AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Hey, Guys!
I'm really sorry! I thought I had published this chapter, but I only realized while publishing next chapter that I hadn't actually published the previous one (this chapter).
So, to make up for it, I'm publishing both chapters together! I hope you enjoy the story, and thank you so much for your patience and support!
Happy reading, everyone! ❤️
[Note:
" * " : Indicates abilities that can be upgraded with practice, experience, or unique opportunities.]
> System inner voice ["speaking"] <
> Ash inner speech "speaking" <
{}
As they stood in front of the Marine base, before anyone could speak or take a step, the gates burst open.
Ace came out first—literally shoved through. Selina followed immediately, one hand already gripping Ace's collar as she shouted curses back inside. Shiruku and Anne stumbled out behind them.
Ace spun around, furious. "Those bastards—!"
Uta stepped forward. "What happened?"
"They refused to give us the bounty," Ace snapped. "That so-called captain claimed he captured Spiel and Gyari himself. Took all the credit." Her jaw tightened. "Then he had the gall to threaten to throw us in a cell if we didn't leave."
Selina cut in calmly, still holding Ace back. "I dragged our hothead out before she leveled the whole base. Starting trouble wasn't our goal in first place."
Ash's eyes narrowed. Lucy's grin faded.
Uta exhaled slowly. "So, the villagers' fear makes sense. This captain… something's wrong with him."
Lucy tilted her head, "Hey—did you see or hear anyone named Zoro in there?"
Ace and Selina exchanged a brief knowing glance.
Before either could answer, Shiruku spoke up, "I… I don't know if that's your guy. But I saw someone tied up. In the middle of the training grounds. Crucified on a pole." She pointed toward the left side of the base.
Coby's face drained of color. "C-crucified…?"
Lucy's eyes widened in excitement, "Oh? That sounds interesting."
Before anyone could stop her, she broke into a run toward the direction Shiruku pointed.
"Lucy-san, wait!" Coby chased after her, panic rising. "Y-you can't just go there! What if that's not him? They wouldn't keep someone like that out in the open!"
Lucy didn't slow down. She kicked off the ground and launched straight upward, clearing the wall in a single motion.
She landed lightly on the stone edge, crouching as she peered down into the base like she was looking into a festival stall.
"Hm," she said casually. "Where's this demon you keep talking about?"
Coby froze below, staring up in horror. "L-Lucy! Get down! Someone might see you!"
She didn't look back, "I see him!" she exclaimed. "Black bandanna. Haramaki. Just like you said."
Coby's breath caught when he heard that.
Ash grabbed Coby by the collar as he jumped. Coby let out a strangled yelp as they soared upward together.
Ace and Selina followed right after—Ace carrying Shiruku while Selina lifting Anne without breaking stride. Uta came last, springing up lightly and landing with ease.
They touched down almost together atop the stone wall.
Coby swallowed hard and finally forced himself to look.
"…That's him," he whispered, voice trembling, "That's Roronoa Zoro."
Lucy squinted down, grinning. "Those ropes look easy to get out of. He could get free in a second if we cut them."
"D-Don't be stupid!" Coby snapped, shark teeth flashing as he trembled. "If you untie him, he'll kill us all!"
That only made everyone laugh.
"Hey." The voice was rough. Dry and Calm.
Everyone turned towards the voice came from.
Even tied to the post, blood crusted along his face, the man looked straight at them. His gaze didn't waver.
Anne and Shiruku stiffened despite themselves.
"Could you untie me?" he said evenly. "I haven't eaten in nine days. I'm exhausted."
Coby shrank behind Ash shivering in fear.
Selina smirked. "He's smiling."
"I'll repay you," the man added. "Outlaws. Fugitives. I'll take care of them for you. And I keep my word."
"I-It's a trick!" Coby squeaked. "Don't listen to him!"
Ace grinned. "Relax. We're strong."
"I can't believe you people…" Coby wailed. "You're all insane!"
Zoro frowned slightly at this, "Huh?"
Just then, something clattered against the wall they are sitting at.
A ladder slammed over the edge of the wall, and a small girl with black eyes, and dark hair done in pigtails climbed up swiftly. She paused when she reached the top—saw them all sitting there—and immediately raised a finger to her lips.
"Shh."
She didn't wait for a response. She swung herself over tossing a rope and dropped inside the Marine base with help of it.
