4 The Beginning of the Straw Hats.

Kaizo kept training both physically and spiritually, that way, he could use the Shikai of his Zanpakuto. He also somewhat solved his economical problem by working at Food Foo.

The pay wasn't anything out of the ordinary but, it was better than nothing and Kaizo was glad for it. eventually, one day, a certain customer came to Shells Town.

The Pirate Hunter, Roronoa Zoro. Kaizo, who's stalking him from a safe distance, reported that he got sick and couldn't go to work today, so he took the day off to prevent any incoherency with the plot.

Yes, he's been taking lookouts around the island to make sure Zoro was arriving and it paid off.

'Zoro, the most loyal member, the second in command, The King of Hell, the guy with the worst sense of direction possible. All of the above are just ways to describe this amazing character, usually, secondary characters tend to get outshined by the MC, but Zoro is one of the few exceptions.'

'Master, he looks strong.'

'He is. The second in command of the Straw Hat Pirates; Roronoa Zoro.'

'Master, I know you've explained to me about your future visions and else but, why aren't we making contact yet?'

'Dude, here's the thing, in the original timeline Zoro arrived at Shell Town to eat some food, the idiot son of the Marine branch here had a pet wolf and he allowed it to attack the citizens for fun.'

'Zoro killed the wolf but the idiot son took hostages some of the citizens, to prevent them from getting harmed Zoro did a bet with the idiot son, if he managed to survive a whole month without eating, he would drop the charges.' Kaizo.

'I repeat myself, why don't we help him now?'

'Luffy, my future captain, saves Zoro after discovering that the bet was a sham all along and they formerly become pirates.'

'So, he's the first one to be recruited?'

'Yes, after he gets arrested, we just have to wait a little less than a month and meet Luffy.'

'Master, you have some weird obsession with this Luffy, may I know why?'

'Let's just say that…he helped me when I needed a hand the most…'

'¿?'

'No matter, we have to wait for action.'

Kaizo kept stalking Zoro until he arrived at the restaurant. Just as in the canon, Zoro killed Helmeppo's wolf and made the 30 days fasting bet.

'He's so cool!'

'Master, you sound like girl in love.'

'Unfortunately for the wild BL lovers, I have already my waifu for this gig.'

'Really? Who is it?'

'Not telling, you can take a guess though, we will encounter many THICC women as we travel throughout the sea.'

'Gulp'

Kaizo didn't wanted to mess anything more so, he decided to keep training his Haki and Shinigami powers until Luffy arrived.

(20 Days Later)

(Somewhere in the sea)

"Woohoo! What a nice weather!" Luffy spoke.

"If we continue on this course, we will soon reach the island where the Navy are based." Coby spoke.

"Eh, Coby, you're awesome. Will we really reach our destination?" Luffy.

"Of course! It is the most basic skill a navigator needs." Coby.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"This is no time to joke around, Luffy-san. They're holding him prisoner."

"Hm?"

"The famous Pirate Hunter…Roronoa Zoro!"

"He has hunted down and killed criminals, just like a bloodthirsty beast. He has cut the throats of every one of them. It's a demon in the body of a human!" Coby.

After some more traveling, Luffy and Coby arrive at Shells Town in search for Zoro. Kaizo, who was waiting at the port, saw the small boat coming ashore and went to his position.

'Don't screw this up, don't screw this up, don't screw this up!!!' Kaizo.

"Luffy-san, you shouldn't try to invite him to be your Nakama." Coby.

"I still hasn't decided, I still have to see if he's a good guy…" Luffy.

"If he got arrested then its because he's a bad guy!"

Luffy buys and eats a pear.

*MUNCH*

"I wonder if that Zoro guy is at the base."

*EEEK*

The townsfolk reacted scared after hearing Zoro's name.

'I guess Zoro is a tabu subject around here.' Coby whispered to Luffy.

"Anyway, I also heard that this town's base is managed by the captain Morgan."

*EEEK*

The townsfolks reacted the same way.

"What's wrong with them?" Coby.

