Ch. 16- The First
One Piece © Oda
Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, Kumi, Kovar, and Monkey D. Star © Me
It was dark, and his chest felt tight. Sweat beaded down his face as he tried to swallow the saliva in his mouth, but the shackle around his neck was so chafing and it made it difficult. The chains around his ankles, wrists, and his whole body didn't help matters. Through it all, though, all he could do was glare up at the very one who held him captive: Kovar.
"Comfortable, Straw Hat?" asked Kovar, mockingly.
"... ... ..." Luffy didn't speak. He only glared at the black dragon in defiance.
"Keep silent all you wish," Kovar said, "but sooner or later, you won't be keeping up that bravado for long."
"Says you," Luffy hissed. "It's gonna take a hell of a lot more to break me...and my friends will be here before that happens."
"I am willing to wait," Kovar said. "The longer I wait for you to break, the more appetizing your spirit will be for me." He then chuckled darkly. "You must hold those fools you call your crew in sigh high regard...are you sure you want to keep believing in them?"
"...If I don't believe in them," Luffy smirked, "then there's nothing to believe in."
"Hmph!" Kovar scoffed. "We shall see."
On that, the dragon vanished into the darkness...and Luffy sighed as he looked up at...well...wherever it was he was looking.
"...They'll save me...I know they will..."
XXX
Meanwhile, the Straw Hats had just finished washing the memory of how Luffy had met Coby and how he had defeated Alvida with a single punch (as well as how Luffy fell in love with Nami the moment he saw her). Now, they were watching the duo sailing along the sea, heading towards an island. During this time, the Straw Hats took a moment to recap on what they had learned from the previous memory.
"So it looks like Luffy sought out Zoro from the beginning," Nami mused.
"Makes sense, I guess," Sanji concurred. "After all, Zoro was pretty infamous around the East Blue."
"Was he?" Brook asked.
"It's nothing to make a big deal over," Zoro said. "Pay it no mind."
"So, Coby," said Luffy, "is this Zoro guy really a monster?"
"Yeah, he is," Coby answered, plain as day. "Roronoa Zoro, the Pirate Hunter...I hear he's like a bloodthirsty dog. He hunts down criminals in the East Blue and viciously cuts them down with his sword like a beast! They actually call him a living, breathing demon in human form!"
"Scary...!" Chopper, Aika, and Kumi squeaked as they embraced each other in fright.
"Oh, please," Zoro muttered. "All those are nothing but exaggerations and nothing more. So I would cut down a few guys and leave 'em bloody? What's the big deal?"
"Oh, my," Robin said in slight surprise.
"That's not exactly a very good argument!" Nami pointed out in slight disgust.
"I hadn't really decided if I'm gonna have him join me, yet," Luffy said. "Maybe he's a good guy."
"He's in prison because he's not obviously not!" Coby argued, but once again, his cries fell on deaf ears, and the Straw Hats chuckled a bit at the scene.
"You know, I can't help thinking that back then, Coby might have been a little naïve about certain things," Sanji spoke up.
"Yeah, me too," Franky nodded, remembering back when Tom was arrested.
Eventually, the duo had managed to dock at an island up ahead, with a Marine base right on the other side.
"We made it!" Luffy exclaimed. "The town where the Marines are!"
"Same old Luffy," Usopp said. "Getting excited about everything."
"Yohohoho!" Brook chortled.
Soon, Luffy and Coby walked through the crowded streets of the marketplace, the former just walking along casually with his hands shoved in his pockets. All the while, Coby kept trying to convince Luffy not to recruit Zoro, but still, the D. Carrier didn't listen. He just picked up a pear, took a bite, and then paid the woman with what little money he had.
"Hey," Luffy said. "Any chance you know anything about this Zoro guy?"
Upon hearing the swordsman's name, everyone in the marketplace jumped back, yelling in fright.
"Luffy," Coby whispered. "Maybe we should avoid saying Zoro's name while we're here, okay?"
"Jeez, Zoro, what'd you do?" asked Franky.
"I didn't do a damn thing!" Zoro replied. "Get off my back!"
Blizzard snickered a bit, causing the swordsman to side-eye at him.
"And you, too, Mutt!" Zoro shouted, which caused Blizzard to growl at him.
"Enough, already!" Nami said as she pushed the two of them apart. "Good grief!"
"So Coby," Luffy began, "how about we head to the Marine base?"
"I guess," Coby answered, "but I don't think I'm ready, yet...oh, yeah! I heard the base here is run by Captain Morgan!"
Once again, the townsfolk yelled and jumped back in fright, taking both Coby and the Straw Hats back. Luffy, however, just laughed.
"This is such a weird place!" he said.
"That was kinda weird," Aika said.
"Yeah, why'd they freak out when Coby said that guy's name?" Kumi asked.
"No idea," Blizzard answered.
"Well that was a little strange," Coby said. "I could understand people freaking out because of Zoro being mentioned, but why would they jump when I mentioned Captain Morgan?"
"Maybe it's a strange custom," Luffy mused.
"Obviously, this 'Captain Morgan' is feared in this town," Robin said.
"Figures," Nami sneered.
Soon, Luffy and Coby arrived in front of the Marine base.
"I can't believe I'm finally here," Coby said, tearfully. "I'm afraid...this is where we part ways Luffy!"
Once again, though, Luffy wasn't listening, for he was busy trying to climb over the wall. Keyword being "trying".
