Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.
The courtyard broke down into pandemonium. The Marines were panicking, trying to find the mysterious teen that was somehow fast enough to disappear from view. Every few seconds, another body or two would drop unceremoniously, knocked out and heavily injured but fortunately not dead.
Coby didn't even try to start untying Zoro again, too stunned to do any more than just watch. Luckily, the Marines were no longer paying attention to the duo. At least for the time being, they were safe.
Shaking himself out of his stupor, Coby turned back to Zoro and started working the knots again. Zoro grunted.
"Hey kid," he muttered. "Just hand me one of the black swords, unsheathed." Nodding confusedly, Coby pulled a sword that wasn't the beautiful Wado out of its sheathe and placed the hilt in the palm of the Pirate Hunter's right hand. With an unnaturally flexible flick of his wrist, Zoro managed to slice through the bindings around his right shoulder and bicep, freeing his arm completely. In short order, the other side was sliced through as well.
As he stood up, Zoro contemplated Luffy's actions. The teen was obviously powerful enough to knock out everyone in the courtyard within moments, but the Marines were dropping in nearly even intervals. Despite the crazy speed Luffy had, maybe he couldn't see where he was going? That was a possibility. Zoro had heard of an old pirate that got executed with a similar issue, named Kuro of a Thousand Plans.
Somehow, Zoro didn't feel that was the case here. But he wouldn't push the issue, since the kid was doing him a favor in freeing him. "Oi, Straw Hat! Need any help?" he grinned viciously, wanting in on the action to stretch his body after being tied up for over two weeks.
Luffy reappeared directly in front of the green teen, panting slightly but smiling wide. "You can only help if you join my crew!" he said cheekily. Zoro laughed.
"You're the Devil's son, aren't you? Fine, I'm in!" he exclaimed, dashing past the lanky teen and stopping seven Marines from completing their sneak attack. He had to commend them, they knew when to press the advantage. It was just unfortunate that they were weak as hell.
Luffy laughed and gave a triumphant thumbs up. Zoro knocked back the Marines and swiftly dove through their ranks, knocking out all seven with the back of his blades. When he was finished, he turned back to Luffy and pointed a sword threateningly at him.
"I have an ambition that I plan to make a reality. I will be the world's greatest swordsman. I may be joining you now, but if you ever interfere with my dream then you will die by my blade. Got that?" he asked threateningly. There was a pregnant pause, Luffy staring hard at Zoro as the swordsman held his blade steady at his new captain. Then, Luffy laughed.
"Shishishi! Anything less than the world's greatest would be embarrassing for the Pirate King!" Luffy shouted to the world. Zoro smirked at the equally high ambition as he pulled back his sword, turning toward the group of Marines.
"Then I'm in your care... Captain."
Morgan never even had the chance to order his men to commit suicide, with how fast the duo swept through their ranks. There seemed to be an unspoken connection between the two veteran fighters, Zoro and Luffy covering each other's weak points flawlessly. Both had smiles stretched wide, somehow forming an immediate bond of trust between the two to have each other's backs.
Once all the Marines were knocked down, there was only Morgan left. He growled menacingly, his patience quickly nearing its limits.
"Bah! I'm surrounded by incompetence! I'll execute them all myself after I'm done killing you two!" the tall Marine Captain shouted out, brandishing his axe and slowly walking forward into battle.
Luffy merely laughed in response. "Hey, Axe guy! It's only because everyone here sucks that you ever had a chance to be the top dog here! You're still a weakling through and through!" he said matter-of-factly. Next to him, Zoro smirked in amusement.
Stepping forward, the former Pirate Hunter turned his attention to his Captain. "Hey Cap, you mind if I take this one? I wanna see how sharp that axe is," he asked nonchalantly. At Luffy's approving nod, he finally pulled out his Wado Ichimonji and placed it gently in his mouth, biting firmly to keep it in place.
Ignoring Luffy's exaggerated breathing and dramatic collapse behind him, Zoro turned his full attention to the supposedly terrifying Captain. "I will be your opponent. Let's see how good you are with that blade of yours," he said threateningly. Morgan chuckled lowly.
