Luffy's Call: My Journey with the Straw Hats

"Conqueror's Haki!"

Sentomaru had just regained consciousness, only to be knocked out again by the terrifying wave of Haki.

"What an incredible display of Conqueror's Haki!" Aokiji, Kizaru, and Kuma all took a step back. A normal user of this power could deter those with weak spirits, but Moonlight's Haki was so powerful it was causing physical damage to the surrounding environment. They had all underestimated him.

"A Conqueror's Will made manifest!" Rayleigh stared at Moonlight, his voice filled with awe. In his entire life, he had only seen five people with such powerful Haki: Roger, Rocks, Whitebeard, Golden Lion, and, just half a year ago, Red-Haired Shanks. No one else, not even the other two Emperors, could reach this level.

"Rending Sword Draw!" Moonlight roared. A massive, crescent-shaped wave of sword energy erupted from him, slashing out in all directions. Everyone on the island saw it—a terrifying arc of power that cut through everything in its path. People, buildings, the colossal mangrove trees, even the island itself seemed to be cleaved in two by this single slash. The powerful Pacifistas had no time to react and were instantly shredded. The sword energy spread out for a full kilometer, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

When the dust finally settled, Kizaru and the other two were shocked to find that Moonlight and Rayleigh had vanished. They stared at the horrific scene around them, their minds reeling.

"The Vice-Captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, Moonlight," Kizaru said, his face grim. "He is an extremely dangerous wanted criminal."

Kuma said nothing, but a trace of relief flickered in his eyes.

Aokiji nodded in agreement. The Straw Hats had been sent flying by Kuma, and Moonlight was too strong to capture. This operation had been a complete failure. Even so, they could at least report back to the Celestial Dragons that they had tried. But this was not over. No matter how strong Moonlight was, he couldn't take on the entire Navy alone.

A massive number of Marines and Pacifistas began to sweep the island, hunting down every pirate they could find. Whether it was Kid, Law, or any of the other Supernovas, they were all being pursued. The Sabaody Archipelago was trembling under a force even more terrifying than a Buster Call.

"So this is the true strength of the Navy?" In the distance, Moonlight and Rayleigh stood side by side, watching the chaos unfold. Rayleigh had just told him that Luffy and the others were safe, explaining where Kuma had sent them. Only then did Moonlight relax. They had both left the battle immediately after his last attack. With two Admirals present, the Navy's strength was simply too overwhelming, even more so than the Buster Call on Enies Lobby. He couldn't handle them all. For the sake of the Celestial Dragons, the Navy had truly moved, intending to cleanse the entire archipelago. This was the invincible power that allowed them to rule the seas.

"Let's go," Rayleigh said. It was no longer safe for them to stay. Moonlight nodded, and the two of them departed.

Back on the Sabaody Archipelago, it was a day of doom for many pirates. Even the eleven Supernovas were walking on thin ice. A single Pacifista was enough to give them trouble, not to mention the numerous Vice-Admirals, and the Admirals themselves. The situation was almost completely one-sided. After half a day, every pirate except for Kid and Law had been captured.

"Captain, it's no good!" one of the Heart Pirates yelled to Law after sending a Marine flying. "There are too many of them, and they're all elites!"

"Withdraw!" Law ordered immediately. The entire island was swarming with Marines. If they didn't leave now, they never would.

"Too late." Just as they were about to act, a brilliant light condensed in front of them, and Admiral Kizaru appeared. Law's heart sank. With an Admiral here, escape seemed impossible. To make matters worse, a large number of Pacifistas appeared behind Kizaru.

At the same time, in front of Eustass Kid, Admiral Aokiji materialized. Seeing him, Kid's face turned grim. Though he was confident in his own abilities, he knew the terrifying power of an Admiral.

"Well, well, the 'Surgeon of Death,' captain of the Heart Pirates, one of the eleven Supernovas, Trafalgar Law," Kizaru said, his tone light but his words carrying an undeniable weight. "The World Government is very interested in you. Why don't you take a little trip with me?"

"You must be joking, Kizaru!" Law shot back coldly. He ordered his crew to retreat while he drew his sword. "Room! Scalpel!" He lunged forward, his blade piercing Kizaru's heart. But the Admiral's body simply dissolved into light and reformed, completely unharmed.

"How is this possible?!" Law's pupils shrank in shock. Before he could react, Kizaru had already kicked him.

"Have you ever been kicked at the speed of light?" the Admiral's playful voice asked.

"BOOM!" Law was slammed to the ground.

"Captain!" his crew cried out in shock and rushed forward. Law struggled to get up, but Kizaru's foot was on his back, pressing him to the ground. He coughed up a mouthful of blood, seriously injured.

"Let go of our captain!" The Heart Pirates attacked Kizaru, trying to free their captain, but their attacks passed straight through his body of light, completely ineffective.

"What a pity," Kizaru sighed, looking down at Law. He raised his foot, about to deliver the final blow. At that moment, a figure suddenly appeared, a flash of sword light sweeping across and deflecting Kizaru's kick.

"BOOM!" Kizaru's light-speed kick slammed into a Pacifista behind him, completely destroying it. The force of the blast continued on, piercing through a five-story building in the town behind them and causing it to collapse.

Feeling the sudden change, Law looked up to see a young man in black standing in front of him.

"Vice-Captain of the Straw Hats, Moonlight!" Law gasped. Moonlight had just saved him from Kizaru's execution.

"Captain!" The Heart Pirates rushed to Law's side.

