"Secondly," Zino said, shifting his gaze back to Alvida, "you're going to follow me."
"Me?" Alvida blinked. She stiffened, her guard rising again. "You're going to arrest me?"
"No," Zino replied without hesitation, tilting his head slightly. "Why would I do that?"
"You're a marine... and I'm a pirate," she said, her voice slower now, trying to gauge his expression.
Zino shrugged nonchalantly. "That's what people think, yeah. I wear the uniform, sure. But I don't really care about being a marine."
Alvida and her crew looked at each other, confused.
Zino leaned back against a crate and smirked. "In fact… I want to be a pirate."
"What!?"
That declaration shook the crew to their core. Even Alvida was stunned into silence for a moment. It explained a lot—why he wasn't enforcing the law, why he let them live, why he seemed so casual despite being a trained marine.
"All this time…" she muttered, still trying to believe what she'd just heard. "You're not here to capture anyone?"
"Nope," Zino said casually. "I just want to carve out my own path. Not under the World Government, not under any flag. I want freedom. True freedom. Like a pirate."
A long silence followed. Then, unexpectedly, Alvida gave a short nod. "Alright. I'll follow you."
Zino raised an eyebrow. "That easy?"
She let out a small huff. "You've already shown you're stronger than all of us. I'm not stupid. And honestly… being under someone stronger might not be such a bad idea. Especially if that person's aiming big."
Zino grinned. "Good. Then we're in agreement."
He stood up and looked around at the various ships moored nearby. Most were small boats or barely-seaworthy vessels.
"Do you have a decent ship?" he asked. "I want something I can use as my flagship."
Alvida gestured toward her own ship. "You can take this one. It's the best we have. The others are just rowboats or oversized canoes. Not worth sailing long-term."
Zino nodded in approval. "Then this'll do for now."
And just like that, Zino recruited his first pirate crew.
After issuing the order, Zino watched calmly as Alvida's pirate crew scrambled to comply. One by one, all the smaller ships anchored around the island were pushed out to sea, set adrift or docked at a distance as instructed.
Once the coast was cleared, Zino and Alvida boarded her main ship—clearly the best vessel among the bunch—and began sailing away from the island. The wind carried them gently over the sea as the sun cast a warm glow across the deck.
"Where should we sail to now?" Alvida asked, her tone more respectful than before. She stood at the helm, glancing at Zino, who was sitting cross-legged near the mast.
Zino looked toward the horizon and replied calmly, "We're heading for an island called Shell Town."
Alvida raised an eyebrow. "Shell Town? That's where one of the marine bases is located, isn't it?"
Zino nodded. "Exactly. I plan to recruit someone there."
"Recruit? Who?" she asked curiously.
"Roronoa Zoro."
Alvida nearly dropped the steering wheel. "What!? That pirate hunter? He's infamous!"
Zino smirked. "Yes, that's him. Roronoa Zoro. He may be a bounty hunter now, but I know he's destined for something greater. We need strong and capable people, and he's one of them."
"You're serious about this crew thing, huh?" Alvida muttered.
Zino then reached into his System Storage and pulled out the peculiar fruit with the swirling patterns. He casually tossed it to Alvida, who caught it with both hands.
"Here," he said. "You can have this. It's the Smooth Smooth Fruit."
Alvida blinked, looking down at the strange fruit. "Smooth Smooth Fruit?"
Zino nodded. "Yeah. Once you eat it, your body will shed all that unnecessary fat. You'll become… well, smooth."
Alvida's eyes widened slightly. She stared at the fruit in her hands. "Wait a second! Are you saying I'm ugly!?"
Her reaction was instantaneous and loud—but as soon as the words left her mouth, she flinched, realizing she had just shouted at someone who could easily defeat her. She slowly took a step back, glancing at Zino to gauge his response.
To her relief, Zino didn't even flinch. He simply shrugged.