"Where's the foothold?!" he asked as he struggled to cling to the wall.
"GET DOWN FROM THERE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Coby yelled. "THEY'LL SEE YOU!"
"Typical Luffy," Sanji muttered in disbelief.
"Now where's this demon?" Luffy asked as he surveyed the courtyard.
"Why would Big Brother think that Zoro's a demon?" Aika asked.
"It might be because Luffy thought Zoro was misunderstood," Nami said. "Remember, Luffy was called a demon by those children."
"...I never really thought of that," Zoro muttered.
"There he is!" Luffy exclaimed as he dropped down from the wall and ran to the other side. "I'm gonna get closer!"
Once he reached the other side, he climbed up the wall, and it was there that he saw a man tied up to a crucifix...and needless to say, the Straw Hats were quite shocked to see his condition: his white shirt was stained with sweat, a green haramaki sash, and a black bandana around his head. This man...looked nothing close to a demon. In fact, he looked half-dead.
"Is that...Zoro?!" Usopp questioned.
"My word...!" Brook whispered in disbelief. He wanted to tell a skull joke, but this just wasn't the time or place for it.
"Holy hell, man!" Franky exclaimed. "What happened to you?!"
Zoro looked away, feeling his pride dwindling, while Robin covered her mouth in shock. Nami promptly covered Aika and Kumi's eyes, while Sanji's mouth gaped open to the point where his cigarette fell out. He could see Past Zoro's ribs under the fabric of shirt, and the way his jawline showed on his cheeks. Seeing it made the cook growl in anger as he clenched his fists.
"S-Sanji?" Chopper asked, worriedly.
"...They're starving him," Sanji hissed. "Those bastards are starving him to death! How dare they!"
"Whoa, Sanji!" Blizzard exclaimed. "Take it easy! I know this isn't easy for you to watch!"
By now, Coby had joined Luffy at the wall, and upon seeing Past Zoro, despite his current state, he still looked terrified of the swordsman.
"Th-that's him...!" he whispered. "That's Roronoa Zoro...!"
"Hey, if we untie him, he can get away, right?" Luffy asked with an impish grin.
"Are you insane?!" Coby questioned. "If you untie his ropes, he'll kill you on the spot!"
"Ah, don't worry about it," Luffy assured. "I'm pretty strong."
"Hey, you two!" Past Zoro called out, causing Coby to squeal in fright. "You're an eyesore...get lost."
"EEEEEK!" Coby shrieked. "Luffy, please, just forget about recruiting this guy, okay?!"
In the meantime, Chopper was surveying Past Zoro with his professional eyes: the sunken look in his eyes, the pale tone of his skin, the way it almost hung off his bones, and how his breath seemed a bit shallow.
"...Zoro was dying," the little reindeer said.
"What?" Blizzard asked.
"Being out in the hot sun, being starved and forced to go without water," Chopper said. "Clearly, it's slowly killing him. I estimate he'd be dead within a week."
"My god...!" Robin whispered in disbelief.
Zoro's eye went wide in shock. Sure, he knew how bad things were for him, back then...but he was actually that close to dying?
Just then, a ladder appeared by Luffy and Coby, and soon after, a little girl appeared. She looked to be about Aika's age, and had short, brown hair that was done up in little pigtails. She also had on a blue-and-purple striped dressed with a white hood.
"Who's that?" Aika asked.
"Hey...that's Rika, I think," Zoro said.
"Rika?" Nami repeated. "You know her?"
"I helped her and mom out when I first came here," Zoro said. "I'll explain, later."
Rika turned to look at Luffy and Coby before she put a finger to her lips, telling them to be quiet. She then climbed over the wall and approached Past Zoro, who glared at her.
"What the hell do you want?" he asked.
"You're probably really hungry, right?" asked Rika before she held up a bundle, which contained two rice balls. "I made these for you!"
"Aww, that's so sweet of her!" Nami cooed.
"You're gonna get in a lot of trouble, little girl," Past Zoro said, bluntly. "Now go home!"
"But you haven't eaten anything for days," said Rika, "and this is my first time making them, so please eat them."
Past Zoro's eyes went wide before he glared and turned away.
"I'm not hungry!" he shouted. "Now beat it, brat!"
"But-" Rika started, feeling hurt.
"I said get lost or else I'll kick your little ass!" Past Zoro barked.
"Hey, that's no way to treat a little girl!" Sanji said.
"Zoro, why were you so desperate for that girl to leave her alone?" asked Robin.
"I didn't want her getting into any trouble, okay?" Zoro replied.
"What do you mean?" asked Aika.
"So this isn't about your pride as a swordsman?" Nami inquired.
"Just shut up and watch!" Zoro barked.
"Bullying kids, are we, Roronoa Zoro?"
Everyone turned to see a scrawny man wearing a rather fancy-looking suit and had a bowl haircut, accompanied by two other Marine soldiers.
"Who's that?" asked Chopper.
"...Wait a minute," Nami said as she squinted a bit before she gasped. "Oh, my god, it is! That's Helmepoo!"
"What?!" Franky questioned. "You're kidding! THAT'S him?!"
"The Marine who challenged Zoro in Water 7?" asked Robin.
Past Zoro sneered, obviously irritated upon seeing Helmeppo.
