UNTARNISHED SILVER

Artemyra stood before her captain with her mouth agape, absolutely speechless at what he just told her. "He ate it?" she asked with a cocked brow.

Luffy nodded assuringly. "Yup."

"The muddy rice ball?" she asked again, just to make sure. "The same one that was stomped on by the foolish son."

"Yup. The same one. He ate the whole thing and wanted me to tell the girl that it was good."

This came somewhat as a shock to Lady Artemyra, but a welcome one. At this point in time, a crude image of him had already been established in her head, but it was quickly shattered once she learned that he still ate the muddy rice ball. So needless to say…the lady was a little bit in awe at his decision.

Artemyra looked back to the excited little girl sitting on the stone steps behind her. "Rika, did you hear that?"

"I did! I did!" she responded with a delighted grin. "I'm so glad he still ate it!"

Coby began to reevaluate the situation since things have gotten a little skewed in the last hour. "Could that guy really be as bad as everyone says?"

Artemyra shook her head. "That's not it at all. People may be afraid of him…but they appear to be more afraid of Captain Morgan."

Coby looked perplexed after hearing that. "What do you mean," he asked.

"Rika has already told me what's been going on before you guys got here, and it turns out…Zoro's not the bag guy in this situation," she said, crossing her arms over her chest and taking a more serious tone.

"He's not?"

Rika immediately shot up from her seat. "He's not! He only got arrested because of me. Captain Morgan's son brought his pet wolf into town and it ended up attacking me. Roronoa Zoro was…he was the one who saved me," she finished with a quieter voice, almost ashamed to admit it.

"It makes sense, no? From what I remember, Zoro only went after people who had a price on their heads, and the act of bounty hunting isn't against the law either. He shouldn't have gotten arrested for that. Morgan's the source of the fear, but the son's using that to his advantage to act up," Artemyra said through gritted teeth.

"That's right. Captain Morgan and his son are the bad ones!" Rika exclaimed. "They sentence people to death for no reason at all! Everyone's afraid of them."

Artemyra breathed out a deep sigh while reaching down and patting Rika's head. She turned her attention to Luffy and met his gaze. "As it appears…we really walked into a troubling situation."

The town soon fell deadly quiet as people began to rush by Artemyra and her friends. She saw the scared looks on their faces, but before she could question why, a patronizing voice from down the street answered the question for her.

"Haha! You're not bowing your head low enough, scum! I'll tell my daddy on all of you!" With two Marines soldiers at his side, the idiot son strutted down the road like he owned every grain of dirt under his snake-skin shoes. Just his presence alone was making the citizens fall to their knees and press their foreheads into the floor. "Do you want to be jailed like Roronoa Zoro?! We're going to hold a public execution for him in three days! We'll make an example of him! I can hardly wait!" he cackled like a deranged hyena.

"Three days?" Luffy perked up to the sound of that and began to walk over to the stupid son

"Luffy?" Artemyra called out and followed close behind him. She already didn't like where this was going and knew to stay close just in case.

"But didn't you make a promise to him?" Luffy asked, grabbing Helmeppo's attention.

"What? Where did you hear that?" The idiot son didn't lose his smugness at all, and it only seemed to intensify. "That promise was just a joke! He's just a stupid beast for believing in it!" he gloated with his cheeks puffing out with oversized pride.

Without a word and before Artemyra could even react, Luffy rushed towards the idiot son and grabbed the front of his shirt. He reared his hand back and swung it with all his might right into his face, hard enough to make an imprint and for blood to squirt from his nose.

"Luffy! Stop!" Artemyra called out and grabbed him by the shoulder. She yanked him back and held him at bay with her iron grip.

"This guy is scum!" Luffy shouted while trying to get around her. His knight didn't move though and kept him firmly in place.

"I understand."

"He lied to him!"

"I understand. You made your point, Luffy. You…already pulled the trigger." While still holding her captain back, Artemyra looked over her shoulder and saw two Marines rushing over to the fallen idiot of a son. "No going back now," she said in a dark mumble.

