“Really!?”
"Yep! He ate all of it!”
Rika, the little girl from before, smiled happily. After you and Luffy left, you guys made you way over to where Koby and Rika were. Luffy sat on a on a set of stairs, telling her how Zolo ate the dirty rice balls. You leaned against the wall next to him, and Koby sat on a barrel in front of you.
“I’m so happy!”
“Hmmm… Is he really that a horrible person his reputation says he is…?” Koby wondered. No pirate hunter with a reputation like Zolo’s would do something nice like eat a dirty rice ball to make a little girl happy.
“No, he isn’t!” Rika argued, “Brother didn’t do anything wrong! It’s just that people in this town are afraid of him. He got arrested because of me…” She looked at the ground sadly as she began to tell you guys how he got locked up, “He killed Helmeppo’s pet wolf. Because Helmeppo let his wolf run around and everyone got scared…”
“So you’re telling us that Zolo’s only arrested because he killed Helmeppo’s wolf?” You asked.
“Yea..”
You snorted, “What a pansy. Locking up someone for killing your pet who was terrorizing a whole town is like arresting someone because they stepped on your toe in public.”
“But that does make sense! So maybe he has a bad temper, but chasing down fugitives isn’t that big a crime either.”
“The only bad guys are the Morgan’s!” Rika yelled angrily. “You’ll get executed if you disobey them, so everyone is afraid of them!”
Luffy looked like he was going to sawy something, if it hadn’t been for an irritatingly familiar voice, “Heh heh heh heh! Who dares raise his head? I’ll tell my daddy!!!”
All four of you looked up, seeing that irritatingly familiar figure walking--strutting--down the road. “Do you want to end up like Roronoa Zolo? I’m gonna publicly execute him in three days. I’ll use him to set and example for all of you! It’s gonna be pretty interesting…”
“Three days?” Luffy stepped in front of Helmeppo, stopping him from doing that annoying walk, “Didn’t you say you’ll give him a month?”
“Who are you? How rude!” Helmeppo puffed his cheeks in laughter, “I was only joking with him!!! Only and idiot would believe that, hee-hee!!”
That didn’t sit well with Luffy, because next then you know, he ran up and punched Helmeppo right in the face. You would’ve laughed at Helmeppo’s misfortune if you hadn’t had to run over and hold Luffy back from doing any more damage. Although you felt Helmeppo more than deserved a good beating.
“Luffy! Stop! Please calm down!!!” Koby cried, trying to push Luffy back.
“You bastard!” Luffy struggled against your grip. You were surprised at how strong this kid was. He didn’t look like the type who could actually throw a punch, then again, neither did yourself.
“You want to mess with the Navy or something?!!!” Helmeppo cried from his spot on the ground, blood coming out of his mouth as he talked.
“I’ve decided, guys! I’m gonna ask Zolo to join me!!!”
“Huh?” Koby was confused.
The villages looked terrified, “Th… This is bad…!! Who is he!?”
“He dared to his the lieutenant’s son…!! Lieutenant Morgan won’t forgive him!!!”
“L-Luffy! Calm yourself!! We’ll have the whole Navy after us!!” Koby begged.
“I don’t care!! A bastard is still a bastard!!”
“Y… Y… You dare to hit me?! My dad hasn’t even hit me once!!”
“Well, that should explain a lot.”
“I’m the Lieutenant Morgan’s son!!! I’ll tell him about this!!!!”
The crowd of villagers screamed, scrambling off like chickens with their heads cut off.
Luffy was unfazed, “Why don’t you fight me yourself?”
“Luffy, please don’t do this!!” Koby pleaded some more.
“Calm it, Luffy. He’s not worth it.” Luffy slowly stopped struggling against you. Cautiously, you let his arms go, as to make sure he wouldn’t run off and try to hit Helmeppo again.
“You’ll regret hitting me!!” You really had to restrain yourself from going and hitting Helmeppo yourself. His voice and smug attitude grated your nerves, “You’ll get a death sentence for that!!!” And with that, he ran off. Actually, more like the Navy officers that followed him ran off and just dragged Helmeppo with them. And just when you thought he was done talking, he shouted over his shoulder, “And my dad will be the one who executes you! Bastard!!”
“He ran away…” Koby stated the obvious, watching the cloud of dust that was kicked up.
“It’s meaningless to hit people like him, anyway.”
You sighed, picking up Luffy’s hat and dusting it off before jumping up and placing it on his head.
“Big Brother! You were so cool! Just then I was scared to death!” Rika said happily, running up to Luffy. He smiled, “Really? I should have hit him a couple more time then.”
“Ri… Rika! Come here!!” Yelled a woman who looked a lot like Rika. It could only be presumed to be the girls mother. Rika obeyed the woman, scampering over. “Don’t talk to strangers! You’ll be executed too if you were mistaken as on of their friends!!”
