"Hey, Koby," Luffy asked casually, tilting his head at the towering, furious pirate captain who had just smashed through the wall. "Who's the fat lady?"
The storage hold went completely, terrifyingly silent.
Alvida's eyes bulged. Her face turned a violent shade of purple. The veins in her neck looked like they were about to explode.
"WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME?!" Alvida roared, her voice shaking the very foundation of the wooden hideout. She hoisted her massive, spiked iron mace into the air. "I AM THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMAN IN ALL THE SEAS! I'LL CRUSH YOU INTO DUST!"
"Eeeek!" Koby shrieked. Grabbing Luffy by the back of his red vest, the small Koby scrambled frantically out of the hideout, dragging the rubber boy into the surrounding forest just as Alvida's mace obliterated the spot where they had been standing.
They didn't stop running until they reached a secluded cove on the other side of the island. Hidden beneath a tarp was a small, well-built wooden dinghy.
Koby collapsed into the sand, hyperventilating. "Are you crazy?! That's Lady Alvida! She's a monster! If she catches us, we're dead!"
Luffy just laughed, dusting off his shorts. "She doesn't look that tough to me. Anyway, Koby, what are you doing with these pirates if you're so scared of them?"
"I don't have a choice," Koby whimpered, adjusting his glasses. "I accidentally boarded her ship a long time ago thinking it was a fishing boat. I've been her cabin boy ever since... I built this little boat in secret, hoping to escape, but I'm just too much of a coward to actually do it."
Luffy crossed his arms, staring at Koby bluntly. "Wow. You're pretty pathetic, huh? I hate wimps like you."
Koby winced, looking down at the sand. "I know... I'm useless. But what about you, Luffy? What are you doing out here on the ocean?"
Luffy grinned, pointing his thumb proudly at his own chest. "Me? I'm gonna be the King of the Pirates!"
Koby's jaw dropped. "K-King of the Pirates?! Are you insane?! That means you want to find the One Piece! You'll have to fight the strongest monsters and outlaws in the entire world! You'll die!"
SMACK!
Luffy casually chopped Koby on the top of the head.
"Ow! Why did you hit me?!" Koby cried, rubbing his skull.
"Because you're being annoying," Luffy said simply. He looked out at the rolling blue waves, his dark eyes shining with an unbreakable resolve. "I don't care if I die. This is my dream. I decided I'm going to be the Pirate King, and if I die fighting for it, then at least I tried."
Koby stared at Luffy in absolute awe. If I die fighting for it... Koby looked at his trembling hands. "Do... do you think I could ever join the Marines? It's my dream to catch bad guys... even bad guys like Alvida!"
"How should I know?" Luffy laughed. "But you should try!"
Koby's eyes filled with tears of sudden, burning determination. "You're right! I'd rather die trying to escape and become a Marine than spend the rest of my life scrubbing decks for that ugly—"
CRASH!
The trees behind them splintered and snapped. Alvida stepped onto the beach, her heavy boots sinking into the sand. With a cruel sneer, she swung her iron mace, completely shattering Koby's secret escape boat into a million pieces of kindling.
"Were you boys talking about me?" Alvida purred dangerously, though her eyes promised murder. She glared down at the trembling boy. "Tell me Koby... Who is the most beautiful woman in all the seas?"
Koby froze. The old fear gripped his heart. He opened his mouth to lie, to grovel, to survive... but then he looked at Luffy. If I die fighting for it...
Koby clenched his fists, looked Alvida dead in the eye, and screamed at the top of his lungs.
"YOU'RE THE UGLIEST, CRUELEST OLD HAG I'VE EVER MET!"
The entire pirate crew, who had just arrived behind their captain, gasped in sheer horror.
Alvida let out a screech of pure, unadulterated rage. "DIE, YOU LITTLE BRAT!"
She swung her massive iron mace with all her terrifying strength, aiming right for Koby's head. Koby squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for the end. I did it. I finally stood up for myself.
THUD.
Koby didn't feel anything. He slowly opened his eyes.
Luffy was standing right in front of him. The spiked iron mace had slammed directly into the top of Luffy's head... but it hadn't crushed him. It had simply bounced off, his skin stretching slightly under the impact.
"W-What?!" Alvida gasped, stumbling back. "That's impossible! You should have no bones left!"
"I have bones," Luffy grinned, cracking his knuckles. "They're just made of rubber! I ate the Gum-Gum Fruit!"
Luffy reeled his right arm back. To the absolute shock of the pirates, his arm stretched backward into the forest, spanning dozens of feet like a massive, coiled spring.
"GOMU GOMU NO..." Luffy shouted, locking his eyes onto the terrified pirate captain. "...PISTOL!"
His arm snapped forward with the speed and concussive force of a cannonball. His fist buried itself deep into Alvida's stomach. The impact lifted the giant woman off her feet and sent her rocketing through the air, crashing through a dozen trees before finally landing in an unconscious heap miles away.
Luffy retracted his arm, steam lightly rising from his knuckles. He turned to the paralyzed pirate crew. "Get Koby a boat! We're leaving!"
"Y-YES SIR!" they screamed in unison.
A few hours later, Luffy and Koby were sailing across the calm, open ocean in a small but sturdy skiff provided by the terrified pirates.
"I can't believe we actually got away," Koby sighed in relief, manning the sails. He looked at Luffy, who was sitting at the bow. "So, Luffy... if you want to be the Pirate King, you need a crew. Have you found anyone yet?"
"Nope! Just me so far," Luffy chirped. "But I heard Alvida mention some guy. A bounty hunter? Roronoa Zoro?"