"I see you're still a bit lively," Helmeppo said before he noticed Rika and her rice balls. "Oh, did you bring those for me, little girl?" He then snatched one of them and took a bite, despited Rika's protests, but after he chewed for a while, he then began to spit it out. "BLEGH! What is this?! It's all sweet! You're supposed to season rice balls with salt, you dumb brat!"
"I...I just thought it would taste better sweet," Rika said, innocently, but then Helmeppo knocked the other rice ball out of her hands and stomped it into the dirt. "No! Stop it!"
"Hey!" Aika shouted. "That's not nice!"
"Yeah! What a jerk!" Kumi added.
"That bastard...!" Sanji cursed. "How dare he waste food, and over such a trivial matter!"
"No...!" Rika whimpered, tearfully. "I worked so hard on those!"
Past Zoro only looked down at the child with sympathy.
"You obviously didn't read this sign, did you, little girl?" asked Helmeppo as he pointed to a poster. "Anyone caught feeding or helping any prisoners will be executed by order of Captain Morgan."
Hearing that caused Rika's skin to go pale.
"You know who my Daddy is, don't you?" Helmeppo asked with a smug grin.
"Please don't tell me he's going to kill that girl," Brook said.
"Relax," Zoro said. "Even he's not that cruel...but now you see why I wanted her to leave so bad."
"Yeah, I see that now," said Nami. "I know that Helmeppo's not that much of a threat, but Captain Morgan's a different matter."
Rika looked up at Helmeppo with teary eyes, which caused him to glared at her in annoyance.
"Oh, you're not gonna cry, are you?" asked Helmeppo. "I hate seeing crying kids." He then looked to the two soldiers behind him. "You two, throw her out of here."
"Uh...b-but sir-" the soldier stammered.
"Are you questioning my orders?!" Helmeppo questioned. "Throw her out or I'll tell my Daddy on you!"
"Talk about a daddy's boy," Franky sneered.
"Y-yes, sir," one of the soldiers said before he grabbed Rika by her hood and then tossed her over the gate. Thankfully, though, Luffy managed to catch her and turn so that his back hit the ground while holding her safely in his arms.
"That was horrible!" Nami shouted. "How could Coby ever be friends with a such a jerk?!"
"I don't know, Nami," said Robin. "People tend to change."
"You bastard...!" Past Zoro hissed at Helmeppo.
"Well, you're quite stubborn, aren't you?" asked Helmeppo.
"He's lucky I was tied up, back then," Zoro sneered.
"Don't get cocky," Past Zoro said. "Like I promised, I'm going to live through this whole month!"
This only caused Helmeppo to laugh.
"Well, do your best, Roronoa Zoro," he said as he walked away.
"Just 10 more days," Past Zoro reminded.
"If you manage to stay alive, that is," Helmeppo pointed out.
"What did he mean by that?" Blizzard asked.
"Look! Here comes Luffy!" Kumi exclaimed as she saw Luffy approached the crucified swordsman.
"You're still here?" asked Past Zoro.
"You've been tied up and humiliated," Luffy said. "You must be pretty strong, huh?"
"Why's it any of YOUR business?!" Past Zoro shouted.
"Well, if it were me," Luffy began, "I would've gotten outta here in three days."
"Yeah, well I'm different from you," said Past Zoro as he smirked. "I will make it through this challenge, and then I'll show them all."
"Defiant, even in the face of death," Sanji muttered. "That's always been you, huh, Moss-head?"
"Give it a rest," Zoro sneered.
"What?" Sanji asked. "It's a compliment."
"Man, you're sure stubborn, aren't you?" Luffy asked before he turned to leave. "Well, see ya!"
"Wait!" called Past Zoro, causing Luffy to stop and look at him. "...Can you...pick that up for me?"
Luffy blinked before he glanced down at the ruined rice ball, and then picked it up.
"You wanna eat this?" he asked. "'Cause it's mostly a ball of mud," said Luffy.
"SHUT UP AND GIVE IT TO ME, NOW!" barked Past Zoro, taking Luffy by surprise before he tossed the mud-ridden rice ball in his mouth. Past Zoro coughed and gagged, but managed to choke it down.
"See, I told you," Luffy smirked.
"...Thank you," Past Zoro said. "It was delicious...tell the kid for me, okay?"
A pause...but then Luffy smiled, and the memory ended there.
"Zoro~!" Nami said. "You big softie!"
"Shut up," Zoro grumbled.
"You're so nice, Zoro!" Aika added as she hugged the swordsman's leg.
"I said shut up, already!" Zoro barked. "I just didn't want the kid to feel bad, okay?! Sheesh!"
Sanji smirked, feeling his respect for Zoro grow a bit more...even though he would never admit in a million years, and it wasn't just because he ate Rika's rice ball, but because how he was actually willing to let himself starve for a whole month, something Sanji himself would never do. As for Robin, she smiled at her boyfriend, warmly, knowing that deep down, he always had a heart.
"There's still something I don't understand, though," said Usopp. "How come you got arrested in the first place, Zoro?"
"Well, you see..." Zoro started, but before he could answered, a new memory soon began to play. It showed Luffy, Coby, and Rika, sitting in front of the girl's mother's restaurant. She seemed elated, possibly because Luffy had conveyed to her what Zoro said about the rice ball. After a moment, she revealed to them the reason why Zoro got arrested.
