Soon, the Going Merry sailed out of the hurricane's path.
"We're saved!" everyone sighed in relief. That was truly a near-death experience. If they had been caught in that hurricane, the ship would have been destroyed. No matter how strong a person was, in the face of a natural disaster like that, they were no different from an ant.
"If it weren't for Moonlight's timely intervention, I'm afraid we would have been done for," Usopp said, a lingering fear in his voice. The others all nodded. If Moonlight's sword hadn't changed the ocean current, they would all be buried at sea.
"No, you should be thanking Nami," Moonlight said, shaking his head as he looked at her. "If it weren't for her prompt reminder, even if I could have cut the hurricane, we still would have been caught in its path." If she hadn't told Usopp to change course in advance, they would have been at the center of the hurricane, and even he wouldn't have been strong enough to save them. With his current strength, he couldn't destroy a hurricane with a single sword slash. That was a natural disaster. On the sea, the most powerful person was the navigator.
"Yes, Moonlight is powerful, and he can even cut a hurricane in two," Vivi said, a look of awe on her face. "But Nami is even stronger. She was able to predict the arrival of the storm just by the wind direction. I've never met such a powerful navigator." To be able to sense the changes in temperature with her body, even when she was so sick... it was truly amazing.
Nami said nothing, but she gave everyone a thumbs-up before fainting into Vivi's arms.
"Nami! Nami!" everyone cried out in alarm.
"Let's get her to the cabin," Sanji said quickly.
Inside the cabin, Vivi took a simple measurement of Nami's temperature. "Nami's situation is very bad," she said, her face grim. "Her body temperature has exceeded the human limit. If this continues, her life will be in danger. We have to find a doctor."
"In that case, we have to get to the next island as soon as possible," Usopp said, a look of worry on his face. Luffy was making all sorts of strange faces, trying to make Nami laugh, but she was almost unconscious and couldn't even manage a weak smile.
"For Miss Nami's safety, this is the only way," Sanji agreed. Vivi also nodded.
"No, don't stop," Nami suddenly said, grabbing Vivi's hand. "We have to go straight to Alabasta. Otherwise, there won't be any time. Vivi... I'm afraid you were worried, so I hid something from you. I'm so sorry." She took a newspaper from her coat.
"What?" Vivi was stunned for a moment. She took the newspaper, and as she read it, her face went pale, and her whole body trembled as if she had been struck by lightning.
"What's wrong?" Sanji asked, hurrying to her side. He saw the headline in the newspaper: "Rebellion in Alabasta!"
"Has it already reached such a critical point?" Sanji's face turned grim. He had only received the call from Mr. 0 a day ago, and he had never expected the situation to escalate so quickly. At this rate, it wouldn't be long before the entire kingdom of Alabasta fell under Mr. 0's control. No wonder Vivi had such an expression.
Usopp, Zoro, and Luffy were also surprised, and they looked at Vivi with solemn expressions. In this situation, there was no time to delay. But Nami's illness... it was a long way to Alabasta, and in her condition, she might not survive the journey. But Vivi... though she had only been with them for a short time, they had all come to see her as a companion.
"Luffy, everyone, time is of the essence," Moonlight said suddenly. "So, we'll split into two groups. I'll take Nami to a nearby island to find a doctor. The rest of you will go to Alabasta together. We'll meet you there."
"Moonlight!" everyone's eyes turned to him.
"This is the only way," Moonlight continued, his voice firm. "Nami's condition can't be delayed, but Alabasta is already in a state of rebellion. If we delay because of Nami's illness, the consequences will be disastrous. You have the Eternal Pose to Alabasta, right? Just follow the route. Nami and I will find a way to meet you after we find a doctor. See you in Alabasta." He walked over to Nami. "Sanji, prepare two days' worth of rations for us."
"Separate?"
"We're going to split up?"
"Luffy!" everyone fell silent. Moonlight's plan was the most logical one, but since they had all set sail from the East Blue, they had always been together. The thought of separating, even for a short time, made them all reluctant. They looked to Luffy. Though they were reluctant, they knew there was no other way.
