Everyone turned their heads—only to see Sandy standing tall on the deck, his long hair flowing in the sea breeze, his robe fluttering like a banner. His face gleamed like polished jade, his eyes sparkled like starlight, and his posture radiated confidence and mystery.
His long robe rustled in the wind; at that moment, Sandy exuded such an immortal aura that even the waves seemed to pause. Countless onlookers—especially the women—were utterly captivated.
A collective gulp rippled through the crowd.
Usopp was the first to blurt out, "Sandy! Are you… are you some kind of immortal?! Sugoi!"
Nami stared, wide-eyed, unable to look away. Is Sandy really this handsome? Oh no, I can't handle this...
Even the Krieg Pirates and the Baratie staff forgot their fights, all frozen as they gawked at Sandy's radiant figure.
Sanji, however, squinted. Something about those clothes looked weirdly familiar, though he couldn't quite place it.
Meanwhile, Luffy—his eyes sparkling brighter than a hundred suns—was already sprinting toward Sandy.
"Waaaah! Handsome! You're so damn handsome!"
He circled Sandy like an overexcited puppy, staring him up and down. Wait a minute… Sandy's hair wasn't this long before.
Without hesitation, Luffy reached out and—
Snatch!
The scene instantly froze.
The wig came off.
Sandy's long hair—freshly bought from the [pheromone system] with Pheromone Coins—was now dangling from Luffy's hand.
His flawless complexion? Courtesy of some System-bought foundation. After all, how else could his skin "shine like jade"?
As for his flowing robe—well, that wasn't System-made. Sandy had literally torn down Sanji's curtains and turned them into a makeshift outfit. The System's clothes were just too damn expensive.
For a few seconds, the two men simply stared at each other. Wig in hand. Silence.
"Nani?!"
"What the—?! It's fake?! I thought that guy was an actual immortal!"
"I knew it! Immortals are just legends! There's no way someone like that exists!"
The crowd erupted in laughter and disbelief.
Sandy snatched the wig back and glared at Luffy. "Can you not mess around for five minutes?!"
Luffy nodded enthusiastically. "Okay! But later, you gotta make me look like that too! It's way too cool!"
"Yeah, yeah, sure. Now get lost," Sandy grumbled, adjusting his "hair" again.
Trying to salvage his dignity, he took a deep breath, raised his sword, and shouted dramatically, "I have a sword that can move mountains, overturn the sea, and, and—uh…"
He froze.
"And what?" someone shouted.
"He's stalling!"
"Is he seriously winging it again?"
Sandy's face flushed crimson. He turned toward Usopp in a panic. "Usopp! What comes after that line again?"
"Uh… 'Break mountains and rivers, establish the universe!'" Usopp replied uncertainly.
"Right! Break mountains and rivers, establish the universe!" Sandy repeated with sudden confidence.
"Eh?"
"Bwahahaha! He forgot his own line!"
"This guy's killing me! What a clown!"
"Hey, you idiot! Want me to write your script next time?"
Sanji puffed on his cigarette, exhaling a cloud of smoke. "Luffy, are all your crewmates this weird?"
Hearing the laughter around him, Sandy's cheeks burned. Damn it! I spent all those Pheromone Coins on wigs, makeup, and even acting skills… and this is what I get?
His embarrassment boiled into fury. Fine then! Let's see them laugh after this!
He tore off his wig and tossed it aside, ripping open his makeshift robe.
Sanji's eyes widened. "Wait a second—those are my curtains! You bastard!"
"Is he… angry out of embarrassment?" someone whispered.
"I don't know, but I've got a bad feeling about this…"
They were right to worry.
On the deck, Sandy suddenly clenched his fist, pressing his middle and index fingers to his chin in a focused stance—like a mage casting a spell.
A transparent spatial vortex shimmered into existence beside him.
From within that swirling void, a blade slowly emerged—High Wind.
"What the hell is that?"
"Is he really gonna—?!"
Sandy grasped the hilt, raised the blade skyward, and roared:
"Space Slash—One Sword Cuts the Sea!"
CLANG!
A blinding flash ripped across the sky, and for a heartbeat, the world seemed to dim.
Everyone froze. Slowly, they turned their heads toward the sea—
And their jaws dropped.
The ocean itself had been split in two.
The wave of energy carved through water and sky, far more terrifying than even Hawkeye Mihawk's previous slash!
Krieg stood rooted to the spot, staring at the gaping trench that now divided the sea. His ship—already damaged—split neatly into four pieces.
"Everyone, move! A massive vortex is forming!"
"We don't have time to fight—secure the ship or we're all dead!"
"My god… that guy's a monster!"
As chaos erupted across the sea, Sandy swayed on his feet. The immense strain of using Space Slash overwhelmed his body—he hadn't yet mastered his Space Fruit powers.
He barely had time to curse before collapsing.
Damn it… pheromone system… you're still not powerful enough…
Darkness claimed him.
...
When Sandy finally woke up, the first thing he saw was Nami resting beside the bed, her head leaning against the mattress.
Wait… what happened?
Where are the Krieg Pirates? What about Luffy and the others?
His stirring woke Nami. She blinked, then immediately scowled and twisted his ear. "You reckless idiot! Do you have any idea we almost died because of you?!"
"Ow! Ow! I know, I know—I'm sorry! It hurts! Let go!"
When she finally released him, Sandy noticed the gentle quiet of the room. Outside, the soft cries of seagulls echoed across the waves. For a brief moment, everything felt peaceful.
Still, curiosity gnawed at him.
Holding Nami's hand, he asked softly, "Nami… are Luffy and the others okay?"