Chapter 1: Where The Journey Begins
Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece
"Hey Sabo, it's been a while," Luffy said as he looked out at the horizon on a cliff on Dawn Island. This spot held a lot of meaning to him and his brothers. It's been 9 long years since he last was here. This is where he, Ace, and Sabo decided that they would become pirates when they turned 17. A few years ago, Ace had told Luffy that he was going back to the East Blue to start his journey properly. It didn't feel right to start at the halfway point and Luffy agreed to do the same.
Pouring out some sake, Luffy takes a drink himself. "I'm going to do it Sabo, I'm finally going to set out" Seeing the sun rising in the horizon, this is finally the day where his journey begins. "I don't know when I'll come back, hopefully it doesn't take too long." Walking away, Luffy leaves the bottle of sake behind.
Luffy and Ace never talked about coming back to this spot but he knows his older brother did the same thing when he came back to the East Blue. They both have to live enough to make up for Sabo never getting his chance to.
Time Skip
"Hello, anyone there," Coby said meekly as he slowly entered the kitchen. His hands were shaking so much that he struggled to hold the knife in his hands. Seeing no one, he lets out a sigh of relief. The Alvida Pirates are raiding this ship and he finds the one place that seems safe.
He hates this. What was he supposed to do while attacking a civilian ship? He's not a fighter. He barely knows how to hold his knife. If he got into a fight with someone then he'd be lucky to survive past a couple seconds.
Yet Alvida and her crew love throwing him into situations that promise death if he didn't hide. Although, anytime he hid from conflict Coby would be punished for it.
"What's this," noticing a barrel on its side, Coby's curiosity peaked. It was soaking wet and seemed out of place. Standing it up, he wondered what it was. Maybe it's booze. Maybe if he brings it back to Alvida he can avoid punishment this time.
"Coby, What are you doing here?!" a trio of pirates came into the kitchen. Each one looking as though they're ready to beat Coby with a smug grin plastered on their faces. It didn't matter the reason; they could say Coby was hiding and Alvida wouldn't bat an eyelash. Hell, they could say nothing, and their captain still wouldn't care.
"Uh… I… I found this barrel," Coby was desperately trying to find an excuse to get out of this situation. "It's heavy, I… I think it may be filled with booze." Maybe this find would be enough to save him a beating.
"Booze, ugh," the lecherous grin that spread across the face of the lead lackey shot a pang of panic through Coby.
"Wait! If Alvida finds out we didn't bring this back to her she'll kill us," Coby has absolutely no reason to be concerned about the safety of his crewmates. But if Alvida finds out, he'll be guilty by association. No doubt this group of idiots would twist the facts around to place the blame on the pinkette.
"She won't so long as no one tells her," There was a silent threat in the pirate's words that Coby couldn't ignore. No matter how he played things out in his mind, things would go bad for him. "Let's see what we got here boys," the pirate said as he brought the barrel in front of him. Cocking his arm back, the pirate brings his fist down to break through the lid.
Before he could make contact, a body burst through the top of the barrel, knocking out the pirate above him. "Man, I slept great!" the person yelled as he stretched out his stiff joints. While not the worst place he has slept, the inside of a barrel isn't the most comfortable of places to sleep.
Getting out of the barrel, Coby was staring in shock at the sudden appearance of the stranger. Standing at six feet tall, wearing a long sleeved red cardigan which was unbuttoned and revealing his muscular frame, a yellow sash around his waist, blue pants, and a pair of flip flops. The most discernible part of his appearance is a noticeable scar under his left eye, a straw hat resting on his head, and a large knife with a red scabbard and handle hanging from the back of his belt.
"Ugh, who are you guys?" Luffy asked curiously as he realized he woke up in some unknown place again. 'How does this keep happening?' Luffy thought to himself as he walked over to the boy cowering in the corner.
"That's our line," the remaining two pirates yelled, annoyed as the newcomer didn't even acknowledge their being there. "Don't ignore us you asshole!" They yelled indignantly as they raised their swords.
"Hey, do you know where I can get some food?" Luffy asked Coby as he ignored the commotion behind him.
Coby's eyes were wide as saucers as he saw the swords coming down towards his unintentional savior's head. He wanted to warn the stranger, but his words were caught in his throat and could only watch helplessly as the swords drew closer.
As soon as the blades made contact, both swords snapped where they hit. Not believing what they were seeing, both pirates' jaws dropped as they took a few steps back. The kitchen grew eerily quiet for a moment.
Faster than anyone could see, Luffy spun around and kicked one pirate into another, sending them both flying through the hull of the ship.
"That was annoying," Luffy said casually as he turned his attention back to the boy in the corner. Coby was even more terrified now. The stranger literally took out two pirates faster than he could see. "So, do you know where I can get something to eat?"
"Ye… yeah, there should be some food over here," Leading Luffy to a nearby storeroom, Coby watches as Luffy tears through the cruise liner's food supply. If it wasn't for the fact that Coby is scared that Luffy could potentially kill him in a moment's notice, he would be nauseous at what he is seeing.
"Thanks for the food" Luffy said in between bites as turned his attention. "Anyways, I'm Luffy. Who are you?" he asked as he gave the younger boy a huge grin.
"I… I'm Coby" he didn't know how to answer. It didn't seem like he was being quizzed but this situation is too strange for him.
"So, you with these pirates?" Luffy asked as he began eating another apple.
"No, I hate pirates!" Coby said, releasing all the frustration he has accumulated since he has been taken. "I would leave if I could. I want to leave. But they would kill." Whatever glimpse of passion or desire that was in the young boy's words died out with that last statement. Coming to the somber realization that this is where he is in life. "If only I hadn't gotten on the fishing boat I would never have gotten in this mess."
"Man; not only are you an idiot, you're also a coward. I hate people like you." Luffy laughed, missing two arrows shooting into an even more depressed Coby.
"Thanks for pointing that out." 'How insensitive can one person be.' Coby didn't want to voice these thoughts out of fear of potential petty revenge. "So Luffy, why did you set out to sea?"
"To be King of the Pirates." Luffy said casually in between bites.
"What?! King of the Pirates?! Luffy, do you have any idea what that means." Great, just his luck. First Coby gets saved by a random stranger from pirates then he turns out to be a pirate himself. "If you say you're going to be King of the Pirates then that means you're heading for the One Piece." The One Piece is the treasure every pirate in the world is after. To get it, means Luffy would have to travel to the Grand Line, a place literally regarded as the "Pirate Graveyard." "No, it's impossible! It can't be done! You'll surely die." Coby managed to say but was stopped as Luffy punched him in the head. "Why did you hit me?"
"Because you were speaking nonsense. And don't call me Shirley." (AN: If you don't get that reference, you're too young to be reading this) Luffy said as he suddenly looked more serious. It's been a decade since Luffy swore to Shanks that he is going to be the freest person on the seas. He has dedicated years of his life towards preparing himself for his journey. "Coby, I don't care if my dream is impossible. I don't care how many people are also after the One Piece. It's my dream to become the Pirate King. If I die along the way, then oh well. At least I died fighting for my dream."
Coby sat in awe at Luffy's conviction. To be so determined that you are willing to die to achieve your dream. Before, Coby could only fantasize about such a thing. But now, witnessing Luffy's conviction is giving him the first feeling of hope he's felt in a long time.
"Do… Do you think I could do it?" Coby could not look Luffy in the eyes. In his village, everyone doubted him and everyday he spends as a pirate his dream becomes more impossible.
"Do what?"
"Become a marine."
"Don't know, that depends on you."
"I'm going to do it! I'm going to get off Alvida's ship and join the Marines. I'm going to go around catching pirates! Starting with Alvida!" Never in Coby's short life has he ever felt such passion. This is the first time where his dream felt possible.
Luffy's grin spread across his face. Coby has found his footing and is willing to take his first steps towards achieving his own dream.
