English is not my first language, but the story is betaread by Checkmate-13! And I bow my head before him for doing an amazing job as always.
Chapter 6. The Purpose of the Dagger
Zoro flashed a predatory smirk. So this is what his captain would look like.
Now that all the adrenaline had boiled from his system, Zoro was suddenly assaulted by the full force of exhaustion. He staggered, but managed to plunge his katana into the ground and lean on it. "Ahhh, I'm so hungry…"
Luffy laughed softly while picking up the other two swords. "Come on, Zoro, I had them prepare some food and a bath for you."
The swordsman blinked at him. "Really?" He narrowed his eyes. "What would you have done if I'd actually refused your invitation?"
"Nothing," Luffy answered honestly. He stepped alongside Zoro and motioned him to lean on him. "I helped you escape, didn't I?"
Zoro sheathed his katana, strapped all three of them to his waist, and leaned on Luffy with a tired sigh. He was way too exhausted to walk on his own. And going by the boy's satisfied grin, he was more than happy to help.
"Why did you use my sword to cut the ropes anyway?" asked Zoro, as they left the execution yard and started slowly walking through the streets. "You have a dagger."
He felt Luffy tense slightly under his arm. That was strange. He observed his new captain with a curious sideways glance.
The boy had a contemplative expression, until he sighed and closed his eyes. "This dagger has only one purpose, and it's not to cut ropes. Sorry, Zoro."
Before the swordsman could ask anything else, they spotted Coby and Rika waiting patiently for them outside the restaurant, waving.
Luffy was right to insist about taking a bath first, because Zoro felt alive for the first time in two weeks. The owner of the restaurant, Rika's mother Ririka, even provided him with a set of clean clothes. For saving her daughter, she said.
The swordsman was grinning contently as he climbed down the stairs to the ground floor. His captain was laughing merrily, while Coby stared at him horrified.
"And that's why we are going there!" Luffy cheered, fist-pumping the air.
"Going where?" inquired Zoro. He glanced over the completely empty restaurant. There was only him, Luffy, the pink-haired kid, Rika, and her mother.
"To the Grand Line, of course!"
"Stop joking, Luffy-san! You can't go to the Grand Line with just the two of you!"
"I can't become the Pirate King, and Zoro can't become the world's greatest swordsman, if we stay in the East Blue, Coby." Luffy deadpanned.
Zoro joined them at the table and just shrugged. "Sounds like a plan." He accepted a big plate of food from Rika who beamed at them.
"Big brothers are so strong and brave!" she chirped.
"Shishishishi!"
The pinkette heaved a sigh of defeat. There was no way these two demons would ever listen to him.
"By the way," muttered Zoro, between bites, "why is it so empty here?"
Coby cringed, and Luffy frowned. The swordsman raised an eyebrow at that.
"Luffy-san kicked everyone out," Ririka told him, a nervous smile on her face.
"They were annoying," the Luffy's frown deepened. "Bursting in here and shouting 'hero, hero'. I'm a pirate, not a hero! Besides, I wanted to eat in peace." He smirked at his nakama, "I bet Zoro agrees with me."
The green-haired pirate just nodded. Now that he'd started to eat, there was no time for him to speak, but he was truly glad that there were no spectators watching over his shoulder.
"You saved this town from Axe-hand Morgan," the woman noted. "People are just happy."
"Yeah, well, I didn't plan to do that, so I don't need any thanks."
Ririka still wanted to say something more, but suddenly doors opened. Several marines entered and lined up in front of the pirate's table.
One of them stepped forward. "Excuse us," he said and respectfully touched his hat as greetings. "Is it true that you are pirates?"
Luffy watched him for a couple moments, an unreadable expression on his face, causing the marines to uncomfortably shift in their stances. "That's right," he finally answered.
Zoro licked his lips and patted his stomach. At last his hunger was appeased.
"We wanted to express our gratitude for what you did for us and this town, but since you're pirates we cannot allow you–"
The straw hatted pirate slammed his fist on the table, making all the plates rattle loudly. Everyone flinched, except Zoro, who just curiously observed his captain.
"You bastards arrested and tortured an innocent man," Luffy pointed at Zoro, "harmed the civilians," he pointed at Rika and her mother, "destroyed the dream of my friend," Coby gulped when the finger was shoved in his face, "and even dared to shoot me." The teen covered his eyes with the shadow of the straw hat. "Do you really think I care what you can or cannot allow me to do?"
There were many things left unsaid. The marines' heads dropped in shame. They knew all about the unjust deeds of this navy base under the rule of Captain Morgan, and this young pirate cruelly rubbed it all into their faces.
Luffy glared at them. "We're not leaving until Zoro gets enough rest."
The marines looked like beaten puppies. The swordsman sighed. He didn't know why his new captain was so hostile, but he certainly didn't harbor a grudge against them despite almost being executed. "Luffy, I can nap on the boat." He paused. "Do we even have a boat?"
"Of course, we do!" the raven-haired teen huffed. "But are you sure, Zoro?"
"The sooner we leave, the sooner we'll get to the Grand Line." He smirked. "Right, Captain?"
