DEVIL
Chapter II
"Well..." Luffy said, stretching, "I think it's about time for me to head on."
Coby, who had been ogling the marines' base from the window of the Inn, turned towards the man in the straw-hat, "What? But Luffy-san…" he hesitated, "How are you going to avoid losing yourself in the middle of the sea? You have absolutely no navigation skills!"
It was true. Luffy had been marveled at the capacity his shorter companion had of following directions in a map – something he was the first to admit not being able to do -, but he wasn't about to let such small details get in his way of assembling an amazing pirate crew and conquering Grand Line. He got up from the table, leaving a few coins to pay for his meal and went for the exit.
"Don't stress Coby! I'll just go where the Seas take me!"
"But what if you run out of food? Or water? What if-"
"Then I'll figure something out!" Luffy interrupted him.
The both of them stopped in the middle of the street. Coby took the moment to take in the man who had freed him from the hell of servitude Alvida had enslaved him in. He had a feeling of dread that told him he wouldn't see the pirate in the straw-hat again. Luffy smiled at him and waved good-bye, "See you around, Coby!"
He hadn't taken more than three steps when a shout from the other guy stopped him and made him turn around.
"Luffy-san! Thank you so much for your help! You have my eternal gratitude! I promise you I'll follow my dream like you intend to do too! I'll become the best marine there is and then… then I'll go after the pirate king in the straw-hat!" he finished in a shout of fervent conviction.
Luffy laughed gave him a thumb up. "It's a promise, Coby!"
He could hear the bespectacled young man sniffing a bit as he made his way to the port and he couldn't help but smile to himself. Coby would go far one day, he was sure of it. Too bad he hadn't wanted to join his pirate crew; he could have used his navigation skills. As it was, he was once again alone and Coby did have a point about travelling the seas without knowing how to use a map. He'd have to either learn it or find a navigator quickly. He rather preferred the second option.
Luffy sat down on the boat he had 'requested' from the Alvida's Pirates. The small vessel was about twice the size his last one had been and had the welcome addiction of a cabin he could use if the weather got too unpleasant – something his previous dinghy had been missing. He lifted his head as he suddenly remembered he didn't have any line or hooks for fishing. All of his equipment had been lost when he had been sucked into that giant whirlpool. If he ever encountered that sea monster again he would eat it.
This was a pleasant town, Luffy thought as he made is way through the streets in search for an equipment shop. The people outside barely spared him a glance, giving Luffy a sense of freedom and relaxation he hadn't felt since his days of training with Ace. In Fuusha, everyone always looked after Luffy and it had gotten even worse after his brother had left, three years before. He supposed it was just the way small villages were. Since everyone knew each other, people tended to see the others as part of their own family even when that was not the case.
Spotting a store, Luffy made for the entry.
"Hey, old man! Give me the sturdiest fishing lines you've got! And throw some good hooks there too." He said, greeting the store clerk loudly.
"Are you sure about that, boy? These lines aren't cheap! You'd better stick to some of these, unless you're planning on catching a sea king barehanded." The man replied, pointing to a box where a few, more common fishing lines sat.
"That sounds awesome, old man! I'll have to try it some time!"
The man peered over his glasses at the youth on the other side of the counter and was met with the eager face of Luffy, smiling in earnest at the reference of catching a sea king. He sighed in resignation and told the boy, "Fine, I hope you know what you're doing. I'll throw in two of these for free." And showed him a metal stick with several hooks coming out from every side.
"Oooh! What is this old man?" the youth's eyes shone with enthusiasm as the boy in the straw hat took the object and inspected it at close range.
"It's a special kind of hook. With this you can either catch a big animal without worrying about losing it OR, if you have skill, use it to catch several fish at the same time."
Luffy gave the clerk a smile that ran from one ear to the other, "Thanks, old man! How much?"
"75 B" the old man said, consulting the prices on a sheet of paper, "the hooks are free, we're not selling much of them, these days."
Luffy left the coins on the countertop and made for the exit, "Huh? Why's that, old man?"
The clerk smiled, "It's because there aren't many sea monsters in East Blue."
"Yeah, good thing I'm going to the Grand Line!" Luffy remarked, exiting and leaving behind a startled old man.
Luffy had not taken more than three steps outside when someone yelled his name in a strong voice he did not know.