"This axe is a sign of my greatness! I even defeated and executed the infamous Kuro, a 16 million beri criminal, with it! You stand no chance, boy, even if you are a famous Pirate Hunter," Morgan boasted, raising his axe arm threateningly. They stood stock still for a few moments, as though waiting for a signal to begin.
Something shifted in the air. Simultaneously, they both took off. With a debilitating strike of near superhuman strength, Morgan swung down at Zoro's cranium, looking to kill the man in a single blow. Unfortunately, Zoro's reputation wasn't unfounded and he seamlessly deflected the strike with the katana in his left hand, deftly sliding naught but a few centimeters out of the way. The momentum from Morgan's axe kept him pushing straight down, colliding with the ground and cleaving a small fissure into the ground.
Zoro's eyes widened imperceptibly, surprised at the amount of strength the Captain had. He grinned at the challenge. Jumping back to create space, Zoro settled into a lax stance with his two blades, taunting the man. "Come on now, is that really all you got? I admit, you have more strength than I expected. But there's no finesse to your blade." Morgan growled.
"Your opinions don't matter, scum. I'll kill you and your friends, then the rest of my weakling subordinates!" Axe-Hand reiterated, charging once more. Thus began the flurry of attacks from the muscular man. Zoro redirected the man's momentum on all the strikes, and no matter what Morgan tried he still could not penetrate that nimble defense from the renowned swordsman.
"Like I said. All strength, no finesse," Zoro taunted. He settled into a much more sturdy stance. "But if you'd like to try your luck at using that strength, be my guest." Morgan obliged. Swinging heavily at the now immobile target, he placed his hand on the fleshy handle protruding from his elbow to get more leverage in the swing. It nearly doubled the power behind the attack, and Zoro almost buckled as it collided with his swords. But he wouldn't back down.
Locking his arms, Zoro smirked from behind his crossed blades. He was much closer to Morgan now, so it was easy to see the frustration on the man's face. "What's the matter? Is even your strength not enough?" He held his position for a few moments, letting Morgan taste the uselessness of his attack, before pushing back with his own show of force. Uncrossing his blades, Zoro forced Morgan to stumble backwards, putting the iron-jawed menace on his heels. Dashing forward quickly, the swordsman spun around the stumbling man, slashing as he did so. The swords didn't cut too deeply - a swordsman never cut more than he wanted to, after all - but it was enough to put Morgan down for the count.
Zoro sighed in relief as the man fell. He wouldn't admit it, but the lack of food was making him really weak. He tried to prevent his arms and legs from trembling for that entire fight, frankly struggling to stay upright. It was only the adrenaline that kept him going.
By this point, Luffy had already stood back up. Zoro turned to look at his strange captain, seeing the grin upon the boy's face and the sparkles in his eyes. "So cool!" he shouted in awe. Luffy would never tire of watching Zoro fight. It was a beautiful dance and a masterful show of control that Luffy knew he would never reach.
In his awe and the apparent exhaustion in both pirates, they neglected to check their surroundings. In Luffy's case, he had been actively suppressing his Observation Haki for the fight, so he was well and truly blind to things outside his vision.
"D-D-Don't move! Or I sh-shoot!" came a whimpering voice from behind the two. Luffy's eyes widened. In his excitement, he had completely forgotten about Coby!
They whipped their heads around to see a terrified Helmeppo pointing a gun at Coby's head. The pinkette had tears in his eyes, clearly frightened for his life. Luffy's smile disappeared quickly, and his gaze drilled into Helmeppo's very being.
Coby saw the look. Gathering his courage, he gulped before shouting to his friend. "Don't worry about me! I'm fine!" he called out, shaking pathetically despite his words. Luffy smiled softly.
"You're a brave man, Coby," he whispered. Turning back to the blond brat, he grinned widely. "Look! Your hostage doesn't even care! Better luck next time!" he said, stomping over to deliver a big punch to the armed kid's skull. He tuned back into his Observation Haki, so he knew Morgan wasn't down for the count. Hell, he could even feel the guy getting back up. But he also knew Zoro had his back, so he ignored it.