The usual, impossibly-sized grin bloomed on Luffy's face. "Yeah!" he cheered. "Oba-chan, can we get food for our journey?"
Ririka smiled. "I'll prepare it immediately."
Coby was amazed. Luffy was swinging on the chair now with that sunny grin of his, probably dreaming about future adventures, the fury completely gone. Zoro caught up on how to handle him so fast! He wondered if the man himself realized that.
Ririka came back with a bag of food, and thanked the pirates again for saving her daughter and the town. The boys just smiled and walked towards the exit.
"Oh!" Luffy stopped next to the marine who spoke to him. "I just remembered." He fished out a crumpled up letter from his pocket and gave it to the marine. "Read it and let him join the Navy," he pointed at Coby.
The man looked at the letter. There was a Navy HQ stamp on it. Curious about why the pirate had a letter from Marineford, he unfolded it, and started to read. The color slowly drained from his face, leaving him white. He glanced at the pirate, who just grinned, then at Coby, and then again at the letter. His face blanched even more.
"YOU!" he screeched at Coby, causing him to jump in fright. "I don't care what you want, but you will join the Navy! You start right now! Do you understand?!"
"A-aye! …huh?"
The marine glanced at Luffy again, but he simply chuckled, and together with his companion, left the dumbstruck restaurant.
When they were out of earshot, Zoro couldn't help but ask, "What was that letter?"
"Something my grandpa gave me. He said to use it if I ever ran into trouble with marines in the East Blue. That worked perfectly!"
"Your grandfather? Is he a marine?"
Luffy nodded.
Zoro looked at him, surprised. "And he's not against you becoming a pirate?"
"He was at first," the teen touched the left side of his neck, "but a lot has happened. Grandpa understands now. He still tries to make me change my mind, though."
"Clearly that's not working."
"Shishishishi."
Luffy tried to squeeze through the people. There were so many of them! He didn't remember encountering such a big crowd in the Goa kingdom before.
The slash wound across his temple and eyebrow were burning painfully. His whole body was sore, his limbs felt like they were filled with damp sand. Luffy clutched his treasured straw hat against his chest more tightly and pushed forward determined.
He had to find Sabo. He roughly knew where his blond brother was, so Luffy reasoned that with his help, they'll definitely be able to find Ace. For that, he managed to sneak into the town and was slowly making his way towards the place where all the nice houses were with the hope of bumping into Sabo.
With a final shove, the black-haired boy squeezed through the crowd, suddenly stumbling into an empty path and falling down. The straw hat rolled on the ground away from him. Luffy reached for it.
A gunshot echoed amid the noise of the crowd.
The bullet sank into his side, and his small body slightly slid backwards from the force. And then it bounced off. Luffy groaned. He wasn't hurt, just startled. He pushed himself up, shook his head, and reached for the hat again.
One more gunshot rang sharply.
This time the projectile hit his throat, throwing the child rolling on the ground, before bouncing off again. Luffy coughed painfully, tore open his eyes, and looked up.
He saw the face twisted in disgust directed at him. The stranger was in a thick, white suit, sitting on a chair. The chair was strapped onto the back of a bloodied and sweaty man on all fours, allowing the stranger to stare down scornfully through a strange transparent helmet. Whispy smoke rose from the rifle, still pointed at Luffy.
"What is that?" the man spoke in a cold, callous voice.
"I believe this child ate a Devil Fruit, Saint Jalmack," answered a second man, wearing a black suit.
"Hmph."
He pulled the trigger one more time. Luffy was thrown even further back by the impact.
"S-stop that!" he shouted.
"Again, a filthy commoner has the nerve to cross my path, and this one even yells at me! This place is the worst," complained the World Noble. "Take that filth. Maybe he'll be a worthwhile souvenir to make my brother happy."
"I'm sure Saint Kenjord will be delighted, Sir," agreed the man in black. "His collection of Devil Fruit slaves are known all over Mariejois."
Luffy finally managed to stand up, eyes locked onto his straw hat. Rough hands grabbed him without any warning and tossed him over someone's shoulder. The boy squirmed against his kidnapper.
"Let me go! Where are you taking me?! No! My hat!" Luffy vainly reached for his treasured item again, but it was so far away, peacefully lying on the ground. Suddenly someone stomped on it before his very eyes. Tears rolled down the boy's cheeks.
"Ace! Sabo!" Luffy cried desperately, while still reaching for his beloved straw hat, slowly disappearing from his line of sight. "HELP ME!"
Luffy jerked from his sleep, his whole body trembling from his rapid breathing.
A hand landed on his shoulder.
The teen instantly smacked it away. "Don't touch me!" he demanded, scrambling away until he hit the side of the boat. Pain and terror gripped his features as he looked wildly around without actually seeing anything. His eyes fell on the straw hat. Luffy reached for it hesitantly. When he felt the familiar texture on his fingertips, he snatched it up immediately and pressed it against his chest. After a moment, he finally calmed down.
Just a dream.
The dinghy faintly swayed from the almost non-existent waves. It was a warm, silent night. A dark dome stretched above the ocean, decorated with a myriad of stars.