"Captain Morgan, Roronoa Zoro, there's a little feud between the two of them." Kaizo spoke walking towards Luffy and Coby.

He was wearing a teal jacket with a blue undershirt; black shorts and white crocs he also has his Zanpakuto on his left side of his waist. (Something smilar to what Grimjow used to wear in the 100 year blood war arc)

"Huh? Who are you?" Luffy.

"Me? A guy who wants to join a pirate crew." Kaizo.

"Ah, ok, do you know where to find Zoro." Luffy.

"EEEEEEHHHHHHHHH!!!???" Coby.

"Luffy-san! don't you find weird what he just said!? He just admitted that he wants to be a pirate!"

"So what, I also wanted to become a pirate."

"Oi, you said that Zoro and Morgan battled, why so?" Luffy.

"You see…"

"Don't ignore me!" Coby.

Kaizo explains about what happened to Zoro while taking Luffy and Coby to the Marine base. He also talked a little about why he wanted to become a pirate.

"That guy, i dont know him but I already have the urge to punch him." Luffy.

"I know, he does have a puncheable face though."

"Oh, look, we arrived." Kaizo.

Luffy, Coby and Kaizo saw the big building and were somewhat impressed by its size. Luffy spotted Zoro and decided to take a closer look at the guy he wanted to invite to be his Nakama.

"T-that's really him, the Pirate Hunter Zoro!" Coby.

"Yeah, we already deduced that part, also stop yelling." Kaizo.

"Oi, you three!" Zoro called them.

"Get out of here and don't bother me."

Suddenly, a little girl uses a stair to get over the wall and greets Zoro with some hand-made rice balls.

"Hm? What do you want brat? Piss off." Zoro.

"But brother, you haven't eaten anything for days. I made these rice balls for you to eat. I made them with lots and lots of love." The little girl.

Zoro was about to receive the rice balls until Helmeppo appeared with his guards.

"Now, now, what do we have here? A brat intruding in a marine base trying to free a prisoner. If I recall correctly, the sentence for such crime is…DEATH." Helmeppo.

"Oi! Let her go! I haven't escaped yet and neither was planning to do so. Just take the brat away." Zoro.

"Indeed huh? Rice balls? It would be a waste for a prisoner like yourself."

Helmeppo eats the rice ball and begins to spit it out due to its taste.

"What the hell was that?! It can't even qualify as food. You, toss her out of the base!" Helmeppo stepped on the rice ball and left the execution grounds after mocking Zoro.

The guard took the girl and threw her over the wall and also left. Luffy managed to catch the girl and prevented her from receiving damage.

"I can't believe they were so cruel, Luffy-san, Kaizo-san…" Coby looked for them but they weren't there anymore.

Luffy and Kaizo were in front of Zoro.

"You're supposed to be a bad guy, right?" Luffy.

"You're still here?" Zoro.

"Being publicly humiliated…...are you really strong?" Luffy.

"Mind your own business!" Zoro.

"It is our business, right captain?" Kaizo.

"Since when did you join my crew?" Luffy.

"I want to join your crew and that's final." Kazio.

"Oi, if you came here to bother then get out of here, I don't need any more distractions." Zoro.

"Still, it's quite something, if I were you, I would have left at the 3rd day." Luffy.

"I have more willpower than you, I'll survive to prove it, I'll definitely will." Zoro.

"Eh…how stubborn you are." Luffy was about to walk out but Zoro told him to feed him the trashed rice ball.

Zoro ate the rice ball and both Luffy and Kaizo left the execution grounds.

"So…can I join your crew now?" Kaizo.

"Nope." Luffy.

"How about now?"

"No."

"Now?"

"No."

"Now? Now? Now? Now? Now? Now? Now? Now? Now? Now? Now? Now? Now?"

"No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No, No."

"But why?!"

Luffy looks at him with a serious expression and then makes a goofy smile.

"Kidding! Of course, you can join! I don't exactly know you but, I can tell that you are a good guy." Luffy.

"Eh? How can you do that Luffy-san?" Coby.

