The Explorer of the Universe
5

'This rope is very difficult to remove.' Think Tanaka.

He took great pains to untie that very tight bond.

Moments later Coby arrives and helps Tanaka untie the rope that binds Zoro to his left hand.

At that moment Tanaka sensed that there was danger coming towards him. He did not know how he could sense the danger signs.

He immediately turned his gaze towards the base tower and saw that there was a soldier aiming for Coby.

"Damn, what should I do?" Think Tanaka.

\*Dor

A gunshot eruption sound appeared and Tan could clearly see the direction the round bullet made of iron shot towards Coby's left arm.

"Coby, lookout!" Shouted Tanaka who was commemorating the bowl-haired man.

Reflexively, Tanaka directed his hand towards Coby so as to make the bowl-haired man pushed to the right.

\*Bugh

The small cannon bullet went into the ground.

"Fiuh~ is lucky to still have time." Tanaka said with relief.

"Stop that!" Said one of the Navy who had aimed a rifle at the three of them.

Morgan was among the Marine soldiers, his subordinates.

"You want to free the criminals, I'll sentence you to death now!" Morgan Resolute.

Coby who fell on the ground was already crying in fear, while I was in a vigilant position.

"Hike target! Don't let the boys who are with the rebels escape from here!" Morgan's orders.

"This is very different from what we agreed!" Shouted Zoro.

"Roronoa Zoro, don't get me wrong. I don't care who you are, you're nothing to me!" Morgan then gave the order.

"Prepare!"

The Marine soldiers were already preparing for firing position.

"Foot!"

The soldiers then pressed the trigger of his rifle and Tanaka was already preparing to intercept the small cannonball using force.

Although this was the first time he would try without ever training, he had to succeed because if he failed, he would not be a problem because he was still alive, but Zoro and Coby would be killed.

Suddenly, Luffy appeared in front of the three of them and held all the bullets with his body that had already become rubber, the effect of the gomu gomu demon fruit.

The bullets hit his body and were then returned to them like a bullet thrown from a catapult.

"I'm telling you, I'm so strong!" Luffy said while the others could only be surprised to see the incident, except for Tanaka.

The man breathed a sigh of relief as Luffy arrived just in time.

"Who are you?" Zoro asked who was shocked by what he saw from Luffy.

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy, the one who will become the Pirate King!" Shouted Luffy very loudly.

"This is your sword! Which one is your sword? I don't know which one so I took everything." Luffy said after shouting loudly and turned around, giving the three swords he found to Zoro.

"Three swords are mine. I am the user of three swords." Zoro.

"You'll take it, right? But if you take it, you'll be my crew, or you'd rather be killed by the Marine?" Ask Luffy with a threat.

"You are a demon boy! Doesn't matter! It's better to be a Pirate than to be killed in a place like this!" Zoro.

"Yatta!! Tanaka, Coby I finally got the first member!" Luffy said while cheering happily.

"Congratulations, Luffy, you finally got your pirate crew for the first time." Tanaka.

"Shi shi shi shi shi!" Laugh with joy.

"Delay your excitement, now quickly untie me!" Zoro's orders.

Tanaka again helps untie Zoro's bond.

"It's so hard to take this rope off!" Luffy.

"Yes, you're right, the bond is very strong." Tanaka.

"Stop babbling!" Zoro said.

The Navy again attacked, this time not using a rifle but using a sword.

"Hahh~ finally came off as well." Luffy.

"Stupid! give me that sword!" Zoro said.

Luffy immediately gave the three swords to Zoro while Tanaka was still trying to untie the ties that bound Zoro's right hand.

"Damn no more time, Luffy untie this bond as well." Tanaka Pinta.

"Okay, leave it to me." Answer Luffy.

"What are you gonna do?" Tanya Zoro was behind Tanaka.

"I'll face them." Answer Tanaka.

"Are you crazy? You're going to die!" Zoro Sweat.

"No, I'm not going to die, just look at this." Tanaka said with a smile.

He immediately raised his hand by moving that hand as if it was pushing.

An invisible blow made the attacking Marine soldiers with swords instantly push back and fall to the ground.

"What's going on?"

"Why are we being pushed?"

"No way, is he also a devillic fruit-eater?"

"There's two devil fruit eaters here!"

The Marine soldiers were shocked and astonished at what was happening to them at this moment.

"Wow, great, what are you doing, Tanaka?" Ask Luffy.

"I just pushed them backwards." Answer Tanaka.

