"Yes! I have a companion!" Luffy cheered, throwing his fists in the air.

"Okay, now hurry and get these ropes off me!" Zolo demanded, annoyed that the boy just dropped his swords like they were nothing. From afar, the Marines gaped in shock at the boy.

"That guy! How the...!"

"How did he manage to repel those bullets?"

"That rascal isn't normal..." Morgan mused, his eyes dead set on Luffy. "He must have eaten one of the Devil's Fruit!"

"He ate the ocean's secret treasure?" A Marine gasped.

"Then, his special ability is due to this fruit?" Another asked, piecing things together. Then, one of them noticed something.

"Lieutenant, that guy's gonna take off Zolo's ropes! Don't let him take them off!"

Someone unsheathed a sword, charging the group. "If guns don't work, then we'll use swords to kill him!" The rest soon followed, all charging with battles cries, swords poised to strike.

Meanwhile, Luffy struggled to untie the knots. "Damn! This knot is so hard to untie... Hmm, how do I open this?" He wondered as if there wasn't a bunch of Marines about to chop his head off.

"Oi! Hurry up!" Zolo cried, freaking out. Mac watched the whole scene, her mind numb and her body frozen in place, barely registering what was going on around her. She was still shaken up by her flashback, one of the many she had hoped to keep buried within the deepest recesses of her mind. Behind her, she faintly heard Koby begin to stir.

"Ugh... Ah, did I faint? What did..." He then noticed the charging Marines and how close they were getting. He screamed, "LUFFY, ZOLO, WATCH OUT!"

Luffy ignored him. "Could you stop taking my time? You're so noisy!" The boy huffed, tugging at the ropes.

"We don't have time for you to take you time!" Zolo yelled, ready to bite the idiot's head off.

"Oh! I untied one side!" Luffy proclaimed cheerfully, holding up the rope in triumph.

"IDIOT!" Zolo shouted, using his now free arm to grab at Luffy. "Hurry! Get me my swords!" The Marines were closing in, swinging their swords wildly above their heads. Behind them, Morgan shouted,

"All who oppose me must perish!"

Koby squealed, shaking roughly. He noticed how Mac stood there like a doofus, staring blankly at the men. "MAC! ZOLO AND LUFFY ARE ABOUT TO DIE! DO SOMETHING!"

"... Huh?" Mac grunted oh so intellectually. She jerked from her stupor, her eyes focusing and snapping over towards Zolo and Luffy. Her eyes widened, seeing the men closing in on the two. She knew if they got hurt, she'd end up just as dead as them. Jerking herself down in a fighting stance, she didn't even have enough time to get into action before the Marines were upon them like flies on honey. It was like everything stopped, Mac staring at the scene with shock and awe, Koby next to her not without a dissimilar expression.

Zolo stood there, crouching with his back to the Marines and his arms crossed with a sword and each hand, holding every single one back but that wasn't the most shocking thing. His third sword was clenched between his teeth! Wow, it was a wonder how strong his jaw was.

"All of you better not move!" Zolo spoke darkly, his speech somehow perfectly clear around the sword handle in his mouth. "You move and I'll kill you!"

"Waa! How scary!" The Marines cried amongst themselves, tears streaming down their face. Mac relaxed, sighing to herself. All this sudden tensing up and relaxing crap if going to take a toll on her psyche, she just knew it.

"I already told you I'd be a pirate with you." Zolo directed to Luffy who just casually stood there like there wasn't a bunch of dumbstruck Marines that could easily sober up and overpower Zolo. "Either way, after this incident with the Marines, I'll be an outlaw too. But it's okay, I still have my own goals! I'm going to become the world's greatest swordsman! I no longer care if my name is clean or not. Bad guy, good guy, it no longer matters! As long as my name is known worldwide!" He set Luffy with the hardest, most determined glare, looking him straight in the eye. "If you do something that ends up in the way of my goal, I will have you cut your stomach open to say sorry!" Ooh, brutal.

"Good!" Luffy grinned. Did this boy have any other facial expression? "To be the world's number one swordsman! Since you wanna be a pirate king's crew member, if you can't even accomplish something that small, then I would be very embarrassed as well!" If that's what Luffy considered small, Mac would hate to see what he considered to be big…

"Heh! Well said!" Zolo smirked. Hearing the sound of someone clearing their throat, they looked over to see Mac slowly clapping her hands together in mock applause.

