One Piece 1. Lost at Sea

**Daughter of the Sea Dragon King**

**A**

**One Piece Fanfic**

**By**

**Melissa Oberst**

Chapter #1: Lost at Sea

"What if this life is all just a dream? What if what we perceive as real really isn't and is nothing more then a fabrication of our subconscious to fill in the blanks? I was just a normal girl with a normal life… Making my way through college and soon onto my future career… I was so bored… An avid Otaku, I watched all kinds of anime and read many mangas… It was the closest I'd ever get to real adventure… Or so I thought…"

"………………………………..!?" you stirred from your muddled dreams. Dreams of a strange ship, a violent storm, a large shiny cube of stone, endless waves, friendly faces, family, a shimmering, silvery-blue light, finally an island came into focus through the fog of your mind. Confused, as you usually were by your bizarre dreams, your senses finally began to focus on your surroundings at last. Feeling gritty sand against your skin and cool waves splashing up against your legs wetting you from the waist down you arched an eye brow in bemusement. "What the!? I don't remember being anywhere near the beach," you thought to yourself. The last thing you remembered was falling asleep in your dorm room.

Just as you were about to get up you heard the loud crunching of footsteps heading toward you. Then a gruff voice said, "Oi! Lookie here, mateys! Tis a body!"

Not wanting to have to deal with whoever it was while in such a vulnerable position, you quickly pushed yourself up, but froze as you felt the cold steel of a cutlass resting against your neck. "Well, well… Seems to be we have a castaway, not a body, lads!" said another gruff male voice who held the sword to your throat.

You looked up and saw five men standing around you, blades drawn and three with pistols in their belts. From their rough appearances and salty and rum-soaked stench you could easily tell they were pirates. Stunned, you blinked and tried to find a rational explanation for this. Dreaming was a possibility, but the sword at your neck felt very VERY real and you didn't think it wise to test if it was or not.

One pirate laughed at the stunned and confused look on your face and said, "Frightened are ye'? Well ye' should be. Ye' were unlucky enough to wash up on the island of 'Iron Mace' Alvida, The Lady Pirate!"

Okay, now you had to be dreaming! If your stress-muddled mind remembered correctly, then Alvida was the first villain in your favorite manga, One Piece! "But how the hell…?" you began to ask yourself.

The pirates saw your expression of startled recognition and laughed again. "Ah, shouldn't be surprised that ye' recognized our captain. Come lads, to Alvida with this one!" Before you could even protest, two of the pirates stomped down on your back knocking your arms out from under you and slamming your face back into the sand. They quickly, and roughly, grabbed your wrists, twisted your arms behind your back painfully and tied your wrists together with twine. When they picked you back up you coughed out some sand that had gotten into your mouth then glared furiously at the pirate who had replaced his cutlass at your neck. "Ah! This one's got spunk!" he said with a vile grin.

"Easy now missy, don't mar that pretty face with such looks," said another with a loud laugh.

"Move along!" the two behind you shouted and pushed you forward toward a ship up the shore a ways. The ship was pink and white with a duck as the figurehead. Not exactly your idea of a pirate ship, but it still flew the tell tale jolly roger which for Alvida had a side view of a skull with a heart in the middle and crossed bones behind it. You started walking, somehow physically un-phased by their violent treatment of you. Glaring darkly at the ship ahead, you found that right now you didn't care about how you got here anymore. You were here, and things were not looking good for you.

Within a few minutes your 'escorts' marched you up onto the deck of Alvida's ship. Other pirates glanced at you then gaped for some reason that you couldn't tell at the moment since you were busy staring at the scene before you. A richly decorated, woman's hand ran a finger along the bulwark of the ship then the woman it belonged to asked in a nasal voice, "Why is there so much dust on my bulwark?"

In an instant a nearby pirate, whom you assumed had been responsible for that job, exclaimed an apology, "S-SORRY ABOUT THAT, ALVIDA-SAMA! I THOUGHT I ALREADY CLEANED THE WHOLE DECK!!" He continued to gasp out desperately, "I-I'LL CLEAN IT AGAIN. SO… PLEASE DON'T…!!"

"Please don't what?" the woman asked coldly.

"PLEASE NOT THE IRON MACE!! AUGH!" he pleaded GAN! but was soundly struck over the head with a massive iron club with spikes on the end. The poor pirate went flying and fell to the ground, hopefully unconscious, but more then likely dead with that huge bloody welt on the side of his head.

"Coby," the woman demanded from a little boy, who seemed very out of place on a pirate ship with his pink, mushroom-cut hair and thick nerdy glasses. "Who's the fairest on the sea?" she asked while holding her huge mace in the air with one hand.

"That'll be you, Alvida-sama!!" the boy, Coby, replied with a nervous laugh.

"That's right! And that's why I won't stand for anything dirty on my ship! My ship must be as clean and beautiful as me! Do you hear me? I only let you stay on this ship because you know navigation better then the others," she continued loudly as she turned on the boy.

Coby was kneeling, visibly shaking as he replied, "Y-Yes ma'am. Thank you very much…"

Then she cut him off and shouted, while kicking him, "BUT OTHER THEN THAT YOU'RE TOTALLY USELESS! NOW CLEAN MY SHOES!"

"Y-YES! RIGHT AWAY MA'AM!" Coby replied between sobs.

With that, Alvida turned to the rest of the crew and commanded, "Keep cleaning and don't leave a single spec of dirt!"

"YES MA'AM!" the rest of the crew replied each with a look of terror on their faces.

Alvida surveyed her crew and soon her gaze fell upon you, who were glaring at her. She arched an eyebrow and demanded, "What's this!?! What did you sea-dogs bring me now?"

The pirates swiftly rushed you forward and forced you to sit in front of the lady pirate. Grabbing you by the hair they forced you to look up at Alvida, who for all her boasting of her beauty, was extremely ugly. She looked more like a blob then a person and her clothes could barely contain her rolls of flesh. You felt your anger continuing to rise as the pirate's grip on your hair hurt a lot and was starting to give you a head ache. Finally the pirates declared, "We found this lass washed up on the shore, Alvida-sama!"

"Is that so?" Alvida asked hefting her mace onto her shoulder and giving you an appraising look over. "Tell me your name, girl?" she commanded.

"Mel…" you all but growled, for some reason you felt no fear of the possible consequences for your defiant attitude even though reason told you that you should.

Alvida just grinned wickedly at your response and continued, "Got a foreign look about you with such pale eyes and hair. And what manner of tattoo is that?" She grabbed your left arm sharply and yanked your T-shirt sleeve up revealing the rest of a strange, black tattoo that ran from the top of your shoulder all the way down to the back of your left hand. You gazed at the tattoo in shock, noticing it for the first time and realizing that it had never been there before! It looked like some sort of archaic writing, but you had no idea what it meant. "What land do you hail from, lass?" Alvida asked, her curiosity peaked.

"America…" you replied without thinking, still too overwhelmed by so many strange things all at once.

Alvida released you, stood back up and repeated thoughtfully, "America? Hmmm… Never heard of it."

You snapped back to attention at that and thought, annoyed, "Of course you wouldn't; it doesn't exist in this world after all…"

"What do ye' intend to do with her, Alvida-sama?" the pirates asked eagerly.

After some more thought, she gave you a vile smile and replied, "A foreign wench, with obviously royal markings, decent-looking too. Not nearly as beautiful as me, but still decent… Yes I think I'll get a fine price for her at the next slaver we see. Until then, throw her in the brig!" Then she commanded as the pirates drug you up by your hair and started to march you toward a nearby hatch, "Coby! Bring her some food and a change of clothes! We can't have prize merchandise like this wasting away from neglect!" To get him to hurry she kicked the poor boy again.

"YES MA'AM!" Coby squeaked and dashed off to what you assumed was the kitchen.

Later… you were sitting cross-legged on the hard wooden floor of your cell. Your hands were now unbound, but they had shackled your leg to a large iron chain which was attached to an iron ball that easily weighed 100 lbs. However, you weren't really paying any attention to that now as you were finally taking in the whole ludicrous situation. Arms crossed and your brow furrowed deep in thought you thought to yourself, "Well this bites… First off I don't know how the heck I got here and now I'm stuck in a barred cell, bound to be sold to the highest bidder…. What kind of crap is that!?" It was then that you absently glanced at the tattoo on your arm and couldn't help wondering where it came from. You certainly didn't remember having it done, yet it still seemed familiar somehow. Not coming up with any explanations for the moment, you thought, "Whatever… I can wonder about stuff like that later. Right now I really need to figure out how to get out of here." Standing up you decided to assess your current status. You looked yourself over and found that you were wearing the long grey T-shirt that your dad had given you that had 'shut up and fight' written on it in Latin, black draw-string pants, but that was it, no shoes and no socks. You were unscathed, but smelled of dirt and brine from being in the ocean too long and at that moment your stomach decided to let out a loud growl. Sweat beading you wondered when Coby would show up with your food. It was then that you heard a timid 'ahem' come from the cell door and you saw the boy standing there with a plate in one hand, a water skin slung over his shoulder, and some clothing tucked under his other arm.

"H-Here's your lunch and clothes, Mel-san," Coby said and offered them to you through the slots in the bars.

"Thanks, Coby," you replied and took the plate, water and clothes. First you sat down and started on the food, which looked like some kind of gruel or casserole. You took your first bite and paused in shock as you went blue in the face in disgust. It took all of your will power to keep from spitting it out.

"Not very good, is it?" Coby asked sadly as he noticed the choked expression on your face. "Sorry, I'm not a very good cook and I wasn't allowed to use any decent ingredients," he continued, cringing as if he expected you to hit him.

You arched an eyebrow at his cringing and asked, "What are you doing? I'm not going to hit you."

