Why did you leave the Marines and joined B.W?

Zoro was listening to their interesting adventures in the Grandline as he drank some good sake until he heard an unfamiliar term that piqued his interest.

"Paradise?"

..........

"Paradise?"

Zoro's question made them pause what they were doing and look at the greenhead, who they forgot about in the heat of the moment.

"You will know when you go there," Masterson said, he didn't want Zoro to be distracted or overwhelmed by the Grandline and focus more on improving his strength.

"It's what the people call the first half of the Grandline"

But Mr. Sniper forgot about Zeff, who was a little too drunk.

"The First Half?" Zoro grew more confused by what he heard.

"That's enough Zoro, you will know more in the future, right now you just need to focus on getting stronger and not on thi-" Masterson glared at Zeff to stop as he tried to intervene.

"Yes, The Grandline is divided by Redline into two parts, the first half is called Paradise and the second half is called The New World" But Zeff was too drunk to get Masterson's stare.

"New World!!" Zoro's eyes widen when he heard that, he still remembers what Masterson told him when they fought under LogueTown.

'Rokushiki is the main combat style for the World Government's agents and Marines as it helps them prepare to learn the things, that will help them navigate the New World'

'So the New World is the second half of the Grandline...' Zoro thought, this information alone made it worth skipping training today as it gives him a clear goal to gauge his strength and see how far he is from his dream.

"Sigh..." Masterson sighed.

"From your expression, it looks like you have heard about the New World," Zeff said as he slowly became sober after seeing Zoro's expression.

"Yes I heard about it... anyway why is it called The New Worl-" Zoro replied, Zoro still wanted to know more, but he got interrupted by Zeff who said

"Hey Daniel, do you remember..." Zeff ignored Zoro as he was no longer interested in talking about it so he changed the subject.

"..." Zoro got the cue and stopped asking for more questions since sooner or later he will know it when he personally goes there, but he does have something in mind that he wants to know, so he asks."Why did you leave?"

"What do you say Zoro?" Masterson asks when he saw that Zoro was saying something.

"..." Zeff stopped talking and looked at the greenhead, who was quietly drinking his Sake for some time.

"Why did you leave the Marines? and why did you join Baroque Works?" Zoro asked as this was the thing that always bugged him.

Since meeting Masterson he has learned that he is stronger than Mr.1.

So then why did he join Baroque Works? And after seeing him talk about his past with the marine with a melancholy expression, he wanted to know more.

"..." The question surprised them, specially Masterson who didn't think Zoro would ask this, because after he spent some time with the greenhead and got to know more about his personality.

He learned that the B. W Swordsmen usually only think about how to improve his strength and he doesn't really care about somebody's past that much after seeing how he didn't ask Nami, Johnny, Yosaku, and him about their past.

"It's because he needed to raise the Little one," Zeff answered instead of Masterson since he saw no problem with answering this.

Which brought Masterson back to the present, who nodded his head after hearing what Zeff said.

"Carol's mother died... when Carol was 1 year old, so I resigned from the Marine and took her to the east blue since it is safer here" Masterson informed Zoro a little more of what had happened.

"Then why did you join Baroque Works?" Zoro asked again since raising a child while hunting pirates is dangerous.

"..." Mr. Sniper became quiet after hearing that, he lowered his head, which covered his eyes in the process as he took a sip of his liquor.

"Sigh... Daniel don't be stubborn and just tell him since you might need his help in the future." Zeff lit up a cigar as he raised his head to look at Masterson.

Who also raised his head and looked at his former enemy and now his dear friend, he knew that at some point he would need to tell Zoro this information since the higher-up in B. W knows about it, but he was still a little reluctant to say it because of how much danger it might put Carol in...

"You know that you can't always take her with you right?" Zeff continued with his speech while Zoro quietly listened, he slowly started to understand that it might be related to Carol.

"Sigh..." After hearing what Zeff said Masterson sighed with his tense shoulders relaxing as he understood that the Head Chef was right.

And so Masterson looked at Zoro and said.

"I didn't join Baroque Works willingly, they knew that they couldn't defeat me and so Instead they resorted to blackmail"

"Blackmail?" Zoro was surprised but then he remembered when Mr. 1 blackmailed Bryan and he had an inkling that if he had won against Mr.1 they might have resorted to blackmailing him with his master Koushirou's life.

"Yes Blackmail, like how they blackmail Bryan and Zeff"

Masterson continued talking without realizing Zoro's inner turmoil.

"What! they blackmailed you too! Why?" Zoro asked with a bewildered look on his face as he looked at Zeff, who stood up and walked toward the window as he grumbled quietly.

"it's more of a deal as long as I gather information from my customer, who are nobles, marines, and pirates they would keep my past hidden and... " Zeff looked out of the window at Sanji as he said the last past under his breath with a deep look on his face.

"... I see so this restaurant is an information-gathering hub for Baroque Works," Zoro said with his expression slowly darkening without catching what Zeff said under his breath.

"Yes, they sent some of their agents to join us as chorebay, waiters, and other positions 'to help the restaurant to function' " Zeff said as he emphasized the last parts.

"I see... then what about you what did they blackmail you with? Carol?" Zoro's looked at Masterson with his expression becoming grimer and darker the more they talked about this side of Baroque Works.

The more he spent learning about Baroque Works, the more disgusted and angry he slowly became by their despicable actions, from their propaganda to human trafficking, drugs and weapons trade, and now blackmail.