Coby didn't know that, though, so he tried to warn his friend. "Luffy! W-Watch o-" Luffy kept walking as Zoro appeared, blocking the large axe once more. He swung even harder this time, shattering the blade on Morgan's arm and knocking him back down.
Morgan let out a pained yell as he was sliced once more, this time the wounds much deeper. No extra wounds were made, though. The swordsman managed to trace the exact path he cut the first time, merely worsening his wounds rather than opening new ones. Zoro grunted. "Should'a stayed down." Luffy ignored it all and stepped directly into Helmeppo's personal space. He grinned at the boy, leaning closer.
"So? What'cha gonna do now?" he asked, his carefree grin suddenly seeming terrifying to the scared teen. Shaking heavily, Helmeppo ended up fumbling and dropping the gun, only for it to be snatched out of the air by a fast acting Luffy.
Luffy smashed the butt of the gun on Helmeppo's head, scolding him. "Hey! Watch it with these things! It could've gone off when it hit the ground!" he warned, before noticing that the single weak hit had completely knocked out the pampered kid. "Geez, is this guy made of twigs or something? I barely tapped him!" he complained. Coby gaped, awe clear on his face.
Zoro joined the two, glancing around at the devestation they caused. There wasn't too much damage to property or anything, just a few dozen Marines knocked out. They were definitely not going to be talking their way out of this one.
"Looks like bounty hunting is off the table now," Zoro said. "Guess my only option... is to be... a... pi-" his words slowly slurring together, Zoro finally reached the end of his energy. As the adrenaline wore off, he collapsed, falling down. Luffy began to panic wildly.
"AH! Zoro? Are you dead? Zoro?!" he called out desperately. Zoro mustered the strength to just barely give a thumbs up.
"...Hung...ry." Luffy paused, taking a deep breath. Then he laughed, relief flooding through his body.
"Oh, thank God! You had me worried there for a moment!"
On the way back to the restaurant, Luffy felt Nami start to exit the Marine base. Huh. What was she doing in there? he wondered to himself, pausing momentarily to let her catch up. Coby wondered why he was stopping, but got his answer shortly.
"Hey Nami! How's it goin'?" Luffy called out, turning his head a full 180 degrees to look at her. Nami shrieked in fright.
"Aah! What the hell?" she asked, getting closer. "How the hell can your neck do that?!" she asked. Luffy laughed.
"I ate a devil fruit! My body's made of rubber!" Nami tilted her head inquisitively.
"I thought those were a myth!" she exclaimed. She then thought back to what she remembered of the boy's fights. "But... if you have a crazy power, why haven't you been using it to fight?" While in the Marine base, she glanced outside and saw why the place was nearly empty. They were all fighting the kid in front of her.
Luffy tilted his head at her question, thinking on it for a moment. "I was using it in the courtyard. But yeah, trying not to for now. I'll tell ya later, when you're officially on the crew!" he gave her a thumbs up and kept walking, determined to get Zoro some food.
Nami slapped her face once more. This guy was an idiot! "Hey! I'm not joining your crew, remember?! I hate pirates!" Luffy's response was just to laugh.
It was a surprisingly short trip back to the restaurant, where Rika and Ayame were waiting. They promised free food to the four that walked in, claiming it to be a reward for freeing the island from Morgan's tyranny. Luffy tilted his head.
"Morgan was mean to this whole place? Wow, never knew!" Luffy laughed. Coby sighed, wondering if the man had rubber for brains as well.
"I guess you weren't here for it, Luffy-san, but Helmeppo is Morgan's son, and he's terrorized this place for quite a while by using Morgan's status. And also, at the courtyard Morgan ordered his men to commit suicide if they hesitated in killing us," he explained. Luffy frowned, understanding a little bit better now.
"Huh. Well, glad he's gone then!" the straw hatted teen smiled, perking up. "Now then. FOOD!" he exclaimed. Ayame laughed and stepped into the kitchen, intent on making a great meal for their saviors.
