CRACK!
As the violent power of lightning descended with the rubber giant's foot—which had instantly swollen to the size of a small hill—it crashed down squarely onto the wreckage of Krieg's massive flagship!
Screams of terror mixed with the crackle of electricity, weaving a dirge of destruction over the sea.
Flames shot into the sky, thick smoke billowed, announcing the complete and utter end of the Krieg Pirates, the so-called overlords of the East Blue.
The figure in the distance descended amidst the thunder and lightning, like a demonic sovereign falling from the heavens. Gin, who had witnessed it firsthand, watched with his jaw agape.
The scene reminded him of being wiped out by Hawk-Eyes's single sword slash, only this was even more exaggerated.
"Just who is this Straw Hat kid?!" Gin muttered to himself.
The giant form stomping down on the warship, directly tearing apart its keel, the lightning enveloping the sea ahead... To Luffy, who had accomplished all this, it felt like just an ordinary, trivial task.
The remnants of Krieg's crew, which he had painstakingly brought back from the Grand Line, were annihilated once again.
This world was no longer the one he knew.
Was this still the East Blue?
Gin's face was deathly pale.
"Hey, Zoro, Usopp, Sanji!"
Practice makes perfect. The side effects of using his giant form had vanished for Luffy. He grinned, looking at the scattered wreckage of the large warship.
"That guy called Krieg was called the 'Overlord of the East Blue,' right? He must have had a lot of treasure! Shishishi, let's go take it!" Luffy said.
"Hah? That's called looting corpses! Wait, no, why are you calling my name?"
Sanji immediately retorted after being named.
"What's the big deal? We're pirates, it's perfectly normal. You'll get used to it if you do it more," Zoro said, patting Sanji on the shoulder. "You're on the crew now, cook. Remember to pull your weight. Luffy did save your restaurant, after all."
Sanji's expression shifted through a series of emotions.
Though he didn't want to admit it, it was the truth.
Krieg and his men were pirates who had been to the Grand Line; their strength was no joke.
In truth, after running the Baratie with Zeff for so long, they'd encountered plenty of pirates causing trouble. They were either driven off by the restaurant's chefs or kicked flying by Zeff or Sanji.
Let's be real, in the world of pirates, you need strength to run a restaurant. Otherwise, how could you handle pirates coming to eat for free every day?
This was a world where strength reigned supreme.
"Wait a second."
The smile on Luffy's face faded slightly, replaced by a rare, serious expression. His sharp gaze turned towards the calm sea to the south. "We have another guest."
His perception was growing keener.
Almost the moment he spoke, everyone inside and outside the restaurant felt an invisible pressure.
A profound silence fell.
The moan of the sea wind, the crackle of flames, even the sound of the churning waves—all vanished eerily in that instant.
Everyone's gaze was involuntarily drawn away.
At the edge of their vision, on the azure sea that had been empty moments before, a solitary black dot had appeared, moving unhurriedly towards the Baratie.
It was a small raft.
Upon it stood a tall, lonely figure.
He was wrapped in a wine-red, frilled long coat, like a gentleman stepping out of a medieval oil painting. On his back was a massive black sword, longer than he was tall, shaped like a cross.
"Huh?" Luffy's eyes widened.
This figure felt familiar. Had someone described him before?
As Luffy was pondering this, the raft reached the shore.
Hawk-Eyes Mihawk stepped steadily onto the deck.
"Straw Hat kid, what is your name?" Mihawk's hawk-like eyes swept over Luffy, finally resting on his hat.
"Monkey D. Luffy. I'm the man who will become the Pirate King."
"Pirate King? A confident dream. But you have certainly shown me a decent fight," Mihawk praised.
Monkey D.?
That name was interesting too. Mihawk had heard that name more than once on the seas.
"But a place like the East Blue is no longer suitable for a man like you. Go to the Grand Line. That is the true paradise for pirates," Mihawk said.
"Eh, mister, are you a pirate too?"
"I was. I suppose I still am."
Luffy's intuition allowed him to sense the beast slumbering within the other man. "You're really strong."
"Heh, that beast-like instinct of yours already shows the makings of Kenbunshoku Haki," Mihawk said with a laugh.
Luffy was very perceptive.
Kenbunshoku and Busoshoku Haki were powers mastered only by a minority of strong fighters, even in the Grand Line.
Geniuses were just different like that.
He had come here to see for himself why a man like Red-Haired Shanks would lose an arm in the East Blue, and what kind of person he was willing to bet that arm, and his future, on.
Kenbunshoku?
To be honest, Luffy knew very little about Haki.
"Shall we have a fight?" Mihawk didn't want to have come all this way for nothing.
"A fight? Sure!" Luffy grinned.
But then, a line of text appeared before his eyes, accompanied by a cold, mechanical prompt:
[Prompt: Designated person has moved beyond a five-nautical-mile radius. Please deal with this immediately. The executor has failed to execute the plan. Changing punishment method, entering Phase Two... Randomizing.]
[Punishment countdown: Sixty, fifty-nine...]
Simultaneously, Johnny and Yosaku came running from nearby, shouting loudly.
"Big trouble! Big Sis Nami, she..."
Luffy looked.
The Going Merry, which had been moored right next to the Baratie just moments before, had now set sail without anyone noticing.
It was moving away from the Baratie at a speed that seemed almost like a frantic escape, rapidly heading for the distant horizon.
Nami's leaving?! What am I supposed to do if you leave?!
Am I going to explode?!
"I'll handle things here."
Zoro, having grasped the situation, came to Luffy's side.
He carried the will of his deceased friend, training relentlessly for his dream of becoming the World's Greatest Swordsman.
He had been waiting for this day!
He had thought he would have to reach the Grand Line before getting a chance to face Hawk-Eyes.
Zoro took the bandana from his arm and tied it around his head, taking a deep breath as he looked at Luffy. "That woman must have run into some kind of trouble. In many ways, she's a troublesome one herself, but a navigator is indispensable on a ship."
"You're the captain. Helping your crewmates is only right and proper. Just like how you protected this swirly-browed cook's crappy restaurant."
"Leave this man to me. I'll meet up with you later with Krieg's treasure and Usopp and the others."
Zoro's voice was resolute.
"Shishi. Zoro, I'll leave him to you, then," Luffy said.
"Yeah, leave him to me."
Trust between nakama was paramount. Luffy felt Mihawk was strong, but Zoro was strong too!
"Usopp, Sanji, see you later!"
Before the words had fully left his mouth, Luffy took a deep breath, spun his arm in a huge windmill motion, and then his arm shot out with astonishing speed.
"Gomu Gomu no... Jet Pistol!"
The moment his hand grabbed onto the ship's sail, his body went flying after it.