Chapter 6: The First meating
"OH if you had seen my why didn't you tell him?" her answer is of no Consequence but I'm just curious.
"It's none of my business what happens in this compound, now tell me what do you want with me" Oh I'm getting goosebumps.
"Man, they weren't kidding," I said, referring to what my informants said. My voice must sound bright and annoyingly cheerful in this oppressive heat. "You're still resisting? That's pretty impressive."
She squinted out a glare "is this another trick of That man child, you another one of Morgan's lapdog sent here to bother me?"
"Me? Nah," I grinned, showing a row of white teeth. My personality had taken a whole 180° turn from killer to grinning idiot to show you how you can never trust a person's face.
I stepped in front of her, ignoring the security sensors here, they had no hope of tracking my movement.
"I'm Luffy. I'm a mercenary, and I'm in the middle of starting a crew. I heard there was a scary swordsman here who fought a whole legion for a plate of rice balls, but my informants never said anything about you being this beautiful."
Zoran gave me a dry, hacking laugh. "A crew? You're a kid playing soldier. Go away before the guards turn you into a Swiss-cheese mercenary."
I didn't move, my smile fell, replaced by a fake one. I leaned in, my always sharp gaze turned even sharper—with the intensity of a predator behind a fake friendly mask." Never ever, look down on my effort, do I make myself clear"
Seeing she got the message put my genuine smile back on
"With what I'm seeing I'm sure you're a tough guy, girl, uh woman that's the word, woman. How did they capture you? " I almost sounded sexist for a moment there.
"interesting choice, but I'm sure you had your reasons"
"You don't know anything about me"
"Oh on the contrary I know enough, I know you're great in a fight, I know you have a dream because when I snapped at you earlier you showed that you get how it feels to work so hard for your dream and have someone who doesn't know you belittle you're effort, and I know you're a good person because I know you protected that little girl, from what you call him?, ahh that man child, exactly the kind of person I want as a firstmate"
"Oh before I forget, I talked to Hana. She gave me these." I reached into the pouch attached to my belt behind me and pulled out a fresh set of rice balls. "She said you didn't get to finish your last meal, and asked me to give you these they have yet to touch a float."
She looks at me suspiciously and asks "You met Hana?"
"Oh I did sweat girl, about yay high" I motioned to about just below my hip to show how tall she was.
"OK ok I'll ask, How is she?" it seemed that the first part of the conversation wasn't meant for me so I'll answer the last part.
"She's fine, she asked me to save the nice swordsman"
Zoran's eyes softened for a split second before hardening again. "If you saw the kid, then you know why I'm here. I'm a prisoner of the Empire. If you touch those shackles, you'll have a 10,000 bounty on your head in moments"
I unwrapped a rice ball and held it to her mouth. "Bounties are just a way of telling the universe how much you're worth. Besides," and pausing for dramatic affect I continued
"I'm looking for a first mate. Someone who's strong enough to help me find the One Piece."
"The One Piece?" Zoran stared at me. "That's a fairy tale for star-gazers and idiots, but I won't spit upon your dream a second time so good luck."
"Maybe," I shrugged at the mention of it being a fairy tale but that's not going to stop me,
My red scarf snapping in the wind,
I said"But I'm the idiot who's going to find it,or die trying. So, what do you say, Jade-Hair? You want to scoff at me, or do you want to take my hand and see how far I can take you on this grand adventure"
'Thank you whomever it is that brought on that slight breeze, you have boosted my aura farming moment.'
She held my gaze for a while then replanted "I'll make you a deal. You help me get out of this mess without harming Hana, her mother and their Restaurant, and I'll join your crew on a probation period"
"Hahaha hahaha, I'll take what I can get, it's a deal"
Zoran looked at me for a bit with a look I couldn't understand then she just snickers to herself.
"You're crazy," Zoran muttered, a dark, predatory grin finally spreading across her face. "But I like crazy, co what aren't you going get me out captain"
My grin widened until it reached his eyes. "Welcome to the crew, you won't regret it" I spoke as I removed all her shackles.
Then the man-child and family arrived.
"You! Intruder!" Helmeppo shrieked, pointing a trembling finger. "That's state property! Step away from the prisoner or I'll have you executed alongside her!"
"or what?" I asked provocatively
"What are you going to do all on your own?"
To my question he responded with a sneer " Who said I'm alone"
The magnetic gates of the courtyard didn't just open; they exploded outward, forced by the sheer mass of the machine behind them.
Two hundred Governor's Enforcers poured through the gap, their tactical boots kicking up a storm of red grit. They fanned out in a perfect military crescent, rifles leveled, but the soldiers were merely the backdrop.
From the shadows emerged a twelve-foot titan of matte-black composite plating: the AX-1 "Butcher" Heavy Frame.
'I'm guessing the security here is shit because he blew all his money on that hunk of metal'
"You ready first mate, it seems our first fight as a crew is upon us" she just gives me a blood thirsty smile and gets into a fighting position.
I can tell she's used to fighting with swords, but she doesn't have them here, is she going to be okay.
"What are you going to do about a weapon?"
"They took mine, so I think I'm going to take his, till I get mine back" she answered back while pointing at a random guard who held to of what looked like katanas.
'OK she's going to be okay, ah a fight where I'm not forced into a not favorable fighting style, I can just use my gum-gum style, I think I'm going to enjoy this'