"You guys get out of here, quickly," Moonlight said faintly.

"I am in your debt," Law said, knowing there was no point in staying. After thanking Moonlight, he and his crew immediately departed.

"Why did you save Law?" Kizaru asked, his face serious. Why had Moonlight appeared here? And why save Law instead of anyone else? Could it be...

Moonlight didn't answer. Instead, he looked at Kizaru and asked, "Kizaru, you're a Navy Admiral. Why are you willing to be a running dog for the Celestial Dragons?"

"A running dog?" The words struck a nerve, and Kizaru's face contorted. Moonlight was cursing him, but he couldn't find the words to refute it. The Navy had come running the moment the Celestial Dragons had called. A simple assault had prompted the dispatch of an Admiral and a force comparable to a Buster Call. What else could you call it but being a running dog?

"The river of life is filled with sinful, red water. We are all just lurking within it," Aokiji said, walking over to join them. He had evidently dealt with Kid. "Whether it's a Celestial Dragon or a running dog, that's no reason for your arrogance."

"Really, Kuzan?" Moonlight smiled softly. "In that case, take a message back to Sengoku for me." He threw a newspaper at them. On the cover was a picture of Ace, with the headline announcing his upcoming execution at Marineford. The news had already spread across the sea. The son of the Pirate King was to be publicly executed, just like his father, as a deterrent to all pirates.

"What is it?" Aokiji asked, his expression unreadable.

"He played this hand very poorly," Moonlight said, emphasizing each word. As he finished speaking, he vanished.

The two Admirals stood there, stunned. He played this hand very poorly? What did that mean? Was he openly despising the Navy? They didn't give chase; they knew it would be futile. They couldn't capture a man like that without paying a heavy price, especially with Rayleigh still around.

As the Navy's purge continued, the pirates on the Sabaody Archipelago were wiped out. No one, not even the eleven Supernovas, could escape. The incident with the Celestial Dragons gradually subsided. The three who had been beaten were still furious that the Straw Hats had escaped, but though Kizaru didn't disobey his orders on the surface, he made no real effort to pursue them. The Straw Hats had already left the archipelago, and finding them in the vast ocean was a near-impossible task. Besides, Moonlight's parting words had left a bitter taste in his mouth.

In the end, Sengoku himself came forward to deal with the matter, and after some venting, the Celestial Dragons finally let it go. They didn't press the issue too hard. Even in their eyes, while Sengoku might be a dog at their feet, he was not an ordinary dog.

"Luffy went to Amazon Lily, Zoro went to Kuraigana Island... did everyone go to a place that will benefit them?" At Rayleigh's place, Moonlight learned the destinations of his crewmates from Kuma. The Paw-Paw Fruit was truly incredible; a single touch could send someone flying for three days and three nights. But most of those he sent flying wouldn't die; they would arrive at a place he had in mind for them. It was no joke when Kuma asked where you wanted to go. He had known exactly where he was sending each of the Straw Hats, and according to the routes, they had indeed all been sent to places that would be beneficial to them.

"Amazon Lily is an island in the Calm Belt, home to the Kuja Pirates. It's not going to be easy for him there," Rayleigh said, writing a letter and handing it to Moonlight. "I have some history with the Snake Empress. Take this letter to her. I presume she won't give Luffy too much trouble."

"One of the Seven Warlords, the Pirate Empress, Boa Hancock?" Moonlight nodded.

"The Thousand Sunny will stay here to be coated," Rayleigh said, pointing to the ship. "When you reunite, you can go directly to Fish-Man Island. Don't worry, nothing will happen to it here."

"That's right, Vice-Captain Straw Hat! Don't worry about a thing! We'll protect your ship!" At that moment, Duval and the Flying Fish Riders appeared, surrounding the Thousand Sunny and vowing to protect it.

"In that case, thank you very much," Moonlight nodded, surprised but grateful. With them and Rayleigh watching over the ship, there should be no problem. Without another moment's hesitation, he used Raptor's Air Rend and shot off across the sea.

"What a terrifying man," Rayleigh sighed, watching him go. The ability to run directly on the sea was something he had only ever seen once before in his life.

As the incident on the Sabaody Archipelago subsided, another storm was brewing, one that would sweep across the entire world. The son of the Pirate King, Portgas D. Ace, had been arrested and was to be publicly executed at Marineford in one week.

When the news broke, the whole world was in an uproar. Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King, was a legendary figure whose name still shook the seas. His son, Ace, was the 2nd division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, also known as "Fire Fist" Ace. The Navy's decision to publicly execute him was not just a blow against the legacy of the Pirate King, but a direct provocation to Whitebeard himself, the king of the seas, known as the strongest of the Four Emperors. In the eyes of Fleet Admiral Sengoku, he was a man with the power to destroy the world, an invincible force: Edward Newgate.

Whitebeard was famously protective of his crew, whom he called his "sons." Now that Ace was to be publicly executed, how could he possibly stand by and do nothing? Everyone could foresee that an earth-shattering event was on the horizon.

At Marineford, the Navy urgently summoned the Seven Warlords. All outstanding naval forces and all officers of the rank of Vice-Admiral and above were recalled. A massive number of troops began to be deployed, and the entire fortress city of Marineford was on high alert, bracing for the coming storm.

At the same time, in the New World, on the sea, aboard the Moby Dick, the flagship of the Whitebeard Pirates, a terrifying voice suddenly sounded after learning of Ace's impending execution.

"I..."

In an instant, the very clouds in the sky shattered.