English is not my first language, but the story is betaread by Checkmate-13!

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Chapter 5. The Pirate King and his Swordsman

Luffy couldn't contain his lips from splitting into a huge grin. So that's what his swordsman looked like.

He was drawn from his musings by a scared cry beside him. Luffy glanced at Coby who had also climbed the wall and was now staring at the pirate hunter with wide eyes full of terror.

"Th-th-that black bandana… Green haramaki… Three earrings… I-it's him! It's Roronoa Zoro!"

Luffy rolled his eyes. "Well, duh." He was sure that no one else could have such an impressive presence in this island. The hatted teen smiled again. "He's my first nakama."

"S-stop joking!" the pinkette paled. "You know nothing about this guy! How can you decide that from one glance?! If you free him, he could kill you!"

"Why would he do that? He's a bounty hunter, right? I still don't have a bounty," Luffy pouted. "Besides, I'm strong too."

Coby let out an exasperated sigh. What the hell was wrong with this guy?

"Oi, you!" Zoro shouted with a hoarse voice and lifted his head to glare at the two kids. "This isn't a zoo! Piss off!"

His glare made Coby's hair stand on end, but Luffy only grinned.

Suddenly his attention was drawn to a young girl who was struggling to squeeze through the gap in the gates on the left side of the execution yard. The pirate curiously watched as a dark brown-haired girl eventually stumbled inside, cautiously looked around, and then sprinted to the tied up prisoner. Luffy noted her tightly bandaged arm, a small bundle of cloth was safely tucked between the straps.

"AHHHH! What are you doing, girl?!" Coby shrieked in total panic. "Luffy-san, she'll get herself killed!"

"Oi, oi, oi!" swordsman also yelled at the same time, there was worry in his voice. "What are you doing here, shorty?! Did you forget what happened yesterday? GO AWAY!" He looked at the two boys on the wall and shouted in their direction, "Get her out of here, you damn brats!"

"But, onii-chan, you haven't eaten anything for more than two weeks. I made some new rice balls for you," she unfolded the bundle, revealing two neatly done rice balls, and smiled proudly. "This time I made them with salt!"

"I'm not hungry, dammit! Go away, before you get hurt again!"

"Well, well, well," the smug voice startled them both. "I thought I heard voices in the yard. Aren't you the same pipsqueak from yesterday?"

The girl froze, all color drained from her face. Zoro growled angrily at the young blonde man who was walking slowly towards them, smirking cockily. Two marine bodyguards trailed behind him. They stopped right in front of the heavily shaking child. The rice balls dropped on the ground, and the girl took a step back.

"Again with these disgusting rice balls?" he screwed up his face in disdain. "I already warned you, and my daddy also said to kill you," he grinned and glanced at one of his lackeys. "You do it."

"B-but, Helmeppo-sama…" the marine stammered.

"Are you trying to disobey me and my daddy, EH?!"

"No, sir! Right away, sir…"

Marine lifted his rifle with trembling hands and pointed it at the girl.

Zoro gritted his teeth. He struggled helplessly against his bindings. "You son of a bitch!" he roared. "STOP! She's just a kid!"

"Oi." A cold voice suddenly pierced through the silence, and they all whipped their heads to look at the straw hatted teen, still comfortably sitting on the wall. "Don't touch that girl."

Helmeppo gulped under the icy glare of the stranger. "W-w-who are you?"

"Name's Monkey D. Luffy," he introduced. His eyes flickered to the petrified child and he smiled warmly at her. "Come here, we'll see you home."

She scurried to him without a second thought. Luffy picked her up gently and moved her to the other side of the fence.

"Coby, lead her home, I'll come in a moment."

"O-okay," the pinkette complied, jumping down from his spot and rushing to the girl who was still deeply shaken.

Luffy turned to the people in the yard again. The marines were still gaping at him, but Zoro had a small, relieved smile on his face.

Luffy scowled. These marines reminded him of the ones he met in that place. No regards or sympathy towards other human beings. He already hated this island, it made him lose his good mood and remember things he'd long since buried.

"S-sir? This kid…"

"Yeah, what about him, lieutenant?"

"He has a slave brand on his back."

"What?! So he's one of those pieces of trash? Tch. No wonder he looks so beaten up. Oi, you, where is your master?"

"He said his name was–"

"Slaves don't have names, lieutenant. Contact the base and tell them to send a message to the Celestial Dragons that one of their runaway pets is here."

"He also has this strange collar around his neck."

"Isn't that collar supposed to blow up when they run away?"

"I think it's made from sea stone, sir."

"A Devil Fruit user, huh? Well, whatever. A slave is a slave."

Luffy shoved that memory back into the deepest part of his mind. He'd begged for help at that time, and was betrayed by those who swore to uphold justice.

