Joining straw hats?

When Aryash arrived at the Marine base, he witnessed a momentous occasion: the meeting between the Strongest Pirate King and his right-hand man. As he looked on, he saw a man with a black bandana on his head and a cloth wrapped around his waist. Despite the bandana not covering his green hair, Aryash could tell that this man had a reputation to match his appearance.

The intimidating aura around him only served to confirm this suspicion, and Aryash's instincts were warning him to be careful. However, next to him stood another man with a plain appearance, a straw hat on his head, and a cut mark under his left eye. What stood out the most about this man, though, was the undying excitement and perpetual smile on his face. Seeing this infectious smile, Aryash couldn't help but genuinely smile for the first time in a while.

Using his heightened senses, Aryash could easily pick up on what the two men were discussing. He noticed that Zoro, the man with the straw hat, was covered in blood and tied up with ropes. It was clear that he and the other man had been starved for a few days now. Upon closer inspection, Aryash also noticed a fresh wound on Zoro's face, indicating that something had happened before he arrived.

Zoro, with an intimidating aura around him, said to the straw hat man, "You still haven't left yet? Leave now or else he'll go and tell his dad about it!" Hearing this, Aryash deduced that something had transpired before he arrived. 'he'll probably go 'tell his dad' , implying that the guy's dad was a powerful figure in the area. The only powerhouse around here was the lieutenant Morgan, and his son 'Helmeppo' was known to be a bastard. He probably paid these two guys a visit.

The straw hat man replied with a smile on his face that showed no worries and pure genuine excitement. "Oh yeah? I'm looking for someone to join my pirate fleet."

Hearing the word "pirate," Zoro made a sour expression and said in a neutral tone, "Pirate? Heh...! So you just gave up on life and became a crook, huh?"

To Aryash's surprise, the straw hat guy replied with a serious tone, his eyes glowing red for a moment. "It's my dream! There's nothing wrong with being a pirate!!"

Ignoring the straw hat guy, Zoro said with a smirk on his face, "Hm! Don't tell me you're gonna set me free and force me to join you."

The straw hat guy replied nonchalantly, "I still haven't made up my mind, yet since everyone thinks you're a bad guy," speaking the part seriously.

Zoro's wounds were never treated, so the flowing blood around his eyes made him look even more frightening. He replied, "A bad guy, huh? I'll never join you because I have something that I need to take care of! I could survive even if you don't help me! I just need to stay alive for one month. The bastard kid promised to let me go afterward. I'm gonna do everything I can to stay alive and fulfill my dreams."

The straw hat guy listened to Zoro seriously but replied in a joking tone, "Really? If I were you, I think I'd starve to death in a week."

"That's why we're different. Go find someone else to join you," replied Zoro.

After listening to their conversation, something inside Aryash started to tingle. The word "dream" had left a deep impact on him. He didn't know why, but his heart was telling him to talk to the straw hat guy.

Aryash suppressed his urge to intervene and left the conversation there, starting to walk away.

As Aryash was leaving, he noticed two small figures fidgeting nearby as if they were waiting for someone. The figures belonged to a boy with pink hair and round glasses, and a girl. Aryash slowly walked towards them and asked in a curious tone, "What are you two doing here? Children are not supposed to be around this area."

Upon seeing Aryash approach, the pink-haired boy became wary and thought that Aryash was just someone who did not want children to be there. He tried to reply, but was quickly cut off by the small girl, who spoke faster than him.

"Hello! Brother, my name is Rika! And this is Koby. We are waiting for big brother Luffy to come back. He and brother Zoro are talking in there," Rika told Aryash.

Aryash replied, "Oh, so the guy with the straw hat is named Luffy. You two should not be waiting here. What if Helmeppo sees you?"

Rika answered, "Sorry brother, but we will wait for Luffy-ni- san. You know Zoro-ni-san is not a bad guy. Those guys are keeping him captive for just killing a wolf pet."

"I know, little Rika. Let us adults handle this. You kids should play and not worry about this," Aryash reassured her.

Turning towards Koby, Aryash asked him, "And who might you be?"

As Koby was about to reply, he was cut off by a loud voice coming from behind them.

"Oi, Koby, I'm back!" shouted a guy in a straw hat.

Both Koby and Rika shouted with joy, "Luffy-san! You're back!"

As Luffy approached, his usual contagious smile was plastered on his face. However, his expression quickly shifted to one of shock upon seeing Aryash with Koby and Rika.

"Hey, what are you doing here, and Who are you?" Luffy asked, genuinely surprised to see the man.

Koby quickly stepped in to explain how they had come across each other and what they had been discussing. Luffy listened intently, his curiosity piqued.

