"Straw Hat Pirates? Trainers?" Zoro's brow furrowed as he processed these unfamiliar terms, his dark eyes studying the two young men before him with growing confusion.
"Why have I never heard your name before?"
Although he wouldn't call himself the most professional bounty hunter in the East Blue, Zoro prided himself on knowing every major pirate crew operating in these waters. With the sheer audacity these two had shown - casually breaking into a naval base and freeing prisoners - their reputation should have reached his ears long ago.
Seeing Zoro's sceptical expression, Akira smiled with annoying nonchalance. "That's actually quite normal."
He paused for dramatic effect, savouring the moment.
"After all, this is only our second day at sea!"
"What?! Second day?!" Zoro's eyes widened in disbelief, his voice cracking slightly as the implications sank in. "You're telling me you had the balls to break into a naval base and free prisoners when you've barely been pirates for forty-eight hours?! Do you have a death wish or something?"
"Haha! It's just a Marine base - you make it sound much more dramatic than it really is," Akira laughed, dismissing Zoro's concerns with a casual shrug.
Then his expression became more serious, though his eyes still sparkled with confidence.
"Actually, to be perfectly accurate, it hasn't even been twenty-four hours since we set sail from Windmill Village."
"So you could say that this is literally our first day as pirates."
"But mark my words..." His voice fell to a tone of absolute conviction that sent shivers down Zoro's spine.
"In the future, the name of the Straw Hat Pirates will echo across every ocean! We'll shake the foundations of the world!"
He turned to his captain with infectious enthusiasm. "Right, Luffy?"
Hearing his cue, Luffy immediately dropped the rope he'd been winding and threw both arms high above his head, his voice ringing with the kind of unwavering determination that had started a thousand adventures.
"Of course!!!"
"I'm going to be the Pirate King!!!"
The declaration echoed off the fortress walls like a battle cry, bold and reckless and completely insane given their current location deep in enemy territory.
Zoro blinked slowly, his gaze shifting between Luffy - who looked like he had suffered some kind of head trauma - and Akira, whose confidence seemed both inexplicable and strangely compelling.
"Have you two always been like this?" he demanded, gesturing helplessly at the surreal scene before him.
"Pretty much," Akira replied with a philosophical shrug, as if he'd long since accepted his fate.
"There's no changing our captain's personality - it's like trying to redirect a hurricane with your bare hands. Since you can't fight it, you just learn to adapt and hang on for dear life!"
"How the hell is anyone supposed to adapt to that?" Zoro shot back, then froze as Akira's words fully registered.
"Wait a minute - our captain? When exactly did I agree to become a pirate?"
Snap!
Before Zoro could continue his protests, Akira stepped forward and placed both hands firmly on the swordsman's shoulders, moving so close that their faces were only inches apart.
"Give up resisting, Zoro," he said with the patient tone of someone explaining an inevitable natural disaster.
"Once Luffy decides he wants someone in his crew, escape becomes impossible. Believe me, I speak from personal experience."
His voice took on a slightly conspiratorial whisper. "Sometimes I wonder if I ended up at sea with him because of some kind of protagonist magnetism..."
"Protagonist what now?" Zoro's confusion was obvious, but Akira waved the question away with a casual dismissal.
"Don't worry about the technical details."
His expression became more serious as he continued. "The important thing is that you're going to end up on the Marines' most wanted list, whether you like it or not. Your situation won't improve much even if you refuse to become a pirate."
"So why not come with us instead?"
Akira's tone suddenly became more intense, his eyes boring into Zoro's with surprising depth.
"The East Blue is too small for someone with your potential! Come sail with us to the Grand Line and see what the real world has to offer!"
The passion in his voice was unmistakable, and despite himself, Zoro found his attention captured.
"Your goal is to become the world's greatest swordsman, isn't it?"
"How do you know my story?" Zoro asked, a note of caution in his voice.
"I don't need to know your story," Akira replied with a knowing smile. "It's written all over your face - the determination, the single-minded focus, the way you carry yourself even when tied to an execution post."
"Some dreams are too big to be hidden."
Zoro's mouth twitched. "???"
"Hahaha, okay, maybe I'm being a bit dramatic," Akira laughed, but his expression quickly turned serious again.
"Here's the bottom line - once you're part of the Straw Hat Pirates, there's no turning back! You'll be our main fighter, our sword specialist, our first line of defence against whatever the Grand Line throws at us.
"And in return..." His voice fell to a tone of absolute promise.
"I will help you achieve your dreams and ambitions! Every one of them!"
"Help me? You?" Zoro's scepticism was written all over his face as he looked Akira up and down.
