This was a secret known only to the two of them.
"Here it is! This is my hometown, Warship Island!" Apis announced.
Luffy and the others, following the course she had set, had arrived at a small island shaped remarkably like a battleship.
"That's a very fitting name," Nami commented. The island truly lived up to its name.
"Everyone, thank you so much," Apis said enthusiastically. "If it weren't for you, I might have been buried at sea. As a thank you, I'd like to invite you all to dinner."
"Dinner? Is there meat?" Luffy's eyes lit up, a familiar red glint in them.
"Of course," Apis nodded, a smile on her face.
"Whoa! I want meat! I want meat!" Luffy began to dance with excitement, then took off in a random direction, running at full speed.
"Hey, Luffy! She hasn't even led the way yet! Do you know where you're going?" Zoro shouted after him. But Luffy was already gone, disappearing into the distance. The crew was speechless. The mere mention of meat seemed to possess him, making him deaf to everything else.
"Well, then," Nami said with a sigh. "Let's take a good rest and replenish our spirits before we head to the Grand Line." The Grand Line was no ordinary place; it was the dream of every pirate. No one knew what to expect there, so they had to be well-rested and at their full strength.
"Of course, whatever you say, Miss Nami," Sanji said, his body twisting in a lovestruck dance.
"Moonlight, aren't you coming?" Usopp asked, noticing that Moonlight was still on the boat.
"No, I'll watch the ship," Moonlight replied, waving his hand as he continued to practice with the Pheasant Sword. "Sanji, could you make me a meal before you go?" The closer they got to the Grand Line, the stronger his sense of crisis grew, and he was determined to seize every moment to train.
"Alright," Sanji said, his tone unusually serious. He nodded and went back on board to prepare Moonlight's food.
"That guy... he's already as powerful as a monster, and he's still so diligent," Nami murmured. "In time, he'll surely stand at the pinnacle of swordsmanship, just like Hawkeye."
"Talent and hard work... it's terrifying when a person possesses both," Usopp added, his admiration for Moonlight clear. He was truly on another level.
"He's already at the pinnacle," Zoro grumbled. "Even against Hawkeye, I think he could hold his own, though it's impossible to say who would win." He curled his lip, a hint of frustration in his voice. Everyone had their own way of training. Though he had a body like a monster, he couldn't keep up with Moonlight's relentless practice. But he had his own methods, and he was confident that he would one day surpass both Moonlight and Hawkeye. That was his conviction.
"This person... he's amazing," Apis whispered, a strange light in her eyes. She had seen Moonlight in action, and in her moments of panic, the sound of his voice had brought her a sense of calm. He was a man whose words carried the weight of a mountain, inspiring a deep and unwavering trust.
"Okay, let's go," Sanji said, having finished his work. He gave Moonlight a nod and then headed to the island with the others. Moonlight remained on the ship, the Pheasant Sword a blur in his hands.
[Ding! You have performed Phantom Sword Dance and gained 100x100 experience points!]
[Ding! Phantom Sword Dance has been promoted to Lv. 2!]
[Ding! Promotion requirements met. New skill comprehended: Sky-Shattering Sword Draw!]
[Ding! Sky-Shattering Sword Draw is now Lv. 1 (1/100,000)!]
"A new skill?" Moonlight thought, examining the new addition to his arsenal. Sky-Shattering Sword Draw allowed him to accumulate multiple waves of sword energy, gathering them into a single, powerful slash. The longer he charged it, the greater its power and range.
"This is a combination of Sword Draw and Phantom Sword Dance," he mused. The power of his regular Sword Draw was immense, but its range was limited. Phantom Sword Dance was powerful, but it took too long to charge. This new skill combined the best of both. The skills provided by the system were never useless.
"Sky-Shattering Sword Draw!" Moonlight shouted.
A crescent-shaped wave of energy began to condense on the Pheasant Sword, not shooting out, but gathering into a swirling ball of power. After three seconds of charging, the ball of energy was at its peak, and Moonlight swung his sword.
WHOOSH!
The sword energy shot out like a dragon, a massive, fan-shaped wave that extended for a hundred meters. The scope of the attack was ten times larger than his regular Sword Draw, with a terrifying fifty-meter diameter. The sea churned and raged as the attack tore through it, and countless sea creatures were instantly killed. The waves continued to surge, and the sword energy traveled for hundreds of meters before finally dissipating, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
The power of a single sword slash was truly terrifying.
"If I had this against that Marine blockade, it would have been a lot less trouble," Moonlight said to himself, his tongue clicking in satisfaction. Sky-Shattering Sword Draw was a fearsome technique indeed.
At the same time, the crew who had gone ashore felt the powerful storm erupting from the sea and couldn't help but stop and look back. From their vantage point, they could only see the turbulent water and a crescent-shaped wave of energy.
"What's happening at sea?" Apis asked, surprised.
"It's alright, it's just Moonlight," Nami said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "He's training. It seems he's come up with another powerful technique." She was used to it by now.
"That guy..." Zoro pouted, but he was secretly amazed. Moonlight's talent was truly on another level.
"Let's go," Usopp said with a shrug. "They're a bunch of monsters. I'm fine with being a mere mortal."
"Very well. Time to level up this skill," Moonlight thought, nodding in satisfaction as he began to practice his new technique.
Meanwhile, the rest of the crew, guided by Apis, arrived at the island's restaurant, only to find that Luffy had already beaten them there and was halfway through a massive meal.
