The First Crew Member!

Roronoa Zoro turned to look at Daddy, his eyes filled with disbelief. He couldn't break through the man's defense at all!

"Looks like your swords aren't good enough! Take this Yubashiri! You can use your strongest move!

"If you can break through my defense, you can take Yubashiri and the spoils from this pirate ship and leave.

"If you can't, Yubashiri is still yours, but you'll have to come out to sea with me!"

Daddy pulled out the Skillful Grade Sword: Yubashiri and tossed it to Zoro, then spoke.

"Hey! What are you talking about?! Big Brother Zoro won't lose! Big Brother Zoro is the strongest! That turtle shell of yours is definitely going to get cut to pieces by Big Brother Zoro!"

Yosaku and Johnny immediately shouted encouragement to Zoro from the sidelines.

The pirates of the Tulip Pirates were trembling as they guarded their gravely injured captain, Rika, waiting for the two experts to duel.

It wasn't that they didn't want to run. Daddy and Zoro's gazes were simply too terrifying. The moment they tried to leave, they were enveloped by killing intent and didn't dare move.

Captain Rika's only hope now was that the two bastards would both be badly hurt, giving him a chance to rise up and fight back. Otherwise, he was truly done for.

"Even though you're not a swordsman, I'll keep my word! Let's see whether my sword is sharper or your shield is tougher!"

Zoro wasn't one to overthink things. He picked up the Skillful Grade Sword: Yubashiri, drew it, and tossed aside one of his battered swords.

"This is my strongest move!"

"Nine mountains and eight seas, there is nothing I cannot cut. Three Thousand Worlds."

Three-Sword Style Secret Technique: Three Thousand Worlds!

The two swords in Zoro's hands spun rapidly like windmills, whipping up fierce gusts around him. After chanting, he vanished from where he stood in an instant. His shadow was nowhere to be seen, yet he had already struck Daddy's barrier shield.

When Zoro reappeared, he was breathing hard. The ordinary sword in his left hand had shattered into more than a dozen pieces. He stared at Daddy's transparent shield in disbelief, his eyes filled with frustration.

His strongest technique hadn't left even the slightest mark on the man's shield. It was unbearably frustrating!

"I lost!"

Zoro took the Wado Ichimonji from his mouth, sheathed it, and sat down on the ground, somewhat dejected. He even began to doubt his own strength.

If he couldn't even cut through a shield like that, did he really have what it took to challenge the World's Greatest Swordsman?

"Big Brother Zoro!!"

Yosaku and Johnny immediately rushed to Zoro's side, then glared at the bastard Daddy. It was just a turtle shell—what was there to be so smug about?!

"Roronoa Zoro, don't forget that girl's dream! Our path to becoming the strongest has only just begun!"

Daddy walked over to Zoro and held out a hand, speaking earnestly and solemnly.

Zoro looked up at the man. How did he know about Kuina? He really was a mysterious guy!

"Fine, I'll stay on your ship for now! Once I cut through your lousy barrier, I'll leave! I won't acknowledge a captain weaker than me!"

Zoro placed a hand in Daddy's and let him pull him to his feet, then looked at him seriously as he spoke.

"Haha! Zoro, you lost the bet, yet you still get a Skillful Grade Sword: Yubashiri. And now I have to feed and house you, too. Have a little conscience!"

Daddy laughed heartily. At last, he had his first crew member. As for the protagonist Luffy? What did that have to do with Daddy?

With such powerful connections, backed by the Marine Hero and the leader of the Revolutionary Army, and with luck on his side, did a guy like Daddy really need to worry about him?

"..."

Zoro was speechless, but he still gripped the Skillful Grade Sword: Yubashiri tightly. It seemed like he wasn't losing out after all. He'd have a navigation-challenged errand boy in the future, and the other guy also had a sailboat that looked pretty good!

"Big Brother Zoro! Are you really joining his crew? Can we come along too?!"

Yosaku and Johnny immediately called out. The real way to live was to stick with a powerful big shot!

"Ask him! He's the captain of that ship!"

Zoro wasn't particularly close to Yosaku and Johnny. He'd only treated them as ordinary friends, teaming up with them to hunt pirates.

"Um... Captain Daddy, you see... could you take us along too?"

Yosaku and Johnny suddenly asked Daddy in an awkward, hesitant manner. After all, they'd both just insulted him.

"You two are too weak. You can't go to the Grand Line. Besides, Zoro and I might even fight the Marines as we get stronger. We could end up as wanted criminals. Do you dare become pirates?"

Daddy said casually. He really didn't think much of the two of them. They were fishermen who only worked as bounty hunters on the side to earn a little money.

They were loyal, but there was no denying that they were weak. They'd only be cannon fodder in the Grand Line!

"You really want to go to the Grand Line, known as the Pirate Graveyard? Do you know how dangerous it is there? Have you even heard of the Shichibukai?"

Yosaku and Johnny shouted. They were indeed a little afraid of the Grand Line, because it was full of powerful pirates. They were a couple of weaklings who couldn't even beat pirates with bounties of a few million. They didn't dare go to the Pirate Graveyard!

"Of course we're going! And I know far more about the Grand Line than you two!

"Enough talk. Let's take down this pirate crew and collect the bounty. You two can have this pirate ship!"

Daddy leaped up and pulled down the Tulip Pirates' flag, claiming it as his spoils.

Captain Rika saw that the Pirate Hunters and the stranger hadn't taken each other out, but his men had no intention of surrendering without a fight.

"Fight! Kill them!"

Captain Rika clutched his wound and shouted, but the pirate underlings ignored him. Some immediately jumped into the sea to escape, while others knelt and begged for mercy.

Most of them didn't have bounties on their heads. Even if they were captured, they'd only be locked up for a few years. There was no need to risk their lives fighting these two grim reapers, much less stay loyal to their captain!

"You're only making your move now? Too late!"

Daddy charged over and drove the Sandai Kitetsu into Captain Rika's chest. The bounties on these small-time pirates were dead or alive, so he'd get the reward either way!

Zoro also took his new sword, Yubashiri, and cut down the underlings, while Yosaku and Johnny hurried to tie up the pirates!

After they caught the pirates who'd jumped into the sea, Daddy and the other three used the Tulip Pirates' reserve food to hold a small feast right there.

At Yosaku and Johnny's entreaties, Daddy agreed to let the two weaklings travel with them around the East Blue for a while. They could help out with odd jobs and ship duties.

Afterward, Yosaku and Johnny took the Tulip Pirates to the nearest Marine Branch to collect the bounties and sell the pirate ship as well.