The ship scraped against the wooden dock with a low groan as it came to a halt. Megumi was the first to step off, the soles of his shoes tapping against the planks as he surveyed the town.
Shells Town.
It looked like any other port city on the surface—rows of buildings crowding a cobbled street, the scent of salt clinging to the air, and the sound of gulls crying overhead. But something was wrong.
The townspeople moved quickly, avoiding eye contact. It reminded him of villages back home—those overshadowed by curses, where fear clung to every surface.
Behind him, Luffy landed with a grin, stretching. "We're finally at the Marines' base!! You're great, Koby! We actually reached our destination!"
Koby, in a concerned voice, replied from behind, "Of course! That's the basics of navigation! If you float around at sea every time, you'll never become a pirate. You should at least find a navigator to join you."
Luffy, ignoring Koby, laughed. "I'm starving. Let's find a place to eat!"
They found a small eatery nestled between two shuttered buildings. Unlike the rest of the town, it was open. The owner seemed reluctant, peeking out from behind the door at first before letting them in after a moment's hesitation.
Inside, the three of them sat at a wooden table. Luffy was already halfway through a plate of meat, while Koby picked at some rice. Megumi sat across from them, eating in quiet bites.
Luffy, finishing his food, said, "Koby, we'll go our separate ways here! You do your best to be a great Marine, alright?"
"Hmm... Good luck," added Megumi.
Koby, getting emotional, replied, "I will!! Thank you so much, Luffy, Megumi. You should achieve your goals too, although we will be enemies in the future."
Luffy said, as if he remembered something, "Say, I wonder if Zoro is still being kept at the Marines' base."
The moment Luffy said the name Zoro, the atmosphere in the restaurant shifted like a snapped wire.
Silverware clattered. A waitress gasped. One man choked on his drink. The cook dropped a bowl with a sharp crack. Eyes darted toward their table, and a heavy silence fell over the room.
Even the owner froze behind the counter, visibly sweating.
Koby's eyes widened in panic. He leaned forward urgently, whispering, "Luffy! Don't just yell his name like that!"
"Huh?" Luffy blinked, unfazed. "Why not?"
Megumi narrowed his gaze, scanning the room. Everyone was pretending not to listen, but every ear was pointed at their table. Fear hung over the place like a fog.
Koby dropped his voice to a near-whisper. "Because he's dangerous! They say he's a monster in human form… someone who hunted pirates for money and got caught by the Marines. No one knows why he's still alive."
Then he added quietly, "I heard he was captured by Captain Morgan himself."
Once again, the entire restaurant reacted—this time even sharper.
A chair tipped over. Someone bolted from the room. The owner ducked behind the counter like she was avoiding a sniper. A woman made the sign of the cross.
They stepped back out into the harsh midday sun, the door swinging shut behind them with a quiet thunk. The street looked the same as before—empty, anxious—but now Megumi could feel the weight behind the silence. The fear wasn't just a passing emotion. It was routine here.
Luffy laughed out loud, "Ha ha ha! What an interesting restaurant! I gotta go there again."
Koby said, sweating, "That's strange…! I have a bad feeling about this…! I could understand why they'd be scared after hearing Roronoa Zoro's name, but why would they be afraid of a Marine captain's name too?!"
"He could have done something bad," answered Megumi.
"That's impossible!!"
"I'm serious."
They walked the short stretch from the restaurant to the Marine base, the imposing structure casting a long shadow over the dusty street. The massive stone walls loomed higher with each step, topped with watchtowers. The World Government's flag fluttered above—a symbol meant to inspire order, but here, it felt like a banner of oppression.
Luffy stared up at the building, unimpressed. "It looks pretty ugly up close."
"Go ahead, Koby," he then added.
Koby stared at him, twirling his fingers. "B-But I'm not prepared yet…! Besides, that incident at the restaurant got me thinking…"
As Koby was talking, Luffy jumped on the wall to take a peek inside.
"Luffy…! What are you doing?!" exclaimed Koby.
"Monster… I wonder where he is?"
"You can't find him that easily. He's probably being kept in a secret room or something."