Though he considered himself quite powerful by East Blue standards, Zoro wasn't naive enough to believe that his ultimate goal would be easy to achieve. The road to becoming the world's greatest swordsman was littered with the broken dreams of countless warriors who'd thought they were ready.
More importantly, he couldn't detect a trace of the swordsman's aura emanating from the young man before him.
"Bragging is a dangerous habit," he said seriously, his tone carrying years of hard-earned wisdom.
Akira's smile widened mysteriously. "Have you forgotten what I told you about my identity?"
"I may still be a beginner in many ways, but I'm also a Pokémon Trainer!"
"Trainer? What the hell does that mean?" Despite his reservations, Zoro's curiosity was aroused.
This was exactly the opening Akira had hoped for. Finally, a perfect opportunity to prove his credentials and convince Zoro to recognise his role as a legitimate trainer.
But just as he opened his mouth to start his carefully prepared explanation, Luffy's voice cut through their conversation like a blade.
"Akira! Someone's coming!"
"Huh?" Akira's momentum faltered as he immediately followed Luffy's gaze to the source of the interruption.
Approaching them across the courtyard was a figure that looked like he'd stepped out of a comedy sketch - a young man with elaborately styled blond hair that formed a perfect golden pompadour, and a jaw so pronouncedly cleft that it resembled a pair of buttocks. Flanking him were two Marines armed with rifles, though they looked more like accessories than actual protection.
This was Helmeppo, Captain Morgan's spoilt son and the architect of Zoro's current predicament. At that moment he strutted towards them with the exaggerated swagger of someone who'd never faced any real consequences for his actions, his nose held high in the air as if surveying his personal kingdom.
"Well, well, well~ There was so much commotion down here, I thought something important might be happening!"
His voice had the nasal, grating quality of fingernails on a chalkboard, each word dripping with practised condescension.
"But instead I find that our faithful pirate hunter has broken his solemn promise and let his little friends release him prematurely! How disappointing!"
"It looks like you're eager to trade in your current accommodations for a nice prison cell!"
Helmeppo's attention shifted to Akira and Luffy with predatory satisfaction, his duck-like voice rising to an even more irritating pitch.
"And you two! Don't you realise that breaking out of prison is a capital offence in the 153rd Branch?"
"Capital offence?!" Akira's eyes flashed with genuine anger, his jaw clenching as anger built in his chest.
Thanks to this interruption, he would have to find another opportunity to explain the importance of being a trainer to Zoro. The moment had been perfect and now it was ruined.
Slowly, deliberately, Akira turned his full attention to Helmeppo, his gaze carrying the kind of cold intensity that made smart people reconsider their life choices.
"Firstly, I don't appreciate your tone."
"Secondly..." His voice took on a deceptively casual quality that somehow made it more threatening.
"Zoro's swords were confiscated by you, weren't they?"
Without taking his eyes off Helmeppo, he called to his captain.
"Luffy, take care of the two Marines. Then make sure our new friend here helps us get Zoro's weapons back!"
"No problem!" Luffy's grin was almost feral as he cracked his knuckles in anticipation.
"Soru!"
The name of the technique had barely left his lips when a small cloud of dust erupted beneath his feet. In the span of a single heartbeat, Luffy's entire form simply disappeared from view, moving at a speed that defied normal human perception.
"What the...?" Zoro, who hadn't been able to follow Luffy's movements at all, stared in shock at the empty space where the rubber boy had been standing.
Then he heard the overlapping cries of pain from beside him.
Turning his head, Zoro saw the two Marines collapsed on the ground in unconscious heaps, while Luffy stood over them with a satisfied expression on his face, dusting off his hands as if he'd just finished some light housework.
"How is this possible?! Is this some kind of magic?!" Zoro shouted, his voice cracking with disbelief.
"Not magic at all," Akira replied, seizing the perfect opportunity to make his point. His smile had the satisfaction of a teacher whose star pupil had just performed a flawless demonstration.
"This is a technique I taught Luffy as his trainer!"
"Trainer..." Zoro repeated the word to himself, his mind racing to process what he'd just seen.
He still didn't fully understand what that title meant, but after seeing Luffy's incredible display of speed, he couldn't help but see Akira through a new lens - one that added layers of power and mystery to his initial assessment.
For the moment, his concerns about becoming a pirate seemed to have vanished.
"What... what just happened back there?" Helmeppo's voice cracked with fear as he slowly turned around to survey the carnage.
When he saw Luffy's wide, cheerful grin, his whole body went rigid with fear. The blood drained from his face so quickly that he looked like he was going to faint.
Meanwhile, Akira casually walked over to one of the unconscious Marines and retrieved a standard issue rifle, checking the weapon with practiced efficiency before aiming the business end directly at Helmeppo's chest. His smile never wavered, which somehow made the gesture infinitely more threatening.