"Who are you going to arrest, you damn brat?!" A large woman screamed as she came crashing through the ceiling.
"Alvida!" And like that, Coby's fear returned. How is he supposed to escape? He's surrounded by pirates and the sea. There's nowhere to go.
"Hey Coby, who's the fat hag?" And like that, everyone's jaws dropped to the ground. Everyone could only look in shock as they could see the rage in Alvida rapidly grow.
"Kill this bastard!" Alvida roared as she raised her mace. Bringing it down, she missed her intended target as Luffy grabbed Coby and jumped through the hole in the ceiling.
"Shishishi, I don't know who that fat lady is but she pissed." Laughing as he lands on the deck. Dropping Coby unceremoniously to the ground, he notices that he's surrounded by pirates. "Have you guys ever heard of a fair fight?" Luffy asked jokingly.
"Die!" A random no name pirate screamed as he jumped into the air and brought his sword down on Luffy. His attack would have landed if Luffy hadn't simply side stepped the attack. Smirking at the pirate's shocked expression, Luffy punched hard enough in the gut to not only send him flying but every pirate behind him as well.
"Cause if you want one, you're going to need a whole lot more friends to stand a chance?" Hearing his words caused the remaining pirates to subconsciously take a couple steps back.
Coby watched in shock as each pirate was taken down with a single hit. Some of them were taken out in groups and others were sent flying farther than the eye could see. Earlier in the day, even one of these pirates would've been too much for Coby to beat. Seeing Luffy so easily take down an entire pirate group single handedly is equally terrifying and inspiring.
"What the hell is going on here?!" Alvida said, feeling winded as she finally made it back up top. Before her lay her entire crew, defeated and sprawled out on the deck of the cruise liner. Locking eyes with the straw hat wearing teen, rage filled her. "Who the hell are you?"
"Me, I'm Luffy." Really, her whole crew was beaten by some no name brat. At least, they hadn't come across Zoro. Then again, she's going to need a whole new crew. Preferably one that isn't full of useless idiots. Of which, Alvida turns attention to Coby. If she had to guess, he's been sitting there the whole time watching. "Coby!" she yells, getting the pinkette's attention. She needs to know who he's loyal to. "Who's the most beautiful woman on the seas?"
"Uh… it's yo…" Looking towards Luffy, Coby felt a new sense of determination. "You're the fattest, ugliest bitch I have ever seen! I'm going to join the Marines and arrest pirates starting with your ugly ass!" If Coby was going to commit his life to becoming a Marine, then he should start now.
"Shishishi, well said." Luffy said as he laughed at Alvida's shocked expression. Who would have thought that this is what it would take for Coby to grow a spine.
"YOU LITTLE SHIT! DIE!" Alvida screamed as she raised her mace and swung it down towards Coby.
'I'm going to die! I'm going to die! I'm going to die!' These thoughts ran through Coby's mind as he watched Alvida's mace come towards him in slow motion.
"Why don't you sit this one out." Luffy said as he lightly flung Coby across the deck and took his spot in Alvida's attack.
"Luffy, no!" Coby screamed in terror as he witnessed Alvida's mace slam into Luffy's head.
"Shishishi; man, you hit a lot harder than I thought you would." Luffy laughed as he looked up menacingly towards the pirate captain. As soon as he spoke those words, Alvida's mace shattered. "Though, not hard enough."
Alvida took a step back in shock and fear.
"My turn," Luffy said as he cocked his arm back. Before Alvida had time to process what was happening, Luffy had punched her in the gut. The force of the punch sent a ripple across Alvida's fat and sent her flying far from the ship. Luffy only laughed as he saw that a cone had formed around her from how fast he had sent her flying. Turning his attention to what remained of the Alvida Pirates, the remaining crew were shaking in fear. "We're going to take off now, forget that any of you have seen Coby and I'll let you live." The pirates registered the threat and silently nodded as they took a few more subconscious steps back. "Alright Coby let's go."
"Go, go where?" Coby's brain couldn't function properly at that moment. He was so surprised by how easily Luffy had beaten Alvida that he was still struggling to regain proper mental functions.
"Didn't you say you wanted to be a Marine?" Luffy asked rhetorically before a sudden cannon fire caught his attention. Following the path of the cannon ball fired, Luffy witnesses as it blows up the remaining lifeboat on the cruise liner. "Well… that sucks," Luffy said as he guarded Coby from the exploding ship. Looking over the side of the cruise ship, the Straw Hat wearing pirate sees two Navy ships firing on them. "Alright, time to go!" Luffy said as he grabbed Coby and jumped over the side of the ship.
Landing on a lifeboat already in the water. Hearing a high pitch scream, Luffy turns his head to the lifeboat's single occupant. It was a red headed girl with shoulder length hair wearing a white top with blue stripes, an orange skirt with white rings along the side and brown high heeled boots. Despite her modest appearance, her outfit did wonders to show her amazing figure.
"Who the hell are you guys?!" The redhead screamed as she tried to calm her racing heart. She managed to avoid a confrontation with the Alvida Pirates. She was about to leave when the Navy showed up. And suddenly, two random people came crashing into her ship, nearly sending her treasure overboard.
"No time to answer, we got to go!" Luffy said as he started reaching for the oars.
"What we?! Get your own ship!" She yelled once again before cannon fire caught her attention. Turning her head, everything went in slow motion as she witnessed a cannonball coming her way. Her eyes widened in complete horror.
When the cannonball was only a few inches away from her face, a hand reached out and stopped the cannonball dead in its tracks. Slowly and shakily, she follows the hand to see where it came from. Noticing it belongs to the stranger in a straw hat, she was shocked at how close she came to death.
"Those idiots!" Luffy roared as he focused on the Navy ships. "Don't they see the civilian cruise ship!?'' Of course they did and Luffy knew it. He also knew they didn't care. Cocking his arm back, Luffy threw the cannonball faster than any cannon could fire towards one of the Navy ships. The cannonball tore straight through the ship's hull, causing all the marines to go into a mad panic. The marines rushed to plug the hole as sea water was rushing in, flooding the interior of the ship. The damage caused by the cannonball resulted in various light fixtures to fall to the ground, breaking, and starting a fire. In less than a minute, the ship had smoke billowing out the side as various marines were jumping overboard.
The other Navy ships were distracted with trying to save as many of their men as possible. This fortunately gave Luffy and the others an opening to escape. Grabbing both oars, Luffy gets into position to start rowing. "Hang on you two!" Luffy yells as he starts rowing.
Coby and the redhead were two distracted to hear Luffy. Neither of them had ever seen someone so casually catch a cannonball mid flight and throw it faster than any canon could fire. By the time Luffy had started rowing, both struggled to stay on the lifeboat. Luffy rowed faster than what any normal person should be capable of.
By the time they were clear of any danger, Luffy let out a sigh of relief while the other two were deathly pale and looked as though they were moments away from a heart attack. "Shishishi, that was fun." Luffy laughed as he took in the sight of his companions.
"What and who the hell are you?!" The redhead was still coming down from the adrenaline of nearly getting her head blown off by a cannon and holding on for dear life as the man that saved her rowed faster than what should be humanly possible. All things considered; she's handling things well.
"I'm Luffy and this is Coby." Luffy answered as he set the oars down and stretched a bit. It's been years since he had to row so fast. Internally he's relieved that this situation was nowhere near as terrifying as the last few times.
Hearing that answer made the redhead's eye twitch more than it should have. She didn't know what answer to expect. She didn't know what she could be told to explain everything that happened. What she heard wasn't the answer she wanted. "How the hell did you catch that cannonball?! Or row so fast?!"
"I just figured out how to do it." The redhead's mind went blank. Who just learns how to catch and throw a cannonball? "So, who are you?"
"My name is Nami." Nami was rubbing her temple in frustration. When she snuck onto that cruise liner, this is not how she thought things would turn out. "You're obviously not part of the Alvida Pirates and I didn't see you on the cruise ship. How did you get all the way out here?"