"No! I see someone over there! It could be Zoro."
"Eh…!"
As Luffy said that, both Megumi and Koby moved to climb the wall themselves.
Megumi vaulted up with ease, his fingers gripping the top ledge before he pulled himself up beside Luffy. Koby followed behind, scrambling up awkwardly and panting by the time he reached the top.
Below, the Marine base's courtyard spread out. In its center stood a lone wooden post, and tied to it was a man—tall, broad, and still, like a statue weathering a storm. A black bandana was tied around his head, and a cloth was wrapped tightly around his waist. His arms were bound behind the post, his legs spread for balance, his back straight despite the oppressive heat.
Megumi observed quietly. Zoro's aura was still, but simmering—coiled like a spring. This wasn't a man broken by capture. This was a warrior choosing endurance over surrender.
Just then, a wooden ladder clunked against the stone wall beside the shivering Koby. All three turned to look as a small figure began climbing up—no older than eight or nine, with a determined frown and scuffed shoes. The child hauled herself up, the bundle in her arms carefully balanced as she climbed.
When she reached the top, she barely acknowledged the strangers beside her. With practiced ease, she swung one leg over and sat on the wall's edge, steadying the bundle wrapped in a cloth.
"I told you not to come back," came a gruff voice from below.
The girl didn't flinch. "You said that yesterday too. I'm not leaving until you eat."
Koby blinked. "Is she… bringing him food?"
Luffy grinned. "She's got guts."
Megumi remained silent, his eyes following the exchange.
The girl dropped down into the courtyard, landing with a soft thud and marching up to Zoro. She crouched beside him and unwrapped the cloth—two rice balls, slightly misshapen but clearly made with care.
Zoro looked down at the rice balls, his expression unreadable. "I told you… I don't need charity. I will kill you if you don't go!!"
The girl frowned and puffed out her cheeks. "It's not charity! You'll get sick if you don't eat anything! My mom says people need food to keep standing."
Zoro didn't answer, but his gaze softened, almost imperceptibly.
Before he could respond, a door slammed open at the far end of the yard.
Out stepped a young man with his ridiculous mushroom-cut blonde hair bouncing as he walked, wearing lavish clothes that screamed wealth rather than authority—ruffled sleeves, golden buttons, polished shoes ill-suited for dirt or discipline. He sauntered forward with the swagger of someone who had never been told "no."
Helmeppo.
He was flanked by two armed Marines.
"Oi, oi! What do we have here?" Helmeppo sneered, stopping at the edge of the yard. "You shouldn't pick on kids, Roronoa Zoro, or else I will have to report this to my father."
Zoro didn't even lift his head. His voice was calm, but the undertone of threat was unmistakable. "She's not the one in danger here."
Helmeppo's grin faltered for a second, but he quickly masked it with mock laughter. "You still think you can scare people? You're tied up like a dog, and you're still barking? Pathetic."
The Marines behind him chuckled nervously, clearly unsure if they should be laughing or stepping back.
The girl stood protectively in front of Zoro, arms spread wide. "He's not doing anything wrong! He's just hungry!"
Helmeppo scowled. "Tch. Stupid brat. Didn't your parents teach you to stay out of grown-up business?"
Then, with theatrical cruelty, he marched up and kicked one of the rice balls aside, grinding it into the dirt under his polished shoe. "Oops."
The girl gasped and dropped to her knees, scrambling to gather the food.
Koby on the wall exclaimed, "T-That's cruel!"
Luffy and Megumi watched in silence.
Helmeppo, holding the crying girl's chin, said, "You know how scary my dad can be, right? You would have gotten the death penalty if you were a grown-up."
Standing, he continued, "Oi, throw this brat out!!"
"Huh?!"
"I'm telling you to throw her outta here!! Are you trying to disobey me?!!! I'm telling my dad!!!"
"Ay... Aye, sir!!"
Two Marines stepped forward reluctantly, clearly uncomfortable.
Megumi moved just as the girl flew over the wall to catch her.
