"Yaha!"
Luffy's retractable fist smashed into Belumeb's face with tremendous force, sending him flying to the ground. Blood mixed with broken teeth spurted from his mouth.
"It's decided! Zoro, I'm pulling you on board!" Luffy shouted confidently, clenching his fists.
"Hey! Who are you?" Zoro asked, still tied up and confused by everything happening around him. He had been ready to break free when he heard Luffy talking to himself.
It was turning into a strange day, even for him.
Just then, Leo walked over and untied Zoro, giving him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. With a helpless shrug, he said, "That guy's my captain. He's a man with dreams, big ones. His goal? To become the King of Pirates."
Zoro gave Luffy a long, thoughtful look. "An ambitious one, huh?"
Suddenly, Belumeb, holding his injured face, scrambled up and shouted, "How dare you hit me?! I'm Monka's son! You're all dead!"
He ran back into the base, clearly intending to cause more trouble.
Luffy didn't flinch. "I'm going to be the King of Pirates! I'm not dying here!" he said seriously, turning to Zoro. "Zoro, be my partner. I'll get you out of here!"
"Quick! Quick! Surround the intruders!" shouted one of the Marines. A flood of soldiers rushed out with guns, completely surrounding the square in moments.
Leo stood beside Zoro, calmly pointing to the Marines. "You've got a goal, right? Isn't it a waste to die here for nothing?"
Zoro's heart pounded. Leo's words cut straight to the truth he'd been avoiding. He clenched his fists tightly.
"I… I can't die here! I made a promise!"
The memory of that promise surged through him—the vow he'd made long ago.
"I swore I would never die in a place like this…"
"Then join us," Leo said simply, handing Zoro one of his own swords through a spell. "They're enemies anyway."
Zoro's eyes widened in surprise as he caught his sword, brought to him by magic. Leo smiled encouragingly.
Just then, Monka appeared at the entrance, shouting, "Shoot!"
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Gunshots rang out. A storm of bullets flew toward the group.
But Luffy stepped forward, his arms raised. "It's useless!" he declared.
The bullets struck Luffy's rubbery body and bounced back in all directions. Marines cried out in pain as the ricocheted bullets hit them, toppling over in shock.
Coby and Nami, watching from the sidelines, were frozen in disbelief.
"Wh-what is he doing?!" Nami gasped.
Zoro stared wide-eyed at the strange rubber man, visibly impressed by his resilience. The carefree grin on Luffy's face had an odd way of infecting everyone around him with confidence.
Zoro took his sword firmly, eyes glowing with determination. "Such a captain… he's really something."
Lowering his head, Zoro said in a low, grim tone, "Rather than die in this place, I'd rather live… even as a pirate."
Then he looked up sharply. "Fine. I'll join you!"
The nearby Marines were still too stunned to react. "Who… who is that guy?" one muttered. "He bounced the bullets back?!"
Monka's face darkened. "That brat isn't ordinary. He must've eaten a Devil Fruit. Use blades! Cut them down!"
"Anyone who disobeys me will be executed! Go!"
The Marines dropped their rifles and pulled out swords, charging at Luffy's crew.
"Ahhhhhh!" Coby and Nami screamed, retreating behind Leo.
CLANG!
Steel rang out as the charging blades clashed against another.
Zoro had blocked them all.
With terrifying composure and a flash of killing intent in his eyes, he growled, "Don't move, or I'll cut you down."
The sheer pressure in his voice made the Marines hesitate.
"Luffy, right?" Zoro said, not looking away from his opponents. "I'll be your pirate. But I've got my own goal."
He spoke slowly, deliberately.
"I want to be the world's greatest swordsman. No matter if people see me as a hero or a villain, I want my name known across the seas."
His tone hardened, eyes burning.
"If you ever stand in my way… I'll kill you."
Luffy didn't flinch. Instead, he grinned widely. "The world's greatest swordsman? That sounds awesome! As my partner, it's perfect."
Zoro smirked faintly. "Then please advise me, Captain."
Luffy beamed. "Leo's a magician. His dream is to be the freest traveler the world's ever seen!"
He turned, pointing to the woman behind Leo. "And that's Nami—the best navigator in the East Blue."
"Hey! I'm only with you temporarily, okay?!" Nami shouted from behind Leo. "And you're paying me for this!"
Still, despite her protests, even she was starting to get caught up in the strange energy surrounding the group. A magical swordsman, a rubber man who bounces bullets, and now a monster swordsman who could face a whole platoon.
"This crew is completely ridiculous," she muttered.
"Stop standing around!" Monka bellowed. "Kill those bastards!"
The Marines gritted their teeth and charged again.
Zoro grinned mockingly. He might still be recovering, but with three swords in his hands, these small fry posed no threat.
He raised his blades.
With just one strike, a wave of force knocked the attackers back. He spun into a blur, becoming a whirlwind of steel. One by one, the Marines were taken down, though Zoro carefully avoided killing any of them.
He understood these weren't truly evil men. The real problem—the rot in this base—was Monka.
"You pieces of trash!" Monka roared, seeing his forces crumble. Rage twisted his face as he stepped into the square.
A towering figure, Monka was intimidating by appearance alone. His large frame, metal jaw, and giant axe embedded into his arm made him look like a monster out of nightmares.
But Leo wasn't impressed.
He knew Monka's cruelty didn't come from true strength—it came from his false sense of power, built on fear and manipulation.
Colonel Monka had once turned in the fake Clo and used that act to gain his promotion. Since then, he ruled Marine Base 153 with terror.
Monka glared at the intruders like a beast staring at prey. But Leo met his eyes calmly.
"Zoro," Leo said quietly, "can I leave this to you?"
He could've stepped in himself. But Leo understood the value of letting someone fight their own battles—and show their true strength.
Zoro rolled his shoulder and took a step forward. "Yeah. This one's mine."
This wasn't just about fighting a strong opponent. This was personal. The conflict with Monka's son, the test of his own strength, and the need to prove himself as a swordsman—all of it drove him forward.
"You're the real problem here," Zoro muttered, eyeing Monka with disdain.
Monka sneered, raising his axe. "You think you can defeat me, pirate trash?!"
Zoro didn't answer with words. He answered with steel.
The clash of their weapons echoed across the square.
Zoro's movements were sharp and precise. Even though Monka was massive and strong, his attacks were slow and unrefined.
Zoro ducked one wide swing and countered with a spinning strike that knocked the axe off balance. The crowd watched in awe.
"Is that really the same man we kept in chains?" one Marine whispered.
Zoro leapt back, panting slightly, then charged forward again. This time, his blades cut through Monka's defenses, knocking the colonel off his feet and into the ground with a crash.
The square fell silent.
Zoro stood victorious, swords gleaming in the sunlight. "You talk too much," he muttered, turning away.
The defeated Monka groaned but couldn't move.
The Marines, stunned into silence, slowly began to lower their weapons. They weren't loyal to Monka—they had simply been afraid.
Luffy gave a hearty laugh. "That was awesome, Zoro!"
Zoro sheathed his swords, breathing heavily but smiling. "I told you, didn't I? I'm not dying in a place like this."
Leo walked up beside him. "You did great. Welcome aboard."
Coby stepped forward, amazed. "You guys… you really are something else."
Nami folded her arms and said, "This crew might be more interesting than I thought."
As the sun rose higher in the sky, the Straw Hat Pirates, now joined by the swordsman Zoro and magician Leo, stood proud in the middle of the ruined Marine square. Their journey had only just begun—but already, the winds of the East Blue were beginning to shift.