Mixed Feelings

Chapter one; The rubberman

Great. This is what I get for protecting those villagers from a ferocious wolf? And threatening them to be executed because I knocked out their captain? Several days after Zoro had left his dojo he had been captured by a group of marines after he had knocked out one of their captains’ spoiled son, because he brought a vicious wolf to a local bar. The marine had threatened to kill everyone there if Zoro wouldn’t let himself being arrested and survive thirty days without food. The marines had strapped him to a cross somewhere on their base. They had taken his katanas, so he couldn’t cut himself loose. Every now and then some would come to check on him, but they rarely gave him something to eat. He had been standing in the burning sun for twenty days. I gotta get outta here… but without my katanas I have no chance… A young girl climbed over the wall, surrounding the base and ran towards Zoro. She took out a small package and opened it to show it to him. “Would you like some Onigiri?” Zoro slowly lifted his head to look at the girl and the rice balls she was holding. Zoro showed a slight, weak smile and replied with a “Thank you.” At this moment marine captain’s son barged onto the plaza and laughed as he saw the girl there. He took the rice balls and ate them without giving Zoro some. “Ugh! That’s disgusting! You should have used salt instead of sugar!” The marine’s son yelled at the girl and ordered his men to bring her outside the gates. He then dropped the rice ball on the ground and trampled it before he walked away.

In the distance Zoro heard some voices, they didn’t seem to come from the marine base, so he didn’t really try to listen. After a while two heads popped up bove the wall. “See. There he is!” A boy with black hair and a Straw hat was peeking over the wall. “What?!” Another boy looked over the wall. “Blackish green hood… Green waist band… It really is Roronoa Zoro! Impossible! He should be in a deep, cold cell!” The boy had pink hair and big glasses. “If we untie that rope, he can escape right?” “Don’t say stupid things! Do you know what can happen if he walks around freely?! I’m sure that he’ll kill you!” The boy with black hair only smiled. “That’s okay! I’m strong.” The pink head stuttered and seemed to curse the other in his head. “Hey, you guys! ”Zoro called out to the two. The boy with the pink hair screamed slightly as Zoro lifted his head. “You’re bothering me. Get lost.” He lowered his head again but when he looked back up the boy with the black hair stood before him. He was about sixteen years old and wearing light blue, knee long jeans and an open, red blouse. “So, you’re a bad guy?” He asked. Zoro frowned. “You still here?” The boy didn’t answer to that question. “Being publicly humiliated. Are you really that strong?” Zoro cursed. “Mind your own business!” The boy chuckled and walked towards Zoro while putting on his straw hat, which, until now, hung around his neck with a cord. “Ah… I would have escaped within three days.” “Well, I’m different from you!” Zoro snapped. “I will survive, just to nag them. Definitely.” The boy looked at him. “Heh, what a stubborn guy…” He was about to walk away when Zoro called him back. “Wait a sec. Can you get that for me?” He looked at the trampled rice balls next to the boy’s foot. “Are you sure you’re gonna eat that?” The boy picked them from the ground.  “They’re more like Dirt Balls now…” He looked at Zoro. “Shut up and just give them to me!” He yelled. The boy shrugged and fed him the rice balls. It was Zoro’s first meal in days, so he didn’t care about the taste. He couched because the rice was mixed with sand. “Told ya so…” The straw hatted boy crossed his arms and frowned. “It was delicious.” Zoro said without looking at him. “Thanks for the food.” He prayed to the girl. The boy with black hair shrugged and left the plaza not long before Zoro fell asleep.