This question caught Coby's attention. Luffy doesn't seem like some stow away. From what he can tell, if Luffy wanted to get on the cruise ship he would have just walked on and thrown anyone that tried to stop him overboard. Finding Luffy in a barrel is one of the more peculiar parts of the day. Minus Luffy's absurd strength and speed.
"Don't know. One minute I was getting sucked into a whirlpool and jumped into a barrel to survive. Next, I'm waking up from a nap in a storeroom."
"Really?" Once again, both Nami and Coby lost function to their brains as they registered Luffy's words. Nami felt that storm from a distance, she knew exactly how dangerous that storm was. "How did you get caught up in that mess? And how would jumping in a barrel save your life?" If that whirlpool destroyed whatever ship he was on, how would a wood barrel fare any better?
"Eh, I kind of just zoned out." Luffy was so excited to finally start his journey that he forgot to pay attention to his environment. "And I just got lucky with that barrel, Shishishi."
Turning her attention towards the pinkette, Nami needs to change the topic for the sake of her growing headache. She recognized the younger boy as part of Alvida's crew. Granted he was clearly terrified and hiding from any danger, but he's still a pirate. She can't afford to let her guard down around him. "So, what were you doing with Alvida?"
Coby couldn't explain why but something about Nami's glare scared him. He felt like he was being accused of something that he never did. "Al…Alvida was holding me prisoner and forcing me to work for her. Luffy saved me."
"And now I'm going to take this weakling to a Navy base so he can become a marine." Luffy butted in, not noticing the arrow that pierced his new pink haired friend.
At this, Nami's gaze softened immediately. She knew how cruel pirates could be with prisoners. Coby's just lucky that someone was there to help him before the marines caught him.
"So, what about you Nami?" To her credit, Luffy is already impressed by her. He almost couldn't tell she was in the dingy when he jumped overboard.
"Well, if you must know, I'm a pirate thief." Nami exclaimed with pride. "You know, with your strength and my skill we should team up. Together we can steal from every pirate in the East Blue."
Hearing Nami say that she is a pirate thief made Coby feel a sense of dread. A pirate and a pirate thief on the same dingy with him in the middle could only spell disaster. 'Please don't say anything stupid, please don't say anything stupid.'
"That's a great idea, I can definitely use someone like you on my crew." Much to Coby's dread, Luffy had to say that he's a pirate to a pirate thief.
Nami's mood dropped immediately. Here she was thinking of ways to con him out of any belis they steal. Now that possibility is off the table. Reaching into her skirt, the redhead quickly pulls out and assembles her staff with practiced ease.
"Ugh, did I miss something?" One minute he and Nami are talking about working together; the next, she's ready to attack him.
"I can't believe you're some filthy pirate!" If there is a worse situation to be in, Nami couldn't think of one in a minute. If this pirate takes her treasure, she'll be that much farther from her goal.
"Didn't you want to team up with me a second ago?"
"That was before I knew you were some scumbag, low life pirate. All people like you care about is destroying what people care about and killing anyone that people hold dear without the slightest remorse. All pirates are scum!"
"We're all scum, huh?" For a moment, Luffy dropped his carefree appearance. "If that's the case then why did two different pirates save me when I was a kid while marines looked the other way."
Flashbacks to the slave ship came back to his mind. The ship was stopped by marines a couple times on the way to the human shop. People were begging to be saved, pleading for their lives. Their pleas fell on depth ears as the marines made sure nothing illegal was on the ship. So long as the slavers kept their noses clean, there was no reason to be concerned. As far as the marines were concerned, the slavers were merely collecting cattle to sell to the nobles.
Thinking back on Shanks. That man risked his life to save Luffy. He very easily could have done nothing, and no one would have said anything. Even Rayleigh risked a lot to save Luffy and Ace. But here's Nami calling them scum.
"Look, obviously you've dealt with nothing but cowards calling themselves pirates. I hate those types of people. People that take everything people have and rob them of who they are the true scum of the world. But they are not pirates. Being a pirate is about being free. Being a pirate is about being able to go where you want, do what you want, when you want to, without people telling you otherwise. It's about living on your own terms. People like the ones you've dealt with use piracy as an excuse to justify their horrible actions."
Nami could feel his conviction through his words. Where she was determined to protect herself and her treasure, she now took a subconscious step back as she stood on slightly shaky legs. Coby was left utterly speechless. Out of everything Luffy said a pirate is, he finds himself agreeing with the straw hat wearing pirate to an extent.
"I'm sorry you had to deal with people that are literal disgraces to pirates everywhere, but don't assume we're all like that." Luffy finished as he sat down in the boat. He could tell that Nami lost the will to fight him. There's no need to worry about anything at the moment.
'A disgrace to pirates everywhere.' As far as Nami is concerned, that's the biggest joke she's heard. She's robbed enough pirates and seen enough in action to know what kind of monsters they are. She's witnessed pirates commit one atrocity after another and act like they were everyday occurrences. She's seen countless lives ruined. The idea that not all pirates are monsters is utterly ridiculous.
Maybe Luffy is that one in a million pirate that is a good person. Probably not, but at least she could let her guard down some. She never expected him to be an idealist. He seems far too carefree to be one.
While Nami has seen the cruelty of pirates; growing up in Sabaody, he's seen the World Government do worse. Seeing what he considers the true scum of the world breaking the very laws they impose made him glad of his life choices. He may be a criminal, but at least he's an honest one. "Hey Nami, do you know where the nearest Navy base is?"
Tilting her head curiously, Nami looks at Luffy as though he had grown a second head. "Yeah; from where we are, the closest would be in Shells Town. Why?"
"Shells Town? Sweet, that's only a few days from here!" Luffy exclaimed as he nearly jumped up from his spot. "You hear that Coby, we're only a few days away from turning you into a marine!"
"That's great." Even though Coby is excited at the prospect of taking the first real step in achieving his dream, he still has doubts. If the Navy finds out about his past with Alvida, they'll arrest him on the spot. Plus, why would they want a weakling like him. 'NO!' Coby internally yelled as he shook his head. If Luffy is willing to risk his life to achieve his dream, then so can he.
"Why are you helping him join the marines? Won't that just make you two enemies?" Why would a pirate help a would be marine? Most pirates would have just killed Coby for wanting to be a marine. Why go the extra length to help someone that's going to be turned into his enemy?
"Because that's his dream." Again, Luffy said it in a way that made Nami question her opinion on pirates.
'Maybe he really is different.' Nami shook her head at the thought. When the time comes, he'll show who he really is, just another monster. Oh well, she can at least humor him for a short time. He did save her life. "Ok then. By the way, what did you mean it would take a few days? Even without you rowing, I can easily get us there by tomorrow morning."
"Really?" Luffy pulled out a map and quickly examined it. "Look how far away it is, this should take at least a few days."
Nami rolled her eyes, she let that remark slide as she took the map from Luffy. "Don't you have any navigation skills? If we follow this current, it will carry us right to Shells Town." The redhead explained as she showed Luffy the course. "I don't mean to brag but you won't find a better navigator around then me." As much as Nami is aware of the value of discretion around a potential enemy, she is proud of navigation skills. Even without a map, she can easily navigate the entirety of the East Blue, avoid storms, and take full advantage of every current.
"Then it's decided" Nami smiled smugly. Having a pirate admit that she is right is very satisfying. "You're going to be my navigator." Nami nearly fell when she heard that.
"I REFUSE! There's no way I'm going to join a pirate crew!" How can he just make her his navigator without asking her first. He's heard what her opinions on pirates are. It should have been a no-brainer to not bother asking her.
"Well, I refuse your refusal." Luffy replied as he crossed his arms.
"WHAT! You can't just refuse a refusal!"
"Of course, I can. I just did. I refuse to have anyone but the best on my crew. If you're as good as you say you are, then you're the only person I'll accept for the role."
