"WHAT A DAY!! IT'S GORGEOUS!!" Luffy yelled out happily, then he quickly turned to (Y/n). "Come on (Y/n), take off that blindfold and see the lovely sky!" Luffy encouraged her. "Hmm~? Ah yes, beautiful day indeed" (Y/n) said casually, earning a pout from Luffy. "Come on! You didn't even try to look!" Luffy whined out, as he really wanted to see her eyes again.

"H-Hey, quit bugging her, you just met her! A-Anyways, if we stay on this heading, we should reach the Marine base in no time" Koby said to the male with a nervous look. "Wow Koby, you're great out here! You mean we're actually going to reach the place we originally set out for?" Luffy asked ecstatically.

"I mean... Of course, but I'm only using the skills that every sailor should have" Koby said casually. "Wait, does that mean you get lost a lot, Laffy?" (Y/n) asked with a curious tilt of her head. This stopped Luffy from laughing and gave (Y/n) a confused look. "Who's Laffy? Do we have a stowaway?" Luffy asked as he searched around for Laffy, only to find nothing.

"I think she means you, Luffy..." Koby pointed out, earning a silent "oh" from Luffy. "Yeah, I do get lost a lot!" Luffy said with a large grin, unbothered by his lack of direction. "You know... That's not something you should be grinning about" Koby said with a worried look, doubting the lack of survival skills Luffy has.

"Didn't you say we're picking someone up at the Marine base? What's his name again... Zemo? No... Zofulo?" (Y/N) mumbled out as she kept trying to guess the man's name. "His name is Roronoa Zoro, he's the great Pirate Hunter," Koby said with a nervous look.

"This is the man who's diced up his bounties, like an animal bent on carnage... A blood-thirsty beast, he's been called nothing less, than a living breathing demon in human form! How could you not know about him?!" Koby asked (Y/n), who didn't seem to be listening to him. "Oh! I got it, his name is Zuzo~!" (Y/n) said with a smile, making Koby stare at her with wide eyes and a slack jaw.

They finally made it to the Marine base, it seemed a lot smaller than (Y/n) anticipated. "Look (Y/n)! We're here!!! The Marine base City!!" Luffy exclaimed as they got out of the boat. (Y/n) looked around with a smile on her face, only to get dragged by Luffy, heading into the city.

As they passed by vendors, Luffy's strong grip on her wrist prevented her from going to a vendor. "Luffy seriously! You're out of your mind if you think the right thing to do, is to get this guy to join you!" Koby said as he hesitantly followed behind the two. "Well, I haven't made up my mind yet! I got to see if he's a good guy!" Luffy said casually.

"He's in prison because he's obviously not!!" Koby exclaimed loudly. Luffy then picked up a pair, and ate it, while the vendor smiled happily. Luffy flicked the man a coin, buying the single pair, and turned to the vendor, "Hey... Is that guy, Zoro, is he around here somewhere?" Luffy asked the vendor.

Everyone suddenly jumped away from Luffy, scared out of their minds. "Hey... Maybe we shouldn't mention the name 'Zoro' here, okay? You too (Y/n)... Wait... Were's (Y/n)?" Koby asked as they finally realized (Y/n) is no longer next to them. "Huh, I guess she went ahead, come on, let's go meet up with her there," Luffy said casually as they continue their trek towards the base. Meanwhile, with (Y/n), she was not in fact, at the base, she slipped away from Luffy to check out the vendors.

"S-She went ahead?! She's more eager than I am! I'm not even ready just yet! From what I heard, the man in charge of this base is named Captain Morgan" Koby said to Luffy, only to have the citizens scream in fear, and jump away from the duo. "Hahaha! This town is such a weird one! It's a shame that (Y/n) didn't get to see their funny reactions!" Luffy said with a large smile.

"Well... That was certainly odd, I mean, I understand they're scared of Zoro. But, why did they flip when I mentioned the Marine's Captain's name? I don't know... I got a bad feeling about this..." Koby muttered to Luffy. "Maybe they're all just jumping around for the fun of it!" Luffy answered obliviously.

They finally made it in front of the Marine base door, it was a very large door. "This looks like the place, huh, doesn't seem like (Y/n) is here... Maybe she went inside!" Luffy said happily. "I made it..." Koby said happily, tears running out of his eyes unable to contain his happiness.

"This is where me and you part ways Luffy... I didn't get to say bye to (Y/n)... But..." Koby trailed off as he realized Luffy wasn't listening. "Now where's the foothold?" Luffy said as he tried to climb the wall, freaking Koby out, "GET DOWN FROM THERE!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! THEY'LL SEE YOU!!" Koby screamed out in distress.

