The Girl Adrift and the Coming Fleet
"He's just as protective of Luffy as ever," Moonlight thought, observing the distant figure of Dragon. "He's worthy of being the user of the Wind-Wind Fruit. That storm was terrifying. It seems I need to step up my training, or I'll be at a huge disadvantage if I encounter someone of that level."
The appearance of Dragon had instilled a new sense of urgency in him. He needed to be stronger to protect his companions in this perilous sea. He pulled up his internal status panel to assess his progress.
Moonlight
Basic Swordsmanship [System Grade Not Applicable]
Three-Stage Cut [System Grade Not Applicable]
Sword Draw Lv. 5 (500,000/1,000,000,000)
Raptor's Air Rend Lv. 1 (900,000/1,000,000)
Phantom Sword Dance Lv. 2 (850,000/1,000,000)
Observation Haki Lv. 4 (500,000/100,000,000)
Armament Haki Lv. 4 (300,000/100,000,000)
Conqueror's Haki Lv. 3 (200,000/10,000,000)
His training was progressing well. His Conqueror's Haki had reached level 3, giving him a basic level of control, which would make it easier to practice from now on. The other skills, however, needed more work. The encounter with the tornado had revealed his shortcomings. Only with higher-level sword skills could he hope to stand against a natural disaster of that magnitude. Dragon's intervention had also given him a glimpse of the power of the world's top-tier fighters. He was still a long way from that level. If his strength was insufficient, he would lose his life in this sea. And of course, his Haki training had to be intensified. As they ventured deeper into the Grand Line, they would face a host of powerful new enemies. To navigate these dangers freely, his Haki would be crucial.
With his resolve hardened, Moonlight gripped the Pheasant Sword and stared out at the sea.
After the storm, the rest of the crew had also become more cautious. Usopp focused on repairing the ship, Nami meticulously studied her charts and the unpredictable sea climate, and Sanji poured his heart into every meal, ensuring his crewmates were well-fed and their spirits high. Zoro, spurred on by the challenges they had faced, trained with a renewed intensity. Luffy, for his part, sat on the bow, a pensive look on his face, his thoughts a mystery.
And so, the Going Merry sailed on.
Hundreds of miles away, aboard a massive Marine warship, a young girl with blonde hair leaped from the deck into the sea, using the current to carry her away. Because no one was paying attention, it was a long time before she was discovered.
"Apis is gone!"
"Look, there's someone in the water! It must be Apis! She's escaped!"
"All hands, prepare for pursuit!"
"Report to Admiral Nelson immediately!"
The Marines scrambled, and soon, they spotted the small figure drifting on the waves. In the center of the warship, in a luxurious hall, a corpulent man weighing more than 300 kilograms was enjoying a lavish meal. He frowned as he listened to the report.
"She escaped? That little girl is nothing but trouble. Go after her!" he commanded. This was Admiral Nelson, a high-ranking officer from Marine Headquarters.
"Wait," a man in blue and white stripes with sharp, sickle-like eyes stepped forward, halting the order.
"Eric? It's rare to see you intervene. Do you have an idea?" Nelson asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice.
"Yes," Eric replied with a sharp smile. "The girl is special. If you don't want the plan to fail, you can't launch a large-scale pursuit. The commotion would be too great. Give me a boat. I'll find her myself. It will be much more efficient."
"Is that so? Very well, as you wish," Nelson said, nodding. He had great trust in Eric. A small, fast boat was immediately dispatched.
"I will bring her back to you soon," Eric said with a sharp glance at Nelson. "But don't forget our agreement." He stepped onto the clipper, and with a speed that seemed almost unnatural, it shot across the sea like an arrow, the water parting before it as if cut by a scythe.
A cold glint flashed in Nelson's eyes as he watched him go.
After a night of rest, the Straw Hats were fully recovered and in high spirits.
"Alright, everyone, let's set off for the Grand Line!" Luffy declared energetically.
"Yeah, I've had enough rest. Let's see what this 'gathering place for demons and monsters' is all about," Zoro said, his eyes burning with fighting spirit.
"All Blue, I will find you!" Sanji vowed.
"I will complete my map of the world and become the greatest navigator!" Nami added, her ambition clear.
"I will be a brave warrior of the sea!" Usopp declared, raising his fist.
"I will be the King of the Pirates!" Luffy shouted.
The five of them raised their hands in a cheer, then looked to Moonlight. But he was pointing out to sea. "There's someone in the water."
Their eyes followed his finger, and they saw a small girl floating on the waves, drifting with the current.
"There really is someone!" Luffy exclaimed, his arms stretching out to pluck her from the water and bring her aboard the ship.
"It's nothing serious. She's just exhausted," Nami said after a quick examination.
"Strange. How did she end up out here? Did she run into pirates?" Usopp wondered.
"We'll ask her when she wakes up," Luffy said.
"Is this the girl, Apis?" Moonlight thought, a vague memory stirring in his mind.
A short time later, the girl awoke. "Where am I?" she asked, looking at the strange faces around her. Her eyes then fell on the jolly roger flying from the mast, and she gasped in horror. "A pirate ship! I'm on a pirate ship! I've been captured by pirates! I'm done for!" she shrieked, scrambling to hide.
"Hey, who are you and why were you floating in the sea?" Luffy asked, stretching his arm across the deck to get closer to her.
"Ah! His arms are stretching! A monster!" Apis shrieked, scrambling back in shock. How could a normal person's arm stretch like that?
