Docking our small boat was a simple affair. Shells Town was a lively port, but an undercurrent of tension soured the air. Civilians scurried through the streets, their shoulders hunched, deliberately avoiding the gaze of the uniformed Marines who patrolled in pairs. The atmosphere was oppressive, a stark contrast to the open freedom of the sea.
"This place gives me the creeps," Coby whispered, adjusting his glasses nervously. "You can feel everyone's fear."
"All I feel is hungry!" Luffy declared, sniffing the air dramatically. "I smell a restaurant! Let's go!"
He took off like a shot, Coby and I trailing in his wake. Luffy burst through the doors of a small tavern, loudly proclaiming his need for meat, startling the woman behind the counter. She looked at us with wary eyes, her hands instinctively going to the small girl hiding behind her skirts.
It was the little girl, however, who broke the tense silence. Peeking out from behind her mother, her wide, curious eyes fixed on me. To a child in a town dominated by the drab uniforms of Marines and the muted colors of frightened townsfolk, I must have been an unusual sight. My new body was tall and lean, standing at an imposing 6-foot-3, and the simple hoodie and jeans I wore did little to hide a frame that now hummed with latent power.
But it was always the hair that drew the first look.
The girl took a tentative step forward. "Mister," she said, her voice a small, brave whisper. "Your hair… it's like snow."
I knelt down to her level, a smile touching my lips. "It is, isn't it?"
She then pointed a tiny finger at my face. "And your glasses are funny. Why do you wear them inside?"
I tapped the simple, dark circular sunglasses that rested on my nose. "My eyes are a little sensitive to the light," I said, offering a simple truth. Beneath the lenses, I knew, were eyes of a piercing, almost unnaturally vibrant blue, and revealing them felt like showing a trump card too early.
The girl, whose name we learned was Rika, seemed to accept this. Her bravery, it seemed, had broken the ice. Her mother, seeing we meant no harm, sighed and gestured for us to sit. It was then, as we ordered our food, that Rika began speaking of the "bad man" tied up in the Marine base courtyard.
"He's not a bad man!" she insisted fiercely. "Zoro-san is nice! He got arrested because he protected me from Helmeppo's scary wolf!"
Luffy leaned forward, his half-eaten chicken leg forgotten. "Helmeppo?"
Rika's mother quickly shushed her daughter, her eyes darting around nervously. "Rika! Don't speak that name! Helmeppo is the son of Captain Morgan. He does whatever he wants." She explained the situation in a hushed, fearful tone. Zoro had struck down Helmeppo's pet wolf after it threatened Rika. In a fit of rage, Helmeppo made a deal with the swordsman: if Zoro could survive being tied to a post for one month without food or water, he would be set free.
"He's been out there for three weeks already," Rika sniffled. "I tried to bring him some rice balls, but Helmeppo found me and smashed them…"
My fists clenched under the table. A spoiled brat using his father's power to torture a man for protecting a child. It was the exact kind of injustice that made my blood boil.
Luffy, however, just grinned. "A whole month? He must be super strong to even try that! I really wanna meet him now!"
Ignoring Coby's frantic protests, we paid for our meal and made our way towards the massive Marine base that dominated the town. The walls were high and imposing, but getting a view of the courtyard wasn't difficult.
And there he was.
Roronoa Zoro was tied to a wooden cross in the center of the dusty yard. The sun beat down on him mercilessly. His iconic green hair was matted with sweat and dirt, and his white shirt was stained and torn. His three swords were nowhere in sight. But even in this state—starving, dehydrated, and bound—he radiated an aura of pure, indomitable will. This wasn't a criminal awaiting punishment; it was a caged tiger waiting for the bars to break.
My enhanced senses, a passive benefit of my limitless mind, picked up on the sheer tenacity of his spirit. It was a fierce, burning flame that refused to be extinguished.
"See?" Coby whispered, terrified. "He looks like a demon…"
"No," I said, my voice low. "That's the look of a man who refuses to break."
Luffy was just staring, a wide, unreadable grin on his face.
Just then, Rika appeared again. She had managed to scale the outer wall and was tiptoeing towards Zoro, holding two freshly made rice balls. Before she could reach him, a slimy voice cut through the air. "Well, well. What do have we here?"
A young man with a ridiculous blonde bowl cut and a cleft chin swaggered into the yard. Helmeppo. He snatched the rice balls, took a bite, and spat them out in disgust. "Ugh! It's sweet! You put sugar in it instead of salt!"
He threw the rice balls to the ground, stomped on them, and then grabbed Rika by the scruff of her shirt. "I told you I'd kill anyone who tried to help this criminal!" he sneered before tossing her over the wall.
Coby screamed. But before Rika could even begin to fall, I was moving. The world seemed to slow down. I pushed off the ground, a blur of motion, and appeared at the base of the wall just as her small body cleared the top. I caught her easily in my arms.
"You're okay," I said softly, setting her down gently next to her stunned mother.
Luffy peered over the wall, a huge grin on his face. "Nice catch, Kai!"
Helmeppo scoffed and turned back to Zoro, taunting him with the truth: the deal was a lie, and he was scheduled for execution in three days. After he left, laughing, we hopped the wall.
Zoro watched us approach, his gaze sharp. "You heard him. Now get out of here."
"Nope!" Luffy declared. "I've decided. You're going to join my crew!"
Zoro stared as if he were insane. "Are you deaf? I'm a pirate hunter. Why would I become a pirate?"
Ignoring his protests, Luffy pointed to the dirt-covered rice ball.
"Hey feed me that," At Zoro's request, I picked it up and fed it to him. He ate every last bit.
"Tell the kid it was delicious," he grunted. "Thank you."
That sealed it. Luffy was beaming. "See, Kai? He's a good guy!"
"No doubt about it," I agreed.
"Fine, untie me," Zoro sighed. "I'll team up with you for now."
"Can't!" Luffy said. "The ropes are too tough to break!"
"Then get my swords," Zoro growled, a dangerous glint in his eye. "That bowl cut idiot son has them. Bring me my three swords, and I'll fight with you."
Luffy cracked his knuckles, his expression one of pure, simple determination. He turned to me, his eyes blazing with excitement.
"Alright! Let's go get 'em! You with me, Kai?"
A grin touched my lips. The first real mission. "You bet, Captain."