Faced with the barrage of questions from Zoro and Kuina, Lin Mo made it clear—he didn't want to engage at all.
No matter how much the two of them acted cute or tried to coax him, Lin Mo simply ignored them.
Eventually, out of options, Kuina suddenly had an idea:
"Lin Mo, if you tell us, I'll use all the allowance I've saved over the years to buy you alcohol. How about it?"
Not appealing at all.
Lin Mo replied flatly, "No need. I have money."
"Don't be so stingy," Zoro muttered.
As they chatted, the three arrived at the liveliest street of the night market in Shimotsuki Village.
The street buzzed with hawkers, crowds, and excitement.
Lin Mo stayed calm, while Zoro and Kuina looked flushed with excitement, constantly looking around.
Kids would be kids.
"There," Kuina pointed to a row of stalls on the left side of the street. One, made from a wooden cart and run by a middle-aged woman, stood out. "That's Aunt Sugimoto. Her homemade alcohol sells the best and fastest. If we're late, it'll probably be sold out."
True to her words, many villagers were already lining up around the small cart, trying to grab one of the limited jars of alcohol.
The trio quickly got in line at the back.
"You two go have fun," Lin Mo said. He didn't want those two sticking with him the whole time.
Kuina grinned, "Aunt Sugimoto's alcohol is limited to one jar per person. With me and Zoro here, we can help you buy two more."
Just as she finished speaking, a group of vicious-looking thugs rudely shoved the crowd aside and marched to the front of the stall.
Leading them was a tall man with a long face, a cross-shaped scar on his forehead, and a sword at his waist—Bandit Higuma.
He was the same Higuma who, in the original One Piece storyline, would later splash alcohol on Red-Haired Shanks' head. Though at that time, Shanks didn't bother to retaliate.
At this point in the timeline, Higuma's gang hadn't yet reached Foosha Village or met Shanks.
"So many people lining up… This alcohol must be good. I'll take the whole cart," Higuma declared arrogantly.
The villagers immediately shrank back in fear.
"But… but it's limited. One jar per person," Aunt Sugimoto nervously replied. "If you want to buy, could you please line up?"
"Line up?" Higuma sneered. "I'm an 8-million-Beli bounty criminal, and you want me to line up?"
Sugimoto was nearly in tears. The villagers dared not speak up—an 8-million-Beli bounty was no joke. These ordinary folks didn't dare provoke him.
Zoro and Kuina instinctively gripped the bamboo swords at their sides.
Then, Kuina's cold voice rang out, "I don't care what your bounty is. This is Shimotsuki Village—you don't get to run wild here."
"Yeah!" Zoro said as he gripped his dual bamboo swords. "We won't let you bully people here!"
Higuma looked at the three of them and scoffed.
His lackeys laughed even louder.
"Bwahaha, look at these little brats trying to play hero. What a joke!"
"Better run along before our boss gets mad!"
"Our boss is going to be the King of Bandits! You better get lost!"
As Higuma's gang acted all high and mighty, Zoro whispered, "Kuina… can we really beat them?"
Kuina glanced at the quiet Lin Mo beside them, took a deep breath, and replied, "Even if we can't, we have to fight. We can't let them do whatever they want in our village!"
She stepped forward and sneered at Higuma.
"Just a gang of bullies pretending to be tough. King of Bandits? You're nothing but cowards who pick on the weak. I won't let you act like tyrants here!"
"What?" Higuma's eyes narrowed.
Aunt Sugimoto panicked, "Kuina, stop! You kids should run!"
Even though Kuina was among the top swordsmen at the dojo, she was still just a child with a bamboo sword—no match for real thugs.
Worried villagers tried to persuade them to back off.
"Wanna leave?" Higuma pulled out his sword and aimed it at Kuina's forehead. "Fine. Leave an arm behind."
Kuina gritted her teeth.
Zoro suddenly stepped in front of her, pointing his bamboo swords at Higuma.
"Kuina, step back. I'll take him on!"
"You idiot! You're weaker than me—it should be me fighting him!" Kuina protested.
"Hahaha," Higuma laughed. "Touching. Fighting over who gets to die first? Fine—I'll kill you both!"
Just as Higuma finished his sentence…
Lin Mo finally spoke:
"You're all not lining up?"
Dead silence.
No one responded—that silence said it all.
Lin Mo looked at Higuma.
"You came late. You line up behind me."
He walked calmly past Higuma without a care.
The villagers collectively gasped as Lin Mo reached the stall filled with jars of liquor.
"How much per jar?" he asked.
Sugimoto hesitated, then instinctively replied, "Fifty Beli each…"
Lin Mo casually handed her two hundred Beli, picked up a jar, popped the cork, and took a swig in front of everyone.
"Not bad," he nodded in approval.
Higuma's face turned stormy. He glared at Lin Mo.
Lin Mo ignored him and looked back at Zoro and Kuina.
"Weren't you two going to help me buy alcohol?"
The two snapped out of it and rushed forward, letting go of their swords.
Higuma raised his sword and pressed it against Lin Mo's neck.
"Hey, brat, who said you could buy alcohol?"
Lin Mo glanced at him, completely calm.
"Move your sword."
Shockingly, Higuma did move it aside.
But the next moment, a flash of murderous intent appeared in his eyes as he suddenly slashed toward Lin Mo's neck.
"Ah! Run, Lin Mo!"
"He's going to die!"
"Someone help him! Where's Koshiro? Is it too late to go fetch him?"
The villagers panicked.
Zoro and Kuina held their breath.
But just as Higuma's sword was about to land, Lin Mo leaned back half a step.
The blade missed his throat by mere millimeters.
Higuma flinched—when had he ever been deflected like this… by a kid?
Now he was truly enraged.
"YOU BRAT! YOU'RE DEAD!" he roared and raised his sword again.
Lin Mo still ignored him, glancing sideways.
"Buy the alcohol."
"Geez… you're still thinking about drinking at a time like this?" Kuina muttered.
Still, she obediently paid for the jars, and she and Zoro each carried one.