"What are you two really?" Ask Zoro.

"I'm human." Answer Tanaka.

"I'm a rubber man." Answer Luffy.

Morgan who saw his subordinates fall to the ground gave the order again in anger.

The soldiers immediately got up and attacked again with their swords.

"You get out of the way, let me fight them this time." Zoro's orders.

Tanaka immediately stepped aside and let Zoro who had been separated from the ties resist the Marine soldiers' attack.

"It's cool!" Luffy.

"If you move, you'll die! My ambition is to become the Strongest Swordsman in the World! If you do something that makes me have to abandon that ambition, your life will end in my sword!" Threat Zoro.

It made the Marine soldiers feel scared.

"The World's Strongest Swordsman, huh? Nice work! As the future Pirate King, I don't doubt your ambition in the least." Luffy.

"of course. No matter if I become a demon or a knight, my name will echo throughout the world!" Zoro.

"Why do you just keep quiet? Immediately execute them all!" Morgan's orders were furious.

"Come down, Zoro!" Pinta Luffy then kicked all those soldiers in one kick.

"Successful! It's great!" Coby.

"Captain! We are not all his opponents!" Said a soldier.

"He also fought with Zoro!" Said another soldier.

"This is the command of the Marine base leader! If anyone dares to defy, fire that gun in your own head! Marine doesn't need weak people like you!" Shouted Morgan.

Some of the soldiers directly pointed their pistols at his own head to open fire as an act of executing the command of his commander.

"What are they doing!?" Ask Zoro.

Luffy suddenly ran towards Morgan. Tanaka uses his force to stop the foolish actions of the soldiers.

Luffy dealt a blow to Morgan's face, but Luffy's punch was successfully held back by Morgan.

"A commoner like you doesn't deserve to be my opponent! I am a Marine Major! The Axe Hand, Morgan!" Morgan said with pride.

"My name is Luffy, who will be the pirate king, greetings!" Reply Luffy.

"Fttt..."

Tanaka tried to hold back his laughter because Luffy answered Morgan's words with his innocent face.

Morgan attacks Luffy, but Luffy manages to evade him and avenges Morgan's attack. They both attack and defend each other.

"Stop! Mugiwara, look at this!" Helmeppo said while pointing a gun at Coby's head but Luffy simply ignored him.

Tanaka was surprised to see that because he was completely unaware that Coby had been taken hostage by Helmeppo.

Luffy then stopped beating Morgan.

"If you want him alive, don't move! If you do something I'll shoot him!" Helmeppo.

Coby who was initially trembling became bold when he saw the wide grin Luffy gave off.

"Luffy I don't want to be a hindrance to your dreams, even though I have to die!" Coby.

"Yes, okay!" Luffy said with a smile and walked over to Coby and Helmeppo.

"Don't move! I said don't move! A...I'll shoot him!" Helmeppo.

"At..behind you!" Shouted Coby.

Morgan attacked Luffy from behind, but Luffy ignored him, wanting to hit Helmeppo, but stopped for a moment because he saw the strangeness that happened to Helmeppo's hand.

"What are you doing, save Coby!" Tanaka Shouted.

Without further ado, Luffy slashed his extremely powerful fist, while Morgan who attacked Luffy from behind failed as Zoro quickly slashed at Morgan.

"Zoru!" Luffy.

"That's nothing, captain." Zoro.

I smiled at the interaction between the two of them.

"They beat captain Morgan!"

"Difficult to believe!"

"Who are they really?"

"If anyone still wants to fight, go ahead!" Zoro.

The Marines cheered on Morgan's loss.

"What's wrong with them? Why are they happy that their leader is defeated?" Ask the confused Luffy.

"Because they were all afraid of Morgan so they couldn't resist the orders given by him." Answer Tanaka.

"With his defeat, there was no one to lead them anymore and it was likely that their captain would be replaced." Tanaka said, giving an explanation to Luffy.

Zoro suddenly falls, making Tanaka, Luffy and Coby immediately approach him.

"Are you okay, Zoro?" Ask Coby.

"Are you hurt bad?" Ask Tanaka

"I'm hungry..." Answer Zoro.

Hearing that, made the three of them laugh a little.

They all decided to eat at Rika's mother's restaurant. Tanaka sees Zoro and Luffy eating portions very much, even they compete.

Coby also participated in eating with a lot of portions but still the portion can still be at a reasonable level as a normal human being.

