As the colorless, odorless medicine misted over Zoro's battered body, it began working instantly. The scratches, bruises, and cuts from the battle started healing before their eyes, the torn skin knitting itself back together as if time had been reversed.
By the time the bottle was empty, Zoro's eyes fluttered open.
For a moment, it was as if a blinding light pierced through the darkness in his mind, chasing away the fog of unconsciousness. Slowly, his senses returned, and he blinked in confusion.
"What… happened to me?"
Zoro's exhausted voice carried a hint of disorientation.
When he turned his head, the first thing he saw was the miniature version of Luffy standing next to him, grinning ear to ear.
"You're awake, Zoro!" Luffy said excitedly, his goofy smile shining as brightly as ever.
Zoro, however, stared at him for a long moment before shutting his eyes again with a peaceful sigh.
"Oh... it was just a dream."
"..."
Both Luffy and Red exchanged blank looks.
"Dream? Escaping reality like that doesn't suit you, Zoro," Red remarked casually, his voice snapping Zoro out of his stupor.
Zoro's eyes shot open again, this time filled with alarm.
"What's going on?" Zoro muttered, his gaze darting between Luffy and Red.
Red crouched down, offering Zoro a hand to help him up. "What do you think? Luffy had burned all his strength with that last move. Can you still stand?"
As Zoro hesitated, he turned back to Luffy, pointing at him incredulously.
"But... but that's..."
Before Zoro could finish his sentence, the shrunken Luffy suddenly began to swell, his body expanding like a balloon past its elastic limit.
Bang!
In an instant, the miniaturized version of Luffy popped back to his regular size, standing tall and grinning as though nothing had happened.
Red shrugged, gesturing toward Luffy with a knowing smile. "That's the side effect of his Gear Third. His body shrinks after using it, but he bounces back eventually. Nothing to worry about—for now, anyway."
Still stunned, Zoro allowed Red to pull him up. While he had only passed out from the sheer force of the impact, his body felt light, healed by the miraculous medicine.
But as he stood upright, Zoro's confusion didn't fade.
It wasn't the lingering dizziness or fatigue.
It was the overwhelming sense of powerlessness that had gripped him when facing Luffy.
Zoro lowered his gaze for a moment, then looked up at Red with a serious expression.
"Red... can you tell me..." he paused, his voice laced with tension, "...what's the outside world like?"
Hearing the question, Red sighed deeply, as though recalling memories too vast to explain in words.
He walked over to Luffy, who was stretching and smiling, and casually tugged on his cheek.
"The outside world?" Red said with a smirk, pulling Luffy's face until it looked comically deformed. "The specifics are complicated, but I'll put it simply..."
He let go of Luffy's face and turned back to Zoro, meeting his gaze with a serious expression.
"In the Grand Line, there are countless people as strong as this guy."
Zoro's fingers trembled at the words.
"What… what did you just say?"
He struggled to process the statement. His first reaction was to dismiss it as an exaggeration.
Impossible. There couldn't really be that many people as strong as Luffy, could there?
But Red didn't have any reason to lie to him.
As Zoro stood there, grappling with the reality of what Red had just said, Red hit him with another dose of truth.
"Also..." Red continued, his tone dropping slightly, "...your goal is to surpass Dracule Mihawk, the world's greatest swordsman."
Zoro's jaw tightened, his focus sharpening at the mention of Mihawk.
Red's gaze softened, but his words carried an unrelenting weight.
"If Mihawk were to face Luffy right now, he'd probably only need one sword to win. That's the gap you're dealing with."
Zoro's breath caught in his throat.
The idea that the greatest swordsman in the world could defeat someone as monstrously strong as Luffy with a single sword stroke...
It was staggering.
"The gap… is that big?"
Zoro's eyes darkened, the weight of Red's words sinking into him.
Though he had only heard Red's description of the outside world, it was as if he could see it—a towering, endless mountain rising before him, its peak hidden in the clouds.
"What's wrong?" Red asked softly, his voice calm but probing. "Thinking of giving up?"
