"We're off!" Luffy shouted, grabbing Moonlight, Usopp, Zoro, Johnny, Yosaku, and Sanji as he stretched his arm toward the small boat and launched them all into the air.
"Wait, wait, wait! Are we really…?" Yosaku exclaimed, seemingly realizing what was happening.
"Captain, Captain!" Johnny struggled in midair.
"Zoro's still injured!" Usopp cried out in panic.
"No need for that. I'll handle it myself," Moonlight said calmly. Before Luffy could react, he swiftly moved like lightning, landing gracefully on the boat.
Sanji was the last one left, standing there bewildered by what he had just witnessed, unsure of what to make of it.
"Bang!" With a snapping motion, Luffy retracted his stretched arm like a slingshot, and the five of them were launched like birds shot from a bow, crashing headfirst onto the boat.
"Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud!"
The five landed, heads hitting the deck.
"Hey, is everyone still alive?" Sanji was the first to recover, looking at Luffy with a face full of regret. Was this their captain? This was pure chaos. Damn it, had he just boarded a pirate ship by mistake?
Sanji lit a cigarette, pondering whether he'd made a huge mistake, as he glanced at the others.
"I'm fine, but from now on, I'll remember one thing: treasure your life, and stay away from Luffy!" Usopp said, holding his long nose with a newfound resolve.
"So this is Big Bro's captain? So violent! Big Bro, are you okay?"
"Not bad, I'm not dead yet!" Johnny and Yosaku checked on Zoro, only to find him still snoring, completely oblivious to everything around him. They couldn't help but admire his resilience.
"Alright, everyone, let's set sail and catch up with Nami!" Luffy laughed, sitting at the bow of the boat, shouting excitedly.
"Hey, Captain, don't you think you owe everyone an explanation? This is way too reckless!"
"Yeah, you can't keep doing things like this! And with Nami gone, who's going to navigate?"
"Right!" Yosaku, Johnny, and Sanji all yelled in protest, clearly unhappy with Luffy's reckless behavior.
"Huh? Is that so?" Usopp scratched his chin, deep in thought. "Zoro's a directionally challenged idiot, Luffy's an idiot, I know nothing about navigation, you two are useless, and you're just a cook. The only reliable one seems to be Moonlight. Moonlight, you steer the ship!"
Usopp looked up at Moonlight on the lookout, admiration in his eyes, while the others looked unimpressed.
"Hey, hey, hey, who are you calling useless? I may be a cook, but I've lived at sea for over ten years. I know how to steer in familiar waters!" Sanji snarled, his eyebrows curling angrily.
"Kid, who are you calling useless? Believe it or not, I'll take you down! Besides, Johnny and I saw the direction Nami took off in. Without us, no one would know where she went!" Yosaku and Johnny pointed accusing fingers at Usopp's long nose.
"Oh…" Luffy nodded, seemingly understanding.
"No, no, no, I was just… stating the facts. Hey, Moonlight, why don't you say something?" Usopp stammered, waving his hands as he looked toward Moonlight.
"Buzz!"
Moonlight, still on the lookout, was calmly practicing his swordsmanship, slashing crescent-shaped sword waves into the sea. The fierce sword energy sliced through the water, creating powerful waves that pushed the boat forward.
"No way, using sword energy to propel the boat? That's incredible!"
"Moonlight, your sword skills are even more impressive than Big Bro Zoro's!"
The group, who had been arguing moments earlier, couldn't help but be awed by Moonlight's actions.
"This guy…" Sanji squinted his eyes, feeling a chill. He prided himself on his skills, but seeing Moonlight's raw power made him realize the vast difference between them. On the sea, strength was everything.
"Wow, Moonlight, you're really reliable!" Luffy cheered loudly, delighted.
"Reliable? You're missing the point! Look at him, Moonlight's slashing blindly! He's practicing his swordsmanship, not navigating!" Usopp yelled, pointing at Moonlight.
His sharp eyes noticed something no one else had—Moonlight's eyes were closed the entire time, and he was swinging his sword without any sense of direction.
"Huh? Sorry, you were all arguing so much that I didn't know when you'd reach a conclusion. So, I decided to leave it to fate. I'll practice my sword skills while steering, and wherever we end up, we'll leave it to luck." Moonlight's calm response stunned everyone.
"Leave it to fate?"
"Rely on luck?"
"No way!"
The five looked at each other, even Luffy showing a rare look of shock.
Suddenly, they all shouted in unison.
"Stop it, right now!"
"Stop! Your luck is terrible. We're heading in the wrong direction, away from Nami!" Yosaku and Johnny cried out, realizing they were drifting further from Nami's trail.
"Hahaha, Moonlight, you're so funny!" Luffy laughed, finding the situation hilarious.
"Hey, Moonlight, you can't be serious, right?" Usopp asked, staring at Moonlight in disbelief. Was this really the same Moonlight who had fought on par with Mihawk? Leaving everything to luck?
"Alright, enough joking around. If no one else is stepping up, I will. I'm a cook with dreams, and I don't want to get lost right after setting sail!" Sanji snapped, veins bulging on his forehead as he took control. With a whack to each person's head, they all settled down, and Sanji took over the navigation.
Though not a professional navigator, Sanji's knowledge of the sea far surpassed the others. The skies were clear, and with Sanji's guidance, they sailed smoothly until they spotted the faint outline of a shoreline ahead.
"Look, it's an island!" Usopp, who had been watching the horizon with his binoculars, was the first to notice, shouting excitedly.
"It really is!"
"That's great!" Johnny and Yosaku cheered as they saw the faint white line of the island in the distance.
"Wow, an island! That means food!" Luffy's eyes sparkled. An island meant restaurants, and restaurants meant meat.
Luffy could hardly wait.
"Hey, hey, hey, with me as your first-rate cook, why would you need a restaurant? I'll cook for you!" Sanji said coolly, exhaling smoke.
"But this is a small, fast boat with no ingredients, no kitchen tools, and no utensils. Not even a chef can cook without ingredients, right?" Usopp pointed out, staring at Sanji.
"A third-rate chef relies on tools and ingredients. A first-rate chef relies on their heart. No ingredients? Then we'll gather them ourselves. The sea is vast; there's no shortage of food!" Sanji scoffed, gesturing toward the ocean.
"Watch, I'll find a whole load of ingredients in no time!" He said confidently as he prepared to dive into the sea.
But suddenly, massive waves surged around them without warning.