Zoro's Ambition

The harbor of Shells Town was buzzing with activity as the warship from the 32nd Marine Branch got ready to set sail.

Fullbody and a huge group of Marines were openly weeping, waving goodbye to Isca with tears in their eyes. They had just gotten a female compainion, and now she was leaving!

"Crying T﹏T!"

Isca, standing in front of Roya, gave him a sweet smile. "Ensign Roya, I learned so much while working with you. I hope we get to fight together again someday!"

"The chance will come," Roya answered, smiling back. This girl is a very skilled sword fighter. She has a bright future ahead of her. If she stays in the Marines, our paths will definitely cross again. He added with genuine warmth, "I hope our next meeting will be at Marine Headquarters."

"Thank you!" Isca's eyes sparkled. Like any Marine with big dreams, she saw Marine Headquarters as the ultimate goal.

"I'm off!" Isca shouted, stepping onto the warship.

A sad cry echoed along the coast.

"Goodbye, Isca-chan!"

"We'll miss you!"

"Wooo, lovely Isca!"

Fullbody and the other Marines burst into tears, waving like crazy at the departing warship. How will I ever live without you? they seemed to wail.

Roya shook his head, a small smile on his face. Couldn't they show a little more strength?

---

Later that day, the local tavern was livelier than usual as the year came to an end.

"Ensign Roya's here!" someone yelled.

"He's caught so many pirates lately, he's sure to get a promotion, right?"

"Of course!"

The tavern's customers greeted Roya with enthusiasm, their eyes shining with admiration. A few playful regulars even winked at Roya and Ririka, who was behind the bar.

Heh, they're clearly jealous!

Roya smiled back and walked to a table near the window where Zoro, the 'rice weevil,' was sitting. Since Zoro hadn't caught any pirates recently, he was broke. He couldn't even find a single coin and was relying on Roya to pay for him.

Seeing Roya watching him, Zoro awkwardly put down his chopsticks, trying to look casual. "Don't worry, I'll pay you back," he mumbled.

"I'm not here to collect debts," Roya said, looking serious. "Have you thought about my offer? Do you want to come and train with me?"

"I..." Zoro's face showed his inner struggle.

After arriving in Shells Town, he had politely turned down Roya's offer, but with no money and no pirates to hunt in the quiet town, he was penniless.

He had been sleeping outside the tavern, which wasn't ideal.

Roya, hearing about his situation, had found him, brought him to the tavern for a big meal, and paid for his stay at a nearby inn.

Zoro, not wanting to owe anyone, considered the money a loan that he would definitely repay.

Then, Roya had suggested that he stay and train with him.

Zoro was very grateful. He felt Roya's genuine care and had even considered joining the Marines.

He didn't dislike the Marines. In fact, most people respected them because they protected the sea.

There was nothing wrong with the Marines capturing pirates, but Zoro was used to being independent and wasn't sure he could follow their rules.

More importantly, if he joined the Marines, he wouldn't be able to search for him.

Zoro hesitated, took a deep breath, and said firmly, "My dream is to become the World's Greatest Swordsman!"

"A worthy dream," Roya said, raising an eyebrow slightly. "But if you have such a big goal, you should focus completely on your training. Worrying about hunting pirates and earning a living will only distract you from your goal."

"I..." Zoro struggled to find a good argument.

During his time on Roya's warship, he hadn't had to worry about anything. He had been training hard every day and could feel himself improving.

For the past six months, he had been busy catching pirates to earn money for food, leaving him little time for training.

As for getting stronger in battle...

He had fought some stronger opponents, but they were only a little stronger. These pirates weren't even as strong as Kuina.

How can I get stronger like this?

"Don't think too much about it. You're still young," Roya said, looking sincerely at Zoro. "There's only one thing you need to do now: dedicate yourself to training and become stronger."

"Without strength, you don't even have the right to dream," he added. "Focus on what's happening now. As for what path to take in the future, that's a problem for later. No one can force you, and neither will I."

Focus on what's happening now!

Zoro lifted his head, his eyes shining with determination.

Roya smiled. "By the way, there are many swordsmen in the Marines, and many sword masters who can cut steel. If you can't even defeat them, you're not worthy of challenging him."

"Are they stronger than Isca?" Zoro blurted out. He had wanted to challenge Isca on the warship, but she was a woman.

Roya playfully wagged his finger. "A hundred times stronger than her!"

"...!"

Zoro jumped to his feet, filled with an incredible fighting spirit. "I'll come with you, but I'm not joining the Marines. In return, I'll help you fight!"

"Good," Roya replied with a grin.

Patience is important.

He wasn't in a hurry to recruit Zoro. With four years before Luffy set sail, there was plenty of time to become friends.

First, I need to keep Zoro by my side.

"Meet me at the port tomorrow morning," Roya instructed.

"No problem!"

"Wait, there is a problem!" Roya suddenly realized that if Zoro went to the port alone, he might get lost and not arrive until nightfall.

"Let's go, I'll take you to the warship. You'll stay there tonight and not wander off. Or would you rather stay in the prison cell?"

"."

Veins popped out on Zoro's forehead.

Who would get lost on such a short trip?!

---

The next morning, over twenty Marines from the 153rd Branch gathered at the port. At the same time, Roya's promotion was approved.

Rank: Major!

Promoted three ranks in a row!

Wiping out a dozen pirate crews had already earned him a lot of recognition, and capturing Buggy's crew was a major achievement.

Catching pirates is the fastest way to get promoted.

But further promotions would be ten times harder. For Marines in East Blue, Major was basically the highest they could go.

At the port, the Marines stood at attention. As Roya arrived, they shouted in unison, as if on cue.

"Major Roya!"

Their voices almost blew Shells Town away.

"Yes, you've done well," Roya replied with a satisfied smile.

Excellent, full of spirit!

These are the soldiers I personally chose!

"Set sail!"

---

Windmill Village.

A warship with a dog-head figurehead approached the coast.

"Vice Admiral Garp is back!" the villagers exclaimed happily. Thanks to Garp's reputation, Windmill Village had enjoyed peace for years, discouraging even passing pirates.

Garp is the protector of Windmill Village!

News of Garp's return spread quickly through the village.

Inside Makino's tavern, Luffy and Ace were secretly sharing drinks. They had hunted a wild boar and given half to Makino as a thank you for her kindness.

When they heard Garp's name…

"Pfft~~"

Wine sprayed across their faces at the same time.

Without bothering to wipe it off, they scrambled toward the door, their survival instincts kicking in!

"Bang!"

The tavern door burst open.

A huge figure stood before them.

"Pwahahaha, my darling grandsons, Grandpa's back to see you!"

"Grandpa!"

Their eyes widened in horror.

We're doomed!