“But mom, they’re good people! And Zolo, he-”
“Don’t be silly!! Did you sneak into the execution site again?!”
“No… No I didn’t…!!”
“Come back into the house, quickly!!” The woman led Rika into the house. Just before the door closed, she looked back sadly at you guys. Luffy waved with a ‘bye-bye’.
As soon as the door closed, Koby began to have a heart attack. “Oh man! We’re gonna be in a lot of trouble!! If the lieutenant gets mad, he might send a whole Navy fleet after us…!”
“We’ll deal with them when the time comes! I’m gonna go talk to Zolo.” Luffy left you with Koby, walking towards the parade grounds where Zolo was being held. By the time you noticed you were alone with the pink-haired wonder, seeing as all the villagers were hiding in the houses from Morgan’s wrath, you grabbed Koby by his shirt and dragged him in the direction Luffy went.
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“Uh… Mac?”
“Yeah?”
“I‘m stuck!”
You deadpanned as you look up at Koby. He was hanging off the wall, desperately kicking his legs to try and propell himself over the wall. Sighing, you walked over underneath him.
“Brace yourself..."
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Zolo sighed. How he got roped into making a deal with that strange boy, he’ll never know. That kid was more clever than he looked. For him to get his sword’s back, he’ll have to join his crew. If he didn’t join the crew, he wouldn’t get his swords. If he joined, he’d get his swords but he would become a pirate and that's something he really didn’t want to do.He sighed again as he looked up at the sky, wondering what force up there hated him so.
“UWAAAAAAAAHH!!”
Suddenly, a pink blur shot up into the sky, flying in an arc and landing with a THUD! at Zolo's feet. Zolo raised a brow as it jumped up to reveal it to be a boy with coke-bottle glasses ,which were currently askew, and a dirty face and shirt from where he had skidded on the ground. He looked back at the wall as you hopped over it with ease.
“That’s NOT what I meant when I said to help me!” Koby shouted, snot running down his dirty face. No doubt he was in pain.
You shrugged, “You should have been more specific.”
You made your way over to the boys, Zolo having a visible sweat drop on his head. The weird people just keep coming. While Koby was busy cleaning himself up and fixing his glasses, you looked around for any sign of Luffy.
“Hey, have you seen a certain boy come through here. Fairly tall, straw hat, most likely to have tried to recruit you.”
Zolo looked at you strangely for a moment before answering, “Yeah. He just went inside the base.”
This got Koby’s attention, “What?! Luffy went into the base?!”
“Didn’t he just say that?”
Koby sighed, “He’s too hot-headed.”
“Yeah, you’re right. Who is he, anyway?” Zolo wanted to know.
Koby decided not to answer, instead setting to untying the ropes around Zolo’s arms.
“Oi! If you help me, they are going to kill you!!”
“You shouldn’t be arrested!!! I can’t stand those types of officers!! I’m going to be a real sailor! Just like the was Luffy is going to become the Pirate King!!” You grinned from where you worked on Zolo’s other arm. Maybe Koby’s growing a spine after all.
Zolo was shocked, “What?! P… Pirate King… ?! You’re joking, right?”
“Heheh, I was a bit shocked when I first heard him, but’ he’s serious!!”
Suddenly, a gun shot resonated through the area. You ducked down just in time, the bullet grazing against the wooden stake. The part that, thankfully, Zolo’s arm wasn’t tied to. Koby, however, was less fortunate.
“Ah! I’ve been shot!! AH!! Bleeding! I’m bleeding!! I‘m gon-mph!!”
“Screaming about it is not going to help!” You said with your hand over Koby’s mouth. Koby was breathing hard, shaking under your hand and tears forming in his eyes from the pain. You took your hand away from Koby, checking his wound to make sure it wasn’t lethal before standing up and going back to work on Zolo’s ties.
“Hey! What are you doing?! Run for you life!!” You ignored him, letting Koby do the talking. Damn, these Navy men knew how to tie a knot!
Koby panted as he sat up as best as he could with one arm, “No!!… I’ve… Got to set you free as soon as possible…!!”
“There’s no need to worry about me. As long as I can this for a month they’ll set me free! Hurry and lea-”
“About that,” you interrupted, glancing up quickly at Zolo “they’re going to kill you in three days.”
Zolo freaked, “What!!!? That bastard promised me that if I survive this for a month, he’d set me free!!”
“He never intended to keep that promise!!”
“That’s why Luffy punched him in the face. On your behalf because he was toying with you.”
“Wh… What did you just say…?!?”
“Please!! After I set you free, please help rescue Luffy!! I will not force you to become a pirate, but Luffy is very strong! And I’m positive Mac is too! As long as you three join forces, you all will definitely be able to escape this town!! Definitely!!”
The sound of guns being cocked made you turn to look at several Naval officers pointing guns in your direction "Halt!! Those who defy Lieutenant Morgan die here!!"