Luffy latched ahold of Artemyra's arm and gripped it tightly. "Myra, I made my decision! I'm going to ask Zoro to join my crew," he said while grinning through his teeth.

Artemyra bowed her head and shook it slowly, accepting that this was his decision despite her initial protest. "If that's truly what you want. Then I shall support you whole-heartedly."

Helmeppo stood up with blood still gushing from his nose. "You hit me! You actually hit me! No one has ever hit me before! Not even my daddy!" he cried out with tears watering up in his eyes. "I'm…I'm…I'm going to tell my daddy on you!"

"See if I care. Go cry home to your dad already!" Luffy stretched his face out wide and stuck his tongue out, still trying to get past Artemyra as she stood calmly between them.

"You'll die begging for mercy! You're a walking corpse!" the idiot son sneered while being picked up and hauled away by the Marines.

Luffy and Artemyra went back to the Marine base soon after Helmeppo was carried away by his two guards. They jumped over the tall wall and landed in the courtyard where they last saw Zoro, still tied up and not looking at all pleased to see Luffy again.

"Hey! I'm back." Luffy walked up to him with Artemyra trailing behind like a silent shadow. "I brought one of my friends with me too."

Zoro's face turned up into a scowl. "You gotta be kidding me. You're multiplying? If this is about me joining your pirate crew, then my answer is still no," he said for like the billionth time.

Luffy went to ignore everything he just said. "You can call me Luffy, and this is Myra. We'll untie you if you'll join our pirate crew, okay?" he offered.

"You really don't listen, do you. I've got my own mission…and it doesn't involve becoming a stinking pirate," he said through gritted teeth.

"You're too good to be a pirate?" Luffy said, cocking a brow at the harsh remark. "You're a bounty hunter that everyone believes to be a demon."

Zoro scoffed while narrowing his eyes. "I don't care what people think. I live by my own code…I've never done anything I regret, and I don't intend to in the future. Which is why I'll never become a pirate," he spat, but Artemyra noticed what sounded like lingering pride beneath his words.

"Sorry, but I've made up my mind! You're gonna join my crew," Luffy said bluntly, completely disregarding everything Zoro said up till now.

"I don't care what you've decided!"

Artemyra lowered her head to hide her smile, as well as bottle up the giggles that were trying to escape. She like that Zoro had an admirable way of thinking, but it didn't matter to someone like Luffy. He was far too selfish to leave it alone and find someone else.

"I heard you can use a sword," Luffy asked, getting completely off-topic.

Zoro groaned deeply. It was hard to keep up with this pirate's train of thought that seemed to be all over the place. "If I wasn't tied up, I'd show you."

"So where is it now?"

"The idiot son took them from me. Next to my life, those swords are my dearest treasure."

Luffy blinked. "Treasure, huh. Too bad you lost them." He paused for a moment and hummed to himself, trying to think. "I know. I'll get them back from the idiot son!"

"What?"

"Then, if you want them back…you'll have to join my crew-"

Zoro's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "You little rat!" He couldn't get another word in edgewise before Luffy began to back up.

"I'll go get them now! Myra, stay here with him. I'll see you soon." He swiftly turned around and headed towards the direction of the fortress.

Zoro huffed and glanced over to Artemyra, who had stayed quiet the whole interaction. She had her back turned to him and was looking towards the Marine base that Luffy just blindly rushed into. "Hey, that's your captain, right? Are you seriously just gonna let him go into the fortress alone?" he called out, waiting for her to answer. She didn't say a word though and only glanced at him for a moment before turning away, which immediately struck a nerve with Zoro. "Don't just ignore me!"

Artemyra hunched her shoulders and took in a deep breath. She turned her body around fully to face him, but the look in her eyes was steady and unmoving. "Pardon me…but do you think what he's doing is foolish?" she asked calmly.