"I just felt it."

The group arrives at the restaurant Food Foo to get some food but are received by the unsightful presence of Helmeppo.

The idiot son is eating for free on the restaurant but constantly mocks both the owners and other clients around him to feel superior.

Helmeppo then confesses that he has no plans to free Zoro and that he will be executed tomorrow in the morning. After hearing him, both Luffy and Kaizo punched Helmeppo in the face.

"Wh-who the hell are you!?" Helmeppo.

"Luffy-san! Kaizo-san! Stop it!" Coby.

"This guy is scum!" Luffy.

"Scum? He's more like rotten shit!" Kaizo.

"Y-you punched me! I'm the son of the captain Morgan!"

"So what?!" Kaizo/Luffy.

"I'll tell my daddy and you'll get executed!"

"Why don't you do something on your own for once?!" Luffy.

"Calm yourself down, Luffy-san! Kaizo-san! Do you want to have the Navy as your enemies!?" Coby.

"Wouldn't make much different with our career choices anyway." Kaizo.

"I've decided, Coby! Kaizo! I'll…make Zoro my Nakama!" Luffy.

Meanwhile, Zoro is having some flashbacks about his late best friend and rival Kuina. After losing to her on numerous occasions, Zoro made a promise with her, and for that reason he cannot die out of hunger there.

Zoro wakes up from his dream and sees both Luffy and Kaizo looking at him.

"You two again? You guys have way too much free time." Zoro.

"I'm going to untie you, become my Nakama." Luffy.

"What?" Zoro.

"I'm looking for Nakamas for my pirate crew." Luffy.

"I refuse!" Zoro.

"We refuse your refusal!" Kaizo.

"Tch! Do you want me to become a villain? Such a drag…" Zoro.

"What's wrong with being a pirate?" Luffy.

"Pirates are scum. Who would want to be one?" Zoro.

"Us." Kaizo pointed the three of them.

"Besides, what's the problem? You're already known as an infamous pirate hunter." Luffy.

"I don't care what society says. I have never done something that I would regret. I'll survive…I'll do what I have to do!" Zoro.

"Ah…I see. Too bad I've already decided that you will be my Nakama." Luffy.

"You can't decide that by yourself!" Zoro.

"We're not the ones tied to a post so…I'm pretty sure we have the upper hand here." Kaizo.

Zoro looks at him with an annoyed expression but then looks at his sword.

'What type of sword is that? I can feel some sort of energy coming from it.' Zoro.

"You use a sword, right?" Luffy.

"Huh?" Zoro.

"Since you've been eying Kaizo's sword, I have the hunch that you use them." Luffy.

"Yes, I do use swords but, that idiot son took them away." Zoro.

"I'll go get it for you." Luffy.

"Eh?" Zoro.

"And then, when I return your sword, you will become my Nakama." Luffy.

"What a fool you are!" Zoro.

"Kaizo, you stay here and free Zoro, I'll look for his sword." Luffy spoke as he was running to another direction.

"Ok! If you see more than one sword, take them. Also, that's the wrong direction!" Kaizo.

"Is he planning to attack the base by himself?" Zoro.

"Yes, it does seem to be that way." Kaizo.

Kaizo swiftly cut the ropes using his Zanpakuto and freed Zoro.

"Why did you guys meddle in my business? The bet…" Zoro.

"There was no fair bet in the first place." Kaizo.

"¿?"

"Helmeppo never planned to keep his word, he only did that to mess with you before your execution. That's why Luffy and I got mad and decided to end this scam once and for all." Kaizo.

Zoro was speechless about what they said, he couldn't prove that what he said was either true or false but, his instinct told him to believe and that was more than enough.

"Here, eat this." Kaizo gave Zoro a bento.

"We'll be fighting marines really soon so, better have a stomach full instead of an empty one." Kaizo.

*THUM*

A rock statue of the captain Morgan from the navy crashed unto the floor and broke down.

"Seems that the time has arrived, prepare yourself 3rd in command." Kaizo took a battle stance and prepared himself for battle.