Next Bonus, 100!!
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East Blue, a small island.
Zoro had just taken down a few local thugs who had tried to bully him for being an outsider. It was a common occurrence in a busy, rough-and-tumble port town like this, and it didn't cause much of a stir.
After dealing with the troublemakers, Zoro continued on his way. His eyes scanned the street, and he suddenly spotted a familiar figure in a bar.
The figure, sensing his gaze, turned.
Upon seeing Zoro, he froze for a second, then smiled and raised his glass. "Yo!"
"Saga!" Zoro said, a grin spreading across his face. "What are you doing here?"
Saga was the same childhood friend from the dojo who, in another timeline, would have been possessed by the Seven Stars Sword and forced to fight Zoro on Asuka Island. In that timeline, he would have been washed ashore there after an "accident" in the East Blue. But because Jin had cleaned up the pirates in the region, that "accident" had yet to happen.
"Care for a drink?" Saga asked.
Zoro walked over and sat down beside him. The young proprietress poured him a drink.
A stack of "Entertainment Weekly" magazines sat on the bar. People kept coming in to pick up a copy or discuss the "Billion Berri Prize" numbers for the next issue. The previous issue's grand prize—which no one had ever won before—had actually been claimed.
Saga also had a copy of the paper. He was a devoted reader of "Battle Through the East Blue" and never missed an issue.
Zoro, on the other hand, had no interest in anything other than the way of the sword.
"To our chance encounter," Saga said, raising his glass.
Zoro clinked his glass against his.
After downing the drink, Saga asked, "So, you've also set out on the path of the warrior?"
"Yeah."
"How long have you been out here?"
"Two years."
"Eh? Don't tell me... that bounty hunter 'Zoro' who's been making a name for himself in the East Blue... that's really you?"
"Maybe," Zoro grunted.
"Have you joined a guild?"
Zoro shook his head.
"It's tough being a freelance bounty hunter these days," Saga said. "Ever since that king executed all those pirates in the Conomi Islands, all the big-name pirates in the East Blue have gone into hiding. All that's left are a bunch of rookies who don't know their place. And with the rise of the Bounty Hunter Guild, clients are more willing to post jobs there. It's official, it's safe, and there's a guarantee."
"So," Saga continued, "how about it? Want to join?"
"You joined?" Zoro asked, curious.
"Yeah," Saga nodded. "With you in the guild, with our twin blades combined, we can sweep away the evil of the East Blue."
Zoro considered it. His terrible sense of direction had him wandering aimlessly. With Saga, at least he'd have a partner.
"I'll think about it," he said. "I've heard that some bounty hunters have a... less than stellar reputation."
Saga smiled. "That's just a few bad apples. If you have any problems, you can file a complaint with the guild. They'll investigate. Besides, where there are people, there is evil. And without evil, where would the sword of justice rest?"
"By the way," he said, pointing to a wanted poster on the wall, "are you here for him, too?"
"Who's that?" Zoro asked, a little embarrassed. "Actually... I just hopped on a random ship and ended up on this island."
"Uh..." Saga looked at Zoro, remembering his friend's complete lack of direction. "Don't tell me you got lost, did you?"
"No!" Zoro immediately denied. "How could I get lost? Of course I came here for that guy! That... what's-his-name guy!"
Saga just chuckled and shook his head. "'The Axeman,' Wiggins Jack. Bounty: 12,000,000 Berries. He may not be a pirate, but his crimes are even more despicable. He's hit over a dozen towns, and he specifically targets prostitutes, the elderly, and children."
Zoro frowned. "He even kills kids? What scum."
"He's a loner. Got bullied, and snapped," Saga said. "But he's still a coward who preys on the weak."
"He's pathetic, and he's detestable," Saga added.
"If he'd raised his blade against the ones who bullied him, I'd respect him," Zoro said, his hand resting on his katanas. "But to target the weak... He's on this island? Let's go cut him down."
"I got intel from the guild that someone saw him here," Saga said.
"Then what are we waiting for?" Zoro's eyes glinted. His blades were thirsty.
"Hold on," Saga said. "It's still daytime. He won't be out. We have to wait until night."
Zoro glanced outside. It was already dusk.
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Night.