"Oh, sorry. I'm so used to it that it's sort of a reflex now," he replied while scratching the side of his head sheepishly.

"sigh Relax, I'm not like that fat witch, Alvida," you said.

Coby's eyes bulged in shock and he screeched, "MEL-SAN! YOU CAN'T SAY THAT! WHAT IF SHE HEARD YOU!?! ALVIDA WOULD CRUSH YOUR SKULL WITH HER MACE!!!"

Shrugging you replied unconcerned, "Only IF she can hit me." You took another strained bite and thought, "Damn! I've tasted better crap in the school cafeteria then this! But I guess it's better then starving…"

Coby continued to gape at you in shock while you finished off your meal. He had never seen someone so relaxed even though you were trapped and bound to be sold to who knows where. You were so nonchalant, like you didn't have a care in the world. At length he asked, "How? How can you be so calm? Don't you realize what could happen to you?!" His voice kept growing higher in pitch with each word.

"I'm well aware of what COULD happen to me," you replied, handed him your empty plate and water skin, and continued, "But I won't let it. It's as simple as that."

"Huh!?!" he gaped in awe and confusion, "But how do you expect to get away? I mean, even if you could get out of that cell; that ball would slow you down and you'd get caught again and then Alvida would smash your brains out!"

"Hmmm… I don't know about that," you said.

"Are you nuts!? That ball weighs several hundred pounds! A full grown man couldn't hope to run with it!" he protested.

"Are you sure it's that heavy?" you asked then grabbed the chain attached to your foot and effortlessly lifted the iron ball off the ground with it like you were picking up a deflating balloon. "Huh? That's odd… Is this some kind of joke?" you asked, puzzled by your own strength.

Coby went white as a sheet in shock, stuttering, he desperately reasoned, "It… It must be fake, or hallow! That's it, hallow! There's no way… Impossible!"

Before you could prove him wrong or right, you both heard Alvida shout, "COBY! GET YER ARSE UP HERE NOW!"

In a blink Coby forgot you and dashed up to Alvida and you couldn't help feeling sorry for the poor boy as you watched his retreating form. You then noticed that he had dropped your change of clothes on the other side of the bars too far out of your reach and sighed dejectedly, "Well, if I want to change I HAVE to get out now." You glanced at the iron ball hanging in the air and to test your theory you dropped it and watched as it smashed down hard, denting and snapping the wood beneath it. Blinking in surprise you couldn't believe your eyes, "What the f#!?! But it weighed nothing a second ago…" Finally coming to one conclusion, you reached down to your left ankle that the chain was fettered too, grabbed hold of it with both hands and tried to pull it apart with all your might. sreeeEEECK! **SNAP!** The metal band warped and stretched under the strain then suddenly snapped apart, releasing you from your bonds. You were still surprised, but grinned non-the-less at your new discovery. Wasting no more time, you picked up the ball by the chain once again and began swinging it like a flail. Taking aim for the lock on the door, you swung the iron ball as hard as you could. **KLANG!!!!** The ball smashed into the lock and you heard the small bolts snap and the door slammed open with the extra momentum from your blow. You winced at how loud you had been and tensed yourself for someone to come down and check it out. But after a few minutes, no one came so you relaxed your guard and quickly ducked back into the cell to change. You put on a clean pair of undergarments, (they didn't exactly fit right, but for now it would do), then a button-down, blue, long sleeve top, (you buttoned the cuffs to cover your tattoo although the part on the back of your left hand was still exposed), loose black slacks, socks, and a pair of soft, black, pull-on shoes.

On your way out of the bowels of the ship you came across a large leather bag and stuffed your other clothes into it along with a few 'useful' things you spotted on the way. (a few decent looking knives, first aid equipment, a rather unused sewing kit, some treasure, and a few other trinkets that caught your eye; you can decide the rest) You made it to the main deck and still no pirates, which greatly puzzled you. Just then you heard, what sounded like, Alvida shouting at her crew from the island. Stealthily, you went over to the bulwark and peered around the side of the ship toward Alvida's storage cabin. Well, it used to be a storage cabin, since she had smashed the front half in her foolhardy rage at which you sweat beaded. You watched as Alvida loomed over her trembling men then you recalled what was going on and thought, "Wait! This is when Luffy shows up! Might as well go find him."

That decided, you snuck around to the other side of the ship, so Alvida and her crew wouldn't see you, jumped to shore and dashed into the woods that made up the heart of the island. The forest wasn't too big and in a matter of a few seconds you caught sight of two boys standing near a wooden box and a barrel. One of the boys was obviously Coby while the other was a bit taller, with short, spiky, black hair, wearing a red vest, cut-off jean shorts, and an old straw hat. As you drew closer you heard the boy in the straw hat ask, referring to the box, "What's this? A coffin?"

"That's a boat I've been secretly building for two years," Coby replied while giving the other boy an embarrassed look since the 'boat' really didn't look all that seaworthy. You were approaching from the straw-hat boy's left so when Coby looked at him he saw you drawing near and he when white with shock.

"You spent two years on this? You sure you don't want it anymore?" the straw-hat boy asked. When Coby didn't respond he looked up at him and saw him staring past him, stunned. "What's wrong?" he asked then turned around and saw you standing there with a smile. He looked confused at first then, without a second thought of how you got there, he held out his hand, grinned and said, "Hi, I'm Monkey D. Luffy! Who are you?"

You took his hand and replied, "I'm Mel. Nice to meet you Luffy." Luffy grinned even wider at this and was about to say something else when Coby cut in.

"Mel! How did you get out of the brig!?!" Coby gasped out in shock.

"Brig?" Luffy asked and glanced back and forth between you two.

You shrugged and replied, "I broke out… I told you I wasn't going to just sit there and let them do what they wanted, didn't I?"

"But… But… When Alvida finds out she'll…" Coby stuttered.

You cut him off, "That's my problem, not yours. Anyway, what's going on guys?" Looking at Luffy you asked, "You looking for a ship to get off of this island then?"

"Yep!" Luffy replied with a cheesy grin, "Coby was just showing me his boat." Then he turned to Coby and asked, "But you took so long to build it, don't you want it?"

Coby had calmed down a little bit by now and replied, "Well… I was going to run away in this… but I don't have the guts to do it… Looks like I'm going to be a cabin boy my whole life… Although… I do have something else I wanna do."

"Then you should leave," Luffy said.

Then Coby began shaking his head vigorously and replied in earnest, "NO! NO! I CAN'T! IT'LL NEVER WORK! WHENEVER I THINK OF WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF ALVIDA CAUGHT ME… MY LEGS TURN ALL MUSHY!! I GET SO SCARED!" Coby looked at the two of you and reminisced about how he had been planning on going fishing but had wound up on a pirate ship instead. "I had to become their cabin boy in order to survive," Coby finished.

With absolutely no tact, Luffy said, "You're pretty stupid and useless. And you're a coward too!" Coby looked like he was about ready to cry.

You gave Luffy an exasperated look, not sure how he could say that with such a cheerful face. "Could you be any blunter, Luffy?" you commented sarcastically.

"But… He's right… If only I was brave enough…," Coby said shakily then he asked, "………Hey… Luffy-san. Why are you sailing?"

With that huge grin, Luffy replied boldly, "I want… to be the King of the Pirates!"

Coby nearly face-faulted into the dirt then gasped, "WHA.. WHAT!?! KING OF THE PIRATES IS THE TITLE THAT BELONGS TO ONE WHO HAS EVERYTHING IN THE WORLD!! ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THE WORLD'S GREATEST TREASURE, ONE PIECE!?!" He paused to take a breath then continued to rant, "You want to die or something!? Every pirate in the world is after that treasure!!"

"Well, so am I," Luffy replied like it was no big deal, with his arms crossed stubbornly.

"IM-IMPOSSIBLE!! ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE!! UTTERLY UTTERLY IMPOSSIBLE!! TO BECOME THE KING OF THE PIRATES IN THIS GOLDEN AGE OF PIRACY… THERE'S NO CHANCE!! UTTERLY IMPOSSIBLE!!"

WACK! "OW!! Why'd you hit me?" Coby whimpered from the ground holding his head since Luffy had punched him.

"Because you were hysterical," Luffy replied.

"Oh well, I'm used to it anyway," Coby said timidly as he sat back up.

"I'm not afraid of dying!" Luffy declared and Coby looked at him in surprise as he removed his hat. Luffy stared at the beat up straw hat with a nostalgic smile and continued, "It's my dream and that's why it doesn't matter if I die as long as I try."

You smiled and commented, "That's quite a goal you've set for yourself, impressive."

"Thanks!" Luffy said and plopped his head back on his head. Then a thought occurred to him and he asked you, "Hey, you want to come with me, I'm looking for a crew after all?"

"For the moment I suppose," you replied tentatively, "I'll at least go with you off of this island, but I can't promise anything beyond that right now."

"Hm? How come?" Luffy asked, "It'll be a lot of fun!"

Smiling you replied, "I'm sure it will, but let's leave it at that for now."

Coby had been staring at you two for a while then he finally whispered, "Will I also… be able to accomplish my dream? If I'm willing to die for it?"

"Hm? What?" Luffy asked since he had barely heard him.

"Will I be able… to become a marine?!!" Coby asked.

"A marine?" Luffy parroted.

With tears in his eyes, Coby elaborated on his ambitions, "LUFFY-SAN, I KNOW IT'LL MEAN THAT WE'LL BE ENEMIES!! BUT JOINING THE MARINES AND CATCHING BAD GUYS HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY DREAM!!!" "DO YOU THINK I CAN DO IT?" he asked.

"How should I know?" Luffy replied, but seemed happy to see Coby's enthusiasm.

