Hi. I'm back. A lot of things have changed since I left for college. I still haven't finished my first story. It went way off course for what I had originally intended. Ah well. I guess I should have started out with something smaller, like this story. Let's give it a go.
Oh, and I don't own One Piece or any of the characters. Heck, I don't even own the table from this chapter.
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The bar wasn't very crowded this time of morning. Several of the tables still had their chairs sitting atop them. Most of the early drinkers were on the bar stools, fighting off hangovers with more rum.
But one table had two guests back in the shadows. The lady sat there trembling, though her eyes remained firmly locked on the man. He sat calmly next to his mug of ale, though the class was still mostly full. He seemed lost in thought, oblivious to the world around him.
"You…you wanted to tell me something?" The woman worked out. Her hands clutched the hilt of a sheathed katana tightly. It was clear she didn't trust the man. In fact, she seemed quite eager for a fight, though her confidence in winning was not so high.
The man took a sip of ale before he answered her. "You believe the world is black and white. You think the government you serve is always good, and the pirates that disobey them are always bad."
"Of course!" she said with enthusiasm. "Justice is not a hard course to follow. One only has to choose to follow it, or turn away from it like you did!"
The man smiled a bit. "Oh? It's just a choice, is it?" He took another sip of ale.
She glared at him fiercely. "You promised me a duel, Roronoa Zoro."
"And you promised to listen first." Zoro set down his mug and leaned back in his chair. "Do you even know why I became a pirate?"
"Greed, power, fame, envy," she practically spat the words out. "Why should I care why a man chooses the path of evil?"
Zoro was no longer looking at her. He was starting at his mug glass. "I haven't thought of that day for a long time…"
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Yup. Flashback coming soon. That's mostly what this story is about anyway. I have to watch a few One Piece episodes again to make sure I get all the details right.