"My daughter... is a Half Human and Half Merfolk or as it is known around the world, a Mermaid..." Masterson answered slowly.

"What! impossible! aren't Mermaids known to have a Fish Tail!!?" Zoro exclaimed loudly with his eyes widening by this information.

"Yes but Carol is a little bit unique even among the Hybrids"(An: Hybrids are what Half-Human and Half-Merfolk are called)

Masterson said, he paused a little then continued to say.

"Usually a merfolk have their tail until they have reached 30, at that age their tails splits into two when they leave the sea and can walk more easily on land"

"Coral had been able to switch between her tail and human feet since birth making her unique as the other Hybrids are usually either born with two legs or a tail and they need to wait until the age of 30 to have their tail or legs" Masterson paused to let Zoro process everything he said

"...go on," Zoro said after some thinking, he crossed his arms while listing to Masterson's explanation.

"Originally I left her to live with her mother since it is safer for her in Fishman island but after her... mo-mother's death I knew that the Grandline is no longer safe for her to live in" Masterson choked a little bit when he talked about his dead wife, from his expression Zoro knew that her death wasn't simple

"So I brought her here to live a normal life, but... while I went hunting pirates, Carol became a little lonely and so she went swimming in the ocean where an agent saw her tail..." Masterson smiled a little at the beginning as he remember the past few years that he spent living a peaceful life with his daughter in the East Blue.

Until he said 'but' where his expression changed into anger, blame, and many more emotions as he got absorbed by his memories of the past.

..........

(Flashback)

5 Mouth Ago

That day he went to capture a pirate who came to Loguetown to gather resources to sail toward the Grandline.

On the outskirts of LogueTown and near the ocean and forest was a two-floor house, in front of its main door stood a man wearing a cowboy hat and a little blonde girl.

"Ok dear, I will be gone for a short time so stay put while I'm away and don't open door for anyone else," Masterson said as he patted his daughter with worry on his face,

Today the babysitter and their neighbors were busy so he needed to leave Carol alone, It has always been this part of his job that he hates, leaving his daughter alone or with someone.

"I know daddy... come back soon mkay..." Coral said quietly as she tugged her father's clock, she wasn't her usual self since she doesn't like when her father leaves even though he is usually gone not for long.

"Whohoho Sure I will back in a sec with your favorite chocolate cake" Masterson smiled as he patted her head, he then walked away after making sure the door was locked and she had everything she needed.

He then swiftly uses Geppo and Soru to go to the pirates' last seen location.

..........

"Thank you for your hard work Masterson," A Marine said as he bows a little to the gun user.

Behind the Marine we see 50 men laying on the ground with various injuries on their bodies which were caused by Masterson, who after he found them, he quickly defeated them as the marines arrived right on time to tie them up and take them to prison

"It's no problem, anyway pleasure doing business with you," Masterson said as he shook the bag that the Marine gave him.

"The pleasure is ours," The Marine said with a smile on his face.

Since Masterson came here 5 years ago, he has been stellar in his works, there has never been a pirate, who escaped after getting marked by him

"I'm in a hurry right noe, so see you later-Zzt!" After Masterson finished saying that he disappeared from where he was standing.

The Gun user zipped through the City at blinding speed, he then ran past a construction site with B.W Logo on it.

'It been what? 15 days since they came here and already massive changes have accord to this city because of them.' Masterson thought with his brows frowning with dislike.

He doesn't know why but he felt something was shady about this mysterious organization of bounty hunters.

Maybe it's because it is the first time an organization this big took an interest in the East Blue or because he doesn't like when they talk bad about the Marines who are trying their best to protect everyone.

But there is one thing he knows and that is that they are planning something big for the East Blue and he doesn't like it.

That is why he refuses their invitation many times even when their leader Mr.1 came to invite him personally, but still he refused.

'what would Carol's reaction be when she finds this' Masterson was smiling as he looked at the cake and the fake mini gun he brought for her.

..........

Hello everyone, the author's here.

What do you think about this chapter? did you expect that Zeff and Masterson were blackmailed by Baroque works.

And how do you feel about the restaurant being an information gathering hub for Baroque Works or that Carol is a hybrid mermaid?

As you saw in this chapter, I made it clear that Masterson is stronger than Mr.1 and he is also the one who taught Mr.1 the Rokushiki,

Since in the past Masterson was among the elites and was considered a rising star at Marine Headquarters, I think that he would have learned all seven of Rokushiki to be considered that.

And so by logic Mr.1 who doesn't know Rokushiki is weaker than Mr. Sniper.

Masterson joined them unwillingly and taught them Rokushiki that is how Mr.1, LongNose learned it, and any agent who uses Rokushiki in the future would either be taught by him or they would have read the book he sent to the Grandline.

As for why I made Masterson's daughter Carol a mermaid.

It is simply because of how strange I feel when I think about it, a man who is considered a rising star resigns his position to take care of his daughter and then quickly goes into hiding in the east blue leaving his friends and family to just raise his daughter?

I know that the writer at that time didn't think much about it, since he is not a canon character but for me, it was an opportunity to make him and his daughter a backstory that is more interesting.

And so he became a man who came to the east blue to hide and give his daughter a normal life which was disturbed by Baroque Works.

Anyway, that is for today, if you have any questions or see any spelling or grammar mistakes comment below and I will try my best to answer them.

Okay, peace out :)