"Now... Where's this demon?" Luffy asked as he tried to look for Zoro. "They wouldn't keep him out in the open, he's probably tucked in a prison cell below ground," Koby said with a sweatdrop. "Oh! There he is! Oh and I see (Y/n) too! Huh? Why is she carrying a bag?" Luffy asked as he squinted his eyes to read the brand.

(Y/n) stood in front of Zoro, casually chewing on a cookie, while Zoro glared daggers at her. "What do you want, woman?" Zoro asked in annoyance, as he didn't ponder on how she got in front of him. "Hm..." (Y/n) hummed as she got close to his face, almost looking like she was about to kiss him.

Zoro tried to back away from her, blushing deeply from the lack of personal space. "So your Zuzo... Ah~ Pity..." (Y/n) mumbled as she backed away from Zoro, and went back to chewing on her cookie. "Why you... Did you just come out here to mock me?!" Zoro asked angirly, snapping out of his embarrassment.

"OH, DON'T BE SUCH AN IDIOT, LUFFY!! THERE'S NO TELLING WHAT A BANDIT LIKE HIM WOULD DO, IF YOU LET HIM GO HE MIGHT JUSt KILL ALL THREE OF US!!" Koby shouted out, unaware that Zoro and (Y/n) can hear him. "Are those your friends? Tch, Hey, you two!" Zoro said, announcing that he heard Koby.

"You're an eyesore! Get lost, and you as well, woman" Zoro said as he glared at (Y/n) and the two behind her. Koby flailed around and quickly got closer to Luffy, most likely to convince him to leave. "Oh~ So scary~ What are you going to do?" (Y/n) asked teasingly.

"AH! (Y/N) STOP HER, BEFORE SHE REACHES ZORO!!" Koby yelled out, confusing (Y/n). So she turned around, only to watch the kid zoom past her. "What do you want?" Zoro asked the small girl, "I thought that you might be getting hungry now! So I made you a couple of rice balls" the little girl said happily.

"Hey kiddo, should someone your age be around here?" (Y/n) asked the small girl, but did nothing to move her. "Oh, who are you? Are you his girlfriend? You've very pretty!" The small girl said, ignoring the female's question. "Awe~ Aren't you a cutie~ I guess I'll let this pass" (Y/n) said with pink flowers surrounding her.

"Thank you! Here, you haven't eaten anything in a while! Here, I never really made them before! But, I did my best, so I think they're fine!" The little girl said happily. "Awe!~ Aren't you the sweetest~!" (Y/n) exclaimed, gushing about the little girl's kindness to the male.

"Listen, kid, I'm not hungry!" Zoro exclaimed stubbornly. Suddenly, (Y/n)'s smile dropped, "you will eat the food she made, got it?" (Y/n) asked with a threatening smile. Zoro gave her a nervous look, as he did not expect (Y/n) to suddenly get so frightening, but they were interrupted by the gate opening.

"Now, now, no one likes a bully, especially to such a pretty thing," someone said as they walked through the gate. "Hehe, Roronoa Zoro, you seem to be handling this well, don't you agree? Though, I am a bit jealous that you got such a hotty visiting you" the male said as he walked up to the small group.

"Oh, lookie here, some tasty rice balls," the male said as he goes to grab one, but his hand wrist was suddenly grabbed. "I don't know who you are, but those aren't for you" (Y/n) said with a hidden glare, stepping in between the male and the young female.

"Ow! Let go of my wrist! That hurts!!" The male complained trying his best to pry her grip off of him. (Y/n) then gave a side glance to the child, "little one, I think you would come back later, yes?" (Y/n) asked nicely. "T-Thank you miss, here, give these to him when you can!" The little girl said as she handed (Y/n) the two rice balls, and quickly ran back towards the wall.

Once the little girl was back over the safety of the wall, (Y/n) finally released her grip. "Man~ Who knew I'd get myself into something like this~" (Y/n) said casually, as she held the riceballs gently. "You damn woman! You do know that there's a notice, I can have you executed!" The male threatened.

"Hm, notice? How can I notice something if I can't even see?" (Y/n) asked as she pointed to her blindfold. "Fine then, since your so incompetent, it reads that anyone who assists criminals in any way, will be executed, that also goes for the girl, signed Marine Captain, Morgan," the male said with a snobby look.

But, when he looked back at the female, his snobbish look turned into shock, then into fear. (Y/n) had raised her blindfold, staring at the male with a sinister gaze. "If you so much as harm that kid, I will kill you" (Y/n) promised with an intimidating smile, making the male back away in fear.

"Y-You...! D-Do something about her! Now!" The male exclaimed to his bodyguard. But, when he received no answer, he turned back around to see the bodyguard gone. "That... That coward! When I get back, you'll regret threatening me, be ready to be stuck on a stick like Zoro over here!" The male said as he quickly ran away from her, out of fear.