"I didn't say that. I'm saying the fruit will change you. Once you eat it, you'll understand."
Alvida hesitated, still watching him carefully. But finally, she took a deep breath, brought the fruit to her mouth, and bit down.
The result was immediate—and disgusting.
"Ugh!" she gagged. "It tastes like… like I just bit into spoiled garbage!"
Zino laughed lightly. "That's the price of power. Every Devil Fruit tastes awful."
Still wincing, Alvida managed to swallow it down.
"Now, how do you feel?" Zino asked, watching Alvida closely.
"I…" she began, still wincing from the bitter aftertaste of the Devil Fruit. She was just about to complain about how revolting it had tasted when a strange sensation washed over her entire body.
Suddenly, her breath caught in her throat.
Zino watched in surprise as her form began to shift before his very eyes. Her once bulky, round frame started slimming down rapidly. Excess weight seemed to melt off her limbs and torso like wax under fire. Her skin smoothed out, becoming clearer and brighter. Her facial features refined themselves—cheeks tightened, jawline sharpened, and her eyes sparkled with a sudden, captivating glow. Her greasy hair turned lustrous, cascading like silk over her shoulders.
In just a few seconds, the woman standing before him was no longer the same person.
Zino blinked in disbelief. Before him now stood a stunning woman—tall, slender, with flawless skin and curves that would make most models envious. The transformation was so extreme that it took Zino a moment to connect her to the brash, club-wielding pirate he had met earlier.
Alvida glanced down at her own hands and arms, her expression confused. Then she turned to Zino, who was still staring at her, clearly caught off guard.
"Is there something on my face?" she asked, genuinely puzzled.
"You… should check yourself in the mirror," Zino replied, still sounding slightly dazed.
Her brows furrowed. She turned without another word and rushed into the ship's cabin. Zino remained outside, listening quietly. A few seconds later—
"AAAAAHHH!!"
The shriek echoed from inside the ship. Zino smirked knowingly.
Yep, she just saw herself.
He crossed his arms and leaned back against the mast, amused by the turn of events. "Well, that fruit really lives up to its name," he muttered.
Moments later, Alvida returned to the deck—now wearing a stunned expression. She glanced at her reflection again in a small piece of polished metal she'd brought with her, as if still trying to believe what she was seeing.
"I… I can't believe this is me," she said, her voice softer than before. Even her tone had changed. It carried a new confidence now—mixed with a bit of disbelief and wonder.
"That's the power of the Smooth Smooth Fruit," Zino said with a grin. "It removed all the roughness—literally."
Alvida turned around in a slow spin, admiring her new body. "This is… incredible."
"Glad you like it," Zino replied casually. "Now that you've got a new look, it's time for a new start too. We've got a crew to build."
Alvida smiled faintly. For once, she didn't argue.
The ship continues sailing, and Shell Town was set on it's course.
...
Back at Alvida's former territory.
In a quiet forest clearing, not far from the beach, a boy with a wide-brimmed straw hat stood beside a shorter boy with pink hair. These two were none other than Monkey D. Luffy and Koby, fresh from their encounter with the pirate Alvida.
"If you want to sail again, I can help you," Koby said, puffing out his chest slightly with pride. "I have a ship I hid a few months ago."
Luffy's eyes lit up. "Really? That's great! Can I borrow it?"
"Sure! Come on, I'll show you where it is!" Koby responded eagerly.
He led Luffy through a winding path deeper into the forest. Leaves crunched beneath their feet as birds chirped overhead. After walking for a while, they arrived at a small clearing where something that resembled a ship sat nestled between the trees.
"There it is!" Koby announced proudly, gesturing toward the vessel.
Luffy tilted his head and stared. The "ship" looked more like a poorly constructed wooden box than a seaworthy vessel. The nails were bent, the wood was uneven, and one side seemed to sag more than the other.
"Uh... whose coffin is this?" Luffy asked, blinking.
Koby's smile twitched. "...That's the ship I mentioned. I made it myself."