"So how many pirate crews do we have now?" Ask Zoro. "Before you said you'd look for your Pirate crew. To become the Pirate King, you might already have some of the Pirate crew."

"Don't I tell you you're my first pirate." Luffy replied with a big belly.

If only he was not a rubber man then his stomach had already exploded under such conditions.

"Can we be Pirates with just two people?" Ask Zoro.

"What's wrong. We're both strong." Answer Luffy.

"Then what about him? Isn't he your pirate candidate." Zoro said while pointing at Tanaka.

"She's my traveling companion, so Tanaka's still coming with us." Answer Luffy.

"Journey companions? What'sthat?" Ask Zoro.

"Journey companions are traveling companions." Answer Luffy.

"What is that answer? Not clear at all." Ketus Zoro's.

Hearing that Zoro and Luffy were talking about her, Tanaka then said.

"Luffy, I've decided, I'll join your pirate crew." Tanaka.

"really?" Ask Luffy.

Tanaka nodded his head and it was immediately greeted with excitement by Luffy.

"In a day I've got two of my pirate crew, yatta!" Shouted Luffy happily.

Tanaka had decided to join the straw hat pirates from the beginning, but he postponed it so that Zoro would be the first to automatically become vice-captain.

"The ship, what about our Pirate ship?" Ask Zoro.

"It's there." Luffy said as he pointed out the restaurant window.

Zoro looked out the window and saw a small boat docked at the dock.

"That?" Zoro.

"Now it's small but later we'll have a big one!" Luffy said as he spread out his hand.

Zoro laughed then.

"How is it?" Zoro said but ignored by Luffy.

"I also want to have the Pirate emblem!" Luffy.

Zoro could only massage his temple to hear Luffy's words.

"Luffy never planned, everything was just done." Obviously Coby.

"Am I really going to follow the captain like him?" Ask Zoro.

"After all, we'll be looking for another friend on the way." Luffy.

Suddenly, the door of the restaurant opened and several Marine soldiers were at the door.

They went straight to the table where the straw hat plough crew.

"Are you really Pirates?" Said the one who became the Marine Commander.

"Yes, I just got two crew. We are Pirates!" Said Luffy bluntly.

"We are very grateful that you saved us from the evil hands of Morgan. However, you are Pirates, there is no choice for the Marine like us. You must leave this city immediately! We owe you, so we didn't call Headquarters." Obviously Marine Commander.

Then there were some residents who protested over Marine's decision.

"We get it, we'll be out of here soon." Tanaka.

"All right, we're going? Aunt, thanks for the food!" Luffy.

The three of us then brought enough food stock and went to the place where the small boat we were going to use was anchored, passing Coby just like that.

"Are you not their friend?" Ask the Marine Commander.

The three of them stopped for a while and walked back but when they were about to walk back they stopped again.

"Wait a minute, isn't he your friend?" Ask the Marine Commander.

"We never had friends like her." Tanaka said in a cold tone making Zoro look at him.

"Is he acting?" Think Zoro.

Luffy later acted and explained about the pirate Alvida.

"Are, why is your face so pale?" Ask Luffy who is acting.

Suddenly, Coby delivers a pretty hard punch to Luffy's face. Luffy smiled at that, though.

Zoro who understood also smiled slanted as well as Tanaka.

Luffy hit Coby and hit him continuously. Zoro pulls Luffy's shirt to stop him.

"Now it's clear, he's not your friend! Now leave this town!" Commander Marine.

The three of us walked to the port.

"Your acting can be too." Zoro said with a slanted smile looking at Tanaka.

"That's not hard, I'm just trying to help Coby. And thanks to Luffy, Coby isn't considered our friend anymore. Now he can be a Marine safely." Tanaka clearly smiled.

As we were about to untie the rope that was holding back from drifting, Coby came along with Rika and her mother.

"Thank you very much! This Marine warrior will never forget you!" Said Coby while saluting us.

"I've never seen a Marine thank the Pirates?" Ask Zoro.

The ship was ready to sail leaving the city dock which became the Marine base.

"See you soon, Coby!" Luffy said as he waved his hand.

"Take care of yourself, Coby!" Said Tanaka who also waved her hand.

All of a sudden, the Marine soldiers came and marched behind Coby.

"Everyone, pay your respects!" Said the Marine commander.

Then all the Marine soldiers paid our respects.

Tanaka could not stop smiling and paid his respects with the same gesture, though he had to take great pains to stand perfectly on a moving ship due to the surging sea.