CHAPTER 3: ENTER ZOLO-PIRATE HUNTER

A splash page showing Luffy happily riding on the back of a large, spotted shark with sharp teeth, bracing himself with one hand while the shark bursts through the water. The chapter title reads "CHAPTER 3: ENTER ZOLO: PIRATE HUNTER".

Luffy and Koby arrive at a bustling town with a large Marine base in the background. Luffy cheers, "Yeah! We finally made it! We're finally here! We made it to the Naval Base town." He then praises Koby, "Koby, you're amazing! You actually got us to our destination!" Koby, looking proud, replies, "Of course I did! That's the minimum requirement for people who sail the seas." He advises Luffy that if he keeps randomly floating around, he'll never become a pirate, and suggests finding a navigator. Luffy agrees enthusiastically, "Yeah!! That's what I'll do!! Now, let's eat!!"

Luffy and Koby are sitting at a table in a restaurant called "Food Foo". Luffy says, "Well, Koby, I guess this is where we go our separate ways. I hope you join the Navy and become a great sailor!" Koby tears up and replies, "Th-thank you, Luffy! And I hope you become a great pirate!...Even if that means we'll be enemies." Luffy then casually mentions, "Hey, I just remembered... That guy is supposed to be imprisoned here-- Roronoa Zolo..." At the mention of the name, the entire restaurant erupts in panic. Patrons drop their food and drinks with a loud "KRASH!!!", trembling in fear. Koby whispers to Luffy, "Maybe you shouldn't say that name out loud around here..." Luffy looks confused, saying "Hmmm..."

Outside the restaurant, Koby mentions, "I saw a poster that said that Captain Morgan is at this base." Immediately, another loud crash comes from inside the restaurant as people panic again. Luffy laughs, "Wow!! Ha ha ha! What a great restaurant! I want to go back there again!" Koby is worried, saying everyone is jumpy and he's getting a bad feeling. He reasons, "I can understand why they get nervous when they hear Roronoa Zolo's name-- He might escape at any moment! But why did they get nervous hearing the Captain's name?" Luffy dismisses it, "Who knows!? Maybe they just got carried away!" Koby, frustrated, yells, "Why would that happen!? I'm trying to think seriously here..."

They stand before the massive gates of the Navy Base. Koby marvels, "It looks so big up close!" Luffy encourages him, "Go on in, Koby!" but Koby hesitates, "B-but I haven't mentally prepared myself yet... And those people sure were scared when they heard the Captain's name..." Meanwhile, Luffy climbs up the brick wall next to the gate. Koby asks, "Luffy! What're you doing!?" Luffy peers over the wall, saying, "I wonder if I can see......the demonic beast from here."

Koby tells Luffy, "You won't find him just by peeking over the fence. He's probably deep within the bowels of the prison..." Luffy replies, "Oh yeah? Well there's somebody over there! Maybe it's Zolo!" Koby gulps and climbs up to look. A dark silhouette of a man tied to a cross is shown. Koby spots him and panics, "There he is!... What's wrong!? A b-black bandanna and a haramaki sash!!! I-it's really him! That's Roronoa Zolo!!! He looks so... menacing!!!"

A full view reveals Roronoa Zoro tied to a wooden cross in the middle of a dirt courtyard. He wears a white shirt, dark pants, a green haramaki sash, and a black bandanna. His head hangs down. Luffy, watching from the wall, says, "So that's him. Hmm! I could just untie those ropes and set him free..."

Koby screams in terror, "That's suicide!! If you let him loose, he'll kill us then wreck the town!!" Suddenly, Zoro lifts his head, revealing a fierce grin, and calls out, "Hey, kid!" Koby is shocked. Zoro continues, "Come over here......and untie me... I've been here for nine days and I can't take anymore." Luffy notes, "Hey! He's smiling!" while Koby stammers, "H-he's talking to us!!" Zoro offers a deal: "I'll make it worth your while. I'll capture someone with a big price on their head and give all of the bounty to you. You can trust me. I'm a man of my word."