Back with the four, Nami raised an eyebrow at Luffy. "So why'd you go so far for this place, if you didn't even know their problems?" she asked. It sounded casual, but he could see a glint in her eye that was more than just curiosity. Luffy brushed it off, though.
"Oh, that? That was nothing! Barely even an adventure," he grumbled. "But, uh, I guess Magmar just pissed me off. He's the kind of guy I hate the most. You don't turn your back on nakama," he growled angrily. This was clearly a touchy topic for him, so in a surprising show of understanding she allowed the conversation to drop. He was still a pirate, but he didn't seem all too bad. Yet.
He'll show his true colors eventually, she thought cynically.
The food came out surprisingly quickly. Every time Luffy got a plate, he inhaled the entire thing. Which was even more surprising than it sounded, considering the meat still had bones in it! He didn't seem to care, though, so no one commented on it.
Nami lost her appetite rather quickly seeing how ravenous the black-haired teen was. She grimaced and pushed her half-eaten plate away.
As he finished his fourth plate, Luffy turned back to her. Luckily he had enough manners to swallow his food before speaking. "So what were ya doin' in the base anyway, Nami?" he asked. He didn't recall seeing her on this island the first time he was here.
Nami shrugged casually. "Was looking for a map to the Grand Line. Looks like Buggy the Clown got to it before me, though," she said, passing the rolled up sheet of parchment to him. Luffy looked at it for a moment, before a metaphorical light bulb went off in his head.
"You wanna go to the Grand Line?! By yourself?" he asked. Nami quirked an eyebrow. Was he worried? For her?
She nodded. "Yep! I've robbed just about every pirate and piece of scum in this area! Gotta move up to get the money I'm looking for, and for that I have to go to the Grand Line!" she exclaimed, her eyes seemingly turning into beri signs.
Coby's jaw dropped. "Nami-san, that place is called the Pirate's Graveyard for a reason! Once you go in, you never come back out!" he almost shouted, he was so worked up. Nami had a glint in her eye.
"I've already told you, I'm the best damn navigator you'll ever see! I'll be fine!" she claimed. Luffy sighed softly, alerting her to him once again. He wasn't the type to be subdued, so she wondered what this was about.
Luffy looked her directly in the eye, his expression serious. "Nami. My goal is in the Grand Line. I'll be going there eventually, and I want you to navigate for me. I know you're the best navigator in the world, but as you are right now you wouldn't survive a week in Paradise," he said. Nami was about to protest, but Luffy cut her off before she could get a word in edgewise.
"I'm just saying. The East Blue is considered the weakest sea in the world. Even when swindling pirates, there's almost no danger. Even Arlong is small fry in the Grand Line; that's why he ran away from it and came here." Nami's jaw dropped. Arlong was from the Grand Line?! And he was small fry? There was no way! He was the most vicious pirate she'd ever seen! And the strongest, too. There was nothing that could stand up to the might of that fishman, she was convinced.
Nami glared at him, not even trying to hide her disdain. She wasn't worried about acting at the moment, either. "What a load of shit!" she shouted, rubbing her shoulder. "Fishmen are too strong! There's nothing that would chase him out of the Grand Line! He's just a piece of trash that wanted to terrorize the East Blue!" She tried to calm her emotions, but it was difficult. Luffy didn't know what he was talking about, that was clear to her now. She couldn't let irrationality worry her.
Luffy shrugged. "Believe what you want. I'm just saying, there's a reason that small fry is only worth 20 million," he said. Nami shook her head in disbelief. Small fry? He tapped his chin. "Actually, we'll need some money to buy a ship and whatnot! Zoro! You're not known yet as a pirate! Whaddya say we get an easy 20 mil to start our adventure together!" he grinned at the now less hungry man.
Zoro set down his now empty bowl of rice and grinned at his captain. "Sounds like fun," he said, fiddling with the swords at his hip.
Nami gaped. Before she realized it, she was trying to ward them off. "You can't! He's way too strong for you guys! No one can beat him!" she tried to warn. There was no way she would let the first decent pirates she found die so early on in their journey.
