"Hey Zoro, want to join my crew?" Luffy asked as he punched a marine grunt, "if you do, I can free you and save you from your execution"
"Execution? We have a deal"
"Did you ever actually think I would go through with that plan, idiot?" Helmeppo asked, "after daddy is done with these ruffians, he will have you executed for hurting me!"
"Shut up brat", Ax Hand Morgan growled, "do not speak for me. You know why I have never raised a hand to you?"
"Because I'm your beloved son of course… right?"
"No you fool, I didn't hit you because you weren't worth enough for me to care. Now, after I deal with those pirates, I will enlist you with the marines. The boot camp will beat that weakness out of you"
"Sure, if that's the case, free me and I'll join your crew. Just know, it you stand in the way of my dreams, I will kill you without mercy"
As they were talking, Luffy and I were beating marine grunt after grunt. When he heard Zoro's pledge, he turned to me, "you free Zoro, I'll keep them off"
I nodded, unsheathing my sword and cutting the ropes before handing it to Zoro, "you can use this better than I can" I smiled at the swordsman.
"Not my own swords but it will do. One sword style, Lion's song", he slashed a nearby grunt.
I turned towards Ax Hand Morgan and, with blood buff still active, I lunged at his neck. He swatted me out of the air but I landed on my feet, punching the ax hand. He parried but my blood buff enhanced fist overpowered his ax, which was made out of cheap metal, so it cracked with each swing until it shattered. The man was stunned just long enough for me to jump at his neck, draining him as he moaned in pleasure, ten blood points, twenty blood points, 40 points, 60 and, after 65 points, he was dry.
With a loud *thud*, the giant of a man fell. Everything wents quiet, the grunts weren't fighting any more and everyone was staring at Morgan's dried out body. Then- the marines threw up their weapons in celebration, "we are free! Finally free!"
One of them even tried hugging me, though he stopped when he saw my mouth, smeared with blood and realized that I was still very much a threat.
They soon realized that they were at my mercy now, "get me Zoro's swords", I whispered out and a few of the soldiers nodded, running to get it, "and some money 10 million berry"
Twice my own bounty, that should be enough for a bit.
The soldiers returned with the money and the swords, their new leader saluting them, "I appreciate that you took down Morgan but you are still pirates, so I must ask you to leave"
"Fine by me shihihihi!" Luffy walked off and we followed. We had found Zoro, next step, Nami.
We sailed our boat out to the open sea, though not before I stocked up on food, water, a map and booze. When we were sailing away, we looked back to the marines saluting us, among them was Coby, the pink haired boy beaming at us, mouthing a 'thank you' to Luffy.
"The next time we see any of them, they will be our enemies" I said.
"Let's hope they are stronger then than they are now. If I had my three swords, I would've taken them down in no time", Zoro laughed, "weaklings"
"Where to go next, Captain?"
"Well, I can't read maps so…"
"What kind of captain can't read a simple map?" Zoro asked.
"That's what the navigator is for Shishishishi!"
"And you are our navigator?" He turned to me.
"Only temporarily, I can read a simple east blue map but navigating in the grand line is a whole nother beast. The next town seems to be orange town, just a day's sail that way", I point out to the west.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Luffy laughed.
We sailed for the rest of the day before it turned to night and we went to sleep. I didn't expect anything to happen, after all, it didn't in the show but I was sorely mistaken. For I learned that day that not everything would be as I remembered it from the anime. When I awoke, I was in a cage, bound and gagged. Looking around, Zoro was sleeping next to me, also bound and gagged, the same deal with Luffy and Nami was in a cage across from ours. The cage we were in was in a tent like room and Mohji, the beast tamer sat in front of it, his giant lion Richie by his side. He was lazily looking into nothingness, when he noticed I was awake. He immediately jumped up and cleared his throat.
"Ah, our sleepy head is awake. Good… you have intruded in the great captain Buggy's territory! We found you last night in our waters. Now, we can't have that, can we? Richie, guard these idiots whilst I get the great captain. He will want to interrogate these intruders himself" he left the lion to guard us. I turned to Luffy and nudged him awake.
He tried speaking but his mouth was gagged, so, he stretched his arm to remove his gag, "where are we?"
He removed my gag too.
"Some rival pirate crew caught us", I grimaced, "here, let me…"
I placed my fangs against his rope binding him and chewed through it, "now try and get one of those knives and free us"
I motioned towards the growing knives that were embedded into the target to our right. He did as he was told and soon, all three of us were free. Zoro had also been awakened at this point and so, we stood in this cage with who knows how much time before a murderous clown would be arriving to 'interrogate' us.