"I HAVE TO ATLEAST TRY!!!" Coby kept shouting with growing conviction, "I'D RATHER DIE TRYING TO GET OUT OF HERE AND JOIN THE MARINES THAN STAY HERE AND BE A CABINBOY MY ENTIRE LIFE!!! AND THEN ALVIDA!! I'LL BE ABLE TO ARREST PEOPLE LIKE ALVIDA!!!"

At that very moment, which you weren't really surprised since only a deaf man would have been unable to hear Coby at that point, who else but Alvida appeared out of the woods and smashed Coby's makeshift boat into splinters. "AND JUST WHO ARE YOU GOING TO ARREST, COBY!?!" she demanded.

"UWAH!" Coby cried in shock, "My boat…"

"Did you think you could escape from me!?" Alvida said with a sneer. Then she spotted you and shouted at Coby again, "You little sneak! You were even trying to steal my valuable slave!"

"I don't belong you anyone, you witch," you growled, but she ignored you as she turned her gaze on Luffy.

Alvida demanded "Is that the bounty hunter you hired to capture me? He's definitely not Roronoa Zolo. Anyway, before you die I'll ask you one thing: who's the loveliest on the sea? Coby!!?"

"Zolo?" Luffy asked absently.

Coby laughed nervously and began, "Of-Of course that'll be…"

But Luffy cut in and asked, while pointing, "Who's that ugly old biddy?"

Everyone's jaw dropped and they all gaped at Luffy as if he had grown a second head. You had to stifle a giggle while Alvida looked like she was fit to explode.

"That kid…! He dares to….!" Alvida's pirates gasped in shock and terror knowing what would soon befall Luffy.

In a panic, Coby grabbed Luffy by the shoulders and commanded, "LUFFY-SAN! QUICKLY! REPEAT AFTER ME! IN ALL THE SEAS ALVIDA IS…!" He trailed off for a split second then he shouted for the whole world to hear, "IS THE VILEST OLD HAG!!!!" Alvida loomed over them and Coby gasped, "Ah…" Luffy, on the other hand, just busted out laughing.

"YOU LITTLE BRAT!!!!" Alvida screeched in fury.

"Well said, Coby. Now get behind me," Luffy said and stepped between his trembling friend and the rampaging lady pirate.

"Lu-Luffy-san!?" was all Coby gasped out as you deftly came up behind him and pulled him out of harm's way.

"Both of you…" Alvida began as she raised her mace high over her head, then she swung down with a shout, "HAVE TO DIE!" GON! The iron mace struck the top of Luffy's head with bone-breaking force.

However, Luffy just grinned and said, "It's useless against me. Because I'm made of rubber, Heh!"

"T-THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!!! MY MACE!" Alvida exclaimed in shock while Coby and Alvida's crew gaped in amazement.

Then Luffy cocked back his left arm, stretching it several feet behind him and said, "Gum-gum… PISTOL!" As he shouted he shot his fist forward and punched Alvida across the face so hard she went flying out to sea. Pretty impressive considering how huge she was…

"His arm… his arm stretched!?! CAPTAIN!!! He beat Alvida-sama!!" exclaimed the crew.

"Prepare a boat for Coby! He's leaving to join the marines!" Luffy commanded.

"Y-Yes sir…" the pirates whimpered.

Luffy laughed mischievously at that while Coby cried tears of joy, "Luffy-san…"

Later… You were sailing away from Alvida's island with your new friends, Coby and Luffy. The boat was a tiny, single sail dingy, but it would do until you got to your next destination that Coby claimed wasn't too far away. Coby was at the helm in the back of the boat, which was fitting since he was the best navigator. You were fine with keeping your directions straight, but you had no prior experience with sailing a boat. Luffy was precariously perched on the bow of the boat, you'd think that one who'd eaten a Devil Fruit would be more wary of the water… but that was just Luffy. Meanwhile, you sat in the middle of the boat with your left sleeve rolled up so you could wrap a bandage around your tattooed arm. You didn't really mind the mark; it was actually kind of cool. Yet you still had this funny feeling that it would be best to keep it from the eyes of strangers… While you were doing this you were also half listening to the guys' conversation.

"But… Luffy-san, if you're looking for One Piece then… That means you'll have to go to the Grand Line, right?" Coby said worriedly.

"Yep!" Luffy replied like it was nothing.

"But that place is known as the Pirates' Graveyard!" Coby protested, vainly attempting to reason with Luffy.

"Yeah, that's why I need a strong crew!" Luffy replied. Then he asked, "Speaking of a crew, who was that guy who's being held captive at the island you're headed too?"

"You mean… Roronoa Zolo?" Coby clarified.

"Yeah! If he's a good guy, then I'll ask him to join my crew!" Luffy said, beaming.

"WHAT!?! YOU'RE DREAMING AGAIN!! YOU CAN'T! THEY SAY HE'S A MONSTER!" Coby began ranting.

Luffy looked at you as you finished wrapping your hand and tied the bandage off. "What do you think, Mel?" he asked.

"Hm?" you looked at him questioningly and asked, "What do I think about what?"

"Zolo? Have you heard anything about him?" Luffy clarified.

Looking up you replied thoughtfully, "Well… I've heard a lot of different rumors about him… Some even say he's a demon in human form… I rarely trust rumors though… they tend to be highly exaggerated. However, all the rumors do say that he's an extremely skilled swordsman."

So the three of you continued toward Marine Base Island.


	2. Enter Zolo: The Pirate Hunter

Chapter #2: Enter Zolo: The Pirate Hunter

A day or so later… The three of you were nearing Marine Base Island, the island where the notorious Roronoa Zolo was said to be held. For the 15th time since Luffy had first suggested it, Coby was trying to talk Luffy out of recruiting the imprisoned bounty hunter.

"A demonic beast, huh?" Luffy commented.

"Yeah, Luffy-san. Roronoa Zolo is his real name, but they call him 'Zolo The Pirate Hunter.' He's like a blood-thirsty hound… roaming the seas, hunting men for the bounties on their heads!"

"Hmmmm…" Luffy said thoughtfully.

"Luffy, he's a Pirate Hunter! Pirates and Pirate Hunters just don't mix! So let's forget it…" Coby pleaded.

"I haven't made up my mind about recruiting him yet! But if he's a good person…" Luffy began, but Coby cut him off.

"He's in prison because he's NOT a good guy!" Coby protested loudly. He then turned to you for support and entreated, "Right, Mel-san?"

You glanced at him from gazing out at sea, sighed, tired of the whole argument, and replied, "That's usually the case… but only time will tell for sure. I wouldn't jump to conclusions so hurriedly, Coby. That only leads to trouble…" Having said your piece, you returned to watching the tiny dot that grew on the horizon ahead of the boat. Coby saw he wasn't going to get any support from you so he resigned himself to steering as Luffy, who had also caught sight of the island on the horizon, fidgeted on the bow in anticipation. If anything else happened between the two boys you were oblivious to it as you got lost in your thoughts.

A few hours later your little boat docked at the little peer on Marine Base Island. While you and Coby tied off your boat, Luffy raised his fist triumphantly in the air and proclaimed, "We're finally here! We made it to the Marine Base!!"

"Yep, we're here," Coby agreed.

"You're great, Coby," Luffy complimented.

"Huh?" Coby asked, confused as to what he'd done to warrant congratulations.

"You actually got us to our destination," Luffy explained with a smile like it was some amazing discovery.

"Of course I did! That's a minimum requirement for people who sail the seas," Coby replied then continued admonishingly, "Luffy, if you keep randomly floating around you'll never become a pirate. You should find a navigator for your crew."

"Yeah! That's what I'll do! Now let's go eat!!" was Luffy's reply and you knew that he hadn't taken Coby seriously, but oh well…

The three of you found a nice little restaurant and got something to eat, although Luffy ate twice as much as you and Coby combined. After you finished, Luffy patted his bulging belly and said, "Well, Coby, I guess this is where we go our separate ways. You do your best to become a great marine, alright?"

"T-Thank you, Luffy! And I hope you become a great pirate. ….Even if that means we'll be enemies," Coby replied, choked up with tears.

"Say, I wonder if Zolo is still being kept at the Marine Base?" Luffy said.

Suddenly the entire restaurant jumped out of their seats and clung to the walls as if someone had just shouted 'GRENADE!' The three of you stared at the townspeople as they eyed you in terror. Coby leaned over to Luffy and whispered, "Maybe you shouldn't say that name out loud around here…."

"Hmmmm…" Luffy replied as he watched the nervous customers settle back into their seats.

In an attempt to change the subject, Coby then said, "I saw a poster that said that Captain Morgan is at this base."

The entire room jumped once again, this time even worse then before!

A few minutes later you, Coby and a hysterical Luffy were walking down the main road toward the Marine Base. "HA! HA! HA! HA! What a great restaurant! I gotta go back there again!" Luffy said doubled over with laughter thinking that the whole situation was really funny.

"How could the townspeople be so jumpy… I've got a bad feeling about this…" Coby said nervously. "I can understand why they'd be scared after hearing Roronoa Zolo's name – he could escape at any moment. But why would they have the same reaction to hearing the captain's name?" Coby asked with concern.

"If anything… I'd say they were more afraid of the captain then the pirate hunter," you commented a few steps ahead of the boys.

Coby looked at you like you were nuts and asked, "What gave you that idea!?!"

You shrugged and replied, not looking back or slowing your pace, "I just tell it as I see it…"

"Maybe they just got carried away," Luffy suggested with a chuckle as he stuck his hands in his pockets.

"WHY WOULD THAT HAPPEN!?!" Coby demanded in confusion.

"Hey, guys," you called their attention since you had walked ahead a bit while they were busy laughing and worrying. You were standing before the huge steel gates of the Marine Base and said, "We're here."

