King of Pirates
Chapter 02: The Man Called Asura
The schooner sailed through the ocean as if it was cutting through paper. The three pirates were smiling as they were making good times.
"By the way Captain," Zoro suddenly said.
"What is it Zoro?" Saizo said.
"Why did you become a pirate? You were once an honorable marine." Zoro asks.
"What do you know?" Saizo asks as he sit down and holds onto this sword.
"Truth be told not much. I just remember seeing your bounty last year. Fifty million berries is a lot for these parts. Rumors surrounding your bounty seem far fetch."
"What did you hear?" Saizo says slowly.
"That you slaughter citizen in New Hope." Zoro admitted.
"Yeah, that's why I got a bounty in the first place. I was Coby's age when I joined the Marines. A Vice Admiral, named Garp took notice of me and immediately took me under his wing. He trained me intensely. Not just combat training, but survival training as well. He was really extreme. Within six months of joining I pass my officer training school with high marks. Became an ensign and quickly rose through the ranks."
Zoro said nothing as he listens carefully.
"Last year I was a Commander, I was passing by a town. I was on my way to headquarters when I decide to sleep there. In the middle of the night, more than two thousand pirates were attacking the town. The Marine Commander did nothing. He ordered his troops to stand down."
"He did what?" Zoro said in shocked.
"Yeah, the moment they attack I grabbed my sword and rush to meet them. I can't tell you how long it lasted. All I knew was that I was killing pirates left and right. I was killing so many, I was covered in blood." Saizo said with his eyes closed. Just remember how much blood he was in caused him to open his eyes. "By the time all the screaming had stop and the night was quiet once more, the citizens came out and saw me covered in blood from head to toe. By the time the Marines came to the beach, I had killed one thousand one hundred and thirty-seven of them. The pirates fled after that. No longer having the will to fight. The Marines were shocked to see me covered in blood. The Marine Commander was a Commodore, tried to have me arrested but he couldn't. Not once he realized I was expected at headquarters. I've got a strong suspicion that he made a deal with those pirates to attack the town."
"Talk about crooked." Zoro said.
"Yeah, I suspected he was. He also clearly had friends in the higher ups. Shortly when I arrived at Headquarters, I was question. Vice Admiral Garp spoke in my defense. So, nothing was done. A month later when I was out at sea, the marine's I was with suddenly turn on me. Apparently, I was being arrested for butchering civilians. I knew at once I was being set up and someone at Headquarters had framed me. Knowing full well what would happen, I turn tail and ran. I've been running ever since." Saizo said.
"So why did you become a pirate?" Zoro asks.
"I guess you can said he push me in that direction." Saizo said softly.
"Who?"
"Shanks. Leader of the Red-Haired Pirates."
"You mean?" Zoro said as his eyes grew twice in size.
"Yeah, I mean him, Yonko Shanks."
"You know Shanks?" Luffy said as he finally turns around and looks at Saizo.
"Yeah, fought him too. Thought if I capture or defeated him my honor and reputation would be restored."
"You fought a Yonko!" Zoro said in shocked.
"It wasn't even close." Saizo said with a smile. "Shanks was clearly holding back. I have fought countless pirates before. Some of them were even strong opponents worthy of testing my skills. However, Shanks was in another league all together. It was in an instant that he flat out defeated me. After that defeat he bought me a drink and told me what it meant to be a pirate. It means the freedom to make your own choices. That's why I became a pirate. Because I want to forge my own path in this world and have no one tell me what path it should be. He also gave me a parting gift."
"A gift? What kind of gift?" Zoro said.
"He gave me a devil fruit."
"What, what did you do with it?" Zoro asks.
"Shanks told me I could either sell it, keep it or eat it. He warned me the dangers of it but told me it was my decision to make what I should do with it. In the end, I ate it."
"That's awesome!" Luffy said.
"A devil fruit user. That's right, your hand seemed to produce some dark grey wind." Zoro replies as he remembers Saizo's fight with Morgan.
"What's it called?" Luffy asks.
"Bofū Bofū no Mi. The Storm Fruit." Saizo said.
"The Storm Fruit?" Zoro said.
"I have power over many kinds of elements as well as the ability to summon storms. However, like all devil fruit users, mine will grow bigger in time. Right now, I can barely create a strong gust of wind. It could be called the strongest of the Logia types."
"What kind of elements?" Zoro asks.
"Wind, water, ice, snow, lightning." Saizo said.
"That's impressive. Not many get elements like that." Zoro said as he whistles.
"Few are capable of getting elements. They are hard to find." Saizo said.
"I hope we can reach land soon." Zoro said.
"I'm hungry, let's eat!"
"You've already eaten half our food Luffy!" Saizo shouted at Luffy.
"Luffy is a big eater. We're going to burn through supplies quick." Zoro said.
"Why did you become a bounty hunter Zoro?" Saizo asks.
