As the Straw Hats sailed away from Cocoyasi Village, another group of pirates was plotting their revenge. On a newly acquired ship, Buggy the Clown stared at Luffy's wanted poster, a sinister sneer on his face. "You smelly rubber brat... 30 million Berries, eh? It doesn't matter. I finally know where you are. Now, I will have my revenge."
"Oh, after searching for so long, we've finally found the first man who ever beat me," a stunningly beautiful woman with smooth, flawless skin said with a coy smile. It was Alvida, who, after her defeat at Luffy's hands, had eaten the Smooth-Smooth Fruit, making her body so slippery that no attack could touch her. She and Buggy had formed an alliance, united by their shared hatred for the boy in the straw hat.
"Great, Captain!" the beast tamer Mohji exclaimed. "It looks like they're heading for the Grand Line. The next stop is Loguetown, the place where the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, was executed!"
"Not just the straw hat," the acrobat Cabaji added, his eyes fixed on Zoro's poster. "Now I can finally get my revenge as well."
"Men, change course!" Buggy commanded. "Set a course for Loguetown!"
"Yes, Captain! The Buggy Pirates will finally wash away their shame!" his crew roared in response. "Straw Hat boy, just you wait! We're coming for you!"
Meanwhile, aboard the Going Merry, Moonlight was back on the observation deck, training relentlessly. The closer they got to the Grand Line, the stronger his sense of impending danger grew.
[Ding! Sword Draw has been promoted to Lv. 4!]
[Ding! Raptor's Air Rend has been promoted to Lv. 2!]
[Ding! New skill unlocked: Phantom Sword Dance (Lv. 1)!]
[Ding! Armament Haki has been promoted to Lv. 4!]
He reviewed his new abilities. Phantom Sword Dance allowed him to condense his sword energy into a single point, unleashing a devastating, focused attack. The more slashes he layered, the more powerful it became.
BOOM!
Suddenly, the sky grew dark, and a fierce storm erupted. "The wind has changed! A huge wave is coming!" Nami shouted from the deck. "Usopp, change course! Head west!"
"Luffy, scout ahead! Zoro, watch our surroundings! Sanji, stand by! Moonlight, lower the sails!" she commanded.
But Moonlight didn't move. He stood on the observation deck, his eyes fixed on the massive, ten-meter-high wave that was bearing down on them. Then, to the shock of his crewmates, he leaped from the ship and ran across the surface of the sea, his Raptor's Air Rend carrying him towards the wave. He stopped just short of it, his body a blur of motion as he unleashed his Phantom Sword Dance. Dozens of slashes, each one a wave of pure energy, condensed into a single, brilliant point.
The sea churned as the massive wall of water approached. Moonlight met it head-on, his condensed sword energy slicing through the wave, splitting it in two. A clear path opened up on the sea.
The crew stared, their mouths agape. "He... he split the sea wall in two!" Usopp stammered.
"This guy... his swordsmanship has improved again," Sanji said, his voice filled with awe.
"Is there no limit to his strength?" Zoro muttered, his hand tightening on the hilt of his sword.
"Whoa, Moonlight, you're amazing!" Luffy cheered.
"It was nothing," Moonlight said, returning to the ship. "The Phantom Sword Dance is still a bit slow to charge."
"A bit slow?" Usopp said, his voice a mixture of exasperation and admiration. "If that's not good enough, what hope do we have?"
After a long and eventful journey, the Straw Hats finally arrived at Loguetown, the town of the beginning and the end. As soon as they docked, the crew split up.
"My swords are broken. I'm going to find new ones," Zoro announced.
"I want to see the execution platform!" Luffy declared.
"I need to buy some ingredients," Sanji said.
"And I need some new clothes," Nami added.
"I'll go get some new equipment," Usopp chimed in.
Moonlight, as usual, stayed behind to watch the ship. He wandered the streets near the port, and it wasn't long before he heard the sounds of a commotion. A group of pirates, led by a large man with a scar on his face, was terrorizing the locals.
"Hand over all your valuables!" the scar-faced man roared. "We're pirates! If you don't want to die, cooperate!"
"Pirates... in every port," Moonlight thought with a sigh. He waited for the civilians to flee, then stepped into the street, blocking the pirates' path.
"Boy, get out of the way, or I'll cut you down!" the leader sneered.
"Are they all gone?" Moonlight asked, ignoring him as he glanced at the now-empty street.
"What? You insolent brat! You're looking for death!" the pirates roared, charging at him.
"Conqueror's Haki," Moonlight whispered, and a wave of invisible energy washed over them. The pirates froze, then collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
"Colonel, the pirates are over here!" a young female Marine with glasses suddenly shouted, appearing at the end of the street.
"Tashigi? Then Smoker must be here too," Moonlight thought. He vanished from the street just as a man on a strange, smoke-powered motorcycle arrived, followed by a large contingent of Marines.