"Did he find this place by smell?" they all wondered, speechless.
Apis, however, was a gracious host, and when the islanders learned that the Straw Hats had rescued her, they welcomed them with open arms. They all ate and drank together, and in the blink of an eye, it was late at night. The crew, exhausted and well-fed, fell into a deep, drunken sleep.
In the middle of the night, Apis quietly slipped out of her bed. After carefully checking to make sure that Luffy and the others were still asleep, she packed a massive meal—enough for a hundred people—and tiptoed towards the mountain, moving as lightly as she could for fear of being discovered.
But the moment she left, Zoro's eyes snapped open. He was a swordsman, and though he enjoyed a good drink, his senses were always sharp. Soon after, Usopp, Nami, and Sanji also awoke. Only Luffy remained fast asleep. They waited until Apis was a safe distance away before getting up.
"I knew it," Usopp said, looking in the direction Apis had gone. "I knew she was up to something."
"A little girl being chased by an admiral... to be honest, I never really believed it," Sanji said, lighting a cigarette, his mind now clear.
"So, there's definitely more to this girl than meets the eye," Zoro added, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
"We'll find out if we follow her," Nami said. She then looked at the still-snoring Luffy and sighed. "Is that guy even a little bit vigilant?"
The others were equally speechless. After waking Luffy up and explaining the situation, he was finally up to speed, and his curiosity was piqued. The group quietly followed Apis up the mountain, her small frame struggling under the weight of the massive bag of food. They followed her into a cave and were stunned by what they saw inside. Apis was feeding the massive meal to a giant, ancient dragon.
At the same time, aboard the Going Merry, Moonlight, exhausted from a full day of training, had eaten the meal Sanji had left for him and was sleeping soundly on the observation deck. He was awoken in the early hours of the morning by the sound of crashing waves. He looked out to sea and saw a fleet of at least twenty large Marine warships approaching. In the lead was a massive command ship, and standing on its deck were two figures: Eric, and a Marine admiral.
Eric had returned.
He spotted Moonlight on the observation deck and a sneer spread across his face. "Just as I thought. The Straw Hats took Apis to Warship Island. Now we can catch them all in one go. Admiral, that's the Straw Hat crew, the notorious pirates. Sink their ship and capture them!"
"The Straw Hat crew?" the admiral said, surprised. This was the pirate crew that had been making a name for themselves recently, especially after the incident in Loguetown. He looked through his binoculars and, after confirming their identity, gave the order to fire. "Pirates ahead! All ships, prepare to fire! A warning shot first."
"Heh, the Navy and their pathetic benevolence," Eric sneered. "These are vicious criminals. What's the point of a warning? Just kill them."
The admiral frowned, clearly annoyed by Eric's insolence, but he held his tongue. He had his orders from Admiral Nelson.
"Forget it. I can't rely on you useless Marines to capture Apis," Eric scoffed. "Give me a boat."
"Give him one," the admiral commanded with a wave of his hand.
"Last time, you had the advantage of numbers," Eric said with a cold smile as he boarded a small, fast boat. "This time, I've brought my own army. The advantage is mine." The boat shot across the water towards the Going Merry.
BOOM!
The warning shots exploded around the ship, the force of the blast shaking the small island.
"What was that? An earthquake?" the sleeping villagers on the island were jolted awake.
"Pirates ahead!" the Navy's voice boomed across the water. "You are surrounded! Surrender now, or face the consequences!"
"It's the Navy!" the villagers cried, their faces filled with a mixture of fear and determination. "We have to warn the Straw Hats!"
Meanwhile, Luffy and the others were still in the cave, staring in disbelief at the ancient dragon. It was a legendary creature, a Millennium Dragon, and it was dying.
Apis, seeing that her secret was out, confessed everything. Admiral Nelson of the Navy, having heard the rumor that the bones of a Millennium Dragon could grant eternal life, had been searching for it and had finally found her and the dragon.
"So that's why an admiral is after you," Nami said, a look of understanding on her face. Eternal life... who wouldn't want that?
BOOM!
The island trembled again, and Apis, who could communicate with the dragon, knew instantly that the Navy had arrived. "The Navy has surrounded the island!" she cried.
"The Navy is here?" Luffy and the others were shocked.
"Moonlight is still on the ship!" Usopp shouted.
"We have to get back and help him!" Nami added, her voice filled with worry.
"No need," Zoro said with a calm, confident smile. "With that guy's strength, it doesn't matter how many Marines they send. It's just a gift." He had complete faith in Moonlight's abilities.
"Yeah, I don't know how strong he is, but from what we've seen, he'll be fine," Sanji agreed, lighting a cigarette.
"Apis," Luffy said, his attention still on the dragon. "You said the dragon wants to go home. If he can get back to his home, he won't have to worry about anyone coming after his bones, right?" He seemed completely unfazed by the Navy's arrival.
The others were speechless. Was their captain really this dense?
"Yes," Apis replied, a little taken aback by his question. "He was separated from his companions. If he can get back to his home and find them, he won't have to be afraid of anyone."
"The home of the dragons? You mean there are more of them?"
"I can't wait to see it! I never thought dragons were real!"
"If we can see the home of the dragons, that would be incredible!" Nami, Usopp, and the others were suddenly filled with excitement.
"Alright, I've decided!" Luffy declared. "We're going to help this dragon get back home!"