"Hey, who are you?" Sanji asked, exhaling a puff of smoke as he looked at the retreating girl.
"Ah! Curled eyebrows!" Apis yelped, shocked again as she backed away even further.
"Curly-brow, you can see clearly now," Zoro said with a smirk, standing with his arms crossed. He glanced at Sanji as Apis stumbled back right in front of him.
"Moss head?" Apis cried, seeing Zoro, and her shock finally gave way to tears. She sat on the deck and sobbed. "It's over! Not only did I get captured by pirates, but they're a group of monsters, wah..."
"Moss head?"
"Curly-brow?"
Hearing these nicknames, Usopp couldn't help but clutch his stomach, trying to stifle his laughter. The descriptions were surprisingly sharp and suited them perfectly.
"Shut up!" Sanji and Zoro shouted in unison, turning to glare at each other as a murderous aura began to radiate from their bodies.
"Don't worry," Nami said, stepping forward with a kind expression. She was the only one on the boat who looked remotely friendly. "Although we're pirates, we're good pirates. We're not what you think."
"Yes, little girl," Moonlight added calmly. "We aren't bad guys. If we were, why would we have saved you?"
"You... you really won't kill me?" Apis asked, her sobs subsiding as she looked at Nami's sweet face.
"Like Moonlight said, if we wanted to kill you, why would we have waited until now? We could have just let you drift in the sea," Nami said with a gentle, reassuring smile.
Apis's heart gradually calmed. She sighed. "I ran into a very bad man, and my family was killed by him. I'm the only one left. Please, save me! I'll repay you!" she pleaded, looking at Nami with desperate hope in her eyes.
"A bad man? Why would he be after you?" Luffy asked, flying over again. With Nami there, Apis's nervousness had eased.
At his question, however, she shook her head. "I don't know. I don't want revenge anymore. I just want to go home. Please, send me back," Apis begged.
"Hey, Luffy," Usopp said with a frown, looking out at the sea ahead. "We're not far from the Grand Line. This little girl has a mysterious past, she won't tell us her name, and her story is full of holes. Her purpose is unclear. Helping her would mean taking a huge detour!" As a self-proclaimed master of lies, he could easily see through Apis's fabrications, but he didn't want to expose her just yet. They were so close to their goal; a delay now would be a major setback.
"Usopp is right," Zoro added, cooperating. "And this girl has an unpleasant habit of giving people nicknames."
"I don't know, I think the nicknames fit you quite well," Sanji sneered. Moss-Head Swordsman was a perfect title.
"Say that again, and I'll cut off those curly eyebrows of yours!" Zoro snarled, his hand flying to the hilt of his sword.
"I'd kick you into the sea first!" Sanji retorted, and the two began to argue heatedly.
"Luffy!" Nami said, looking at him pointedly. Her meaning was clear: they didn't have time to get involved in this. They were pirates, not the Navy. Saving her life was one thing, but getting entangled in her problems was another.
"Is that so?" Hearing their reluctance, Apis's face fell with disappointment. To be rescued by pirates was lucky enough; to ask for more help was probably impossible. After all, they were pirates.
"Hey, what's your name?" Luffy asked, his expression softening as he looked at her.
"Apis," she replied dejectedly. All hope was lost.
"Apis, hello! We're friends now," Luffy declared with a wide, bright smile. "And since you're my friend, I'm going to help you. Everyone, change direction! Oh, where's your home?"
"Ah! Luffy, is that true?" Apis's heart soared. A ray of sunshine had pierced through her despair, and Luffy's smile was so warm and genuine that she couldn't help but feel a surge of hope.
"Of course!" Luffy said, patting his chest. He turned to the others.
"Hey, Luffy, are you serious?" Usopp asked, surprised.
"Haha, well, you are the captain," Nami said with a sigh, but then she smiled. "You have the right to decide the course of the ship."
"Hmph," Sanji and Zoro grunted, ending their fight. If the captain had decided, then that was that.
"Moonlight?" Luffy said with a smile.
"I have no problem. I'll follow the captain's arrangements," Moonlight replied calmly, his eyes fixed on the sea. "But I'm afraid we won't be able to stay out of trouble for long. It's already here."
A man with a sickle-shaped haircut was standing on a small boat, riding the wind and waves, speeding towards them like an arrow.
"Huh? An enemy?" Luffy immediately went to the bow to get a better look.
"He's fast. Who is he?" Zoro and the others wondered, turning to watch the approaching figure.
Apis's face, however, turned pale with terror, and she quickly hid behind Nami, her body trembling.
"What's wrong?" Nami asked, but Apis was too scared to speak.
"Hahaha, pirates? And the famous Straw Hat crew, no less!" the sickle-headed man shouted as he approached. He glanced at their jolly roger, then locked his eyes on Apis. With a sneer, he leaped from his boat, flying straight towards them.
"Stop!" Moonlight commanded, making his move. "Sword Draw!"
WHOOSH!
A crescent-shaped wave of energy shot out in a wide arc, the sheer force of it agitating the air. The sickle-headed man, taken by surprise, twisted in mid-air to dodge. The sword energy passed him by and slammed into the sea, carving a deep, several-meter-long gash in the water. Moonlight had held back; otherwise, the man would have been killed instantly.
"Impressive! There's a master on this ship!" the man exclaimed, taking a sharp breath as he landed back on his boat.
"Who are you?" Luffy demanded.