Free Heart

Ch. 8 - I am not a Lapdog.

Luffy blinked up at the morning sky and his eyes sparkled in excitement. It was a new day out at sea and a new day meant a new adventure. Then a grin stretched across his face. It looked like he was going to get his hands on a new breakfast too. He leapt to his feet and pointed upwards.

"Look a bird!" he shouted with glee.

"Keep your voice down, Luffy. You might wake up Zoro!" Emmy hurriedly whispered to her brother but a quick glance at the stern of the ship made her realize it was already too late.

She smiled apologetically at the glaring swordsman and then tilted her head up to spot what her brother was referring to. When her eyes caught onto the silhouette of the bird, Luffy's arms were already stretching towards it.

"Let's eat it!" Luffy cried and launched himself up at the bird, "Gum Gum Rocket!"

"Wait! Luffy-," Emmy protested but it was too late.

Zoro yawned and ran a hand through his short green hair. "What? He's getting food. Aren't you hungry?"

"Can't you tell by the size of the silhouette and how high it is above us?" Emmy gasped at the swordsman, "That bird is bigger than our boat!"

"WHAT?!" Zoro shouted and his chin snapped up so he can take a closer look at the bird.

"HELLLPPPPPP!" Luffy screamed from high above, "It caught me! Save me! Zoro! Emmy!"

Zoro quickly pushed Emmy out of the way so he could furl the sails and grab onto the oars.

"Moron!" he roared as he rowed at breakneck speed, following the bird's flight path, "What the hell are you doing?"

"Hang in there, Luffy!" Emmy shouted up, "We're coming!"

"Oy! Stop! You there! Stop!" a voice called out.

Emmy peered over the ship and saw that they were heading towards three men, who were floating helplessly in the water. "Zoro! There are people stranded in the water!" she gasped.

"I can't stop!" Zoro snapped, "Or else we'll lose Luffy. OY! You guys! Just jump in on your own if you can!"

The boat split right through the three men without hesitation and the men quickly grabbed onto the sides. They pulled themselves into the boat, which happened to be the end where Emmy sat. One of them pulled out a sword and he held the blade at Emmy's throat. "We're members of the pirate crew led by Buggy the Clown. This boat is ours now," he announced to Zoro.

The green haired man's brow furrowed and he slowed down his rowing. "Huh?" he growled.

Thwack. Thwack. Thwack.

With just the hilt of one of his katanas, he knocked the sword right out of the man's hand, gave another man a black eye, and then knocked out the two front teeth of the third. He swiftly pulled Emmy to his side of the boat.

"Thank you," Emmy breathed.

"You! This is the second time you've become a hostage," Zoro snapped, "You're captured way too easily."

"I will work on it, Zoro," Emmy promised and the three men gasped.

"Z-Z-Z-Zoro. Did she just say Zoro?"

"Ah, I'm Roronoa Zoro. What of it?" Zoro demanded and then tossed them the oars, "Now that you know who I am, row this boat."

"Hehehehehe," they laughed sheepishly as they diligently obeyed.

The man in the middle broke out into a cold sweat. "We had no idea you were the famous Pirate Hunter Zoro-san. Forgive our rudeness."

"Tch," Zoro clucked his tongue and looked up at the sky, "We lost Luffy because of these idiots. We'll just have to keep rowing straight ahead."