"The Navy's strength is indeed formidable!" Moonlight thought, his heart tightening as he faced the overwhelming firepower. Even with his level 4 Armament Haki and all his strength, he could barely hold his ground against the Navy's bombardment. The power of a hundred cannons firing in unison was truly terrifying. But what made it even more dangerous was the impeccable command of Nielsen. Without his precise orders, even a hundred cannons wouldn't have been able to pin him down so effectively.
Moonlight glanced toward Luffy and the others. They were still carrying Dragon Grandpa toward the Merry, but they needed more time.
Moonlight's eyes flashed with determination.
"Phantom Sword Dance!"
A barrage of sword slashes exploded from Moonlight's blade. The shadows of countless slashes surrounded him as a massive sphere of sword energy formed, slashing down into the sea, causing the waters to surge and roll with monstrous waves.
"Hm? He's still standing? This swordsman is quite something, managing to hold his own against a barrage from my entire fleet!" Nielsen's eyes gleamed with interest. He hadn't seen such a formidable swordsman before.
"Admiral, we've spotted the Straw Hat crew! They're heading for their ship with the Millennium Dragon!" a Navy officer reported.
"The Millennium Dragon?" Nielsen's breath caught in excitement. Grabbing his binoculars, he scanned the horizon. His eyes locked onto the massive form of the ancient dragon.
"Excellent! Keep the cannons focused on that swordsman—don't let up for a second! Everyone else, redirect your ships and cut off the Straw Hat crew!" Nielsen commanded, his voice sharp with authority.
"Admiral, are you sure about personally going after them with the battleship? Isn't that too risky?" the Navy officer asked, concerned.
"Risky? Hardly. Besides, we have Erik with us. His power is more than enough to handle the Straw Hat crew. And don't forget, this battleship is equipped with the latest invention by the great scientist Vegapunk—the Laser Particle Cannon. What could possibly go wrong?" Nielsen smirked confidently.
"Vegapunk? The Laser Particle Cannon?" The officer gasped in shock. Vegapunk was the world's top scientist, perhaps even the greatest mind in history. If Gol D. Roger had been the king of the previous era, then Vegapunk was the reigning genius of the present. His inventions were unmatched, and the weapon installed on their ship was one of his masterpieces.
"There's no issue, Admiral. But one thing… do we really need fifty ships just to hold off this one swordsman? Isn't that a bit overkill?" the officer asked, glancing toward Moonlight.
Nielsen chuckled. "It's not about defeating him. It's about containment. That man… we can't take him down, but we can keep him occupied. His strength is on par with the Shichibukai. I never expected to encounter such a man in the East Blue. But so what? No single person can stop me from achieving my goal."
With that, Nielsen turned the battleship and began heading toward Luffy's crew.
"Wait… he's on par with the Shichibukai? This Moonlight is as strong as the Warlords of the Sea?" The officer felt like he'd been struck by lightning. He stared at Moonlight, utterly shocked.
Boom!
At that moment, Moonlight's Phantom Sword Dance sent a massive wave of crescent-shaped sword energy crashing toward the sea. The Navy ships responded with another barrage of cannon fire. The sea roared in protest as the cannonballs and sword energy collided, sending massive waves rippling across the battlefield.
The sky above them seemed to tremble from the force of the impact. When the smoke cleared, Moonlight stood unharmed, his sword still raised, ready to strike again. The Navy officer now understood Nielsen's words.
Their cannons couldn't defeat Moonlight; they could only delay him. He had the strength of a Warlord.
Realizing this, the officer no longer hesitated. He ordered the cannons to continue their relentless barrage, trying to keep Moonlight pinned down.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sea between Moonlight and the fifty warships was completely engulfed in waves, with water crashing and surging everywhere.
"Damn it! Their firepower is too strong! I can't break through, and they can't take me down either!" Moonlight muttered to himself, frustration creeping into his voice.
Nielsen's strategy was brilliant. The constant bombardment was powerful enough to keep Moonlight at bay, trapping him in place. He couldn't advance, and he couldn't retreat, because if he backed off, the Merry would be obliterated by the cannon fire.
He glanced back at the Straw Hat crew—they were getting closer to the Merry, but they still needed more time. Moonlight had no choice but to hold the line, trusting that his comrades would make it to safety.
On the sea, no one could survive alone. No matter how strong his swordsmanship was, no matter how invincible he felt, he couldn't reach his goal without his crew.
"Oh my god! Is that really Moonlight? He's holding off fifty Navy warships by himself?" Usopp cried out in disbelief.
They had always known Moonlight was strong, but to this extent? It was beyond their wildest expectations.
"That's not just strength—it's the way he looks out for us. He's doing this to protect us. He truly deserves to be our vice-captain," Sanji said, exhaling smoke as he watched Moonlight, fully recognizing his leadership.
"I agree. I recognize him as our vice-captain now," Zoro said, nodding in approval. It wasn't easy to earn Zoro's respect, but after seeing Moonlight's actions, he fully accepted him.
"A man like that, no matter where he goes, could carve out his own legend. Yet he chose to sail with us, to care for us, to fight for us. How could anyone be more worthy of the title of vice-captain?" Nami added with conviction.
Abis felt her eyes well up with tears. "This is what a real pirate is," she whispered, touched by their loyalty and strength.
"Moonlight, hurry up! We still have adventures to go on together!" Luffy shouted, laughing loudly as he yelled toward his comrade.
Luffy's voice echoed across the sea, reaching Moonlight's ears. A grin spread across Moonlight's face as he lifted his hand, giving a thumbs-up in response.