This story is adopted from Jhonie, who wrote the first two chapters which was one chapter on their page but I wanted the first chapters to be shorter so I cut it in half. Obligatory disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.

The sky was a crystal clear, pristine blue with no strong winds altering the picturesque scene. The bright sunlight was merciless and slowly cooking my flesh, but that wasn't my main concern. I was starving. Day spent being tied to this wooden post without food or water left my body worn and tired.

But that didn't matter though. I'll get through this month no problem and then that bastard son is going to be in for it. Potential murder plans swirled in my mind as my eyes drew heavy. With nothing else to do I allowed my mind to drift off to step for a quick nap.

Hurried steps drove me out of my slumber, one steady and confident and the other was hesitant, timid. Then a straw hat peaked over the wall that acted as a perimeter around the marine base I was being kept in. Attached to that straw at was a boy, a teenager of around seventeen, maybe a little older, with dark unruly hair tucked under his hat, a curious, but goofy expression on his face and a scar under his left eye. Muscled arms help him up on the tall stone wall, which was surprising considering his scrawny frame. Then another boy appeared nest to the straw hat, younger this time with pale pink hair with a nervous and pained expression, round glasses and a small frame.

The two just stared at me for who knows how long they looked at me, I don't really know, but it was irritating. The pinkette looked like he was about to piss himself while the older kept his strange expression on his face. It wasn't something most people would do, especially if they know about my reputation, and most do.

There was a soft 'thump' and someone else popped over the top of the wall. Instantly I recognized her as the girl who brought me bits of food now and again. Every time she appeared I would tell her to get lost, but she never listened.

She approached without hesitation, without fear and I could see a small bundle in her hands, wrapped in a thin cloth. Unwrapping the fabric I saw two plain rice balls and my mouth began to water, stomach growling.

"I made you some rice balls, onii-san!" She said with a bright smile on her face.

Groaning inwardly, both from hunger and frustration. I kept on turning her away, trying to keep her safe but she just kept on coming back.

"Don't want them." My voice was low and scratchy, partly on purpose and partly because of my dry throat. "Just get out of here and don't come back."

I saw the straw hat smirk from my peripheral, but I ignored him and his scared friend and redirected my attention to the little girl who was staring up at me with big, round eyes.

"But I made them just for you, they should be yummy and you haven't eaten for days!"

I sighed mentally, drained. "Whatever, just book it."

"So you're still alive, eh?" Shit, the bastard son walked out to me, cocky smirk on his face. Of course he was acting brave, but it was only because he had his father's name and lacking's behind him. He had no actual power, but acted as if the world should bow at his feet.

And that really pissed me off.

With his stupid bravado still on his face he grabbed one of the rice balls from the little girl, took a large bite only to spit it out a second later, ranting about how it was too sweet. Snatching the other ball and stomped the food into he ground and tears fell from the girls round brown eyes. Rage boiled in my blood, to a make a child cry was horrible, especially when she was just being nice.

I growled, baring my teeth.

"Still clinging to life?" The bowl-haired bastard sneered, turning up his nose.

"You just remember your promise."

He chuckled and if I wasn't tied to this post I would of bashed his stupid face in. "Yes, if you survive a month you'll be free to go.."

"Only nine more days." I said, a bit softer then my usual loud and gruff speech. Nine more days and I get to kick his ass.

He left with a snide huff, disappearing into the marine bass. Once the bastard son was left that straw hat appeared in front of me, the girl having left with a marine escort.

"Still here?" I asked, ready for another nap. "You should probably go before someone calls 'daddy'."

He shrugged, not appearing to be bother. "I'm looking for my pirate crew."

A pirate? "So you're willing to lower yourself to become a petty criminal."

The black haired teen's expression changed to a deep frown. "What's wrong with being a pirate?"

There were several things wrong with being a pirate; being a criminal, and immoral, among other things. The list could go on but I chose not to say anything and just replied with a snort.

"So are you going to untie me and have me join your crew?"

Tipping his hat back a bit, his face changed into a slight smile, almost a smirk if his face didn't have that goofy look about it. "I haven't decided yet. People are saying that you're a bad and I don't want anybody bad on my crew."

I responded again with a snort. "Whatever, I refuse either way. I have my own goal to accomplish and I can do it without your help. That bastard said he'd let me go after one month." My eyes narrowed into a glare, the thought of that ass-wipe making my blood boil. "I will survive and fulfill my promise."

The boy laughed, smile growling. "Oh yeah? If it were me I would've starved to death in a week!"

His words put me at ease and I had to fight down a smile that threatened to tug at my lips. "There's a big difference between you and I. You'll have to look for your crew else where."

With a confident smile he turned to leave. He's stubborn and he'll be back. As He walked away a thought and I called out to the pirate. "Hey."

Stopping, he turned to face m again but this time with a questioning look. "Yeah?"

"Could you pick them up?" I gestured to the rice balls that the bastard son had pretty much destroyed.

