18 First Crew Members!

Zora explored Fishman Island with the Boa sisters and got a lot closer with all of them especially Hancock. Marigold continued to run around and look at different items for sale and begged Hancock for something every 30 seconds.

"Onee-chan! Can I get this bubble thingy!" Marigold exclaimed as she pointed to a gun that shoots bubbles.

"Hais, Marigold you already have so much stuff! Think about Zora's poor pockets they'll be sad!" Hancock said as Zora cried anime tears.

"I'm sorry Zora's pockets! Marigold won't ask for anything anymore!" Marigold said as she ran up to Zora and gave her a big hug. Zora smiled and patted Marigold on her head.

"C'mon, let's go eat some food!" Zora said with a large grin.

"Yeah!" Sandersonia said as she pumped her first into the air.

"No no no! We already ate 3 times today!" Hancock said and Zora and Sandersonia's facial expressions fell.

"B-But-" Sandersonia tried to plead.

"No." Hancock said with her arms crossed.

"Hais, can we fight something then? All this exploring is getting old!" Zora said as she scouted for some unfortunate criminal to commit a crime.

"I know! How about we get some weapons! Can't leave 3 defenseless girls alone, can we?" Zora said as Marigold and Sandersonia agreed with her making Hancock sigh and follow them to a blacksmith. They walked in and were greeted by a tall Fishman who was carrying a load of metal no normal human could carry.

"Hello, young ladies! What'ya looking for?" The blacksmith asked as he set the metal down.

"I'm looking for weapons for my friends here! I don't know what they use specifically so they'll tell you!" Zora said with a big grin.

"Alrighty! Well, you go first young lady!" The blacksmith said to Marigold.

"I want a golden katana with diamonds!" Marigold said looking proud of herself.

"Jahahahaha! Unfortunately, I don't have enough gold and diamonds for that little one. You'll have to pick something else!" The blacksmith laughed heartily. Marigold's facial expression fell and she looked at the wall of swords.

"I want that one!" Marigold pointed at a saber with a golden hilt, yellow guard, and round crossguard. The sheath was also green and it looked a lot like a certain Yonko's sword.

"Good ol' Jryphon huh? I made its counterpart for a pirate, these two are some of my best works! I'll sell it to you for 1.3M berries!" The blacksmith said and Zora paid with a golden shard from the Shandorian bell.

"Yay! I have a cool sword like Zora!" Marigold said as she hugged the saber tightly.

"I guess I'll go next," Sandersonia said as she looked around the store finding something she liked.

"I like this, how much?" Sandersonia pointed to a long silver-colored trident with black engravings along the shaft.

"Toru! The first trident I ever made! It'll cost ya 800,000 berries!" The blacksmith said as Zora paid with a smaller shard from the Shandorian bell.

"I guess I'm last." Hancock said as she toured the smithy. She searched until she found a katana with a red sheath with rose petals. The handle was red and the pommel was gold, the crossguard was X-shaped and also gold-colored.

"I like this one." Hancock said and the blacksmith came over to explain the origins of the blade.

"Genshi, this blade is once again one of the best blades I've smithed. Its sharpness is comparable to the 12 Supreme Grade Blades! I grade it at the Great Grade level. I'll give ya' a discount on this one because of your business. Which brings the price to around 10M berries!" The blacksmith said and Zora's eyes popped out of her head. She reached into her bag and gave the blacksmith 3 medium-sized shards.

"I'm going to be broke by the end of the day..." Zora said as she resigned to her fate as a wallet. They left the shop and Hancock began to lecture Marigold on weapon safety.

"Marigold, only use this when you really need it okay? Don't point it at people or play around with it, this is a very dangerous weapon." Hancock said as Marigold nodded rapidly.

"Okay! I won't point or play with it! Only use it when I need to! When is that?" Marigold asked and Zora and Sandersonia laughed.

"When a Marine or a suspicious person like the people who captured us comes at you. You have permission to use the sword and hurt them." Hancock said and her inability to use a sword dawned upon her.

"We have no idea how to use our weapons! I know Masamune can tutor us but what about Sandersonia? Whose going to show her how to use a trident?" Hancock asked as she looked at Sandersonia who also realized it.

"Don't worry, where there is a will there is a way! I'm sure Masamune can tutor her on trident use, I mean she is a weapon and all." Zora said and they calmed down a little.

"Now onto the real reason why I brought you guys into the weapon shop." Zora said as the Boa sisters looked at her with confusion.

"I want to have a pirate crew! I realize the past few years alone and the last couple of weeks talking to Masamune that I have been alone. Having a sword as my only friend isn't a big achievement of mine so I'm asking if you guys will be my first crewmates!" Zora said loudly.

"It's fine if you-" Zora was saying before she was cut off.

"Of course we will. Although we would like to visit our home at least one time during our journey I also nominate myself as First Mate!" Hancock said and Marigold pouted at the loss of the First Mate position.

"You really mean it!" Zora said as her voice became shaky and her eyes began to water.

"Yeah!" The Boa sisters said in unison and Zora bursted into tears. Hancock was shocked at the sight of Zora crying and tried to comfort her.

"You guys are my first friends that aren't animals or objects! I'm so thankful!" Zora said as she hugged all of them.

This starts the journey of the Hydra Pirates!

[TO BE CONTINUED]