Ch 2 The Great Pirate Hunter, Zoro!

Alex's boat arrives a Shell Island, Luffy, Koby, and Alex disembark. The three walk into town and begin asking around for information on Roronoa Zoro, but are met with nothing but responses of fear at the mention of Zoro's name.

Luffy: " Huh, I wonder why everyone's so afraid of Zoro."

Koby: " It's because he's a demon Luffy!"

Alex: " He's not a demon, he's just a man."

Luffy: " I wonder where he is."

Alex: " We should go check out the marine base, I overheard someone say something about a pirate hunter being arrested when we arrived."

They make they're towards the local marine base, in hopes of finding Zoro. The base was incredibly large, easily the biggest structure on the entire island. A large wall surrounds the entire base, making entry quite difficult.

Koby: " Well, I guess this is where I say goodbye. Thank you for everything Luffy, but now that I'm here I can finally fulfill my dream of becoming a marine."

Alex: " Why would you want to be a marine?"

Koby: " Because they protect people."

Alex: " Is that what you think? Maybe one day you'll find out the truth for yourself, like I did."

Koby: " What do you mean?"

Luffy: " Hey guys! I think I found Zoro!" He yells down at the two from the top of the wall.

Alex climbs up the wall and stands beside Luffy. Tied to a cross, wearing a black bandanna over his green hair is the infamous pirate hunter Roronoa Zoro.

Luffy: " So, is that guy Zoro?"

Alex: " Yeah, that's him alright."

A ladder is set up against the wall, and a girl with brown hair put into pigtails climbs up the ladder. She reaches the top of the wall and carefully climbs down the other side and makes her way towards Zoro.

Luffy: " What's that girl doing?"

Alex: " Not sure, but if we want Zoro to join us, we should probably get him out of here."

Once the girl reaches Zoro, she pulls two rice balls out of her pouch and holds them up to Zoro.

Girl: " Here, it's for you. I worked really hard to make it."

A blonde snobbish man walks into the courtyard, with several marines alongside him. He walks up to the girl and Zoro, he takes one of the rice balls and eats eat, immediately spitting it out.

Snobbish Blonde: " Why the hell is it sweet?!"

Girl: " Because I used sugar instead of salt."

The snobbish man grabs the rice balls and throws them to the ground, stomping on them.

Snobbish Blonde: " Get her out of here!"

One of the marines grabs the girl and takes her out of the base, the rest of the marines, including the snobbish man leave as well.

Luffy jumps down into the courtyard, followed by Alex. The two make their way over to Zoro.

Luffy: " I'll free you if you agree to join my crew."

Zoro: " No."

Luffy: " Huh, why?"

Zoro: " Because I'm going to survive a whole week without eating, just to spite that damn bastard, Helmeppo."

Alex: " I don't know whether to call you an idiot or admire you."

Zoro: " Can feed me that?" He gestures with his head to the flattened rice balls.

Luffy: " Huh, but it's covered in sand and flattened."

Zoro: " I don't care."

Luffy picks the rice balls up and gives them to Zoro, who eats both of them with no complaints.

Zoro: " Tell that girl, tell her that they were delicious."

Alex and Luffy respect Zoro's wishes and head back into town to find the girl who made the rice balls.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alex, Luffy, and Koby find the girl in a local restaurant.

Luffy: " Hey, you're the girl who gave Zoro the rice balls, right?"

Girl: " Yeah, my name's Rika."

Luffy: " Zoro said the rice balls were delicious."

Rika: " Really?"

Luffy: " Yeah. He asked us to tell you that."

Alex: " Hey Rika, is Zoro actually a bad guy, like everyone says?"

Rika: " No! He's saved me!"

Alex: " Saved you?"

Rika: " Yeah, one day that blonde guy, Helmeppo, brought a vicious wolf in here. It tried to attack everyone, but Zoro stopped it. He then tried to stop Helmeppo, but he told Zoro that if he didn't surrender, he would execute everyone there."

Alex: " Damn marines, corrupt as they come."

Koby: " I'm sure it's not all marines."

Alex: " All the ones I've met."

Helmeppo and two other marines walk into the restaurant, talking about how he plans to execute Zoro tomorrow.

Alex: " What? That's not what he told Zoro."

Luffy stomps towards Helmeppo and punches him in the jaw, sending the blond to the ground.

Luffy: " How could you lie to Zoro?!"

Helmeppo: " Do you know what you just did?! Do you know who I am?! My father will kill you!"

Helmeppo runs out of the restaurant, followed by the two marines.

Alex: " Luffy, I think it's time we get Zoro out of there."

Luffy: " Yeah, and then he'll have to join my crew!"

Alex and Luffy run off towards the marine base, followed by Koby.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thery arrive at the marine base, Alex points his hands at the ground and creates two miniature explosions, launching himself over the wall. Luffy follows after him, pulling himself and Koby over the wall using his stretching abilities.

Luffy and Alex rush over, Zoro looks up as the two approach him.

Zoro: " I thought I told you I didn't want your help."

Alex: " That bastard Helmeppo lied to you, he's going to kill you tomorrow."

Zoro: " What?! He told me that if I could survive here a week, he'd let me go."

Alex: " He lied. So, why don't we get you out of here, and you can kick the bastard's ass."

Zoro: " I'll need my swords."

Luffy: " Where are they? I'll go get them for you."

Zoro: " That bastard Helmeppo took them."

Luffy stretches his arm to the top of the base, and grabs onto the top of the statue.

Luffy: " Gomu Gomu no Rocket!" He yells, as he releases the tension on his arm, and launches himself to the top of the base, he reaches the top, knocking over the statue in the process.

Alex: " Damnit Luffy!"

Alex and Koby begin untying Zoro, they successfully untie him but find themselves surrounded by Captain Morgan and his men. Captain Morgan was a large man with a metal piece for a jaw and an axe for a hand.

Morgan: " Execute them, now!"

The marines aim their guns at the three and open fire.

Zoro: ' I can't die yet.'

Before the bullets can reach them, Luffy appears in front of the three, blocking all the bullets.

Zoro: " Who are you?"

Luffy: " I'm Monkey D. Luffy! The man who will be Pirate King!"