The two of us wandered the streets of Shells Town, stretching out the stiffness in our limbs. After everything that had happened, I could finally say we were in a good mood.
Not long after, we found the little girl who had brought food to Zoro and passed along his gratitude.
Her face lit up with happiness, but before we could say anything more, Coby rushed forward, his face tense. "I saw everything earlier… Is Zoro really a bad guy?"
The little girl puffed up her cheeks, clearly annoyed. "Of course not! He just looks scary, so people assume the worst. But he's actually really nice!"
She clenched her fists, voice growing serious. "He was only captured because he saved me! Captain Morgan's son, Helmeppo, had a pet wolf. That thing terrorized the town for weeks and hurt a lot of people! I almost got bitten, too. Zoro killed it to protect me… but then Helmeppo had the Marines arrest him. He said Zoro would be forgiven if he survived for a month without food."
Luffy nodded thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. "Sounds like Zoro's a good guy."
I yawned. "Yeah, real good." Not gonna lie, future vice-captain, but watching you starve in the dirt is kind of painful. Can we speed this up?
Coby clenched his fists. "So he really isn't a criminal… It's all because of that bastard Helmeppo!"
A sneering voice cut through the air before anyone could respond.
"Hehehe, kneel down, or I'll tell my dad!"
Speak of the devil.
Helmeppo strutted down the street with a squad of Marines at his back, looking every bit as punchable as before.
"You wanna end up like Roronoa Zoro?" he sneered. "I've decided—I'm gonna execute him in three days! That should teach people not to mess with me!"
Luffy's face darkened. "Three days? But he promised Zoro that if he held out for a month, he'd be let go."
I sighed, stretching lazily. "Yeah, I heard. Captain, just do what you want. I'll back you up." As if this Marine base has anyone strong enough to stop us.
Luffy clenched his fist and rushed forward.
BANG!
His fist met Helmeppo's face, sending the bastard's teeth flying.
Coby barely had time to blink before Luffy threw another punch. He freaked out, scrambling forward to grab him. "Luffy, stop! He's a scumbag, but this isn't worth it!"
Helmeppo groaned, barely conscious. "You hit me… You're dead! My dad will—!"
"The colonel's son—quick, protect him!" The Marines hesitated, then charged.
I stepped forward, gripping my sword hilt lightly. "Do me a favor and don't interrupt my captain."
The Marines exchanged nervous glances… then rushed in anyway.
"Tch." I weaved between their attacks, knocking them down one by one. Before long, they were sprawled out on the ground, groaning in pain. I dusted off my hands and looked at Luffy. "You should probably stop before you kill him."
Luffy blinked, glancing at Helmeppo's swollen, misshapen face. "Huh. Guess I got carried away."
The remaining Marines scrambled to their feet, grabbed Helmeppo, and ran off without looking back.
"Wow, big bro, you're amazing!" the little girl cheered.
A woman's voice called from nearby, "Rika! Come back here!"
The girl hesitated, then ran off, throwing one last look our way.
Luffy waved. "Alright, let's go save Zoro! I want him on my crew."
I shrugged. "Fine by me."
Coby, meanwhile, was still standing there screaming.
---
Zoro, tied up and looking just as miserable as before, sighed when he saw us approach. "You again? Look, if you're here to convince me to be a pirate, forget it."
Luffy grinned. "I'll untie you, and then you can be my crew member!"
(－＂－)
"Are you deaf?! I said no!"
Luffy pouted. "But I already decided you're joining."
"WHAT KIND OF LOGIC IS THAT?!"
I clapped Zoro on the shoulder, shaking my head. "Yeah… welcome to the club."
He narrowed his eyes at me. "You're just like him, huh?"
I looked away, feeling slightly attacked. "Anyway… I heard your swords were taken. We'll get them back for you."
(`皿´)
Zoro stared at us in disbelief. "Are all pirates this underhanded?!"
Luffy just laughed and ran off.
I crouched down to untie him.
"No, wait!" Zoro's voice was tense. "I made a deal. If I last a month, I go free."
I frowned. "You really believe that?"
He clenched his jaw. "I have to. My goal is to be the world's greatest swordsman. I don't need pirate tricks to get there."
I met his gaze. "Yeah? Well, you're set to be executed in three days. Helmeppo never planned to honor that deal."
Zoro stiffened. "How do you—"
"Priorities, man! You can't be the world's greatest swordsman if you're dead." I sighed, pulling out my sword.
[Seriously, what kind of knots are these?]
I raised my blade to cut through the ropes—
CLANG!
A gunshot rang out.
The bullet struck my sword, sending sparks flying.
I snapped my gaze upward.
Captain Morgan stood on the roof of the Marine base, his axe-hand gleaming under the sun.
His eyes locked onto mine, filled with cold fury.
For a moment, silence hung between us, thick with tension.
Then, everything exploded into action.