Luffy's eyes softened, and he sighed once more. "Arlong hurt you," he said as though it was a fact. Nami blushed, belatedly realizing she gave away far too much with her knowledge of the fishman. He stood up and stretched, his joints bending just a little too far to be normal. He glanced once more at the ginger, before turning away. "Well, I'm gonna go for a walk. Thanks for the food, lady!" he called back into the kitchen.
Just as he was about to open the door, it swung open and collided with his face. He stumbled back animatedly, rolling along the ground like a cartoon character. Nami wondered how the boy could go from serious to... this at the drop of a hat.
"Owie..." he whined, rubbing his head as he sat up. A badly bruised Marine walked in, bandages around his head. He was followed by two others, but they seemed like mere backup rather than a serious threat. Upon seeing Luffy on the floor, he bowed apologetically.
"My apologies! You're the one who saved the island from Morgan's reign, correct?" he asked robotically. It seemed he was the commanding officer here.
Luffy nodded, standing up and dusting himself off. "Yep. That's me."
The officer nodded. "I am Liutenant Ripper. Due to Captain Morgan being arrested for illegal taxation and abuse of authority, I am now the officer in charge here, for the time being. We would like to thank you formally for your assistance," he said. Luffy waved him off.
"Mah. No need. I'm a pirate, I do what I want," he said casually. Nami groaned, while Zoro laughed.
The Liutenant stumbled, not expecting the blunt honesty. "Well, that was going to be my next question. Unfortunately, no matter how much we'd like to thank you, in the eyes of the law you are still our enemy. I'm going to have to ask you to leave as soon as you are able. As a show of gratitude, we will not report your presence until you are safely evacuated." Luffy smiled at that.
"Thanks Shredder! Even though you're a marine, you're not a bad guy!" he laughed. Ripper felt a bead of sweat drop down his temple. Shredder...?
Before Luffy could make a move, though, Coby stood up and protested. "Wait! You can't tell me that you're forcing them to leave? How is that justice at all?!" he called out, his beliefs being shaken once more. Luffy laughed and slapped the back of Coby's head. "Ow! What was that one for?" he asked. Strangely enough, he was starting to get used to this. Stockholm syndrome, maybe?
Luffy didn't bother to comment on it. "This is your chance, Coby! Join the Marines, and follow your dreams!" he smiled. This time around, he didn't feel like putting on an act for the Marines. It wasn't necessary, anyway. "Liutenant guy! Accept Coby, and we'll leave immediately! This kid is gonna be a Marine!" he said, pushing the boy toward the trio of Marines. Coby stumbled, glancing at Luffy with a questioning stare. This wouldn't work, would it?
Sure enough, Ripper shook his head. "I apologize, but that's not possible. There are proper protocols to follow before we accept anyone as an ensign," he said sadly. Coby bowed deeply.
"SIR! It's been my dream all my life to become a Marine, and protect the innocent! I will do anything you ask of me! I cannot simply let this opportunity slip through my fingers, sir!" Coby shouted passionately. Ripper hesitated, feeling the burning desire within this young man. He knew the kid would be a great Marine, but protocol wouldn't allow it. Coby had been seen with two different pirate crews, after all.
Before he could say anything, Luffy cut in once more. "Just give Coby to Garp or something, let him know that Luffy sent him." Ripper quirked a disbelieving eyebrow at the words.
"And how do you expect me to contact a Vice Admiral?" he asked incredulously. Luffy shrugged.
"Whatever. I'll do it myself! Hey lady, you got a Den Den Mushi?" he called out. Ayame poked her head out of the kitchen, freezing when she saw who all was there. Luffy grinned and waved at her, dispelling whatever tension she had. Smiling back, she nodded.
"Let me go grab it, I'll be back in a moment," she said softly, turning around and heading back into the kitchen.
It wasn't long before the Den Den Mushi was ringing loudly. The lobby had long since been emptied of everyone but the crew and the Marines, the commotion scaring people away. After three rings, it clicked.
"Who is this? How'd ya get this number?" a gruff voice came out. Luffy grinned.
