The Biking(wapol ship ), though an amphibious surprise sailing ship, was now just an ordinary sailboat on the sea. But its four large iron wheels were still turning, propelling it through the water at a fast speed. Nami was at the bow, observing the ocean currents and weather while keeping an eye on the Log Pose. Luffy, on the other hand, was not worried at all; his face was a mask of pure excitement and fighting spirit. Zoro and the others couldn't help but be speechless. Was it really a good idea to let this guy be their captain? But they were all ready to fight, because the enemy was already here.
At that moment, a gentle voice suddenly rang out, and a man leaped onto the boat. He was in his twenties, with black hair, a few freckles on his cheeks, and a red beaded necklace around his neck. He was shirtless, and on his left arm was a tattoo of the letters ASCE. A dagger was tucked into his belt, and he wore a pair of black shorts. He was now squatting behind Luffy, lightly pressing an orange cowboy hat onto his head as he smiled at everyone.
"Who?"
"An enemy?" Zoro and Sanji immediately went on alert. Usopp also raised his slingshot, ready to attack.
"Ace!" But Luffy just smiled brightly. This was the man he had met in town, the one who had stopped Smoker. This was his good brother. "Everyone, this is my brother, Ace!"
"You have a brother?"
"Ace?"
"Not an enemy?" Zoro breathed a sigh of relief, but then he looked at Ace with surprise. He had never heard Luffy mention an older brother.
"Sorry, my brother has caused you some trouble," Ace said with a gentle smile.
"Haha, it's nothing," Sanji laughed. "I'm just surprised that Luffy actually has an older brother."
"Luffy's brother looks much more reliable than him," Usopp said, comparing the two with a surprised look. He couldn't believe they were actually brothers.
"Luffy, this is not the time for a family reunion," Zoro said, his hand on the hilt of his sword as he looked at the approaching ships of the Baroque Works Billion-Elders. There were five of them, and they were quickly surrounding them. From a distance, they could already hear their taunts.
"Kill them! They're the Straw Hat crew, the ones the boss wants!"
"Haha, after we take care of them, I'll be a Million-Elder!"
"Straw Hats, come and die!"
Hearing this, the expressions of Sanji and the others grew serious. These were not easy opponents. They were ready to fight.
"Leave this to me," Ace said with a soft smile. And then, to the surprise of everyone, he leaped from their boat and headed straight for the approaching fleet. He stood on his small boat, his hands in his pockets, completely unfazed by the five massive sailing ships before him.
"Ace is his brother?" everyone wondered, their curiosity piqued. "I wonder how strong he is. He must be stronger than Luffy."
"Of course," Luffy said with a proud smile. "Even when I use my rubber abilities, I'm no match for him."
At that moment, Ace leaped into the air, and his lower body erupted into a raging flame, carrying him over the five ships. The next moment, a massive fist of fire shot out. "Fire Fist!" Ace yelled, and the huge fist of fire tore through all five of the Billion-Elder ships, breaking them apart and setting them ablaze. Countless agents were sent flying into the sea, their ships reduced to pieces of burning wood.
"So strong," Zoro's eyes shone with a bright light.
"Sure enough, much stronger than Luffy," Sanji said, taking a deep drag from his cigarette.
"Are they really brothers?" Usopp said, a look of suspicion on his face. The gap between them was too great.
"He took out five ships with a single punch," Vivi said, stunned.
But it wasn't over. At the same time, behind them, a massive, crescent-shaped wave of sword energy suddenly shot out. The sea howled as it was split in two, and the Marine ship carrying Smoker and his men was sliced in half. Countless Marines were thrown into the water, and Smoker himself was in a panic. If Tashigi hadn't grabbed him in time, he would have fallen in as well.
A figure in black, a longsword in his hand, stood quietly on the surface of the sea, looking at Smoker's group with a calm, indifferent expression. It was his masterpiece that had stopped the pursuing Marines.
"It's Moonlight! It's Moonlight!"
"Great! Hello, Moonlight!"
