User blog:Fliu/Luffy and Hancock's child episode 4: a meeting with the swordsman

Monkey D. Flora has just recently met her father’s old acquaintances at Dawn Island: Makino, Woop Slap, Garp, and Dadan. After leaving Dawn Island, she spots a green-haired swordsman and decides to follow him. The man stops at an island.

The green-haired man disembarked on the east side of the island while Flora docked her ship on the south side to avoid getting noticed. After disembarking, Flora walks along the coast to the swordsman’s location where she finds the swordsman fishing. She then sees the swordsman being approached by a group of pirates. The pirate captain is wearing steel armor and is carrying a large wide sword and he has a hundred men with him.

Pirate Captain: Roronoa Zoro! I have found you!!

Zoro: hmm?

Pirate Captain: I have been traveling all over looking for you, the world’s greatest swordsman! And now that you’re within my grasp, I will finally make a big name for myself!!

Zoro: (yawn) if you’ll just excuse me, I have some fishing to do.

Pirate Captain: get ready to battle, boys!!

The pirates then draw their cutlasses.

Pirate Captain: I have a hundred men with me!! Do you think that you really stand a chance?!!

Zoro puts down his fishing pole and draws his three katanas.

Zoro: (grinning) I’m sorry, bringing only a hundred men with you is totally unwise. Besides, it won’t matter even if you have a thousand men.

Pirate Captain: I had just enough of your attitude! Let’s see how cocky you are after this! GET HIM!!

The pirates charged at Zoro. In a few seconds after the start of the battle, Zoro instantly defeated 90 pireates with Tatsu Maki (Dragon Twister). The pirate captain and his remaining 10 subordinates look on in shock. The defeated pirates are wounded but not dead since Zoro is merciful enough to let them live. When the rest of his subordinates are too terrified to fight, the pirate captain decides to take matters into his own hands. The captain then thrusts at Zoro with his large sword. With the blades he holds in his hands, Zoro cuts the captain’s weapon into tiny pieces like butter.

Pirate Captain: WHAT?!! IMPOSSIBLE!!!

Zoro then cuts off the captain’s armor, leaving him with only his underwear. The captain screams out of embarrassment and flees.

Pirates: Wait, Captain! Don’t leave us!! (All the pirates ran away with their captain)

Flora watches in awe since this is her first time seeing a man so skillful with a sword after leaving Amazon Lily. Once the pirates leave, Zoro goes back to fishing. After witnessing Zoro’s skills in battle, Flora decides to try her luck with him. She puts down her snake and her straw hat and draws her sword. She approaches Zoro from behind. Zoro notices her without turning his head.

Zoro: what do you want? Can’t you wait until I get a bite?

Flora stands for a moment and then speaks.

Flora: I saw your battle earlier and I must say I’m very impressed. All the men I fought up till now were complete pushovers and now I want a fight a man who poses a real challenge.

Zoro: It’s really annoying that I’m kept getting disturbed while I am trying to fish.

Zoro once again puts down his fishing pole and draws his Wado Ichimonji.

Flora: you’re not going to use your other two swords?

Zoro: (smiling) it’s because I decide not to use them.

Flora: don’t underestimate me!

Flora dashes at Zoro with her fastest speed and uses a quick sword strike. Zoro blocks Flora’s attack with his own blade and didn’t step back one bit. Zoro counters and knocks Flora back. Flora charges at Zoro again and attack relentlessly. Even though Flora imbued her sword with Haki, the swordsman doesn’t seem to be fazed by any of her attacks. Zoro keeps parrying her without even budging. Flora is struggling while Zoro is not breaking a sweat. And even though Flora can use Kenbunshoku Haki to read Zoro’s moves, Zoro is faster than she is. Zoro then launches a powerful sword strike. Flora manages to block it but is still greatly pushed back by the sheer power of Zoro’s attack. While trying to remain on her feet, Flora is amazed at how strong Zoro is. Flora counterattacks with a Haki-imbued sword wave, but Zoro effortlessly dissipates it with just the swing of his Wado Ichimonji. Zoro then goes on the offensive, striking Flora with quick sword strikes. Flora has a hard time blocking her opponent’s attacks. In a short time, Zoro knocks Flora’s sword out of her hand and then holds the sharp edge of his blade close to Flora’s neck. The duel ends with Zoro’s victory.

After staring at each other for a moment, Zoro sheathes his sword and goes back to his fishing spot. Flora stands still, shocked that she has been defeated so easily. After calming down, Flora retrieves her sword and sheathes it. She then retrieves her snake and her straw hat. After putting back on her straw hat, she walks towards Zoro.

Zoro: so, do you want a rematch?

Flora: n-no, I’m not angry at you for defeating me. (She then sits besides Zoro) Is it alright if I can speak with you? Oh, and I haven’t introduced myself. I am Monkey D. Flora.

Zoro: Monkey D. Flora? Wait a minute! You’re Luffy’s kid, aren’t you?!

Flora: uh, yeah

While Zoro is waiting for a bite, Flora and the swordsman start their conversation.

