From Mafioso to Pirate
Chapter 4: Roronoa Zoro
XXX
"Can you please stop following me?" Lambo sighed as he walked through the town, Luffy and the reluctant Coby close behind him.
"Nope!" Luffy replied cheerfully. "Not until you join my crew!"
"So you're just going to stalk me until I say yes?"
"That's right!"
"Well, isn't that just wonderful..." The black-haired boy sighed as he continued trudging along. 'Maybe if I just ignore him he'll get bored and go away...'
"Luffy-san, maybe you should just leave Lambo-san alone," Coby finally spoke up. "I don't think he's going to change his mind..."
"I'm not leaving unless he comes with me!"
At this, Lambo finally stopped and turned to face him. "Why are you so dead set on getting me to join? I already told you, I'm not as strong as you think I am."
Luffy frowned at that statement, his tone becoming serious. "...If I want to become Pirate King, I need the strongest crew there is. So if you weren't strong, I wouldn't be asking you to join me so much!" He then grinned. "And if you think you're weak, then just become stronger."
"You make it sound easy," the other muttered.
"If you join me, then we'll fight all sorts of other pirates and Marines!" Luffy continued. "So you'll have no choice but to get stronger, right?"
"...You really think I can get stronger?" Lambo asked, eyes slightly wide, watching the other nod in confirmation.
He had never heard a statement like that directed at him. The only thing that came close was when his "family" told him to stop being so weak, but even then he could tell from their expressions that they didn't believe he could ever actually do it. But this weird boy who just came out of nowhere said it and seemed to honestly believe it.
Despite himself, Lambo couldn't help but let a small laugh escape his lips. "You're an interesting guy...Luffy, was it?"
"Yeah!" The other grinned widely at the cow-boy's change in demeanor. Before he could say anything else, though, they both heard a gasp come from Coby.
They turned to see the boy staring at the building they were passing with wide eyes, disbelief and happiness clear in them. Lambo followed his gaze only for his eyes to widen when he saw that they were now standing in front of the Marine base. He was so focused on getting away from Luffy that he hadn't even noticed where he had ended up.
"Th-The Marine base! I'm finally here!" He exclaimed, looking like he was seconds away from crying in joy. "I-I can't believe it!"
"Eh? I didn't expect a pirate to be so excited about seeing a Marine base," Lambo stated, looking over the admittedly strangely-shaped building.
"Oh, no, I'm not a pirate," Coby responded quickly, shaking his head.
Lambo raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Really?" He turned to look at Luffy. "And here I thought you forced this guy into your crew, too."
"Coby's dream is to become a Marine, so of course I won't force him to be a pirate!" Luffy exclaimed, pouting at the accusation.
"A Marine?" The cow-clad boy repeated, turning back to look at Coby. "What's a wannabe Marine doing hanging out with a wannabe Pirate King?"
"Well, you see, Luffy-san saved my life," Coby answered, his expression brightening.
"Saved your life?"
"Yeah. Before I met Luffy-san, I was working as a cabin boy for this pirate named Alvida," his expression grew bitter at the memory, Lambo noticed. "For two years, I had to work for her like a slave so that she would let me live...but then," his eyes lit up. "But then Luffy-san came! He beat up Alvida and I was finally able to escape! It still feels like I'm in a dream..."
"Ah, so that's what happened..." Lambo said, wincing. 'And I thought I had it bad...'
"And now, I'm finally at the Marine base!" Coby exclaimed, tears of happiness gathering in the corners of his eyes. "Luffy-san," he started, now addressing the other boy. "I know that we've only known each other for a short time, but thank you so much! I'll never forget you!"
"I don't think he's listening to you, Coby."
"Huh?"
"Hey, I can see someone!"
Coby's eyes widened in shock when he saw that his companion had climbed up the wall surrounding the base and was peeking over it. "L-Luffy-san, what are you doing?! Get down from there!"
"I wonder if that's Zoro?" Luffy continued, ignoring his friend's panic as Lambo, out of curiosity, climbed up as well to have a look.
"Not you too, Lambo-san!"
"Who's Zoro?" Lambo asked, reaching the top of the wall and following the other's gaze.
"A pirate hunter, or something," Luffy replied in an off-handed way as Coby struggled to make his way up to them as well.
"It can't be Zoro," He replied, slightly out of breath from the climb. "He's probably being kept somewhere deep inside the base or something. There's no way they'd just leave him outside for all to see- huh?!"
Coby's jaw dropped open, his face rapidly becoming paler than was healthy.
"...I take it that's Zoro," Lambo said, noticing the smaller boy's reaction.
"Th-Th-Th-That's definitely h-him..."
In the middle of the enclosed area between the wall and the base was a man tied to a wooden pole, looking almost as if he was crucified to it. The man was tanned and muscular, wearing a white shirt and dark green pants along with a haramaki over his hips. A black bandanna covered his head, but they could see a few strands of light green hair peeking out from under it. Upon closer inspection, they could see that the man was dirty and covered in cuts and bruises.