"Now then, are you ready to have a civilised conversation?"
Demon! This guy is a demon! Helmeppo's forehead broke into a cold sweat as he stared at Akira's unnaturally calm expression.
Some primal instinct deep in his gut screamed warnings: "If I say one wrong word, he'll pull the trigger without hesitation!"
"What... what do you want from me?!" Helmeppo managed to stammer out, his voice several octaves higher than usual.
The panic in his eyes only seemed to amuse Akira, whose smile widened slightly.
"Don't be so nervous, Helmeppo."
"You are Helmeppo, aren't you? Captain Morgan's beloved son?"
"We just need you to help us collect our crew members' swords and arrange a friendly meeting with your father. Nothing too complicated."
"A meeting with my father?!" Helmeppo's voice hit notes that should have been impossible for a human male, but the increasing pressure of the rifle barrel against his chest forced him to modulate his tone.
He forced his features into what he probably thought was a charming smile.
"Hahaha~ That's no problem at all! Consider it done!"
"These swords are just sitting in my room collecting dust, and Father is currently on the roof of the base enjoying the afternoon air."
"As long as you spare my life, I'll agree to any terms you want!"
Of course, before the words had even left his mouth, Helmeppo was already planning his revenge. If those idiots met his father, it would be the last mistake they ever made.
Akira caught the flash of hatred that Helmeppo tried to hide behind his fake smile, but he said nothing. Instead, he simply gestured with the barrel of his gun, indicating that their reluctant leader should move.
Luffy and Zoro exchanged glances before falling in step behind them.
Under Helmeppo's nervous guidance, they managed to infiltrate the main building of the naval base without encountering any resistance. Strangely, the corridors that should have been teeming with naval personnel were completely deserted, allowing them to move through the facility as if they owned the place.
Within ten minutes, they'd reached Helmeppo's personal quarters and found Zoro's confiscated weapons: the legendary Wado Ichimonji, with its distinctive white hilt, and two other katanas of exceptional quality.
As Zoro strapped all three swords to his waist with practiced efficiency, Luffy's curiosity finally got the better of him.
"Hey, why are you carrying three swords? Isn't two more than most people can handle?"
"Hah!" Pride flashed in Zoro's eyes as he straightened to his full height, his entire demeanour changing as he felt the familiar weight of his weapons.
"Because I practice Santoryu - the three sword style!"
The transformation was remarkable. With the return of his swords, Zoro's presence had changed completely. Gone was the vulnerable prisoner tied to a post; in his place was a warrior whose confidence and fighting spirit seemed to radiate from every pore.
He had even forgotten his earlier shock at witnessing Luffy's superhuman speed.
But as the initial euphoria of being reunited with his weapons wore off, Zoro's expression became more serious. He looked at both Luffy and Akira with a complicated mixture of gratitude and resignation.
"Well," he began slowly, as if each word required considerable effort.
"Since you helped me get my swords back, and since I've already burned my bridges with the Marines anyway..."
He paused, took a deep breath, and committed himself to his decision.
"I suppose I can be your partner... reluctantly!"
"But I'll be completely honest with both of you!"
Zoro's eyes suddenly blazed with fierce determination, his voice carrying the weight of absolute conviction.
"My goal is to become the greatest swordsman in the world! If any of you ever try to interfere with that ambition, you'd better be prepared to commit seppuku as an apology!"
The raw intensity in his gaze made it clear that this was no idle boast - he was deadly serious about his dreams and would not tolerate any obstacles.
However, having made what he clearly thought was a dramatic and impressive statement of intent, Zoro turned to gauge his new captain's reaction... only to find Luffy enthusiastically picking his nose with his little finger.
"Huh? What were you talking about?" Luffy asked with genuine confusion, as if he had completely missed the passionate speech that had just taken place.
"Didn't you become our Nakama the moment I untied the ropes?"
"You-!" Zoro's forehead veins bulged dangerously as he struggled to process this casual dismissal of his heartfelt moment.
"Don't treat promises you've made to yourself as binding agreements!"
"And another thing..." He turned quickly towards Akira, his annoyance obvious.
"Are you absolutely sure that this guy is capable of serving as captain? Because honestly, you seem much more reliable than him!"
"Hahaha~" Akira's laughter was warm and sincere. "Don't let first impressions fool you, Zoro. Luffy can be surprisingly reliable when it really matters!"
"Right, Captain?"
"That's absolutely right!" Luffy nodded enthusiastically as he pulled a particularly impressive booger out of his nostril.
With casual precision, he flicked the prize directly onto Helmeppo's expensive uniform.
"I'm extremely reliable!"