"Of course I do…but you're clearly not worried," he said before taking notice of the crest on the front of her breastplate. "Wait a moment. I know that crest. You're from one of the knight islands, are you."

Artemyra briefly looked down at the crest before turning back up. "Oh? What makes you think I'm a knight?" she said while crossing her arms over her chest, subtly trying to hide it. "Since I'm a pirate…wouldn't it make more sense if this armor was stolen?"

"You can't steal anything out of those places," he said with complete certainty. "They're too fortified. And I can't see someone stealing high-quality armor off a knight either. It has to be yours."

Artemyra perked up a bit with curiosity. "You're pretty observant for a bounty hunter, but you're correct. I'm a knight from the island of Armwell. My name is Artemyra…but Myra is acceptable too," she greeted with a small bow of her head.

Zoro always wanted to meet an Armwell knight, but he never expected his first encounter with one to be a pirate as well. The irony was not lost on him, and he couldn't help but scoff at the idea. "I've always highly respected you guys…but I never thought I'd see the day where one would become a pirate. I thought you guys were the noble type."

Artemyra could see where he was coming from and had to agree. It was still a strange concept for her as well. Being both knight and pirate at the same time. "Well…my situation is quite complex, but that doesn't shake my resolve. I want to be a knight Luffy can rely on. You say you don't regret your own choices, right? Well…I certainly don't regret mine either," she said with a steady voice that has never known hesitation.

Their attention was soon drawn elsewhere though when they heard struggled groans coming from the other side of the wall. Zoro and Artemyra turned around and saw Coby trying to scale over it. He was moving slowly and taking his time, crossing one leg after another until he was nearly there.

"Coby?" Artemyra called out to him.

Coby looked up. "Ah, Artemyra-san-AAAAh!" He felt himself slip off the edge and fall face-first into the ground. "Ow….." He held his bruised nose and got up. "Where's Luffy-san?" he asked while walking over to them.

"Inside the fortress," Artemyra said bluntly.

"Oh, I see." It took a moment, but he did finally process what she said. "Wait! Inside the fortress? That fortress?" he said while pointing at the giant building behind them.

"Indeed." Not too soon did those words leave her mouth, chaos rang out with soldiers shouting from inside the fortress. "And it seems that he had already encountered them. That didn't take long."

"You guys are being too reckless! If they catch you then you're gonna get killed!" Zoro warned them.

"But they imprisoned you unfairly. I can't stand to see the Marines acting so improper," Coby protested. "I'm never going to do that! I'm gonna be a proper sailor! Just how Luffy's gonna be King of the Pirates."

Zoro shuddered. "What? Does he know what that means?"

"I was just as shocked when he first told me. But he's serious!"

Artemyra watched them closely when she saw something shining at the corner of her eye. She looked to see where it was coming from and saw that it led up to one of the windows at the top of the fortress, shimmering very slightly against the bright sun. It was then that the air made a loud popping noise that made everyone's ears ring. Coby looked around when his vision was suddenly blocked by Artemyra sticking her arm out in front of his face. Something fast and loud struck against her arm...and Coby could visibly see a bullet fall from the hard surface of her gauntlet.

Coby collapsed to his knees when he realized how close he was to getting killed. He didn't even know it was a gunshot until after he saw the bullet fall. "Just now…that…that was a bullet. Did someone…try to shoot me?" Coby spoke up with a fearful and trembling voice. "Artemyra-san, did you just…block it?"

"I saw a glimmer in the guard tower and had a bad feeling." Artemyra pulled her arm back and began to inspect her gauntlet. She ran her hand over the spot the bullet hit and saw that it didn't even leave a scratch, as expected. "It appears we've been caught. I'm sure it won't be long until they arrive."

Zoro clicked his tongue. He knew that this would happen, but he didn't think it would be this soon. "Then you guys need to hurry up and run."

"I don't think I can," The knightess answered back.

"There is no need to worry about me. As long as I can stand this for a month, they'll set me free. Hurry up and leave."