"Monkey D. Luffy." It was a statement but it was also a question waiting for confirmation.
Luffy turned around. On the other side of the street stood a peculiar figure. It was a man in his early twenties, perhaps. He wore a white shirt and black trousers, and sported a green haramaki from which hung three katana. A bandanna on his head cast a shadow across his face that kept Luffy from accurately seeing his eyes.
"Who're you?" he asked in turn.
"My name is Roronoa Zoro. I'm a mercenary. Usually, I work as a pirate hunter but I do other things as well. I was tasked with the job of finding you." He put his right hand on the grip of the topmost sword in a casual threat. "You're grandfather hired me to take you back home. The only condition was that you were to be left alive so, if you don't want any trouble, I suggest you come peacefully… with… Me…. WHERE THE HELL HAS HE GONE TO?"
As soon as he had heard the words pirate hunter and grandfather in the same speech, Luffy bolted away from the man and quickly merged with the population in an effort to escape detection. So his grandfather had hired a mercenary to take him back, huh? He'd never have thought the old man would go so far to stop him from becoming a pirate, but he supposed it was to be expected. The man was a marine vice-admiral and had always made painfully clear how much he disapproved Luffy's "career choice".
Luffy ran as fast as he could, bumping into people in his hurry and earning himself a few curses as a result.
"THERE YOU ARE!"
"Shit!"
Every time he thought he had managed to lose the bounty hunter, the man appeared from nowhere and restarted the pursuit. Luffy decided it was time to take some drastic measures. He didn't want to engage this Zoro because, if the guy was anything like his grandfather – and the old marine had the annoying tendency to choose people he hung with by his own standards of strength -, there was a good possibility of him being able to beat the heck out of the young pirate. So, he did the next best thing.
'I never thought I'd have to use this so soon in my journey!'
"GOMU GOMU NO PISTOL!"
For the first time since the end of his training in the wilderness of the Corbo Mountains Luffy unleashed the powers of the devil fruit within him. Like so many times before, he felt a rush off something across his arm and the member extended forward, propelled by the momentum of the swing Luffy had charged it with.
His fist blew a hole on the side of the house he was facing and Luffy made a quick dash towards it. Following the tunnel of destruction he had created, the young pirate fled, all the while shouting apologies at the people in the house.
"Sorry for the mess!"
"Oops, coming through!"
"Sorry about that, Ossan!"
"Out of my way!"
Luffy frowned. He hadn't said that… he looked back, to the house he had just gotten out of and saw the wall being smashed by a series of quick consecutive slashes. The wooden wall blew outwards and the outline of Zoro, the pirate hunter, appeared in hot pursuit of Luffy.
"Shit! This guy doesn't quit!"
The streets were getting more crowded now. People came to ascertain the cause of all the tumult in the village. At the same time, they started to give Luffy a wide space. While this was good because it facilitated his movements and his running, it also became a disadvantage since he had now no way of quickly breaking the line of sight between him and the green haired swordsman.
One thing was becoming apparent. Even though he possessed a monstrous strength and, Luffy guessed, skill, the pirate hunter seemed to try and avoid injuring the innocent townspeople standing on the sidelines. Luffy privately awarded the bounty hunter a +1 point in his consideration scale. A sudden thought crossed his mind: if this guy was strong he could recruit him for his pirate crew! It would be a tricky thing to do for sure, since he had been hired by his grandfather precisely with the mission of keeping him from becoming a pirate but Luffy decided not to dwell on it too much.
Once again using his fruit powers, Luffy extended his arm and grabbed the corner of a side-alley, propelling himself towards it.
There was some more noise now, Luffy noted absently, as he made a sharp turn at the end of the alley, tracing his earlier steps with Coby, in his attempt to escape the pirate hunter's detection. The fact that that particular section of the street was devoid of life escaped his perception. He was almost sure he had finally managed to elude capture when he heard the voice of the swordsman.
"Demon Slash!"
The buildings in front of the straw-hat pirate collapsed and the debris scattered across the street, blocking any quick escape route Luffy might have head. Sweating, the young man turned around and attempted to find another way around the obstacle. Instead he was greeted with the figure of the mercenary.
The green haired youth gave Luffy a trembling, and somewhat exhausted, smile.
