As Luffy walked towards the banquet hall, the passengers who saw Luffy defeating all the pirates immediately ran towards him and bowed infront of him, "Thank you so much, without you we would've been killed." Luffy looked at him, "Oh, that's okay…" then Luffy looked at all the food on the giant table, seeing him staring at the food the passenger replied, "This is the banquet meal prepared by our finest chef on the ship, if you want you can eat it." Luffy got excited hearing this, "Thanks a lot and don't mind if I do…"
Luffy ran towards the table and just in one snoop he devoured everything on the table and his rubbery stomach immediately bulged out. "Wow…'burp' that's delicious..'burp'" everyone who saw this was shocked, how can one person could eat that much and what's with his stomach. "Oh my god!! He is like bottomless pit!!" "He ate everything in one go!!!" "Just what is this guy??"
After finishing the meal, his started to release some steam and then infront of everyone's eyes his stomach deflated to its normal shape. Koby seeing this was also shocked, "Luffy-san, just what are you??!" Luffy looked at Koby with a wide grin, he then pulled his right cheek and to everyone's surprise it started to stretch, "I ate the Gum Gum Fruit, I am now a Rubber-Man." With that he released his cheek and it snapped back.
Koby was shocked by this revelation, "Does that means the Devil Fruits are real??" "Yes…" Luffy replied and started to walk off towards the main deck again and saw that the unconscious pirates were all tied up by the guards and they called the Marines to arrest them. Then he looked behind himself to see Koby their fidgeting and wanted to ask something. "You know that you're free now, ask away anything." He then looked up at Luffy, "Uh…can I also come with you Luffy-san for now?" "Oh just that!! Yes hop on…" with that he asked for a rowing boat from the guard and he happily gave one to him. Both Luffy and Koby sat on the boat and started to sail away from the passenger ship. Soon the big ship is out of site.
Luffy's POV---
We were now sailing towards Shells Town, when Koby got curious and asked me the question, "Luffy-san, why did you come to the sea??" I, who is right now resting by covering my face with my StrawHat, looked at him, "To become King of the Pirates." Hearing my answer, Koby stopped rowing the boat and looked at me with disbelief, "WHAT?? Koby is shell shocked at this, "K-king of the Pirates!!? But... you'd have to make the WHOLE WORLD kneel to you!!! WEALTH, FAME, POWER— you'd to achieve it all!!! Don't tell me you're after GOLD ROGER'S lost treasure, 'ONE PIECE'!!!"
Koby stops and took a deep breath. I was very amused looking at this scene. Koby started again, "Do you want to die!? Every pirate in the world is after that!!" "And so am I." I simply stated. Koby was now whole different level of shock and started to shake his head furiously, "BUT THE ODDS AGAINST YOU ARE ASTRONOMICAL!!? IT'S IMPOSSIBLE!! YOU WANT TO BE KING OF THE PIRATES IN THE GOLDEN AGE OF PIRACY!? IT'LL NEVER HAPPEN!!"
Suddenly Koby fell on his back, while there is now a comical bump on his head. "HEY! W-Why'd you hit me?" he asked. "You were HYSTERICAL." I said, while my fist is at the front smoking. Koby got up and started rubbing his bump, "Okay I'm used to it. Heh Heh Heh..." "I am not gonna die…" Koby stops rubbing his head, "HUH!?" I looked at him, "I've set myself to achieve my goal... and if I die trying... then at least I tried!" Koby hearing my words is now flabbergasted, 'What guts... What DETERMINATION!!' he thought.
"Y-You're not even afraid to die!?" Koby trailed off. "Yeah and I believe I'll succeed too." I said with firm tone. Koby started to cry freely now, 'I never looked at it like that before!!' he thought, while sniffling. I looked him with curious gaze. "Maybe... I can be like that! If I'm willing to risk my life trying..." Koby mumbled.
"... Maybe it's possible! Do you think I can join the marine!?" Koby asked. "The Marine!?" I asked. Koby get up, tears were now rolling down his cheeks, "WE'LL END UP BEING ENEMIES... BUT I WANT TO JOIN THE MARINE AND FIGHT THE BAD GUYS!! IT'S BEEN MY DREAM SINCE I WAS A LITTLE KID!!" He stops and took a huge breath and look at me again, "Luffy! Do you think I can do it?" "How would I know?" I asked with amused look, but internally I am very happy seeing Koby's determination.