"Alright, Moonlight," Luffy said, his voice low. He then raised his head, his eyes firm. "You have to bring Nami back safely. Otherwise, I won't forgive you. And I won't forgive myself... because you are my most important companions!"
"Everyone..." Vivi whispered, covering her mouth as tears streamed down her face. All of this was for her. She had only just joined them, and they owed her nothing. Yet, they were all doing this for her. In this vast sea, how many people like them were there?
"Moonlight, you have to protect Miss Nami," Sanji said, his face a mask of grim determination. "Otherwise, I won't forgive you."
"Moonlight, we have a promise," Usopp said, his own face unusually serious. "We have to meet in Alabasta."
"Go, and come back," Zoro said, patting him on the shoulder, his trust in him absolute.
"Alright," Moonlight said, nodding heavily as he looked at Nami. "Nami, let's go. I'll take you to a doctor." He lifted her onto his back.
"Moonlight... I have to trouble you again," Nami whispered, her voice weak.
"Everyone, see you in Alabasta," Moonlight said with a smile. He then leaped into the sea. "Raptor's Air Rend!" A crescent-shaped halo of sword energy enveloped the two of them, and they shot into the air, moving swiftly across the sea, ten meters above the waves. The sword energy was swift and fierce, rubbing against the air and creating a powerful crescent storm. In the blink of an eye, they had disappeared from sight.
"I knew that guy was powerful and could run on the sea," Zoro said, his jaw completely dropped. "But now it seems he can fly in the air. I was a little worried at first, but looking at this, it seems there's no problem."
"Moonlight's strength is the greatest among all of us," Usopp said, patting his chest, though tears were streaming down his face. "Even if we all added our strength together, we might not be a match for him. There's nothing to worry about with him taking Nami away."
"Since you've chosen to believe in Moonlight, then believe in him to the end," Sanji said, taking a deep drag from his cigarette, his expression unprecedentedly grim. "Besides, that man is the most reliable among us. I believe in him."
"Of course," Luffy said with a bright smile. "He's my vice-captain." Hearing this, the others all nodded. That was Moonlight, their vice-captain.
Thump!
At that moment, Vivi knelt before them, tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry," she sobbed. "It's all because of me..."
"Nami, can you give me a general direction?" Moonlight asked, running across the sea with Nami on his back. He was trying to find a nearby island, but on this vast, chaotic sea, it was a difficult task. Though the Log Pose was pointing in a clear direction, all he could see was an endless expanse of water, and he couldn't help but feel a little anxious.
"The direction is right," Nami said, her voice weak as she reluctantly opened her eyes and glanced at the Log Pose. "Just keep going forward."
"Alright," Moonlight said, and his Raptor's Air Rend flared again as he continued in the direction of the Log Pose. Phantoms and storms of sword energy surrounded him, and his speed was incredible. Wherever he went, the sea churned and the waves crashed.
"What is that?"
"No way... I must be dreaming!"
"That's... someone running on the sea?"
"It really is!"
In a certain part of the sea, just as Moonlight passed by, a huge sailing ship suddenly emerged from the depths. It had four massive iron wheels and sailed on the sea as if it were solid ground. It was a large, amphibious surprise sailing ship. On the deck, countless soldiers looked in the direction Moonlight had gone, rubbing their eyes, thinking they had been mistaken. They had actually seen a man running on the sea. How could such an absurd thing be possible?
"No, you're not mistaken," a strange man with long arms, wavy lips, and a bow and arrow on his back said, his eyes flashing with surprise as he looked in the direction Moonlight had gone. He was an archer, and his eyesight was sharper than an ordinary person's. He had seen it clearly. "There really is someone running on the sea with a woman on his back."
"King Wapol, what should we do? We've found a man running at sea. Do you want us to take him down?" a man with an afro and a thick beard asked, turning to a fat, ugly man with a huge mouth and a cylindrical tin plate for a chin.
