"Are you sure about this?" Coby whispered. "If Luffy gets caught…"
Jack smirked. "If he gets caught, he'll just punch his way out. Relax. This is Luffy we're talking about."
As if on cue, a loud clang echoed from the direction of the Marine base. Shouts followed.
"INTRUDER! SOMEONE'S IN THE BASE!"
Jack sighed. "See? What did I tell you?"
Coby face went pale. "That idiot really just walked straight into the base, didn't he?"
"Probably," Jack said, already moving. "Come on. We should at least back him up before he burns the place down."
Inside the base, chaos reigned.
Marines ran up and down the hallways, trying to figure out where the intruder had gone.
Meanwhile, Luffy was strolling casually through the second floor, hands behind his head as if he owned the place.
"Where'd they put those swords…" he muttered, peeking into rooms one by one.
Behind him, two Marines finally caught sight of him.
"There he is!" one shouted.
Luffy turned, grinned.... then stretched his arm down the hallway.
"Gomu Gomu no… Pistol!"
His fist shot forward, slamming both Marines into the wall with a loud THUD. They crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
"Now… where's the sword?" Luffy said, stepping over them.
Jack and Coby slipped into the base through a side door, moving carefully to avoid patrols.
"I can't believe we're doing this," Coby muttered, hugging the wall.
Jack grinned. "Come on. Don't tell me a little breaking and entering doesn't feel exciting."
"This isn't exciting, this is illegal!" Coby hissed.
Before Jack could answer, a group of Marines came running around the corner.
Jack grabbed Coby's arm and yanked him into an empty storage room, shutting the door just as the Marines passed by.
"Whew." Jack exhaled. "Close one."
Coby looked like he was about to faint. "You're way too calm about this!"
Jack smirked. "Hey, I'm just here to keep Luffy from getting killed. Think of me as… damage control."
Meanwhile, Luffy finally found what he was looking for.
"Oh yeah, this has to be it," he said, kicking the door open.
Inside… three long swords were tied together with rope.
"These must be Zoro's. But which one's his?"
Luffy grabbed them, slinging the bundle over his shoulder.
The sound of boots echoed behind him.
"There he is! Surround him!"
A dozen Marines poured into the room, rifles raised.
Luffy grinned. "Guess I should get going."
He spun, leaping toward the window.
"Gomu Gomu no… Rocket!"
His arms stretched out, grabbing the window frame. In an instant, he shot himself forward, smashing through the glass and sailing into the night air.
Outside, Jack and Coby heard the crash and looked up just in time to see Luffy fly out of the building, laughing.
"Yup," Jack said, shielding his face from falling glass. "That's definitely him."
Luffy landed in the courtyard with a heavy thud, holding the swords triumphantly.
"Found 'em!" he shouted.
Coby stared. "You just broke through the second-floor window!"
"Yep," Luffy said cheerfully.
Luffy was already running toward the fence. "Come on! Let's go to Zoro!"
The three of them bolted toward the exit as Marines shouted behind them. A few rifle shots rang out, but Luffy's rubber body simply bounced the bullets harmlessly away.
By the time they returned to the execution ground where Zoro was tied, Zoro opened his eye as they approached.
Luffy grinned, holding up the three swords. "Here you go."
For the first time, Zoro's expression softened.
"You actually did it," he said quietly.
"Of course," Luffy said, kneeling down to untie the ropes. "I told you I'd bring them."
"I'll join your crew," Zoro said, his voice steady. "But, Captain… I want to honor my promise here first."
"Well?" Luffy tilted his head, smiling. "If that's what my crewmate wants, then as captain, I'll respect it."