Rescuing Zoro

Helmeppo lay sprawled on the ground and shouted at the two Marine soldiers, "Hurry up and take me to my dad! I want him to get revenge for me!"

Watching Helmeppo being carried away, Luffy walked up to Zoro and said, "Hey, I heard you got caught and tied up here because you did something bad. You're amazing, going over twenty days without food. If it were me, I'd probably starve to death in two days."

Zoro smiled at Luffy's words. "I'm different from you guys. I have my own convictions. I'll keep living, and I have a reason I have to stay alive. Sorry for the trouble, but could you pick up the rice ball on the ground and feed it to me? I can't let this little girl's kindness go to waste."

Liu Qing walked over, picked up the rice ball that had been trampled beyond recognition, and said to Zoro, "Zoro, this rice ball is full of sand."

Zoro said, "Bring it here and feed it to me." Crunch, crunch.

After eating it, Zoro looked at the little girl and said, "Thank you for the rice ball. You made it really well. It was delicious."

Looking at the people still there, Zoro said, "You should leave for now. I'll definitely hold out for a month. I won't die that easily in the meantime."

Liu Qing looked at Luffy and asked, "Luffy, what do you say?"

"Then let's leave for now. Ten days left, right? Zoro, if you make it through, how about becoming my crewmate?" Luffy said as he turned and walked away.

Zoro said, "Ah, we'll see. Let's talk about it then."

The group arrived in the alley beside the Foodfoo tavern.

Koby snapped out of his thoughts and asked Luffy, "Is Roronoa Zoro really a bad guy?"

The little girl loudly protested, "No! Big Brother Zoro isn't a bad guy! He was tied up in place of me and my mom. Twenty days ago, Captain Morgan's son Helmeppo brought several of his big dogs to the entrance of our tavern. Then the dogs rushed inside and started wildly snatching the customers' food. Two of the big dogs lunged straight at me, and Big Brother Zoro killed the dogs and beat up Helmeppo too."

"Then Helmeppo threatened Big Brother Zoro with our lives. He said he'd spare me and Mom as long as Big Brother Zoro could last a month without eating or drinking. If Big Brother Zoro dared fight back, Helmeppo would have Captain Morgan kill us outright. So, to protect us, Big Brother Zoro let the Marines capture him like that. And the worst part is, Helmeppo punches and kicks Big Brother Zoro every day," the little girl said sadly.

Just then, the sound of tables and bowls being smashed came from the Foodfoo tavern, and Liu Qing heard a voice he hated speaking.

"Why are your stools so hard? Ow, my butt! You people... ow! I'm in a really foul mood today, so... ow! I'm not going to wait for that Zoro guy to last a month. I'm having him shot tomorrow! Oww!" Helmeppo said, groaning all the while.

Walking into the Foodfoo tavern, Liu Qing suddenly said, "Aha, looks like that beating at the drill ground didn't scare you. You got beaten into this fucking state and still dare come here acting like hot shit. Looks like I went too easy on you. Wood Release..."

Just as Liu Qing was about to use the Fatherly Love Education Technique of Wood Release again, Luffy stopped him.

Seething with rage, his face furious, Luffy said to Liu Qing, "I'm really angry, Liu Qing! Let me do it. I'm going to send that guy flying!"

Before he had finished speaking, Luffy charged straight at Helmeppo like an enraged lion. In the blink of an eye, he was right in front of him.

Then Luffy put all his strength into a heavy punch, slamming it into Helmeppo like a cannonball. The punch was astonishingly powerful, sending Helmeppo spinning rapidly through the air like a kite with its string cut.

Helmeppo spun a full thirty-six thousand degrees in midair before crashing heavily to the ground and passing out on the spot.

Looking at Helmeppo lying unconscious on the ground, Luffy's anger eased a little. He turned to Liu Qing and said, "I've decided, Liu Qing! I'm going to make Zoro my crewmate. Let's go rescue him together!"

With that, Luffy turned without hesitation and headed toward the drill ground where Zoro was being held.

Watching Luffy's retreating figure, Liu Qing couldn't help bursting into laughter. "Hahaha! To make you this angry, Luffy, it looks like we're really going to raise hell this time!"

At the drill ground in the Marine Base.

Seeing the group return so soon after leaving, Zoro couldn't help saying in exasperation, "Why are you back again? Didn't you only just leave?"

"Well, you have no idea, Zoro. When my captain heard that Helmeppo was going to have you shot tomorrow, he flew into a rage and sent Captain Morgan's son flying. He said he absolutely had to make you our crewmate," Liu Qing said.

Luffy said, "That's right. Zoro, become our crewmate! There's no point waiting here anymore. Helmeppo never intended to let you go. He wants to kill you once you're too hungry to fight back."

Zoro didn't answer, instead sinking into thought.

Meanwhile, at the Marine Base.

"Someone get in here!" Helmeppo shouted at the top of his lungs. "Hurry up and carry me to my dad's office! I'm going to ask him to get revenge for me!"

Several soldiers came running at his shouts and carefully carried Helmeppo to Captain Morgan's office.

As soon as he entered the office, Helmeppo began crying and making a fuss like a child. "Dad, a bunch of pirates came to the island! They're awful! They actually dared to hit me! Dad, you have to get revenge for me!"

Seeing his son in such a wretched state, Captain Morgan's temper flared at once. He glared at Helmeppo and roared, "You useless fool! As the son of the great Captain Morgan, all you ever do is walk dogs and play with cats. You have no prospects at all! You can't even deal with a few small-time pirates, and you still have the nerve to ask me to get revenge for you?"

Back with Zoro.

After thinking for a while, Zoro raised his head, looked at Luffy and Liu Qing, and said, "All right, I agree. I'll join your pirate crew, but I have one condition. My ambition is to become the World's Greatest Swordsman. If one day you lack the stature to accommodate my ambition, I'll kill you, then keep moving toward my goal alone until I fulfill that ambition."

Luffy laughed heartily. "Don't worry, Zoro. I won't give you a chance to kill me. My dream is to be the man who becomes the Pirate King! I won't give up on my dream. Unless I become the Pirate King or die on the path to claiming that title, I won't stop moving forward."

"As for me, I'm just a traveler who wants to see the whole world. Until I accomplish that goal, I won't be defeated. I'm very strong, you know," Liu Qing said meaningfully. His combat strength was infinitely close to Six Paths, and that was no joke.

"In that case, Luffy, help me get my weapons back. That bastard Helmeppo took my swords! As long as you get my weapons back, I'll officially join you!" Zoro said with a serious expression.

Hearing that Helmeppo had taken Zoro's weapons, Luffy immediately filled with righteous indignation. Without hesitation, he thumped his chest and declared loudly, "No problem! Leave it to me! I'll go get your weapons back right now!"

Just then, Liu Qing suddenly spoke. "Hold on. Let me untie you first." Before he had even finished speaking, a wooden dagger suddenly appeared in his hand as if by magic. Then, with three crisp swishes, every rope binding Zoro fell to the ground.

Liu Qing casually took some food and water from behind his back and handed them to Zoro, saying with a smile, "Have something to eat first and get your strength back. There might be a fierce battle in a little while, and you can't go into it without enough stamina."