"Gramps!" he shouted. Zoro and Nami fell over, stunned into silence. They looked at each other, brows furrowed, before glancing back at Luffy.
"Oi, Brat! You ready to become a Marine yet?!" the voice called out. That was definitely Garp the Fist, Hero of the Marines. Luffy laughed at him.
"Shishishi! Nope! But I got a replacement for me! Come stop by Shells Town in the East Blue, there's someone called Coby who's gonna be a great Marine!" he spoke candidly. If you asked anyone in the room, it was perhaps a bit too candid. The voice laughed.
"I'll take any new recruits I can get, brat! Sounds like this one has potential!" Luffy nodded vigorously, despite it only being a voice call.
"He'll blow you away, Gramps! Anyway, I gotta go! Can't be here when you make it, or else I'll be in danger! Shishishi!" Luffy confirmed. Garp responded in kind.
"Bwahahah! You know it brat! If I see ya, you're getting the Fist of Love! Become a Marine, you stubborn idiot!" he shouted angrily. At least, it sounded angry.
"Never! The Pirate King can't be a Marine, stupid!" Luffy shot back. He hung up abruptly. He turned back and grinned at Coby. "You're gonna be a Marine, Coby! Isn't that great?" he said. There was pure silence to his response.
And then, the room burst into a cacophony of shouts.
"You know Garp the Fist?!"
"You're related to Garp the Fist?!"
"Why are you so weird?"
"I... I'm gonna be a Marine!"
Luffy rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as everyone tried to talk over one another. Eventually, though, the noise died down enough for him to talk again.
"Yeah, Garp's my Gramps. He's crazy strong, too! But don't worry, he probably won't come after us until we enter the Grand Line. He's too heavy a hitter for them to send out to the East Blue on anything but vacation," Luffy said. "He tends to go a bit... overboard. So he might kill someone as weak as an East Blue pirate. Except for me, of course! Shishishi!" Luffy laughed. Nami shivered.
"Maybe I was wrong..." she whispered to herself. She shook herself out of that thought quickly, though. No way! Fishmen are too strong! I can't rely on anyone, I just need the 100 million beri and my town will be safe.
Zoro grunted and stood up as well. "So, is there gonna be a target on our backs immediately, then? Since you have such a powerful family member?" he asked. Luffy tilted his head in thought.
"Dunno, maybe. Luckily they don't know my dad is Dragon, though." Luffy froze and looked at the trio of Marines. Ripper was nearly frothing at the mouth, but it seemed like no one else in the room knew who that was.
"Dragon... That name sounds important, but I don't think I've heard of him before. Is he famous?" Nami asked, Zoro nodding along to the question. Luffy just put his hands behind his head and whistled innocently, trying to act natural.
"Uh... no?" he said. Zoro facepalmed at the absolutely horrendous lie. "Anyway, gotta go! Thanks for having us! See ya later, Coby, and good luck! Gramps's training is kinda dangerous!" Luffy called out quickly. Zoro and Nami followed shortly.
Back in the bar, the Marines were trying to pull their Liutenant back from catatonia. "Sir! Sir! Are you okay?" one of them asked.
The other was tapping his chin. "Where have I heard the name Dragon before...?" Ripper snapped back into focus.
He calmly patted the two Marines on their shoulders and walked out of the building. "Coby, follow me. You'll get your wardrobe shortly. And as for everyone here..." he paused and looked at Ayame and the two Marines. "Never mention the name Dragon to anyone. It may very well jeopardize Luffy-san's life," he said seriously. Everyone tensed up. It was that serious?
As Luffy and Zoro hopped onto the boat, Nami untied it and kicked off. "Where to, Captain?" Zoro asked curiously. Nami was also wondering. Luffy held up the taunting letter from Buggy.
"Set sail to Tangerine City! We've got a clown to beat up!" Luffy claimed, only to be met with confused silence.
Nami spoke up uncertainly. "... Do you mean Orange Town?" she asked hesitantly. Luffy grinned and nodded.
"Yep! That one! That's why you're my navigator!" he said. Nami sighed, barely putting up a fight because she knew Luffy would ignore it.
She set the course, and they were off.