Coby's eyes went wide. "D-don't go!" he hissed, panic breaking through his whisper. "It's dangerous!"
The girl didn't even slow down kept walking towards Zoro.
Coby turned desperately to the others. "Stop her! She'll be killed!"
Lucy looked at Coby with a grin, "Do it yourself."
Zoro watched the girl approach and clicked his tongue, "Tch. You got a death wish or something? Get lost."
The girl stopped in front of him, unfazed. Smiling, she unwrapped the cloth she was holding, revealing a rice balls.
"Brother… I know you haven't eaten for a long time," she said softly. "So, I made these Oni-Giri myself. I worked really hard. You must be hungry…"
"I'm not hungry," Zoro snapped.
"But—"
"I'll kill you if you don't leave right now," he cut in coldly. "Go away."
Just then, a voice cut across the training grounds, "Roronoa Zoro. It's not very nice to bully others."
Three figures stepped into view. Two wore Marine uniforms. The one in the middle walked as if the ground itself belonged to him.
He was a lanky young man with a sharp cleft chin and light blond hair styled into a ridiculous mushroom shape, dressed in a flashy leisure suit that stood out even among Marines.
From atop the wall, Coby whispered in relief, "Thank goodness… he must be someone important. At least the girl's safe now."
Lucy tilted her head. "Well, he has a weird face."
Down below, Zoro clicked his tongue, "Tch. If it isn't the captain's bastard son."
The young man scowled. "Watch your mouth, Zoro!" he snapped. "Or I'll tell my dad and make your punishment even worse."
He turned to the little girl, who stiffened under his gaze. Bending down, he snatched one of the onigiri from her hands.
"Hey—!" the girl cried. "That's not for you!"
"These look tasty," he said lazily, biting into it.
A second later, he spat it out. "Blegh. What idiot makes onigiri sweet?"
Tears welled in the little girl's eyes. "I-I thought they'd taste better that way…"
He knocked the remaining onigiri from her hands and ground it into the dirt with his boot.
"How would anyone eat something like this?" he scoffed.
The girl dropped to her knees, trying desperately to shield it. "P-please! Don't! It can still—"
He laughed, grinding his boot down harder. "Don't worry. The ants will finish it. Hehehe."
Up on the wall, everyone watched in silence, their eyes narrowed seeing this.
Coby clenched his fists. "H-how can someone be that cruel… she must have worked so hard to make it…"
Below them, the girl's quiet sobs echoed across the yard.
"Don't cry," he mocked. "That's why I hate little brats."
He pulled a paper from inside his coat and waved it in her face. "See this? Anyone who helps prisoners gets charged with the same crime. Signed by my father himself—Captain Morgan."
The girl flinched at the name.
He smirked. "You know how scary my dad is, right? If you were grown up, you'd be executed."
Then he turned sharply. "Throw her out of here."
One of the Marines hesitated. "S-sir…"
He grabbed him by the collar. "Did you not hear me? Or do you want me to tell my dad you disobeyed orders? I said you to throw her away."
The Marine swallowed hard. "Y-yes, sir."
He bent down toward the trembling girl and whispered, "Curl up. I'm sorry child."
Then he lifted her—and threw her over the wall.
Lucy moved instantly.
She leapt down and caught the girl mid-air, landing smoothly on the ground below, holding her safely in her arms.
The rest of the crew dropped down beside her in a flash checking on her.
Lucy lowered the little girl to the ground, keeping a steady hand on her shoulder until she was sure her legs wouldn't give out.
The girl looked up at her, eyes still wet. "Th-thank you…"
Uta was already kneeling beside her, voice gentle. "Are you alright?"
The girl nodded shakily.
Ace clenched her fists, teeth grinding. "Those bastards…"
Ash stepped forward, eyes still fixed on the Marine base. "Take her back to her family."
Lucy was already looking toward where Zoro stood inside the base. Ash noticed immediately—he already knew what was on her mind.
He turned to the others. "We'll meet you soon."
No one questioned it.
Uta helped the girl to her feet. Selina gave a short nod. Ace glanced once at the base angrily, then turned away. Shiruku, Anne, and Coby followed with them.
They left without another word, guiding the girl back toward the town.
//////////////////////////////////
Back inside the Marine base, the captain's son continued to circle Zoro, mocking him.
