I commissioned Zoro for a friend and got inspired! This is the art/artist!
The East Blue is quite calm compared to the Grand Line’s inexhaustible turbulence. The waves seem to welcome their travelers, storms easy to traverse and birds cawing sweetly as ships are brought to a slow, gentle stop at the docks.
Aloy finds herself on a large dinghy, though it’s nothing that should not could have reasonably withstood the clutches of the Grand Line. And yet, it did. There sits Aloy, red-headed and sunburnt but perfectly intact.
Her mothers’ spirits had gifted it to her, once she became grown enough to set sail, and the dinghy flew above the waves and weaved around sea beasts with startling ease. Aloy doesn’t think she’d ever leave this boat behind. There is something that lays in the wood, for her mothers we’re not shipwrights. Inventors, sure. But not shipwrights.
Regardless of Aloy’s musings on the mystical nature of her small vessel, she’s quickly distracted by the business of docking. There aren’t any fees, thank GAIA, but Aloy is still wary of the quiet marine town. She knows better than to underestimate tranquility and silence for harmlessness. The huntress eases her bow onto her back, spear already strapped. Her more obvious weapons- glowing, marked bombs of clear Grand Line quality- are hidden beneath her leathers.
She quickly walks through the town, swinging through a tourist shop for a map. It’s small, it’s sleepy, it’s maintained by “Ax-hand Morgan.”
Aloy eyes the crumbling infrastructure dubiously. No, she doesn’t think that this Ax-hand Morgan maintains squat.
“Ah, are you new in town?” The shop owner asks her, a hint of nervousness leaking into his demeanor.
“I am. Can you tell me more about this place?” Her focus shines as it takes in the information she’s gathering.
“This… If you’re a pirate, you might want to get out soon.”
Aloy looks down at her clothes… and then looks back up.
“Oh-oh, you must be a pirate hunter! My apologies-!” Despite his apologies, he still looks doubtful. However, he gives Aloy the information she wants. And then some. From there, she learns about the tyranny of Captain Morgan, his idiot son Helmeppo, and Zoro.
She also learns about how the market and its people suffers whenever Morgan decides he wants something in order to pander to his ego. How there are people struggling to make a living, as the marines take what is there’s in return for a pittance of what they should have received.
“It’s not that- that the rest of the marines want to do it. A lot of them- they’re our kids, you know? But Morgan-!” The man scrubs his face. “They join him, in hopes of giving the rest of us an easier time.”
“Sounds like Morgan needs to go.” It wouldn’t be that hard. She’s taken down a couple of tyrants on the way here. It’d be easy, since she doesn’t have to stick around to ensure they have a method of survival. If what the shopkeeper says is true, the current ruling method will do fine if she just gets rid of the tyrant.
“Thank you, for the warnings.”
She buys the things she needs, dumping a large amount of berries onto the man’s counter and ignoring him when he tries to hand her back the money.
This is all she can do for now, until she figures out how to remove Morgan. Walking into a marine base and offing their leader right out front is not anywhere near her style.
Though she is ready to take care of him, permanently, if necessary. But the marines being after her would be annoying, but unless they send a vice admiral or above, she can handle them.
Aloy investigates the town, speaking to random people on the streets, and that’s when she hears it.
“MEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAT!!!”
Her head whips towards the sound, her mostly pulled back observation haki pinging at the sheer potential that laid in the shining presence on the street.
That’s who she’s meant to find. That’s who her mothers had sent her after. The straw hat dangling at his back beckons, a flash of similar red hair and scarred face sparking at the back of her mind. She slides behind them, ordering something at the bar as the two talks. She can see Shank’s influence as clear as day.
She wonders if he’s going to do anything about Morgan. Maybe, she’ll watch him for a while. To see if he’s worthy. Someone with that bright of a presence… should be a good person.
But Aloy’s been fooled before. So she’ll watch.
(Her Haki knows better. This is, after all, her new little brother.)
Aloy perches on top of Morgan’s gaudy gold statue, chipping off pieces as the fight happens below. She notches an arrow as Koby gets taken hostage but relaxes when Luffy jumps in.
Her dinghy stealthily follows Luffy, somehow understanding her wishes to observe this new King.
They help the dog. Aloy approves, even as her arrows explodes the Buggy Cannonball before it destroys more of the town. Her sense of approval grows even more, satisfaction purring as the baby pirates rob the Buggy Pirates blind and leaves some for the suffering townspeople.
Mihawk nods at her as the galleon is split from his drama queen tendencies. She rolls her eyes, and dives in the waves to pick up Luffy.
Sanji the cook walks past her to bring his captain to rest. A far cry from his simpering attitude when she ate at the Baratie earlier. Good.
Aloy tosses the package at the green haired swordsman, who sits slouched as his injuries threatened his state of consciousness. He catches it with a hand, turning the package over curiously. She’s glad he didn’t chop it in half with his blades.
“I’m Aloy. This is from Rika, at that marine base.”
He flares at her suspiciously. She sighs. “Open it or don’t. You should probably lay down before those stitches tear.”
“Don’t tell me what to do,” he growls at her. He stares back, unimpressed. “Rika will be happy to know her package got to her friend before he died.” Aloy pointedly says. He grunts but acquiesces.
When they get Nami back, Aloy takes great pleasure in spearing some fish and some marine animals. Disgusting. Aloy steps to Nami’s side.
“You’re not alone,” she tells Nami. It’s something Aloy is realizing herself.
“Not anymore,” Nami murmurs back.
“Yeah. Us fellow red-heads have to stick together, you know?” Her grin is sharp and quick.
“Yeah. Who are you, anyways?”
Before she could introduce herself, Luffy does it for her.
“That’s Aloy! She’s crew!” He’s all bright grins and sunny faces.
“I have a crew of my own. But we can be ally’s. The future King should have allies.”
“Well, can’t say no to that.”