Author: Xiao Yifeng
Translator: PapaSmurf0700
Bai Ye flashed a teasing smile, "Zoro, you're such a greenhorn, aren't you?"
Zoro's gaze sharpened, "You're playing with fire, Bai Ye…"
With a nonchalant shrug, Bai Ye continued, "Consider this, why would Helmeppo propose such a deal?"
"He said you'd substitute for the punishment intended for Rika and her mother. Stick it out for a month, and freedom is yours. That was your agreement, wasn't it?"
"But think about this," Bai Ye leaned in, "Can anyone realistically survive a month without food or water?"
Zoro opened his mouth to protest, but Bai Ye cut him off, "Oh, don't get me wrong, I believe in your persistence. But did Helmeppo, even for a second, think you'd make it?"
Zoro, though rigid, began to see the picture, "He intended for me to perish from the start, didn't he?"
Bai Ye clapped slowly, amusement dancing in his eyes, "Bingo! Though, sorry to say, there are no prizes here."
He continued, his tone taking a slight edge, "Care to guess what will happen to Rika and her mum after you're gone?"
Zoro's eyes flickered between fear and fury, "He wouldn't dare continue tormenting them, would he?"
"You knew the answer before asking the question, Zoro," Bai Ye replied, tenderly patting Rika's head. "The moment you agreed to drop your sword, you lost the ability to protect them."
Bai Ye voiced his frustration, recalling Zoro's initial concession to Helmeppo, "Compromising with the enemy is a choice riddled with idiocy."
Bai Ye then turned to Luffy, who was intently watching Zoro, "Captain, how would you respond to such threats?"
Luffy pondered momentarily before responding with an enthusiastic fist pump, "I'd knock 'em all down!"
Bai Ye chuckled, "Classic Luffy, solving dilemmas with a good ol' punch."
Zoro, now curious, queried, "Aren't you scared they might retaliate against your friends?"
Luffy, scratching his head, simply replied, "Punch 'em till they don't dare anymore. Besides, will they stop if we don't?"
Pausing to consider Luffy's predictable nature, Bai Ye agreed silently. Zoro, on the other hand, was reassessing his earlier actions with a newfound bitterness and a yearning for his three swords.
"It looks like you've pieced it together," Bai Ye observed. "How about we forge a new deal?"
Zoro, after a lingering silence, lifted his head, "You called him captain earlier. You guys are pirates, aren't you? Trying to recruit me?"
Bai Ye gestured for Luffy to approach and casually introduced him, "Forgot my manners. This is Luffy, our captain."
He placed Rika gently on the ground and adjusted his robe, "I'm Bai Ye, Luffy's partner. We recently formed a pirate crew and are recruiting mates for our venture into the 'Grand Line'."
"You've probably sussed out our proposition, right? We break you out, and in return, you join our crew."
Luffy chimed in with a hearty laugh, "Exactly, Zoro! I want you on my team!"
Zoro mumbled, still processing, "Are they really pirates?"
Bai Ye seized the moment, "Indeed, we are! And given that you're currently the navy's captive, we pirates are your only ticket out of here."
Bai Ye laid out his thoughts plainly, "If you, Mr. Zoro, don't fancy meeting your maker just yet, you're bound to tangle with the navy here. And inevitably, like it or not, you'll earn yourself a pirate's bounty."
In the original tale, Zoro, upon learning of Luffy's pirate status, sternly rejected the notion, questioning, "Expect me to willingly be a villain?"
It was apparent: initially, Zoro harbored a distinct aversion to a pirate's life. Yet, back then, he clung to the optimistic belief that he'd walk free in a month, hence, the path of piracy was disregarded. But now, knowing Helmeppo's lethal intent, he gazed at Bai Ye and Luffy, uttering somberly:
"Dwelling on moral dilemmas seems rather pointless now, doesn't it?"
He continued, "Bai Ye, Luffy, there's a mission that I simply cannot abandon. So, if the alternative is perishing here, I might as well hoist the pirate's flag."
Luffy, unable to contain his jubilation, leapt up, "Terrific! Welcome to the crew, Zoro!"
He spun toward Bai Ye, enthusiastically patting his shoulder, "Bai Ye, you're fantastic! How about you handle recruiting from now on?"
Bai Ye suppressed an eye-roll, replying with playful exasperation, "Easy there, Captain. Don't assign me extra duties on a whim."
"But…" Zoro interjected, solemnity in his voice, "Before we embark, you should know: I harbor ambitions. Ambitions I will see through to the end."
Eyes ablaze with resolve, he continued, "I intend to be the world's greatest swordsman. Obstruct that dream, and you'll meet the maker!"
Zoro's enthusiasm was crystal clear. Pirate or not, anyone impeding his goal, even his saviors, would not be spared.
"World's top swordsman? Nice!" Luffy grinned warmly, "A Pirate King's comrade should absolutely aim that high."
Bai Ye added, "Ah, speaking of aspirations, Zoro, I forgot to mention: our captain here dreams of being Pirate King, even at the risk of death. Your ambition doesn't overshadow his."
Surprised, Zoro turned to the innocently grinning Luffy. He hadn't anticipated this seemingly whimsical fellow to seek the One Piece. Pivoting towards Bai Ye, he asked, "Is his dream why you acknowledge him as captain?"
Bai Ye simply shrugged, withholding his thoughts of recognizing the lineage of his family and foreseeing grand ventures together in the future.
"All right," Zoro declared, "Let me board your ship, and play the role of the villain."
"You'll see," Bai Ye approached, patting Zoro's shoulder, maintaining a light, easygoing tone, "Once you're aboard, you'll realize we're not your average pirates."
Transitioning to the matter at hand, Bai Ye handed Rika to Zoro, "She risked her neck bringing you those rice balls. It'd be quite ungentlemanly not to eat it, wouldn't it?"
Zoro, softer, "I will, but first, could you free me from these ropes?"
Bai Ye assured, "No rush with the ropes. The little lady here is going to feed you herself. Now, open wide, ah~"
Zoro, a mock growl in his voice, "Bai Ye, you scoundrel!"
Bai Ye, teasing, "Oh, don't be shy~"
Zoro: "I swear, I'll slice you to ribbons!!"