Koby pleads, "D-don't do it, Luffy! As soon as you untie him, he'll kill us and get away! I just know it!" Luffy confidently replies, "He won't kill us. He couldn't. I wouldn't let him!" Zoro looks up, saying "Huh!?" Koby thinks, "What a big head he's got!" Suddenly, they hear a noise. A little girl with a ladder climbs over the wall. Luffy and Koby notice her, and Luffy shushes Koby.

The little girl walks towards Zoro. Koby whispers, "Hey! D-don't go down there! It's dangerous!" Zoro glares at her, "Whadda you want?" Koby panics, "Luffy! Do something! She'll be killed!" Luffy replies, "Why don't you do it yourself?" Zoro yells at the girl, "Get lost! Do you want to get killed!?" The girl holds out two rice balls, smiling, "I made these rice balls for you! I thought you might need some food! It's the first time I've ever made rice balls. I hope you like them." Zoro refuses harshly, "I'm... not hungry!! Now beat it and take that stuff with you!!" The girl stammers, "B-but..." Zoro shouts, "I don't want it!! Now get outta here!! Or I'll stomp you to death!!"

A man with a strange blonde haircut and a dark suit walks in, accompanied by two Marines. A caption identifies him as "Helmeppo, Captain Morgan's Son". He says, "You shouldn't pick on little girls, Roronoa Zolo!!!" The little girl says, "I'll tell my father on you!" Luffy asks, "Who's that weirdo?" Koby assumes, "He must be some high ranking naval officer. Now that little girl will be safe." Zoro scoffs, "Hmpf! Well... if it isn't the idiot son, living off daddy's wealth." Helmeppo, annoyed, replies, "Did you just call me an 'idiot'? A man in your position should guard his tongue... or he could lose it!"

Helmeppo snatches a rice ball from the girl, saying, "Little girl... Did you bring those rice balls for me? How thoughtful." The girl protests, "Hey! Give it back!" Helmeppo takes a bite and immediately spits it out, "Blech! Disgusting! It's sweet! There's sugar on it! Rice balls are supposed to be seasoned with salt! Not sugar!!" The girl explains, "B-but I like sweets, so I figured sugar would be better!" Helmeppo throws the rice balls on the ground and stomps on them, yelling, "These are completely inedible!!" The girl cries, "Stop! Please! You're ruining them!" Koby watches in horror, "How evil... That little girl worked really hard to make those rice balls." Helmeppo grinds the food into the dirt with his shoe, laughing cruelly, "Don't worry! I'm sure the ants find them delicious! Ha ha! Ha ha ha! Oh no! Ha ha!"

The little girl cries, "Why!!! I worked so hard to make them!!" Helmeppo complains, "Oh, stop that crying! That's why I hate kids!" He points to a sign next to Zoro, "It's your own fault! Can't you read this sign? It says, 'Anyone aiding this prisoner shall be found guilty of the crimes he has committed. -Captain Morgan'." He leans in close to the crying girl, "I'm sure you've heard how scary my father can be! If you were an adult, you would be put to death!" He then orders a Marine, "You there! Throw that brat over the fence!!" The Marine hesitates, "B-but..." Helmeppo yells, "I'm ordering you to throw that little brat over the fence! Are you going to disobey a direct order!? I'll tell daddy on you!" The terrified Marine complies, "Y-yes sir... right away!!"

The Marine throws the little girl over the high wall. Luffy jumps and catches her safely, tumbling down so that she ends up sitting on his back. Koby rushes over, asking, "Are you okay!?" Luffy gets up, glaring, "What a bad man...!" Back in the courtyard, Helmeppo taunts Zoro, "My, aren't you a stubborn one!" Zoro replies, "That's right, I'm gonna last out the entire month! You just keep your end of the bargain!" Helmeppo laughs as he walks away, "Ha ha ha! I won't dream of breaking my word. If you survive out here for a month, then I'll let you go!!" Zoro smirks, "It's my pleasure, I'm sure!!"

