In the year 1520 of the Sea Round Calendar, at the 153rd Navy Branch in the East Sea.

Two figures crouched on the wall of the Navy base, their eyes fixed on the playground where a disheveled man was tied to a cross.

“Reina, is that the swordsman you mentioned who uses three swords?”

Luffy glanced at the man beside him.

The man had short golden hair and wore a blue shirt with rolled-up sleeves, paired with beige trousers, giving off an air of a workplace elite.

“Green hair, three golden earrings...”

Reina scrutinized the figure in the playground for a moment. “It’s definitely him; let’s go.”

Francis Reina.

He had crossed into the pirate world a year ago and met Luffy in Windmill Village; today was their first day at sea.

Reina brought Luffy straight to the 153rd branch with the purpose...

Naturally, to collect beginner benefits, the three-sword style swordsman Roronoa Zoro.

Luffy grinned, propped himself against the wall, jumped into the base, and swaggered in.

Reina leisurely lit a cigarette and followed behind him.

“Are you coming at me?”

Zoro had already noticed their arrival and coldly asked, “Who are you?”

“I’m Luffy! I’m a pirate, here to recruit you as our partner.”

Luffy grinned broadly, bluntly stating his intention while reaching out to start untying him.

Zoro was taken aback. Was this how people spoke nowadays?

“Are you joking? Hey, don’t untie me without permission!”

Zoro hurriedly tried to stop him.

He had voluntarily gotten captured to save a mother and daughter.

He had made a deal with the Navy that as long as he could last for a month without eating or drinking, they wouldn’t harm the mother and daughter.

And they would also let him go.

However, Luffy wouldn’t listen to reason and continued to deftly untie him.

But...

“It’s getting tighter, you bastard!”

Zoro couldn’t help but roar as the ropes bit into his skin painfully.

Reina: “...”

Killing a teammate on the first day at sea would be too ridiculous if it got out.

“Forget it, Luffy, let me handle this.”

Reina thought for a moment, and a crack in the void appeared out of nowhere. A grim, pale skeleton holding a dagger emerged from it.

Zoro was startled by the sudden appearance, “What the hell is that!?”

“I’m a Devil Fruit user and can summon undead creatures.”

Reina took the skeleton's dagger, lightly sliced through the ropes, which fell away, and then smiled, “In any case... cough, cough... I’m Kaido! Just come with us, nothing will happen.”

“Ha???”

Zoro looked bewildered, his brow furrowed.

Although he didn’t understand what the man was saying, he sounded quite confident.

Reina’s expression turned serious as he casually stabbed the dagger into the skeleton’s head and retracted it.

“I heard about you in town when I arrived; you don’t really think you can last a month without food or water, do you?”

“Cut it out, it’s none of your business.”

Zoro scoffed but didn’t refute; in fact, he was already nearing his limit, and today was only the ninth day!

“Anyway, after today, you’ll soon be wanted; either become a pirate or wait to die here.”

Reina flicked the cigarette butt to the ground and stated lightly,

“Or if you have no ambition, you can find a place to hide and treat today as a wasted trip.”

“If I have to survive like that, I might as well die here.”

Zoro spat, rubbed his wrist, “I've got important things to take care of.”

He knew his situation was indeed as Reina said; being wanted and not becoming a pirate was no different from being a pirate.

He still had goals to achieve, and since they had indeed saved him, why not just join them and go out to sea?

Thinking of this, Zoro's expression turned serious as he looked Reina in the eye, “Looks like I have no choice but to board this pirate ship. Are you the captain?”

“No, the captain is him.”

Reina pointed his thumb at Luffy.

Zoro turned to see Luffy grinning at him, his eyes filled with innocence.

“Doesn’t seem very reliable, does he?”

Zoro didn’t know why he felt this way, but he had a strange premonition. He turned to Reina again, “Then you’re the first mate?”

“No, no, no, I’m just a logistics member.”

Reina waved his hand dismissively, his expression full of resistance. First mate? No way!

That title sounded very eye-catching, which didn’t fit his style of doing things. He wanted to develop quietly and amaze everyone.

When people heard he was the first mate, their attitude would be different than if they heard he was a logistics member, right?

He was someone who preferred to operate from the shadows; no one understood combat better than him.

What? You say that’s despicable?

Yes! That’s me, no doubt!

“Logistics member?”

Zoro had a strange expression, “Sounds weak.”

Clearly a legendary Devil Fruit user, but not strong in reality?

Reina noticed Zoro’s expression and felt delighted inside.

Exactly! That’s the effect he wanted!

If he used his ability now, he could instantly stab Zoro several times.

At that moment, a group of uninvited guests appeared on the playground.

“Prepare to fire!!!”

A rough voice shouted from afar.

The three looked in the direction of the voice, where a burly man holding a giant axe was none other than Colonel Monka of the 153rd branch!

Behind Monka was a large group of Navy soldiers, all raising their guns at them.

Seeing this, Luffy quickly spread his arms wide and stood in front of the two.

“Bang!”

“Bang!” The gunshots rang out, and dozens of bullets came flying toward them.

“Watch out!” Zoro shouted in panic.

However, the next moment, an unexpected scene occurred.

The bullets hit Luffy, sinking directly into his body, and the flesh on Luffy's back was pulled out, making it look like a hedgehog.

The next moment, all the bullets shot back out, aimed at the Navy.

“What kind of monster is he!?”

“Get away!”

Faced with the panicking Navy, Luffy put his hands on his hips and laughed proudly, “Hehe, I’m a rubber man who ate the Gum-Gum Fruit; bullets don’t work on me!”

Zoro had a bewildered expression, “What’s going on? He’s also a Devil... huh? Where did he go?”

Before he could finish his sentence, he noticed Reina had vanished at some point.

“Damn it, the Navy took my sword!” He raised his hand to touch his empty waist, showing an angry expression.

At that moment, on the other side, Monka’s expression grew serious as he looked at Luffy.

He had been the base commander for three years and was not a person without experience. He immediately shouted at his men,

“Don’t panic, try using swords; everyone charge!”

Even if swords didn’t work, they could still overwhelm the opponent.

“Yes!”

Upon receiving Monka’s order, the Navy soldiers drew their swords and charged at Luffy, engaging him in battle.

Zoro also stepped forward to join in, taking down several Navy soldiers barehanded and demonstrating his amazing strength after grabbing a sword.

Watching the two figures in the playground move like beasts, Monka frowned,

“I’ll wait for my men to exhaust the opponent’s stamina, then I’ll sneak attack.”

Isn’t this a coincidence?

Reina was thinking the same thing!

At that moment, a sneaky figure suddenly appeared behind Monka!

Unbeknownst to him, Reina had quietly circled around and was stealthily approaching Monka.

“Click!”

Suddenly, the sound of a gun's bolt being pulled back echoed.

Monka was startled, a chill ran through his body, and he turned around with a sense of foreboding.

He saw a golden-haired man pointing a gun at him, and looking at the dark muzzle, Monka was extremely alarmed.

“Eat shit, sir!”

“Wait a...”

“Bang——!”

Reina pulled the trigger without any hesitation, mockingly watching Monka fall into a pool of blood.

“Can’t wait, sir; what if there’s a reversal?”

He said, no one understood combat better than him!

He stepped forward, placing his hand on Monka’s body, a blue flame surged from his palm and enveloped him.

About 30 seconds later, it returned to his hand, transformed into a flickering flame.