At this moment, the members of Krieg's pirate crew, who had just recovered after receiving food brought by Gin, sneered as they watched Luffy challenge their captain.
"You want to challenge me? You're not qualified! Men, attack! Show them the might of the Krieg Pirates!"
Krieg sneered, unmoved by Luffy's challenge. Not just anyone could challenge the ruler of the East Blue. His authority as a sea tyrant was not to be trifled with.
"Get him! Show this brat how strong we are!"
"Haha, kid, you think you can challenge our captain? How naive!"
"Our captain isn't someone just anyone can challenge!"
The pirates laughed and prepared to charge forward.
"No need! I can handle these small fries myself!"
A hulking man, over two meters tall and resembling a sea turtle, rolled off one of the pirate ships, blocking Luffy's path. He glared at Luffy and his crew with a chilling expression.
"It's Captain Balu! Go on, Captain! Show them what we're made of!"
"Captain Balu is powerful, second only to our commander! Kill them!"
"Go for it, Captain Balu!"
Seeing this man, the pirates cheered, believing he had unmatched strength.
"Heh heh!"
Balu chuckled menacingly, staring at Luffy.
"Hmm?"
Luffy frowned. If he wanted to get to Krieg, he'd have to deal with this guy first.
"Whoosh!"
But before Luffy could make a move, a crescent-shaped sword slash suddenly shot out from his side, slicing Balu cleanly in half. With a heavy splash, Balu fell into the sea, dead—defeated in a single strike.
"For small fries like this, there's no need for our captain to step in. Captain, go ahead—I'll handle these grunts!" Moonlight stepped forward, glaring coldly at the pirates.
After Balu was cut down, the pirates, who had been so excited moments before, were left in shock, staring in disbelief. Only after Moonlight spoke did they finally gasp, the sound of sharp intakes of breath filling the air.
"Impossible! Captain Balu was taken down just like that?"
"This swordsman… he's that strong? He killed our captain in one strike!"
"Unbelievable!"
The pirates stared at Moonlight, stunned.
"You dare kill my men in front of me? All of you, get him! Kill him!" Krieg's face twisted in fury. Seeing his subordinate killed before his eyes was a tremendous insult.
Upon hearing his command, the pirates charged forward. Krieg had eight thousand men under his command, and now they all swarmed towards Moonlight, creating an overwhelming sight.
"This is bad! There are way too many of them!"
"Even if Moonlight is strong, he can't fight all these people at once!"
"We need to help! These pirates are nothing but trouble!"
"We're with you! This is our restaurant—they won't take it from us. Let's fight!"
The chefs of Baratie, filled with anger, prepared to join the fight.
"Heh."
"Conqueror's Haki!"
Seeing the mass of pirates charging towards him, Moonlight smiled faintly. A surge of blue energy erupted from his body, spreading in all directions.
"Boom!"
In an instant, every pirate within a thousand-meter radius seemed to freeze, as if struck by an invisible force. One by one, they collapsed, falling unconscious. In the blink of an eye, all of Krieg's men were incapacitated, lying motionless on the ground.
Not only the pirates—even some of the chefs who had rushed forward were affected. Those who moved too quickly were caught in the Haki's reach and fainted, some foaming at the mouth.
"What just happened?" Krieg's eyes widened in shock, unable to comprehend what was happening.
"So this is the Conqueror's Haki that Moonlight mentioned?" Usopp whispered in awe, glancing at Luffy, who nodded appreciatively at Moonlight before focusing on Krieg.
"Damn it! What's going on? Why did this happen?"
"There must be at least five thousand men here, and they all collapsed at once! What kind of magic did he use?"
"Not just the enemy—even some of our own men fell! What is this?"
The chefs of Baratie stood dumbfounded, staring at the scene before them in confusion and awe. They had no idea what they were witnessing.
"Old man, what is this?" Sanji asked, just as stunned, turning to Zeff for answers.
"I don't know, but what I do know is that this swordsman is the strongest among them. No wonder he could hold his own against Mihawk. At first, I thought Mihawk was just going easy on him, but now it's clear—this man is no ordinary swordsman." Zeff muttered, his voice tinged with respect.
"Amazing… I never knew people this powerful existed in the world." Sanji stared at Moonlight, feeling like a frog at the bottom of a well.
"No one interferes until our captain's fight is decided." Moonlight dusted off his hands, taking a seat nearby as if nothing had happened. No one dared to challenge his command.
"Gomu Gomu no… Pistol!"
At that moment, Luffy sprang into action. His arms stretched, fists coiling as he rushed toward Krieg, gathering momentum for a powerful punch.
"Heh, kid, you're asking for it!"
"Iron Body Armor!"
As Luffy charged, Krieg's armor suddenly shifted, sprouting countless spikes like a steel hedgehog.
"Ah!"
Luffy yelled as his punch collided with the spikes, wincing from the impact.
"And I'm not done! A mere brat like you dares to challenge me? I'll show you my strength!"
"Great Battle Spear!"
With a sneer, Krieg brandished a massive spear, as tall as three men, ready to strike.