"You led me… on quite a chase!" he exclaimed, attempting to catch his breath.
"Thanks… If you enjoyed it… how about letting me do an encore?" Luffy answered, equally breathless.
"Wha- NO!" Roronoa Zoro, the pirate hunter, drew a deep breath and put one katana on his mouth. Placing the other two in position he spoke, his voice coming out clearly even though he had a hilt between his teeth, "I don't want to hurt you, but if you do not surrender you'll leave me no chance but to attack you."
"I don't want to fight you either. You seem to be a good person, let's just forget this."
The green haired man frowned, "That's not possible. I never fail a mission; your grandfather hired me to retrieve you and that's what I'm going to do."
"Join me."
The deadpan delivery surprised the swordsman.
"What?"
"Join me. Become my first-mate. Let's have an adventure together!"
"You want me to become a member of your pirate crew?" Zoro asked incredulously, "Hell, no! I won't become a criminal. I hate criminals!"
"Being a pirate does not equal being a criminal!" Luffy hotly answered back, "Being a Pirate means freedom. It means that you have the guts to bet your life on your dreams and to face the Seas like an equal! I won't let anyone badmouth the pirate flag!"
The swordsman hesitated for a fraction of a second before replying contemptuously, "A well rehearsed speech. But useless. If you won't come of your own free will, I guess I don't have any chance but to make you go back."
"You will try." Luffy said grimly, a serious expression, rarely seen on his face, settling down. Even though he had lots of years as an experienced fighter, even though he had brought down countless pirates and bandits, Zoro felt a shiver run down his back. The boy in front of him was radiating some powerful feelings. He had talked arrogantly and confidently in an effort to dissuade the other youth but he could see - this was not going to be an easy fight.
"DROP YOUR WEAPONS! RAISE YOUR ARMS ABOVE YOUR HEAD AND LIE DOWN ON YOUR STOMACH! BOTH OF YOU DO IT! DO IT NOW!"
Both Luffy and Zoro looked around finding, with no small surprise, that a whole platoon of marines had formed a perimeter around them and had their weapons pointed at them. One of them, sporting a captain's insignia, stepped forward and shouted an order once more.
"DROP YOUR WEAPONS NOW AND LIE DOWN!"
Luffy looked around. Zoro didn't seem to be ready to stand down before knowing if he intended to try and escaping again. But it was the faces of the townspeople that got his attention. They were fearful faces, full of worry for their own safety. It made him recall the feelings of helplessness he had felt when mountain bandits had occupied Makino's Bar, a decade before. Those looks were now directed at him, and it made him feel disgusted.
Ever so slowly, for the first and last time of his life, Monkey D. Luffy stood down, avoided a confrontation, and surrendered to the Marines.
"You are charged - and found guilty of, of course – disturbing public order, engaging in destructive activities and, most importantly, destroying HALF OF MY FUCKING TOWN!"
The man, a marine lieutenant with an axe for an arm and a metal jaw, angrily blew the smoke from the cigar he had been smoking before returning to charge.
"I am Axe-Hand Morgan, the highest ranking officer in this Marine HQ; therefore I am the greatest one! By harming my town you have shown disrespect to me! I should kill you for it!" he leaned forward on his desk and looked down at the straw-hat pirate, "Monkey D. Luffy. Your grandfather passed by several days ago and ordered me to capture you and warn him as soon as we had word of your presence. You're lucky he is a higher ranking officer and that a little bespectacled rascal identified you. This way you'll just be imprisoned instead of executed."
"Huh? You're talking about Coby? So he really became a marine admiral in this short time? I'm not even the pirate king yet!"
"Marine admiral? Him? Coming here spouting nonsense about wanting to be a marine… he is busy down in the basement, scrubbing and cleaning like the good worthless coward he is!"
"If he is worthless, you should just teach him so he can become useful; and if he is a coward you should make him strong, so that he'll have no need for fear. You should train him, not punish him for what he has no blame of. That should be your job as a marine officer!" Zoro spoke for the first time.
"You…" Morgan turned to growl at the swordsman, "Roronoa Zoro. I didn't like you from the first moment I heard of you and I'm disliking you more and more with each passing second. You also destroyed the town! And showed me disrespect! You presume to instruct me on how to manage my headquarters? Unforgivable!" at his signal, four marines emerged from the back of the room and grabbed the two troublemakers, restricting their movements with handcuffs, "Toss them both in a cell!"
