After Luffy failed to invite Nami, Koby looked at Luffy, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes, but he finally spoke.
"Mr. Luffy, if you truly need a companion, I know a place where there's someone who might be a good choice. However, there's one thing I must tell you: that person is a pirate hunter, and from what I know, he seems to have made a mistake and been captured by the Marines."
Luffy's spirits immediately lifted, and he excitedly asked, "Really? Is that true? Koby, quickly tell me, who is that person? And where is he?"
Koby took a deep breath and continued, "That person is named Roronoa Zoro, a very famous pirate hunter. He's very strong and quite well-known in this area."
Just then, Shin'ya suddenly interjected, "I know him, I've heard some things about him. It seems he accidentally killed a Marine captain's son's dog while saving a little girl. Then that captain's son used the lives of the little girl and her mother to threaten Zoro, telling him not to resist and to let himself be captured and taken to the Marine training grounds. Moreover, that captain's son was very cruel and made Zoro suffer under the sun, demanding that he endure a month without food or water, or else he would kill the mother and daughter."
After Shin'ya finished recounting Zoro's story, Luffy couldn't help but feel a desire to have him as a companion.
"He seems like a good person!"
Luffy rubbed his chin with his right hand, making a decision. "Yosh, it's decided. Our next stop is to find this pirate hunter. If he's truly a good person, we'll make him our companion!"
Luffy suddenly said, "I'm hungry, I want meat. Let's rest here for a day, and then we'll set off tomorrow morning for the place you mentioned, Shin'ya."
Shin'ya spread his hands and said, "No, I don't know the route. I think Koby should know something about this. Let Koby take us tomorrow, since Koby wants to be a Marine anyway, right? We can see if the Marines there are really as hopeless as the rumors say. Don't you agree, Koby?" Shin'ya asked Koby again after speaking.
Koby softly replied, "Ye… yes, I know Roronoa Zoro's location. I'll take you there tomorrow morning."
Since they were going to rest, Shin'ya used Muin Healing to restore some energy to all the pirates, telling them to prepare food and clean the rooms.
---
The next morning:
At Shin'ya's command to gather, all the pirates, no matter what they were doing, put down their tasks and quickly gathered at the gangplank.
In the eyes of these pirates, Shin'ya was simply more terrifying than a demon! Just yesterday, during that intense battle, all their brothers had inexplicably fallen to the ground without understanding what was happening, and even seeing the road became extremely difficult, as if they had suddenly gone blind. Having miraculously survived, these pirates were already grateful to Shin'ya , and now he was just asking them to do some work — which was simply a piece of cake for them.
Shin'ya stood at the bow of the ship, looking at the gathered pirates. His voice was low and powerful:
"You don't have to be so nervous. I've called you here today because there's an important matter I need your help with. My captain wants to go to a small island to find someone. You can ask Koby for the specific location; he knows the correct direction. Now, I require you to strictly follow Koby's instructions to pilot the ship and safely take us to that island. Do you all understand?"
The pirates, hearing this, felt as if they had been granted a general amnesty and quickly replied in unison, "Understood!"
"Since you understand, then act immediately. Don't waste everyone's time. Depart!" Shin'ya waved his hand, giving the command.
As his words fell, all the pirates quickly sprang into action, each performing their duties. Some were responsible for steering, some for raising the sails, and others for observing the surroundings. Under Koby's guidance, the ship slowly turned its bow and sailed in the direction he indicated.
---
"Koby, how much longer until we arrive? This is really boring," Shin'ya asked Koby.
"Soon, soon, we should arrive by tomorrow morning," Koby replied.
Luffy also walked over and said, "Still another day? It really is a bit boring."
Shin'ya saw that everyone was bored and suddenly thought of the game "Happy Landlord" from his previous life. So, he directly manipulated Wood Release, and a deck of poker cards made from wooden chips appeared in Shin'ya Kurozawa's hand.