One day, Helmeppo showed up in town with his "dog", Soro, which was really a wild wolf who ran rampant in the streets. The wolf went into the restaurant and menaced Rika and her mother, but when the vicious beast attempted to go after the girl, Zoro cut it down, saving her life. Of course, Helmeppo wasn't very pleased about this...that is until he looked as if he was going to mess his pants upon realizing who the Pirate Hunter was. Knowing that he stood no chance against Zoro in a fight, he made a deal with the former bounty hunter, instead: he would spare Rika and her mother if the swordsman could go one month without food. Zoro accepted the deal and willingly let himself get arrested on the spot.
So far, in the memory, it had been about 3 weeks since his capture, and he was forced to endure Helmeppo's abuse since that day.
"...I don't believe it," Coby whispered in disbelief...and sounding a little disheartened, too.
"...Man...I can't help but feel sorry for Coby," Usopp said.
"Yeah," Nami answered. "In the span of just one afternoon, he was already exposed to the corruption that the Marines had."
"Even in the East Blue," Robin began, "corruption spreads like a disease. However...here, this was only the tip of the iceburg."
"You can say that again, sister," Franky added.
"I must say," Brook began as he put a bony hand on Zoro's shoulder, "what a stand-up fellow you are, Mister Zoro! Yohohohoho!"
"You're all right, Zoro," Blizzard smirked. "To think, I've been calling you a prude for so long."
"Wow, Zoro!" Chopper exclaimed with starry eyes. "You're so cool!"
"Zoro wasn't such a meanie, after all!" Aika added.
"Psh! Of course not," Sanji smirked. "Even under all that rough exterior, he's still a marshmallow."
"SHUT IT!" Zoro barked with a blush forming on his cheeks.
"Aww, Zoro," Robin said as she put an arm around his shoulder and traced her finger on his pecs in a circle. "You'll always be my tough guy."
"...At least one person gets it," Zoro muttered, momentarily kissing Robin on the cheek in gratitude.
"As honorable as Zoro is," Nami began, "he's also pretty gullible."
"Excuse me?!" Zoro questioned.
"What?" Nami asked. "I'm just saying, did you actually trust that idiot, Helmeppo, to keep his word?"
"I'm gonna have to agree with Nami on this one," Usopp added...hiding behind the navigator in case the swordsman went on a rampage. "Helmeppo didn't seem like the honorable type."
Zoro opened his mouth to argue...but ultimately grumbled as he looked away.
"I take it that my point has been made," Nami surmised.
"Shh~!" Sanji shushed. "Something's happening."
The Straw Hats looked up to see Helmeppo enter the restaurant, propping his feet up on the table.
"Hey, I'm hungry!" he shouted, rudely. "Get me and my men a hot meal, for free!"
"R-right away, sir," said Rika's mother.
"What a sleazeball..." Sanji muttered. "Be polite when you speak to a woman! And put your muddy shoes on the damn floor!"
"Easy, Sanji," Usopp eased as he put his hand on the cook's shoulder. "Remember, this is a memory."
"Doesn't mean I gotta like it..." Sanji sneered.
"Hahahahaha!" Helmeppo laughed as he poured himself a glass of wine. "Since I've gotten bored of waiting, I decided I'm going to go ahead and execute Roronoa Zoro tomorrow. Look forward to it, everybody!"
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEHHH?!" the Straw Hats (save for Zoro and Robin) shouted.
"I KNEW IT!" Usopp shouted. "I KNEW HE COULDN'T BE TRUSTED!"
"How could he do that?!" Kumi questioned. "Zoro only had ten more days!"
"Disgraceful," Brook sneered. "A man is bound to his word!"
Before anybody could even blink, Luffy suddenly rushed...no, more like flew toward Helmeppo with such speed, his hat fell off, and then decked him hard across the face and sent him flying across the floor until he collided with a wall.
"Wh...who the hell are you?!" Helmeppo questioned as he held his bruised cheek.
"Your worst nightmare, that's who," Sanji smirked.
"I'm surprised his jaw didn't break," Robin mused.
"I actually wish it did," Nami said.
"Luffy, stop!" Coby cried as he ran up and restrained the rubberman.
"This guy is scum!" Luffy growled, viciously.
"Tell me about it," Blizzard muttered in agreement.
"You...you hit me!" Helmeppo cried. "Not even my Daddy, Captain Morgan, hits me!"
"As if I care!" Luffy barked.
"I'm telling my Daddy on you!" Helmeppo shouted. "When I do, you'll be executed!"
"Do you always have to have your daddy fight your battles for you?!" Luffy questioned.
"That's what I say," Nami said. "What a spoiled little daddy's boy!"
"Luffy, calm down!" Coby urged. "Please, you shouldn't make the Marines your enemy!"
"But...the Marines are already Big Brother's enemy," Aika said.
"Yeah, he is a pirate, right?" Kumi asked.
"Well, here, not officially," Blizzard replied. "The Marines will only recognize you as a pirate once you raised a pirate flag or work under someone who has."
"I decided," Luffy started with an all-too-familiar look of determination, "Zoro's gonna join my crew!"
"HUH?!" Coby questioned in shock before the memory faded again.
Although he didn't really show it, Zoro was stunned...and a bit...touched, as well. He had heard from Coby that Luffy stood up for his honor like that, despite the fact that he only just met him that day...and yet, to witness it like this...it was truly inspiring.
"I can't believe Luffy stood up for you, like that," Nami said. "He barely knew you."