"WHAT?" Zoro shouted, appearing incredulous, "I was the one who cornered him! I'm working for his grandfather!"
Axe-Hand Morgan gave him an unpleasant smirk, "Be that as it may, that accursed excuse for a Marine Garp didn't give us any information of you being our ally. You're a criminal and nothing more."
"OF COURSE HE DIDN'T! HE HIRED ME AFTER HE LEFT THIS PORT!"
"A matter of details. Enjoy your last night alive, Roronoa Zoro. For your disrespect you'll be awarded a public execution. That way everyone will know what happens if you defy my authority."
"Garp-san won't stand for it!" Zoro rebuked, desperately.
"Maybe but, as I've told you, We didn't know you were working with us…"
Luffy sat down quietly against one of the walls of the tiny cell he had been sharing with the pirate hunter. The green haired man had been pounding relentlessly against the bars holding them in, screaming in outrage for his liberty. Now that night had settled, he seemed to have given up to despair.
"Damn it! If only I had my swords I could slice through this cell and escape." He grumbled. The man turned to Luffy and screamed in accusation, "This is all your fault!"
"How the hell do you figure that one out?" he asked, frowning in confusion.
"If you hadn't kept trying to escape, if you had surrendered, I wouldn't be here!"
"If you hadn't kept trying to catch me we wouldn't be here either!" Luffy shot back.
"Aaarrgh!"
The mercenary sat down and rested his head between his hands, "I can't die here! I still have things to accomplish! I have a promise to keep." He whispered to himself.
The last bit got Luffy's attention, "What was that?"
"Huh?"
"That part about promises. What was it?"
"That's none of your business!" the man snapped. Then he sighed and seemed to have a change of mind, "It's not like it will matter if I tell you, at this rate." He looked at Luffy straight in the eye and started, "I was a student at a dojo once. There was a girl there, the daughter of the master, who was the best at swordsmanship there was. I looked up to her and wanted to surpass her. I trained every day with the goal of besting her." He laughed, "I lost every time. We were good friends, I think." His eyes got a faraway look, "Then, one day, she fell down a flight of stairs. She hit her head when she fell. There was nothing the master could have done, she was dead within moments." He said in a conflicted voice, "I made a promise on her deathbed that I'd become the greatest swordsman in the world. I left the dojo, my only home, and traveled in search for the greatest of all sword masters to best. I was forced to become a mercenary to get money for food…" he sighed in self-deprecation and whispered, "What am I doing? It's not like a pirate would understand the importance of promises."
"I do, actually." Luffy replied.
"What?"
"I do understand. I also became a pirate because of a promise!" And started telling him the story of how he had promised his brother, Shanks, and the deceased Sabo to set sails for the sea and to defy the oppression of the World Government Nobles as pirates.
To say that Zoro was astonished with the story was an understatement, but the real surprise was when he realized just who this Shanks guy was.
"Wait a minute…" he interrupted, raising his hand. "You're telling me you made a promise and a bet with Shanks, The Red-Hair? One of the Four Emperors of the Sea?"
"Huh… Shanks is that great, huh? I should have expected it. Anyway, yeah I did. He gave me this Straw Hat as a symbol of our promise after he lost his arm saving me from a sea monster. I will return it to him when I become a great pirate and get a better crew than his!"
"Red Haired lost an arm for you? Who the devil are you?"
"I'm Luffy! The man who'll become the pirate king!" Luffy answered confidently.
His words brought the crushing reality back on to Zoro's shoulders.
"Well, none of that will matter to me. Tomorrow I'll be dead." It was the first time Luffy had seen his spirit break like that.
"Join me."
"You're still going on about that? I suppose it's tough to fail your journey without even gathering a crewmate, huh?"
"Become my First-Mate and I will get us out of here before my grandfather arrives; before you are even executed." Luffy pressed.
"Become your first-mate?" Zoro repeated.
"And I will get us out of here." Luffy confirmed.
The pirate hunter hung his head for a moment. Then he whispered, "So being a pirate is all about freedom, huh? And staking your life for your dreams?"
"That's right!" Luffy confirmed.