A few hours later Zoro startled awake. The boy with the straw hat was back. “You again?” He asked slightly irritated. “I will untie the ropes and you will become my comrade.” The boy exclaimed. “You what?” Zoro didn’t know what he was talking about. “I’m looking for people to join my pirate crew.” He walked towards Zoro to untie the ropes. “I refuse!” Zoro snapped towards the boy. “You want me to be a bad guy?” Tch. Annoying guy. “What’s wrong with being a pirate?” The boy replied naïvely. “Pirates are scum! Who would want to be one?” The boy chuckled at these words. “Does it matter? You’re known as an evil pirate hunter.” Zoro shrugged. “I don’t care what society says. I’ve never regret anything I’ve done.” He smirked. “I’ll survive. And I’ll do anything I want to do.” The boy looked at him confused. “That so..?” Then, he smirked, crossed his arms and turned away. “But I’ve already decided that you’ll become my comrade.” Zoro’s eyes widened. “You can’t decide that by yourself!” He called out. “You wield a sword, right?” The boy looked back at him, still being in the same position. “Yeah. But that captain’s stupid son took it.” Zoro looked at a building at the other side of the plaza. “I’ll get it for you.” The boy said. “And when you get it back from me, you’ll become my comrade.” He smiled. “You really are dense!” Zoro called after him before the boy ran off to get his katanas. Is he really gonna attack the base all by himself? “Idiot! The base is the other way!” He called out when he saw the boy running to a different gate. The boy looked at the other gate and pulled his arms back. “Rubber, rubber rocket!” As soon as he said it he threw his hands forward at what his arms started stretching. The arms passed Zoro and grabbed the fence at the other side of the plaza. His body followed. That guy… What the hell is he? Zoro’s eyes widened as he saw the boy’s limbs stretch. “Escape, Zoro-san.” The boy with the pink hair started untying the ropes that tied Zoro to the cross. “If you do that, you’ll be killed.” Zoro looked at him. He was only a few years younger than himself. “I can’t stand back and watch these marines anymore. I want to be a good marine.” He kept untying the ropes. “Stop it.” Zoro told the boy. “I can’t run away. Ten more days left.” The boy didn’t stop. “You’ll be executed tomorrow.” Zoro’s eyes widened slight. “What?” The boy looked at him. “Helmeppo-san never intended to keep his promise.” He looked back at the knots and tried to loosen them. “That’s why Luffy-san got mad and punched him.” Zoro looked at the building where the other boy had disappeared to. “That guy..?” The boy continued his story. “Luffy-san is being chased by the marines right now.” He looked at Zoro again. “I’m not telling you to become a pirate, but please…” He went back to unknotting the ropes. “Please help Luffy-san.” Zoro frowned. “Luffy-san is the only one who can save you.” The boy continued. “And now… You are the only one who can save Luffy-san.” Zoro stared in front of himself. “Hold it right there!” A deep voice came from the gates. Zoro and the boy looked at it. The marines were back, but this time not with the captain’s son, but with the captain himself. “By the treason you’ve committed to me, you will both be executed right here.” The man had a hand like an axe and an iron jaw guard that read ‘möwe’ which means seagull. The boy with the pink hair shivered. “Aim.” The marines followed their captain’s order and loaded their guns before aiming at the pair. Zoro tensed, trying to untie himself. I can’t die in a place like this! Gunshots were heard and he remembered a scene from his past. “You’re still weak Zoro.” A girl said to him after she floored him with a practice sword. He quickly snapped out of his thoughts when the boy called ‘Luffy’ landed inside the plaza and spread his arms to take the blullets. “Luffy-san!” The boy exclaimed. The bullets didn’t pass through Luffy. On the contrary. Luffy smirked a “Shehehe” and his body stretched at the places where the bullets struck him. He stretched out again and reflected the bullets back to the marines. “It won’t work!” He laughed proudly. “Didn’t I tell you? I’m strong!” Zoro and the boy looked at him with wide open eyes. “You…” Zoro could barely bring out a word. “What the hell are you?” The pirate smiled and turned around. “I’m Monkey D. Luffy.” He said. “I’m the one who will become the Pirate King.”

It’s been several months now… But I made him a promise. Zoro sat on the ground in his hut, his legs crossed and lifting about 60 pounds on one hand. He would free me if I would join his Pirate crew. And here I am, being the guy’s first mate…. Zoro scuffled. I should be hunting the kid down. “H-hey Zoro…” A young man with a dark skin and half long frizzy hair knocked on his door. “Yeah?” Zoro did not look up or around but he did pay attention to whatever was behind himself. “Luffy calls for you…” Can’t he just come himself, then? Zoro sighed and stood up. “Figurehead?” The boy nodded and let him pass. “Oi, Luffy! Can’t you just come to get me yourself? What do you need me for this time?” The captain sat on the figurehead of their new ship and watched over the island stretched out before them. “Nami is on that island.” There was a gloomy expression on his face. “She didn’t look happy…” Zoro looked at the island. “So?” Luffy stood up and slid off the figurehead. “Set sail to that island.” He took the steer wheel and turned the ship’s prow towards the island. Ttaku… He’s got something in his head again… Zoro sighed and adjusted the sails.