"You're here!" Luffy and the others cheered. The figure in front of them was none other than Moonlight. At this critical moment, he had finally arrived.
"What a strong swordsman," Ace's pupils shrank, his eyes fixed on Moonlight. He could feel a terrifying sword intent radiating from him, even stronger than the one on their own ship.
"Everyone?" Hearing their cheers, Moonlight smiled faintly. He glanced at Smoker and the others and then shot towards the Going Merry.
"Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, Vivi... how are you all?" At the same time, Nami leaned over the railing of the Bliking, shouting excitedly from a distance.
"It's Nami!"
"Great! Nami's finally well!"
"Nami!" everyone cheered. At long last, the members of the Straw Hat crew were reunited.
"Damn it, that swordsman again," Smoker growled, looking at Moonlight with a bitter expression. It was him again. In the face of such power, he couldn't help but feel a sense of weakness.
"A single sword slash cut our ship in two," Tashigi said, her face extremely pale. She recalled the sword slash Moonlight had used before, and a flash of shock appeared in her eyes. "His swordsmanship... I feel like it's on the same level as Hawkeye's."
"Sir, should we still pursue?" a fallen Marine asked.
"No, it's useless," Smoker said, waving his hand. "Now that the Straw Hats are all together, we're no match for them alone. Everyone, retreat. Tashigi, contact headquarters. I need support." Moonlight alone was incredibly powerful, and now that the others were with him, he knew they had no chance.
On the Going Merry, everyone gathered, their faces filled with a joyous excitement.
"Except for the captain, who needs to be replaced, everything else is fine," Usopp said with a grin, glancing at Luffy.
"Miss Nami, long time no see! You're even more charming," Sanji said, a lovestruck look on his face as he floated around her.
"Hmph," Zoro grunted, but a look of relief was on his face. Nami was alright, and he was happy about that.
"Vivi!" Nami said, and Vivi, covering her mouth, her eyes filled with tears, suddenly threw herself into Nami's arms.
"Nami, I... I..."
"It's alright. We're companions, aren't we?" Nami said, stroking her back comfortingly.
"Yes, we're companions," Vivi nodded.
"Haha," everyone looked at each other and smiled. Ace, seeing this scene, couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. His younger brother had found a group of very good friends, friends worth entrusting his life to.
"Huh? Why is there a tanuki?" Luffy suddenly asked, seeing Chopper hiding behind Moonlight.
Chopper was at the helm, and Moonlight was practicing his sword.
"Moonlight, besides you and Nami, are there any other people on the ship? Are they easy to get along with?" Chopper asked, looking at Moonlight curiously. It was his first time at sea, and he was curious about everything, especially the other members of the Straw Hat crew.
Moonlight ignored him, concentrating on his training, but Nami smiled slyly and began to introduce the others. "Of course. They'll be very happy to see you. There's a rubber man who also ate a Devil Fruit. He's our captain, and he'll definitely like you very much, but he's very unreliable and always causing trouble. And a liar who always claims to have a terminal illness when he doesn't want to go to an island. I'm sure he'll be happy to see you and ask for some medicine. There's also a cook with curly eyebrows and a swordsman. They're super amazing. And there's a princess."
"Wow, they all sound so interesting," Chopper's eyes widened with anticipation.
"Well, once we get to Alabasta, you'll be able to see them," Nami smiled.
"I really want to see everyone now," Chopper said, pointing to Moonlight. "Everyone must be as good as Moonlight."
"This... Moonlight is the strongest on our ship," Nami said after a moment's pause. "No one can compare to him in terms of strength. But everyone has their own strengths. For example, a famous doctor like you, Chopper. Your medical skills are the most amazing I've ever seen. Even Moonlight can't compare to you in that. With you on board, we don't have to worry about getting sick again."
"Well, haha, even if you call me a famous doctor, I won't be happy," Chopper said, a happy blush on his face.