"Well I'm gonna do it!!! What've I got to lose!? I don't wanna be a miserable my whole life!! Better to risk my life trying to achieve my dream! I'll join the Marine!!" I laughed at his determination, "Keep it just like this Koby and I am sure you will be a great Marine someday. Maybe even Admiral." Koby blushed at this, "Oh..you think so!! Th-thank you Luffy-san." Then Koby started to row the boat again, when something came to his mind, "Say Luffy-san, if you are looking for One Piece too, then you must be going to Grandline, right?" "Yup!!! But first I need some crewmember and a nice ship." Koby looked at me, "So, do you have someone in your mind??" "Hmm…I heard a lot about this famous 'Pirate Hunter' Roronoa Zoro, maybe I can recruit him!!!" "What….??? Now you are talking nonsense again!! He is a Pirate Hunter who hunts down pirates….You are insane!!" Koby started to ramble again, hearing him going on again made me laugh.
END POV---
Sometime later, they finally reached the Shells Town and tied their boat at the port. Luffy jumped off the boat and landed on the ground, "Yosh, we're finally here!!! Thanks a bunch Koby, if you were not with me I would've been lost in the sea." Koby after tying the boat with the rope looked at Luffy with a smile, "Thank you for that Luffy-san and maybe you should also learn some navigation." Luffy just shrugged, "Nah!! I think I will just recruit an amazing navigator." With that he started to walk towards the Marine base and Koby following behind him.
Walking through the town, Luffy buy different fruits from the side food stalls then he looked at its owner, "Say mister, do you know where I can find Roronoa Zoro here??" hearing this the owner with the customers and few of the side walkers who passing by immediately got scared and started to sweat. Koby seeing this shook Luffy's hand and whispered, "Maybe we should not take his name here!!" Luffy looked down at Koby and nodded, then they walk off the stall and continue towards the Marine base when suddenly Koby looks at the poster on one of the shops wall, "Hey look Luffy-san, there is someone named Captain Morgan is the leader of this Marine Base!!!" hearing Morgan's name, the people there again became frightened and started to back off. Koby seeing this become confused and started to worry about the situation. But Luffy ignored it and kept walking, "Come on Koby.."
Finally when they reached Marine base, Koby started to sweat in nervousness, "This is it Luffy-san, this is where we part ways…I think??" but instead of reply he heard the 'boom' sound and when he looked it's direction he saw Luffy just punched down a small portion of the side wall and is now peeking inside the base. "What are you doing??" he ran towards him, "Oh hey look, I thinks that's Zoro!!!" Koby looked at the direction where Luffy is pointing through the wall and lo and behold, there in the middle of the Marine ground tied in a wooden cross is none other than Roronoa Zoro. Koby started to sweat in fear, as if he is seeing beast instead of human.
Koby started to back off when he bumped into someone, he heard a cute yelp and when he looked, he saw a little black haired girl is rubbing her forehead and then looked at him, "Watch where you step mister!!" "Oh…I am really sorry." Koby rubbed his neck sheepishly. Then the girl walked towards the fallen wall where Luffy is standing and looked at him in awe, "I saw you broke the wall with one punch, you are so cool mister Strawhat!!!" Luffy looked at the little girl which looks really little infront of him, he knows who she is? This is Rika, who tried to give Zoro the riceballs. "Thank you little miss, but I must ask, what are you doing here??!!" this broke the girl out of her awe when she realized why she is here. "Oh yeah!! Thanks for the reminder mister." She said and ran inside the base through the broken wall towards Zoro. Koby seeing this started to panic, "Luffy-san stop her, she will get herself killed!!!" Luffy ignores him and looked at the interaction.
With Zoro, he was trying to get some rest while all tied up when suddenly he heard the large boom sound. He looked at the cause of the noise and saw that the side wall of the base is broken and someone in Strawhat is standing there. He then looked at the timid looking pink haired ran beside the Strawhat guy and they were both looking at him, then they started to talk when a familiar looking little girl ran towards him through the broken wall while carrying a wrapped bundle. He looked at her with bloodshot eyes, "What??!!" the little girl unwrapped the bundle and showed him two riceballs inside it. "I made this by myself mister, it is my first time!!!" Zoro looked at the riceballs then at the girl, he knows that he is hungry, but he can't risk the little girl here, so he did the only thing came to his mind, "Get lost!! I am not hungry." The girl looked at him with sadness in her eyes, "B..but big brother…." "Didn't you hear it, get lost or I'll kill you."
All this was happening when suddenly a lanky looking Blond dude ran towards the site with six Marine guards behind him, he looks at the broken wall then at the little girl and the food she is offering to Zoro, "Why you….!!! Don't you know that helping the prisoner like this also committing a crime?" he then looked at his guards, "Shoot her!!!" the guards were taken aback by that, "B..but sir, she is just a kid!!!" the blond looked annoyed at the guard, "Are you disobeying me!!! I will tell my father about this." He said which made all the guards sweat and in fear of Morgan they aimed at the kid and ready to shoot.
