---
The next day, Luffy, Nami, Coby, and Padfoot arrived at the marine base where Zoro was being held captive. As they approached, they spotted Karin, the young girl who had been trying to feed Zoro, sitting outside the base. She was upset, trying to give him food, but the marines had already tied him up, and no one would let her help.
Before Karin could give up, Helmeppo, Captain Morgan’s son, appeared. He coldly ordered a marine to throw her out. Seeing this, Luffy acted quickly, catching Karin before she could fall. She glared at the marines, her eyes flashing with menace.
"Back off," Luffy warned, her voice calm but deadly. "Leave her alone."
Karin looked up at Luffy with gratitude. "Thank you! They’ve been keeping Zoro here, saying he’s a threat, but he’s not even been able to move."
"Don’t worry, Karin," Luffy said with a grin. "We’ll take care of him."
---
After hearing Karin’s story, Nami decided to sneak into the marine base to gather more evidence of Captain Morgan’s corruption. Meanwhile, Luffy and Coby walked toward the area where Zoro was being held. The marines surrounding him appeared unaware of the group’s approach.
Zoro was still tied up, his arms bound behind his back, glaring at the marines. As soon as he noticed Luffy and Coby, his attention snapped to them. Zoro felt an odd sensation as his gaze lingered on Luffy—something about her seemed familiar, but he couldn’t place it. He could feel the overwhelming strength she radiated, even though he had no idea who she was.
Luffy walked up to him, kneeling down in front of him. Without hesitation, she took Zoro’s face in her hands and gently lifted it so their eyes met.
"Hey, Zoro," Luffy said softly, her voice warm yet serious. "It’s me."
Suddenly, Zoro felt a flood of memories rush back into his mind—the memories of his time as a Straw Hat Pirate, of his former captain, Luffy, who had once been a carefree boy with a burning dream of becoming the Pirate King. Then, the memories shifted again, and Zoro saw a different Luffy, but this time, a woman.
Luffy was no longer the boy he remembered—she was now a beautiful woman, her fierce gaze still the same, her spirit unbroken. It took him a moment to process, but as he did, everything clicked into place.
"Wait... Luffy?" he asked, his voice full of disbelief.
"Yep," Luffy grinned. "Still me, Zoro. Just... a little different."
Zoro’s eyes widened. "You’re a girl now? How... what happened?"
Luffy chuckled. "A lot happened. But I’m still the same. I’m still your captain."
Zoro blinked in shock, unable to fully grasp everything that had changed. It was a lot to take in. The strong-willed captain who had once been a boy was now a woman—but something felt familiar, as if nothing had really changed at all.
Luffy took out one of Zoro’s swords, which she had gotten from the marines, and handed it to him. "Here, you’ll need this."
As Zoro took the sword, he felt a sense of calm return to him. These were his blades, the tools of his journey. The feeling was familiar, like coming home.
"Thanks," Zoro muttered. He felt the weight of the sword and saw the sharpness in Luffy’s eyes. There was no mistaking it—she was still his captain. The one he had sworn to follow, no matter what.
---
Just then, Captain Morgan stormed in, furious. "What do you think you’re doing, pirate? You think you can just free the prisoner like that? You’ll regret this!"
Luffy’s eyes narrowed as she stood up. "I don’t think so," she said, her voice cold as steel.
In a flash, Luffy was in front of Captain Morgan, her fist crashing into his chest with enough force to send him flying across the yard. His armor shattered under the impact. He slammed into the wall, crumpling to the ground.
The remaining marines looked around nervously, but Luffy was already addressing them, her gaze sharp and commanding. "You all should leave now, or things will get a lot worse."
The marines, realizing they were no match for her, quickly backed away. Luffy turned her attention back to Zoro, a grin spreading across her face. "Let’s get you out of here."
---
After Captain Morgan was dealt with, Luffy and the crew made their way to Karin’s family restaurant. Nami was already there, having gathered the evidence of Morgan’s corruption. Zoro looked at her with curiosity. It was only when Nami handed Zoro his swords that he realized she had been the one to retrieve them.
"Here," Nami said, passing the swords to Zoro. "You’ll want these."
Zoro nodded gratefully, taking the blades in his hands. He felt the familiar weight of them and gave Nami a nod of thanks, still processing everything that had happened.
As he turned to face Luffy, he suddenly felt a wave of realization. Luffy, the girl standing before him, was the same person he had once sworn to follow as a boy. She was still the captain he knew, but now, she was undeniably different—stronger, fiercer, and, in his opinion, far more attractive. Zoro felt his heart skip a beat.
Nami noticed the look in Zoro’s eyes and couldn’t help but smirk. "Looks like someone’s got a crush," she teased, watching Zoro shift uncomfortably.
Zoro glared at Nami, clearly embarrassed. "Shut up, Nami."
---
Later, after a quick meal, Luffy made a call to her grandfather, Garp, using a Den Den Mushi. The group listened in as Luffy explained everything to Garp, telling him that Morgan had been taken down, and that she’d sent the evidence of his corruption.
"Grandpa, I also want you to take care of Coby," Luffy added. "Train him to be a marine."
"Done," Garp replied gruffly. "I’ll handle things on this end."
After hanging up, Luffy turned to the group. "Alright, Grandpa’s taking care of Coby. He’s going to be a great marine one day."
As Luffy prepared to leave, the marines came to thank her for dealing with Captain Morgan and the corruption he had caused. "Thank you for your help, but we ask that you leave now. You're a pirate, after all."
Luffy shrugged, "No problem. I’ll be out of here soon enough." She glanced at the Den Den Mushi one more time and grinned. "But before I go, I need to make a call."
With that, Luffy called for her ship to appear.
---
The moment Luffy called upon the Black Pearl, the ship materialized out of thin air, its eerie black sails and gold trim gleaming in the sunlight. The villagers, Coby, and the remaining marines stared in shock at the imposing vessel.
Coby and Nami were the only ones who weren’t surprised, having seen the ship before, but Zoro and the villagers were astonished.
Zoro, still adjusting to everything, looked at Luffy. "You weren’t kidding. That’s one hell of a ship."
Luffy smiled. "It’s mine. And it’s going to take us to the Grand Line. Let’s go, everyone."
---
With the Black Pearl now at anchor and the crew gathered on board, Luffy gave one final wave to the people of the island, who had helped them in their time of need.
And so, Luffy, now with Zoro by her side, set sail once more, ready to build her crew, chase after the One Piece, and change the world.