The base consisted of two large cone-shaped buildings in the center with large cannon turrets mounted on top. The cone-buildings were flanked by two, regular, three-story buildings on each side. The entire compound was surrounded by an eight foot high; brick wall and the Marine motif covered the gate and was proudly displayed on the taller of the two cone-buildings. Luffy voiced what all three of you were thinking, "It looks so BIG up close!" He then turned to Coby and said, "Go ahead, Coby."

"B-But I'm not prepared yet…" Coby stuttered nervously, "and those people sure were scared when they heard the captain's name..."

You were about to console the shaking boy when you noticed Luffy jump up and peer over the side of the wall. "Luffy?" you asked.

"LUFFY-SAN! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Coby exclaimed in alarm.

"I wonder if I can see the demonic beast from here?" Luffy said curiously.

"You won't find him just by peeking over the fence," Coby said, "He's probably deep within the bowls of the prison."

Luffy hopped down and started running along the wall as he replied, "Oh yeah? Well there's somebody over there! Maybe it's Zolo?"

"What…?" Coby asked in wonder then he noticed you move to follow Luffy and he gasped, "Ah… Mel!? Wait for me!" He followed, not wanting to be left alone.

Without even thinking about it you had followed Luffy to see Zolo. You knew he'd be there as you had read it in your manga and so far nothing seemed different, except for your existence that is... In either case, Zolo had always been your favorite. Now you weren't some rabid fangirl… but still… You had to admit that you had a serious crush on him and now that you had the chance to finally meet him you found that you couldn't wait to see if your impression of him from the manga was true. Although you still suspected that this might be some extraordinary dream, but, hey, why spoil it?

You and Luffy had no trouble getting up onto the wall, but you had to help the shivering Coby up so Luffy got the first look at the man in the courtyard. "There he is!" Luffy announced.

No sooner had Coby caught sight of the figure then he fell back down to the ground, landing on his rear. "I-IT'S REALLY HIM! THAT'S RORONOA ZOLO!!!" Coby exclaimed in shock, "A B-BLACK BANDANNA AND A HARAMAKI AROUND HIS WAIST! AND THAT INTIMIDATING AURA…! IT'S ZOLO!!"

Seeing that your friend was alright, you finally got to get your first, real look at the feared pirate hunter. And indeed, even with how he was slumped against the large pole he was tied to, he did look extremely menacing. Besides the haramaki and black bandanna on his head that shaded his face completely while he stared at the ground, he was also wearing a white t-shirt that had three buttons at the top that he left unbuttoned, loose-fitting black pants and black boots. He was tied to two large poles that crossed each other. His waist was tied to the larger pole that stuck out of the ground with many layers of rope and his arms were draped over and tied to the smaller cross-pole with even more rope.

"So THAT'S him. Hmmmm… I could just untie those ropes and set him free…" Luffy mused to your left.

At this Coby screamed, right in your ear I might add, as he had climbed back up, "THAT'S SUICIDE!! IF YOU LET HIM LOOSE, HE'LL KILL US AND WRECK THE TOWN!!"

"Coby… could you please not yell in my ear…" you said with a twitch as you rubbed your ringing right ear.

"Sorry…" Coby replied.

"HEY, KID!" you heard Zolo shout from the courtyard as he acknowledged your presence.

"Huh?" Luffy asked.

"YIKES!" Coby yelped again, much to your discomfort, (your ears are very sensitive).

Once your ears stopped ringing, again, you noticed that Zolo was now looking up at the three of you. "Come over here… and untie me… I've been tied here for nine days and I can't TAKE anymore," Zolo said, with a smirk that, when coupled with the dark shadow over his eyes from his bandanna, made him look even more like the demon so many claimed him to be.

"Look, he's smiling!" Luffy stated the obvious.

"H-HE'S TALKING TO US!!" Coby gasped as he ducked lower on the wall as if that could protect him from the pirate hunter's piercing gaze.

Seeing that he'd gotten your attention, Zolo continued, "I'll make it worth your while. I'll capture someone with a big price on their head and give all the bounty to you. You can trust me; I'm a man of my word."

"D-DON'T DO IT, LUFFY-SAN!! AS SOON AS YOU UNTIE HIM, HE'LL KILL US AND GET AWAY! I JUST KNOW IT!!" Coby protested loudly.

"Coby… you're screaming in my ear again…" you grumbled and he went silent, but still whimpered slightly.

"He won't kill us," Luffy replied confidently, "He couldn't. I wouldn't let him."

Coby was stunned by Luffy's confidence and you commented, "You know… You might want to do something about that ego of yours, Luffy."

It was then that you heard the clack of a wooden latter being set up on your side of the wall to Coby's right. "Huh?" the boys asked as the three of you looked over and saw a little girl, no older then seven climbing up to you with a rope and a little package in her arms. "Shh!!" she shushed you and slid down the rope to get into the courtyard. Without any fear, she started toward the restrained pirate hunter.

"H-HEY! DON'T GO DOWN THERE! IT'S DANGEROUS!!" Coby shouted in alarm.

"What do you want?" Zolo asked with a mild glare as the girl stopped right in front of him.

"LUFFY! MEL! DO SOMETHING! SHE COULD BE KILLED!!" Coby continued to screech and point.

"Do it yourself," Luffy replied, not worried at all.

"But..!" Coby started to flail in panic but you pushed his head down slightly to calm him.

"Let's see how this plays out first…" you cautioned.

The girl started to un-wrap her package and Zolo commanded, "GET LOST! Do you want to get killed!?"

She was undaunted however and happily presented him with two rice balls, "I made these rice balls for you! I thought you might need some food!" "This my first try at making rice balls so…" she continued but Zolo interrupted her.

"I'm not hungry! Go away!!" Zolo said harshly.

"B-But…" she stuttered as he cut her off again.

Zolo practically shouted, "I DON'T WANT IT! NOW GET OUT OF HERE OR I'LL STOMP YOU TO DEATH!!"

Before anymore could be said, a nasal voice commanded, "RORONOA ZOLO!!! You shouldn't pick on little kids, I'll tell my father on you." All of you turned your eyes toward a gate on the far side of the courtyard and saw an absurdly well-dressed young man approaching Zolo and the girl flanked by two marines.

"Who's that weirdo?" Luffy asked.

"He must be some high ranking naval officer. Now that girl will be safe," Coby speculated, but you knew better. Anyone who used the 'I'll tell daddy' threat at that age was messed up in your book.

"Hmph! Well if it isn't the idiot son, living off daddy's wealth," Zolo growled with annoyance at the approaching men.

The blonde man scowled and said threateningly, "Did you just call me an 'idiot'? A man in your position should guard his tongue… or he could loose it." Then he smiled with obviously fake charm at the girl, snatched one of her rice balls and said, "Little girl… did you bring those for me? How thoughtful."

"HEY! Those aren't for you!" she cried to deaf ears as he took a bite.

"BLEGH!" he exclaimed and spit it out like it burned him and started ranting, "DISGUSTING! IT'S SWEET! THERE'S SUGAR ON IT! RICE BALLS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE SEASONED WITH SALT! NOT SUGAR!"

"B-But… I like sweets. So I thought sugar would be better…" the girl explained timidly.

"These are COMPLETELY inedible!" he shouted, smacked the rice balls from her hands, to the ground and began stomping them into the dirt ignoring the little girl's pleas to stop.

"STOP! PLEASE! YOU'RE RUINING THEM!!" she begged on her knees in vain.

"How cruel… That girl worked really hard to make those…" Coby said in appalled awe. Luffy just stared while you quickly found yourself glaring at the despicable excuse of a man.

"Don't worry, I'm sure the ants will find them delicious," the man said with a sickenly cheerful laugh.

He kept laughing as the girl kneeled on the ground and whimpered, "On no…" Tears started to fill her eyes and she sobbed, "WHY!? I WORKED SO HARD TO MAKE THEM!!"

"Oh stop that crying!" he demanded in annoyance, "That's why I hate kids." Then he pointed at a nearby sign and explained, "It's your own fault. Can't you read this sign? It says 'Anyone aiding this prisoner shall be found guilty of the crimes he has committed. Captain Morgan'." The girl looked at him in fright and he continued, "I'm sure you know how scary my father can be. If you were an adult you'd be put to death!" He then waved to one of the marines behind him and commanded, "You there! Throw this brat over the fence!"

"B-But.." the marine began to protest.

In an instant the blonde guy had him by the collar and demanded, "I'M ORDERING YOU TO THROW THAT LITTLE BRAT OVER THE FENCE!! ARE YOU GOING TO DISOBEY A DIRECT ORDER!? I'LL TELL MY FATHER ON YOU!"

The marine went white at that and replied, "Y-Yes sir… Right away!!" The reluctant marine then grabbed the girl and hurled her over the fence.

"IYAAHH!" she screamed at she flew. Fortunately, he had aimed right for you three and Luffy easily caught her, using his own body to cushion their fall. Coby jumped down to see that the girl and Luffy were alright as you continued to watch the scene in the courtyard.

"My, aren't you a stubborn one," the man commented as he turned his arrogant taunts on Zolo now.

"That's right, I'm going to last out the entire month," Zolo replied stubbornly, "You just keep your end of the bargain."

The man laughed as he walked away saying, "HaHa! I'll keep my promise. If you survive out here for a month then I'll let you go! Good luck!" He and his escort disappeared behind the gate and it clattered shut as Zolo glared after them.

Zolo looked ahead again and noticed Luffy and you standing before him. Luffy was a few feet straight in front of him while you stood slightly to the left of Luffy. "YOU still here? Better not let Helmeppo's father catch you," Zolo said none too politely.