Shin'ya : "Come on, Luffy, Koby, let's play cards. I'll tell you how to play first, just remember it."
Shin'ya explained the rules to both Luffy and Koby.
Luffy: "Okay, I understand. It's so simple, I get it just by listening."
Koby: "I understand too."
Shin'ya : "Good, then let's start playing. I'll shuffle the cards."
Dealing cards…
Koby: "Grab the landlord!"
Luffy: "Grab the landlord!"
Shin'ya : "Grab the landlord!"
Koby: "I'll grab again!"
Koby: "Hehehehe, I'm the landlord!"
Shin'ya : "I'll play first, a 3."
Luffy: "Joker Bomb!"
Shin'ya : "Holy crap, are you crazy? I played a 3, and you played a Joker Bomb for my 3?"
Luffy: "I want to bomb you, don't I?"
Shin'ya : "Alright, fine, come on, you play again."
Koby: "Pass."
Shin'ya : "Pass."
Luffy: "A 3."
Shin'ya : "A 2."
Koby: "Pass."
Luffy: "Four 4s, a bomb!"
Shin'ya : "We're on the same team, on the same team! Damn you, Luffy, you're dead! Wood Release: Four-Pillar Prison! You reflect on your actions in here! Ah, I'm so angry, I'm not playing anymore!"
Shin'ya flipped the card table over and walked away to cultivate.
Luffy, seeing this, laughed heartily.
---
The next day at noon…
Shells Town Port.
"Finally here! The Marine base port, hahahaha~~" Luffy had just jumped off the ship and shouted while standing by the port.
As everyone jumped off the ship, Shin'ya looked at the pirates behind him and said, "I'll give you a chance. I'll first confine you to the ship. We'll see what the situation is with the Marines here before we decide your fate. If they are righteous Marines, you go surrender. You don't have bounties, so there's a high probability you won't be sent to Impel Down. If the Marines here are evil people, then after we defeat the evil Marines, you can surrender. There's a high probability you'll join the Marines. If you join the Marines, then honestly be good people."
Shin'ya wasn't just talking nonsense. Many of the pirates defeated by Luffy in the original story could basically be seen in the Summit War, and they had all joined the Marines. This might be why Garp liked to recruit people into the Marines.
"We agree," the pirates replied in unison.
Seeing their agreement, Shin'ya no longer hesitated. He had the pirates return to the ship, then clapped his hands, "Wood Release: Four-Pillar Prison x5," directly encircling the entire pirate ship with five layers of wood. Even if they were given an axe each, there was no way they could escape.
Luffy strolled through the bustling street, his gaze drawn to a fruit stand by the roadside. Without a care, Luffy casually picked up a fruit and took a big bite, juice splattering everywhere.
After finishing the fruit, Luffy contentedly wiped his mouth, then pulled out a gold coin from his pocket and casually tossed it to the fruit stand owner. The owner looked at Luffy in surprise, tightly clutching the gold coin in his hand, seemingly unable to believe his eyes.
Luffy looked at the owner and suddenly asked, "Do you know where Roronoa Zoro is?" His voice wasn't loud, but it sounded like a thunderclap on the street.
The once lively street instantly fell silent. Everyone who heard Luffy's question looked as if they had seen a ghost, their faces pale, and then they scattered in all directions.
Luffy, seeing this, rubbed his head and said confusedly, "Huh~ It seems I can't mention Zoro's name in this town."
Shin'ya , standing by, smiled helplessly, "Perhaps it's because Zoro is too famous here, and everyone is afraid of being implicated."
Luffy chuckled indifferently, then turned to Koby and said, "Is that so? Haha, then let's go directly to the Marine base, Koby. Don't you want to be a Marine? Let's go."
Koby looked at Luffy with some hesitation and said, "Mr. Luffy, I'm still considering whether to join the Marines. I heard that Captain Morgan, the Marine here, has a rather bad reputation."
The townspeople on the street, hearing that name, scattered once again, as if they had heard the name of some ghost.