"If you think about it," Sanji began, "it's not too different from when he stood up for Shanks."
"...Yeah," Usopp smiled. "I guess it isn't too different, is it?"
The memory shifted, once again, revealing Luffy standing in front of Past Zoro...although, he had a bit of a grimace on his face as he stood back a few feet. At first, the Straw Hats didn't know why...but then the thought might have occured to them that perhaps Zoro's body odor wasn't very appealing to him at the moment.
"You again?" Past Zoro asked. "You've got way too much free time on your hands, huh?"
"Listen," said Luffy, "I'm gonna untie you, but when I do, you're gonna join my crew, okay?"
"Wow," Nami muttered. "He didn't even ask."
"That's Luffy for you," Usopp said. "Once he's decided you're a member of his crew, you might as well give up and join him."
"Has Big Brother really always been that way?" Aika asked.
"Oh, yeah," Sanji replied. "Of course, he does mean well. It just gets annoying at first."
"For once, something we agree on," Zoro grumbled.
"What did you say?" asked Past Zoro.
"I run a pirate crew," Luffy began, "and I'm looking for people to join up."
"I refuse," Zoro said, coldly to the boy. "You want me to become a criminal? Screw that shit."
"Since when did you care about being a bad guy or not?" asked Franky.
"I didn't care," Zoro countered. "I just didn't wanna lower myself to become some scumbag criminal, all right? ...I also didn't like the thought of following somebody, back then."
"But you joined Luffy, anyway," Chopper said.
"I said 'back then'," Zoro repeated. "Jeez, what am I, a broken record?"
"What's wrong with being a pirate?" Luffy asked with a bit of a pout.
"They're despicable," said Past Zoro. "As if I'd lower myself to become one of them."
"Does it really matter, anyway?" Luffy asked. "Everyone thinks of you as this demon who's out for blood."
"As if I care what society thinks about me," Past Zoro said with a smirk. "I've never had any regrets in my life and I never will. I WILL make it through this challenge, and when I do, I'll set out to do what I want."
"Yeah, that's fine and all," Luffy began, "but...I already decided you're gonna join my crew."
"What?!" Past Zoro questioned. "You can't just decide that!"
The Straw Hats couldn't help chuckling a little. Even Zoro seemed to laugh a bit, even though back then, it didn't seem very funny to him at the time.
"You're a swordsman, right?" Luffy asked.
"Yeah, but that damn Marine son took mine," Past Zoro answered.
"I'll get it back for you," Luffy started, "but when I do, you'll have to join me."
"How are you so thickheaded?!" Past Zoro yelled as he struggled against his bonds.
"Luffy actually blackmailing somebody?" Nami asked. "Now that's a stretch! No pun intended."
"Heh," Sanji smirked. "I didn't think even Luffy could do that to you, Moss-head."
Zoro only rolled his eye in annoyance.
A little while later, Luffy was seen running towards the base and looked around for a moment.
"Hmm...so where do I go from here?" he asked before he heard some kind of commotion going on, which caused him to look up at the roof. "There's something going on up there." He then smirked as he reeled his arm back. "Let's have us a little look-see."
"Oh, no," Blizzard muttered with a bit of dread. "I've got a bad feeling about this."
"You and me, both," Sanji added.
"Gum-Gum ROCKET!" Luffy shouted as he went flying over the roof...a bit too high. "Whoooooaa! Oh, jeez, I overshot!"
Thinking quickly, Luffy grabbed onto a nearby rope...which was attached to a giant statue of a man with an axe for a right hand. When Luffy landed on the roof, the top half of the statue cracked, causing the Marines who were hoisting it up to scream in horror while Luffy sheepishly raised his hand.
"Sorry about that," he apologized.
Then, KRASH! Half of the statue fell over and crashed to the ground, crumbling into rubble.
"...Well," Franky began, "that just happened."
"Ugh...he's ALWAYS breaking something..." Nami groaned.
"Hahahahahaha!" Zoro laughed. "I saw that statue they were trying to hoist up! So that's what happened to it!"
Just then, the man that the statue resembled, Captain Axe-Hand Morgan himself, turned to Luffy with a furious expression.
"ARREST THAT BRAT SO I CAN KILL HIM MYSELF!" he shouted.
"SIR! RIGHT AWAY!" the soldiers saluted, fearfully.
"That's him!" Helmeppo cried. "That's the guy who hit me, Daddy!"
"Hey, it's you!" Luffy exclaimed as he grabbed Helmeppo by the shoulder, causing him to shriek in terror. "I've been looking all over for you! Something I need to get back from you!"
With that, he grabbed Helmeppo and ran into the base, and the whole time, the Straw Hats were trying so hard to keep straight faces as they heard Helmeppo screaming like a girl.
"That guy's a real coward, isn't he?" Aika asked.
"He sure is, squirt," Zoro smirked. "He sure is."
The whole time Luffy ran, he dragged Helmeppo along the floor, running through the hallways, this way and that for several minutes.
"Hey!" Luffy called. "Here's Zoro's sword?"
"I'll tell you, I'll tell you!" Helmeppo cried. "Just stop dragging me!"
Luffy soon braked to a halt while Helmeppo hung limply in his hand.
"So, where is it?" Luffy asked.
"In...my room...!" Helmeppo whimpered. "We actually just passed it...!"