Luffy lifted his head. Zoro was squatting in front of him, one hand still lifted in the air, and staring at him with confusion written all over his face.
"Zoro," he said quietly, "did I wake you up?"
The swordsman raised his eyebrow. "You were screaming for help," he stated, suddenly feeling rather irritated. Was this kid serious?
Luffy winced, and hugged his hat even harder. "Sorry," he whispered. "Bad dream."
Luffy hated the feeling of vulnerability that choked him every time he woke from an extremely vivid nightmare. He'd thought that he could hold these kinds of night terrors at bay, but the last island had triggered way too many dark memories for him.
"Whatever," Zoro muttered and lay down to sleep again.
Luffy's scream for help echoed in swordsman's ears. The wild fear in those obsidian eyes got stuck in his mind. Bad dreams wouldn't do that to a person. Something must have happened to him.
Zoro peeked at his captain with one eye. The kid was still clutching his straw hat and staring off somewhere in the distance.
As if feeling his gaze, Luffy stirred, put his hat back on, and leapt onto the bowsprit.
Zoro yawned, and sat up, lazily scratching the back of his head. The first thing he noticed was the still figure of his captain sitting on the dinghy's bowsprit. It didn't seem like he'd moved during the night. The swordsman looked at the sun. It was probably only a couple hours after sunrise.
"Morning, Zoro."
The green-haired man glanced at his companion. Luffy still was sitting on the same spot, but was now facing him. And he was smiling.
"Yo."
"I forgot to tell you about my Devil Fruit yesterday," the hatted teen said. "I didn't want any enemies to hear about it."
The swordsman's eyes slightly widened. That's right. This kid had survived a barrage of bullets and walked away completely unharmed.
"I ate the Gum-Gum Fruit and became a rubber man," explained Luffy as he hooked a finger around the edge of his mouth and stretched it. After he released it, the skin snapped back. The teen snickered at the wide eyes of his nakama. "So, I'll be counting on you if I ever fall into the sea."
"Why? You can't swim?" asked Zoro, totally baffled.
"None of the Devil Fruit users can swim. It takes a lot of strength to move even a finger in the water."
The swordsman scratched his head absent-mindedly. "Fine." He felt so sleepy. Exhaustion still clung to his body after the ordeal with the marines. "Just don't fall too often."
Luffy giggled. "I'll try!"
Zoro thought for a moment. "You also didn't tell me the purpose of your dagger," he reminded.
The teen froze, his smile fell. Slowly he lowered his head so that the rim of the straw hat would hide his eyes.
Zoro pushed. "Is it to kill someone?"
"Yeah," Luffy replied in a hushed tone. "Myself."
Zoro's mind went blank. "…What?"
Luffy bit his lip. "If I ever feel my freedom threatened…" his voice cracked, and he took a shaky breath. "I'd rather kill myself than lose it again."
Zoro felt a headache building up. His new captain was not only an exuberant teenager inclined to act without thinking about the consequences, not only did he have a serious problem with nightmares, but apparently also had suicidal tendencies.
Wait. Did he just say 'again'?
"But don't worry, Zoro," as if reading his thoughts, Luffy reassured, "It's not like I want to die. I just started my journey to become the Pirate King, the freest person in the world!" His lips split into a sunny grin. "And I finally found my first nakama!"
The swordsman stared at him. There was a hopeful glint in the teen's eyes. He sighed, "Right." The kid was capable, and Zoro was curious about him. The feeling of superiority he got from him at that time in the execution yard was still fresh in his mind. Zoro was confident that it wasn't a fluke. He trusted his instincts.
"You should nap some more, Zoro," Luffy suggested. "I'll wake you up if I see an island. I wonder how long it'll take us to reach it… Well, I'm sure we will. Someday," he laughed mirthfully.
"Never heard of a pirate who can't navigate," the swordsman pointed out. "How are we supposed to reach the Grand Line at this rate?"
"Eh, it will work out somehow," the captain brushed it off. "How come you can't navigate either? Aren't you the pirate hunter of the seas?"
Zoro scowled. "I never called myself that. I went out to sea looking for one man, but couldn't find my way back and had to start hunting pirates to make a living."
"Oh, so you're lost?"
"I'm not lost! My island just… moved," Zoro protested, causing his companion to burst into laughter. "Anyway, we should find a navigator if we don't want to drift in the sea forever."
"Agreed!" cheered the teen. "We also need a cook, a musician, and a fluffy one!"
Zoro blinked. "Flu… fluffy one?"
"Yeah! Pirates can't be true pirates without a musician, but a true captain of the pirates needs someone fluffy in his crew!"
The swordsman just gawked at his toothy grin. Suddenly he shook his head and groaned, "I don't even want to know." He lay down. "Going to take the offer and nap."
Luffy jumped down. Zoro cracked open one eye to glance at him.
"Shishishishi. Here," the teen took his straw hat and placed it on his nakama's head, "it will protect you from the sun."
Zoro slid the hat down over his eyes. "Thanks," he muttered.
Luffy returned to his previous spot on the bowsprit, grinning happily.
Next Chapter: The Girl with the Darkness Within