"This is all very well and good you guys." She said, her eyes going from each of them to the Marines and ever Morgan who stood behind them. "But can we save the awe-inspiring speeches for AFTER we take care of these nimrods?"

Just as she finished, Morgan seemed to have had enough. "What are you guys standing there for? Hurry up and finish them off!"

"Hey Zolo, duck!" Luffy called. Zolo just had enough time to glance at him before he fell to the ground in time to dodge Luffy's attack.

"Gum-Gum Leg Sweeper!" His entire leg stretched out and pushed the whole group of Marines back in one fell swoop. They flew back, landing at the feet of their Captain.

"Super! Very cool!" Koby praised.

"What are you…?" Zolo asked Luffy, looking at him in disbelief.

"I'm a rubber man!" Luffy declared, his leg snapping back to him and smiling.

"Ru… Rubber man?" The Marines gasped, pain etched in their faces as they struggled to sit up one by one. Mac couldn't help raise a brow; didn't they see how he was unaffected by the bullets earlier?

"Lieutenant! We can't kill these two! They're too strong! Any… Anyways, we can't defeat Zolo…"

"This is an order…" Morgan began, his voice low. "Whoever just said that… Get a gun and kill yourself! I don't need useless soldiers." There was a collective amount of gasps amongst the troop, staring at Morgan in shock, hoping he wasn't serious.

"That's an order!" Morgan growled and what was the most shocking part, is that they did exactly as he said. Each Marine took their gun and pointed it straight at their head, fingers on the trigger as they tried to work up the courage to pull the trigger.

"That's just wrong." Mac said, furrowing her brows. Suddenly, Luffy was taking off at full speed towards Morgan, surprising him when Luffy flew at him with his fist clenched.

"I'm the Marine's worst enemy! If you have the guts then execute me!" The boy threw a punch, intending it to connect with the horrible Lieutenant but his fist only connected with the handle of the axe that made up Morgan's arm.

"Luffy! Defeat these Marines!" Koby cheered, Mac and Zolo watching silently.

Morgan pushed Luffy back, the boy landing steadily on his feet a short ways away. "People like you, without status, have no right to oppose me!" Morgan charged at Luffy with incredible speed for a man so big, raising his axe-arm to strike the Luffy down. "I am Marine Lieutenant Axe-Hand Morgan!"

"My name is Luffy! Nice to meet you!" The boy introduced mockingly. Morgan swung his axe with great speed, shouting "GO TO HELL!" Luffy easily jumped out his reach in time for the blow to miss and cut a chainlink fence behind him.

"Wah! The fence broke into half just like that!" Koby gasped, watching as the piece fell to the ground.

"That's the power of a Marine Lieutenant. Take note, Koby." Mac said, her eyes never leaving the swift rubber boy. She had to admit, she was beginning to really admire his great speed and strength. Luffy just started to descend on a confused Morgan, his feet making heavy contact with the man's head and sending him sprawling to the ground. Luffy easily landed on his feet like a cat, watching as Morgan skidded several yards across the ground.

"The Lieutenant! He…" There was muttering amongst the Marines as they watched the man stop.

"You little bastard!" Morgan cursed, righting himself before Luffy was upon him again. The man deftly swung his axe, "Go to Hell!" and just barely missed Luffy by a couple of inches as the boy twisted right past him. Morgan was more confused when the rubber boy grabbed his arm, swinging himself up and around.

"I'm not dead yet!" He taunted just before his foot made contact with Morgan's head and sending the man to the ground once more.

"Too… Too strong…" Koby gasped again.

"Lieutenant Morgan can only be kicked around!" The Marines muttered amongst themselves, watching as their superior was treated as little more than a punching bag. Luffy landed, approaching the defeated Lieutenant and grabbing the front of his shirt. "Some great Marine you are…" The boy spoke almost too soft for them to hear. "Destroyed Koby's dreams and goal…" He pulled back a fist, readying to punch Morgan's lights out.

"WAIT!" Someone shouted, but Luffy only went ahead and gave Morgan a hard right hook to his cheek.

"You idiot! I told you to wait!" Almost everyone turned to the voice, Mac and Zolo looking over their shoulders to where the voice was coming from. What they saw, well, Mac was more curious how he got there without her noticing. Helmeppo stood there, a gun pulled out and aimed right for Koby's head! "If you want this guy to survive, then don't move!" He yelled, "If anyone moves, I'll shoot!"

