Another update! Hope you enjoy it!
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece
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Luffy arrived in the alley with no difficulty. He was met with the sight of many gang members, who was a common sight, holding a man and beating him up. It disgusted him that they would beat up a defenseless man, but it didn't mean he was going to help him. Luffy was not one to interfere in another's fight (or if that's even what you could call it). So, Luffy just merely watch, and observed the victim.
The victim was covered in blood and didn't fight his attackers at all. Luffy didn't understand; why was he not fighting back? From the look of the man's toned body, he could have easily beaten the men. So, why?
Just as Luffy went to turn around and leave, his eyes caught the sight of one of the men holding something small in his arms. Upon further inspection, he realized it was a little girl, crying at the beaten man. The gang member holding her had a hand over his hostage's mouth, and was watching the scene with glee. At the sight of the little girl, his anger flared. The girl was so young, yet she was already being forced to watch the world's cruelty. Hadn't the world corrupted enough young minds? He only hoped the girl would not be forced to see all of the horrors of life like he had.
Seeing the young girl's position panged Luffy, but that was not what broke him. Oh no, it was the sight of her as she turned her head and her eyes found his. The girl's big black pleading eyes locked his feet into place. He couldn't have moved even if he wanted to. It occurred to him that this was why the man wasn't fighting back. His sister maybe? he thought
How many times had he wished for someone to help? He had been pleading, but had anyone stopped to help him? No, no one had ever helped, no one but his brothers. A person in need for help was a regular occurrence around the city, but help was seldom.
Quietly, slipping into the alley's shadows, he forced himself to exit the alley. He fought hard to ignore the eyes watching him with despair.
"What the hell are you doing?!" an angry brother came up to him. Luffy would have laughed at the look on Sabo's face if he wasn't so distracted. It was the exact face Sabo would give Ace and him (usually him) when they did something stupid. "You better not think of doing what I think you're thinking? It's too dangerous!
What? That made no sense at all! Then again, I never could understand Sabo. Luffy quickly thought as he rushed to a path he knew by heart. Why is he even asking, he knows I'll do it anyway.
Luffy ran until he found a back entrance to the alley. Quietly and quickly, Luffy went up behind the man holding the girl hostage. It was a good thing they had decided to hold the hostage behind the beating. Well, good for him, not so good for them.
He quietly snuck up behind the man and put his arm around the man's neck in a sleeper hold. The man started wheezing until Luffy placed his hand over his mouth. After five seconds, the man fell unconscious and Luffy caught the girl. He gestured for her to be quiet and she nodded, tears falling from her eyes in relief. She tugged on his shirt and pointed to a sword on the ground. Then, she pointed to the man being attacked. He understood and grabbed the sword and moved to a gap so that he could see the beaten man clearly.
The man looked up at the feeling of someone watching him with no hostility. His eyes met Luffy's, who made sure that he could see the girl was safe. The man's widen and did the tiniest nod to show he got the message. Or as best as he could seeing as he was being attacked. Luffy held up the sword and again, the man got the message. Luffy counted down from three, and then moved.
With almost impossible precision, he threw the sword over the attackers and to the man. He turned, careful with the girl in his arms, and left the alley through the back. He could hear the sound of yelling and slicing and gave a small grin. It had to be the only time a plan actually worked. And the man wasn't wasting a second getting revenge.
When he was about a block away from the alley, he finally put the child down.
"You okay?" he asked in a quiet voice. The girl nodded, her sobs slowing down so that she started to hiccup. "Well, you should go find you parents, they're probably worried." Again the girl nodded and he started to walk away.
"Wait!" the girl shouted as she ran to catch up with Luffy. He waited for her and kneeled down to her level. Suddenly, she hugged him, "Thank you! I'll never forget you; you're a great man." Luffy, stunned from the hug, didn't process what she said until she had already walked away.
"Aww! How sweet! Since when did you like kids?" Luffy groaned as a voice came from behind him. He should have known Sabo would follow.
"Shut up," Luffy said as he passed Sabo returning home. What he didn't see was his brother smiling proudly at his back.
Maybe there's hope for you yet, Luffy.
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In the alley…
The man was just finishing slicing the low lives that call themselves a gang. He left the alley with blood all over his clothes, but nobody seemed to notice nor cared. That's just how people are these days. Cared about nothing, but themselves. Maybe that's why he couldn't get the kid he saw earlier off his mind.
Somehow, the kid had understood about the girl and decided to help. People had been hassling the girl and he had intervened. Unlike others, he wasn't one to watch an innocent kid get hurt. He had been set on kicking their asses until they had held a gun to the girl's head. He agreed to surrender if they didn't harm her and that's how he ended up with a couple bruises and cracked ribs.
Who knows? They could have just killed him and the girl if the boy hadn't come along. Why had he decided to help? He didn't look like the pity type. One thing he knew for sure, was that he needed to see this kid again.
He owed this kid a debt, and he, Roronora Zoro, didn't leave his debts unpaid.
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Zoro has entered! How will this change Luffy? Or will it affect him at all? You want to find out, you know what to do.
Thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate them all. I honestly didn't expect to receive this many good reviews. Until next time!