"I want to become the greatest swordsman in the world. I won't let anyone or anything get in the way of my dream. If you becoming the pirate king gets in the way of me becoming the greatest swordsman I won't hesitate in opening your guts for all to see!" he said with conviction in his eyes.
"Don't insult me." Luffy replied, crossing his arms and surprising the green haired man, "As the crew's captain, it is my duty to make sure all of your dreams are fulfilled before mine. If you're going to be part of my crew, of course you'll have to achieve such a small thing as that! After all, if I can help you becoming the best, what kind of king would I be?"
Zoro felt a smile tug at his face, "Heh! Well said! Very well… Captain. I pledge myself as your first-mate." Then his face became serious again, "How will you get us out of here?"
"Just watch!" Luffy answered, getting up.
Luffy approached the bars of the cell and dropped his straw-hat on the other side. Then, to the complete surprise and disbelief of his partner, pressed his face against the steel. His body twitched and deformed and, like a soft rubber doll, squeezed between the bars and got out of confinement. He picked the hat up.
"What the hell are you?" Zoro asked, mystified.
Luffy smiled brightly and announced, "I'm a rubber-man!" he turned around and peeked down the hall, "Now wait there for a moment."
Zoro listened to the fading footsteps. After what seemed to be an eternity, the sound of a muffled 'humph' and the noise of something hard hitting another reached his ears. There was a small tinkling and the footsteps returned, seeming more confident.
Luffy reappeared, holding a large set of keys in his hands, "Got it!"
"Great! Hurry up and get me out of here! Come on! What's taking you so long?" Zoro said, frustrated, as Luffy fumbled and tried key after key.
"I'm trying! I don't know which one is it – Ah, there it is!" he exclaimed in satisfaction.
The door opened with a creak and a low moan, as the abused and badly kept metal was forced to work. As he stepped out of the cell, Roronoa Zoro felt like he was being born again. The adrenaline rushed to his heart and made him feel alive again. He looked at the smiling face of the youth that would now be his captain and felt forever indebted to the young man.
"Let's go!"
The both of them made their way through the shadowy corridor in hurried but silent steps. The only source of light came from the lamp at the desk of the guard. He was unconscious.
"I had to knock him out to get the keys." Luffy explained as they passed by the marine, running "I hope he stays asleep long enough for us to escape!"
Zoro snuck one last glance at the man. "You broke the desk with his head." He said flatly, "I'd say he won't be waking up so soon. And he'll definitely feel that in the morning." He added almost as an afterthought.
Running up several flights of stairs, they arrived at a large circular hall. Several doors encircled them. Luffy looked around, confused. "I have no idea where the exit is!"
Zoro looked at him sideways, "It doesn't matter: I'm not leaving here without my swords, anyway."
"Huh? Are your swords more valuable than your life?"
"Those swords are my most prized treasure!"
"Oh, that's alright then. Do you know where they are?"
Zoro pointed to a door with a sign hanging from it. "The basement seems like a good place to start."
The basement was pitch black. Their footsteps echoed in their ears and the only deviance from this monotony was the diffuse light coming from behind one of the many giant crates sitting around in the room and the low humming of an old tune.
Zoro cautiously approached the crate from which the sound came from, his plan to surprise the person on the other side and avoid giving the opportunity for him or her to sound the alarm. A good, cautious plan, ultimately condemned to failure, as Luffy carelessly walked past him and into the light.
"Huh? Coby?"
The young boy turned and adjusted his glasses, incredulous. "Luffy-san? What are you doing here?"
Seeing as his captain apparently knew the person, Zoro threw caution out the window and stepped into view as well. "You know this guy, Captain?"
Coby's eyes bulged almost to the point of popping out of his head. "AAAHH-mph!"
"Calm down and shut up!" both pirates hissed throw their teeth, urgently, clapping their hands over his mouth.
Coby tried to speak trough the barrier formed by their hands but only muffled sounds could be heard. When Luffy released him he said, in frantic hushed tones, "Luffy-san, that's Roronoa Zoro! A criminal and a demon! What are you doing with him?"
"Huh? Demon?" Zoro asked, as Luffy replied.
"He's my new crewmate. Zoro is my first-mate. He's a good person!"
"He's a bloodthirsty demon who killed thousands of pirates! You're in danger, Luffy-san!" Coby insisted urgently.
