Zoro only hunted pirates to feed himself, he didn't make it his way of living or his job
Yet he was "a swordsman who uses his sword to get paid". What the hell is wrong with that, anyway? He's extremely skilled at using a sword and uses it to earn his living, why does that mean that he doesn't care about pride? Again, you leap to conclusions. He COULD be like that, but so far there's nothing saying that he is.
That's not really "I wish that I could've been there" sorry, that's more like "Arlong had to put up with you" sorry. He's basically making fun of Hatchan.
Of course it's not, I never said so. And yes, he's being a dick, but that's just not the point. The part that's important is the "swordsman of your caliber"; he considers himself far superior to Hatchan in the field of swordsmanship, indicating that he takes pride in his strength as a swordsman. There's no implication that he doesn't really care about swordfighting and just wants money, not yet.
He's been doing it for more than 12(?) years since arlong asked him to come with him. What else would he be doing?
But you conflate his swordsmanship with his not being loyal to the "fishman cause" and would only join it if he's adequately payed. Why? He can be both a dedicated swordsman and use his sword for money.