"I'm surprised you're still alive after nine days," he sneered. "I'll have to applaud your endurance."
Zoro didn't look at him. "I can stay like this for the whole month and still live. You better keep your promise."
The boy scoffed, turning away. "Yeah… we'll see how long that confidence lasts. Good luck."
Just as they left, Lucy and Ash moved.
In a single motion, they vaulted over the wall and landed inside the training grounds—standing directly in front of the bound swordsman.
Zoro lifted his head as Ash and Lucy landed in front of him.
"…You guys," he said in a rough voice. "You're still here?"
Lucy planted her hands on her hips, grinning. "I heard you're a bad guy."
Zoro smirked faintly. "Oh yeah?"
Lucy tilted her head and looked up and down with her eyes. "Are you really as strong as they say? I don't see it."
Ash cut in calmly, glancing at Zoro. "I'll give you though—your spirit's impressive." He jerked a thumb toward Lucy. "This idiot can't even last a couple of hours without food. She'd starve to death in three days."
Lucy lit up like she'd been praised. "Shishishi! Yeah, that's true!"
Zoro stared at Ash, then at Lucy, as if trying to decide whether she was serious.
Ash laughed lightly. "Don't worry. She's always like that."
Zoro snorted, then looked forward again. "Whatever. I'll live through this." His voice hardened. "I have something I need to achieve. I just need to stay alive for a month. Then, I'll be on my way to fulfill my dream."
Lucy rested a hand on her straw hat, smiling. "You're a strange guy."
Saying that they both turned to leave.
"Hey," Zoro called out.
They paused turned slightly to look at him.
"Can you pick that up for me and feed me."
His eyes flicked toward the trampled, muddy onigiri on the ground.
Lucy crouched, gathering them up. "You wanna eat this? It's all dirty."
"Shut up," Zoro grunted. "Give it to me."
Lucy raised a brow, then smiled and held it up to his mouth.
Zoro ate it without hesitation, chewing slowly despite the dirt, then swallowed.
Ash and Lucy watched him, something like respect settling in their eyes.
"…Tell the little girl," Zoro said quietly, "that the onigiri tasted good and I thanked her."
Lucy blinked in surprise—then nodded with a grin.
As they turned away, Ash glanced back with a smirk, "We'll see you soon."
Zoro frowned slightly, confused but said nothing.
Ash and Lucy regrouped with the others and soon found themselves stepping into a nearby restaurant.
Suddenly, an orange blur slammed into Ash and Lucy at the same time.
"ASH—! LUCY—!"
They stumbled a half-step before steadying themselves. When they looked—
"NAMI!" Lucy laughed, throwing her arms around her. "You made it!"
Ash blinked. "Where have you been? I thought you'd get here before us."
Nami shrugged easily. "I took a little detour." Then she grinned. "And I made a friend."
She tugged them toward the table where the rest of the crew was already gathered.
Selina, Uta, Ace, Shiruku, Anne, and even Coby were mid-conversation with someone unfamiliar—yet strangely familiar to Ash.
Ash's eyes narrowed slightly.
The woman looked up as they approached and stood.
She was tall. Fit. Confident in the way only someone who lived with a blade could be. Her dark hair fell to her shoulders, framing a face that felt wrongly familiar, like a memory refusing to stay buried.
"Nice to meet you," she said calmly. "You both must be Ash and Lucy."
Ash's gaze dropped.
At her hip rested a sword in a pure white sheath, bound with a simple cord. The hilt was wrapped cleanly, unadorned.
He knew that sword.
He knew it far too well.
Ash expected surprises on their journey but this he did not expect.
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
To be continued...
Thanks for reading this chapter!
I'd love to hear your thoughts — not just on the plot, but the journey itself. Is the pacing feeling right to you so far? Too fast, too slow, or just, right? Are there any moments, themes, or dynamics you feel are missing or could be explored more — like deeper character bonds, world-building, emotional scenes, or even new twists? Anything.
Also, is there anything you'd love to see added that could make the story even more exciting or satisfying? Whether it's a kind of power, a dramatic reveal, or just a character moment — your feedback really helps shape this story into something better.
Let me know in the comments! I read every one. 💬
And as always, if you're enjoying the ride, feel free to drop a Power Stone — it means a lot. 😊