The Man Named Zoro!

"Wahaha! So this is Shells Town?"

The moment his feet touched solid ground, Luffy spread his arms and let out a hearty laugh at the somewhat empty streets.

He adjusted his straw hat, showing none of the caution one should have when a pirate sneaked into Marine territory. Instead, he strode excitedly straight down the street.

"All right! Time to find a companion!"

Koby trudged after him, drenched in sweat beneath a huge pack completely out of proportion with his build, trying his best to reason with him.

"Mr. Luffy, please calm down! Trying to make someone known as 'Magic Beast' your companion is just too reckless!"

"Hm? What's reckless about it?" Luffy turned around, looking as though it were perfectly natural. "I haven't decided yet. If he's a good person, I'll ask him to join."

Koby cried out in despair, "He was arrested because he's a bad person!..."

Luffy did not listen at all and even began looking around.

Seeing this, Koby could only turn to Victor, who was strolling leisurely beside them, for help.

"Hey, Mr. Victor, you're the vice-captain! Hurry up and talk Mr. Luffy out of this! Something really bad is going to happen if this keeps up!"

Victor stopped walking, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

"Well, Koby, humans are very complicated creatures."

Victor spoke meaningfully, lightly tapping Koby's forehead with a finger.

"Sometimes, those wearing Marine uniforms aren't necessarily justice, and those tied to crosses aren't necessarily devils.

"What you see isn't always the truth—that's a magician's first lesson."

"Huh?"

Koby looked utterly confused. Before he could react, Luffy had already cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted down the street.

"Hey—!! Where's that guy named Zoro—!!"

The shout was like a bomb dropped into a calm lake.

The townspeople walking along the street heard the name "Zoro" and instantly screamed as they scattered in every direction.

The shops on both sides slammed their doors shut and locked them in a frenzy.

In the blink of an eye, the entire street was empty, not even a fly left behind.

"Huh? Everyone ran really fast."

Luffy tilted his head innocently.

Victor sighed helplessly, stepped forward, and pressed one hand onto Luffy's shoulder while lifting the terrified, weak-kneed Koby with the other.

"All right, Captain, stop shouting. Since everyone's so afraid of him, isn't it obvious where he is?"

Victor raised his chin toward the towering Marine fortress in the distance.

"Let's go to the Marine base first. Koby, haven't you always dreamed of joining the Marines? It's on the way."

At the mention of the Marines, some of the fear in Koby's eyes faded, replaced by longing.

"Y-Yes! I want to join the Marines!"

"Oh! Just what I'd expect from the vice-captain! You're really fired up!" Luffy grinned and ran toward the base.

"Wait! Mr. Victor, Mr. Luffy! I-I'm not mentally prepared yet..."

The blazing sun hung high overhead. Outside the walls of the Marine 153rd Branch base.

The three stood beneath the towering wall.

"Oh, this is it!"

As he spoke, Luffy climbed the tall wall in a few nimble movements like a monkey, perched on top, and began looking around.

"Where is he? That Magic Beast guy named Zoro?" Luffy shaded his eyes with one hand.

Koby stood at the foot of the wall, looked up, and said quietly.

"He can't be here, Mr. Luffy. A critically dangerous criminal like that must be locked deep underground in a specially built dark prison..."

"Ah, found him."

Luffy's voice interrupted Koby's deduction.

He pointed into the training ground on the other side of the wall. "He's right there."

"Huh?!" Koby froze.

Before he could react, he felt his collar tighten.

Victor lifted him like a chick. Chakra burst beneath his feet, and with a light leap, he cleared the three-meter wall and landed steadily beside Luffy.

At a glance, all three saw the scene within the wall.

A cross stood alone in the middle of the broad dirt training ground.

A man was tightly bound to it with thick ropes.

He wore a black bandana, a dark green haramaki, and a deep green sash around his waist.

Though he looked somewhat bedraggled now, covered in dust.

The savage, beastlike aura radiating from him could be felt even from far away.

"It really is... Roronoa Zoro..." Koby clung to the top of the wall, his voice trembling. "They actually left him out in the blazing sun like this..."

Luffy stared at Zoro for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled.

"He doesn't look like much. We just need to untie those ropes, right?"

"Don't joke around, Mr. Luffy!" Koby cried in terror.

"That's Magic Beast! If you untie him, he'll definitely kill you first thing!"

"It's fine." Luffy confidently patted his chest. "I'm strong!"

Koby's lips twitched as he instinctively glanced at the calm-faced Victor beside him.

"Ah... It would be more convincing if Mr. Victor said that..."

At that moment, the man on the cross seemed to sense their prying eyes.

Zoro slowly raised his head. His tiger-sharp eyes pierced through the glaring sunlight and coldly fixed on the three atop the wall.

"Hey, you're getting in my way."

"If you don't want to die, get lost."

"Eek—!" Koby immediately ducked his head and hid behind Luffy.

Just as the tension reached a breaking point, a childish voice suddenly came from beneath the wall.

"Um... Big brothers, could you move aside?"

Victor looked down.

A little girl with twin ponytails was struggling to hold up a ladder taller than she was, trying to lean it against the wall.

When the girl saw Victor looking at her, she blushed shyly.

"I want to go in."

Luffy and Koby were still having a "staring contest" with Zoro and did not notice her below.

Victor looked at Rika, the famous "rice ball girl" from the original story, and a trace of gentleness flashed in his eyes.

He lightly jumped down from the wall and landed in front of the little girl.

"The ladder is too dangerous."

Victor took the ladder from her with one hand and set it aside, then held out his hand with a smile.

"Are you bringing food to that 'big brother'? I'll help you get inside."

Rika froze for a moment. Looking at the handsome older boy, she nodded instinctively.

"Mm... I want to give rice balls to Big Brother Zoro."

"Hold on tight."

Victor did not waste any words. He scooped up the little girl and seated her in the crook of his arm.

Then he bent his knees slightly as chakra instantly gathered beneath his feet.

"Whoosh!"

No running start. No climbing.

Like a feather caught by the wind, Victor leaped into the air with the little girl in his arms.

He cleared the high wall directly and landed lightly on the grass inside the training ground.

He landed without a sound.

Koby's eyes nearly popped out of his head atop the wall. He clutched his head and screamed.

"Ahhh! Mr. Victor! That's a Marine base! How can you follow Mr. Luffy and fool around too?!!"

"Hehehe, this is fun!"

Seeing that, Luffy pressed down his straw hat and laughed. He grabbed the still-screaming Koby. "Then let's go too!"

"Huh? Huhhh? No—!"

Accompanied by Koby's desperate screams, the two climbed down from the wall as well and crashed heavily onto the training ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

That commotion finally made the cold-faced Zoro frown deeply.

"A bunch of brats who don't know their place..."

Zoro gritted his teeth, frowning at these uninvited intruders who had barged into the execution ground.

His swords had been taken by Helmeppo.

And now, Victor set down the little girl Rika and patted her head. "Go on."