And like that, Nami's headache came back in full force.
Time Skip
"Like I said, we'll be here by morning." Nami said as she got off the dingy.
"I wouldn't expect anything less of my navigator!" As all the townspeople looked their way, the pride on Luffy's face was made abundantly clear.
"For the last time. I AM NOT YOUR NAVIGATOR!" No matter how many times Nami would refuse becoming his navigator, Luffy would refuse her. It's been almost nonstop since yesterday. "You're lucky I have business here or I would have ditched you already."
"Oh, what kind of business?"
"None of your business"
"Nami is mean." Luffy pouted as they walked through town. "Oh well, I have my own reason for coming here."
"Why, I thought you came here to help me?" In the admittedly short time Luffy and Coby have known each other, the straw hat wearing pirate didn't mention any other reason for coming to Shells Town.
"Yeah, I heard that Pirate Hunter Zoro is here." At the mere mention of Zoro, everyone within earshot visibly jumped away in fear. The townsfolk all looked petrified.
"Why are you looking for this Zoro guy?" Nami asked as she examined the townsfolk. She's seen the look of people who live in fear. She could tell from how they're acting that they aren't scared of Zoro, but don't want to be associated with him.
"Eh; I've heard a lot of rumors about him, I want to see what he's like."
"Oh god, you want to recruit a 'pirate hunter' into your pirate crew." Nami facepalmed. First, he tries to recruit her, after she admits that she hates pirates, and now he wants to recruit a pirate hunter. What's next? A marine? 'Wait a minute,' the redhead turned her gaze towards Coby at the prospect.
"Maybe, I got to see if he's a good guy first."
"Luffy, are you crazy!?" Coby for his part butted in this time. "If he was arrested that means he is obviously bad."
Luffy gave Coby an incredulous look at what he had said. It was a few seconds before Luffy would simply roll his eyes at the younger boy's ignorance. "Have you heard who's in charge of the Navy base?" Luffy really didn't want to shatter Coby's views on the Marines when he finally found the courage to join them and could use a little change of topic.
"If I remember correctly, it should be Captain Axe Hand Morgan." With the mention of that name, everyone within earshot jumped even more than when they heard Zoro's name.
Nami recognized the townsfolk's expression of fear. Whoever this Morgan is, he's the one everyone's scared of. Curiously, the redhead wonders why the people are more scared of Morgan than Zoro. It was a bad omen if she has ever seen one.
Luffy noticed it too. He's had enough practice to hide what he's feeling.
"I don't get it, why are these people more scared of Morgan than Zoro?" Marines are the ones risking their lives to help and save people. They are protectors. He just couldn't understand why these people… looked like he did while under Alvida.
"Coby, there's something I want you to remember. Not every Marine is a good person. Some are just as bad as some pirates." It is a hard truth, but Coby is going to have to learn that lesson sooner or later. At least he'll learn it now at a more opportune time.
The three continued through the town until they reached the Navy base. To Luffy, it looked off. He's seen plenty of Navy bases over the years and this had a strange feeling to it. Ordinarily, Navy bases impose a feeling of justice and protection. The feeling this one gave off just seemed off for some reason.
"Well Coby, this is it." Luffy said as he patted Coby on the back.
Coby couldn't believe he's finally able to start his own journey. Soon he'll be able to chase down criminals and bring them to justice.
"I wonder where Zoro is?" Luffy asked out loud as he jumped onto a wall.
"Luffy, what are you doing? Get down from there! He's more than likely in a cell."
"Really, then who's that?" Luffy said smugly from his spot on the wall. Not believing his luck, Nami and Coby jumped up onto the wall. Sure enough a single was tied to a cross in the middle of the field. Wearing a white shirt, black pants tucked into black boots, a green haramaki, three gold earrings in one ear, and a green bandana tied around his head.
Just looking told him that while he's been on that cross he's been beaten repeatedly and hasn't eaten days, possibly weeks. Despite his condition, all of them could feel the conviction and determination practically rolling off him.
"Get off the wall. You're ruining my view." Zoro said from his spot without paying too much attention to the peanut gallery.
Falling to the ground, Coby looked on in fear. The man tied to the cross is the person all pirates in the East Blue fear. "It's him, Roronoa Zoro. The bounty hunter that's more demon than man."
'That's Zoro?' For some reason, Nami was expecting someone a little more intimidating. She certainly wasn't expecting to see him tied up. 'He must have really pissed someone off.'
They were interrupted by the sound of something hitting the wall next to them. Looking over, they see a small girl climbing a ladder. Noticing them looking at her, the girl shushes them and jumps down to the ground. Running towards Zoro, the girl reaches into her bag on her shoulder.
"You again? Didn't I tell you to stop coming around?" Zoro glared at the girl, though she was unperturbed.
"Yeah, but I made you these yummy rice balls." She held out the rice balls as she had the proudest smile on her face.
"Get out of here kid! You're going to get hurt!" Zoro yelled.
"But I made these for you." Tears started welling in the corner of her eyes.
Nami was glaring at Zoro. With how much that little girl went through to make those rice balls and what she is risking bringing them to him, the very least that ungrateful bastard could do is eat them.
"Luffy, will you please go and save her." Coby pleaded; he couldn't understand why he looked so calm in this situation. "Hurry, she's going to get herself killed."
"Well, well, well, bullying children now? How unbecoming of you Zoro." A nasally, obnoxious voice said. Turning their heads, the three saw two marines flanking the sides of what they assumed was their commanding 'officer'. The smug look, the pompous mannerisms, the marine just looked like a prick.
"Oh good, the marines are here. That girl is safe." Coby stated, oblivious to the incredulous looks he was getting from Luffy and Nami.
"Well, if isn't the bastard's son." Zoro glared daggers at the marine. What he would give to teach the little shit a lesson.
"Now, is that any way to talk to you better?" the marine asked rhetorically. Before him is one of the most dangerous people in the East Blue and Zoro could do nothing to him. In his state, one word to 'Daddy', and the bounty hunter would be dead. Might as well have fun before things come to a sudden end. "Oh, trying to have food snuck in? Does that mean you have given up on our little deal?" the marine said as he turned his attention towards the little girl.
The girl now was showing fear. Her legs trembled, she wanted to run but couldn't get her body to move.
Luffy noticed that when faced with a dangerous bounty hunter, someone regarded as a demon amongst men, the girl didn't show the slightest bit of fear. But when faced with the marine, she was utterly terrified.
Nami noticed it as well and her opinion of Zoro started to change. Maybe he isn't as bad as she has heard.
"The hell I have! I still have three more days left." Zoro tried to make it clear that the girl wasn't there because of his asking. If she's lucky, the jackass will just assume she was just ignorant of the rules.
"Oh, what do we have here?" he asked as he knew what Zoro was doing. He could play along. "Rice balls? Don't mind if I do." He said as he swiped a rice ball from the girl and started eating it.
"NO! I made those for Zoro!" the girl pleaded.
"DISGUSTING!" The marine yelled as he spit up the rice ball. "You're supposed to use salt you stupid brat! Not sugar!"
"But I thought it would taste better if they were sweet." She looked down in shame at her apparently failed attempt at making food.
"Disgusting!" The marine repeated as he threw his rice ball and the other one to the ground and started stomping them both into the ground.
"No!" The girl cried as she witnessed all her hard work be ruined.
Zoro glared at the marine and had to resist the urge to break out of the ropes holding him and beat the bastard within an inch of his life.
Luffy was of a similar mindset but held off.
Even Nami was close to jumping over the wall and giving the marine a piece of her mind.
Coby watched on in shock. This isn't how marines are supposed to act. They don't just bully little girls for no reason. Then Coby remembered Luffy's warning. So, what he said was true. No! he won't accept that.
"You stupid girl! Don't you know what the penalty for sneaking onto a Navy Base is?!" the Marine's gaze turned almost vindictive. The girl began shaking as she remembered what the punishment was. By command of Captain Axe Hand Morgan, anyone caught trespassing onto the base is to be promptly executed. Given how much danger she and her mother are in, they both could end up dead because she wanted to repay Zoro's kindness.