"Damn woman, who knew you'd be so scary" Zoro muttered, feeling shivers run up his spine, despite not being the one threatened by her. "Really~? I've been working on it for a while now!" (Y/n) said casually as she covered her eye with the blindfold, and walked back over to Zoro.

"(Y/n), that was so cool! He's such a coward!" Luffy exclaimed from behind her, gaining their attention. "So... I hear you're a bad guy," Luffy said to Zoro, peering around (Y/n)'s back to get a better look at the male. "Stuck out here... For all the world to see, are you really that strong?" Luffy asked doubtfully.

"Mind your own business!" Zoro exclaimed, but Luffy didn't seem to listen to him and got closer to the duo. "If I were you, I'd probably starve to death in three days!" Luffy said happily. "Oh~! Speaking of food, I almost forgot~! Silly me, here Zuzo~ Eat up" (Y/n) said as she basically pushed the rice ball onto Zoro's cheek.

"Damn woman... My name is Zo- HMPH?!" Zoro was quickly interrupted by (Y/n) practically shoving the rice ball into his mouth. He glared at (Y/n) while chewing on the rice ball, since he didn't really want to spit it out, despite it being disgusting. Once he swallowed it, he looked like he ate something fowl, "it was good..." Zoro muttered, but his facial expression said otherwise.

"Thanks for the food..." Zoro muttered again, earning a large smile from (Y/n). "Oh~ The demon of the sea actually has a soft spot~! That's adorable~!" (Y/n) gushed out teasingly. "Shut up and feed me the other one" Zoro exclaimed with an angered look, but (Y/n) ignored it and fed him the remaining rice ball.

"You mean it?! I knew I could count on you to feed it to him!" The little girl said happily while sitting on (Y/n)'s lap. "He even demanded to eat the last one~! You should become a chef, I bet it was good" (Y/n) complemented earning a brighter smile from the little girl.

"I wonder if Zoro is really as evil as everyone says he is" Koby muttered, contemplating his thoughts on the rumors and what he saw today. "He's not!! He's good... Because... He got himself punished, for us" the little girl said sadly, a bit guilty that the male got arrested for something he did.

"Don't say that~ I don't know the full story, but I don't think it was that bad" (Y/n) said as she patted the little girl's head, trying to reassure her. But, the little girl shook her head, "it's all his fault! That dumb Helmeppo guy... The son of Captain Morgan..." The little girl muttered out.

~Flashback~

"Step aside! Step aside! Make way for my beautiful pet doggy! Anyone who doesn't move, I'll have executed!" Helmeppo said with a laugh. The god then burst into the store, scaring everyone within it, unable to stop the dog from eating their food. "Stop it! You mean old thing!" The little girl said as she swung the broom at the dog.

"Hey, you, little girl, is there some kind of problem with how my beloved dog is behaving?" Helmeppo asked with a confident look. "Rika put it down! You don't want to get us in trouble!" Rika's mother exclaimed while Rika stared at the male in fear. Helmeppo laughed again, knowing full well that no one can stop his pet dog from doing as it pleases.

The dog then pounced at Rika, making her scream in fear, believing she'd die from the attack. But then, the dog was knocked away by a stole, sending it away from the little girl. Everyone stared at the culprit, and when Helmeppo spotted the male, he wasn't happy about the situation.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?! Wait... You're him! It's you! You're the pirate hunter Zoro" Helmeppo said as he hesitantly gets closer to the male. "If I am?" Zoro asked casually, while Rika ran to her mother, both happy that she was safe from the dog.

"What is a pirate hunter doing, defying the Marines, huh?!" Helmeppo asked accusingly, swinging his sword around. "Can it, and let me finish my meal in peace" Zoro stated, making the male more frightened. He then tried to swing his sword at Zoro, only to miss, and ended up being kicked into the ceiling.

"AH!!" Helmeppo screamed, realizing his plan failed, and got punched in the cheek. The hit sent him flying into the bar stand, he slumped down from the wind knocked out of him. Zoro then brought out his sword, and pointed it at the male's face, making him scream out in fear.

"You're getting on my nerves, pal, you and that precious mutt of yours," Zoro said with a threatening gaze. Helmeppo's scared look soon changed into a confident one, seemingly planning something. "Ha... Haha! You do realize if my dad finds out about this. He'll surely execute the girl and her mother!" The male warned, still scared out of his wits.

"So... What do you say to a little deal, between men? In place of the kid and her mom, we string you up instead. For... Let's say... One month! You survive that one month that I'd be so nice to let you live too, what do you say? Sound fair?" Helmeppo asked while standing up from his spot. "Then, one month it is" Zoro agreed as he dropped his sword.