He picked them up with a questioning look, examining the muddy food. "You're going to eat these?" He asked. "They're more mud then rice balls."

After being tied to this post for almost a month I wasn't picky anymore. "Shut up and just give them to me." He did as I asked and I ate the destroyed rice balls. The bastard son was right to say that they were sweet, but I didn't care, mostly because I was starving and then because that little girl said that she made them for me and me alone. That creep was just over exaggerating. Although the dirt did make me choke slightly.

"I tried to tell ya."

I ignored him and held back the urge to scoff at him. Instead I asked him to pass along a message for me. "When you see her, that girl, tell her it was good. Thanks for the food."

He just smiled at he with a look that made me want to stare and reciprocate his smile with one of my own, but I willed the urge away. The male left after that and I kind of wanted to ask him to stay.

I had fallen asleep again at some point and had woken up when the straw hat returned.

"Hi!" He beamed. "My name's Luffy! Wanna join my pirate crew?"

I blinked, waking up a bit before snorting at his question. "I already told you no."

He pouted slightly, but them his face changed into a determined smile. "I've already decided that you're my nakama!"

"Don't decide these things by yourself!"

Continuing to ignore me he redirected the conversation. "I heard that you can use swords?"

"Yeah, but that bastard son took them." I seethed, disgusted that the bowl haired creep touched my precious swords.

This caught his attention, his grin large and charming. "Okay, I'll get them back for you! Then you'll have to join my crew!"

"That's blackmail!" Before anything else could be said Luffy raced off towards the base, kicking up dust on his way.

Shortly after Luffy left his four-eyed friend appeared. He was looking around for his friend frantically.

"Oh, he went into the base."

"What?! He's insane!" The pinkette practically screeched

Can't really disagree with that. "Yeah, who the hell is he anyway?"

He didn't answer, instead he started to untie the ropes that bound me to the wooden post, pulling on the woven strands.

"What are you doing? Get out of here!" I was ignored again and his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. "Hey?! Didn't you hear me? I said scram Four-Eyes!"

He just frowned. "They can't treat you like this, it's not right!" Grinding his teeth slightly the pinkette continued to work without looking away. "It's beneath the marine's dignity!" Someone loyal to the marines trying to release a criminal. And why was he friends with a pirate? When I questioned him about he paused and smiled up at me. "I'm going to righteous marine and Luffy is going is going to be King of the Pirates! He saved me and I wouldn't of had the courage to follow my dreams without him, so he's an important person to me!"

"King of the Pirates?" I scoffed, that guy really was insane.

Four-eyes only laughed, returning to the ropes. "I know, I was surprised that too, but he's serious."

I receded into my thoughts for a moment only to be pulled back when a shot rang out and the pinkette lurched back, blood staining his sleeve.

After several minutes of yelling at the boy he was brought out of his shock and started screaming, clutching his bleeding arm. "I told you to scram, you're lucky it was only your arm so leave before you get shot somewhere important."

Instead of listening to me he sat, shaking, then stood on unsteady feet. Wobbling over to me, determined continued to unravel the ropes. "Hey!" I yelled, frustration making it hard to keep my voice low. "Leave damn it!"

"Not until I free you!"

I growled in frustration, no one ever seemed to listen to me anymore. Maybe because I'm not as intimidating tied to a wooden pole.

"They'll let me go at the end of the month, just focus on saving your own ass."

"They lied! They had no intention of letting you go!" His voice rose in volume. "You're going to be executed in three days!"

Irritation ate away at my gut, I went through hell for nothing! "That bastard son promised to let me go after a month!" I raved.

"It was all a lie. That's why Luffy hit him in the first place!"

I blinked. Really? He didn't even know me.

"The marines are already you enemy." Four-Eyes went on. "Please, I beg you! Help Luffy. I'm not asking you guys could get away!"

Before anything else could be said the marines boomed into the courtyard, weapons pointed at us, ready to kill.

Well shit.

The lieutenant, a large man with a steel jaw ad axe hand, strode forward, oozing a murderous and confident aura. "Stop right there!" One of lower ranked marines commanded. "You will both be executed here and now for mutiny against Lieutenant Morgan."

The leader shouted commands at his subordinates, ordering them about preventing the straw hat from escaping. Then the lieutenant spouted shitty nonsense about 'titles' and 'being superior'.

"You three were amusing. Were you planning a coup d'état?" He sneered at four-eyes and I. "Roronoa Zoro, I heard rumors about your strength. But before my power you are still too weak."

This guy was seriously pissing me off, his ego and attitude was even bigger and more annoying then his son's. If I had my swords this guy would've been in pieces.

Then a thought ran through my mind like a freight train.

Unless some miracle happens and my swords suddenly fall into my la, I was going to die. I was going to die without accomplishing my goal of becoming the greatest swordsman in the world. All of the work I did, hours upon hours of training. My life was for nothing.