"Give up? That's impossible!"
Zoro let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head as he placed a hand on the hilt of his Narukami. He took a deep breath, his shoulders rising and falling as he steadied himself.
"It's just..." he began, his voice quieter, "...it feels like the road ahead has suddenly gotten a lot longer."
Then, as if snapping out of a trance, Zoro's determined gaze returned. He lifted his head to the sky, where drifting clouds floated aimlessly, and his voice grew firm and resolute.
"If you think I'll give up because of that, then you might as well let me die on the road to chasing my dream!!!"
"That's the spirit!" Luffy burst out laughing, his enthusiasm infectious. "Dreams are something you chase with your life!!!"
Luffy then turned to Red, his hands balling into fists, his grin faltering into a pout.
"And Red! Saying there are that many people stronger than me... that's way too much!"
He jabbed a thumb toward his chest, his expression brimming with determination.
"I'll prove it to you! I'll beat all those guys and knock them to the ground!!! And when I do, your jaw is gonna hit the deck!"
"Right, Zoro?!"
"Right!" Zoro tightened his grip on his sword hilt, a rush of power surging through him as if drawn from the very blade.
He smirked confidently, standing tall.
"Just watch, Red. I don't care if it's the Grand Line or Mihawk himself. I'll defeat them all!"
Red's lips curled into a knowing smile. But instead of doubting, he let out a soft sigh, lowering his head slightly as he pressed the brim of his hat.
"You'll do it," Red said simply, his voice steady. "I've never doubted that for a second."
Zoro and Luffy both blinked, surprised at his unwavering confidence.
Red lifted his gaze, the light in his eyes sharp and clear.
"And with me as your trainer, I won't be shocked no matter how far you go. But…" He locked eyes with Zoro, his tone suddenly more serious.
"Remember this defeat, Zoro."
Zoro stiffened, the weight of the words settling on him.
"The truly strong aren't just strong in body, but in spirit too. Use this failure as fuel—let it push you forward. Grow from it. Become someone truly strong."
Zoro, inspired by the speech, clenched his fist, mirroring Luffy's earlier pose.
"I will work harder!" he declared, his voice loud and sure.
"I believe you," Red said with a soft smile. But behind that gentle expression, a flicker of cunning gleamed in his eyes.
Inside, he was grinning.
'That's it.'
Red's plan had gone off perfectly. He had orchestrated this fight to make Zoro and Luffy feel the pressure of the outside world. He knew that the more pressure they felt, the stronger they'd become.
For someone with the hearts and ambition of Zoro and Luffy, pressure didn't crush—it forged.
After all, the East Blue was too small, too weak. It offered no real challenge. And for two people with so much potential, it would have been a tragedy to waste their talents here.
Red allowed himself a moment of self-satisfaction before turning to Nami, who was standing nearby, lost in thought.
"Nami!" he called out suddenly, snapping her out of her trance.
"Ah! W-what?!" she stammered, startled as she jumped slightly.
"What are you spacing out for?" Red asked as he approached her, flicking her forehead lightly. "Can't you see Luffy and Zoro look like they're ready to take on the world? Why don't you join in the fun?"
"Pass!" Nami crossed her arms and pouted, shaking her head. "Unlike you idiots, I'm not all about dreams, training, or this so-called 'bond' nonsense."
"Oh? Is that so?" Red's lips curled into a sly grin.
He swung the backpack off his shoulder and opened it, revealing its contents. It wasn't one of his in-game storage items—just a regular backpack stuffed full of cash and jewelry they'd looted from Captain Morgan's office.
Nami's eyes lit up like fireworks.
"! ! !"
She gasped audibly, the glimmer of gold and berries reflecting in her wide, greedy eyes.
Red tilted his head slightly, feigning innocence. "Well? What about now?"
Nami's demeanor shifted instantly. Dropping to one knee in a dramatic display, she bowed her head with exaggerated sincerity.
"Master Red!" she exclaimed passionately. "Just say the word, and I'll go through fire and water for you!!!"