In Grandline City the biggest fire department was known as The New World Fire Station. It held several of the best firefighters the city had to offer from it's Chief, Edward 'Whitebeard' Newgate and his Lieutenant Marco 'The Phoenix' Silverson. To there Chef Thatch 'Master Prankster' Dutchman and there lead arson investigator Ace 'Fire Fist' Portgas. Everyone had a part in the firehouse but when something happened every one of them would suit up. The men and women there grew to have a close bond, going so far as to call each other brother and sister. However it was this bond that hurt them the most. When Marshal Teach, a brother, set fire to a small apartment complex after Thatch was given credit for a save that he thought should have been his the fire house found themselves looking for a new member for the first time in many years.
After hours of looking threw applicants and calling supervisors they had finally found someone who fit what they where looking for. Zoro Roronoa had joined the Paradise Fire Station when he was twenty years. Only after serving in the coast guard for two years and being let go because of a head injury that affected his sence of direction. Because of this the twenty three year old youth had been given the nickname Pirate Hunter'. The file had only what was needed and didn't expand on anything personal, they didn't even have a picture of the young man. The only outstanding thing that Zoro's file had in it was the several notes written in the comment section. "Shows unmatched strength" "loyal to a fault" and "a honor to work beside" where key words that first caught there eye. When they looked at his training scores they had made a separate call to the Station Chief to confirm that there was in fact no tampering with the facts.
Shanks had laughed and said that Zoro was a monster that could do anything he put his mind to. He fully encouraged them to give Zoro a try and said if they didn't much care for him in the fire house then he would be more then happy to take the other back from them. Shanks went on to explain a bit more about the Pirate Hunter. Told them that he was often the quiet type and he spent every other night a home because of family issues and would have to be called away if something went wrong at home but it rarely if ever happened. He had a bit of a temper but would never lay a hand on anyone if he could help it. There call had been cut short by an alarm on the other end. The decision was made and with a letter to Zoro they began the nightmare of telling everyone else in the station.
It ended up that several of there men and women had worked with the man before. Franky, Usopp, Nami, and Brook had all been assigned to the New World Fire Station from the hospital as paramedics last time they had updated the county lines a year ago. They had instantly fit in despite being new to the station. When Marco had told Nami exactly who would be replacing Teach she had dropped her clipboard and yelled for the other three paramedics. As they came sliding around the corner Nami did something that sent the entire station running for cover. The strong willed, outspoken redhead squealed. Everyone within hearing distance froze as she tackled Ussop. "Nami? What the hell?" The curly haired man said as he stumbled back.
"There bringing in Zoro." She laughed and slowly the others faces twisted into smiles. "No way! We haven't seen Zoro in so long. You think he's changed?" Ussop asked as Brook and Franky high fived in the background. "Zoro-bro? Change? No way! He's way to stubborn to do that." Franky laughed. The four spent the rest of the day talking amongst each other unbothered by the rest of the crew. This was mostly because everyone was still a bit scared from when Nami squealed, it took Ace and Marco two hours to convince Thatch that the world was not in fact ending.
Finally the day came when Zoro was supposed to arrive. They waited for hours but he never showed up, the entire day passed without a single sign of the other man and they couldn't go looking for him because they didn't know what they where looking for. Marco had even asked Brook but the tall man simply laughed. "Zoro-san will be here when he is needed." He said cryptically before walking off. It was nine o'clock when the alarm went off. "Four alarm fire at 394 Rosewood Lane, all personnel needed." The words over head where registered in there minds even as they slipped into there gear and hopped onto the fire trucks.
The fire was bad and what had to be the family who owned the home standing on the sidewalk. A man held a woman back as she reached for the burning building and screamed. "He's in there! Alex, he was in his room upstairs!" Bay ran over to them as they got everything ready but just before they turned on the water hose Marco yelled for them to hold. Usually bored eyes where staring wide eyed at the front door to the house where a shadow moved among the dancing flames. Slowly the shadow shifted until a figure appeared like a demon from hell. A pale muscular man stepped threw the fire, his cold silver eyes where almost as black as the bandana tied around his lower face, soot turned his hard gray. He pushed threw the last of the debre and you could see what he held in his arms. A young child no older then fourteen was crying into his chest. He was wrapped in a thick blanket that was slightly singed at the edges.
"Sir, are you alright?" Thatch yelled as he and Ace ran up to the pair. "I'm fine." The mans voice was low and harsh but he curled around the boy as a pillar collapsed behind them. They where about to tell the man to hand the boy over so they could get them to safety when the man looked up and yelled. "Oi witch! What are you waiting for get over here!" Nami's head snapped up from where she was checking on the crying woman from before. "What the hell Zoro?" She yelled after excusing herself and beginning the jog over to meet them half way. "You where supposed to be at the station this morning." She snipped at him as she checked on the boy. "Yeah well the directions they gave me where wrong." Nami rolled her eyes muttering under her breath and leading the small group over to the ambulance, Going Merry, where Ussop was waiting with a stretcher.
He set the boy down and nodded to the thank you's he recieved from the boys parents even as he took the wet rag from Ussop's hands and ran it threw his hair while he pulled off his bandana. He looked up to where Ace and Thatch had been staring at him since he had first called out to Nami. "So your the New World guys hu? Name's Zoro, Roronoa Zoro." He said with a smirk.