Chapter 24 Zoro awakens Conqueror's Haki?Red-Leg Zeff's gaze swept over the new customers, lingering for a second on Luffy before turning to Zoro in the corner, his brow furrowing slightly.
"Understood, old man," Sanji replied, then gave Nami and the other two girls an apologetic smile.
"Please wait a moment, the food will be here shortly." Sanji then hurried towards the kitchen.
Zeff strolled over to Luffy's table and casually said to the waiter clearing the next table:
"Give that green-haired guy in the corner another special patient meal, with extra meat; he needs to replenish his strength.
Also, remind him to control his emotions; if his wound reopens, I won't have enough good medicine for him."
The waiter quickly agreed.
His voice wasn't loud, but it was enough for the people at the nearby tables to hear clearly.
Nami glanced curiously at the green-haired man covered in wounds in the corner and whispered, "That guest... is he badly injured? Is he a pirate?"
Zeff glanced at her, then at Luffy, and said calmly,
"A reckless, headstrong swordsman. A few days ago in Shells Town, he somehow angered the Marine Captain Morgan there and was imprisoned.
I heard his escape caused quite a commotion, and somehow, the guards all collapsed, and he himself was seriously injured and unconscious. He drifted to nearby waters and was rescued by some crew members who were out at sea buying supplies."
Nojiko exclaimed in surprise, "He went against the Marine base all by himself?"
"Hmph, just ignorant and arrogant," Zeff snorted, but a complex emotion flashed in his eyes.
Zeff deliberately hinted, "But this kid's tough. After reviving him, we discovered that he seemed to have awakened something extraordinary in his life-or-death moment due to extreme anger, occasionally indiscriminately stunning anyone who came near him.
If it weren't for my experience and the special methods I used to temporarily stabilize him, he would have killed himself long ago.
He can barely eat like a normal person now, but he's far from fully recovered."
This statement contained a lot of information.
The three women exchanged bewildered glances, never expecting that the seemingly injured swordsman would have such a bizarre experience.
Luffy's gaze returned to Zoro. Conqueror's Haki… interesting.
Perhaps Zeff's words and Luffy's renewed gaze spurred Zoro on. He abruptly raised his head, the golden-red glint in his eyes flickering restlessly again, only to be forcibly suppressed.
Zoro abruptly stood up, grabbed the three swords from the table, and strode towards Luffy's table.
His movements aggravated his wounds, making his face even paler, but his steps were unusually firm.
Zoro's actions attracted the attention of the surrounding diners, and also caught the eye of Sanji, who had just come out of the kitchen.
Sanji, carrying a tray, saw Zoro approaching with a serious expression and habitually mocked:
"Yo, Moss Head, just got out of bed and already looking for trouble?
Are you worried your injuries aren't bad enough, or has your troublesome illness flared up again?"
Zoro completely ignored him, walking straight to Luffy's table, looking down at Luffy who was busy setting out his cutlery.
Nami and Nojiko immediately became alert, and Kaya nervously gripped the tablecloth.
Zoro spoke, his voice tense and hoarse, his eyes filled with undisguised fighting spirit: "What's your name?"
Luffy seemed to only then notice him standing in front of him, replying with an air of nonchalance, "Luffy."
"Roronoa Zoro!" Zoro announced his name, his grip on his sword tightening, the veins on the back of his hand bulging.
Zoro could sense that the way this man looked at him was different from everyone else in the restaurant.
Zoro took a deep breath: "I can sense you're strong, and you seem to know... about my problem?"
During this time, Zoro had been tormented by the uncontrollable power within him; even Zeff could only barely suppress it, not eradicate it.
Luffy looked at him, merely uttering a curt "Oh," neither confirming nor denying.
Zoro was momentarily taken aback by his indifferent reaction, but the flame in his eyes burned even brighter. He took half a step forward and said in a deep voice:
"Fight me."
He wanted to test, to test the strength of his opponent, and to test what this suddenly surging power truly meant in the face of a true powerhouse.
Hearing this, Luffy lowered his head again, picked up his water glass, and took a sip. "Not interested."
"Why?!" Zoro pressed, his tone laced with annoyance at being slighted, and a deeper anxiety.
He could clearly sense the other's extraordinary nature. Could such a powerful individual not see his own uniqueness?
Luffy put down his water glass, but his words nearly choked those around him who had been listening intently:
"I have no interest in injured people who can't control their powers and only cause trouble for those around them."
These words were more barbed than a direct rejection.
Several veins bulged on Zoro's forehead, his grip on the hilt of his sword cracked, and the unstable tremor around him intensified slightly; even the cups and saucers on the nearby table began to tremble slightly.
Sanji's expression changed slightly, and he stepped forward as if to say something.
Zeff also frowned, gripping his cane tightly.
"I'm serious!" Zoro practically spat out the words through clenched teeth, feeling the violent power within him stirring again.
"When you can make those three pieces of junk in your hands, and that chaotic energy surging within you, completely obey your commands, then you can talk about challenging me.
Right now, you're not even worth my lifting a finger."
Luffy's words pierced Zoro's forced composure.
Zoro froze, his face drained of color.
Not from humiliation, but from the fact that Luffy had pointed out his most vulnerable point.
Yes, if he couldn't even control his own power, how could he challenge a strong opponent who could make him instinctively tremble?
"Pfft—!" A suppressed chuckle came from Sanji beside him, but he quickly suppressed it, seeing the dejected look in Zoro's eyes.
Nami and Nojiko exchanged a glance, remaining silent.
Kaya looked at Zoro's trembling back with pity.
Zeff gave Luffy a deep look; this young man had a frighteningly sharp eye.
Luffy stopped looking at the frozen Zoro, picked up the menu, and seemed to be studying what meat they could order. His tone returned to normal: "But we still need to eat meat. Only when we're full will we have the energy to figure out how to control your little troubles."
Zoro suddenly looked up at Luffy.
Luffy ignored him and said to Sanji, who had a strange expression, "Hurry up and bring the meat. His portion is on my tab too."
Luffy gestured with his chin towards Zoro, who was still standing.
Sanji paused, looked at Luffy, then at the seemingly petrified Zoro, and pursed his lips, "Okay."
Sanji turned and walked towards the kitchen, muttering, "This is really weird..."
Zoro stood there for a long time, long enough that Sanji started bringing out the dishes, and Luffy was already focused on the first plate of grilled meat.
In the end, Zoro said nothing, only giving Luffy's profile a deep look.
Zoro turned and silently walked back to his corner, slowly sat down, hugged his three swords tightly to his chest, closed his eyes, and stopped looking at anyone, as if trapped in some kind of deep self-confrontation.
The subtle atmosphere in the restaurant continued, but the noise gradually returned.
Luffy focused on eating, while the three girls chatted quietly, occasionally glancing curiously into the corner.
Zeff stood there, his gaze shifting between Luffy and Zoro, before finally shaking his head and slowly walking back to the kitchen, leaning on his cane.
On this peaceful midday, the Baratie sea restaurant seemed to have received some extraordinary guests, igniting some extraordinary sparks.