"Luffy! I… I don't wanna be in your way…" Koby called out, not even a smidgen of fear on his face. "I'm not afraid of death!"

"Okay, I know!" Luffy just grinned before he began to pull his hand back in a fist and shouting to Helmeppo. "You stupid son, Koby's not afraid of death!"

"Hey! You idiot, I told you not to move, or I'm gonna shoot!" Helmeppo shouted. Mac snorted to herself, doubting the guy even knew how to use a gun.

"Go ahead and shoot!" Luffy yelled back. That's when Mac noticed something, a large looming man with an axe for an arm standing silently above him with his weapon poised to strike. "Luffy! Watch out!" She yelled at the oblivious boy.

"I am the great Marine Lieutenant!"

"Gum-Gum…"

"Daddy! Hurry!"

"PISTOL!" Luffy's fist flew, stretching clear across the courtyard and sucker punching Helmeppo into the concrete fence behind him. That took care of one problem but there was still another one, and it was about to try and cut Luffy's head off.

Before he even knew what hit him, Morgan was back on the ground with a loud thud, confusion breaking out amongst the masses once more. "Woah… Mac!" Luffy declared, seeing the much short girl standing next to Morgan, the palm of her left hand steaming. There was a large burn mark on Morgan's stomach that gave off the same trail of smoke. Flexing her fist, she turned to look over at the staw hat boy. "I was itching to do that for a while."

From behind them, they could hear the whole gaggle of Marines as they stared in fear at their downed superior. "The Lieutenant lost! Lieutenant Morgan has been beaten." Zolo slowly approached the two, looking as though it was taking all his strength to walk, and placed his swords at his hip.

"If you still want to arrest us, come and get us." He said in a voice that said 'I dare you'. The Marines all glanced at themselves as if contemplating that offer before something somewhat unexpected but completely understandable happened. Every Marine began to cheer happily, dancing and hugging eachother joyously. Mac had to side-step a sword that someone had thrown into the air out of joy.

"Yes! We're free! We are out of Morgan's control! Long live the Marines!"

"What's going on?" Luffy asked, looking around very confused. "They seem to be happy that Morgan was defeated!"

"Everyone hated Morgan…" Koby said elatedly, running to join up with the three. Mac observed the cheering crowd, unable to stop herself from smiling at their contagious merriment. It felt weird to be happy for something she hated so much, but in a sort of good weird way.

But then any feelings of joy she had were completely lost when she found a much taller, much smellier man collapsing on top of her, pushing her to the ground and knocking the wind completely out of her. "Z-Zolo! Get off me, you fatass! For the love of the Ancients, you reek!" She shouted, trying to push the dead weight off her back.

"Hungry…" The man groaned, fatigue taking him over and completely draining his nutrient starved body. Luffy laughed at the squirming girl, Koby being the only helpful one and struggling to lift and sling Zolo's arm over his shoulders.

"Come on, I know a place where we can all get something to eat." He said, Luffy finally helping to carry the man's weight while Mac cursed him under her breathe and followed right behind them.


"I'm full!" Zolo declared loudly, leaning back in his chair and patting his full belly. "Haven't eaten for nine days, almost starved to death!" Finally having managed to drag the man out of the courtyard, Koby and all converged around a table in the bar Rika's mother owned. Koby and Zolo all bandaged up, Rika's mother commenting on the shoddy work of the bandage Mac had put around Koby's shoulder earlier. Dishes piled high on the table as each person ate away at their own choice meal, Luffy sitting next to Zolo and Mac next to Luffy with Koby on her other side. Zolo had actually taken off his bandana to reveal short green hair and currently had it tied around his left bicep.

"Then it's impossible for you to last a month!" Luffy said around a chunk of meat in his mouth. Zolo rested his elbow on the table, setting the boy with a hard stare.

"You're so scrawny, how come you can eat more than me?"

"Sorry… Even I ate quite a lot…" Koby directed towards Rika's mother as the woman came to take away some of the piling dishes.

"Don't worry! Keep eating, you saved our town!" The woman smiled brightly. Rika approached Luffy, a large grin set on her face.

"Big Brother, you're so strong!" She praised.

"Yep! I'm strong! I'll get strong later on!" Luffy said, chunks of food flying out of his mouth.

