"On the sea, boarding another's ship without permission is an act of aggression!" Luffy declared.
"I am Eric, a subordinate of Admiral Nelson of the Navy's 8th Branch," the man announced, his voice sharp and authoritative. He glanced at Moonlight with a flicker of dread before pointing a finger at Apis, who was still hiding behind Nami. "You have an important criminal wanted by the Navy on board. Straw Hats, if you don't want trouble, hand her over!"
"The Navy?"
"The 8th Branch?"
"Admiral Nelson?"
"A criminal?"
The crew was stunned, and all their eyes fell on Apis. They were pirates, wanted men and women themselves, but it was clear Eric wasn't talking about them. That meant the only person he could be referring to was Apis. A little girl like her was actually wanted by the Navy? What could she have possibly done to warrant a hunt ordered by an admiral?
They knew an admiral was a major figure, outranking even a captain. A single admiral commanded a fleet of fifty ships and had thousands of men under him. Back in Loguetown, it had taken a massive mobilization of reinforcements just to surround the town and deal with the pirates there. The total force had been less than forty ships. And this Admiral Nelson commanded a fleet of that size all on his own. It was no exaggeration to say that his power was enough to sweep the seas. For such a powerful man to be after a little girl meant that she was no ordinary child.
"Yes," Eric sneered. "You Straw Hats may be strong, but in the face of the admiral, you are nothing but ants. If you interfere with his plans, you'd best be careful."
"Luffy," Usopp whispered, his voice trembling, "do you remember the Navy fleet that blockaded us in Loguetown? This person is ten times stronger than them. If we provoke him, we'll surely die at sea!" He couldn't imagine how a little girl could have drawn the attention of such a powerful man. Faced with that kind of force, what were they but a bug hitting a windshield?
"Luffy, this is a big shot," Nami said, her own voice trembling as she looked at Apis in surprise.
Zoro and Sanji remained silent, but their expressions were grim. This was clearly a very difficult situation. Moonlight's eyes glinted, but he said nothing, his silence a tacit agreement. Indeed, a man like Admiral Nelson was not someone they could afford to offend.
"So, what's it going to be, Straw Hats?" Eric said coldly. "Your course is set for the Grand Line. If you want to get there safely, hand over the prisoner. I can pretend I never saw you. Otherwise, you'll have to face the consequences." The threat was clear.
"So what?" Luffy suddenly said with a light, almost dismissive smile.
"What?" Eric's eyes flashed. Could it be that they were actually going to defy him?
"I'm going to the Grand Line, and I don't need anyone's permission," Luffy declared, his voice ringing with a conviction that was impossible to doubt. "I'll do it openly and honestly. I don't care about some Admiral Nelson or any other pursuers. If they want to stop me, let them come. Apis is my friend, and I'm going to take her home. Anyone who dares to stop me, I'll send them flying!"
"No one bullies my friends!" he finished, his answer clear and resolute.
"Luffy!" Apis cried, her heart touched. She had been sure that, faced with the power of an admiral, they would hand her over. After all, who would dare to provoke such a powerful man? But this strange, rubber-armed captain had just declared her his friend and vowed to protect her.
"Friends?" A new light shone in Apis's eyes.
"It seems the Straw Hats are really determined to fight us to the end," Eric said, a cold glint in his eyes.
"Do you have a problem with your ears, or are you just an idiot?" Zoro said with a contemptuous smirk. "Didn't you hear what our captain said?"
"What's an admiral to us? Just let him come," Sanji added, lighting a cigarette and giving Apis a chivalrous bow. "To think of taking away such a beautiful young lady... I simply cannot agree."
"You guys... he's an admiral," Usopp stammered, but then his expression hardened. "But since he wants to harm our friend... then we'll fight to the end for our friend!" He had been terrified when Eric mentioned Admiral Nelson, but once Luffy had spoken, there was no room for doubt. If Luffy had decided, then he would support him to the end.
"Good, good, good," Eric said, nodding slowly as he took a deep look at each of them. He then turned and left without another word. He had miscalculated. He had thought chasing a little girl would be an easy task, but he hadn't counted on the Straw Hats. Now, even the name of Admiral Nelson was not enough to intimidate them. And with the memory of Moonlight's powerful sword slash still fresh in his mind, he knew he couldn't take Apis by force, not when he was so heavily outnumbered. He had no choice but to retreat for now.
"Everyone... thank you so much," Apis said, her voice filled with gratitude after Eric had gone.
"Don't worry about it. Aren't we friends already?" Luffy said with a bright, genuine smile. "Since we're friends, there's no need to be so polite."
"I was just annoyed at being threatened," Zoro said lightly. "What's Nelson to us? We're pirates. If we were afraid of the Navy, why would we even be out here?"
"That's right," Sanji agreed, nodding. "Since we're going to the Grand Line, we should do it with our heads held high. How can we just give up when someone threatens us? That would be underestimating our resolve."
"Alright, tell us where you live," Nami said, turning to Apis.
"I live on a small island called Warship Island. To get there, you need to sail east," Apis replied, pointing towards the rising sun.
"That way? Okay, no problem! Let's go, everyone!" Luffy shouted, and Usopp immediately turned the helm, setting a course for Warship Island.
As they sailed, Eric returned to the naval base and reported directly to Nelson.
"The Straw Hat crew? The pirate group that just emerged?" Nelson's eyes flashed with a cold fury. "Hah! In this sea, there are pirates who dare to oppose me? Eric, I'll give you ten large ships and twenty cannons. Bring Apis back to me. If you fail, our deal is off." The mere thought of a pirate crew defying him was an insult to his authority. He looked at Eric, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.
"Don't worry," Eric said, a chill in his own voice. "Last time, I was outnumbered because I was alone. But with a fleet like that, the Straw Hats are nothing to worry about. I will definitely bring Apis back to you." He nodded, his face a mask of cold determination. The two of them had a secret agreement, a pact that bound them together in this strange and dangerous pursuit.