Sea Calendar 1520, East Blue, Marine Branch 153.
Two figures lay sprawled atop the Marine Base wall, looking down at the training ground, where a bedraggled man was tied to a cross.
"Reiner, is that the swordsman you mentioned who uses three swords?"
Luffy glanced at the man beside him.
The man had short blond hair and wore an azure shirt with its long sleeves rolled up, paired with beige dress pants. He looked every bit the accomplished office professional.
"Green hair, three golden earrings..."
Reiner carefully studied the figure on the training ground. "That's him. Let's go."
Francis Reiner.
He had transmigrated into the world of pirates a year ago and met Luffy in Foosha Village. Today was their first day at sea.
Reiner had brought Luffy straight to Marine Branch 153.
Naturally, it was to claim the beginner's benefit: Three-Sword Liu Zoro.
Luffy grinned, propped himself up on the wall with both hands, and jumped into the base before swaggering inside.
Reiner leisurely lit a cigarette and followed behind him.
"Here for me?"
Zoro had noticed them long ago. He watched them coldly and warily. "Who are you?"
"My name is Luffy! I'm the man who'll become the Pirate King, and I'm here to ask you to join my crew!"
Luffy grinned and stated his purpose bluntly.
As he spoke, he reached out and began untying him on his own.
Zoro froze. Did people these days always talk this nonsensically?
"What kind of joke is this?! Hey, don't just untie me!"
Zoro hurriedly tried to stop him.
He had allowed himself to be captured in order to save a mother and daughter.
He had made an agreement with the Marines: as long as he endured a month without food or water, they would leave the mother and daughter alone.
They would also let him go.
However, Luffy was not about to listen. His hands moved nimbly as he fiddled with the ropes.
Only...
"It's getting tighter, you bastard!"
Zoro could not help roaring. The rope around his hands was digging into his flesh.
Reiner: "..."
Strangling a teammate to death as a sacrifice on their first day at sea would be far too ridiculous.
"Forget it, Luffy. Let me do it."
With a thought from Reiner, a rift in space appeared out of thin air. A ghastly pale skeleton stepped out, holding a dagger in its hand.
Zoro was startled by the sudden sight. "What the hell is that?!"
"I'm a Devil Fruit User. I can summon Undead Creatures."
Reiner took the skeleton's dagger and lightly sliced the rope, which fell away at once. Then he smiled.
"Anyway... ahem, I've got you covered! Come with us, and everything will be fine."
"Huh???"
Zoro looked utterly bewildered, his brows deeply furrowed.
He had no idea what Reiner was talking about, but the man sure sounded confident.
Reiner casually stuck the dagger into the skeleton's skull and put it away before turning serious.
"I heard about what happened to you when I came through town. You don't really think you can go a whole month without food or water, do you?"
"Tch. None of your business."
Zoro snorted but did not refute him. In truth, he was already nearing his limit, and today was only the ninth day.
"Anyway, after today, you'll soon be wanted. Either become a pirate or wait here to die."
Reiner flicked his cigarette butt to the ground and stepped on it. "Or, if you don't have any ambitions, you can find somewhere to hide. We'll just pretend we never came today."
"If I were going to scrape by just to stay alive, I might as well die here."
Zoro spat and rubbed his wrists. "I've still got something important to do."
He knew his situation was exactly as Reiner had said. Once he became wanted, whether he became a pirate or not would make little difference.
He still had a goal to achieve, and they had indeed saved him. Maybe he should just go to sea with them.
With that thought, Zoro's expression turned solemn. He met Reiner's eyes. "You came prepared. Looks like you were determined to get me. Are you the captain?"
"No. He's the captain."
Reiner gestured toward Luffy beside him with his thumb.
Zoro followed his gesture. Luffy was grinning at him, his eyes filled with innocent clarity.
"He doesn't look very reliable, does he?"
He did not know why he had asked. He just had a strange feeling. He turned to look at Reiner again. "Then are you the first mate?"
"No, no, no. I'm just a logistics member."
Reiner waved his hands, his expression full of resistance. First mate? No way!
That title sounded far too conspicuous and did not suit his style. He wanted to quietly build up his strength, then amaze everyone.
Would people treat him the same after hearing he was the first mate as they would after hearing he was logistics?
He was someone who liked taking shots from the shadows. No one understood combat better than he did.
What, you said that was despicable?
That's right! It was him!
"A logistics member?"
Zoro's expression turned strange. "That sounds pretty weak."
He was clearly a legendary Devil Fruit User, yet he was not actually strong?
Seeing Zoro's expression, Reiner felt delighted inside.
That was it! That was exactly the effect he wanted!
If he used his power now, he could instantly slash Zoro a few times.
Just then, a group of uninvited guests arrived on the training ground.
"Prepare to fire!!!"
A rough roar rang out from the distance.
The three looked toward the sound. The man shouting was a burly giant built like a bear, with a huge axe attached to his hand. It was the colonel of Branch 153, Axe-Hand Morgan!
Behind Morgan was a large group of Marines, all aiming their guns at them.
Seeing this, Luffy quickly spread his arms and stepped in front of the other two.
"Bang!"
"Bang!" Gunfire exploded as dozens of bullets shot toward them.
"Watch out!" Zoro cried out in alarm.
Yet in the next moment, something unexpected happened.
The bullets sank directly into Luffy's body upon impact. The flesh on his back stretched out, making him look like a porcupine.
In the next instant, all the bullets burst back out and ricocheted toward the Marines.
"What kind of monster is he?!"
"Get out of the way!"
Facing the panicked Marines, Luffy put his hands on his hips and laughed proudly. "Hehehe, I'm a Rubber Man who ate the Gum-Gum Fruit. Bullets don't work on me!"
Zoro looked as though he had seen a ghost. "What's going on? He's a Devil— Huh? Where did he go?"
Before he finished speaking, he realized that Reiner had vanished at some point.
"Damn it, the Marines took my swords!" Zoro touched his empty waist, anger appearing on his face.
Meanwhile, Morgan stared at Luffy with a grave expression.
He had been the base commander for three years, so he was no ignorant fool. He immediately roared at his men.
"Don't panic! Try using swords! All of you, attack!"
Even if swords did not work, they could still swarm him and pin him down.
"Yes!"
Having received Morgan's order, the Marines drew their swords and charged forward, clashing with Luffy.
Zoro also rushed in. He knocked several Marines down with his bare hands, seized a sword, and began displaying astonishing strength.
Watching the two figures rampage through the training ground like wild beasts, Morgan frowned deeply.
"Let my subordinates wear them down first. Then I'll sneak in and attack."
What a coincidence.
That was exactly what Reiner was thinking too!!
Just then, a furtive figure suddenly appeared behind Morgan!
At some point, Reiner had silently circled around and crept toward Morgan.
"Click!"
Suddenly, the sound of a gun being cocked rang out.
Morgan was instantly startled. A chill swept through his body, and he spun around with a sense of dread.
A blond man was aiming a gun at him. Staring into the pitch-black muzzle, Morgan was utterly terrified.
"Eat shit, sir!"
"Wait—"
"Bang—!"
Without the slightest hesitation, Reiner pulled the trigger and looked teasingly at Morgan as he fell into a pool of blood.
"Can't wait, sir. What if something unexpected happens?"
He had said it before: no one understood combat better than he did!
He stepped forward and placed a hand on Morgan. Green flames surged from his palm and enveloped him.
About thirty seconds later, the flames returned to Reiner's hand and turned into a flickering spark.
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