Once Koby finished speaking, Luffy turned his attention to Aryash. "So, what do you say? Join my crew!" he exclaimed excitedly.

Aryash was taken aback by the statement. He couldn't seem to understand the workings of Luffy's brain. How could someone just come up to a stranger and offer them a spot on their crew?

"I don't think I can, Luffy-san," Aryash replied, hesitantly. "You see, I haven't decided what I'll do or where I'll live."

Luffy turned around without saying anything, which made Aryash quite surprised. But soon, Rika and Koby followed him, and having nowhere else to go, Aryash followed them quietly.

As they walked, Luffy turned back to Aryash and said nonchalantly. "You know, Aryash, you don't have to know where you're going or what you're doing. That's the beauty of being a pirate! We go where the wind takes us and make our own destiny!"

Aryash looked at Luffy, his words ringing in his ears. Maybe Luffy had a point. Maybe he didn't have to have everything figured out just yet.

As they continued walking, Luffy turned back to Aryash once again. "Besides," he said with a grin, "it'll be fun! We'll have lots of adventures and see amazing things!"

Aryash couldn't help but smile at Luffy's infectious energy. Maybe, just maybe, joining Luffy's crew was exactly what he needed to find his purpose in life. With newfound confidence, Aryash looked at Luffy and nodded. "Okay, I'll join your crew!" he said with a smile.

Luffy's face lit up with excitement. "Yes!" he shouted, pumping his fist into the air. "Welcome to the crew, Aryash!"

And with that, the group started walking to somewhere...

******

On the busy street, Luffy, Aryash, Rika, and Coby sat on barrels and stairs, talking with each other. Luffy shared the news that Zoro had eaten the rice ball, and Rika was overjoyed to hear it. She had been feeling guilty about the situation Zoro was in, so hearing that he had something to eat was a relief.

Aryash sat quietly, listening to the conversation, without interrupting as he already knew the whole situation.

As they talked, they were interrupted by the arrival of someone unexpected. It was Helmeppo, carried by two marines on his back. He was an ugly man with a weird hair cut, and Aryash quickly realized that he was the bastard son of Marine Lieutenant Morgan.

The people on the street kneeled in front of Helmeppo, but the Straw Hat crew didn't budge. Helmeppo walked weirdly, with a huge gap between his legs, and he shouted, "Heh Heh Heh Heh!! Who dares raise his head? I'll tell my dad!!"

But when he didn't get a reaction from the group, Helmeppo became flustered and threatened to publicly execute Zoro in three days. He boasted that he was going to use him to set an example for people like them.

When Luffy heard this, his eyes twitched, and he stood up from the barrel. He positioned his straw hat and asked Helmeppo, "Didn't you say you'd give him a month?"

Helmeppo turned towards Luffy and sneered, "Who are you? How rude!" He then laughed and said, "Pfft! I was only joking with him!! Only an idiot would believe that pfft!"

But Luffy's mind was racing. He remembered Zoro's words, "I just need to stay alive for one month, that bastard kid promised me he'll let me go afterward." The thought of Zoro being executed in three days was too much for Luffy to bear.

Luffy clenched his fists, ready to punch Helmeppo, but Aryash quickly stepped in between them. In a proud tone, he said, "Let the main combatant do the fighting, Captain!"

Before anyone could react, Aryash moved at an astounding speed and delivered a straight punch to Helmeppo's stomach, knocking him unconscious and sending him flying a few meters away.

The two marine lackeys quickly took Helmeppo and left in a hurry. Luffy smiled at Aryash and said, "Good work, Aryash! And I have decided we are going to ask Zoro to join us!"

Aryash couldn't help but smile at Luffy's exclamation. Maybe joining the Straw Hat crew was the best decision he had ever made.

What Aryash just did had caused a commotion among the townsfolk, everyone was getting scared and wondering what the Lieutenant would do in response to someone punching his son.

As Rika witnessed Aryash punch Helmeppo and knock him unconscious, she turned towards Aryash with stars glittering in her eyes and exclaimed, "Oni-chan, you were so cool! I was so scared, but you saved us!"

Aryash simply smirked in response to his little sister's admiration.

Suddenly, a worried shout came from behind them, "Ri... RIKA, come here!! Don't talk to them, you will be executed too if you are mistaken as one of them."

Rika hesitated, but tried to defend her new friends. "But mom, Luffy, Aryash and Zoro are good guys! They saved us from those bandits!"

Aryash put a hand on her shoulder, gently interrupting her. "It's okay, Rika. We understand."

With that, the Straw Hats, which currently consisted of only Luffy and Aryash, bid farewell to each other. They knew that if fate willed it, they would meet again..