One Piece: Starting by Refusing Shanks

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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