Luffy started telling Zolo about his plans to find a pirate crew while you took a closer look at the bounty hunter. In spite of the dried blood and dirt caked on his body, you could tell that he was about your age. He was fit and compact with darkly tanned skin as you would expect of someone who fought as a profession. You also noted that he was wearing three gold, tear-drop shaped earrings on his left ear and at this close range you could see a bit of jade-green hair peeking out from under his bandanna.

At this point Zolo had grown tired of your scrutiny and he snapped at you, "What are you looking at!?"

You blinked then crossed your arms, undaunted by his outburst, and replied, "You, I suppose… Got a problem with that?"

The two of you locked gazes in a glaring contest. Zolo looked you over as if he was sizing you up and you took note how his gaze paused at your bandaged left hand a bit longer then the rest. His dark eyes returned to yours for a few more seconds in an attempt to read you, but you instinctively put up a wall and stared back with a blank expression. Growing tired of the staring contest, Zolo turned back to Luffy and continued their conversation with a growl, "You think if you untie me… I'm gonna join your pirate crew?"

"I haven't decided if I'll ask you yet… you've got a pretty bad reputation you know?" Luffy said with his hand on his hat.

"Bad reputation, huh? Well, anyway, I don't go for that kind of deal. I've got my own plans for the future," Zolo replied then continued, "I don't need your help. I can get out of here on my own. All I have to do is last here for a month then I'm a free man! Captain Morgan's idiot son promised me." He then finished with a confident smirk, "All I've got to do is survive here for one month. Then I'll be free to pursue my dream!!"

"Hmmmm… I see," Luffy commented with a smile. Then he said, "I don't think I'd stand ONE WEEK without food."

"You and I are different, I've got more will power," Zolo replied, "So go look for a crew elsewhere…" Luffy turned to leave, but then Zolo spoke up again, "Hey, hold on!"

"Huh?" Luffy asked as he looked back.

"Pick that up for me," Zolo said indicating what was left of the rice balls.

Luffy looked shocked as he held the smashed, gravel-crusted gains in his hands and asked, "You're not going to eat it!? It's more of a dirtball then a rice ball now… I know you're hungry, but this…"

"SHUT UP!" Zolo demanded as he opened his mouth wide, "Just shut up and feed it to me! And don't miss one grain of rice!!" With much difficulty Zolo chewed and swallowed the rice/dirt balls. Immediately he started coughing, but didn't throw it up as a normal person might.

"I told you it was mostly dirt. You wanna kill yourself?" Luffy said with his arms crossed.

Between coughs though, Zolo said, "Tell the kid…"

"Hm?" Luffy asked.

Zolo kept his gaze to the ground so you couldn't see his eyes as he said, "Tell her I said it was delicious… Tell her I ate it all…"

The two of you were surprised, and you couldn't help but notice the grin that Luffy gave you as you returned to the town to report what had happened to Coby and the girl.

"Really!?" the girl exclaimed happily as Luffy finished relaying Zolo's message.

"Yep! He ate all of it," Luffy replied with a nod and his trademark grin.

"I'm so glad!" she said, beaming.

"Could he really be as bad as everyone says?" Coby asked.

"He's not a BAD guy," she protested then explained, "Everyone in town is afraid of him, but brother didn't do anything wrong. He got throwed in prison because of me… Captain Morgan's son had a bunch of mean dogs! They attacked me… Roronoa Zolo saved me, besides those dogs were terrorizing the town."

"So you're saying that the only reason Zolo was arrested was because he hurt that guy's dog to save you?" Luffy asked.

"Yes," she replied.

"Well that makes more sense. Being a bounty hunter, Zolo would hunt down criminals and since the marines put out those bounties it isn't a crime. It's a shady line of work though, so that would explain why everyone fears him," you said while leaning against the side of a building.

"Captain Morgan and his son are the bad ones!" she continued, upset, "They put people to death for no reason at all! Everyone's afraid of them…"

Speaking of the Devil, the four of you heard Helmeppo shout from the main street, "HA HA HA! YOU'RE NOT BOWING LOW ENOUGH, SCUM! I'LL TELL MY FATHER ON ALL OF YOU!!" He was parading down the street, flanked by his two marines again, (you suspected the coward didn't go anywhere without his escort), and the townspeople were on their hands and knees bowing to him like he was some sort of god. "Do you want to be jailed like Roronoa Zolo? We're going to hold a public execution for him is three days! We'll make an example of him! I can hardly wait!" Helmeppo continued to gloat.

"Three days?" Luffy asked, and before you or Coby could stop him he stepped into the middle of the street and demanded, "But… you made a promise to him!?"

The townspeople cringed away from Luffy as Helmeppo turned and asked, "What? Where did you hear about that!?" "PFFT! That promise was just a joke!! He's just a stupid beast for believing it!!" he announced and started laughing.

You would have decked Helmeppo right then and there, if Luffy hadn't beaten you too it first. **WHAM!! **Luffy dashed over, grabbing Helmeppo by the collar of his tacky shirt and punched him square across the jaw causing blood to spatter.

Coby grabbed Luffy before the enraged rubber boy could continue pummeling him and pleaded, "LUFFY! STOP! CALM DOWN!!"

"That guy is scum!" Luffy growled as Helmeppo fell to the ground stunned.

"YOU WANT TO MAKE AN ENEMY OF THE MARINES!?!" Coby gasped in alarm.

"Coby, I've made my decision!" Luffy said, his fists tight and his teeth clenched in determination.

"Huh?" Coby asked in shock.

"I'm gonna ask Zolo to join my crew!" Luffy answered.


	3. Captain Morgan

Chapter #3: Captain Morgan

The villagers gasped in alarm and terror, "He really DID it! He hit the Captain's son! Captain Morgan will be furious!"

Coby still struggled to hold Luffy back and begged, "LUFFY-SAN! STOP! DO YOU WANT TO PICK A FIGHT WITH ALL OF THE MARINES!?!"

Luffy; however, wasn't frightened in the least and growled, "Scum is scum… No matter who its father is!"

"Y-YOU HIT ME! YOU ACTUALLY HIT ME!!" Helmeppo cried in disbelief while cradling his already puffy cheek as his escorts tried to help him up, "NO ONE HAS EVER HIT ME! NOT EVEN DADDY!!" Then he screamed, "**I'M CAPTAIN MORGAN'S BELOVED SON!!! I'M TELLING DADDY ON YOU!**"

The townspeople gasped and writhed in horror and Luffy demanded, "Don't run crying to papa! Face me like a man!"

"LUFFY! PLEASE STOP!" Coby continued to plead with your headstrong friend.

However, Helmeppo wasn't done taunting, "YOU'LL DIE BEGGING FOR MERCY! YOU'RE A WALKING CORPSE!!" The marines helped him up while he kept shouting.

Finally, your nerves snapped and you said in a cold voice, "Unless you're eager for another fist in the face, I suggest you beat it!" You glared at him and the marines, who turned white and ran with Helmeppo back toward the marine base.

"FATHER WILL KILL YOU!! YOU BOOGER-FACE!!!" Helmeppo kept shouting as they fled.

"He's not worth hitting," you heard Luffy say, calmed down a bit now, as he put his hat back on.

"Now you've done it…" Coby muttered with worry.

You glanced around as the frightened townspeople began ducking inside for fear that they'd get caught up in Captain Morgan's impending fury. All of them fled, except the little girl, who came up to Luffy and said with a smile, "You were GREAT, big brother! I feel a lot better now!"

"Then I wish I would have given him a few more wacks for you," Luffy replied with a grin.

Then a woman, you assumed was the girl's mother, shouted, "RIKA! GET OVER HERE!!" The frantic woman led Rika into a nearby house and said admonishingly, "You shouldn't talk to them, if they think you're their friend you'll be executed too!"

"But mommy! He's a good guy, and Zolo is too…" Rika protested.

However, her mother cut her off and exclaimed, "WHAT ARE YOU SAYING!?! YOU DIDN'T SNEAK INTO THE PARADE GROUND DID YOU!??!"

"Um… Well… No-o-o…" she lied timidly.

"Hurry up and get inside," her mother commanded and Rika looked back at the three of you as if this was the last time she'd ever see you. As her mother slammed the door shut Luffy waved.

Panic set in on Coby and he screamed, "THEY WON'T LET YOU GET AWAY WITH THIS!! AND CAPTAIN MORGAN HAS THE MARINES BEHIND HIM!!!"

"Yeah, whatever. I need to talk to Zolo," was Luffy's only reply as he walked off, which sent Coby into hysterics.

"Coby, get a hold of yourself," you said, but when that didn't work you finally sighed and walked to the side of the road. Coby kept screaming with his hands against the sides of his head, his eyes bulging and mouth a gape.

"AAAAAAAAAAH!" he continued then… SPLOOSH!! you dumped a bucket of water over his head and he froze, stunned.

"Better?" you asked as you tossed the bucket aside and gave him a look of mild annoyance.

"Ah…" he uttered as he recollected himself, then he looked at the ground in shame and said, "Sorry… I-I just panicked…"

"Save the apologies for later, we've got to after Luffy," you said with a smile that took the edge off your words. Coby nodded and you headed back toward the base at a run.

Needless to say, you were first to the wall with Coby huffing and puffing several yards behind. Not even pausing for a breath, you effortlessly hopped up onto the wall and saw that Luffy wasn't there, just Zolo, who looked up at you when he noticed the movement. You sat on the wall and were about to drop down to the other side, but paused when you heard Coby gasp out, "M-Mel-san… pant W-Wait!"

You were sitting on top of the wall at this point and sighed as you looked over your shoulder at the sweating and panting Coby, "You're tired already? You're going to need a lot of work if you expect to be a marine." However, you smiled to soften your critique and rolled over to hang over the side of the wall to help Coby up. This action; however, gave Zolo a perfect shot of your back side, but you were too concerned with helping Coby to notice.