"D-do you know what you are doing, punk?" the blond snapped. "I will tell my daddy! Y-you'll be executed!"

The pirate couldn't fight the grin which grew on his face from such a poor attempt at intimidation. "Sure," he said, amusement clear in his voice, "go and do that."

"You'll regret this!" Helmeppo huffed. "Roronoa Zoro," that annoying smug smirk had returned on his lips when he faced the prisoner again, "your endurance is really worthy of my respect. I never imagined you could survive for so long. So I've decided," he paused dramatically, "that you'll be publicly executed today at noon!"

Zoro's heart almost stopped. "What..?"

The blonde just laughed at him scornfully, then pointed at the two marines, "You two stay here and stand guard. Don't allow anyone to come near him, understand?!"

The men saluted. "Yes, Helmeppo-sama!"

With one last glance at the straw hatted teen, Helmeppo turned around and started to walk away.

"You said all I had to do was survive one month! That was our deal, you bastard!" the pirate hunter spat after him.

"I never promised to release you. Only an idiot would have believed that," he laughed again and waved his hand. "Have fun while you can!"

Zoro glared after him. Right now he wished that glares could kill, if he ever got his hands on that blonde bastard… "Shit," he muttered.

Two marines took their places at either side of the wooden cross, prepared to do their duty with rifles at the ready.

Zoro knew he was in a really tight predicament. He began to wriggle his hands in an attempt to free himself, but his effort was in vain. The swordsman didn't have enough strength anymore to escape on his own. "You're weak as usual, Zoro." Ah, Kuina was so right about him…

Luffy quietly observed the declaration of execution and Zoro's desperate attempt to escape after it. He would never allow the marines to kill him, but Zoro didn't need to know that. He could use this situation for his own benefit.

"Soooo," the straw hatted pirate drawled, his mischievous smile catching everybody's attention, "you're going to die?"

Zoro bared his teeth. "Screw you!"

The black-haired kid was an odd one. The hunter glared at him with all the animosity he could muster, but the kid didn't even bat an eye. To the contrary, his smirk grew impossibly wider. Maybe the boy was not right in the head.

"Join my crew!" he proposed eagerly.

The guards shifted from one foot to another.

Zoro blinked. "What?"

"Shishishishi. Join my pirate crew!" Luffy repeated. "And I will help you escape."

The marines clenched their guns tighter. One of them stepped forward and loudly stated, "We cannot allow such talk in front of us!"

Luffy spared him a split second glance, and then dismissed him completely again, giving full attention to his future nakama.

"Pirate crew?" The swordsman snorted. "Are you a cabin boy for some pirate scum or something? Go home, kid, and stop dreaming."

Zoro closed his eyes. Sure, he could accept an invitation to join 'the pirates' and ask the boy to free him, but he doubted he could protect them both from the marines in such a weakened state. His treasured swords had been taken, and even if he could escape, going against the navy would turn him into a wanted criminal. The hunter would become the hunted. But to die here was also out of the question, the problem was how to avert that.

"I'm not a cabin boy, I'm the captain!" Luffy chuckled at the sight of all three men's eyes widening in surprise. "And to stop dreaming would mean acknowledged defeat to this world. That will never happen!" He placed a hand on top of his straw hat. "Dreams are promises to yourself. You should never break a promise."

Zoro had his own dream to pursue, his own promise to fulfill. "I'll become so strong that my name will reach the heavens! I'll become the strongest swordsman in the world!" But he was torn. Even if the kid really was a pirate, he probably couldn't even throw a punch to save his life. The two guards were under orders to stop anyone from even approaching him. The boy was still safe because he was sitting on the wall this whole time. Could he risk an innocent life to save his own?

"Well," Luffy turned around to leave, "think about my offer. See ya!"

"Wait"–

But the hatted teen was already gone. Tension seeped from the marines' shoulders. That so proclaimed pirate captain was just a teenager, but gee if he wasn't a bold one.

Zoro sighed, feeling way too tired to deal with this situation. He had no other choice but to place his trust on some unknown kid. The idiot looked trustworthy enough. The swordsman frowned, surprised by his own thoughts. Why did he believe he could depend on that strange pirate?

Zoro stared at the rice balls on the ground. Damn, he was so hungry…

"Coby!" Luffy called, finally spotting his pink-haired companion, sitting on a bench near some restaurant. He waved his hand. Coby answered him with a shy wave of his own.

It took a while for Luffy to find him. The girl was gone, and Coby looked troubled.

"What are you doing here?" asked Luffy. "Are you hungry?"

"Ah, no. This is Rika's home," he tilted his head towards the restaurant. "It belongs to the family of the girl you saved from those marines."

Worry gnawed at Luffy. His friend seemed sad, and… ashamed? "Coby, what's wrong?"

