Chapter 2
The next day at noon, the two crouched on the Navy base's outer wall, peering at the green-haired swordsman tied to a cross in the distance.
Luffy pulled his straw hat low, squinting as he studied him. "Green hair, black bandana... but where are his swords? Isn't he supposed to be a three-sword style guy?"
Sol smacked him upside the head. "Idiot! He's tied up like he's cosplaying Jesus—of course the Marines confiscated his swords!"
The night before, while eating at a tavern, they'd overheard hushed conversations from drunken patrons: "That pirate hunter hasn't had water in nine days... Young Master Berumeber is serious this time..."
Luffy had been stuffing his face with grilled meat, ears perked up. Sol swirled his drink, listening thoughtfully.
It turned out Zoro had arrived in Shelz Town, saved a girl named Rika from being bullied by Colonel Morgan's son Berumeber, and killed the young master's pet wolf in the process.
He was arrested, tied to the execution ground at the Navy base, and denied food or water. Berumeber had originally promised to free him if he survived a month—but word was, he planned to renege and execute him in three days.
Luffy suddenly slammed the table, making plates jump. "It's decided! He's gonna be our crewmate!"
Under the blazing sun, Zoro—bound to the cross—suddenly lifted his head, cracked lips barely moving. "...More boring idiots here to mock a dying man?"
Luffy grinned wide. "Hey, three-sword guy! Join my crew!"
Zoro fell silent at the blunt invitation. Just then, a ladder was propped up beside him. Little Rika ran over clutching a lunch box, about to offer him the rice balls inside.
Sol muttered from the wall, "What is this, some tear-jerking drama?"
Sergeant-Major Helmeppo appeared with a squad of Marines, snatched a rice ball, bit into it, then spat dramatically. "Ugh! Way too sweet!" He smirked and smashed the rice balls onto the ground, grinding them under his shiny boot. "Trash like you peasants only deserve this garbage!"
The trembling soldiers picked up the crying Rika and—under Helmeppo's cold glare—threw her over the wall.
The girl screamed as she fell, but Sol caught her safely and set her down. "Go home, kid. We'll handle the rest."
As Helmeppo left, he leaned in close to Zoro and said loudly enough for everyone to hear: "I hope you can really 'hold out' for a full month." He stressed the last words mockingly, then laughed and strode away.
Luffy and Sol hopped down from the wall, landing in front of Zoro.
Zoro raised weary eyes, voice hoarse but firm. "Hey, straw-hat guy... pick up those rice balls for me."
"Huh? But they're all covered in dirt—" Luffy pinched the squashed balls between his fingers, wrinkling his nose.
"Shut up and do it!" Zoro strained forward, nearly toppling the cross. "Put them in my mouth!"
Luffy blinked, then grinned. "Can't be helped, I guess!" He shoved the dirty rice balls into Zoro's mouth.
Zoro chewed vigorously—sand crunching between his teeth—yet his face showed pure satisfaction. "...Tell that little girl these were the most delicious rice balls in the world." He closed his eyes, savoring the taste.
"Got it! Leave it to me!" Luffy thumped his chest proudly, then circled behind the cross. "I'll get you down right now—"
"Wait! What are you doing?! Ow—ow—ow!" Zoro thrashed suddenly, veins bulging. "You idiot, you're making the ropes tighter—are you trying to kill me?!"
Luffy had been yanking the ropes with brute force, only digging the knots deeper into Zoro's arms.
Zoro gritted his teeth. "...Can't you just cut them with a sword?"
Luffy let go with a sheepish laugh. "My bad! What now, Sol?"
Sol sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Losing a crewmate on day two would suck." He stepped forward, flames igniting in his hands, and burned the ropes clean through.
Zoro stared in surprise. "What kind of power is that? Flames from your hands—Devil Fruit user?"
Sol met Zoro's gaze directly. "Listen up. You've been played. That spoiled brat never intended to keep his promise—they're executing you in three days."
He pointed toward the base. "Either stay here and wait to die... or come with us and become a pirate."
Zoro was quiet for a moment, then snorted. "So you two came all this way just to recruit me?" His sharp eyes flicked between them. "Who's the captain?"
Luffy pressed down his hat with a huge grin. "Monkey D. Luffy—the man who'll become King of the Pirates!"
Sol slipped one hand in his pocket, cracking his neck. "Aetrias Sol Dragneel, first mate."
Zoro glanced at the grinning Luffy, then at the more mature pink-haired Sol. "How come you're only the first mate?"
Luffy leaned in close. "Got a problem with that, Zoro?"
Zoro twisted his blood-marked wrists. "...Nah, nothing." He smirked. "So with me, that's only three people? Pretty pathetic pirate crew."
Luffy laughed carefree. "Who cares? We'll get more crewmates!"
Zoro closed his eyes. Kuina's face and their unfinished promise flashed through his mind. When he opened them again, his gaze was razor-sharp. "...Yeah. I've still got a dream I have to fulfill. Dying pathetically here would be worse than sailing with you idiots as a pirate."
Luffy suddenly grinned wider. "Wait here!" He launched himself like a cannonball, rubber arm stretching to grab a distant building, vanishing in an instant.
Zoro's eyes widened. "Hey! Where the hell—"
Less than half a minute later, Luffy came barreling back, arms full of three katana. "Ta-da! I grabbed three swords—I didn't know which were yours, so I took 'em all! Hehe!"
Zoro stared at his beloved blades, speechless. "...You didn't just..."
Before Luffy could answer, a massive swarm of Marines poured in behind him. Colonel Morgan at the front fumed at the trio. "You dared break into a Navy base and destroy my statue? Unforgivable!"
"Open fire! Eliminate them!" Morgan ordered.
The soldiers fired in unison.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
As muzzles flashed, Zoro instinctively reached for a sword. "Watch out—!"
Luffy stepped in front of them. Bullets thudded into his body—then bounced off like rubber, ricocheting back into the Marine ranks. Soldiers screamed and collapsed in chaos.
"M-Monsters! Bullets don't work on him!"
Morgan roared in fury. "Spread out! If bullets fail, charge and cut them down!"
...
...
==============================================================
Support me and be 100 chapters ahead of webnovel:
patreon.com/TOXYFIC