"Hey!" Zoro growled, pissed, "I swore allegiance to the Captain. Don't insinuate I'd betray him like that!"
Coby gulped and said with a trembling voice, "S-S-Sorry…"
"Coby, we're searching for Zoro's katana, do you know where they might be?" Luffy asked.
"K-katana?" Coby repeated looking up to the straw-hat captain, "I just finished indexing and boxing three of them." He pointed to three low, long boxes, "Apparently they belonged to some criminals that destroyed half the town before Lieutenant Morgan-san caught them… Heh?..." He exclaimed, as a sudden thought crossed his mind.
"Could it be… that you two are the criminals I heard about?" One look at the two pirate's smiling faces told him everything he needed to know. "B-But, if that's true, then I can't let you escape, Luffy-san!" he exclaimed, actually seeming horrified at the thought.
"Huh… you're saying you can stop us?" Zoro asked hauntingly.
Coby hung his head. "It's true that I cannot possibly stop any of you. But I'm a marine now. It's my job to capture and make sure criminals like pirates don't wander around like they damn well want…" he held onto his head in conflict with himself.
"Then what are you doing here?" Luffy asked, while Zoro went to retrieve the swords.
"What do you mean, Luffy-san?"
"Coby…" Luffy hesitated, swinging his hand around, in a sweeping motion that encompassed the entire room, "this is just like what you told me of Alvida. Doing trash jobs that no one else wants to do… this is not what being a marine is about!"
"Shut up! Like a pirate would know about things like that!" Coby protested hotly.
"My grandfather is a Marine." Luffy reminded the boy, flatly, "Why do you put up with this?" he asked in genuine curiosity.
"If I had to guess," Zoro remarked, returning to his captain's side while adjusting the swords to his waistband, "I'd say it's because he's gutless. From what you've told me, for most of his time in the sea, the only life he has known was the abuse he had to put up with Alvida." He continued, interrupting Coby's protest, "As twisted as the logic may sound, he actually feels safer doing this crap job rather than facing the unknown the Marine Training Course represents."
Coby, who had seemed to be inflating with self-righteous indignation, seemed to deflate at the considerations from the pirate.
"I-I… I really am worthless aren't I, Luffy-san?" he asked, dejected. "But no more! I won't permit you to escape, pirates!..." he hung his head down again, "But that still doesn't change the fact I can't stop either of you…"
"What are you, stupid?" Zoro asked, smiling down at the boy, "Even marines are allowed to call for reinforcements, no?"
Coby looked at them for a few seconds, before saying, "You'd better run away, pirates! I'm going to make the whole base fall down on you!"
Luffy laughed and turned to flee, followed by Zoro, when Coby's voice stopped them, once again.
"Luffy-san! The exit from the Marine Base is on the south door from the main hall! The one you came from to get here! Thank you so much! Now escape, quickly!"
"Thanks, Coby! Become an excellent marine!"
They were half-way up the stairs when Coby's screams of alarm echoed through the facility.
Shouts and orders could be heard all around them, as Luffy and his first-mate made their way through the marine base, in search for the exit. It hadn't taken long, with both of their horrid orientation skills, for them to get lost in the myriad of doors and corridors.
From time to time they heard a platoon of marines passing in one of the adjacent rooms or corridors to the one they'd be in.
"They can't have gone far, find them!"
"The teams at the exit still haven't reported movement, they must still be inside!"
"Damn it! If we fail to get them the lieutenant will have our skins!"
Zoro was starting to feel a little bit frustrated.
"God damn it, at this rate we'll be here all night!" he readied his swords, "Let's take a shortcut, Captain: Demon Slash!"
The attack tore through the walls in front of them, opening a clean path for them to flee through. With the judicious use of Zoro's swords and Luffy's fists, they soon found themselves on the outside. Five stores above ground level.
"WHOAAH!" Zoro screamed, trying fruitlessly to get back inside.
The marines seemed to have finally noticed them.
"Look! There they are! Get them!"
"What the… are they suicidal?"
"Ah ah ah ah!"
Luffy laughed at Zoro's face and grabbed a hold of his shirt. Then he grasped the edge of the hole Zoro had made with his other hand. "Gomu Gomu Bungee Jumping!"
