Chapter 10: First Meeting With Zoro, Skewering a Shield to Block Bullets[1]
After the restaurant waiter collapsed, the three of them had no way to stay in the restaurant.
After paying the bill, Rozi and Luffy took the unwilling Nami and headed toward the Marine base stationed in town.
"Rozi, is that guy the pirate hunter?" Luffy asked, looking at the man tied to a post.
"That's right. The famous East Blue pirate hunter, Roronoa Zoro," Rozi nodded.
"By the way, are you really going to invite him to be a partner?" Nami asked. "Even if the restaurant owner's daughter volunteered to be tied up earlier because you protected her, he's still a pirate hunter."
"Isn't he your natural enemy? Aren't you worried he'll capture you?"
"Nami, you're my partner now. If he's my enemy, then he's your enemy too," Rozi said, resting a hand on Nami's shoulder and asking with interest, "Besides, do you think he has the ability to capture me?"
"Tch. I'm only with you temporarily," Nami said. "But… with your abilities, there's really no need to be afraid."
The voices of their discussion reached Zoro's ears, and he slowly opened his eyes, looking toward where the sound came from.
"Hey. You three chatterboxes—who are you? Why are you here? Not afraid of dying?" Zoro said, sweeping his gaze over Rozi, Luffy, and Nami.
When he saw Rozi's face, his pupils suddenly shrank, as if he'd seen something terrifying.
"Great pirate Rozi—why are you here? Are you here to destroy this Marine base?"
"Oh? You know me. Not bad for a pirate hunter—looks like you've seen my bounty poster," Rozi said.
Rozi was famous on the Grand Line, and later went to the North Blue.
Bounty posters circulated more widely on the Grand Line and in the North Blue, but in the East Blue there weren't many, which was why Nami hadn't recognized Rozi at first.
"I'm not here to destroy the Marine base. I'm here to invite you to become my partner," Luffy stepped forward as the captain.
"Huh? A pirate inviting a pirate hunter to be a partner—something wrong with your head?" Zoro said.
"Hehehe, because you're strong and you protected the restaurant owner's daughter, so I'm inviting you," Luffy said.
"Tch. I didn't do it for that girl," Zoro said. "And no matter what, I won't become a pirate."
Rozi looked at Zoro with a disappointed expression.
"Don't say that. Being a pirate has its downsides, but at least you can stay alive, right?"
"I'm curious—what kind of man would naïvely believe that the Navy captain's son will keep his promise?"
After speaking, Rozi turned his head and looked slightly behind them.
There, the spoiled second-generation brat Helmeppo was approaching with several Marines from the base.
"I don't know who you are, but I'm not keeping any promise!" Helmeppo shouted. "Even if it's real, it really makes me sad."
Hearing Helmeppo's familiar voice, Zoro immediately turned his head.
"What did you just say? You're not keeping your promise? Today is the last day of the time I agreed to be tied up here!"
"Hahahaha! What a joke of a pirate hunter—still believing what I said back then?" Helmeppo doubled over laughing, then turned toward Rozi. "Besides, no one would've guessed what I was thinking."
"Daring to break into a Marine base? You're going to die here with that green-haired seaweed head."
"Aim. Fire!"
With Helmeppo's wave, the soldiers behind him immediately raised their rifles and aimed at Rozi, Zoro, and the others.
Nami's eyes widened and she quickly hid behind Rozi.
Luffy, on the other hand, pressed one hand on his hat, not taking the soldiers' guns seriously at all.
"H-Hey, no way. You're really going to shoot?" Zoro's eyes went wide as he showed fear for the first time.
"Still clinging to fantasies at a time like this, Zoro?" Rozi said, turning back to Zoro with a sly smile. "So, are you joining me as a pirate or not?"
"If you're willing to join, I can help you leave here alive."
"You crafty bastard! Fine—if I can stay alive, then becoming a villain doesn't matter!" Zoro roared. "Great pirate Rozi, I'm in. Hurry up and untie me!"
"Untie you? Dream on. Fire!" Helmeppo shouted.
Bang, bang, bang!
At Helmeppo's roar, the Marines pulled their triggers.
"Damn it, I don't want to die!" Nami curled up tight, hiding almost her whole body behind Rozi.
Luffy's mouth curled upward as he was about to rush forward and use his rubber power to knock the bullets away.
But Rozi moved even faster.
"Fork Shield!"
Rozi swept his right hand forward, and a gigantic silver energy fork suddenly formed, shielding everyone behind it.
[1](https://www.jstor.org/stable/4174590)