"What?!" Luffy questioned. "Why didn't you say something sooner?!"
"Probably because you were dragging him across the floor," Brook muttered.
"Don't move!" shouted a Marine soldier as he and several others appeared, aiming their rifles at Luffy.
"Put Helmeppo down!" ordered another.
"No thanks," Luffy said as he held Helmeppo up like a shield. "But you can go ahead and shoot if you want."
"NO! DON'T SHOOT!" cried Helmeppo as Luffy rushed forward. "GET OUT OF THE WAY~! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!"
"Man...Luffy sure was underhanded back then, huh?" Sanji asked.
"I guess he realized some pirates have to act that way," Nami said, although the thought of her fiancé using someone as a meat shield did unnerve her a bit.
As for Zoro...he was loving every minute of watching Helmeppo suffer so, evident by the grin on his face.
A bit later, Luffy arrived in Helmeppo's room...and needless to say, it seemed a bit...well, extravagant wasn't really the word for it. It looked more feminine than anything, with pink walls and flowers decorating every part of the room. There was even a vanity mirror with a makeup box.
"...Wow," Sanji said in surprise.
"I see he likes it...pink," Robin mused.
"Oh, my god, even I'm not THAT girly," said Nami.
"Yeah, I might like the color pink," Chopper began, "but this is overdoing it."
"Huh," Zoro muttered. "You know, I thought he wore mascara."
Luffy's eyes scanned the room until he spotted three swords- two black ones and the familiar white hilt of Wado Ichimonji- leaning against the corner.
"All right, I found it!" he exclaimed as he looked them over. "Uh...wait a sec. There's three here." He looked over at Helmeppo. "Hey, sissy, which one of these is Zoro's...huh?"
To his surprise, Helmeppo was unconscious and foaming at the mouth.
"What a wuss," Blizzard muttered.
"Yeah, I've been dragged around by Luffy a lot of times," Usopp said, "but I never fainted like that!"
"What about that one time when he-" Nami started.
"Okay, that's nice," the sniper interjected.
"Is this really the same guy we saw back in Water 7?" asked Franky.
Just then, Luffy heard a commotion going outside, so he turned and looked out the window, only to gasp upon seeing Coby and Past Zoro facing down a firing squad that was headed by Morgan.
"Oh, no! Coby! Zoro!" Luffy cried.
"Oh, no, they're gonna kill Zoro, and Coby, too!" Aika cried.
"What's Luffy gonna do?!" Kumi asked, worriedly.
"Why would Morgan want to kill you ahead of schedule?" asked Robin.
"Oh, I dunno," Zoro said. "Something about me and Luffy conspiring to overthrow him or some such crap."
Knowing that time was of the essence, Luffy grabbed the swords, strapped them to his back, then grabbed the window frame and walked backwards, which caused his arms to stretch, and then...
"Guuuum...GUUUUUUUM...ROCKET~!"
WHOOSH! He soon shot himself out through the window, shattering the glass before he landed in between Past Zoro and the Marines with his arms outstretched, just as the soldiers opened fire. Coby cried out in alarm while Past Zoro gaped...but Luffy smirked as the bullets stretched his skin.
"That...WON'T WORK!" Luffy shouted as he bounced the bullets back, causing the Marines to shriek as they all scattered to avoid their own bullets. "Hahahahaha! That won't work on me! I told you I was strong!"
"Wh...what the hell ARE you?!" Past Zoro questioned.
Luffy grinned before he turned to Zoro while giving a thumbs-up, "I'm Luffy...the man who's gonna be King of the Pirates!"
"What?!" Past Zoro asked. "You, the King of the Pirates?! Do you even know what you're saying?!"
"King of the Pirates means King of the Pirates," Luffy replied. "What else could it possibly mean?"
"If I didn't know you better," Usopp began, "seeing Luffy bounce those bullets back looked like it gave you quite a shock, Zoro."
"Yeah," Sanji smirked. "You actually looked pretty scared to me."
"Shut your hole!" Zoro barked. "For your information, that was the first time I saw someone deflect bullets!"
"It's not really all that surprising, if you think about it," Robin pointed out. "Devil Fruit powers are rare in the four blues. That's why some people deem those with powers as monsters."
"Can we please not bring that up?" Aika asked, holding herself.
"Sorry, sweetie," Robin apologized.
"So I found your sword," Luffy said as he held out the three katanas to Zoro. "I didn't know which one was yours, so I grabbed all three of them."
"They're all mine," Past Zoro said as he wriggled his arms in his ropes, as if itching to grab his swords again. "I practice Santoryuu, the Three-Sword Style."
"Hmm..." Luffy hummed for a moment before he grinned. "Just hurry up and take them already! Just know that once you join me, you become a criminal or else get killed here, execution style."
"What are you, the son of the Devil?" Zoro asked with a grin. "If that's what I have to do to live, then so be it. I'll become a pirate."
"All right!" Luffy cheered, heaving the swords up in the air. "I got my first crewmate! Best day ever!"
"All right, all right!" Past Zoro shouted. "I get it, now hurry up and get me outta here, will ya?!"
"Luffy sure looked excited," Nami smiled.
"He's so happy because Zoro became his friend!" Aika piped up.
"Well, the feeling wasn't exactly mutual, back then," Zoro admitted.
"If guns don't work," Morgan started, "then cut them down!"