"Huh? What happened here? They've all been taken down," Tashigi said, surprised.
"We're a step too late. Who did this?" Smoker, the White Hunter, wondered aloud, looking at the unconscious pirates. They had no wounds, no signs of a struggle. It was as if they had all been defeated in an instant.
"It's bizarre," Tashigi said. "Unless it was a Devil Fruit user..."
"Conqueror's Haki," Smoker said, his voice grim. He knew of the legendary power, the qualification of a king. "A person with that power has come to Loguetown. And the Straw Hats have already arrived. Tashigi, notify headquarters. We need reinforcements."
"They've been discovered," Moonlight thought, watching from a nearby rooftop. He activated his Observation Haki, and a map of the town filled his mind. He saw Usopp in a duel with a bounty hunter, Zoro in a weapon shop, and Sanji in a fight over rare ingredients. And Luffy... Luffy was at the execution platform in the center of town, with Buggy the Clown and his crew closing in, ready for revenge.
Luffy, oblivious to the danger, had climbed onto the platform, a wide grin on his face. "Hello everyone!" he shouted to the bewildered crowd. "My name is Monkey D. Luffy, and I'm going to be the King of the Pirates!"
His declaration was cut short by a cold blade pressed against his neck. "Hehehe, Straw Hat boy," a familiar voice sneered. "I've finally found you."
It was Buggy, along with Alvida, Cabaji, and Mohji. They had used Buggy's Chop-Chop Fruit ability to sneak up on him.
"Buggy the Clown!" Luffy exclaimed, surprised.
"That's right, you smelly rubber brat!" Buggy cackled. "Now, I will have my revenge! You want to be the Pirate King? Fine! You can die on the same platform where Roger was executed!" He raised his sword, ready to bring it down on Luffy's neck.
At that moment, from all corners of the town, Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, and Nami came running, having heard the news of their captain's impending execution.
"Luffy!" they screamed, their faces filled with a desperate urgency.
"Nami, Moonlight, Usopp, Sanji, Zoro..." Luffy said, a wide, fearless smile on his face. "Sorry... I'm dead."
"He... he's smiling!" Smoker said, watching from a nearby building, stunned.
Just as Buggy's sword was about to fall, a crescent-shaped wave of sword energy shot out from the crowd, slicing through the execution platform and sending it crashing to the ground. Buggy and his crew were sent flying, and Luffy landed safely on his feet.
"Moonlight, you're here!" he cheered, picking up his straw hat.
"That guy... he's always on time," Zoro said, a wave of relief washing over him.
"Damn it! It's you again!" Buggy roared, his face contorted with rage. "You dare to ruin my plans?! Kill them!"
The Buggy Pirates charged, and the square erupted into chaos. Just then, the Marines, led by Smoker, descended on the square, surrounding the pirates.
"The Marines! We're surrounded!" Nami and Usopp cried out.
"Our goal has been achieved. Let's get out of here before the Navy grows," Sanji said.
But as they tried to escape, a cloud of smoke materialized in front of them, coalescing into the form of Smoker. "A bounty of 30 million, and a bounty of 50 million," he said, his voice a low growl. "The Straw Hat Pirates aren't going anywhere today."
"This guy is strong," Luffy said, stepping forward. "Everyone, stay back. I'll handle him."
"No, Buggy the Clown is coming!" Usopp shouted, as Buggy and his crew broke through the Marine cordon, still intent on revenge.
They were trapped, with Smoker in front of them and Buggy behind.
"Luffy, take everyone and go," Moonlight said, stepping forward. "Leave this to me. We'll meet at sea in ten minutes."
"Moonlight, please," Luffy said, his trust in his friend absolute. He and the others made a break for it, rushing past Smoker.
"You think you can just ignore me?" Smoker sneered, his body turning to smoke as he reached out to grab them. But before he could, a figure appeared in front of him, and a powerful blow sent him crashing to the ground, his smoke form dissipating as Moonlight pinned him with his foot.
"Captain Smoker!" Tashigi cried out in shock. The other Marines stared in disbelief. How could anyone touch a Logia-type Devil Fruit user?
"It's Haki!" Buggy whispered, his eyes wide with a mixture of fear and recognition. He had seen this power before, on Roger's ship.
"Conqueror's Haki," Moonlight said, and a wave of invisible energy washed over the square. Every Marine and pirate, with the exception of Buggy, Smoker, and Tashigi, collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
"It... it was you," Tashigi stammered, her body trembling as she struggled to remain standing.
"Well, Colonel," Moonlight said, releasing Smoker. "That's that. If you plan to continue pursuing us, I won't be so merciful next time." With that, he vanished, moving so fast that no one could track him.
Smoker stood up, looking at the sea of unconscious bodies around him. He lit a cigar, the smoke curling around his face as he sat down, defeated. The power gap between him and that man was simply too vast.