"I have no memory of ever calling myself one." Zoro said. "I simply set out in search of a certain man, and to keep a promise. After that I couldn't return to my village. I had no choice and no money so I started hunting pirates with bounties, just to earn a simple living."
"You said you wanted to be the greatest swordsmen in the world correct."
"Yeah, it's a promise I made, to an old friend." Zoro said. His mind went back to Kuina and the promise he made on her grave.
"Then that means you're going after Hawk-Eyes." Saizo said.
"Yeah," Zoro replies.
"That means you intend to become an enemy of the World Government." Saizo said.
"How does going after Hawk-Eyes mean I'm going up against the World Government?" Zoro said.
"You don't know. Dracule Mihawk is one of the seven Shichibukai. A Warlord of the Sea."
Zoro eyes open wide.
"As you know, the Shichibukai's are Government dogs. Going up against them means going up against the World Government." Saizo said.
Zoro grabs his sword to stop himself from shaking.
As a former pirate hunter, he knew all about the Shichibukai's. They were some of the toughest pirates in the world. Many considered it suicide to go up against them.
"A bird." Luffy suddenly said.
They look up to see a bird was flying above them.
"Let's eat it." Luffy said as his mouth begins to drool at the thought of eating a roast bird.
"We have food, you just stuff yourself." Saizo said as he closes his eye.
"Gumo Gumo no… Rocket!" Luffy shouted as he takes off.
"Oh Luffy!" Zoro shouted. Saizo looks up to see Luffy had been taken by the bird, which was a lot bigger than Saizo originally thought.
"Set full sail! We have to follow him!" Saizo shouted as he jumps up and gets on the helm. Zoro gets up as he unropes the sails. Zoro grabs some oars and starts paddling.
"Hey, you over there stop!" Some people in the water shouted.
"Shipwreck people at a time like this." Zoro said. "We can't stop, jump in on your own." Zoro shouted.
They said nothing as they get on the boat.
"I'm impress you manage to get on the ship." Zoro said as he continues to paddle.
The trio of men unsheathe their weapons.
"Hey! Stop the ship! We're members of Buggy the Clown-sama's crew! We're taking over this boat!"
"Huh?" Zoro said as he gets up and beats them to a pulp.
In the end the men where paddling with all their might.
"We had no idea you were the famous Pirate Hunter Zoro-san!" The lead pirate said.
"Forgive our rudeness!" they all said together.
"We lost sight of Luffy." Saizo said.
"Just paddle straight ahead and take us to land." Zoro said.
"Yes sir." They replied.
"You said you are underlings of Buggy." Zoro said.
"Buggy the clown, a man with a fifteen million bounty on his head." Saizo said.
They finally reached land and stepped out. Saizo grabs a piece of the helm and pulls it apart. Taking a key piece of the steering wheel with him. Leaving the ship vulnerable.
"Where is Luffy?" Zoro.
"Oh, he's easy to spot. He's up there." Saizo said as he walks forward.
"Our ship." The trio buggy-men said as they went up to it.
"Zoro, let's go, our ship isn't going anywhere." Saizo said as he walks forward. Zoro follows him.
They walk up the street as they notice several houses got blown away.
"What was that?" Zoro asks.
"One of Captain Buggy's Buggy Bombs!" The trio said from the ship.
"Let's go." Saizo said walking up the street.
They jump on the roof just in time to see a girl getting attack by the Buggy Pirates.
Zoro immediately leaps into action drawing his three swords and blocking the Buggy Pirates attack.
"Yo, all of you against one girl seem a bit extreme." Zoro said as he cuts all the pirates apart. They fall on the ground screaming in agony as blood splattered everywhere.
"Teme, who the hell do you think you are!" Buggy shouted.
Saizo walks forward.
"Captain! Zoro!" Luffy shouted.
The girl looks at them in amazement.
"Zoro? Pirate Hunter Zoro?" Buggy said.
"Luffy, how could you let yourself get capture?" Saizo said as he looks at Luffy.
"Well, a lot happen. I found us a navigator." Luffy said with a laugh.
The girl looks at them in amazement.
"Who the hell are you! He called you Captain!" Buggy shouted pointing a finger at Saizo.
"Pargo D. Saizo." He said as he turns to look at Buggy.
"Captain, be careful… this is the man who slaughter one thousand pirates in one night. The Demon, Asura!" One of the Buggy Pirates shouted.
"So you're the one, with the highest bounty in East Blue. Killing you both should greatly improve my reputation as a pirate." Buggy said as he pulls out a knife.
Saizo says nothing as he moves his hand up to his sword. He didn't unsheathe it, rather he rests his hands on it.
Zoro moves in front of Saizo with his swords raised.
"Captain, let me handle them." Zoro said.
"Be quick, I rather not linger in case the navy shows up." Saizo said as he removes his hand from his sword. Zoro smirks.
Author Notes: Hope everyone enjoys!