On that, the Marines charged forward with their cutlasses, while Luffy and Coby tried to untie Past Zoro.
"Rrrgh!" Luffy grunted as he kept trying to loosen the knots. "Stupid Marine knots! Maybe I should've taken that knot tying lesson from Grandpa."
"Stop screwing around!" Past Zoro shouted.
"Why didn't Luffy just cut him free?" asked Chopper.
"Because Luffy didn't even think about it, that's why," Blizzard said.
"Man, Luffy sure was a dunce," Kumi added.
"Big Brother's not THAT big a dummy...right?" Aika asked.
"...Should we tell her?" Usopp queried.
"And break her heart, are you kidding?" Sanji chided.
"That's funny," Luffy said. "The knots got tighter instead of looser."
"GIMME ONE OF MY DAMN SWORDS NOW!" Past Zoro demanded as the Marines were closing in on them. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Luffy quickly handed one of the katanas to the swordsman, who somehow managed to cut himself free before he grabbed the other two swords from the rubberman's hands, and then, as quick as a flash, Past Zoro jumped in front of the Marines, using his swords to block their own blades.
"The next one who moves dies," he warned, causing the Marines to cry comical tears.
"Scary~!" cried one of them.
"Wow!" Usopp exclaimed. "Did you see that?! He was so fast!"
"Zoro, you were so cool!" Aika chimed in with starry eyes.
"Yeah, you sure were!" Chopper added.
That's when Past Zoro looked at Luffy.
"Today, I become a criminal, fighting against the Marines," he said, "so I'll become a pirate, that I can promise you." He then glared at his new captain. "However, I'll tell you this: I actually have my own ambitions!"
"Ambitions, huh?" Luffy repeated.
"I have a dream to become the World's Greatest Swordsman," Past Zoro said with great determination and intensity. "So if you do something that forces me to give that up...I'll have to have you slice your stomach open and spill your guts."
"...Did you seriously just tell Luffy to commit seppuku?" Nami asked in disbelief.
"Uh...well, I..." Zoro stammered.
"Wait...what is seppuku?" Aika asked.
"It's the ancient practice of disemboweling oneself to restore to honor to themselves or their family," Robin answered, nonchalantly.
"...Huh?" Aika tilted her head in confusion.
"Wait...disemboweling...?" Chopper whispered before he gasped in horror. "Zoro, you wanted Luffy to kill himself?!"
"WHAT?!" Aika questioned before she fainted.
"Oh, my god, Aika!" Nami cried as she ran to her side.
"Zoro, how could you?!" Kumi asked.
"Now, now, wait a minute!" Zoro shouted. "I can explain! Things were different back then, okay?!"
"Still," Franky said, "to think you were willing to go that far for your ambition."
Sanji, Blizzard, and Brook didn't say a single word, but instead glanced at each other worriedly as they thought back to when Zoro faced off against Kuma on Thriller Bark. They knew things must have been different than when they first met, since the swordsman was so willing to give up his own life and his ambition for the sake of his captain's. However...if Luffy actually did find out the truth behind what happened that day...would he have actually committed the act?
"Sanji? Blizzard? Brook?"
The two looked to see Nami, who stared at them worriedly just as Aika was beginning to wake up.
"You guys okay?" the navigator asked. "You guys didn't say a word."
"Uh...we're fine," Sanji replied.
"Never better," Brook added with Blizzard nodding in agreement.
"...Okay," Nami said. "If you says so."
Robin only glanced at the three before she sighed silently.
"The World's Greatest Swordsman, huh?" Luffy asked. "That's perfect! The future King of the Pirates wouldn't have any less on his crew!"
"You got that right," Past Zoro smirked. "Whether I'm a saint or a demon...I will spread the name 'Zoro' throughout the world!"
"What are you doing, you idiots?!" Morgan questioned. "Execute them, right now!"
It seemed that the Marines were too frightened of Past Zoro to do anything, and Luffy saw this as his chance.
"You might wanna duck!" Luffy called out as he lifted his leg, which began to stretch. "Gum-Gum...WHIP!"
With a single sweeping motion, Luffy kicked the Marines away while Past Zoro ducked down, just barely managing to dodge the attack. Morgan only gaped in shock while Coby (and Aika, Kumi, and Chopper) cheered for him.
"What the hell are you, anyway?" Past Zoro asked.
"I'm just a guy who ate the Gum-Gum Fruit!" Luffy answered as he bent his knee.
"What's a Gum-Gum Fruit?" Past Zoro asked in confusion.
"A rubber person?!" one of the soldiers questioned.
"So...he really did eat a Devil Fruit," Morgan sneered.
"Captain, what do we do?!" asked another soldier. "We're no match for someone like that!"
"Yeah, and Roronoa Zoro is fighting with him!" added another.
"Seriously?" Blizzard asked. "Zoro's practically half-dead and they're wussing out?"
"Yeah," Chopper said. "The Marines in the East Blue sure were wimpy, huh?"
"At least they knew what they were up against," Usopp pointed out.
"Yeah, sometimes, you just gotta know when you're licked," Franky agreed.
However, Morgan did not look the least bit pleased about this turn of events.
"To those of you who had just complained," Morgan began, "this is a direct order! Take your guns...and blow your brains out! I have no use for weaklings like you!"
The Straw Hats all gaped, and to their shock, the soldiers actually pointed their rifles at their heads...and by the looks on their faces, they could tell they really didn't want to do it. Some of them were even crying.