"You there, throw this little brat over the wall!" The marine ordered one of his men.
"Damn you Helmeppo!" Zoro said through clenched teeth.
"But sir…" the marine tried to interject but…
"Either throw this damn brat over the wall or I'll tell my Daddy that you were defying my orders!" Helmeppo said angrily. How dare some no name Marine try to defy him. On this island his words are only second to his father's.
Begrudgingly so, the Marine went to pick up the little girl. "Try to roll into a ball before you hit the ground." The marine whispered to the girl as soon as he faced away from Helmeppo. The very least he could do was try to help her not get as hurt. Looking towards the wall, the Marine locked eyes with Luffy. In that brief instant, he silently pleaded for the Straw Hat wearing man to catch her. Luffy just nodded in response.
Throwing the girl, she let out a scream of terror as she soared through the sky.
Nami and Coby looked on in terror. They quickly figured out how scared the Marines of this base are of Morgan, but they didn't realize they were so scared that they threw an innocent little girl.
Seeing her trajectory, Nami quickly moves in to catch her. She was interrupted as she saw Luffy jump up and catch her midair. Catching her, Luffy holds her close as he lands to the ground. As soon as he lands the girl looks up to see that someone had caught her. Then realization of what had happened caught up to her and she started crying again. "There, there. It's ok." Luffy tried to console the poor girl.
Nami let out a sigh of relief, thankful that Luffy was fast enough to catch the girl without her getting hurt. "What kind of asshole just orders his men to throw a little girl?!" she almost yelled as she glared at the wall.
"Coby, take her home, I'll find you later." Luffy said as he set the girl down. His words bringing Coby out of his thoughts, nodded as he led the girl back home.
"What are you going to do?" Nami was almost worried. Any trouble that Luffy causes will only make her own business here more difficult.
If Luffy heard Nami, he didn't show it. Jumping over the wall, Luffy approaches Zoro.
"You again? Don't you have anything better to do?" Zoro doesn't have the time or interest to deal with pesky people.
"I came to see you, are you really as strong as people say?"
Zoro could only smirk at the question. "Look around, you won't find a stronger swordsman in the East Blue." Zoro was confident, Luffy could tell that with a simple glance. To make it better, that confidence is stemmed through years of experience and not some false bravado.
"Don't know about that. I could have broken out of here a while ago." The ropes that are used to tie Zoro to the cross look so old and worn out that they might as well be twine. A single look told Luffy that Zoro wanted to break out, he could have. 'I wonder what kind of deal is keeping him here.'
"Tch, whatever. I will make it through this month, I only have three days left. As soon as it's up and I'm free, I'll be sure to turn that pompous ass to mincemeat." The look in Zoro's eyes told him that was a promise.
"Shishishi, I like people like you. Well, see you later." Luffy said as he started to walk away. He's sure of it. Zoro is the perfect type of person to join his crew. He'll hang around for a few days until he's free and have him join his crew.
"Wait." Zoro, catching Luffy's attention. "Before you go, will you give me that?" he gestured towards the rice balls.
"You sure? It's more mud and dirt by now?"
"Just hurry up and feed it to me!" Going along with it, Luffy picked up the disgusting remains of the rice balls and fed them to Zoro. The swordsman struggled to swallow them but eventually got them down. "Tell that girl 'Thanks, they were delicious'." He said as he caught his breath after a short coughing fit.
'Man, I couldn't be more right about him!' Luffy said as he walked away. Jumping over the fence he was surprised to see Nami was still there. "I thought you had some important business?" Luffy teased as they started walking back towards town.
"Shut it. It just so happens that my business includes scoping out the base." Nami witnessed the whole interaction between those two. Her opinion of Zoro had shot up considerably after she figured out that he was trying to protect the girl and even more so after he forced himself to eat those rice balls. Nami's opinion of Luffy shot up as well. She's never seen a pirate that was willing to save a little girl and comfort her to make sure she's ok. "So, where are you going?"
"To find Coby and that girl. I want to find out what's going on here." Nami tagged along for the reason. Too many things didn't add up.
After a few minutes of looking, they found Coby and the girl standing outside a restaurant they passed on their way to the base. "Hey mister, thanks for catching me. I'm Rika." Rika said as she gave Luffy a big hug as thanks.
"You're welcome, I'm Luffy." He said he patted Rika on the head. "And this is Nami and Coby." Rika nodded and showed her thanks in a similar fashion to both of them
"So, how did it go with Zoro?" Coby asked as he sat on a step. "I'm not so sure that he's the bad guy I've heard of."
"Zoro is not a bad guy!" Rika yelled, gaining everyone's attention. Noticing everyone looking at her, she blushed slightly in embarrassment at her own outburst. Rika started explaining the situation in the town. Shortly after Morgan was placed in charge of the base, he started demanding a tribute tax for protection. Anyone that wouldn't or couldn't pay were either arrested for conspiring against him or executed if they continued to not pay. With Morgan's position, Helmeppo benefited greatly. As Morgan's son, Helmeppo was unofficially given free reign to do whatever he wanted. So long as he doesn't defy his father, no one would touch him.
One day Helmeppo was walking his pet wolf through town. The thing was a menace. It attacked everyone in sight and harassed everyone in sight. It ruined stalls, putting the owners in risk of not affording their tributes. Anyone who asked Helmeppo to put his wolf on a leash was threatened with jail time. While in Rika's mother's restaurant, the wolf was harassing customers. Rika tried to shoo it away which resulted in the wolf lunging towards Rika. Before the Wolf could harm her, Zoro had killed it in a single slice.
In shock, Helmeppo tried to have Zoro arrested. Zoro made a threat that terrified Helmeppo. Not wanting to get into a fight with the dangerous Pirate Hunter, Helmeppo threatened Rika and her mother, Ririka. This resulted in them making a deal. If Zoro could go one month without food or water, Helmeppo won't bother Rika and Ririka anymore. If Zoro fails, he dies, and the mother and daughter are to be arrested. Without a moment of hesitation, Zoro had accepted.
"That was almost a month ago." Rika said solemnly. She believes that it's her fault this whole mess happened. Stifling her sniffles, the best she could, Rika tries to put on a brave face. For almost a month, Zoro has been starved, beaten, and humiliated because she got involved.
Luffy's face was unreadable after hearing the full story. Every fiber of his being was yelling for him to tear the marine base down on top of Morgan and Helmeppo.
Nami's eyes were shadowed behind her bangs. So much of what she heard brought painful memories to the forefront of her mind. She could tell Luffy was beyond pissed with a glance. She knows how to tell if someone is trying to hide their emotions. This is the first time she's hoping a pirate will put a marine in their place.
Coby didn't want to believe what he was hearing. But with the things he has heard and seen, the pinkette couldn't deny it. If only he had Luffy's strength, then could do something to change how things are.
All of them were brought out of their musings as a loud crash came from inside Rika's mother's restaurant. Going inside, they see Helmeppo with his feet up on a table. "Bring me your finest meal! Oh, and be sure to keep the check for yourself." He laughed as he took in the concealed looks of contempt from everyone around him. He loved the feeling of being untouchable. There isn't a thing any of them could do. Even his own men that followed were glaring daggers at the entitled prick. This power, this status, this freedom, all of it is intoxicating.
"Everyone, I've been so bored lately." Slowly, fear began to fill the patrons. Whenever Helmeppo grew bored, he would do something extravagant to entertain himself. More often than not, it would always be something horrific. "To liven things up, tomorrow, I'll execute Pirate Hunter Zoro with his own swords." He announced as he laughed at the top of his lungs.
"What about your deal with Zoro?" Luffy said as he slowly walked up to the captain's son. His words were calm, and his eyes were shadowed by his hat. "Weren't you going to let him go if he could last a month without food or water?"
