Chapter 3: East Blue Arc: Enter the Great Swordsman! Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro!

"We made it!" Luffy whooped once they landed on shore. "The Navy base city!"

"Seriously Luffy-san." Coby cautioned as they scrolled through the market. "You're crazy to want him to join you."

"I still haven't decided yet." Luffy assured. "I just wanna see if he's a good guy."

"He's been caught because he's a bad guy!" Coby exclaimed.

"Do you know if Zoro's at the base?" Luffy asked the fruit seller, biting into a pear and tossing a bronze coin to the vendor.

"It would seem the name 'Zoro' is taboo here..." Coby whispered, seeing everyone's frightened expressions.

"Well, let's check out the base anyway." Luffy suggested. "You're gonna be a Marine, right?"

"But I'm not really ready yet..." Coby stammered. "Rumor has it a guy named Captain Morgan is at this base, and..." and sweatdropped once he saw the citizens jumping apart in shock. "It's strange." he noted. "I understand Zoro, but why are they afraid of a Navy Captain's name? I suddenly feel uneasy about this. Luffy-san, what in the world are you doing?" he exclaimed, seeing Luffy attempt to climb over the stone wall once they arrived in front of the base's steel gates.

"Now, where's this demon?" Luffy peered out into the yard. "There he is!" he leapt off the wall and changed spots for a better look. "There he is!"

"He shouldn't be out..." Coby objected, peering over the wall. "A black hood and a hamamaki..." he gaped, seeing Zoro tied to a wooden stake in the middle of the courtyard. That's Roronoa Zoro!

"He can get away easy if we untie those ropes." Luffy suggested.

"Don't be stupid!" Coby snapped. "There's no telling what'll happen if we let him loose! I bet he'd try and kill you too, Luffy-san!"

"Don't worry." Luffy assured. "I'm strong."

"Hey, you guys." Zoro called out. "You're an eyesore. Get lost."

Just then, a ladder suddenly appeared beside Coby and Rika appeared on the ladder. Hushing the two spectators, she let down a rope and ran towards Zoro.

"Rika!" Sasha called out after the child, too late to stop her.

"Yo, Sasha!" Luffy greeted his sister.

"You're late, aniki!" Sasha scolded.

"What?" Zoro looked at the girl in front of him.

"You must be hungry." Rika smiled. "I made you some rice balls."

"Do you want to get killed, pipsqueak?" Zoro chided. "Scram!"

"You haven't eaten anything this whole time." Rika unwrapped the rice balls. "Here, this is my first time, but I worked really hard to make them."

"I ain't hungry!" Zoro retorted. "You're an eyesore! Get the hell outta here!"

"But..." Rika muttered.

"I don't want them." Zoro insisted. "Don't make me kick your ass!"

"It's not nice to be a bully." Helmeppo entered the yard with two Navy officers in tow. "You seem surprisingly well, Roronoa Zoro. Those are some tasty-looking rice balls." he peered at the rice balls Rika had and snatched one up to eat. "Too damn sweet!" he exclaimed. "Those're full of sugar! You're supposed to use salt for rice balls."

"But I thought they might taste better sweet." Rika stated.

"Take this!" Helmeppo swatted the other rice ball to the ground and stomped on it.

"And I worked so hard to make those..." Rika teared.

"Did you not read this notice?" Helmeppo taunted, pulling out an order. "Those who help the criminal will be executed. Navy Captain Morgan. Looks like even little brats know how scary my dad is."

"Then, that's Captain Morgan's son?" Coby gaped.

"You." Helmeppo gave one of his subordinates a look. "Throw this kid out. I said, throw her over the wall!" he snapped. "Or can you not follow my orders? Don't make me tell my dad."

"I'm sorry, little girl." the officer approached the child. "Curl yourself into a ball." with that, he threw her over the wall.

Luffy reacted, stretching out his arm and catching Rika before she hit the ground.

"Rika!" Sasha hurried over with Coby in tow. "Let me take a look." she turned the girl around to look for any injuries.

"You sure are stubborn about staying alive." Helmeppo mocked.

"I will live the full month." Zoro swore.

"Good luck with that." Helmeppo taunted.

"Ten days left, you know." Zoro reminded.

"Assuming you can live that long." Helmeppo laughed and walked off.

"How can he be so cruel, Luffy-san?" Coby wondered. "He's gone?" he looked around frantically.

"Knowing him, he's probably..." Sasha shook her head, giving the stone wall a glance.

"I hear you are a bad guy." Luffy stated, standing in front of Zoro.

"Are you still here?" Zoro asked.

"Being stuck out here for all to see..." Luffy sighed. "Are you strong after all?"

"Mind your own business!" Zoro snapped.

"If it were me, I'd probably starve to death in three days." Luffy joked.

"I got more spirit than you." Zoro retorted. "I will live through this. I swear it. Wait." he stopped Luffy. "Could you pick that up for me?" he gave the demolished rice ball a look. "It was good." he muttered, swallowing the muddied rice ball. "Thanks for the food."

"Really?" Rika beamed.

