After issuing the search order, Captain Nezumi casually added another instruction through the messenger:while searching, make sure the islanders once again feel the Marines' "great justice"!
The moment that order went out, the Marine captains in charge of the hunt deliberately exaggerated it when passing it down to their men.
As the saying goes—when rot starts at the top, it festers all the way down.
If the higher-ups were already that corrupt, how good could the subordinates possibly be?To them, roughing up these "lowly civilians" was routine work anyway.
Exaggerating the order a little? Who cared—just meant more pockets got lined along the way.
At that very moment, in a corner of the town, a bald, broad-shouldered man stood stubbornly before a group of Marines, refusing to let them carry away his chest of savings and valuables.
"I already told you that bastard Keya isn't here! You searched every corner of my house—what right do you have to take my money and my things?!"
The bald man grabbed the leading Marine by the collar, shouting angrily.
"We suspect these items are connected to the murderer Keya. They'll be taken for investigation. Now let go, or suffer the consequences!"
The impatient Marine captain tried to shove him aside—and then came the sudden gunshot.
Bang—!
A flash of fire burst out, and the bald man collapsed instantly.
The Marine captain, splattered with blood, froze in shock and turned around—only to see Captain Nezumi standing there, still holding the smoking flintlock pistol.
"Sir!"
The captain immediately saluted. He didn't even ask why the shot had been fired.
After all, the kind of Marines who asked questions—or had a conscience—were already buried in the cemetery. Their names carved into "heroic" tombstones after being labeled "fallen in the line of duty."
Those still standing here were the kind who worshiped money.One dead civilian meant nothing.
Captain Nezumi ignored the body, glaring down in disgust."He resisted a Marine's authority. You should've executed him on the spot!
Today he dares resist justice—tomorrow he'll dare point a gun at a Marine,and the day after that, what? March into our base and chop off my head?!
Men like that should be killed as a warning to others!"
"Yes, sir!"
The Marine captain barked the response loudly.
That single shout drew Nezumi's cold gaze.The chill in those eyes made sweat drip down the captain's temples.
After a long silence, Nezumi finally said,"Seventy percent. Deliver it today."
"Yes, sir!"
Not a hint of protest left the captain's mouth.Only when Nezumi left did he quietly curse under his breath.
What he thought would be a jackpot now turned into a meager cut.Still, thirty percent was enough to split between him and his men.
After all, there were plenty of "potential suspects" still left to shake down.
Yet, despite scouring every inch of the island,the Marines never found any trace of Keya.
It was as if the guy had simply vanished from the world.
Most Marines figured the culprit must've panicked, jumped into the sea,and ended up as shark food.
Captain Nezumi, having failed to capture the murderer, could only rage helplessly.
No one expected that before long—they would cross paths with "Keya" again.
Only this time, the tables would turn.
East Blue.
The blazing sun split open the heavens,its golden light glittering over the waters surrounding the Marine 16th Branch.
Basking in that same brilliance was a massive sea lion—and, clamped firmly between its jaws, a small wooden boat that looked ready to break apart.
"Green hair…?"
Stepping out from the transparent sphere, Ren pressed one hand against the inner wall,his gaze falling upon the small boat—and the head of bright green moss-like hair poking over its railing.
He stared silently for a few seconds.
A green-haired guy adrift at sea during his escape?Family, who else could that be?!
Roronoa Zoro.
A name famous throughout the original story—Luffy's right-hand man,and in all but title, the first mate of the Straw Hat Pirates.
He ranked as the No. 2 most beloved male character among One Piece fans,and for some, he was the No. 1 favorite.
"How is he here…?"
Ren recognized him instantly—the short green hair, the trio of teardrop-shaped earrings,the dark green bandana tied around his arm, that pale face,and, most notably, the three swords resting beside him.
Ren had always liked this guy, even when just watching the anime.
Loyal and dependable. Compassionate yet unyielding.Willing to sacrifice for others, with a personal code of honor.Strong, stoic, and forever pushing his limits.
Who wouldn't admire someone like that?
But judging by the timeline—
At this point, Zoro should've already set out to become the world's greatest swordsman.Because of his terrible sense of direction, he'd been wandering around the East Blue,making a living as a bounty hunter.He was later tricked by the Marines in a small town—and from there, his path crossed with Luffy's, leading to him joining the Straw Hats.
Oh!Ren suddenly recalled—there was still more than a year before the real story began.
Which meant that even if he didn't help him,Zoro probably wouldn't die randomly at sea.
Still…
"Guess I'll help anyway. He looks like he's been drifting for quite a while."
Even if Zoro was a dangerous man, Ren couldn't bring himself to ignore a character he liked.
That training manual he'd read while diving earlier turned out to be a complete Marine manual—covering everything from flintlock maintenance, navigation basics,to emergency rescue procedures at sea.
So, before trying to treat Zoro, the amateur doctor decided to review the steps again—just in case his "help" accidentally turned into a murder attempt.
Soon, he found that Zoro had simply passed out from hunger and dehydration.
Most likely, that "eternal lost" curse of his had kept him drifting aimlesslyuntil he ran out of all his supplies.
In fact, in the original story, Zoro really couldn't navigate to save his life.
Most of the time, he either hitched rides with others—or just drifted and went wherever the current took him.
Unfortunately, luck hadn't been kind to him this time.
'Still, if this is part of the original timeline, Zoro shouldn't die here… so…'
Ren turned to look eastward, recalling the geography from Keya's memories.
If his guess was right—that direction led to the East.
After thinking it over, he took a rope from his supplies,tying one end to the small boat and the other to the inner ring of the transparent sphere.
Then, he signaled Seal 007 to continue heading eastward,while he stayed on the boat to tend to Zoro.
He might be a clumsy medic, but that was still better than nothing.
Golden sunlight spilled over Zoro's chiseled face.The sound of seagulls echoed across the sea as the man slowly opened his eyes.
'Where… am I?'
His blurred vision followed a few gulls flying overhead.In moments, clarity returned to his mind.
'An island? Guess it's not time for me to die just yet.'
A glint of determination flickered in his eyes.Despite fainting from starvation, he showed not a hint of fear or regret.
Then, suddenly—a face appeared beside him, smiling cheerfully.
"You're awake? The operation was a success. You're now a cute little girl."
"...!"
Startled, Zoro reacted on instinct—and smashed his forehead forward in a brutal headbutt.
Thud—!
A dull thump echoed.Both men fell backward, clutching their foreheads in pain.
"So hard!" — they yelled in unison.
Ren rubbed his forehead as he sat up,secretly grateful he'd moved Zoro's swords out of reach beforehand.
Otherwise, that joke might've been the last thing he ever said.
(End of Chapter)