"Hahaha, only an idiot would have believed that!" That was the best part for Helmeppo. As soon as Zoro was tied to that cross, his life was forfeit. The only reason Zoro was allowed to live was because Helmeppo wanted to see how long the bounty hunter would last before he gave up and accepted his punishment. He was impressed by the swordsman's determination, but that is going to make it all the sweeter when he faces his execution tomorrow.
A sudden impact cut Helmeppo out of his laughing as he was sent flying across the room. Crashing against the wall, it took him almost a minute to realize what had happened. His face felt like he was hit by a cannon. "You…" he started to say as he looked at Luffy in shock. "You hit me! No one has hit me before! Not even Daddy!" he was slowly becoming hysterical.
"You're scum." Luffy said as he glared at Helmeppo. The captain's son and his guards began sweating bullets as they felt a certain dread overcome them.
"I'll have Daddy execute you!" Helmeppo threatened, hoping the reputation of his father would scare this criminal.
"WHY DON'T YOU HANDLE THIS YOURSELF YOU COWARD!" Luffy snapped, no longer tolerating this little shit hiding behind his father. That was all it took for Helmeppo's men to come to their senses, grab Helmeppo and make a run for it. Seeing them retreat caused Luffy to glare at their fleeing forms. "Cowards." He muttered before turning his attention to Nami. "Whatever you're going to do at the base, do it now. Because when I get there, all hell is going to break out." He said as he walked out the door.
Hearing this Nami quickly bolted out the door. If things are going to be crazy, she might as well use that as her distraction.
Word spread through the town like a wildfire. Everyone was giving Luffy a wide berth out of fear of being associated with him. Oh well, it made it easier for him to get to the base.
"You again? Don't you have anything better to do?" Zoro as he looked up and saw that Luffy was in front of him.
"Helmeppo is going back on the deal." Luffy stated plainly, causing Zoro's eyes to go wide. "He's going to execute you tomorrow."
"That bastard!" Zoro said through gritted teeth. He should have expected something like this. He should have sliced up Helmeppo that day in Ririka's restaurant. He would have done it if it wouldn't have put her and Rika in danger.
"Yeah, he announced it just a couple minutes ago." Luffy said as he pulled out his knife.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm getting you out of here. You're a good guy and don't deserve to die like this. Plus, I decided, you're joining my crew." He stopped himself from cutting Zoro free.
"Join your crew? You're a pirate? No thanks, I'll pass. I won't drag my name through the mud becoming some dirtbag pirate." The look in his eyes and the vicious smirk across his face would have scared most people.
"Why not, people already know you as a deadly bounty hunter. How is becoming a pirate different?"
"I have my own dreams and ambitions. I don't care what people think of me. I live every day on my terms working towards my goals and I have no regrets for it."
"Shishishi, you're perfect for my crew! I don't care what you say, you're joining."
"DON'T JUST DECIDE THAT ON YOUR OWN!"
"Shishishi, say you're a swordsman, where is your sword?" Luffy asked as he tried to contain his excitement.
Glaring daggers at the pirate, Zoro is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Unfortunately, the only real option is to at least work with this idiot, if only temporarily. "The bastard's son took them. You'll have to find out from him."
"Ok, sounds good." Luffy said as he turned his attention towards the base. With a quick look, he learns that most of the marines are located on the roof. Odds are good that's where Helmeppo is. Who better to ask where Zoro's swords are? "Alright, let's go!" Luffy yelled as he ran through the air to the roof of the base.
"Kuina, who did I just get involved with?" Never has Zoro seen someone run through the air as if it was as normal as walking on the ground.
Marine Base Rooftop
"If any of you maggots so much as scratch this statue, you will be executed on the spot for standing against your superior officer." Captain Axe Hand Morgan yelled at his underlings. He is a tall muscular marine wearing the Captain's Uniform with the additions of his trademark Axe hand and a metal plate jaw.
The soldiers under his command were struggling to lift the solid stone statue made in the likeness of Morgan himself. They've spent all day lifting it to the roof. They're in the final stretch, all they must do is get it over the lip and move it in place. They couldn't wait to be done with this. It's been hours of heavy lifting in the blazing sun with Morgan yelling threats at them.
Morgan marveled at this piece of art. Being so close to seeing the physical representation of his greatness finally being erected for all to see filled him with joy. It took months of collecting tributes, skimming money from his budget, and shorting his soldiers their pay just to afford it. watching its construction only made him more anxious.
"Daddy, I want you to execute someone!" Helmeppo all but yelled as he walked out onto the roof. "There's a man in a straw hat that struck me! No one has ever hit me before. Not even you."
If it wasn't for the fact that his men were focused on not dropping the statue, they would have seen Morgan's face drop in irritation. "Do you know why I haven't hit you?"
"It's because I'm your beloved s…" Helmeppo began to say.
"I haven't hit you because you aren't worth the effort!" Morgan cut him off as he punched his son, sending him crashing into the door that led to the roof. "I heard some child got into the courtyard?"
"Yes, father." Helmeppo tried to steal his nerves. The last person he wants to look weak in front of his father.
"Does that mean you had her executed?"
"No, I just had her thrown out of the base."
"You useless idiot! Go find her now and finish the job!" trespassing on any part of HIS base is a direct insult to his greatness. Anyone who defies him deserves nothing less than an immediate execution. If not, everyone will see him as weak.
"Man, what an ugly statue!" Luffy said as he landed on top of the statue. Everyone was so distracted with Morgan ordering the execution of a child that they hadn't noticed Luffy until he announced himself.
"That's him daddy! That's the man that hit me!" Helmeppo screamed in terror.
"You! Get off that statue of me!" Ignoring his son's words, Morgan raised his axe towards the newcomer. "If you scratch that statue, I'll have your head!"
Jumping down, Luffy grew a vicious smirk as he eyed down Morgan. Much to his disappointment, Morgan lived up to the pirate's expectations. "Really, then what will you do if I do this?" Luffy asked jokingly as he locked eyes with Morgan and lightly smacked the back of his hand into the statue. This resulted in the statue breaking in half at the point of impact.
The Marines were so caught off guard that they lost their grip as both halves fell off the roof. It had grown so quiet that at that moment they could hear a pin drop. It wasn't until the two halves of the statue impacted the ground that all of them regained their senses.
"I WANT HIS HEAD!" Morgan yelled, feeling a rage like nothing he's ever felt before.
"Shishishi, you're coming with me." Luffy laughed as he grabbed a terrified Helmeppo and used him to open the door down to the rest of the base.
"Sir, we have an intruder in the courtyard." A random marine informed Morgan. The poor messenger tried to keep as much distance as possible without appearing disrespectful.
Looking down towards the courtyard, he could barely make out what looked like a child with pink hair approaching that damned pirate hunter. "I'm surrounded by traitors."
With Coby
"What the hell are you doing kid?! You're going to get yourself killed!" Zoro repeated once again. Since when did he turn into a damn parrot? Also, why wouldn't anyone listen to his warnings?
"I know, but I refuse to sit around and do nothing while I see marines act so poorly." Coby answered as he struggled with Zoro's bindings. "Plus, you're the only one that can help Luffy."
"What do you mean?"
"After Luffy heard Helmeppo say he was going to execute you for fun, Luffy punched him so hard that he almost went through the wall of the restaurant. With your help, you two could make it out of this mess."
Zoro was surprised to hear this. For most of his life, Zoro has been a loner. He's had a few friends here and there but none that would have gone this far for him. At least, no one who would have done what Luffy has.
"I'm not asking you to join up with him. Especially with how crazy his dream is."
"And what dream would that be?"
"He set out to become the King of the Pirates. What kind of stupid knot is this!"
With Luffy
"So, where are Zoro's swords?" Luffy asked Helmeppo as he ran through the Marine Base. Given that he has effectively broken into a Navy base, kidnapped the commanding officer's son, and destroyed government property, he's encountered surprisingly little in the way of marines trying to capture or kill him.