'A bandanna, a haramaki, and the look of a demon... That's definitely him...Roronoa Zoro!' Coby thought to himself, staring at the man in fear.
"If we untie him, he'll be able to escape," Luffy remarked with a grin, making Coby turn to stare at him in disbelief.
"Don't be stupid, Luffy-san! If you untie him, he'll probably kill you!"
"He won't. I'm strong!"
"Ah, I think he heard you," Lambo remarked, causing the other two to quickly look back at the pirate hunter.
The man was indeed looking in their direction, not even bothering to conceal his glare. "You three, get lost," he said in a dark tone. "You're an eyesore."
Coby yelped and scooted closer to Luffy for protection. "L-Luffy-san!" He whispered urgently. "There's no way that demon will become your crew member! Please, let's just go!"
"You're trying to get that guy in your crew, too?" Lambo whispered in surprise, unnerved by the glare they were receiving from the man. "You realize he's a pirate hunter, right? There's a big difference between a pirate and a pirate hunter."
"Eh? Really?" Luffy asked, tilting his head to the side.
"Yes, really!" Lambo snapped. 'What is with this guy?!'
"Um, guys?" Coby spoke up, trying to get their attention.
Both boys turned to look at him questioningly only to be surprised when they realized that there was now a fourth person on the wall with them.
Right next to Coby, having climbed up using a wooden ladder, was a little girl with pig-tails and a blue dress. The girl looked around the area before turning to them, putting her finger to her lips in the universal sign for "be quiet." The three only stared as she tied a rope to the end of the ladder and used it to climb down, carrying something covered up by a small blanket in her arms.
Coby stared after her in confusion before his eyes widened in horror when he realized she was running towards the tied up pirate hunter. "Oh, no! L-Luffy-san, Lambo-san, somebody stop her! Zoro's gonna kill her!"
"Yare, yare, he's tied up, remember?" Lambo stated, examining Zoro. "It doesn't look like he's got any weapons on him, either."
"Wait, what?" The pink-haired boy stopped panicking somewhat and looked closer at Zoro. "That's strange, he's supposed to have a katana with him..."
Zoro chose to ignore the three boys and turned his full attention to the little girl, who was smiling up at him. "What do you want, kid?"
"I thought you might be hungry, so I made you some rice balls," the girl responded cheerfully, removing the blanket she was holding to reveal the somewhat messy, but still delicious-looking food.
"...You're gonna get yourself killed, kid. Beat it."
"But you haven't eaten anything in three weeks... This is my first time making them, but I tried really, really hard, so I'm sure they're good!" The girl continued, smiling brightly and holding the food out to him.
The man looked momentarily surprised before he quickly hardened his expression into a glare. "I'm not hungry! Now get the hell out of here!"
The girl's smile wavered. "B-But I..."
"I don't want any! Don't make me have to hurt you!"
"He's being a bit harsh," the cow-clad boy muttered as he watched the exchange.
"See, Luffy-san?" Coby told his straw-hat-wearing friend, who was still watching the two. "He's a bad guy! You'll die if someone like that joins your crew!"
"Whether he's a good guy or a bad guy, I don't think anyone would refuse food after starving for three weeks," the cow-clad boy answered, narrowing his eyes. "It feels like there's something else going on here."
"Shame on you, Zoro! You shouldn't bully little kids!"
"Look, another weirdo showed up," Luffy said as the three turned their attention towards the new voice.
Lambo had seen a lot of strange-looking individuals in his days, but this guy had to take the cake. The man was skinny and lanky and had blonde hair that looked as if someone had put a bowl over his head and cut around it. He wore an expensive looking purple suit and a cocky grin was imprinted on his face as he walked towards the girl and the pirate hunter, a pair of Marines following close behind.
As he stared at him, Lambo immediately came to the conclusion that he did not like him.
"You've got more fight in you than I expected, Zoro," he said in a disgustingly arrogant voice.
"Thank goodness," Coby sighed in relief. "Now that the Marines are here, that little girl is safe..."
"Somehow, I doubt that," Lambo remarked, causing the pink-haired boy to look at him in confusion.
"Hey, those rice balls look pretty good," the blonde man said as he snatched one of the rice balls out of the little girl's plate and shoved it into his mouth.
The girl's eyes widened as she watched the man eat the rice ball she had tried so hard to make for Zoro. "H-Hey! Those aren't for you!"
The blonde's face immediately twisted into a disgusted expression as he quickly spat out the rice ball onto the ground. "UGH! These are too sweet!" He turned and glared at the child, who took a step back in fear. "You're supposed to put salt in these things, you idiot!"
"B-But I thought it would taste better sweet..." The little girl muttered, looking close to crying, before yelping in pain when the man slapped the remaining rice ball out of her hands, letting it fall onto the dirty ground. Her eyes widened in horror as she watched the man begin to stomp on the food, rubbing it into the dirt. "Stop! Please!" She shouted, but was unable to do anything without risking her hands being stomped on.