"Ohhh, this is a ship," Luffy said with zero sarcasm. He wasn't picky when it came to ships—anything that could float was fine by him.
The two of them began dragging the small boat out of the forest and toward the shore. It was hard work, especially since the makeshift vessel scraped against roots and rocks the whole way. After what felt like hours, they finally got it to the water's edge.
"Thanks for the ship, Koby! Let's head to a Marine base now. Do you know the closest one?" asked Luffy.
"That would be the one in Shell Town," Koby answered, panting slightly from the effort.
"Perfect! Let's go there, then!"
With that, they both climbed into the small, patched-up vessel and pushed off into the open water. The boat floated for a few peaceful seconds... before disaster struck.
*CRACK!*
Water started gushing in from beneath the boat, pouring through gaps in the planks and rushed-over patchwork. In mere moments, the boat broke apart.
"GWAHAK!! HELP! HELP! BWARRGHH!!" Luffy flailed wildly, having instantly lost all his strength due to the sea water.
Alarmed, Koby dove into the water and swam toward his flailing friend. He grabbed Luffy by the collar and began hauling him back to the shore with all his might.
Finally, they collapsed on the beach, soaking wet and gasping.
"Ahhh... I almost drowned," Luffy groaned, coughing out seawater. "Koby, your ship is a coffin. It sucks."
Koby said nothing. He stared blankly at the broken planks floating in the water, his pride in ruins.
"…Sorry," he muttered, defeated.
He knew he wasn't a craftsman, but still—it stung. He had tried his best.
"Now, where can I get a ship?" Luffy asked, scratching his head and looking out at the sea.
"I think... I know a place where we can get one," Koby replied, hesitantly.
"Really? Where?"
"Alvida had a lot of ships. Maybe we can just… you know, go and *borrow* one."
Luffy tilted his head with a grin. "Shishishi! You're starting to sound like a real pirate now."
Koby froze for a moment, then looked away with a nervous chuckle. "…I didn't mean it like that."
"Let's go, then!" Luffy shouted enthusiastically, already marching ahead.
The two quickly made their way back through the forest path, heading toward Alvida's former base. However, unknown to them, Alvida and her crew had already evacuated the hideout.
Following Zino's orders, all the ships had been taken away. Alvida had disbanded her pirate crew, and giving them permission to take anything from the base before going their separate ways. The pirates had scattered, each heading off with their share of loot and a vessel of their own.
By the time Koby and Luffy reached the base, all they found was a large, empty building. The dock was deserted. No ships. No guards. Not even discarded supplies. It was as if the entire base had been abandoned overnight.
"What happened here…?" Koby muttered, eyes wide. He stepped carefully into the empty base, glancing around at the dusty, vacant rooms. "Did they all just… leave?"
"There's no one here," Luffy said, looking around with disappointment. "No ships either."
"It looks like they packed up everything and left in a hurry. I guess… maybe they were scared of something?"
"Ahhh, no ship again!" Luffy groaned and dramatically dropped to the ground. "Why is it so hard to get a boat?!"
Koby looked around helplessly. "We could try going back to my village… maybe someone there has a small boat we can borrow?"
Luffy perked up a bit. "Really? That's worth a shot."
Koby shrugged. "Though honestly… the chances are pretty low. Alvida took almost everything when she came here. But it's worth trying."
"Then let's go!" Luffy said, jumping back to his feet with energy.
The two began walking toward the distant village, hoping that some kind soul might lend them a boat—or at least point them in the right direction. Just as they disappeared into the trees, a large ship was approaching the island from the horizon.
Standing at the front of the ship, with his arms crossed and a grin on his face, was a tall, muscular man with spiky white hair and a scarred face.
"Bwahahahaha!" the man laughed heartily, the sea breeze blowing through his coat. "I can feel it… My grandson is on this island!"
It was none other than *Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp*—the legendary Marine Hero.