One Piece: With Sign-in System-Chapter 174 - : A Familiar Voice

"Ron…" The old man furrowed his brows, tapping his fingers lightly against the table, "that name sounds familiar. I feel like I've heard it somewhere before."

He stroked his chin, lost in thought.

Ron casually took a sip of the broth from his bowl.

"The Traveler, Ron—does that ring a bell?"

Issho's expression subtly shifted.

A fleeting moment of silence passed before Ron chuckled.

"So, you do remember now? I guess being famous isn't entirely a bad thing."

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

Issho calmly picked up another mouthful of noodles.

"The infamous criminal wanted by the World Government and the Marines… what business does such a man have with an insignificant blind vagabond like myself?"

He slurped his noodles, seemingly unbothered.

Ron let out a small sigh, shaking his head.

"You keep calling yourself a blind vagabond over and over again… even I'm starting to feel offended."

The old swordsman's chopsticks paused mid-air.

He lifted his head slightly, a hint of curiosity in his blind gaze.

"What do you mean by that?"

At that moment, from a nearby table, two men were whispering among themselves, their voices barely above a murmur—yet perfectly audible to both Ron and Issho.

"Hey, look over there. Those two—an old man and a young guy—both blind?!"

"Heh, what are the chances of that? Two blind men eating together… that's gotta be the funniest thing I've seen today."

"You think they can even pay for their meal? The shop owner's gonna rip them off for sure."

"Let's wait and see."

…

Their mocking whispers were nothing more than an amusing backdrop to Ron and Issho's conversation.

Issho finally spoke again, his deep voice carrying a hint of interest.

"The Traveler, Ron… a man whose name shakes the world, yet here you sit, just like me—a blind man. How did that happen?"

Ron took another sip of his noodles, speaking lightly, as if the matter were of no concern.

"This? Oh, it's nothing serious. I'll be able to see again in a little while."

He then turned the question back to Issho.

"But what about you? How did you lose your sight?"

A quiet pause stretched between them before Ron's voice softened, almost casual.

"Was it taken from you? Or… did you give it up willingly?"

A faint melancholy settled over Issho's features.

"It was my own doing," he admitted.

Ron's chopsticks stilled for a moment.

"Why?"

Issho exhaled deeply, as if recalling something distant and painful.

"This world is filthy," he murmured. "Too many vile and corrupt souls walk upon it… things that no honorable man should have to see."

"So you chose to blind yourself?"

Ron set his bowl down, a smile playing at his lips.

"Tell me, Issho… was that righteousness? Or was it just running away?"

The old man said nothing.

Instead, he silently finished his noodles, his posture unreadable.

Finally, he set his bowl down and stood up.

"Thank you for the meal," he said, his voice returning to its usual calm and stoic tone.

He reached for the cane-sword at his side, wrapping his fingers around it before making his way toward the exit.

Ron chuckled, flipping a gold coin onto the table as payment before following after him.

On the street, Ron walked leisurely, his black cloak fluttering slightly with each step.

He followed a few paces behind Issho, hands tucked into his coat pockets.

Issho eventually slowed, exhaling in mild exasperation.

"How long do you intend to follow me, Traveler?"

Ron tilted his head slightly, as if in thought.

"Hmm… I don't have much to do right now. And instead of causing another global incident, I figured I'd just stick around with you for a while."

"…"

"And besides," Ron continued, flashing a knowing smile, "there are some things I'd really like to talk to you about."

…

Sea Calendar, Year 1520, June.

Luffy and Zoro arrived at Orange Town, where they clashed with Buggy, the pirate who had taken control of the town. It was here that they also encountered Nami, who was temporarily staying with the Buggy Pirates.

After Luffy sent Buggy flying with a powerful Gum-Gum Bazooka, Nami turned to him and asked,

"Are you guys planning to go to the Grand Line?"

"Of course! I'm going to be the King of the Pirates!"

"Then… if I give you a map of the Grand Line, will you take me with you?"