Chapter 17"Hee hee hee, then it's decided. Our goal is the Grand Line."Luffy, as the Captain, issued the order."Before that, our obstacle is the Krieg Pirates.""Then we should take action too," Zoro said."Straw Hat, I told you, this has nothing to do with you guys. Take this fellow and head for the Grand Line. This is my logbook, it's yours now." Zeff threw a book to Luffy.A fleet of five thousand men, and the man called the Overlord of the East Blue, Krieg.Even though more than half of it was destroyed by Hawkeye, it could still run rampant in the East Blue."Hee hee, thanks for the logbook." Luffy took it and threw it to Usopp.He didn't see Nami, so he let Usopp keep it for now.In a battle between pirates, there is no such thing as retreat; they had long since cast aside the thought of life and death.But this time..."Hey, Zoro, I'll leave that Hawkeye to you. As for this crowd, leave them all to me."Luffy's words made Zoro freeze for a moment, then he responded, "Then let me look forward to it a little, you idiot Captain.""Aren't you just sending him to his death?!" Sanjicursed loudly as he watched Luffy rush out.Then you don't understand our Captain...."We're saved!""Food, food! I didn't think we'd survive this!""We survived that pirate graveyard!"Krieg sat upon his throne and laughed arrogantly. "That's right, boys! Are you ready to go back and conquer the Grand Line?!"Drip, drop.Scattered raindrops began to fall, and dark clouds shrouded the sky above the Baratie."Is it going to rain?"Krieg stood up, preparing to take over his new ship."Boys, are you ready?!""We're ready!"A person's voice suddenly came from the sky.Everyone looked up at the sky.Sanji, Zoro, and the others also ran out, staring blankly at the figure in the sky, murmuring to themselves, "What... what is that?""That's our Captain."Watching this scene, Zoro couldn't help but feel his heart surge with excitement."Remember, cook, you can choose not to listen to this ship's Captain normally, but in battle, you do whatever he says."Zoro said, "This isn't some pirate game of house.""Rubber... Giant, Lightning Battle Axe!"The punishment of lightning is certainly a form of attack. Since his hand can become a giant's fist, his leg can naturally become a giant's battle axe.Lightning spread through it.On this day, people once again recalled the fear of being dominated by a giant.Chapter 19: What Will I Do If You Leave?Crack!As the violent power of thunder followed that Rubber giant foot—which had instantly expanded like a small mountain—it crashed down and struck Krieg's massive flagship wreckage squarely!Miserable screams mixed with the crackling of electricity, weaving a funeral dirge of destruction across the sea.Flames shot into the sky and thick smoke rolled, announcing the complete end of the East BlueOverlord, the Krieg Pirates.The figure in the distance descended amidst the thunder and lightning like a demon-subduing lord from the heavens. Gin, having experienced it firsthand, watched this scene with his mouth wide open.This scene was like a callback to the moment they were wiped out by Hawkeye's single sword strike, perhaps even more exaggerated."Just who is this Straw Hat kid?!" Gin muttered to himself.In his giant form, his foot stepped on the ship, directly tearing the keel apart. Lightning shrouded the sea ahead. After doing all this, Luffy felt like he was just doing something ordinary.The remnants of the defeated army that Krieg had painstakingly brought back from the Grand Linewere wiped out once again.The world was no longer as he knew it.Is this still the East Blue?Gin's face was deathly pale."Hey, Zoro, Usopp, Sanji!"Practice makes perfect; the side effects of Luffy's giant form had disappeared. He grinned as he watched the massive flagship ahead fall apart into pieces."That guy called Krieg just now was called some Overlord of the East Blue, so there should be plenty of treasure, right? Hee hee hee, let's go snatch the treasure!" Luffy said."Huh? That's called looting corpses. Wait, why are you calling me?"Sanji immediately retorted after being called out."What? We're pirates, this is perfectly normal. You'll get used to it after doing it a few more times."Zoro patted Sanji on the shoulder."Cook, you're already on the ship, remember to put in some effort. Luffy did save your restaurant, after all."The expression on Sanji's face shifted repeatedly.Though he didn't want to admit it, it was a fact.Krieg's group were pirates who had once been to the Grand Line; their strength was no joke.In fact, having run the Baratie