Noticing that Helmeppo was being surprisingly quiet, Luffy looked down and was surprised to see that Helmeppo had passed out. "Huh when did that happen?" he asked no one in particular. "Hmm, let's try this room." Kicking the first door open he sees, Luffy walks in to see a surprised Nami standing by a wall safely. "Hey Nami." Luffy says casually as unceremoniously drops Helmeppo.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Luffy's distraction had managed to keep almost every marine in the base frantically looking for him. Whatever he did to piss them off worked for her. If Nami had to guess, it probably had something to do with that loud crash she heard outside the base. Though having Luffy in the same room now made things difficult. Looking towards the safe she was in the middle of opening, a tick appeared on Nami's head. "Dammit Luffy! I was so close to getting into this safe! Now I have to start over!"
"Shishishi, sorry about that. Want some help?"
Nami's eyes twitched at the offer. She's one of the best thieves in the East Blue and even she was having some issues with this safe. With Luffy here, even Nami wouldn't have it open in time before they are surrounded. "No offense, but how could you help?"
"Let me take a crack at it." Luffy said, grinning as he approached the safe. Tapping on it a couple times, he holds his ear to it.
"What are you doing?" Nami asked, not understanding what he's trying to do. Luffy might as well be an amateur safecracker at best. "Do you really think that's going to…"
Gripping the handle of the safe door, Luffy rips the door right off its hinges and snaps the bolts in a single motion.
"Work," Nami said quietly as she eyed the safe. Part of her is impressed that it worked. The other part of her is incredibly annoyed. She has spent years fine tuning her skills picking locks and cracking safes. Seeing Luffy just ripped a safe door off gave her mixed emotions.
"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" If it wasn't for the fact that Luffy had just helped her, Nami would have smacked him for that.
"No, I didn't say anything." Nami began inspecting the safe. There were some belis but not enough that it would be worth going out of her way to steal. Surprisingly, Nami was here for belis. After a little searching she found what looked like a map. Opening it up, believing to know what it is, her face dropped in an instant. Instead of the map she was looking for, she found a piece of paper marked with the jolly roger of the Buggy Pirates. "Damn pirates," Nami grumbled and threw the paper back in the safe. "Well, at least I know where I need to go next."
"Sorry you didn't find whatever you were looking for."
"It's fine." Nami began to say before she noticed the unconscious form of Helmeppo. "Ugh, Luffy. What are you doing with him?"
"Oh, I forgot about him. I'm looking for Zoro's swords and just assumed this idiot knew where they were."
"Huh, I passed a room that said his room that I'm pretty sure belongs to Helmeppo. How about as thanks for helping me out with the safe, I'll show you where it is?"
"That sounds great." As it turns out, Luffy was at least on the right floor. After passing a couple hallways, they arrived at a door that said 'Helmeppo's Room'. Opening the door, both pirate and pirate thief stop dead in their tracks. The majority of Helmeppo's room was an obnoxious pink that was starting to give Luffy a headache. Nami looked around in disgust at how horribly decorated the room was. "Let's hurry and get out of here." They both said in unison.
Looking to the side of the room, Luffy spots three katanas leaning against the wall. 'I wonder which one is Zoro's?' Zoro specifically mentioned 'swords'. 'Are all three his? That would be awesome!' a sudden gunshot got both the attention of Luffy and Nami. Looking out the window that overlooked the courtyard, they see Coby on the ground by Zoro, clutching his bleeding shoulder. Across the courtyard is Morgan and his men aiming rifles at the two.
"Shit!" Luffy yelled. Breaking the window, Luffy grabs the katanas and picks up Nami.
"What the hell are you doing!" Nami yelped, not expecting to be suddenly picked up. Seeing Luffy move towards the window, her eyes widen. "What the hell are you going to do!" she asked.
With Coby and Zoro
"AHHH, I've been shot!" Coby screamed as he clutched his bleeding shoulder.
"You idiot! Get the hell out of here kid, you're going to get yourself killed!" it was bad enough that Zoro was going to die on this damn cross. But having this kid die with him because he was trying to help made things worse. 'If only I had my swords.'
"Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro and whoever that child is, for the crimes of conspiring against me, I sentence you both to death. MEN!" With that one word, the marines surrounding Morgan raised their rifles and aimed them at Coby and Zoro. "FIRE!"
Coby and Zoro could only watch in horror as the marines fired at them.
Faster than either of them could see, Luffy and Nami appeared in front of them. Nami had the look of terror painted across her face while Luffy looked furious. No one knew what had happened. Everyone had heard the gunshots, yet no one was dead. Even if the marines had missed, at least a few of them should have hit someone.
Gently putting Nami down, Luffy was tossing something up in his hand before catching it again. Everyone recognized what was in the Straw Hat's hand. He had managed to catch every bullet mid flight while carrying someone.
With his grasp on the bullets becoming tighter, Luffy throws the bullets back at the marines, destroying each of the rifles in their hands without harming them. Having a single bullet left in his, he throws that one towards the ground. Leaving a giant trench along the ground, the marines were convinced that the bullet was a cannonball tearing up the ground.
"I wouldn't move if I were you." Luffy warned before turning his attention to Zoro. At that moment, the marines feared someone more than Morgan.
"Just what the hell are you?" Walking through the air, appearing out of nowhere, catching and throwing bullets as if it was nothing. If nothing else, Luffy is far from normal.
"I'm Monkey D. Luffy, the man that will be King of the Pirates".
There was something in the way Luffy had said that made Zoro's eyes go wide. Luffy isn't just another fool looking to get rich quick. He's a crazy fool with an ambition that matches his own.
"Here's some katanas I found, though I don't know which one is yours."
"They're all mine, I use three-sword style." Zoro said as he tried to conceal how impressed/shocked he was.
"Really, that's so cool!" Luffy said before he raised Zoro's swords and began smirking at the swordsman. "You know, if you take your swords that means you will be standing against the marines. You'll be seen as a criminal and hunted by the marines. So, what will it be? Die here on this cross, live as a criminal and chase your dream."
"What are you? The son of the devil?" Zoro could barely contain his own amusement at the turn of the situation. "If those are my options then my choice is obvious. From this day on I will live on as a criminal."
Luffy grinned like an idiot as he moved the katanas into his left hand while his right reached for his knife. With a single slice, Zoro was freed.
"What are you idiots doing?! Get them!" Drawing their swords, the marines rushed the pirate duo.
With ease, Zoro had grabbed his swords from Luffy and blocked each of the marines by himself.
"Now that I have stood against the marines, I am officially a criminal. Luffy, I will only say this once. I set out to sea to achieve my dream of becoming the World's Greatest Swordsman. If at any point you get in the way of that, I will have you apologize at the end of my blade. Do you have a problem with that, Captain?"
Luffy's grin couldn't grow any larger. He had found someone who is of the same mindset. "Of course not. The future King of the Pirates wouldn't have anything less than the best on their crew."
Zoro grinned at that. Having enough of the marines around him, Zoro had thrown them back across the courtyard.
Nami and Coby couldn't believe how easily Luffy, and Zoro were taking down the marines. Both had done so with such ease. To make it more impressive, Zoro is doing this after being starved for nearly a month.
"Sir we can't take them, they're too strong." A marine barely squeaked out as he and the rest of his comrades started getting back on their feet.
A vein popped in Morgan. His men were being held back effortlessly by two pirates. Never has he been humiliated in such a way. "This is a direct order. Any marine who has lost the will to fight, take your pistols, put them to your heads, and pull the trigger!" he declared to everyone within earshot. The men under his command knew he was a heartless bastard, but to hear held them to such a low regard.
"You would order your men to kill themselves." Luffy's tone dropped and gained an icy edge.