Koby flinched at the name. "Zoro?! The Pirate Hunter?! He's a bloodthirsty demon! I heard he slices pirates to ribbons just for looking at him wrong! The Marines captured him recently and are holding him at the base in Shells Town."
"Perfect!" Luffy cheered, pumping his fist. "If he's a good guy, I'll ask him to join my crew! Set a course for Shells Town, Koby!"
"Are you even listening to me?!" Koby wailed.
Thanks to Koby's surprisingly excellent navigation skills, they arrived at Shells Town by mid-afternoon. The town was bustling, built entirely around a massive Marine fortress that towered over the buildings.
"First things first," Luffy announced as they walked down the street. "Food!"
They found a lively restaurant and ordered plates of steaming meat and rice.
"So, about splitting up," Koby whispered, leaning across the table. "Once I join the Marines, we'll officially be enemies, Luffy. Especially if you're crazy enough to go looking for Zoro."
Instantly, the entire restaurant went dead silent. A waitress dropped a glass. The patrons visibly shuddered, turning away and sweating profusely.
"Whoa," Luffy blinked with a mouthful of food. "They're really scared of that guy, huh?"
"Shhh! Keep your voice down!" Koby hissed. "This is a Marine town! You should be more worried about the Marine Captain running this place! I heard Captain Morgan is—"
CLATTER!
This time, three people fell out of their chairs. The chef ducked behind the counter. The sheer terror in the room doubled instantly at the mention of the Marine Captain's name.
Koby swallowed hard. "Okay. That... that isn't normal. Why are they more afraid of the Marine Captain than the Pirate Hunter?"
Curiosity piqued, the two boys left the restaurant and walked up the dirt path toward the massive iron gates of the Marine Base.
"He's probably locked away in a deep, dark dungeon," Koby whispered, nervously approaching the perimeter wall.
Luffy grabbed the top of the stone wall and hoisted himself up. He peered over the edge, looking into the large, dusty training yard of the base.
"Nope," Luffy said bluntly. "He's right there."
Koby scrambled up beside him, peeking over the edge. He instantly let out a terrified squeak.
Tied tightly to a wooden cross in the center of the baking, sun-scorched yard was a man. He wore a white shirt, dark green trousers, and a dark green haramaki around his waist. He had a stern, battle-hardened face and bright, moss-green hair.
Even tied up and starved, Roronoa Zoro radiated a dangerous, suffocating aura.
"Hey! You two!" Zoro suddenly barked, his sharp eyes snapping up to look directly at Luffy and Koby on the wall. "Come over here and untie me. I've been stuck here for nine days without food. Untie me, and I'll track down a bounty and give you all the money. Deal?"
"N-No way!" Koby panicked. "If we untie you, you'll kill us!"
Before Zoro could respond, a soft rustling sound came from the bushes near the wall. A little girl, no older than seven, quietly shushed the boys. She carried a small, wrapped bundle in her hands and carefully climbed over the wall, scurrying into the yard.
"Hey, kid, get out of here!" Zoro growled, straining against his ropes. "Do you want to get killed?!"
The little girl, Rika, ignored his harsh tone. She walked right up to the terrifying bounty hunter and opened her bundle, revealing two clumsily made rice balls. "You must be so hungry. I made these for you! Please, eat!"
Zoro looked away, his jaw clenched. "I don't want your pity, kid. Go home."
SCUFF. SCUFF.
The sound of arrogant, heavy footsteps echoed across the yard.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"
A tall, scrawny young man with a ridiculous, cleft-chin and a garish purple suit swaggered into the courtyard. He was flanked by two nervous-looking Marine guards.
"Helmeppo," Zoro spat, his eyes narrowing in disgust.
"That's Sir Helmeppo to you, prisoner!" the man sneered. He looked down at the little girl and snatched one of the rice balls from her hands. "Ooh! A snack!"
He took a massive bite. Instantly, his face contorted in disgust. He spat the rice out onto the dirt, coughing violently. "BLEGH! IT'S SWEET! You used sugar instead of salt! Who puts sugar in an onigiri?!"
"I... I thought it would taste better," Rika cried softly.
"It's garbage!" Helmeppo yelled. He threw the remaining rice balls onto the ground and viciously stomped them into the dirt with the heel of his shoe, crushing them completely.
Rika burst into tears, falling to her knees. "Stop! I worked so hard on those!"
"You should know the law, brat!" Helmeppo laughed cruelly. "My father, Captain Morgan, decreed that anyone who helps a prisoner receives the death penalty! You're lucky you're just a kid. Guards! Throw her over the wall!"
The Marines hesitated. "B-But Sir... she's just a little girl—"
"DO YOU WANT ME TO TELL MY FATHER YOU DISOBEYED ME?!" Helmeppo shrieked.
Terrified of Captain Morgan's wrath, the Marine squeezed his eyes shut, grabbed the crying girl, and hurled her over the stone wall.
"AHHH!" Rika screamed.
STRETCH. THWACK.
A rubber arm shot down from the top of the wall, catching Rika safely in mid-air and gently setting her on the ground outside.
Helmeppo didn't notice. He was too busy laughing at Zoro. "Enjoy your dirt-flavored rice, Pirate Hunter! Only twenty-one more days until your execution!" Helmeppo turned and strutted away, leaving Zoro tied to the cross.
On top of the wall, Luffy wasn't smiling anymore. The carefree, goofy demeanor was completely gone. He slowly pulled his straw hat down, casting a dark shadow over his eyes.
"Luffy?" Koby asked nervously.
"I've made up my mind, Koby," Luffy said, his voice cold and resolute. He glared at the retreating back of Helmeppo. "That guy is a spoiled brat. And Zoro... Zoro is joining my crew."