Zolo, on the other hand, did notice and a ghost of a smirk crossed his lips as he thought, "Not a bad view…"

You and Coby dropped down into the courtyard and Coby ran over to Zolo looking around franticly for Luffy. After dusting yourself off, you approached at a slower pace and came up to Coby's right as he exclaimed, "What!? Luffy-san went inside the base!!? Why is he so RECKLESS!?"

"Yeah I noticed. Who is he anyway?" Zolo asked, but then Coby started struggling with the knot on his right arm. Zolo began to protest, "Hey! Now YOU'RE being reckless!! If they catch you freeing me, they'll kill you!!"

"They imprisoned you UNFAIRLY! I can't stand to see the marines act IMPROPERLY!!" Coby explained then with renewed conviction he said, "I'M GOING TO BECOME A PROPER MARINE! JUST LIKE LUFFY-SAN IS GOING TO BE KING OF THE PIRATES!!"

This took Zolo for a loop as he exclaimed, "WHAT!?! KING OF THE PIRATES!? DOES HE KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS!?!"

Coby laughed and said, "I was shocked when he first told me too, but he'll succeed or die trying! That's how he is!"

Just as those words left Coby's mouth, your ears picked up the unmistakable click of a rifle hammer and before you knew it you lunged at Coby. "COBY! MOVE!!" you shouted and pushed him aside with your left arm. **BOOM!** The piercing sound of a gunshot rang through the air and searing pain raced along your arm as the bullet grazed it instead of hitting Coby in the chest. Coby hit the ground, stunned, while you gripped your left arm with your right. You glared at the offending wound as blood stained your sleeve.

Coby pushed himself up, looked at you and screamed, "AAAAAAH! MEL-SAN! YOU'VE BEEN SHOT! BLOOD! YOU'RE BLEEDING!! AAAH!!"

"Stop creaming, Coby. I'll be fine. It's just a scratch," you replied and straightened up, "You're okay, right?" Coby just nodded his head, still shaken by what had happened. He realized that, had you not been there, he could very well be dead and that terrified him.

"Are you alright?" Zolo asked eyeing your wound. When you nodded he looked over his shoulder toward the base and said, "Good! Now get outta here! They're on their way down!"

Still panting, Coby replied, "But… we haven't untied you…"

"Don't worry about me. I just have to survive the month and they'll let me go," Zolo repeated his agreement once again. But you knew otherwise and started untying the ropes again in spite of the pain in your arm. He looked at you in alarm and demanded, "Aren't you listening!? I said beat it…!"

Coby cut him off with a shout, "THEY'RE NOT GOING TO LET YOU GO! YOU'RE GOING TO BE EXECUTED THREE DAYS FROM NOW!!"

"WHAT ARE YOU SAYING!!? THAT IDIOT PROMISED ME! IF I SURVIVE HERE FOR A MONTH I'LL BE SET FREE!!" Zolo exclaimed in protest and disbelief.

With a remarkably calm voice you explained, "Not everyone values a promise as much as you do, Zolo, especially not that moron Helmeppo." He looked at you in amazement and you continued, "He never intended to keep that promise… That's why Luffy punched him, because he found out that Helmeppo had lied to you."

"What!?" Zolo asked in surprise.

"The marines will never let you three off now," Coby said as he stood up shakily. "Please!! After we set you free, please help Mel-san rescue Luffy-san!!" he asked then pleaded, "THEY SAVED MY LIFE! I won't ask you to become a pirate but… Luffy-san and Mel-san are very strong and so are you! If you team up… you can escape from here! Please help them!" Zolo glanced from Coby to you silently.

"HALT!!" shouted a group of marines as they filed from the gate and trained their guns on you, "CAPTAIN MORGAN HAS ORDERED YOUR IMMEDIATE EXECUTION!!"

Zolo tensed in alarm, Coby was on the verge of tears and panic and you redoubled your efforts to undo the knots. If anything else, those sailors sure knew how to tie a wicked knot and your injured left arm wasn't helping any. "What I wouldn't give for a knife right now," you muttered.

Then you heard a deep voice that sounded similar to Helmeppo's, bellow, "SURROUND THE BASE! IF THAT BASTARD IN THE STRAW HAT ESCAPES, YOU'LL ALL BE SORRY!!" Sparing a glance you saw a large man in a big blue captain's coat march into view behind the ranks of marines. He had blonde hair in a crew-cut and was wearing a navy blue vest, blue pants with darker blue slash patterns on them, black boots and his lower jaw had been replaced with a metal one that had the marine's motif on it. 'Axe Hand' Morgan he was aptly named for a huge battleaxe he had grafted into his right arm. "You four aren't simple outlaws, are you!? You're trying to overthrow me!!" he demanded then continued arrogantly, "Roronoa Zolo! Peasants and pirates may tremble at your name… But you're no match for the great one! You may be a barracuda… But I'm a GREAT WHITE SHARK!" "READY!" he shouted and the marines lined up and aimed at the three of you.

Coby started to cry while you heard Zolo speak through clenched teeth, "I……. I can't die yet…"

All you could think was, "Luffy get your ass down here now!"

"FIRE!!" Morgan commanded, but just as the marines opened fire, Luffy landed in their path taking the barrage in your stead.

"YOU!?" Zolo gasped in shock.

"LUFFY-SAN!!!" Coby shrieked.

Then everyone watched in alarmed amazement as the bullets stretched Luffy's skin like gel. "BULLETS CAN'T HURT ME!!" Luffy shouted triumphantly as the bullets just shot back out of his body and flew right back at the stunned marines who ducked for cover. Luffy bust out laughing at everyone's stunned expressions.

"WHAT ARE YOU!?" Zolo demanded. Meanwhile, Coby had passed out from the excitement and was on the ground foaming at the mouth.

Luffy grinned over his shoulder at Zolo and proclaimed, "I'm the guy… Who's gonna be the King of the Pirates!!!"

You muttered with a sigh as your heart rate returned to normal, "Crazy, bastard… Had me worried for a minute there…" Zolo gave you a puzzled look and couldn't help wondering if you had known he was going to do that.

Luffy then came up to Zolo and presented him with three katana: two were black and normal looking, but the third was completely white. "So which sword's yours? I didn't know, so I brought all three…" Luffy asked while holding the swords out to him.

"They're all mine," Zolo replied with a grumble, "I practice SANTORYU – three sword style."

"If you fight the marines with me and Mel, here and now, in the eyes of the government, you'll be one of the bad guys!" Luffy speculated as he glanced at the recovering marines, "Of course, you could obey the law… and let them kill you!"

Zolo sneered at this and replied, "You must be demon spawn… But I'm not ready to die without a fight! Alright, damnit! YOU'VE GOT YOURSELF A PIRATE!!!"

Hearing this, Luffy threw his hands into the air, (dropping Zolo's swords which you deftly caught), and exclaimed happily, "REALLY!? YOU'LL JOIN MY CREW!?"

"I don't have much choice! Now untie me!" Zolo commanded in annoyance.

With your hands full, Luffy took up the job of untying Zolo; however, he wasn't having any more luck. Then you heard Morgan shout, "IF BULLETS CAN'T HURT HIM, THEN USE YOUR SWORDS!!"

"HYAAAAAHHHH!" the marines shouted in unison and charged.

"Ugh! These knots are tough!" Luffy muttered while fiddling with the knots, "I think I just made it tighter by accident…"

"Come on! Hurry up!" Zolo shouted.

At that moment Coby decided to wake up and he gasped in alarm as he saw the marines bearing down on the three of you, "YIKES! LUFFY-SAN! MEL-SAN! ZOLO! LOOK OUT!!"

"LUFFY! LOOK OUT! ZOLO! DON'T MOVE!" you shouted and drew one of the katana and swiftly severed the ropes as the two men obeyed.

"THOSE WHO DEFY ME MUST DIE!!" Morgan shouted as the marines closed in and were about to strike. Coby screamed, but just as you turned to face the marines' attack, you felt the weight of the swords leave your hands.

**KLANG!!!** Rang out the sound of metal on metal as Zolo blocked all of the marines' swords with just his three; one in each hand and one in his mouth.

"RORONOA ZOLO!!" exclaimed Morgan in surprise.

Coby looked ecstatic with amazement and Luffy exclaimed in awe, "WOW!! He's COOL!!" You had to admit that seeing his skills first hand was far more impressive then reading them, the manga and anime didn't do it justice.

Zolo glared at the marines behind him and said in a voice as cold as steel, (how he managed to talk clearly with a sword in his mouth you didn't know), "The first one who moves… DIES."

The marines went white as sheets and you could hear them whimper, "He's so scary…"

Confident that that had taken care of the marines, Zolo looked at Luffy and said, "Alright, so I'm a pirate. I gave you my word. I've fought the marines; therefore I'm officially an outlaw… But I still have my own goals!!" This caught Luffy's attention and Zolo continued with renewed conviction, "I'm going to be the World's Greatest Swordsman! All I have left is my destiny! My name may be infamous… but it's gonna shake the world!!!" When Zolo spoke again, a hint of warning came into his voice and he said, "But you are making me become a pirate! So if I have to abandon my dream for any reason… then I'm going to make you commit hara kiri!!!!"

"The World's Greatest Swordsman, that's great! And it's fitting since your new boss is going to be the King of the Pirates! Anything else would make me look bad!" Luffy replied with a smile.

"Hmph! You talk big," Zolo snorted.

"WHY DO YOU HESITATE!? HACK THOSE BRIGANDS INTO MINCEMEAT! NOW!!" Morgan commanded and you could see the marines torn between their captain's orders and fear of Zolo.

