"Alright. Let's go eat!" Luffy cut him off, ignoring Koby's advice entirely as he hopped up with enthusiasm.
"Yeah, let's go," Lei said, having been quietly watching the banter between the two from his spot.
As they entered the food store, the atmosphere was decent, though unnervingly quiet. All the patrons sat in tense silence, speaking only in low murmurs if at all.
Luffy kept eating at his usual breakneck pace, piling plate after plate. Lei chewed his food slowly, savoring each bite.
When Luffy finally finished, he turned to face Coby across from him. "We'll go our separate ways here!" he declared, then added, "You do your best to be a great marine, alright?"
Coby rubbed his eye, voice wavering. "I will…!! Thank you so much." He looked up at Luffy and continued, "Luffy-san, you have to become a great pirate too."
"Although we will be enemies in the future," Coby said quietly.
Lei finished his meat. "Cut it out, will ya. We will be enemies in the future."
"Say, I wonder if Zoro is still being kept at the marines' base."
The instant Luffy said the name, the other people in the store panicked. tables were flung aside, plates crashing to the floor and shattering.
"Looks like we can't just yell out the name zoro…" Koby whispered urgently to Lei and Luffy.
"Humm…" Luffy just hummed, unfazed.
"I just saw a notice on the streets," Koby said. "There's someone called Lieutenant Morgan at the base."
Lieutenant Morgan, oh… that motherf**ker.
"Luffy, let's go there. Zoro could be our next member," Lei said, tugging his nichirin blade back onto his left hip, tucked securely into the white belt.
Wait… the fuck.
This is… I am in Yoriichi's body!!!
Idiot… that so-called gamble already told me that.
"Shishishi! You said exactly what I was thinking! You're pretty smart! Yosh! Let's goooo, Koby! Lei!"
As they approached the marine base, a tall central building stood before them, flanked by slightly shorter structures on either side. A flag snapped in the wind at the top of the main tower.
They stopped in front of the gate.
"It looks pretty ugly up close," Luffy said.
"Yeah. Those bastards could at least make this seeable," Lei agreed.
Coby just stood there against the gate.
Luffy climbed the wall beside the gate.
"Hell yeah." Lei jumped onto the wall and stood perfectly balanced.
I have to later learn Haki and others.
Luffy pulled himself higher, just enough to see inside.
A man was bound to a cross, legs spread, arms and waist tied tightly with ropes. He had green hair, a matching green belt, and his head hung downward.
This is more brutal to see in front than see it as an anime.
"So he's Zoro, huh…? Those ropes look pretty easy to break."
Coby, who had not climbed up the wall and stayed lower near the ground, panicked. "S…stop joking!!! If you free him, he could make a mess in the town and even kill you."
"Shut up, Coby." Lei looked down at him from atop the wall. His ponytail ruffled in the wind, strands of black hair whipping across his face, and the flame-shaped Demon Slayer mark on his forehead stood out sharp and vivid against his skin.
Koby fell silent immediately.
"Whoa! What's that flame mark? Is it a tattoo? Does it give you fire powers?!" Luffy leaned in, squinting at it from mere inches away, completely ignoring personal space.
"I was born with it, Luffy," Lei said, reaching up to touch the mark with his fingers.
"Hey! You." Zoro lifted his head slightly and smirked. "Could you please come over here and untie me. I've been tied up for six days and I'm exhausted."
"Look, he's smiling," Luffy said, staring at Zoro.
"He…!! He talked…!!!" Coby scrambled up the wall, barely peeking over to see Zoro before hiding himself again, just enough to keep watching.
"I will repay you. I could hunt down a fugitive and give you the reward," Zoro continued, his voice deep and steady despite his condition.
"I'm not lying. I'll keep my word."
As Coby opened his mouth to protest, Lei clapped a hand over it to silence him.
"Shh!!" A small voice sounded right beside Lei. He glanced down to see a little girl who had climbed the wall and slipped inside the base.
Here she comes. It's best not to break the plot.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" Zoro asked, looking at the little girl now standing in front of him.
Coby struggled to break free, but Lei struck the back of his neck, rendering him unconscious.
"Don't worry, he's just unconscious," Lei said, glancing at both the girl and Zoro.
"Do you want to die or something…? Get lost!" Zoro snapped, holding his breath.
"Um, big brother, I made some rice balls for you! You haven't eaten for a long time, right?" The little girl straightened her arms, holding out two large rice balls in her small palms.
"This is my first time making rice balls…" Rika said with a bright, hopeful smile, holding them out proudly.
"I'm not hungry!!" Zoro snapped immediately.
"Go away!!!"
"But…"
"I don't want it!! Leave me!!" Zoro shouted, his voice rising sharply. "I'll kill you if you don't go!!"
"Don't pick on little girls, or else I'll have to tell my father about it." A steady, arrogant voice rang out from Lei's right.
Helmeppo… huh. This will be fun beating this retard's ass. Lei muttered to himself, a faint smile curling on his lips.
"Some weirdo came," Luffy said casually.
"Tch… if it isn't the lieutenant's bastard son." Zoro turned his eyes sideways, voice dripping with disdain.
"Bastard? Don't get cocky. My father is a marine lieutenant." Helmeppo cupped a hand half over his ear toward Zoro, mocking him to speak louder.
He then glanced at the rice balls in Rika's small, outstretched palms. "Well, hello, little girl. These rice balls look tasty."
"Ah! Stop it!!" Rika cried, trying to pull them back, but Helmeppo snatched one away effortlessly.
He shoved it into his mouth. "Blegh. Horrible!! You put too much sugar in it!" He snickered. "You're supposed to put salt in these things!"
"But… but I thought they'd taste better if they were swee…!!" Rika stammered, looking up at him in worry.
Helmeppo spat out the bitten rice ball and knocked the second one from her hand to the ground. He crushed both under his boot, grinding them viciously until they were unrecognizable mush in the dirt.
"Luffy, let's teach him a lesson," Lei said quietly.
In the next instant, he appeared directly in front of the little girl, facing Helmeppo head-on.