His arm stretched and slowed the fall, making it possible for them to land safely on the ground bellow, leaving a bunch of marines gawking above them.
Zoro adjusted his headband, "Captain… warn me next time, OK?"
The other pirate barely gave a sign of having acknowledged his request, "That was fun! I gotta do that again, sometime."
"Yeah, well, may I suggest you try it sometime when we're not being chased by hordes of marines? Let's get out of here!"
"OVER MY DEAD BODY!" roared an enraged voice.
Luffy and Zoro jumped out of the way right on time. Where they had stood before only a smoking crater stood. Lieutenant Axe-Hand Morgan lifted his weapon and stood ominously in front of the two pirates.
"You rank-less low lives… I'm going to make you pay for this embarrassment."
An unpleasant smirk made its way on to Zoro's face. "Oh. I was just itching to get my hands on you too! Captain!" he said to Luffy, "Let me take care of this clown. I've got some issues with him that need addressing."
"OK." Was Luffy's simple answer.
Marine Apprentice Coby just couldn't quite believe it. Just a few hours before he was down in some obscure basement scrubbing and cleaning like a lowly slave or house-wife. Now he was preparing to leave in the flag-ship of the World Government "Old Yeller" as an apprentice under the wing of the World's hero Vice-Admiral Garp himself!
After escaping, rather spectacularly, from the marine base, Monkey D. Luffy and Roronoa Zoro had proceeded to give a very rough beating to the ex-Marine Lieutenant Axe-Hand Morgan. After his defeat it had become apparent that the marines under Morgan's command didn't at all approve of the oppression he liked to inflict upon the citizens. The Straw-Hats had left the town with a recognition worthy of heroes. The name Straw-Hat Pirates had been given to the two "renegades" by a young girl, who had apparently found Luffy's hat to be a very distinguishing mark. The name had stuck and Coby couldn't honestly find a fault in it.
Then the Dog headed ship of Vice-Admiral Garp had arrived, roughly a few hours after his grandson had left. Coby still had difficulty in believing that Luffy's grandfather was the legendary hero famed for having cornered Gold Roger himself several times in the past. It turns out one of the captains under Morgan's command was actually a mole planted by the Vice-Admiral, who quickly and concisely explained the situation to the Marine officer as soon as Morgan started to try and blame Luffy and Zoro for the situation in town.
Now, Coby stood at the deck, watching the fading town as the ship moved towards their next destination. Garp had approached the youth and had explained what was in store for him for the next months. Even though some of the training he described had seemed quite scary, Coby was finally starting to feel he was getting closer to fulfilling his dream.
Steps from the ships commander distracted him from his thoughts. The man started a conversation with Garp, leaving Coby momentarily forgotten.
"Our reports say that the pirate hunter Zoro has joined your grandson's building pirate crew. He appears to now be his first-mate." He commented quietly, "Quite a turn of events, considering you hired him expressly to keep him from becoming a pirate, don't you think, Garp-san?"
"Hmm… it's true. I did hire him with that objective in mind." A fierce smile appeared on the bearded face of the seasoned marine, "But I didn't raise my grandson so that he would quit his dreams so easily. At least now I'm sure he has a strong companion to aid him in surviving!"
"I wonder… there are many individuals, much stronger than Zoro on the seas, Vice-Admiral. And we don't even have to go to the Grand Line to find them."
"Idiot. My boy forms bonds with people with an easiness that is almost ridiculous. The bonds of trustworthy crewmates push each member one step further into perfection! A man doesn't become strong by destroying enemies; he truly becomes powerful when protecting his treasures, be that friends or ideals." Garp laughed roughly, "I meant that, by putting himself under his care, Roronoa Zoro gave my grandson something to protect! He will become strong because of that!"
Garp looked at the setting sun and said, almost to himself, "I won't try to make you quit your dreams anymore brat. You managed to escape me again…" he started chuckling, "That's my grandson!"
A/N.: Here. Since several people asked me to update this, here you have it. Expect the story to move up faster, from now on. I may, however, take some time to update all my stories, since I'm nearing the end of my Physics course and there are a LOT of exams to do... This chapter is rough. I wrote it as a sort of outlet to the stress accumulated from studying. I tried to fix any mistakes I found but there are likely a lot more... Enjoy.