"Luffy-san, you were right," he heaved a tired sigh, and his head drooped even more. "Rika told me everything. Marine captain Morgan executes everybody who dares to disobey him, his son is no better. Zoro was arrested because he killed Helmeppo's pet wolf when it attacked Rika. And he even ordered to toss her from execution yard! She broke her arm!" Coby suddenly jumped from the bench and peered at Luffy with determined fire in his eyes. "I-I don't want to be like these marines! I want to be a good one! A marine who protects the innocent!"

Luffy smiled. Yep, Coby was still alright, as far as he was concerned. He flashed a thumb up to him, showing his approval, before looking back to the street. He sensed the annoying presence making his way here. It was almost noon.

"Coby, can you do me a favor?" Luffy asked. Seeing the boy nod, he requested, "Get some beli from our boat and ask the owner of this restaurant to make some food for me and Zoro. I bet he's hungry," he smiled. "Oh, and also ask to prepare a bath for him and some clean clothes."

Coby gawked at him. That was extremely mindful. He would have never guessed that this exuberant teen could be aware of the needs of starved and beaten person. He seemed like a happy-go-lucky fellow without any care for life's hardships.

"You're going to free Zoro?"

"Of course!" Luffy grinned. "He's my nakama!"

Coby just nodded, and hurried away to fulfill the request. Luffy turned to face the street, where he'd spotted a purple suit.

"Is everyone looking forward to the public execution of the infamous pirate hunter Roronoa Zoro?" laughed the blonde. "I, the great Helmeppo-sama, will become the one who brought down the Demon of the East Blue!"

People just cowered, averting their eyes from the marines in shame. Everyone in the town knew that the young man was innocent, but no one dared defy the tyranny of Axe-hand Morgan. So, they almost fell from shock when a scrawny boy with a straw hat made a beeline for the pompous blonde, and slapped him across the cheek so hard that he spun around and collapsed ungracefully. Several snickers echoed around the surrounding crowd.

Helmeppo's new escort just gaped until Luffy took them out by smashing their heads together. He didn't need any interruptions.

"What the hell are you doing?!" the blonde glared, but was instantly frozen meeting the eyes of the young pirate. "AHHHH! It's you!"

Luffy smirked darkly. He wanted to beat the living daylights out of him, but this asshole had Zoro's sword. It would be faster to ask him where he put it. And if he wouldn't comply… Well, he would slap him until he did.

Luffy looked around the room, and spotted three katanas propped against the wall in the corner. He grinned, pushing Helmeppo aside, and hopping across the room.

"Oi, which one is Zoro's?"

The room was empty. The pirate shrugged, at least the blond bastard knew how to flee fast. He grabbed all three swords, opened the window, and jumped down. Humming some melody he couldn't remember where he'd heard it, Luffy made his way to the execution yard.

"Zoro!" he happily called, startling all three men, once he jumped over the inner gate. "I got your sword back!"

One of the guards reluctantly lifted his rifle and pointed it at the teen. Luffy just narrowed his eyes, promptly dashed towards the man and punching him in the face. The marine flew backwards like a rag doll and landed further away in a cloud of dust.

"How rude," Luffy sulked. "I don't like people pointing guns at me."

Zoro stared, stunned. That certainly was a punch which could save one's life. And the kid's speed was amazing. So, he wasn't lying when he said he was a pirate.

Luffy shot a glare at the second marine who flinched. He tried to lift his gun, but because of his trembling hands he almost dropped it. Instead, the man just turned around and fled the area.

The straw hatted teen beamed at Zoro, holding all three katanas in front of him. "So, which one is yours? I couldn't tell, so I grabbed all three from that stupid onion head."

"You went to the base all alone just to pick up my swords?"

"Yep!" Luffy popped the 'p' childishly.

The pirate hunter smirked. "All three are mine. I use three katanas."

"So, will you join me?"

"That's enough!" boomed a loud voice from the inner gate.

Both young men turned their heads to watch as a group of marines ran inside, lined up, and lifted their rifles. A tall, blond man with a metallic jaw and a huge axe on his arm sneered behind them.

"Are you two planning a political upheaval?" he asked. "Roronoa Zoro, do not underestimate me! Your skills, compared to my strength, are nothing!"

Luffy snorted. "That's such a stupid thing to say to a bound man. Zoro could beat you anytime, even in his weakened state."

The swordsman glanced at the teen, surprised.

Morgan just laughed. "Before my great strength, you're just garbage! Men, take aim!"

Luffy dropped the katanas on the ground and placed his straw hat on top of them.

Zoro felt the dread creep in. He stared fearfully into the black abyss of a rifle's barrel. He couldn't die here, but there was no way the boy would free him in time now. He still had things to do, dying here was–

"FIRE!"