"Any marine who fails to defeat two pirates is better off dead than sullying my greatness." Morgan began to rant as he gestured towards the main tower of the base. "This base is a symbol of my greatness. It represents all of my achievements and the trials that I have overcome. I will not allow anyone to defile it."
"Is that so?" Luffy said in a quiet tone. "Let me show you what I think of your greatness!" Jumping into the air, the pirate captain kicks the air. Landing back on the ground, everyone looked confused before the sound of stone sliding caught their attention.
Looking towards the main tower, everyone's eyes widen as they see something had sliced through the building. The marines watched in terror as the tower fell away from the town. The tower falling led to a dust cloud kicking up, resulting in everyone covering their eyes.
"The giant axe, the giant statue of yourself, taking pride in the size of your tower. Are you trying to compensate for something?" Luffy teased as he smirked viciously at the marines.
The three with Luffy had never seen anything like that before.
Coby has never seen anything like this. To be so strong that he can cut a tower down with just a kick. If Coby had even a fraction of that strength he could help so many.
Zoro was impressed to say the least. With all of his years as a swordsman, years of training and refining his skills and body to their peak, never has Zoro thought anything like this was possible with a kick of all things. Maybe joining up with Luffy is a good idea. "Impressive"
Nami was the most surprised of all. 'That strength. I don't even think he could do something like that.' NO! she couldn't be thinking of him at this moment.
"YOU BASTARD! I'LL KILL YOU" Morgan screamed as he rushed Luffy with his axe raised.
"Oni Giri," Zoro yelled as he appeared behind Morgan with all three of his swords drawn. Blood sprayed out of Morgan's chest as he fell to the ground, unconscious but alive. "Can't be letting you have all the fun."
"Nice job Zoro." Luffy grinned as he gripped his hat.
"Thanks Captain."
"We're free!" The marines celebrated as they cheered the defeat of Morgan.
Helmeppo had watched the fight. With his father taken down, the son had lost whatever protection he had. Between the marines and the townspeople, he didn't know who to be more scared of.
"Man, I can't believe what kind of a bastard Morgan was."
"Not that it really matters now," Zoro said before he dropped to the ground. A loud rumbling caught everyone's attention.
"Why don't we get you some food," Luffy said as he hoisted Zoro onto his shoulder.
Time Skip
"That hit the spot!" Zoro exclaimed happily as he finished off his fifth plate.
"Are you done already? Light weight" Luffy teased as he finished off his sixteenth plate.
"I've been starving for a month, how can you eat more than me?!" Everyone laughed at their antics. Ririka was more than happy to give them the hero's banquet they deserve. Everyone was celebrating their new found freedom from Morgan.
"Even though I ate a lot, sorry about that," Coby said bashfully. Though compared to the others, his three plates seem like nothing.
"Don't be so hard on yourself" Luffy said between bites while sipping his drink.
"But all I did was get shot." Coby said dejectedly.
"Then do better next time. Just be happy you survived" Zoro said as he slammed his own drink.
"Yeah, and don't get down on getting shot. It'll probably happen a lot more." Luffy said as he showed off the scar from his own gun shot wound.
"Is that supposed to be motivational?" Nami asked, laughing a little at Luffy's attempt to comfort someone.
For some reason, Coby did find some comfort in that.
"So Luffy, where to next?" Zoro asked.
"Well, we're not ready for the Grand Line yet. We still need to find a ship and a few more people to join up with us."
"At least you're thinking about things at least a little bit." Nami said with a sigh. She half expected him to want to sail straight to the Grand Line on a dinghy.
"We'll definitely need a musician"
"And more booze"
"I take back what I said, you're both idiots." Nami facepalmed, she knew it was too soon to give them credit.
Their celebration came to an end as a group of marines entered the restaurant. Everyone grew silent at their entrance. The citizens were concerned about what would happen to their savoirs.
"As a representative of the Navy Base of Shells Town I would like to extend my gratitude for resolving the issue for former Captain Morgan." Lieutenant Ripper stated as politely as he could. Morgan is a stain that will always haunt the reputation of this base. "As much as I would like to offer a reward for your assistance, we cannot. Because you announced that you are pirates and the destruction to our base at your hands, we must report this to command. Though we will delay that report until after you leave."
The reaction was immediate. All of the citizens began yelling that if it wasn't for them, everyone, marines included, would still be prisoners of Morgan. The marines looked ashamed. They didn't want to do this. They understood the stakes. They still had a duty to uphold. "We simply can not allow pirates to stay in town without arresting them. Unofficially, I don't like our odds in that scenario."
"Shishishi it's fine, we were leaving anyway." Luffy, Zoro, and Nami got up. Under almost every other situation, Nami wouldn't want to be called a pirate. She let it slide this time.
"Hold it," Ripper said as he caught the pirate's attention. "Isn't he with you?" he asked, gesturing towards Coby.
"Oh him," Luffy said while grinning.
Coby's eyes widened in terror. Him and Luffy are friends, if he reveals Coby's past he'll never join the marines.
"I found him..." Luffy began to say only for Coby to cut him off by jumping up and punching the Pirate Captain. "Wrong move," Luffy said as he grinned manically. Faster than Coby could see, Luffy was on him punching the boy in rapid succession.
"ENOUGH!" Ripper yelled as he pulled Luffy off of Coby. "It's obvious he isn't with you, so will you take your leave now." Luffy only grinned and left the restaurant with the others.
Tears began to well in Coby's eyes. That whole thing was to help him convince the Marines. "Sir! Please allow me to join the Marines!" Coby said to Ripper.
"Are you sure? I've seen more than my fair share of new recruits give up and quit."
"Of course! I'll do whatever it takes!" Taking a page from Luffy's book, Coby tried to match his conviction. He has a long way to go but it's a start.
With the others
"Don't you think you took that a little far?" Nami asked with a soft smile. She was glad to see that Luffy had kept his word of helping Coby join the marines.
"Nah, Coby will be fine." Luffy said as he rested his hands behind his head.
"Unless the marines see through your bad acting." Zoro laughed as they climbed into their small ship.
Shortly after they left the port, a noise caught their attention. The three turned to see Coby and Rika waving them off.
"Thank you Luffy for everything you have done!" Coby yells at the top of his lungs.
"Those are some good friends you have there. Piss poor actors but good friends nonetheless." Lieutenant Ripper said as he and the rest of the marines at the base saluted the pirates.
"Huh never thought I'd see the day where marines salute pirates."
And that's it for this chapter. I got to this chapter much sooner than I thought I would. I was working on Path of Revenge but kept hitting parts that frustrated me so I just switched gears and went back to this story. Overall I'm pretty happy with how this turned out. Especially since I wrote the vast majority of this in the last two weeks.
For the East Blue chapters, I'll try to do one arc per chapter just so it doesn't take too long to get to the Grand Line.
For once I don't have too much to say for an AN.
Next update will be for Infernal Dragon Slayer. For that I will be redoing the previous chapter and uploading a new one at the same time. I don't know why but I love and hate writing fight scenes. I always spend too much time second guessing myself. Because of that, I don't know when the next update will be. Hopefully they'll be out in a month, maybe two.
Onto reviews:
Exia Zero: The only people I will guarantee for the harem are Nami and Robin because how do you not have an OP harem story and not have them in it. Reiju would be fun to add just don't know how to go about it until much later on.
seakingbahamut1: Surprisingly enough, Luffy's justification to go back to the East Blue was incredibly easy to figure out. He wants a proper journey and not just start at the halfway point in the Grand Line. And if he's going to start at the beginning, why not go all the way back. Even in canon he turns down offers to either make things easier or avoid unnecessary dangers so that it wouldn't take away from his journey. Good question by the way.
Like always, if anyone has any questions feel free to leave it in a review and I'll answer in the next update or send me a PM and I'll reply as soon as I can.
Like the chapter, think it's trash let me know in the reviews.
Anyways, I need to start getting ready to see Megadeth and Lamb of God tonight and still have a few things to do.
Till next time
Mreh