Somewhere in the East Blue.
A vast, endless ocean stretched to the horizon, thin white mist drifting above the calm sea like a dream.
Cutting through the water, a pirate ship sailed steadily forward, leaving behind a long wake as it emerged from the fog.
A gentle breeze blew across the deck of the Going Merry.
Everyone onboard looked relaxed and at ease.
Logan watched Zoro closely and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Zoro's talent for the sword was frightening.
Logan had only explained the principle behind Water Breathing, yet Zoro had already closed his eyes and begun adjusting his breathing on his own.
Even more astonishing—his breathing rhythm was slowly moving in the right direction.
"Zoro," Logan said seriously, "you need to focus more. Let every cell in your body breathe. Forget everything. Forget the world. Only then can you truly feel Water Breathing."
Zoro's chest rose and fell rapidly at first, then gradually steadied.
The strain on his face eased.
Little by little, Logan could sense it—
Zoro's breathing was beginning to synchronize with the sea.
"That's it!" Logan said sharply. "That feeling—remember it!"
This kind of state was fleeting.
Miss it once, and who knew when it could be reached again?
Zoro clearly felt the wonder of that moment.
Suddenly—
He snapped his wrist, opened his eyes, and slashed forward.
A terrifying sword aura burst from the blade, streaking across the surface of the sea.
BOOM!
The water exploded upward, a wave more than ten meters high erupting into the air.
Even Nami, lounging on a deck chair and reading the paper, felt the ship rock violently and nearly slid off.
"Zoro! That was amazing!" Luffy shouted, eyes wide.
"Y-Yeah… totally expected," Usopp said, pretending to stay calm.
Zoro himself was stunned.
He hadn't expected a casual slash to carry such power.
But immediately after—
His legs went weak.
A crushing sense of exhaustion hit him, dizziness washing over his vision, as if he hadn't eaten for days.
Logan stepped forward and steadied him.
"That's normal. You were in a Total Concentration Breathing state. The strain on your body is enormous."
"And you used full power on your very first try. Not passing out already is impressive."
Zoro took one step back—
Then dropped to both knees with a heavy thud.
"Thank you for teaching me the sword," he said solemnly.
Logan reacted instantly, sidestepping away as if struck by lightning.
"Hey—Zoro! This is just friends exchanging techniques. If you keep doing that, I can't even be your friend anymore."
Zoro stood up reluctantly, his gaze firm.
"A sword path like this cannot be bought with gold. Big Brother Logan, I will never forget this guidance for the rest of my life."
Logan smiled faintly, unconcerned.
He knew exactly what kind of man Zoro was.
Back when he was still a student—before ever coming to this world—Zoro had already been his idol.
At that moment, Sanji emerged from the galley, carrying a massive iron pot, cursing as he walked.
"Which bastard just shook the ship?! Do you know you almost ruined my cooking?!"
Usopp immediately pointed at Zoro.
"Him! Zoro! That slash was like tossing a bomb into the sea!"
"Damn it!" Sanji snapped. "When did you get this strong?!"
Then Sanji looked at Zoro…
Then at Logan…
Realization struck.
He set the pot down and dashed forward, throwing himself at Logan's leg.
"Big Brother Logan! The spicy hot pot is ready! Please go taste it!"
Logan looked down at the shamelessly clinging Sanji and sighed.
"Can't you just cook like a normal person?"
He lifted a foot and kicked Sanji away.
Sanji spun like a kite caught in the wind, twirling several times before landing perfectly on his feet.
Luffy had already sniffed out the treasure.
His neck stretched forward as he inhaled deeply, eyes sparkling.
"Sanji! What's that?! I wanna eat too!"
He stretched his arm toward the lid—
Smack!
Sanji kicked it away.
Luffy yelped and retracted his arm, pouting.
"Sanji, you're so stingy…"
"This pot is for Big Brother Logan," Sanji said firmly. "Wait your turn."
Then he turned back, grinning ingratiatingly at Logan.
Logan was genuinely excited.
He hadn't eaten spicy hot pot in a very, very long time.
As he approached, a rich, numbing-spicy aroma hit him head-on.
Yes.
That was it.
That unmistakable smell.
He lifted the lid—
And froze.
"…Damn."
Spam, shrimp, sea cucumber, potatoes, enoki mushrooms, squid, fish balls—everything you could imagine.
A luxury-grade spicy hot pot.
Logan stared at Sanji in disbelief.
He had only explained the basics—ingredients and flavor.
Yet Sanji had recreated it almost perfectly.
"I couldn't find beef balls," Sanji said sheepishly, "so I used fish balls instead."
Logan ignored him and immediately grabbed a slice of potato.
"…Mmm. Delicious."
"Sanji, you're a genius."
"Just for this," Logan said, "I'll teach you Moon Walk this afternoon."
Sanji burst into laughter, eyes shining.
For a chef, there was no higher praise.
Luffy and Usopp finally lost all restraint and began begging pitifully for a bite.
Just as the deck filled with noise and laughter—
A News Coo swooped down, dropping a flyer onto the ship.
Nami noticed it instantly, picked it up—
And screamed.
"We're done for! Completely done for!"
Everyone rushed over.
On the paper was Luffy's grinning face.
Below it, bold black text:
DEAD OR ALIVE — 60,000,000 BERRI
A Marine Headquarters bounty poster.
Luffy stared for half a second—
Then burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! We're wanted criminals now!"
Cheers erupted across the deck.
Only Nami collapsed into her seat, face pale.
"You idiots don't understand how serious this is!"
"A rookie pirate getting 60 million on their first bounty is unprecedented!"
She clenched the poster tightly.
"We can't stay in the East Blue anymore."
"We need to head to the Grand Line—fast!"
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