Luffy walks up to Zoro, who asks, "You still here? Better not let Helmeppo's father catch you. Look..." Luffy states, "I'm looking for good men to join my pirate crew." Zoro is incredulous, "Pirate crew? You think I'd lower myself to that level? No thanks!" Luffy asks, "But becoming a pirate's my dream! What's wrong with it!?" Zoro smirks, "You think if you untie me... I'm gonna join your pirate crew?" Luffy smiles back, "I haven't decided if I'll ask you yet... You've got a pretty bad reputation, you know?"

Zoro replies, "Bad reputation, huh? Well, anyway, I don't go for that kind of deal. I've got my own plans for the future. I don't need your help. I can get out of here on my own. All I have to do is last for a month here, then I'm a free man! Captain Morgan's idiot son promised me." He looks determined, "All I've got to do is survive here for one month. Then I'll be free to pursue my dream!!!" Luffy nods, "Hmm... I see. I don't think I could last one week without food." Zoro boasts, "Me and you are different. I've got more will power. So go look for a crew elsewhere..." As Luffy turns to leave, Zoro calls out, "Hey, wait a minute... Pick that up for me."

Luffy picks up the smashed rice ball, saying, "You're not going to eat it!? It's more of a dirt ball than a rice ball now... I know you're hungry, but this--" Zoro yells, "Shut up! Just shut up and feed it to me! And don't miss one grain of rice!" Luffy feeds it to him, and Zoro chews the dirt-covered food, coughing violently, "Hak koff koff!!!" Luffy says, "I told you. It was mostly dirt. You wanna kill yourself?" Zoro, still coughing, says, "Koff... T-tell the kid... Tell her I said it was delicious. Tell her I ate it all." Luffy smiles broadly and laughs, "Ha ha ha!"

Back in town, Luffy tells the little girl, "Yeah! He ate it all up!" She beams, "Really!? I'm so glad!" Koby wonders, "Could that guy really be as bad as everyone says? He's not a bad guy!" The girl explains, "Everybody in town is afraid of him... But he hasn't done anything wrong! He got thrown into prison 'cause of me. Captain Morgan's son had a bunch of mean dogs! They attacked me... Roronoa Zolo saved me! Besides, those dogs were running loose and scaring everybody in town!" Luffy realizes, "That's why Zolo is in prison... Because he hurt that guy's dog to save you?" The girl nods, "Yes!" Koby adds, "That makes sense! Zolo's really scary, but he only goes after people with a price on their heads. And he wouldn't get thrown into prison for that!"

The girl continues, "Captain Morgan and his son are the bad ones!" She explains that they put people to death for no reason at all and that everyone in town is afraid of them. Nearby, Helmeppo struts through the street while townspeople bow in fear. He laughs, "Ha ha ha! You're not bowing your heads low enough, scum! I'll tell my father on all of you!! Do you want to be jailed like Roronoa Zolo!? We're going to hold a public execution for him in three days!! We'll make an example of him! I can hardly wait!" Luffy steps forward, "Three days? But... you made a promise to him!?" Helmeppo looks surprised, "What? Where did you hear about that? That promise was just a joke!! He's just a stupid beast for believing it!!" A flashback shows Zoro saying, "Captain Morgan's idiot son promised me. All I've got to do is survive here for one month."

Enraged, Luffy punches Helmeppo squarely in the face, sending him flying backward. Helmeppo screams, "AAAAH!" Koby grabs Luffy from behind, yelling, "Luffy!! Stop! Calm down!! That guy is scum!" Helmeppo, on the ground with a bloody nose, threatens, "You want to make an enemy of the Navy, do you!?" Luffy, still furious, declares, "Koby, I've made my decision! I'm going to ask Zolo to join my crew!!!"

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