Chapter 26: Heading Back First
The most shocked person was Zoro himself.
Losing to Mihawk? He could stomach that. The man was the world's greatest swordsman, at least wielding a black blade.
But Luo Lin? He hadn't even drawn his sword. He blocked Zoro's strike with a single finger.
What kind of joke was this?!
"I-I must be seeing things! Zoro's attack… stopped by one finger?!"
"Idiot! We can't all be hallucinating! Though maybe he's a Devil Fruit user like Luffy and Ace!"
"Right, that makes sense!"
Luo Lin's mouth twitched. (¬‿¬) Ace just gave a mysterious smile.
"So? Convinced of Haki's power now?"
Zoro gritted his teeth. He hated admitting the gap between him and a true monster was this huge.
Staring at that pitch-black finger, he could feel some strange energy flowing across it.
"Don't look down on people too much!"
He yanked his blade back, eyes sharpening again.
Luo Lin silently approved. No wonder Mihawk acknowledged him—this guy had the heart of a swordsman.
Zoro launched another barrage, far more ferocious this time.
Still useless. Every strike met the same single finger.
Everyone's jaws dropped.
"At least make him draw that sword! Otherwise it's a disgrace to swordsmen!"
Zoro roared, leaping back and assuming his signature stance—three swords in a strange formation.
Seeing the ultimate coming, Luo Lin finally drew Mitama.
"Careful. This is one of the Twelve Supreme Grade Blades—Mitama."
"Exactly what I wanted!"
Zoro charged.
"Three-Sword Style Secret Technique: Three Thousand Worlds!!"
Luo Lin: Lazy naming, so I'll just normal-attack your ultimate.
CLANG!
Dead silence.
"Did it hit?!"
"Can't tell!"
"Nope. He can't win against Luo Lin yet."
Ace kindly explained.
Both slowly sheathed their blades.
Zoro removed his bandana and offered his swords to Luo Lin—no wounds this time. Luo Lin had held back.
"I lost."
Luo Lin: … Bro, why do you immediately offer swords the moment you lose?! I just wanted to show off a little!
"No need. We're not enemies, and this wasn't a deathmatch. I only wanted to prove Haki exists."
Zoro was stubborn.
"I don't see it that way."
Luo Lin: …
"You're Luffy's crew. I'm his friend. No duel needed between us. Keep that pride for the enemies ahead. There are tons of monsters on the Grand Line. Losing isn't shameful—I've lost plenty! Difference is, I always ran away afterward. So I'm not a pure swordsman. That means we don't have to follow swordsman etiquette, right? If you guys want to learn Haki, I'll teach you slowly later. After all… I might end up as your crewmate eventually, heh heh."
Zoro reluctantly accepted the logic, but declared he'd surpass him one day.
Luo Lin gave a thumbs-up.
"Awesome! Luo Lin's gonna teach us Haki! We can rampage across the seas now!"
Luffy chimed in perfectly.
"Wait, Luffy! 'Rampage' isn't used like that!"
"Who cares! Keep going or throw another party? I'm hungry again!"
Nami punched the top of his head.
"You just ate!!"
"HAHAHAHA!"
The group set off again amid laughter—except Zoro, who looked deep in thought, replaying the fight in his head, trying to grasp that strange energy.
Sanji noticed and teased:
"Hey, moss-head, you okay? Need another cry like last time?"
"Shut up, curly-brow! Get away before I cut you!"
"Guess you're fine."
"SCRAM!"
They traveled all day. That night they roasted some unknown beast around a campfire.
Ace watched Luffy and the crew fool around, quietly evaluating whether these people were trustworthy.
Luo Lin just enjoyed the show—this crew's vibe was pure comedy gold.
…
Next morning, Luffy got tricked by a bird and chased it in rage… then came back riding a camel, followed by giant angry lizards.
The three monsters (Luffy, Zoro, Sanji) instantly turned the first wave of lizards into breakfast.
The second wave didn't even need Ace—Luo Lin split one clean in half with a casual slash.
Zoro gnashed his teeth. Damn, that guy's swordsmanship is scary. Gotta beat him someday!
With two whole giant lizards, everyone finally had a full meal.
Nami, Vivi, and the others were stunned.
What are these three made of?! They demolished an entire lizard by themselves!
Luffy's appetite was known, but Ace and Luo Lin matched him bite for bite.
After breakfast, they continued.
Nami and Vivi rode the camel ahead… and promptly got separated from the group.
Half a day later, sand pirates appeared.
Usopp spotted the tied-up Nami and Vivi on their ship.
Luffy fired a Gum-Gum Pistol, snapped their mast, and flew over… completely missing the girls. He just wanted water.
He even started chatting with the sand pirate boss—mostly about how to cook the camel.
Meanwhile, Ace was playing copycat with a mimic lizard.
Luffy volunteered to help the sand pirates find a new mast.
They gave him a small sand sled.
He pulled the sail—gust of wind—zoomed away, then pushed it all the way back.
"I'm back!"
"Don't waste energy like that, idiot!!"
"HAHAHAHA!"
The crew yelled in unison.
Luo Lin was dying of laughter.
