kept a steady distance of about fifty meters behind Takumi.
At first, he didn't notice anything strange. But after nearly half an hour of sailing, he began to realize something was off.
"Hey, kid! Do you even know where you're headed?" Garp shouted at Takumi's back.
Takumi didn't respond.
Garp picked up the pace, trying to catch up. "You're getting close to the Calm Belt. Once you go in, your boat will be stuck. You should turn back."
Takumi still ignored him, pressing forward.
Garp scratched his head, then suddenly burst out laughing. "You do know there are tons of Sea Kings in the Calm Belt, right? There are even some hanging around its outskirts. A scrawny kid like you wouldn't even make a decent snack for them! Hahaha…"
Just as Garp finished laughing, the water ahead of them began bubbling furiously. The surface started to churn, sending powerful waves that rocked their small boats.
A massive Sea Monkey burst out of the water, roaring as it brought a huge hand down towards Takumi and Garp.
"Takumi, stand back!" Garp grinned, his expression turning serious.
Takumi chuckled and motioned for Garp to go ahead.
Garp leaped from his boat, grinning as he clenched his fist. With one powerful punch, he slammed it into the Sea Monkey's head.
There was a flash of energy, and the Sea Monkey's eyes bulged out before it rolled back, crashing into the sea with a loud splash.
But just as Garp was about to celebrate, another giant Sea King—a massive frog—emerged from the water behind them.
"Damn it! Kid, watch out!" Garp shouted.
There was no way he could reach Takumi in time.
The giant frog opened its foul-smelling mouth, its tongue—a long, dark red appendage covered in barbs—whipping out towards Takumi at incredible speed.
Takumi glanced at the frog with a calm expression.
Unhurriedly, he drew his sword, Toya Lake, and with what seemed like a casual swing, sliced through the air.
The frog's tongue halted less than half an inch from Takumi's face.
Without even a croak, the frog's head detached from its body the moment Takumi sheathed his sword.
Garp stared in shock as Takumi turned his back and prepared to continue sailing.
Suddenly, a three-meter-long black needle shot out from the severed head of the frog, aimed directly at Takumi's back.
Garp opened his mouth to warn Takumi, but before he could speak, Takumi casually tilted his head. The needle zipped past his face, missing him by less than half an inch, and plunged into the sea.
Garp's jaw dropped.
This kid had not only shown that he could match Red-Leg Zeff's leg techniques, but he also possessed exceptional swordsmanship—and now it seemed his observation haki was just as impressive.
With abilities like these, it was no wonder he dared to travel alone on the open sea.
What a talent! It would be a waste if he didn't join the Marines!
Garp's grin widened.
Without a second thought, he abandoned his slightly larger boat and jumped onto Takumi's small sailboat.
"Kid, join the Marines! I can help you become even stronger," Garp said with a broad smile.
"Get back on your own boat," Takumi replied with a look of distaste.
"Not until you say yes," Garp laughed. "Don't underestimate my persistence, kid. Just say the word, and I'll be out of your hair."
"No."
"Come on, don't be so quick to turn me down. There are a lot of perks to being a Marine. If you stick with me, you won't have to listen to those old geezers at headquarters. You'll be free to do whatever you want. As long as I'm around, no one in the Marines will mess with you."
He almost sounded serious.
Takumi looked at Garp calmly.
His answer remained the same: "I'm not interested."
"Don't be so stubborn," Garp pleaded, looking genuinely disappointed. "I really want you on board."
"No need to say anything more," Takumi insisted. "I'm not going to risk my life for something called 'justice.' I don't need anyone else to get stronger. All I want is to be a free traveler, nothing more. The Marine lifestyle isn't for me. No matter what you say, I'm not changing my mind, so don't waste your time."
Garp had been about to list more benefits to entice Takumi, but seeing the unwavering determination in the boy's eyes, he swallowed his words.
"Fine, fine," Garp said with exaggerated regret. "But not joining the Marines is your loss."
Takumi chuckled but didn't reply.
At that moment, the system's notification sounded in his mind:
[Ding! Rejected the Marine hero Garp's invitation. Sign-in progress +10%. Current total progress: 50%. Reward: Armament Haki Level +1. Current Armament Haki Level: Lv3.]
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