"Although you don't believe it, I have full confidence in our Captain."
"By the way, Zoro, you're also an ambitious person, aren't you?"
Bai Luo asked, feigning ignorance.
"Of course, I'm going to be the Worlds Strongest Swordsman; that's my goal."
Zoro's eyes were filled with determination.
He heard that the strongest swordsman on this sea was Dracule Mihawk.
One day he would defeat Mihawk and take his place as the World's Strongest.
It was indeed so.
Bai Luo nodded in satisfaction.
"The worlds strongest swordsman?? That's a big goal."
"But for you right now, that path is still very long."
Bai Luo knew that Zoro would achieve this goal one day.
But with his current strength, he was truly still far from it.
"I know, but I believe that day won't be too far away!"
Zoro showed no concern for Bai Luo's denial.
He knew that his current strength might not be comparable to Mihawk's, but the gap between them wouldn't be too wide.
However, it wasn't until his first battle with Mihawk later that he realized.
How foolish his words were now.
The gap between him and Mihawk was like an unbridgeable chasm.
"So, you guys shouldn't waste your efforts on me."
"After I fulfill my agreement with Helmeppo, I will continue to be a Bounty Hunter, with the goal of defeating the Sword Saint Hawk Eyes (Mihawk)."
"I believe that day won't be too far away."
Looking at Zoro, whose eyes were so determined, Bai Luo shook his head slightly.
What stubbornness.
Too bad he didn't know that with his current strength, surpassing Mihawk was harder than ascending to heaven.
However, if Zoro knew that Mihawk had once died by his hand, he wondered what expression he would have.
"Hey, you guy, why are you so unreasonable??"
"Be my nakama, sailing out for adventure together is a very interesting thing!"
Luffy, seeing Zoro so stubborn, immediately started begging him to join again.
He just wouldn't give up.
"Forget it, Captain, let's just leave him be, let him fend for himself here."
Bai Luo shook his head, considering giving up on recruiting Zoro.
"If he dies here, how will he ever surpass Mihawk in the future?"
Zoro actually believed Helmeppo would keep their agreement; he truly was a big fool.
"Hey, what do you mean by that?"
Hearing Bai Luo's tone, Zoro immediately became displeased.
However, just as Bai Luo was about to explain,
an extremely annoying voice reached their ears.
And upon hearing this familiar voice,
Zoro and Rika's expressions changed simultaneously.
"It's really lively here, it seems I've arrived at just the right time—"
Everyone looked towards the sound.
At the entrance, Helmeppo, with a slicked-back hairstyle, wearing a small suit, and a chin like a butt, walked towards them.
Behind him were two Marine Soldiers.
"Roronoa Zoro, it seems you haven't kept our promise."
"You're here to rescue him, aren't you?!"
Helmeppo's pair of inverted triangular eyes looked at Bai Luo and the others with malice.
"Are you trying to break him out of prison?!"
"No, I want Zoro to be my companion!"
As soon as Helmeppo finished speaking, Luffy immediately retorted.
Zoro:
"Companion?? Hahahaha…"
It seemed to hit Helmeppo's funny bone; upon hearing the words "companion," he immediately burst into laughter, clutching his stomach.
Perhaps in his view, "companion" were the most useless words.
After a long time, Helmeppo finally stopped laughing.
His triangular eyes were filled with venom.
He scanned Bai Luo and the others one by one.
His gaze was full of cold indifference.
"I don't care if you're here to rescue this guy or not. Since you've come here today, don't even think about leaving. I'm going to execute all of you!"
Helmeppo said sinisterly.
"What did you say?!"
Zoro's expression changed slightly.
"We had an agreement before. As long as I fulfilled it, you wouldn't take your anger out on them. Why—"
"Zoro, haven't you seen clearly yet?!"
Zoro hadn't finished his sentence.
Bai Luo said with a sneer.
"This kind of scum never intended to keep your agreement from the start. He never intended to let you leave here, so you only have one path here: death."
"Hahahahaha…"
"He's right!"
Seeing his plot exposed, Helmeppo burst into laughter.
So what if they knew? It wouldn't change their outcome anyway.
"You made a fool of me in front of so many people. Do you think you can still live?!"
"Zoro, you can only atone by dying!"
"It seems I should have killed you from the very beginning and not given you any chances."
The previously enraged Zoro suddenly spoke calmly.
It was a pity that he only now saw Helmeppo's true colors.
"Hahaha, it seems a bit late to regret now."
"Even if they rescue you, what then?!"
"Do you still have the strength now?!"
As his voice fell, Helmeppo gave a look to the two soldiers behind him.
"Kill him!"
His tone and posture made Nami want to hit him with a stick.
And after a brief struggle, the Marine Soldiers behind him still raised their flintlock pistols and aimed them at Zoro.
Although they were unwilling in their hearts, they dared not disobey Helmeppo's orders.
Otherwise, they would suffer the same fate as Zoro.
Watching the muzzles aimed at him, Zoro's expression changed slightly.
He wanted to resist, but a feeling of weakness came over him.
This feeling of not being in control of his own life was truly infuriating.
But when he caught a glimpse of the calm expressions on Bai Luo and Luffy's faces, his agitated heart suddenly calmed down as well.
"You're on the verge of death and still playing tricks!"
Seeing the expressions on the three people's faces, Helmeppo was furious.
"Shoot! Quickly shoot and kill this guy!"
He urged impatiently.
The next second,
Bang.
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