Flora: Zoro, dad told me that you were the first to join his crew and that you were one of his strongest crewmates. Can you tell me some things about him?

Zoro: You never met your father?

Flora: My home island, Amazon Lily, is a women-only country so my dad wasn’t allowed to live on the island, but he can still visit. He visited once when I was eight. And then he disappeared and I never saw him again.

Zoro: Well, he’s not necessarily dead. So what did your father do during his visit? Did you get to do anything fun with him?

Flora: He told me about how exciting adventuring can be, the fun times he had with his crew, and about the journey you all went through together. After he finishes talking about his adventures, I get to play with his rubber skin. It was fun poking and stretching him. And I tried to see if his arm can stretch around Kuja Castle. Anyway, I still don’t know anything else about him other than he can stretch and loved adventures. I didn’t become a pirate because I want to see the outside world without scaring people and I want to meet my dad’s former crewmembers and hear about their sides of the story. I was heading for Gecko Island to see the sharpshooter, but I saw you along the way. So what do you think about my dad?

Zoro: fine, I guess there’s no harm telling you. Now how should I put this? First of all, your father is a good man and a good pirate. And normally, Luffy is a carefree, laid-back person who likes to fool around and I think he’s sometimes annoying. However, he can get serious when the situation demands it, but he usually do things without thinking and even in a serious situation, he can still goof off. Sometimes, he made things hard for all of us by eating up our food supply or putting us into even more trouble. Sometime, me and the others had to look out for him when he’s about to do something stupid. Since he is a hammer in the water, I had to pull him out whenever he’s drowning. Even though your father lacks common sense, he sure makes up for it with determination and willpower. As a matter of fact, fighting is what he’s best at. But you can always count on him when there’s someone that needs to be taken down. He defends the oppressed and takes down the oppressors even though it’s not his businesses. And there’s one more thing you need to know, when he decides to do something for whatever reason, there’s no use talking him out of it. He won’t give up until he accomplishes his goal.

Flora: so Zoro, what’s your reason for becoming the world’s best swordsman? What’s your story?

Zoro: Swordsmanship has been my passion since I was a kid. And I’m not one for storytelling, but I suppose I can do something else other than fighting challengers. During my younger years, I trained in a dojo in Shimotsuki Village. I had a rival that I wasn’t able to defeat: a girl named Kuina. Even though I grew stronger over time, I could never match up to her. I fought her 2001 times, but I lost each time. After our 2001st fight, I cried with frustration and told her about my dream of becoming the world’s best swordsman. Kuina then said that she also shared the same dream but claimed that she could not accomplish it since she was told that a girl cannot be the world’s best swordsman and that her fighting potential will decrease as she grows. Then I told her that I will defeat her only because I became more skilled and not because she was a girl. We then made a promise that either of us will become the world’s best. However, I never get another chance to fight her. She died in an accident on the next day.

Flora: you know, that does remind me of the rivalry between great-grandfather Garp and Gold Roger. Great-grandfather didn’t get a chance to defeat Roger either.

Zoro: Since Kuina would never have a chance to fulfill her dream, I took it upon myself. I asked my sensei, Kuina’s father, for this sword, the Wado Ichimonji.

Flora: that’s the sword you used earlier.

Zoro: yes, this sword once belonged to Kuina’s family. When sensei gave me this sword, I found something worth living for: becoming the world’s best swordsman for Kuina. Years later, I left Shimotsuki Village to search for a man named Mihawk, who was at the time, the world’s best swordsman. I had a hard time finding him and I could not find my way back home. To survive, I hunt down pirates and collect their bounties and then I was known as the “Pirate Hunter”. I eventually made my way to Shells Town. (Zoro then explains how he gets tied up at the Marine base) A few days before I was supposed to be set free, I met Luffy. When he asked me to join his crew, I declined, saying I had no intention of becoming a pirate. (Zoro goes on talking about their battle with Axe-hand Morgan) Since I owe Luffy for saving me while I was in a pinch, I joined his crew after all. After a few of our friends joined, I finally found the man I was searching for. Did your father mentioned to you about my first fight with Hawk-Eye Mihawk?

Flora: yeah, your fight ended badly.

Zoro: I couldn’t believe how great the difference in strength was between us. And I still carry the scar of that battle. Even though I was outmatched, my ambition drove me forward. I was ready to face death, but I was able to gain Mihawk’s respect and that’s why I’m still alive. He gave me an opportunity to grow stronger and on that moment, I swore that I’ll never lose again. And so, I continued adventuring with your father.

Flora: so what was it like being in my dad’s crew?