Zoro was shocked seeing this and then got angry, "You bastard, this is between you and me, let the girl go!!!" the blond looked at Zoro with smug look, "There was never a deal Roronoa, I tricked you and soon you will die too." Zoro hearing this was wide eyed, 'No way!!! I should've expected this. Am I really going to die here before achieving my dream? Kuina, is this really my end?' the blond looked at the Marines, "What are you looking at!!! Kill them!!!" the Marines shakily pulled the trigger, when suddenly the Strawhatted guy appeared infront of the bullets, his hands blurred out of site and all the bullets were gone. Then he opened his both palms and the bullets fall on the ground harmlessly, this show of speed shocked everyone, but more so Zoro who just saw a blur and everything happened in seconds.
Luffy looked at the blond and the Marines behind with deadly glare and released his Conqueror Haki on them making the guards faint and the blond fall to his knees, "Go and tell your father that his days of tyranny is over." The blond shakily got and ran towards his father while crying. Koby who saw everything immediately ran towards the little girl and hugged and started to sooth her. Luffy looked at the crying girl walked towards her knelt down to her and gently rubbed her hair, "It's okay, everything is fine now. You are safe." He then rummaged through his bag and took out a wrapped cupcake and gave it to her, "Here, it's delicious." The girl shakily took the cupcake, unwrapped it took a bite, her eyes immediately lit up in delight. Luffy smiled at that, and then he looked at Koby, "Take her to her home." Koby looked like he wanted to say something but swallows it and guided the girl out of there.
Seeing the girl safe, Zoro sighed and then he looked at the Strawhat guy who approached him, "Name's Monkey D Luffy!!! Your's??" Zoro nodded at him, "Roronoa Zoro!!! And thanks for saving her." "No need for that." Then Luffy looked him in the eye, "Tell me Zoro, do you have a dream??!" this question took Zoro off-guard but then he looked into Luffy's eyes and saw something which he himself recognizes, The Ambition, a dream to fulfill. He don't know why but he could tell this guy infront of him is a stupid mindless dreamer like him. So, he smirked and raised his head high, "To be the Greatest Swordsmen in the World." Luffy hearing this grinned broadly, "Well then Future Greatest Swordsmen, wanna join me the Future Pirate King on my journey and turn the world upside down!!!!!"
Zoro hearing Luffy's dream was shocked then grinned at hin, "Do you think you can do it? Future Pirate King!!!" Luffy seeing what Zoro is doing also grinned, "You will only find out if you join me, Future Greatest Swordsmen!!!" Zoro nodded his head in satisfaction. He knew that because of today's incident he'll be Wanted, so he chose to follow a fellow dreamer like him. After Luffy untie him, Zoro did some stretching to lose his stiff muscles, after doing this he looked at Luffy with serious face, "There is one thing you should know!!!" Luffy looked at him with confusion, "If you ever tried to get in the way of my dream….I will make you commit seppuku." Luffy looked at him with a smile, "Sure and I promise that I will make you much more stronger." Zoro nodded his head and they both entered the base to get his swords.
Both Zoro and Luffy were walking through the corridors of the base searching for Helmeppo's room and soon with the help of Luffy they arrived at the bright pink door with the Helmeppo's name plate dangling on it. They looked at eachother's and opened the door and entered the room only to find it all covered with girly items, both of them had a huge sweatdrops on their heads seeing the room. "Well….this is something!!!" "Indeed…!!!" then Zoro spotted his all three swords, he grabbed them and strapped on the right side of his waist then he looked at Luffy and nodded, "I'm ready!!" Luffy nodded in return and soon they walked off the building and towards the Exit of the Marine base when they saw that all the Marines has surrounded them and the Captain of the Base, the Axe hand Morgan himself walked infront of them.
Morgan stares at both of them, "Just where do you think you're going criminals??? I am the Captain of this base and without my permission no one can lea---" he stopped speaking when he noticed that both Zoro and Luffy just walked passed him towards the Exit gate, ignoring him. A vein popped on his forehead as he abruptly turned towards them in anger, "Shoot them down, NOW!!!" as the Marine soldiers were ready to pull the trigger and Zoro was ready to defend his Captain, a sudden wave wash over the area and all the soldier fainted and Morgan is now on his knees sweating and had a terrified look on his face. Zoro looked at Luffy with bewilderment seeing this happen again. Luffy looked at Zoro and just winked, which made Zoro shook his head.
Luffy walked towards the down Morgan, "Your evil days are over Morgan." And with that Luffy used Conqueror Haki on Morgan's brain to put him down for atleast two days.