"Yeah." Luffy assured. "He ate every last bite."

"Is Zoro really as evil as the rumors say?" Coby wondered.

"No!" Rika protested. "After all, he let himself be crucified in our place."

"Oi, Sasha, you know what she means?" Luffy looked at his sister.

"No." Sasha shook her head. "This happened before I came here."

"It's all that Helmeppo's fault." Rika explained. "He's Captain Morgan's son." and recounted how Helmeppo had let his guard dog loose on the streets and when it burst into Rika's mother's restaurant and started gobbling the patrons' food, Rika had tried to stop the dog, only to have her mother stop her. The dog then turned its attention on Rika and jumped to attack when a stool knocked the morgue to the ground and allowing Rika's mother to lead her daughter away as Helmeppo and Zoro faced off. After Helmeppo threatened to execute both mother-and-daughter, he offered Zoro a deal: to be crucified in place of the mother-and-daughter for a month. "It's been three weeks since then." she added. "Helmeppo punches and kicks him while he's tied up. I... I..." she flung herself at Sasha and wept.

Just then, the group heard a crash from Rika's mother's restaurant.

"I'm hungry!" Helmeppo slammed a foot on a table. "Let's all eat for free. Bring me some booze. I've been bored lately." he added, a waitress pouring out wine. "So I've decided to execute Zoro tomorrow. Look forward to it. What the hell are you doing?" he glared at Luffy who had suddenly punched him into a wall.

"Luffy-san, please stop!" Coby pulled the enraged Luffy back.

"This guy is scum!" Luffy hissed.

"You hit me!" Helmeppo stammered. "I'm Captain Morgan's son, you know!"

"So what?" Luffy snapped.

"I'm gonna tell my dad and he's gonna execute you!" Helmeppo promised. "However," he leered at Sasha behind Luffy. "I could let you off if that pretty girl comes back with me."

"Fight me yourself!" Luffy glared. "I've made up my mind, Coby." he informed the younger boy. "I'm going to have Zoro join my crew."

"You again?" Zoro looked up and see Luffy in front of him. "You sure have lots of free time."

"I'll untie you, so join my crew." Luffy stated. "I'm looking for people to join my pirate crew."

"Forget it!" Zoro retorted. "Me, stooping to a criminal's level! Screw that."

"What's wrong about being a pirate?" Luffy asked.

"Pirates are despicable!" Zoro snapped. "As if I'd wanna be one."

"Oh, come on." Luffy chided. "You're already known as an evil bounty hunter."

"People can say whatever they want." Zoro remarked. "But I ain't done anything I regret. I will live through this and accomplish what I want."

"But I've decided you're gonna to join me." Luffy insisted.

"Quit deciding on your own!" Zoro barked.

"I hear you use swords." Luffy ignored him.

"Yeah." Zoro confirmed. "But that stupid son took my stuff."

"I'll go get it back for you." Luffy promised. "So if you want your sword, join my crew." laughing, he ran off.

"It's one traitor after another..." Captain Morgan growled, Luffy having ran off with Helmeppo when he was alerted by one of his soldiers about movement in the courtyard.

"Please escape, Zoro-san." Coby requested, as he and Sasha worked on the ropes.

"You two will be killed for doing that, you know." Zoro reminded.

"I can't stand to watch the Navy like this anymore." Coby admitted. "I want to be an honorable Marine."

"Stop!" Zoro scolded. "I can't escape I only got ten days until..."

"You're going to be executed tomorrow." Coby cut him off. "Helmeppo never intended to honor your agreement. So Luffy-san got angry and punched him. The Navy is after Luffy-san now. I won't ask you to be a pirate. But please, help Luffy-san. Luffy-san is the only one who can save you, Zoro-san. And I think you're the only one who can save Luffy-san now."

"End of the line!" Captain Morgan barked, entering the yard with his soldiers. "For the crime of treachery against me, I'll now execute you three where you stand. This is some interesting stuff you guys've pulled. Were you three and that straw hat kid planning a coup or something?"

"I've always fought alone." Zoro stated. "Unlike arrogant bastards like you who use soldiers as cronies."

"Roronoa Zoro..." Captain Morgan remarked. "Don't you dare underestimate me! You may be strong, but before my authority, you're as good as scum. Aim!" he gave the order. "What is this pressure?" he was stunned when he sensed a stifling force restraining him and his soldiers. "Impossible!" he gaped, turning to Sasha who had released her Divine Haki to stop the Marines from attacking. "How can a mere child emit such power? Haki..." he recognized the power. "Is this the Conqueror's Haki of legend?"

"Gum-Gum Rocket!" Luffy shot out of Helmeppo's room with Zoro's three blades strapped to his back.

"Who the hell are you?" Zoro gaped at the siblings, the grinned Luffy landing in front of his sister.

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy." Luffy introduced himself. "The man's who's gonna be King of the Pirates."

"I"m this idiot's adopted sister, Sasha." Sasha rolled her eyes. "Ne, Zoro," she turned her head to the green-haired swordsman. "Do you know Haki?"