The moon was hidden behind a thick blanket of clouds.
A drunken woman stumbled out of the bar and began to make her way home.
As she passed an intersection, a figure in a long coat quietly emerged from the shadows and began to follow her.
He followed her through the winding streets, into the slums. The woman leaned against a tree, vomiting.
Just then, the man in the coat pulled a short axe from behind his back.
His shadow, cast on the wall, raised the axe high above the woman's head.
The axe whistled through the air.
CLANG!
At the last possible second, a katana blocked the axe, just before it could split the woman's skull.
Huh??
The man in the coat, surprised by the sudden interference, leaped back, spun, and tried to flee.
The woman screamed and scrambled away.
A blade of pure white light cut through the air, and the man in the coat raised his own blade to parry.
The force of the blow sent him staggering back, his arm numb.
He noticed that his escape route was now blocked by a silver-haired young man.
And the one who had saved the woman was a green-haired swordsman.
"Hey! Stay out of this!" the man in the coat snarled, his face, scarred by burns, twisted with a mad hatred for the world.
"Wiggins Jack!" Saga said. "Your crimes are great. If you resist, we can't guarantee your life."
"Bounty hunters?" the man sneered, his eyes darting back and forth. He suddenly leaped to the side, trying to escape.
Zoro moved with him, his blade sweeping out and clashing with the axe.
Saga held back, watching them fight.
Zoro had incredible strength and a natural talent for the sword. More importantly, he was disciplined, focused, and hardworking.
But his progress since Saga had last seen him wasn't as great as he had expected. He was fighting Jack to a standstill.
Is it because he hasn't had a worthy opponent to hone his skills against?
After a fierce exchange of blows, Zoro found an opening and slashed Jack across the chest, tearing his shirt.
"You bastards! You forced my hand!" Jack roared.
"Awooooooooo...!"
He howled at the moon, and silver fur began to sprout from his body. His face contorted into the shape of a wolf. His body swelled, tearing through his coat, until he was a five-meter-tall beast. He dropped his weapons, and sharp claws extended from his hands.
"What?" Zoro was stunned. "What is that monster?"
"A Zoan-type Devil Fruit?" Saga said, his expression grim. This wasn't in the intel. "Did he get it recently?"
"ROOOAR!"
The giant silver wolf roared, its eyes blood-red. It seemed to have lost all reason, unable to control the power within.
It leaped, pouncing on Zoro.
With no time to think, Zoro clenched Wado Ichimonji between his teeth and unleashed his Three-Sword Style Tiger Hunt, parrying the wolf's attack.
But he was still sent flying by the creature's immense strength, crashing through a wall.
Saga rushed in, his blade flashing.
The silver wolf, its senses sharp, spun, its claws blocking the blade. Its other claw, glinting in the dim light, swept out.
Saga backflipped, dodging the attack, but the wolf was faster. In an instant, it was in front of him, its massive jaws snapping shut.
"SAGA!" Zoro shouted.
Saga, calm in the face of death, kicked out, using the force of the blow to propel himself away from the snapping jaws.
Zoro charged, attacking the wolf. Saga, though still shaken, joined the assault.
But their blades just scraped against the wolf's hide, creating a shower of sparks.
Zoro landed, clutching at the gashes on his chest. "Hey! What the hell is this thing?"
The wolf lunged, chasing them down the street.
Suddenly, a figure appeared at the end of the alley. He spread his hands. "Wax-Wax Prison!"
A flood of white wax surged through the street. The moment the wolf stepped into it, it hardened, trapping the beast.
BOOM!
A gunshot rang out.
Zoro looked up. A man was standing on a rooftop, holding a large shotgun. He fired, and the blast hit the silver wolf square in the chest.
"Awooo..." the wolf whimpered, blood pouring from its chest. It staggered back and collapsed, its form reverting to that of a man.
"Hey, hey, Daddy!" another voice called out. "That's a rare Mythical Zoan! If you kill him, his value will drop by 1000%!"
Daddy?
Saga thought, surprised.
'The third-ranked bounty hunter in the East Blue Guild, Daddy the Father?'
"I hate criminals who prey on women and children," the man on the roof said. "But these Seastone bullets really are useful."
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