Artemyra took in a deep breath before letting out a gentle sigh through her lips. She bowed her head and rocked it to the side to look at him. "They were never planning on holding up the deal, Zoro," she said with a tightness in her voice. "They plan to execute you in three days."

Zoro flinched before stuttering his words out in protest. "That…that's nonsense! That bastard promised me that if I could survive out here for a month, he'd let me go!"

"That promise was never going to come to fruition," she said. "That is why Luffy punched the idiot son on your behalf. I'm sorry…but you were being toyed with."

This left Zoro in complete and utter bewilderment. "What did you just say?" He wasn't sure if he wanted to believe it or not, but he also saw no reason for her to lie either. It would be out of character for an Armwell knight.

Artemyra took a strong and confident step in front of Zoro and Coby just as the Marine troops arrived. They slipped out of the base and flooded into the courtyard with rifles raised and ready to fire, and the man who was leading the assault was none other than the feared Captain Morgan himself. He was a tall statured man with an iron jaw, and an axe he used in place of his missing arm.

Captain Morgan strolled up past his troops and stared intensely down at the three who dare defy him. "How interesting…the four of you planned to cause political upheaval?" He looked between everyone before his eyes landed on Zoro. "Roronoa Zoro…I've heard your name a long time ago, but do not underestimate me. Before my great strength. You're just garbage."

Zoro gritted his teeth and began counting how many soldiers there were. The window of escape was small, but he could still see a chance for Artemyra and Coby to run. "What are you doing? Take your friend and run already!" he shouted to the unmoving knight.

Artemyra shook her head gently and looked up, holding both courage and confidence in her sea-green eyes. "I'm afraid those weren't my orders. Luffy had already whole-heartedly welcomed you into his crew…which already makes you one of us. So as a knight…it is my duty to defend you at all cost until my captain returns." She reached around to her back and began to pull her sword from the ancient sheath. "You shall not fall here today…or any other day if I'm here beside you. I shall carry out my duty with grace and perseverance." She slowly got into position by spreading her legs out and lowering her sword down to her right side.

"Are you insane! You both are gonna die!" Zoro shouted again but knew it was no use anymore. His cries were falling on deaf ears to this stubborn female warrior. "What are you doing just standing there? Do something!" Zoro looked down at Coby and saw the state he was in. The kid was practically crying with fright and his legs had collapsed a while ago and were now too weak to move.

Coby could hardly see anything through the mess of tears running down his face and staining his glasses. "I'm scared…but I trust her. I trust Artemyra-san!" he shouted, crying his little heart out with what courage he had left.

Captain Morgan readied his arm as his soldiers took aim. "Ready….fire!"

"Artemyra-san!" Coby screamed out, but his voice became nothing but a fading echo in the back of Artemyra's mind.

With neither fear nor doubt in her eyes, the knightess anchored her feet against the ground and watched the Marines with great focus. All at once, they pulled the trigger on their weapons, and a stream of bullets was released from the barrels. Artemyra swung her blade up in a swift motion of silver fury and moved at a seemingly inhuman speed, deflecting the bullets mid-air using both the sharp and blunt sides of her blade. Some grazed by her exposed skin and drew blood, but not a single bullet got even close to Coby and Zoro standing slack-jawed behind her. Artemyra didn't slow down, hesitate, or stop. She held her ground until the hailstorm of bullets finally subsided.

A cold shudder ran under Morgan's skin as his cigar fell from his open mouth. "Im…impossible," he muttered while just standing there, staring at the knightess who was able to defy the odds and come out on top. "What kind of petty trick was that!" he screamed at her.

"It is no trick, Captain Morgan," Artemyra said while sucking in a deep breath. She steadied her throbbing heart and held her head high. "I can clearly see it in your eyes…that you have never once faced a knight from the four islands before." She narrowed her eyes and lifted her sword, pointing it right at the stunned Marines. "You had never faced…someone like me."