"Luffy, don't talk with your mouth full. No one needs a food shower." Mac reprimanded as she bit into her thirtieth apple. The boy looked at her, sticking his lip out in a pout as he went on to chew his large mouthful. Honestly, the boy looked like a squirrel or something.

"So, what are your next plans?" Mac thought Zolo was speaking to Luffy but when she looked over, she found the man was looking at her. Raising an eyebrow, she shrugged her shoulders as she sat back comfortably in her chair, crossing her arms behind her head.

"I dunno." She said thoughtfully, staring at the ceiling. "Probably stow away on a sailing ship or something. Why do you care?"

"What are you talking about, Zolo?" Luffy piped up, looking at the older man. "She's coming with us, she's part of my crew."

Mac almost fell out of her chair, catching herself in time to fling herself forward and grip the table as she stared in horror at the boy. "What!" She shouted, the boy unnerved by her loud voice. "Since when!"

"Since I decided back in the fight with Morgan!" Luffy answered, crossing his arms over his chest as if he was daring to her to refuse. And she did just that.

"No way! I got my own stuff to do and it doesn't involve playing pirate." The girl shouted, glaring hard at the boy. Luffy met it head on, neither one of them backing down from their staring match. Zolo and Koby watched the two with interest.

"I'll drag you to the Grand Line if I have to!" Luffy finally said, determination filling his voice. That's when Koby decided to intervene.

"Wait, what?" The boy cried. "You're saying crazy things again! Just you three—"

"Two!" Mac quickly corrected, trying to get herself out of this.

"Fine! Two! How can you enter the Grand Line? Don't you understand? The world's strongest pirates all gather there!" The boy shouted, reverting back to his old antics from when he first heard of Luffy's wild dream.

"We're going for One Piece. It won't hurt to head that direction!" Zolo said, not expecting it when the hysterical Koby got all up in his face.

"Zolo! Even you're saying this rubbish!"

"What are you so worried about, it's not like you are coming with us." He sweatdropped.

"Even though I'm not going, I will still worry. Can't I? Can't I worry about you guys!" Koby yelled, slamming his hands on the table to emphasize his point. "Luffy, even though we just met… But we are friends!"

"Yep!" Luffy grinned, "Even though we have to part, we'll always be friends!" Koby smiled back, tears welling in his eyes.

"I never had friends growing up… Every time I would be picked on, no one would ever stand up for me… But the two of you taught me to live by my dream!"

"That's why we're heading for the Grand Line." Luffy stated obviously.

"Yeah!" Zolo input, resting his arm on the back of his chair.

"I'm not…" Mac muttered under her breath, glancing towards the door of the tavern.

"Hmm… That's true…" Koby said but soon realized his mistake. "No! No! What I meant is, you're too reckless!"

"First of all, you'd better worry about yourself!" Zolo said, tapping the boy's forehead with the handle of his sword. "Huh? Why?" Koby asked, confused.

"Even though you were just doing chores on a pirate ship, you're still a small pirate." The man reasoned, resting his sword on his shoulder. "Don't underestimate the Marine's ability to gather information. If they know your past, they won't let you join for sure!"

"Excuse me!" Speak of the devils. The door to the tavern was pushed open, revealing a bunch of Marines. One stood in the door way, tucking his arms behind his back as he eyed the four at the table. "We are wondering, are you really pirates?"

"Yes, I just found my first two crew members!" Luffy grinned, much to Mac's chagrin. "So that would make us pirates now!"

The Marine nodded, adjusting his hat. "Even though you are pirates, in reality, you saved our town and base. For that, we are grateful but, since you are pirates, as Marines, we cannot allow you to stay any longer. Please leave this place immediately! As for the events that occurred here, we will be reporting it to the headquarters."

From outside, there was a loud uproar as the citizens protested the Marine's decision. "Hey! Marines! What kind of bullshit are you saying?"

"Are you kidding me? Or have you all gone nuts? They are this towns saviors!"

Luffy was unfazed, pushing himself up from the table. "Hmm, well then, let's go! Thank you for your food ma'am." He said to Rika's mother as the woman sadly watched them leave. "C'mon, Mac." Luffy commanded, noticing how the girl just sat there.

"Fine, whatever you say, 'Captain'." She replied mockingly, following Zolo as he walked past the Marine and out the door.