–not an excuse for breaking his promise to Kuina!

A red shirt suddenly appeared in his line of sight. Zoro's eyes widened, and his breath stuck in his throat, once he registered that the black-haired pirate had stepped in front of him. "…YOU!"

Gunshots echoed through the execution yard.

Luffy shifted slightly to catch all the bullets, but he was forced to step back when the projectiles hit him. With a grunt, he stumbled forwards and they all bounced back.

The marines' eyes bulged out and jaws dropped from the shock. The kid was alive, without so much as a scratch, glaring furiously at them.

"You really have guts to shoot me," said Luffy with a voice just above whisper. "I HATE BEING SHOT!"

He stretched his leg and swatted the marine grunts like flies, earning a bunch of painful screams and wails.

"Wha…" Zoro gaped. "What are you?!"

Luffy glanced at him and grinned. "I'll tell you later." Without any warning, he darted towards the axe-handed man and smashed a fist into his face. Morgan staggered backwards, and scoffed at the youth. He threw off his coat.

"People like you, without status–" he started, but Luffy interrupted him with a side kick, making him bite his own tongue.

"I don't care," the pirate stated bluntly. He shot forward with his fist stretched behind him, ducked under wide sweep of axe, and threw his punch right into the solar plexus, sending his opponent to the ground, several metres away.

"Oi, Straw Hat!" Helmeppo screeched, drawing Luffy's attention. He was standing near Zoro and held a pistol pointed at his head. "I-if you care about his life, don't move! Try anything and I'll shoot!"

The raven-haired teen just stared at the blond who cringed from the furious and intimidating glare. Zoro gritted his teeth in frustration. Not only couldn't he protect himself, but he also became a hostage!

"You," Luffy uttered in a dangerously low voice, "shouldn't threaten my nakama."

Helmeppo now was shivering so heavily, that the pistol was moving everywhere around the swordsman's head. He gasped and slightly composed himself, then noticed his father rising from the ground, lifting his axe above the pirate.

Luffy's knuckles planted itself into Helmeppo's face, breaking his nose and sending him flying into the yard's furthest fence.

Zoro's heart almost stopped as the axe descended. "Luffy..!" In that moment he was sure he'd see the teen cleaved in half. But Luffy swayed to the side at the last possible moment, and the axe came down an inch from his arm and into the ground, creating a deep crack. The boy jumped away from Morgan and sent both arms far behind him, whipping them back forward into Morgan's stomach. The man flew through the yard, its surrounding wall, and into the navy building.

Luffy grinned. He ignored the rest of the conscious marines shouting and yelling as none of them made a move against him again. The enemies were down, Zoro was alive, all that was left for him was to finally hear his answer. He grabbed the straw hat and put it on his head.

"Shishishishi. So," he looked at the swordsman, wide grin still across his face, "will you join me?"

Zoro frowned. The teen seemed unfazed by the near death fight. Was that not luck? Maybe he was even more capable than that? But Roronoa Zoro wasn't a man to pledge his loyalty to just anyone so quickly, even to save his life. He still wanted to make sure he was worth it. "What would you do if I say no?"

The swordsman didn't expect for Luffy's smile to falter so fast. He certainly didn't expect for the teen to pick up his white katana and unsheathe it.

Luffy stomped to Zoro without saying a word, eyes hidden under the shadow of his straw hat. Zoro winced when the blade slashed the ropes, binding one of his arms. He looked at the pirate confused, but Luffy just thrust the katana into his now free hand, turned around and walked away.

"Wait!" exclaimed Zoro, before cutting himself free from the wooden cross.

Luffy stopped. Zoro felt a pang of guilt now, because the kid's back seemed so small and lonely.

"I have a dream," the pirate hunter declared. Luffy turned around to face him. Zoro raised his white katana and pointed it at him. "I'm going to become the world's greatest swordsman! I don't care if I'll be known as a pirate, as long as my name is acknowledged worldwide. If you do something to interfere with my goal, my blades will take your life!"

That was the last test. Many laughed at his dream, many thought he was crazy. Even most of those who lost to him mocked his ambition to reach the very top. Zoro realized that at this moment he looked nothing like a great swordsman, but if this kid started laughing…

Luffy's whole demeanor suddenly changed as he cocked his head to peer at Zoro. A smile spread across his face, but it wasn't mocking the man in front of him. It felt more like a challenge.

"That's an admirable dream. If you can't even accomplish something that small, you don't deserve to be a crewmember of the Pirate King!"

Zoro had to suppress a shiver of excitement as he was stared down. It was mind-boggling how someone a head shorter than him could make him feel inferior.

Zoro flashed a predatory smirk. So this is what his captain would look like.

Next Chapter: The Purpose of the Dagger