"Zolo, duck!" Luffy said as he pulled his left leg back to kick. "GUM-GUM… WHIP!!!" he shouted and lashed his leg out like a long stretchy whip that shot over Zolo's head and slammed into the unsuspecting marines, sending several of them flying. Half of them had been lucky enough to duck in time and now glared at Luffy and Zolo angrily.

"What the DEVIL are you?" Zolo asked Luffy.

"I'm a rubber man!!" Luffy replied with that cheesy grin of his.

"Why you! You may be rubber, but we can still cut you!" the few standing marines shouted and ran at them again.

However, you whistled to get their attention and they all looked at you, who were now standing to the marines' left. You had the end of the rope in your right hand and you grinned as you yanked up on it sharply so it went taught between you and the pole Zolo had be tied too. The marines all gasped in pain as they were close-lined in the guts by their momentum and the rope. Then with a swift tug, you snapped the rope like a rubber band flicking them all away to join their buddies. Morgan gaped at you, Zolo and Luffy in shock.

Now it was Luffy and Zolo's turn to be amazed and Luffy asked as you walked toward them, "Wow! Mel! I didn't know you could do that!? You're strong!"

You shrugged and replied, "Well, I couldn't let you two have all the fun now could I?" Although, you were just as surprised as they were. You hadn't known if that would work or not, but somehow… it did.

The marines gaped at the three of you in fright and exclaimed, "CAPTAIN!! THEY'RE TOO MUCH FOR US!! IT'S **HOPELESS**! WE CAN'T FIGHT A RUBBER-MAN, THAT WOMAN, AND THAT DEMON RORONOA ZOLO AT THE SAME TIME!!"

DOOM! The three of you stood their ominously: Luffy with his head faced down so they couldn't see his face, Zoro with his back to them, and you with your arms crossed and an annoyed glare. "'That Woman' what the hell is that supposed to mean?" you asked, not really expecting an answer though.

"HEAR ME!" Captain Morgan commanded as he stepped forward, his body tense and his eyes dark, "All you cowards who were whining just now… Will shoot yourselves in the head!!!"

The marines looked at him in horror. "I won't tolerate DEFEATISTS… IN MY OUTFIT!!!" Morgan continued and finished with a shout, "THAT'S AN ORDER!!"

What an absurd order, but what was even more absurd was the fact that the marines were actually going through with it as they stood up and pointed their pistols at their heads. Zolo then voiced your collective opinion, "What the hell do those marines think they're doing..!?"

In a flash, Luffy ran past the two of you at Morgan and shouted, "Hey! I'M your enemy… Try putting ME to death!!" He swung at Captian Morgan who blocked with the broad side of his axe. WHAM!

The marines stopped to watch the battle between the captains unfold. Zolo took the white katana out of his mouth and you stood nearby to watch. Then Coby shouted, "LUFFY-SAN!! DEFEAT THESE LOUSY MARINES!!!"

Morgan tossed off his coat and said, "HMPH! You have neither rank nor status! I'll teach you to defy your betters!" He charged at Luffy and shouted, "I'M CAPTAIN AXE-HAND MORGAN!!!"

Undaunted, Luffy replied, "Nice to meet you! I'm Straw-Hat Luffy!"

"**DIE!!**" Morgan hollered.

**WOOOOOSH!!** Morgan swung his huge axe-arm, but Luffy easily jumped over it. Good thing too since the force of the blow cut the fence and wall beside Morgan like a hot knife through butter. "WOW! THAT'S SHARP!!" Coby exclaimed in shock. Then Luffy brought his feet together and stomped down hard on Morgan's face, **FWACK!!**, sending the captain to the ground.

"UNGH!!" Morgan grunted as he fell hard.

"The-The Captain!!" the marines gasped as they had never seen Morgan take a hit like that before.

"Boy!" Morgan snarled, he got back up and raised his axe high over Luffy's head as Luffy charged at him. "I sentence you to DEATH!" Morgan swung his axe down, but cut nothing but dirt.

Luffy had spun to the side and he replied with a grin, "I won't die!"

Morgan had just enough time to see it coming and Luffy used his spinning momentum to whip around and kick Morgan in the side of the head. **WAK!!!** The sharp blow sent Morgan to he ground again.

"He's just too strong…" Coby gapped in awe.

The marines had similar expressions of disbelief on their faces as they watched and gasped, "Captain Morgan… He's getting PUMMELED!!"

Luffy didn't let up though and grabbed Morgan by the collar of his vest and growled, "You and your marines…" He raised his other fist and shouted, "ARE RUINING COBY'S DREAM!!"

"STOP!!" Came a voice from behind you, but Luffy didn't hesitate and punched Morgan as hard as he could. **FWAK!** "I SAID STOP YOU IDIOT!!" you heard the voice shout again and turned to see Helmeppo… HOLDING COBY AT GUNPOINT! "ONE FALSE MOVE AND FOUR EYES GETS IT!!! HEH HEH HEH! IF YOU EVEN BLINK I'LL SHOOT!!" he shouted maniacally.

"Helmeppo!" the marines gasped.

However, Coby didn't falter, "HEY LUFFY!! DON'T LET THEM WIN BECAUSE OF ME! LET HIM KILL ME!!"

Luffy grinned and replied, "You're a good guy, Coby!" He started toward the two boys with his right arm raised, ready to punch and said, "Hey! Idiot-son-of-the-captain! Coby means it!"

"I told you not to move or I'd shoot!" Helmeppo warned but Luffy didn't listen and kept walking toward them, "Fine! I'll just kill him then!"

"LUFFY, BEHIND YOU!!" Coby suddenly screamed as Morgan loomed up from behind Luffy.

"You assaulted an officer of the marines…" Morgan said darkly as he raised his axe high once again.

However, Luffy did nothing to indicate that he noticed, or was even worried and chambered his fist. "GUM-GUM…"

Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed Zolo put his sword back in his mouth. Then Luffy shouted, "PISTOL!"

"DADDY!! KILL HIM!!!" Helmeppo screeched. But it was too late, Luffy's fist smashed into his face, knocking him unconscious in an instant while Morgan had just frozen where he was.

"Nice…" Luffy commented with a grin as Morgan fell to the ground out cold and Zolo landed a foot behind him, "Zolo!"

"No sweat…" Zolo replied with a smirk, "…Captain!"


	4. To the Sea

Chapter #4: To the Sea…

Father and son lay on the ground completely down for the count and the marines couldn't believe their eyes, "THE CAPTAIN LOST!! CAPTAIN MORGAN HAS BEEN DEFEATED!!"

Zolo sheathed his swords and challenged, "Any of you still want to capture us!?"

The marines looked at each other then they all shouted in unison, jumping around like kids at a party, "HOORAY!! WE'RE FREE!! MORGAN'S REIGN OF TERROR IS OVER!! BANZAI FOR THE MARINES!!"

"Hmph! They're happy we defeated their captain?" Luffy asked, confused as he watched their antics.

"That means… CAPTAIN MORGAN WAS RULING BY FEAR!!" Coby exclaimed, happy to see that not all the marines were corrupt.

"Well, if you're captain was willing to order you to shoot yourself in the head, I don't think you'd like him much either," you commented as you headed over to Zolo. Just as you predicted, by the fatigue-glazed look in his eyes and the slackening of his muscles, Zolo collapsed. Fortunately, you were there and caught him with your good arm.

"ZOLO!?" Luffy and Coby asked in surprise.

"Was he injured!?" Coby gasped in alarm as he ran up to you.

"He'll be fine, Coby," you replied and threw his left arm over your shoulders so you could move him easier; "Some food and he'll be back to normal."

Back in town, Rika's mother treated the four of you to a feast as thanks for what you had done. You didn't eat much though, since you had just eaten an hour beforehand. Instead, while the boys ate, Rika's mother had given you some fresh bandages, a new shirt and shown you to the bathroom so you could clean yourself up, (you hadn't had a bath since you washed up on the beach a few days ago), and dress your wound. Your wound wasn't severe at all, the bullet had only just grazed your shoulder and the bleeding had already stopped by the time you cleaned and dressed it. Then wrapping the excess bandages around your tattoo once again. The shirt was made of a soft light-blue material with quarter sleeves that came to your elbows and fit you nicely, although it was a little short and thus exposed your mid-drift a little, but that was alright for now.

You came back out and heard Zolo exclaim while patting his stomach, "I'm stuffed! Not eating for nine days was worse then I thought!" Zolo had gotten cleaned up a bit too, well… he'd cleaned the blood and dirt off and he had taken his bandana off and tied it to his left bicep. You also noticed a large crowd staring at you from the windows.

"See, you never would have lasted the whole month!" Luffy said with his mouth full. Definitely needed to try to teach that boy some table manners…

"Funny… You seem even hungrier then me!" Zolo commented.

"It's kind of you to feed me along with the heroes, Ma'am," Coby said while scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

"It's the least I can do. You four saved the whole town," Rika's mother replied, then she noticed you entering the room and said, "Ah! Mel-san! That shirt looks good on you!"

"Um… Thanks…" you replied with mild embarrassment as the guys looked at you. You didn't really like dressing up or showing off your body, even the little bit of stomach this shirt showed was a bit much for you, but… oh well… "I hope you don't mind me barrowing it…" you said.

"Not at all!" Rika's mother replied with a smile and you bowed in thanks.

With that settled, you walked around the table to your seat, draped your damaged shirt over the back, (which you would try to fix later), and sat down. To your left sat Zolo, Luffy was across from you and Coby was at your right. "How's your arm, Mel-san?" Coby asked, worried since you had been injured because of him.

You flexed your arm to test its strength and replied with a smile, "It's fine; the bullet just grazed the side. Nothing serious."

