One Piece: Mangaka of Legends

Luffy wasted no time. He strolled forward with that ever-confident grin, eyes locked on the man tied to the wooden cross in the center of the Marine base courtyard.

I followed, keeping a casual pace, but my mind was racing. Seeing Roronoa Zoro in person was… surreal. His green hair was messy, his white shirt tattered, and his arms were bound behind him, but his presence was undeniable. Even tied up, he radiated sheer defiance. His eyes, sharp as blades, locked onto Captain Morgan's lackeys like a predator sizing up prey.

Coby, predictably, was trembling behind me. "L-Luffy! W-We really shouldn't be here! That's Roronoa Zoro! The demon pirate hunter!"

Luffy just tilted his head. "He doesn't look that bad."

Zoro slowly turned his head toward us. "You got business with me?" His voice was hoarse but steady.

Before Luffy could respond, a small figure darted past us. A little girl, no older than eight, rushed forward, carefully sneaking through the courtyard while clutching a pair of rice balls.

I sighed. Right. This was that moment.

She reached Zoro, her tiny hands shaking as she held up the food. "I-I made these for you, mister! You must be hungry!"

Zoro's eyes softened, but before he could say anything, heavy boots stomped toward us.

"Oi, oi, oi! What do we have here?" A sneering voice rang out. Helmeppo.

I tensed, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. He looked just as insufferable in person—slicked-back blonde hair, a weak chin, and that air of arrogance only someone riding their father's coattails could have.

His gaze landed on the little girl, and his lips curled into a nasty grin. "Bringing food to a criminal? That's against the rules, you little brat."

Before she could react, he kicked the rice balls out of her hands, sending them splattering into the dirt.

The girl froze, tears welling in her eyes.

Zoro's jaw clenched, his eyes burning with restrained fury.

"Hey, that was rude," Luffy said, voice flat.

Helmeppo barely spared him a glance. "Hah? Who the hell are you?"

Luffy ignored him, turning to Zoro instead. "You gonna eat that?"

There was a beat of silence. Then, with deliberate slowness, Zoro leaned forward, biting into the dirt-covered rice ball. He chewed, ignoring the grime, and swallowed.

The little girl gasped. "B-But it's dirty—"

"It's good," Zoro muttered. "Thanks, kid."

Something flickered in her teary eyes before she nodded and ran off.

Helmeppo snorted. "Tch. Whatever. Doesn't matter. You're dead in a few days anyway."

Zoro said nothing.

I crossed my arms, tilting my head. "Oh? And why's that?"

Helmeppo grinned, puffing out his chest. "Because I said so! My dad's Captain Morgan! He does whatever I tell him to! So I told him to execute this guy in three days!"

Coby paled. "T-That's horrible!"

Helmeppo scoffed. "Yeah? And what are you gonna do about it?" He smirked, then turned on his heel, strutting off with the arrogance of someone who never faced consequences.

I exhaled slowly. "Annoying bastard."

Zoro chuckled dryly. "Tell me about it."

Luffy grinned at him. "You should join my crew."

Zoro blinked. "...Hah?"

Coby's soul nearly left his body. "L-Luffy! You can't just ask him that!"

I shook my head, smirking. "No, this actually sounds fun."

Zoro stared at Luffy, eyes narrowing. Then, he laughed. "You've got guts, I'll give you that. But I'm not a pirate."

Luffy just grinned wider. "You will be."

I sighed. Yeah. Things were definitely about to get interesting.