Megumi caught the girl gently, cradling her small frame against his chest as he dropped back to the ground in a crouch. Her shoulders were trembling, her tiny fists clenching the dirt-smeared cloth that once held the rice balls.
"You okay?" he asked, voice low but calm.
She sniffled, nodding slowly, tears brimming in her eyes but refusing to fall.
Climbing down from the wall, Koby ran toward them and started comforting the girl, who was on the verge of crying.
"Are you alright? Those bastards…!!!"
Luffy was still watching what was happening on the other side.
Megumi and Koby walked back toward the town, the girl nestled gently in Koby's arms now, her crying reduced to soft sniffles. The sun beat down from above, casting long shadows across the cobbled path. Megumi walked beside them in silence for a while, his eyes lingering on the ground ahead.
Then he asked, his voice quiet but firm, "Why did you do that?"
The girl blinked, confused. "Do what?"
"That stunt," Megumi clarified, glancing at her with calm, dark eyes. "Risking yourself just to feed a man everyone says is dangerous."
She looked away, hugging the ruined cloth to her chest. "He's not a bad man," she said after a moment. "He didn't yell when they tied him up. He didn't cry or beg. And every time I brought him food, he never touched it, but he always told me to leave so I wouldn't get in trouble."
They stopped at the edge of the marketplace and sat down on the steps of a closed shop.
Just then, they heard Luffy's voice—he was running toward them from the same direction they came from.
"Oi! Wait for me!"
Luffy jogged up, waving an arm lazily, a big grin plastered on his face. He stopped in front of the trio, hands on his hips, chest heaving just slightly from the run.
"I talked to Zoro," he announced.
The girl looked up sharply, eyes wide. "You did?"
"Yeah," Luffy nodded. "He said the rice balls were delicious."
Her eyes grew even wider, her mouth parting in surprise.
Luffy grinned wider. "And he said to thank you."
A second passed—then tears finally slipped down her cheeks. She wiped them away quickly, shaking her head.
"I knew it," she murmured. "He was just acting like that to protect me."
Koby looked between them, still confused. "If he is not a bad guy then why was he captured by the Marines in the first place?"
The girl glanced down at the cloth still clutched in her hands.
"It was because of me," she said. "Helmeppo brought his pet wolf into the town square one day. It was running wild, knocking things over, scaring people. I got too close… and it came after me."
Her fingers clenched the fabric tighter.
"Zoro stepped in. He killed the beast before it could hurt me. But Helmeppo got mad. He said Zoro attacked his 'precious pet' and demanded he be punished. That's when they tied him up."
"That's…" Koby stared in disbelief. "That's insane! He did the right thing!"
Megumi's brows furrowed. "No one stood up for him?"
The girl shook her head. "Everyone's too scared. Captain Morgan runs the town like it's his kingdom, and Helmeppo does whatever he wants."
Megumi leaned back slightly, absorbing the weight of her words. It sounded too familiar—tyranny hidden beneath a badge of authority. He'd seen it in powerful jujutsu families… in people who believed strength gave them the right to crush others.
Just then, an obnoxious voice echoed across the marketplace.
"Heh heh heh!! Who dares raise their head? I'll tell my dad!"
The four of them saw Helmeppo walking through the street while people knelt on the side of the road.
"Do you want to be like the Pirate Hunter? I'm gonna publicly execute him in three days. I'll use him to set an example for all of you!"
"Three days?" Luffy asked. "Didn't you say you'd give him a month?"
"Who are you? How rude," Helmeppo sneered. "I was only joking with him!! Only an idiot would believe that."
The girl gasped. Koby tensed. Megumi's fingers twitched, ready.
But Luffy was already moving.
With no warning, he stepped forward and slugged Helmeppo square in the face.
The punch landed with a heavy crack, sending Helmeppo sprawling to the ground with a pitiful yelp. His guards froze, too shocked to react. The townspeople peeked up from their position, stunned.
Luffy dusted off his fist still staring at the fallen Helmeppo, and declared.
"Megumi, Koby, I've decided," he said, his voice sharp with intent. "I'm gonna ask Zoro to join the crew."