with Zeff for so long, they had encountered many pirates coming to cause trouble. They were either driven away by the chefs on the ship or kicked away by Zeff and Sanji.Are you kidding? In the pirate world, you need strength to run a restaurant; otherwise, how could you stand pirates coming to eat for free every day?This is a world where strength is paramount."Wait a moment."The smile on Luffy's face faded slightly, replaced by a rare serious expression. His sharp gaze turned toward the calm sea to the south. "Another guest has arrived."His perception was becoming more and more acute.Almost the instant his words fell, everyone inside and outside the restaurant felt an invisible pressure.Everything fell silent.The wailing of the sea breeze, the crackling of the flames, and even the surging sound of the waves eerily vanished at this moment.Everyone's gaze was involuntarily drawn toward that direction.At the end of their vision, on the previously empty blue sea, a solitary black dot had appeared at some point.It was a raft.It was sailing toward the Baratie at an unhurried pace.A tall, lonely figure stood upon the raft.He was wrapped in a wine-red lace-trimmed coat, looking like a gentleman stepped out of a medieval oil painting, with a massive cross-shaped black blade on his back that was longer than he was tall."Hmm?" Luffy's eyes widened.This image felt familiar. Had someone described him before?Just as Luffy was pondering.The raft reached the shore.Hawkeye Mihawk stepped onto the deck with steady strides."Straw Hat, what is your name?" Mihawk's hawk-like gaze swept over Luffy, finally resting on his hat."Monkey D. Luffy. I'm the man who's going to be the Pirate King.""Pirate King? A very confident dream, but you have indeed let me witness a decent battle," Mihawkpraised.Monkey D.?This name was also very interesting. Mihawk had heard this name more than once on the great seas."However, a place like the East Blue is no longer suitable for a man like you. Go to the Grand Line; that is the paradise for pirates," Mihawk said."Eh, old man, are you a pirate too?""I used to be, and I suppose I still am now."Luffy's intuition allowed him to feel the beast dormant within the other man. He said,"You're very strong.""Heh, your beast-like instinct already has the embryonic form of Observation Haki." Mihawksmiled.Luffy was very sharp.Even on the Grand Line, Observation Haki and Armament Haki were powers that only a few strong individuals could master.Genius is just that extraordinary.He had come on this trip because he wanted to see why a man like Red-Haired Shanks would lose an arm in the East Blue, and what kind of capability the existence he was willing to bet his arm and the future on actually possessed.Observation Haki?To be honest, Luffy knew very little about Haki."Do you want to have a battle with me?" Mihawkdidn't want to have come for nothing."A fight? Sure!" Luffy grinned.Suddenly, a string of characters accompanied by a cold notification sound appeared before his eyes.[Warning: Target has moved more than five nautical miles away. Please handle immediately. Target has failed to execute the plan. Changing punishment method. Entering phase two... Randomizing.][Punishment countdown: sixty, fifty-nine...]At the same time, Johnny and Joseph ran over from not far away, shouting loudly."This is bad! Big Sis Nami..."Luffy looked over.He saw that the going merry, which had been moored next to the Baratie just moments ago, had set sail at some point.It was sailing away from the Baratie at a speed that was almost like an escape, heading rapidly toward the distant horizon.What am I going to do if Nami leaves?!Is it going to explode?"Leave this place to me."Zoro, having cleared up the situation, came to Luffy's side.He carried the final wish of his best friend and had practiced hard for his dream of becoming the world's greatest swordsman.It was all for this day!He had originally thought he would only have the chance to encounter Hawkeye once he reached the Grand Line.Zoro took the bandana from his arm, took a deep breath, and looked at Luffy. "That woman must have run into some trouble. Although she's a troublesome person in every respect, a navigator is indispensable on a ship.""You are the Captain; solving problems for your crewmates is only natural. Just like how you saved this crappy restaurant for this curly-browed cook.""Leave this man to me. I'll meet up with you later, bringing Krieg's treasure and Usopp's group."Zoro's voice was firm and decisive."Hee, Zoro, then I'll leave him to you," Luffy said.