"My god, he's depraved!" Brook cried in horror.
"Were they REALLY about to shoot themselves?!" Nami questioned.
Robin didn't seem very surprised. Back when she was Miss All Sunday in Baroque Works, she saw Crocodile order one of the Billions agents to shoot himself in the head when he failed an assignment, calling him "weak".
"What the hell is wrong with these Marines?" asked Past Zoro, while Luffy, ever straightforward, charged at Morgan before the Marines could try and intercept him, then geared up to punch him in the face. However, the Marine captain raised his axe, using the side of the blade to block the rubberman's fist.
"A mere civilian who has absolutely no rank is no match for the likes of me!" Morgan shouted. "I am Marine Captain Axe-Hand Morgan!"
"And I'm Luffy," Luffy greeted, casually. "Nice to meet ya!"
"DIE~!" Morgan roared as he tried to cut Luffy in half with his axe, but he jumped out of the way, causing the blade to hit the ground, which cracked from the impact.
"Whoa!" Aika cried. "He's strong!"
"Strong, he might be," Zoro said, "but he's way too big and slow, and having that axe in his arm doesn't help, and meanwhile, Luffy is swift because of his smaller size."
In no time at all, Luffy proved Zoro's point when he easily knocked Morgan down to the ground with a single kick.
"What a chump," Franky said. "Seriously, is this the best that Marines from the East Blue can do?"
"Marine rankings in the Grand Line and East Blue have a vast difference," Robin explained. "Morgan may be a captain, but if he were in the Grand Line, he'd be something lower, like a lieutenant."
"But what about Smoker?" Usopp asked. "He was a captain, and he completely mopped the floor with Luffy!"
"To be fair," Sanji started, "Smoker was a Logia-type Devil Fruit user, therefore, Luffy couldn't even touch him back then."
"True, true," Usopp nodded.
"Almost hard to believe he's a Vice-Admiral now," said Nami.
"You talk about being a Marine," Luffy spoke up as he grabbed Morgan's shirt collar, "but you're destroying Coby's dream!" He then slugged Morgan across the face.
"Hey, Straw Hat! Stop!" a familiar, almost-whiny voice shouted, but Luffy didn't listen as he kept punching Morgan. "Hey, didn't you hear me?! Can't you see that I have a hostage over here?!"
Luffy finally looked up, only to see Helmeppo pointing a pistol at Coby's head. However, the situation didn't look nearly as serious, since Helmeppo was shaking so badly and he wasn't even holding the pistol right.
"...You have GOT to be kidding me," Usopp said.
"That's not really a good way to take someone hostage," said Robin.
"Yeah, Coby could've easily ran away," Nami said.
"If he wasn't scared, that is," Sanji pointed out.
Luffy only blinked at Helmeppo, while Coby shivered with fear. However, he took one look at Luffy, who grinned at him, and that was enough to give him his confidence back.
"Luffy! Don't worry about me!" he shouted. "I'm prepared for anything that happens!"
"Well said," Luffy grinned as he put a hand on his shoulder and began to walk toward Helmeppo. "You hear that, you big idiot? Coby is ready to die by your hand!"
"Don't you move!" Helmeppo cried. "I said don't move or I'll shoot! I swear it!"
"What a moron," Blizzard muttered. "This is actually almost embarrassing to watch."
"Coby sure was brave, though," Aika added. "He just looked at Big Brother and that was all he needed to get his confidence! That's what I do whenever I feel like I need to be brave! I just think of Big Brother, smiling at me!"
Sanji chuckled as he ruffled Aika's hair, but then Chopper suddenly shrieked.
"M-M-M-M-MORGAN!" the little reindeer stammered as he pointed behind Luffy, where Morgan stood, raising his axe.
"Oh, no!" Kumi cried. "Look out, Luffy!"
"Behind you!" Coby shouted.
"Gum-Gum..." Luffy started as he reeled his arm back.
"I AM MARINE CAPTAIN AXE-HAND MORGAN~!" Morgan shouted as he prepared to slice Luffy right down the middle.
"Do it, Daddy!" Helmeppo shouted as he pulled Coby into a choke hold. "Hurry up and kill him!"
"PISTOL~!" Luffy shouted as he threw his first at Helmeppo, punching him right in the face before he could pull the trigger. At that moment, Luffy grinned. "Nice..."
At first, the Straw Hats didn't understand...until they saw that Morgan's axe was just mere inches away from his head. Then...he collapsed, revealing Past Zoro behind him with his blades covered in blood.
"Zoro," Luffy said as he glanced back.
"I'm just doing my job...Captain," Zoro smirked, and the Straw Hats all smiled.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Next time on One Piece: The Fire Within!
Usopp: So that's how Coby joined up with the Marines.
Aika: Good for him. *smiles*
Luffy: So hungry~!
Past Zoro: When the hell are we gonna reach land, anyway?
Nami: Wow. They really needed a navigator.
Buggy Pirates: Get back here with that map, you bitch!
Nami: Hey, wait, this is when...
Luffy: Hey, you're that girl who set me up! Who are you?!
Past Nami: A talented thief who steal strictly from pirates. The name's Nami! Hey, wanna team up with me?
Next time: The Second
Sorry I took so long updating this, but here it is!
Also, oh my god, did you guys see the new One Piece opening? It was GLORIOUS!
Review, please!