Zolo arched an eye brow and asked, "That's an awful lot of bandages for just a little scrape?"

You knew he'd ask eventually so you answered truthfully, "Oh that's to cover my tattoo…"

"Tattoo?" Zolo asked, his curiosity peaked.

A troubled expression crossed your face as you searched for a way to explain, but Coby cut in. "Yeah! She's got this huge tattoo that looks like fancy letters all along her arm to the back of her hand. It's really cool!" Coby said in wonder. Then he thought back to when he had first seen it and then commented in awe at the memory, "Alvida even said that they looked… royal…"

You sweat beaded as everyone now looked at you in wonder and shock at the possibility that you were royalty or something. Then Luffy asked excitedly, "Are you a princess, Mel!?!"

"What!? No, not that I know of…" you answered, thoughtfully.

"Not that you know of?" Zolo repeated as he thought, "Well, this is getting interesting."

You sighed, looked at your mummy-like arm with a troubled expression and said, "To tell the truth… I have no idea where I got this… or why I washed up on that beach…"

"Really? Weren't you in a shipwreck or something?" Coby asked, but you shook your head.

"I don't remember one…" you said tentatively.

"Amnesia then? That's rough…" Zolo said.

You nodded and said uneasily, "I guess so…"

"Well, don't worry about it, Mel!" Luffy said and everyone looked at him curiously as he continued with his usual grin, "That just means that you have a big goal too! Just like Zolo and me!"

You smiled and said, "Thanks, Luffy."

Then an idea occurred to Luffy and he asked, "Speaking of… Have you made up your mind yet about joining my crew?"

Blinking you asked, "Huh?"

"Remember? You said you would come to the next island with me and tell me then if you'd join up or not," he reminded you.

"Ah… Yeah… I remember…" you replied.

He stared at you and there was a long moment of silence until he finally asked, "Well?"

"You sure you really want me on your crew? I mean… what could I do?" you asked.

Luffy looked deep in thought for a while then he replied, "Well, you're a good person, and you're strong… Can you sing?"

You quirked an eye brow at him and replied, "Yes… But what does that have to do with anything?"

Then he threw his arms up in the air and said, "GREAT! YOU CAN BE OUR MUSICIAN!"

Zolo and Coby face faulted and Zolo demanded, "How would that help our crew?"

Luffy looked at him innocently and replied, "What? Pirates sing don't they?"

Zolo inhaled to start to explain to Luffy his point, but paused when he heard you laughing. You then smiled and said, "I don't know how good of a musician I'd make, but I'd be crazy not to keep going with you if you want me to. I've never had this much fun before and this is only the beginning!"

Luffy grinned and agreed, "YEP!" Zolo stared at you for a few minutes, but finally just smirked and returned to his drink.

The three of you started to finish up your meal, although for Luffy that meant reaching his tenth course. Then Rika came up to Luffy and said, "Wow, you're great!"

"Yeah, I'm kind of great! And I'm going to become a lot greater!" Luffy replied with he mouth full again.

"So… What's next," Zolo asked.

"WE'RE HEADED FOR THE GRAND LINE!" Luffy stated like it was the simplest thing in the world.

"WHAT!? THAT'S SUICIDE!!" Coby exclaimed in alarm, "THERE ARE ONLY THREE OF YOU! IF YOU GO THERE, YOU'LL JUST BE SAILING TO YOUR DEATHS! THE MOST BLOOD THIRSTY PIRATES IN THE WORLD ARE THERE!!!"

"Well, I guess if we're after the 'One Piece'… the Grand Line is where we have to go," Zolo said while leaning on his right arm on the table with an eager grin on his face.

Fit to snap, Coby got in Zolo's face and exclaimed, "ZOLO-SAN!! EVEN YOU AGREE WITH HIM!!"

Zolo sweat beaded slightly and said, "What's it to you? It's not like you're coming with us."

With that as the last straw, Coby slammed his hands on the table and shouted, "NO, BUT I'M WORRIED ABOUT YOU! IS THAT SO **WRONG**!? CAN'T I WORRY ABOUT MY FRIENDS!?!"

"That's not what I…" Zolo tried to defend himself as he sweat beaded.

Coby calmed down a bit, turned to Luffy and said, "Luffy-san, we haven't know each other very long, but… we're still friends, aren't we?"

Luffy beamed at him and replied, "We're going our separate ways… but we'll always be friends!!"

Coby smiled back then he looked at the floor and said, "You're the first friend I've ever had… No one else ever stuck up for me! Even I wouldn't stick up for me!" Then he looked up with determination and continued, "But the three of you… You taught me to fight for what I believe in!"

"That's why I'm going to the Grand Line," Luffy said.

"Makes sense to me," Zolo agreed.

You sweat beaded and said, "I don't think that's what he's getting at guys…"

"Mel's right! I'm trying to convince you that it's too reckless!!" Coby shouted, but was cut short when Zolo tapped his forehead with the pommel of one of his katana.

"First of all, you better worry about yourself," Zolo said.

"Huh? Why?" Coby asked befuddled.

Zolo rested his sword on his shoulder and explained, "You were a cabin boy on Alvida's pirate ship for two years. Don't underestimate the marines' intelligence. If they find out about your past, they won't let you enlist, even if you were forced." Coby went white as it dawned on him the huge obstacle that now stood in his way that might be even worse then Alvida or Morgan.

"Excuse me…" you heard a marine say as he came in the door and you saw the rest of the marines standing outside. "You are pirates… correct?" he asked.

"That's right," Luffy replied maybe a little too enthusiastically, "I even have two crewmen now, which makes me a genuine pirate captain!"

The marine nervously grabbed his hat and said, "Umm… You saved our base and this town… and we are truly grateful to you. However, we're still marines… and we can't shelter pirates." He then stood up straight in stubbornness and continued, "I'm sorry, but I have to ask you to leave, but to show our gratitude we won't report you to headquarters."

At that news the townspeople shouted disapprovingly, "Marine pigs! What are you doing!? YOU HATED MORGAN AS MUCH AS WE DID!!! THEY'RE YOUR SAVIORS TOO!!!"

You sighed and said, "Well… I was wondering how long they'd put up with us. Guess it's time to go, eh Luffy?"

"Yeah… Tanks for the meal, Ma'am," Luffy said and got up, his eyes shaded by his hat.

"Luffy… You're leaving already?" Coby asked sadly.

The three of you said nothing as you walked past him, you didn't even make eye contact lest that betray any of your real feelings. It was a strained silence.

Then the marine asked Coby, "Aren't you going with them?"

"HUH?!" Coby gasped then stuttered searching for the words, "I'm… I'm… I…" He clenched his fists and shouted, "I'M NOT ONE OF THEM!!!"

Not entirely convinced though, the marine turned to Luffy and asked, "Excuse me, pirates? Is that true?"

Luffy was silent for a bit, then he said, "Let me explain, I know all about his past…"

"Luffy… You're not going too…" Coby thought in terror.

"See there was this secret pirate island… and a big pirate woman… her name was Alvida…" Luffy started to spill the beans and you watched Coby's terror grow. Luffy then tapped Coby in the forehead and continued, "She was really mean… and for two years, this guy…"

"SHUT UP!!!" Coby shouted and punched Luffy square in the jaw, not that it really hurt him, but it looked real enough.

Everyone was stunned, except you, Luffy and Zolo. Coby was the most stunned that he had actually hit someone who had helped him so much. However, that was what Luffy had been counting on and, although he was grinning, he snarled, "WHY, YOU--!!" He punched Coby right back. "Take this and that!" Luffy kept pummeling Coby, but not hard enough to really hurt him.

It was enough to convince the marine though and he shouted, "ENOUGH! STOP DESTURBING THE PEACE!!"

That's when Zolo grabbed Luffy by his collar and dragged him back saying, "Hey… Hey… That's enough." Coby fell to the floor, stunned.

The marine then pointed at you and demanded, "IT'S CLEAR THAT YOU'RE NOT FRIENDS!!! PLEASE LEAVE TOWN! NOW!!!"

In spite of the marine's harsh send off, you still smiled to yourself as you left knowing that Coby was finally on his way. Luffy was smiling too and Zolo even felt like taunting the other marines.

"Catch us if you can!" he said and smirked as the other marines recoiled in surprise. They hadn't forgotten how he's bested their captain so easily and weren't too eager to challenge the swordsman.

When you got down to the docks Zolo said, "That was some pretty bad acting, I wouldn't be surprised if they saw right through it."

"I don't know… I think it went over well," you said.

"In either case, it's all up to Coby now. He'll get in somehow," Luffy said with a laugh.

You helped Luffy untie the boat and Zolo commented as he gazed out to sea, "Well it's a good time to be leaving… Everybody hates us… That's the way pirates should leave a town…"

Luffy laughed at that and replied, "I guess that's true!"

Then you heard a familiar voice cry out between gasps, "LU… LU… LUFFY-SAN!!"

"Coby?" Luffy asked as the three of you looked back at the panting boy.

Then Coby saluted and exclaimed, "THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CAPTAIN LUFFY!! I'LL NEVER FORGET ALL YOU DID FOR ME!!!"

"Well this is unheard of," you said with a grin, "Pirates being saluted by the marines."

Luffy laughed then answered with a wave, "WE'LL MEET AGAIN COBY!!"

"TEN'SHUN!" shouted the marine commander and all the marines on the island saluted you right along with Coby who looked stunned.

"HOORAY!!" shouted the townspeople as Luffy waved farewell to them and the three of you set off.

"WE'RE ON OUR WAY!! TO THE GRAND LINE!!!" Luffy exclaimed ecstatically while you and Zolo each grinned with the infectious excitement of your captain.


End file.

One Piece, Adventure, Fantasy