"Th-That's horrible..." Coby whispered, staring at the scene with wide eyes. "How could the Marines do something like that?"
Lambo couldn't help but feel bad for the other boy. For someone who dreamed of becoming a Marine, it must be difficult to watch them act like this.
"Coby," he said, waiting until the boy turned to him and looking him in the eyes. "You're too naïve."
Coby's eyes widened. "H-Huh?"
"Just because they're Marines doesn't automatically mean they're good people," the cow-clad boy continued. As a member of what was essentially a criminal organization, he knew this fact well. "The world is a complicated place, it's not just black and white. If you become a Marine, you'll have to deal with people like this guy." He gestured at the blonde man.
"L-Lambo-san..."
"I-I worked so hard to make those..." The girl hiccupped, tears spilling from her eyes.
The blonde grimaced and pointed over to a board near the entrance of the Marine base. "Haven't you read that sign? 'Anyone who attempts to aid a criminal will be executed. Signed, Marine Captain Morgan,'" he read, smirking when he saw the child pale. "Even stupid little brats know about my daddy."
"Daddy?" Luffy asked, frowning.
"D-Does that mean he's Captain Morgan's son?" Coby mumbled.
"With a son like that, I can only imagine what the father must be like," Lambo sighed.
"You," the blonde said, turning to one of the Marines behind him. "Toss this brat over the wall."
The man's eyes widened at the order. "B-But sir, she's just a little kid!"
"Are you deaf?!" The man snarled. "I said toss her over the wall! If you don't do what I say, I'll tell Daddy!"
The Marine winced at this and slowly walked over to the girl, who was taking step after step back in fear. "I'm sorry, little girl," he whispered, causing her eyes to widen. "Tuck yourself into a ball, alright?"
The three boys watched in shock as the man lifted the girl up and threw her into the air. Coby, probably out of panic, lost his grip on the wall and started tumbling down. Lambo, knowing that a fall from this height could break someone's neck if they were unlucky enough, quickly grabbed onto him. As a result, he didn't see how Luffy caught the little girl, only turning back in time to watch him fall onto the ground, the child clutched protectively to his chest.
"Th-Thank you, Lambo-san," Coby said as the boy helped him back onto the wall before they both climbed down.
"Luffy, are you and the girl okay?" Lambo asked as they hurried over to the two. Much to his relief, it looked like neither was hurt by the fall.
"Thank you, mister," the girl said to Luffy, who grinned in response.
"Don't mention it."
"Are you okay, little girl? What a terrible person... Does it hurt anywhere?" Coby asked in worry, not noticing Luffy stand up and hurry back over to the wall, easily climbing back up. Lambo, curious to see what would happen next, followed.
"You son of a bitch..." They heard Zoro mutter, glaring daggers at the blonde, who just laughed it off.
"You sure are stubborn to have survived for this long, Zoro."
"Yeah, I'll make it through the whole month," the pirate hunter snarled at him. "There's only ten days left..."
"If you can survive for that long!" The man laughed again, already walking away with the Marines.
Luffy waited until they were gone before jumping over the wall and walking towards Zoro. Lambo didn't stop him, wanting to see what he would do.
"How could they do something so horrible, Luffy-san, Lambo-san?" Coby muttered, turning around only to be surprised when he saw that they were gone. "Huh? L-Luffy-san? Lambo-san?"
"Up here," the green-eyed boy called, earning a sigh of relief from him.
"Oh, good... Wait, where's Luffy-san?"
"Talking to Zoro."
"Oh... EH?!"
Lambo ignored the boy's panicked screech and watched the scene before him in interest.
"They say you're a bad guy," Luffy told Zoro, who just glared at him.
"You're still here?"
"They left you tied up here for all to see... Are you really that strong?"
"Mind your own business!"
"I would have escaped in three days," the straw-hat-boy continued, grinning and walking closer.
At this, Zoro smirked, looking every bit the dangerous pirate hunter that he was. "I've got more willpower than you ever will! I'll definitely survive this!"
"Really? Suite yourself, then," Luffy replied, turning to leave.
"Hold on!" Zoro suddenly shouted, making the black-haired boy look back. The man turned his head towards the ruined rice ball. "Can you give that to me?"
"You're gonna eat this?" Luffy asked, bending down and picking up the lump of rice and dirt. "It's more dirt than food now..."
"Just shut up and give it to me!" Zoro shouted, losing his composure and acting like what he was, a man who had been starved for three entire weeks.
Luffy just shrugged and tossed the food into his mouth, watching as the man chewed and swallowed it only to begin coughing up dirt. "Told ya so."
"...It was good."
"Hm?"
"Tell that girl...I said thanks."
Luffy smiled at that, a soft smile rather than his usual blinding grin. Apparently, he got what he needed from that response.'
Lambo couldn't help but smile as well. 'I've sure met some interesting people today...'
TO BE CONTINUED