At that time, Moonlight was practicing his sword intently, ignoring the conversation between Nami and Chopper. It had been a day since they had left Drum Island, and according to Vivi, they were now very close to Alabasta. The speed of the Bliking was truly incredible. Moonlight didn't dare to be complacent and practiced frantically. After all, once they arrived in Alabasta, they would have to face not only Crocodile and his senior agents, but also the Navy and the rebel army led by Koza. This was a large-scale turmoil, and if they wanted to help Vivi quell the civil strife, it wouldn't be solved with just a few words. And the Navy in the Grand Line was much stronger than the Navy of the East Blue. Only by increasing his strength could he face this riot safely.
[Ding! Armament Haki has been promoted to Lv. 5!]
Finally, his Armament Haki had been upgraded again. Looking at his current stats, Moonlight felt a little more confident.
Moonlight
Basic Swordsmanship [System Grade Not Applicable]
Three-Stage Cut [System Grade Not Applicable]
Sword Draw Lv. 5 (50,000,000/1,000,000,000)
Raptor's Air Rend Lv. 4 (5,000,000/10,000,000)
Phantom Sword Dance Lv. 3 (8,000,000/10,000,000)
Sky-Shattering Sword Draw Lv. 1 (900,000/1,000,000)
Observation Haki Lv. 5 (5,000,000,000/10,000,000,000)
Armament Haki Lv. 5 (1,000,000/10,000,000,000)
Conqueror's Haki Lv. 3 (5,000,000/10,000,000)
With the exception of his Conqueror's Haki, his Observation and Armament Haki had both reached level 5. This level of Haki was already very powerful, and unless he faced a very tricky Devil Fruit ability, it would be enough to get him through the first half of the Grand Line. His sword skills had also reached a new stage, especially his Sword Draw, which was now close to level 6. At level 6, sword, man, and Haki would all be closely linked, and eventually, the three would become one and create a black blade. A swordsman with that kind of skill would dominate the world. A single look would be enough to make a weak person collapse. This was also the realm of Hawkeye.
"A black blade... I'm looking forward to it," Moonlight thought with a soft smile.
At that moment, the coast appeared before him, and a bustling town was faintly visible. "We're here. This is the port of Alabasta," he thought. Then, he heard Nami's cheers.
"Moonlight, look! It's the Merry!"
"The Merry?" Moonlight's heart moved, and he looked in the direction Nami was pointing. Sure enough, he saw the Going Merry leaving the town, about to set sail. But it seemed they were in a bit of trouble. They were being chased by a large group of people, and among them were Smoker and Tashigi.
"Is that everyone?" Chopper asked, his voice filled with an excited anticipation. He could finally see the other members of the Straw Hat crew.
"Moonlight, Luffy and the others seem to be in a bit of trouble," Nami said, a worried look on her face. "It looks like they're being chased."
"Yes, they are," Moonlight said, nodding. He had already seen Smoker. He leaped into the sea.
"Ah, Moonlight jumped down!" Chopper cried, about to jump in after him to save him. But Nami stopped him.
"Chopper, remember," she said with a slight chuckle. "On this ship, except for Moonlight, you can save anyone who falls into the sea."
"Why?" Chopper asked, confused. But soon, he understood. He saw Moonlight running quickly on the sea. "Ah... he can run on the sea?" Chopper's mouth was wide open in surprise.
On the Going Merry, Sanji's face was a mask of grim determination as he looked at the ships of the Baroque Works Billion-Elders that were blocking their path, and the Navy, led by Smoker, that was chasing them from behind. "Luffy, didn't you just say to keep things quiet and try not to cause a commotion? That's why we changed our clothes and disguised ourselves. Why did it cause so much trouble?"
They were trapped. The Billion-Elders and Smoker were not easy opponents, and now, being chased by both of them at the same time... this was going to be tricky.
"Luffy, you idiot!" Zoro gritted his teeth, his hand on the hilt of his sword. This was going to be a tough fight.
"Hey," Luffy said with a sudden grin, a look of pure excitement on his face. "Sorry, my brother is causing you trouble. These guys... let me take care of them."