One Piece: Bai Ye Deputy Captain of the Straw Hats

Author: Xiao Yifeng

Translator: PapaSmurf0700

Bai Ye stepped out of the naval base, his path veering into an unexpected reunion after a mere corner. Luffy and Koby, energetically pointing, were perched atop the wall of the naval base.

Bai Ye, somewhat amused yet stern, inquired, "Why are you standing on the naval base wall?"

After a moment's contemplation, the allure of a front-row seat to notable scenes proved too strong for Bai Ye to resist. With a gentle bend of the knees, he leapt gracefully atop the wall, nearly startling Luffy and Koby into a fall.

Luffy, his face brightening with a joyous greeting, exclaimed, "Bai Ye! Over here! See that? Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro is the one tied up over there."

Bai Ye's eyes followed Luffy's emphatic pointing, landing upon a man that was both familiar and strange. A man, bound to a cross in an open space, adorned a green hood, white short sleeves, and a green belt coiled around his waist. Upon closer inspection, three earrings hung from his ears, and despite the confinement of ropes and cross, a feral, beastly aura emanated from him.

An emotion flickered through Bai Ye at the sight. The recognition was instant—those two eye-catching green algae eyes! A fan of One Piece in his previous life, Bai Ye had always held a high regard for Zoro, considering him a true man.

Observing a slightly younger and more naïve Zoro, Bai Ye was washed over with nostalgia.

Luffy, ever the straightforward thinker, commented seriously, "It seems all that's needed is to untie him."

Bai Ye suppressed an eye-roll at Luffy's simple, brainless logic, fully aware that Luffy was likely contemplating a straightforward approach followed by a friendly invitation and an expected agreeable response from the other party. It was never that simple, was it?

Before Bai Ye could voice a rebuttal, Koby's fearful yelp pierced the moment.

"You… don't spout such ludicrous ideas!" he stammered, "Releasing someone like him... who knows what might unfold. You might get killed!"

Luffy, unfazed, lifted an eyebrow, "Huehueheue, no worries, I'm quite strong."

Koby visibly paled, lamenting, "This guy... he's utterly hopeless."

Shifting the energy, Bai Ye, stroking his chin, interjected, "Speaking of which, I have some intriguing news that might pique your interests."

He proceeded to share tales he'd gathered, of Shells Town, home to Navy Division 153, where peace once permeated daily life until a few years prior when everything shifted. He recounted the story of Sergeant Morgan, his harrowing survival against the Black Cat Pirates, the apprehension of Captain Kuro, his meteoric rise to captaincy in the 153rd branch, and the subsequent cruel, tyrannical change that enveloped him and extended to the town, through his equally oppressive son, Helmeppo.

In the midst of absorbing Bai Ye's narrative, Luffy and Koby were jarred by a gruff voice.

Roronoa Zoro, head slightly raised and visibly annoyed, grumbled, "Scram. Don't loiter around gawking like a bunch of eyesores."

But despite his brusque tone, Bai Ye and Luffy discerned a hidden concern within his eyes—a subtle indication that his harshness stemmed from a desire to shield others from potential harm.

Koby, visibly rattled, whispered to his companions, "Mr. Luffy, Mr. Bai Ye, if you truly desire such a person as an ally, be warned: even numerous lives might not suffice!"

Bai Ye's tale, though unsettling and disruptive, had not entirely dispelled Koby's apprehension upon sighting Zoro's formidable presence.

In that instant, Koby felt an impulsive urge to flee via a ladder. Wait...a ladder? His head swiveled suddenly, revealing a ladder that, unbeknownst to them, had appeared adjacent to their position.

Ascending the ladder was a little girl, her brown hair pulled into twin ponytails, roughly Koby's height. She gestured for silence, scoped the surroundings, and, aided by a rope, swung into the open space, briskly making her way towards Zoro.

"Remarkable...the girl seems devoid of fear towards that man, doesn't she?" Koby murmured incredulously.

A knowing smirk tugged at Bai Ye's lips. The stage was set, the actors in place, the drama ready to unfold.

Bai Ye, nudging Luffy gently, queried, "Luffy, shall we join in down there?"

Luffy's gaze met Bai Ye's, and without hesitation, he agreed, "Absolutely, let's move!"

As they approached the cross, Zoro—worrying the little girl, Rika, would be discovered—bordered on frenetic frustration: "I've told you I'm not hungry. Leave, you're a distraction!"

Rika, clutching a rice ball, froze in confusion.

"Your attempt to be intimidating isn't working, Zoro" a voice chimed in, as hands emerged from behind Rika, enveloping her securely.

Bai Ye, cradling Rika, regarded Roronoa Zoro with an amiable grin, stating, "Look, even a child isn't perturbed by you, is she?"

His arms still around Rika, he continued, "My friend, weren't you keen on release?"

Zoro's lip twitched momentarily before he retorted gruffly, "Ah? Are you certain? I am the Pirate Hunter, Roronoa Zoro."

Bai Ye, playfully teasing Rika without shifting his gaze, responded nonchalantly, "Leaving would probably seal your fate, wouldn't it?"

Rika, previously basking in her "big brother's" embrace, abruptly snapped to attention, tears welling in her eyes. "Wait, what? He's going to…"

Zoro, attempting to interject, was swiftly interrupted by Bai Ye, "Survive another ten days and attain freedom? Such naivety didn't expect from a famed pirate hunter."

Frustration knitted Zoro's brow as he prepared a rebuttal, only to be cut off again by Bai Ye, who turned his attention to Rika, "Tell me, why feed this man rice balls? Surely, one apprehended by the navy couldn't be wholly malignant."

Rika, still reeling from Zoro's perilous reality, indignantly defended him, recounting a tale from twenty days prior. Helmeppo, Morgan's son, and his pet wolf, Soro, wreaked havoc in a tavern, prompting Rika to confront them. Zoro intervened when the wolf turned on her, harming it and thrashing Helmeppo. Vengeance saw Zoro apprehended, promised freedom after a month without food if he survived.

Tears stained Rika's cheeks as her story concluded, Bai Ye gently comforting her with a soft, kneeling embrace.

Zoro's expression remained steadfast, albeit with a flicker of sternness in his eyes.

Luffy, silent till now, viewed Zoro with newfound respect after Rika's tale, a fervent glint in his eyes causing Zoro to shift uneasily.

Once Rika had been soothed, Bai Ye, rising to meet Zoro's gaze, declared, "Now allow me to illustrate just how naive you truly are!"