Shortly after, another band of sand pirates attacked.
Both sides charged—then a giant dung beetle pushing a massive dung ball crested the dune, rolling straight at them.
"Boss, we're gonna get crushed!!"
"Leave it to me!"
The sand pirate boss leaped heroically… and got flattened in three seconds.
Luo Lin was crying from laughter.
No wonder Robin always smiled watching these guys—there was literally nothing else to do but laugh!
Nami heard him and exploded:
"LUO! LIN!"
"Huh? What?"
He wiped tears from his eyes.
"You're still laughing?! Do something! I don't wanna die under a dung ball!!"
"Relax. If your crew can't handle something this small, they're not qualified."
"You're right!"
Zoro grabbed two random swords from the pirates, leaped onto the railing, and diced the dung ball into pieces mid-air.
Sanji kicked the remaining chunks away, then polished his shoe on the railing.
"See? Told you no need for me to lift a finger."
Nami ignored him.
Luo Lin didn't mind—Nami had always been rude to him since childhood.
Eventually Luffy returned with timber.
Everyone parted ways with the sand pirates and continued.
Near the next town, Ace came racing back on a lizard.
After a quick fake rebel army encounter (they ran away screaming), Luo Lin sighed.
"Whatever. You guys have fun."
If it were him, he'd already be in the capital chilling. Desert too hot, and he missed Robin—it had been two whole days!
Perfect timing.
After another half-day of travel, the crew was having a barbecue in a rocky area.
Luffy chased a piece of meat who-knows-where.
Ace caught up to two kids and explained why he came to Alabasta: hunting a man called "Scorpion" who supposedly defeated Blackbeard.
Luo Lin's eye twitched. Even after 20+ years, he remembered Blackbeard only ever lost to Magellan before the war.
"Probably fake. No one in Paradise can beat Blackbeard right now."
"Who knows. Even if it's fake, I still wanna meet the guy."
While talking, Luo Lin and Ace both looked in the same direction.
"What is it?"
"Someone's coming."
"Two people and an ostrich."
"How do you know that?!"
The others were skeptical—until Luffy returned with the exact "Scorpion" guy and his ostrich.
Scorpion immediately challenged Ace.
Luffy popped out from behind, super excited.
One move later, Scorpion got tangled in his own net.
Luo Lin laughed himself hoarse.
After the kids gave their tearful confession, Ace realized Blackbeard wasn't here and prepared to leave.
Luo Lin seized the chance.
"You're leaving too, Luo Lin? Not staying as our crewmate?"
Luffy pouted.
Nami looked a little sad too—she felt safer with him around.
"Nah, Robin's waiting in the capital, Alubarna. I'll head back first. You're all going there eventually anyway—see you then!"
"Fine! Be careful! Once I beat Crocodile, we'll party!"
Luffy grinned ear to ear.
Nami was secretly reluctant but too embarrassed to say it.
Luo Lin ruffled her hair.
"Aww, gonna miss me? Too bad—naughty little sisters lose to Robin baby every time~"
"SHUT UP AND GET LOST!!"
She swung—Luo Lin Moonwalked into the sky, two Shaves later he was gone.
(Doflamingo once ran from Dressrosa to Punk Hazard in a flash—this is nothing.)
"So cool!"
"So fast!"
Luffy only cared about how cool the exit was.
Zoro and Sanji were genuinely impressed by the speed.
"Alright, he's gone. Let's keep moving!"
"Yeah!"
…
About two hours later, Luo Lin strolled into the capital Alubarna.
He didn't go to Robin first—instead, he found a restaurant and demolished three days' worth of food.
Following Luffy meant skipping meals. He was starving!
After eating his fill, he Moonwalked straight into the palace guest wing through the balcony.
He and Robin had sweet-talked King Cobra: "We'll save your country, let us see the Poneglyph."
Cobra agreed and gave them guest quarters.
Technically not a lie—Luffy would save the country, and by extension, they would too. Close enough!
"I'm back! Did my Robin baby miss me?!"
He leaped through the balcony window—straight into Robin reading on the sofa.
Instant tackle hug incoming—
Dodged.
"Welcome home. Back so soon? Did you see Nami and the others?"
"Of course! When have I ever failed? Forget that—gimme a kiss!"
"No way! You're covered in sand! By the way, Nami must be all grown up and beautiful now, right?"
She held his forehead back with one hand.
"Yep, total beauty. Personality still the same—zero manners, super violent."
"Whose fault is that? You bullied her nonstop."
Luo Lin scratched his head sheepishly. Fair.
"Cobra update?"
"We talked. He said once we help save Alabasta, he'll let us see the Poneglyph. Only he knows how to open the royal tomb, and he's been busy, so we haven't gone yet."
"Cool. We'll ask tomorrow?"
"Whatever you say~"
Decision made.
Luo Lin glanced around—no one else, nothing to do—immediately pounced again.
"Shower first! You're filthy!"
"Roger that!"
He dashed to the bathroom.
Came out, didn't care it was broad daylight—scooped Robin up and bolted for the bedroom.
(The next 10,000 words are classified ♡)
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