~Present~

"It's been three weeks since that day, Helmeppo keeps punching him, kicking him, all while he's tied up," Rika said sadly. "Ah... So it's not that simple" (Y/n) said with a sigh, she then comfortingly patted Rika's head, gaining her attention. "Don't cry little one..." (Y/n) muttered, while mentally cursing at her soft spot.

Suddenly, the sound of glass breaking interrupted them, causing them to check out the commotion. "I'm hungry, bring us whatever you got, and keep the check for yourself" Helmeppo stated confidently, while two bodyguards stood behind him. "Also, bring me a bottle of your finest moonshine! Or whatever crap you serve" the male said snobbishly.

(Y/n) walked up towards the male, and slammed her hand down on the table, scaring him in the process. "AHH! WATCH WHERE YOU'RE... Going...?" Helmeppo trailed off as he realized who interrupted him. "What do you think you're doing here, Hippo?" (Y/n) asked threateningly, while putting a hand up to the owner, stopping her from serving the male.

"WHEN DID YOU GET HERE?! Also, it's Helmeppo!! Get it right!! And don't think that I forgot about executing you! I might pardon it if you leave me alone" Helmeppo offered while sweating profusely. "I won't ask again, what are you doing here?" (Y/n) asked in a more threatening manner.

"Can't a guy get a break! Fine! Since you want to know so badly! I was bored! You know, once I tell my father, you'll be executed along with Zoro!" Helmeppo threatened while revealing his intentions to Zoro. Suddenly, he was punched by both (Y/n) and Luffy, both weren't quite happy about his intentions.

"Y-You... YOU BOTH HIT ME!!" Helmeppo exclaimed while holding his cheek in pain. "Luffy, (Y/n)! No! You both can't hit him!!" Koby exclaimed as he tried to hold them back. "This guy is scum!" Luffy exclaimed angirly, "you actually hit me! DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHO I AM?! I AM CAPTAIN MORGAN'S SON!" Helmeppo exclaimed.

"Does it look like we care? I will hit you again if I want to" (Y/n) said threateningly as she cracked her knuckles. This caused Helmeppo to quickly hide behind one of his bodyguards, as he didn't want to be hit again. "YOU'LL CARE AFTER I EXECUTE YOU BOTH FOR THIS!!" Helmeppo exclaimed threateningly.

"Why don't you just be a man, and fight?!" Luffy exclaimed while Koby tried his best to hold onto Luffy. "Luffy, (Y/n)! Just calm down!! Why are you both trying to get on Marine's bad side?!" Koby asked, forgetting that Luffy is a pirate. While he was lecturing Luffy, he didn't realize that Luffy was fighting against Koby's hold. "I made up my mind, today, Zoro joins my crew!" Luffy exclaimed with a determined look.

Zoro suddenly gasped, snapping out of his daydream, only to come face to face with (Y/n) again. "Huh? You two again? Don't you have things to do?" Zoro asked with a scoff. "Well, I did~ But this guy dragged me here" (Y/n) said while pointing to Luffy, that stood right next to her.

"So, I'll untie you, but only if you promise to join our crew" Luffy stated casually. "Your what?" Zoro asked, making sure he heard the male correctly. "I run a pirate crew, and I'm looking for people to join up, I found (Y/n) along the way," Luffy said casually, unashamed that he's calling her a crewmember.

"No way! I'd never stoop to join up with criminals, screw that business" Zoro said bluntly. "What's wrong with being a pirate? You get to see (Y/n) every day" Luffy complimented while gesturing to the distracted female. (Y/n) is currently gushing over a butterfly that decided to land on her finger.

"I do admit... I wouldn't mind that..." Zoro muttered to himself, making sure Luffy didn't hear him. "Besides her, they're despicable! Like I'd ever want to join up with one" Zoro said stubbornly. "Oh come on! Give me a break! Everyone already knows you as some vicious bounty hunter, always out for blood" Luffy pointed out, too stubborn to back down.

"They can say anything they want about me, but I've never done a single thing in my life that I haven't regretted," Zoro said honestly. "I will make it through this challenge-" Zoro started to say, before someone interrupted him, "oh~! We forgot to tell you! The challenge was a lie" (Y/n) said casually, while still holding the butterfly.

"Yeah, what she said, plus, I've already decided that you're going to be on my crew!" Luffy said casually. "WHAT?! YOU CAN'T DO THAT! DID YOU DO THIS WITH HER AS WELL?!" Zoro asked out of frustration. "Yup! Better get used to it buddy, he doesn't seem to listen to reason" (Y/n) said happily, earning a growl from Zoro.