"This… this can't be real!"
After a long moment of silence, one villager covered his face, his voice trembling with disbelief.
"No, it's real. Lord Moonlight, on his own, defeated over twenty Navy ships, including a flagship," another villager gasped, though his face showed nothing but shock. The reality of the situation was undeniable, no matter how unbelievable it seemed.
Hiss!
As the villagers snapped out of their daze, everyone gasped in unison. The sheer strength they had just witnessed was overwhelming.
This was what it meant to be a true master of the seas! To single-handedly cut down twenty Navy ships—such power was beyond comprehension. And the person responsible for this was standing right in front of them: Moonlight, of the Straw Hat Pirates!
"Wow! Moonlight, you're amazing!"
Luffy and the others slid down the mountain, and as soon as Luffy caught sight of the aftermath, his face lit up with pure joy. He laughed loudly, leaping from the mountain to the ship.
"What's the name of that technique?"
Zoro gripped his sword tightly, his eyes locked on Moonlight. Mihawk had taken down Don Krieg's fifty-ship fleet on his own, and now Moonlight had just defeated over twenty Navy ships. But those pirates couldn't compare to the well-trained Navy, and that scythe-headed man was even a Devil Fruit user.
This meant that Moonlight's power had already reached the level of Mihawk, putting him among the world's top swordsmen.
"I thought he was already strong enough, but it turns out I was underestimating him. His potential is like a bottomless pit—limitless," Sanji muttered, the cigarette in his mouth falling out as he witnessed the scene. It landed on Grandpa Dragon, and Sanji quickly lit another one, murmuring to himself.
"I always knew that you, Luffy, and Moonlight weren't normal people—you're all monsters. But now, it turns out that Moonlight is a monster among monsters. He just took down over twenty Navy ships with one sword strike!" Usopp's eyes widened, looking like he had just seen a ghost.
"Everyone's been saying Moonlight is our vice-captain, and after seeing his strength today, I have no objections." Despite her shock, Nami smiled. The stronger Moonlight became, the stronger their crew would be.
"That swordsman… is incredibly powerful! And that was a fleet under Vice Admiral Nelson!" Abis muttered, her eyes filled with awe.
"Captain, all our ships have been destroyed! We only have a few emergency boats left!"
"That swordsman is terrifying! It's a good thing he only cut our ships; otherwise, our casualties would have been far worse!"
"I've never seen such powerful swordsmanship before. Captain, what do we do? Should we retreat?"
The Navy soldiers were in complete disarray. The sudden turn of events had left them in shock. At least half of their men were now in the sea, while the others scrambled on the ruined ships, trying to save their comrades. The officers turned to their captain for guidance, their faces pale with fear.
"Retreat! Quick, retreat!" the captain ordered without hesitation. There was no way they could face such a terrifying opponent. Staying would mean certain death. If Moonlight unleashed another sword strike, they wouldn't stand a chance.
"Swish!"
But before the Navy could make their move, Eric had already snatched one of the smaller boats and was speeding away like an arrow.
"That coward! He talks big, but he's the first to run away!" The Navy captain scoffed, watching Eric flee.
"Luffy, Zoro, everyone…"
Moonlight smiled as he saw his crewmates sliding down the mountain. They had indeed found the thousand-year dragon and uncovered Abis's secret.
But just as Moonlight raised his hand to greet them, he saw Luffy jump from the mountain, heading straight toward him!
Alarmed, Moonlight tried to move, but it was already too late. Luffy's speed, combined with the force of his rubber-powered jump, was almost as fast as a cannonball. By the time Moonlight realized what was happening, it was too late to dodge.
Crash!
A human-shaped crater formed on the deck of the ship.
"Huh? Where is everyone? Where did they go?" Luffy climbed out of the crater, looking around in confusion. Moonlight was nowhere to be seen.
"…"
Everyone stood speechless, staring at the crater where Moonlight had landed. Was this really their captain?
"Hey, Luffy! Moonlight just defended the Merry from over twenty Navy ships without a scratch. And look at you! The first thing you do is damage the ship!" Usopp pulled Moonlight out of the crater and pointed angrily at the hole in the deck.
"Alright, now that everyone's here, let's set sail!" Luffy shouted energetically, leaping to the front of the ship.
"Did you even hear a word I just said?!" Usopp cried, tears streaming down his face.
"Just get used to it," Zoro said, patting Usopp on the shoulder.
"We're stuck with a captain like him; what can you do?" Sanji added with a nod.
Abis: "…"
"Alright, the Merry is intact. Let's get going, everyone!" Nami smiled as she directed the crew. They tied the elder dragon to the back of the ship, following Abis's guidance as they said goodbye to the villagers and set sail.
As a Whisper-Whisper Fruit user, Abis had the ability to communicate with animals. Despite the elder dragon's old age and memory issues, he could still recall key information when it mattered most.
Before long, the crew arrived at a small island.
"Is this Dragon Island?" everyone asked, their faces filled with excitement.
…
At the Navy base, Eric, the Navy captain, and the rest of the surviving crew returned in a disheveled state, causing an uproar throughout the base.
"What?! Captain, you were defeated by the Straw Hat Pirates?"
"They took down over twenty ships with over forty rounds of cannon fire! How strong is the Straw Hat crew?"
"No wonder they have a combined bounty of over a hundred million. They're no ordinary pirates!"
"The Straw Hat Pirates… they're not to be underestimated!"
The entire Navy base buzzed with shock and disbelief.
"The Straw Hat Pirates… dared to stand in my way? I won't forgive them!"
In the grand hall, Vice Admiral Nelson's massive body rose from his seat as he listened to the reports from the Navy captain and Eric. His enormous frame caused the very hall to tremble as he stood up in rage.
Nelson glared at Eric.
"You weren't able to defeat them?" He found it hard to believe. He knew Eric's strength well. How could there be someone on the seas capable of standing against him?
"I could have handled it if it were one-on-one, but the Straw Hat crew is far more formidable than the rumors suggest. They ambushed me," Eric replied. Of course, he wasn't going to admit that he had been beaten in under three moves. It was too humiliating!
"Yes, Vice Admiral. We completely underestimated the Straw Hat Pirates," the Navy captain added. He couldn't admit that a single person had destroyed their entire fleet. Such a report would likely cost him his life.
"Fine, fine, fine! The Straw Hat Pirates dared to disrupt my plans? I'll crush them! Send word to the fleet: prepare for full-scale deployment. We'll wipe them out at sea!"