"Luffy…" Koby muttered as he walked past.

"Are you really leaving, Big Brother?" Rika asked quietly, sadness lacing her voice.

"Aren't you with their group?" The Marine asked, looking at Koby. The boy shifted, looking at the Marine.

"I…. I…." His voice was strained as he tried convincing himself that this was really happening. That they were really leaving. "I'm not… Not… I'm not with them!" He finally got out.

"Please hold on…" The Marine said, stopping Luffy in the doorway, Mac and Zolo already waiting outside. "Is he telling the truth?" Luffy turned, staring at Koby for a moment. Finally, he pointed a finger at the boy.

"I know what this guy used to do…" He said, Koby's eyes widening in horror.

"Luffy….?"

"I can't remember where but," Luffy went on, "He used to be with this faaaaaat female pirate. I think her name was Alvida."

"Stop… Don't say anymore…" Koby begged, praying for Luffy to shut his big rubber mouth.

"It was a fat and ugly female pirate. This guy spent two years there-"

"SHUT UP!" Before Luffy could get anymore out, Koby sprang forward and delivered a powerful punch to Luffy's face. One strong enough that it caused his hat to fly off his head. There was a collective amount of gasps from the Marines and even Koby as he tried to fathom what he just did. A heavy smirk was set of Luffy's face, the boy springing back to deliver a punch right back at Koby.

"You! You deserve a beating!" He carried on punching poor Koby, viciously attacking him with his fists. "Damn you! You deserve a beatdown!"

"Both of you stop it!" The Marine cried, "I won't allow this town to get in any more fights!"

Deciding to get going before there was any more trouble, Zolo grabbed Luffy by the back of his vest, pulling the boy off an unconscious Koby. "Hey! You went overboard! Stop it!"

"I know he isn't you friend!" The Marine shouted, pointing at the two. "Please leave this town immediately!"

Luffy picked up his hat, placing it on his head before he and Zolo departed from the building, heading towards the docks. "Come on! Didn't you want to arrest me?" Zolo taunted a couple of Marines outside of tavern, smirking as they shied away from him. When they made it to Luffy's little sailing boat, Zolo turned to Luffy.

"Nice act! This way, even though he's been a pirate before, it wouldn't be such a big deal!"

"I believe Koby will become strong and more dependent in the future!" Luffy smiled, grabbing the ropes that tied his ship to the wharf.

"Time to go, or else these no telling what will happen! Not leaving anything behind, that's what pirates are all about!" Zolo sighed, satisfied as he placed a hand on his swords.

"That's what I'm saying!" Luffy laughed.

"Lu… Lu…" Luffy turned, seeing Koby standing behind him, looking bruised and beaten. "Luffy!" He called, saluting the Marine's salute. "Thank you very much!" He cried, "I will never forget you for the rest of my life!"

"I've never seen a Marine salute pirates." Zolo commented. Next to him, Luffy chuckled heartily, raising an arm and waving it at Koby

"Koby! We'll meet again someday!" The boy called.

"Group salute!" Koby was shocked, the entire Marine base appearing behind him as they saluted the two men. Laughing as the boat sailed away, Luffy noticed something missing, or rather, someone.

"Euh! Where's Mac!"

"See ya later, shitlords!" The boy frowned at the familiar voice, looked back to see the girl standing off to the side of the Marines, smirking as she pulled down her lower eyelid and stuck her tongue out at them. Snickering, she turned and began making her way past the buildings, only to have her way blocked by a bunch of Marines.

"What? Hey, move it! I'm not with those creeps."

"Sorry, but from the looks of it, you are." They smirked, looking behind her. Cocking her head, she didn't even have enough time to look before there was a heavy weight on the back of her shirt and she was sailing through the air, past the docks and over the ocean and landing heavily in a pile of limbs.

"Ow…" She groaned, scowling when she heard the familiar laughing of Luffy and Zolo's snickering. She sat up, glaring at the boy who had plucked her from land and sat with a triumphant grin on his face.

"I told you that'd I'd drag you with me. GRAND LINE, HERE WE COME!"

And so they set off for new adventure, Luffy now with a total crew of two; Roronoa Zolo the swordsman and Mac the very reluctant girl. As they sailed off, none of them realized that there was something very crucial that they forgot to pick up in the hurry to get out of Marine Base Town.