"You two idiots! Are you kidding me? How could someone run on the sea?" the tin plate man roared. "Are you saying he's a Sea King? Hurry up and hide! We're waiting for a passing ship! I have to get the Eternal Pose to the Drum Kingdom!" He immediately ordered the ship to submerge again.
"Yes, sir," the two men replied, and though they were full of doubts, they didn't dare to question the king's order. This group was the crew of Wapol the Tin-Plate, and they were using the unique amphibious ability of their ship, the Bliking, to ambush passing ships and find the Eternal Pose to the Drum Kingdom.
"The ocean current seemed to fluctuate abnormally just now," Moonlight thought to himself. "But I can't worry about that now. Observation Haki." He was moving at high speed, but he still extended his senses, trying to perceive his surroundings. He soon felt the abnormal fluctuations in the sea where he had been, but he had no time to turn back now. He continued to move forward.
This lasted for two days and two nights. It was now the third day since Nami had fallen ill, and her condition was getting worse. Though Moonlight had been moving in the direction of the Log Pose, in this vast sea, who knew where the next island was? What was even more terrifying was that Moonlight had been practicing his swordsmanship desperately for the past three days, and now, running on the sea with a person on his back, the burden was even heavier. No matter how strong his physical strength was, he was now close to his limit. If he couldn't find an island soon, he and Nami would both be buried at sea.
"Damn it... is my body at its limit?" Moonlight murmured, feeling his body grow heavier. At the same time, the system's voice rang in his mind.
[Ding! Raptor's Air Rend has been promoted to Lv. 4!]
[Ding! Observation Haki has been promoted to Lv. 5!]
Moving nonstop for three days and two nights had upgraded both his Raptor's Air Rend and his Observation Haki. His speed suddenly increased, and the storm he created became even larger, like a series of small hurricanes. And the perceptual range of his Observation Haki had doubled, enough to envelop an island the size of Little Garden, and he could now see even more clearly.
"I've found it! There!" Under the power of his level 5 Observation Haki, Moonlight suddenly discovered an island ten miles ahead, and there were many people on it. Without hesitation, he took Nami and galloped towards it.
"No, the sea is fluctuating violently! Is a storm coming?"
"It shouldn't be. In this kind of weather, it won't be windy."
"The sea is unpredictable! Watch out for a storm!"
"Captain Dalton, what is that?"
Hiss!
At this time, on both sides of a snow-covered island, many villagers were hiding behind the mountain with weapons in their hands. Suddenly, the sea ahead began to fluctuate violently, as if a storm were coming. The villagers were all shocked and hurriedly asked one of them, a man as strong as an ox and extremely tall. He was the captain of their guard, Dalton, the strongest man in the village.
At that moment, the storm was approaching, and everyone could see clearly. A collective gasp echoed through the crowd. It wasn't a storm at all. It was a man in black, carrying a woman, walking on the sea. It was Moonlight and Nami. They had finally found an island.
"Who are you?" Though he was extremely shocked, Dalton, a true leader, forcibly calmed his shocked mood and looked at Moonlight, his voice filled with a wary vigilance.
"Moonlight, vice-captain of the Straw Hat Pirates," Moonlight said, overjoyed to have found an island. "May I ask..."
But just as he spoke, the surrounding villagers' expressions changed, and they shouted at him, "A pirate! It's a pirate!"
"Get out of here, pirate, or we'll kill you!" They raised their guns, and some even fired, their faces filled with a deep hatred for pirates. The bullets would have hit Nami, and Moonlight had to dodge again and again. But Nami had already lost consciousness, and he was in a hurry. The third day was about to pass, and if Nami wasn't treated soon, her life would be in danger. But he was here to seek medical treatment. If he attacked these people, what if he lost precious time? Ignoring everything else, he gritted his teeth, hugged Nami tightly, and let the bullets pierce his own body as he knelt before them. "I have no ill intentions. I'm just begging you... please, save my companion. She is seriously ill and needs a doctor. I beg you. Please... save her."