Zoro: This sure brings back a lot of memories. During my time sailing with the Straw Hats, I take nice naps, lift weights, and drink booze. When we go to battle, I just cut down any foe that was unfortunate to cross my path: marine, pirate, or bounty hunter. There were many good times you know, good times. But sometimes, your father just went and do some of his silly antics every once in a while. And there were also two of my crew mates that annoyed me just as much: the greedy bitch, Nami and the perverted imp, Sanji. Nami loved money so much that she would take any opportunity to get them. Believe me, she’s not the kind of person that you want to borrow money from. She will make you pay back even more than the amount you borrowed. When I was in debt, she used that as a means to exploit me. As for Sanji, he likes to flirt with girls. As a matter of fact, when it comes to pretty women, he’s such an idiot. Since Nami is one of those pretty girls, Sanji willingly submits himself to her, which makes him the perfect person for Nami to boss around. Sanji and I are usually at odds with each other.

Flora: seems like an interesting relationship.

Zoro: however, even though Luffy, Nami, and Sanji were a part-time pain, they were still nakama. Luffy cares about his crew and takes comradeship in very high regard; Nami never sold us out, and Sanji, well, just prepares the good food we eat.

Flora: what do you think about the rest of the crew?

Zoro: they’re just fine I suppose. Usopp can get scared sometimes, Brook likes to make his skull jokes, Chopper sometimes like to lecture me about not removing my bandages until my wounds heal, Franky likes to do his super pose, and Robin just spends her time reading books.

Flora: since my dad was captain, did he give you and the rest of the crew any orders?

Zoro: hardly. The only times I remember him giving any orders was him telling us where we should go and him telling Sanji to cook. Your father is very unique and we were not like most pirate crews. Luffy didn’t act like an absolute leader and he didn’t treat us like subordinates. But when Luffy makes an important decision, we do what we can to support him. In this crew, we considered each other as equals. Each of us has our own skills that we just put to good use. For example, Sanji makes our meals, Nami guides our ship, Chopper treats our wounds, Franky keeps our ship in shape, and Usopp can invent. During battle, your father, Sanji, and yours truly are known as the Monster Trio. We take the most gruesome fights and fought against the toughest opponents. The others also have their own combat capabilities and they usually take the supportive role and fight the lesser enemies. For instance, Usopp is adept at hitting targets from a distance, Nami has tools that can create thunder clouds, Franky has his cyborg weapons, Chopper and Robin have their Devil Fruit powers, and Brook can use his music. In general, each of us just do what we can and help each other however we can. Since we always stick together during our travels, I developed a strong bond and connection with the crew, especially Luffy.

Zoro then talks about the confrontation with Kuma at Thriller Bark after Moriah’s defeat.

Zoro: On that moment, I was giving up on my dream to save Luffy. If I can’t help my captain fulfill his dream, then I can’t fulfill mine. However, I survived that ordeal thanks to Kuma’s mercy.

Flora: tell me about the time in which the crew scattered.

Zoro: so Luffy told you about it. I was the first to get sent flying by Kuma so I did not see the rest of the battle. I landed on the ruined Shikkeāru Kingdom on Kuraigana Island. There, I met a certain irritating ghost girl again. I later learned that the island was home to none other than the man I was aiming to surpass, Mihawk. After he told me about the War of the Summit, the war your father participated in, I tried to get off the island and return to the rendezvous point at Sabaody Archipelago, but some baboons known as humandrills stood in my way. Then I received a newspaper talking about Luffy’s second appearance at Marine HQ. Since what Luffy did was completely unlike him and that Rayleigh was with him, I knew Luffy had a hidden message.

Flora: I already know what the message was about. Dad told you and the rest of the crew to meet again two years later. So what did you do to improve your skills?

Zoro: First, I defeat all the humandrills and then for your father’s sake, I laid down my pride and asked Mihawk to train me. And then I got this scar on my left eye.

Zoro then explains some of his ordeals in the New World, reaching Raftel, and his final duel with Mihawk.

Zoro: After the crew disbanded, I returned to Shimotsuki Village and visited Kuina’s grave to pay my respects to her one last time. I wanted to give back the Wado Ichimonji, but sensei insisted that I should keep it.

Flora: now that you accomplished your goal, what do you plan to do now?

Zoro: I have no plan. I just go wherever my instincts tell me to. And I just fight anyone who challenges me for my title.

Flora: oh and can I ask you one more thing, do you have a bad sense of direction?

Zoro: Hey! No, I don’t!!

Flora: really? Then can you tell which way is north?

Zoro: huh?????

The fishing line then starts to move.

Zoro: Hey! I got a bite!

Zoro and Flora then prepare to part ways.

Zoro: so where are you going next?

Flora: I am going to Gecko Island to meet the sharpshooter and then I’ll go to Konomi Islands to meet the navigator.

Zoro: If you’re going to listen to Usopp’s side of the story, then I should tell you that he likes to exaggerate. And I am pretty sure that you don’t need to concern yourself with Nami. More importantly, if you plan on meeting Sanji some time later, then I’ll remind you that he likes to flirt with girls.

Flora: I’ll keep that in mind. Oh, and when we meet again, let’s have another battle and I promise it will not end like last time.

Zoro: you think you can match up to me. Good luck with that.

Flora then departs on her ship and heads for Syrup Village on Gecko Island.

Zoro: oops, I forgot to tell her that Brook likes to see panties. Oh well.