Luffy's Call: My Journey with the Straw Hats

"Where would you like to travel?"

With those final words from Kuma, Perona vanished in a stunned expression. After that, the Warlord did not linger. He gave Moonlight one last, deep look before turning and leaving, moving so fast that no one saw how he disappeared.

Ace has been captured... he's going to be executed? Moonlight murmured to himself, recalling what the bear had just told him. Kuma was a cadre of the Revolutionary Army, a mole hidden within the ranks of the Seven Warlords. A major incident had recently occurred: the son of the Pirate King, Portgas D. Ace, had been captured by Blackbeard and handed over to the World Government in exchange for a Warlord position. The Navy planned to execute Ace publicly as a deterrent to all pirates.

Despite everything, Ace had not escaped his fate. Moonlight sighed, his gaze turning to the battlefield where the fight was winding down. Gecko Moria had been defeated, Hogback and Absalom had fled, and Perona had been sent flying by Kuma to some unknown place. Everyone had gotten their shadows back. Victory was theirs.

Though the demonic black mist still swirled in the Florian Triangle, a single ray of sunlight had already broken through.

"Straw Hat, thank you so much!" Lola and her crew, now restored to their original forms, gathered to thank Luffy. Lola was now an obese woman, and while still unconventional in appearance, she was a significant improvement over her previous sow-zombie form. She immediately proposed to Luffy and the others.

They all, naturally, rejected her. Even Sanji refused without a moment's hesitation.

"What a pity. Another failed proposal," Lola sighed dramatically. She was known among her crew as "Lola the Proposer," and she had asked every man present to marry her, with two exceptions: Brook and Moonlight. Brook was a skeleton, and even she wasn't interested in marrying a skeleton. Moonlight's gaze, however, was as cold as ice; just meeting his eyes felt like being frozen solid. She wouldn't dare be so presumptuous with him.

Luffy and the others finally breathed a sigh of relief. This had been an unprecedentedly strong enemy, and it was clear that the deeper they ventured into the Grand Line, the stronger their opponents would become. Although Luffy's Gear Third was surprisingly powerful, its side effects were also significant. With the battle over, the crew finally rested, utterly exhausted both physically and mentally. Even a beast of a man like Zoro felt tired. Seeing this, Brook took out his violin and began to play a round of "Binks's Brew" for everyone. Under the soothing melody, the sun shone down upon them. Unconsciously, they had finally drifted out of the haunted sea.

"Luffy..." Moonlight hesitated. Should he tell Luffy the news about Ace? If Luffy knew, he would undoubtedly want to charge the Navy Headquarters immediately. Just fighting Gecko Moria had pushed them to their limits. If they faced the full might of the Navy, a place filled with masters, the Straw Hat Pirates would surely be swallowed whole. Even Moonlight wasn't confident they could survive. But Luffy had to know. He took a breath, about to speak, when Lola suddenly approached.

Everyone looked at her warily. Usopp had already formulated a new excuse to refuse her next proposal, but Lola simply took a piece of paper from her pocket. It was a Vivre Card.

"Thank you for saving us," she said seriously. "But I have one more thing to ask. Are you heading to the New World? If you meet my mother there, please tell her that I'm safe and not to worry." She held out the card. "This is my mother's Vivre Card. Take it; it will lead you to her."

"A Vivre Card?" everyone asked curiously.

The sight of the card sparked a memory for Luffy. He clapped his hands together. "That's right! I remember Ace gave me a card just like this when he left!" He quickly took off his straw hat. "I think Nami sewed it inside for me." Luffy reached into his hat and pulled out a similar piece of paper. But this Vivre Card was burning red hot, and only a tiny corner remained.

"How could this be?" Luffy asked, his voice filled with surprise.

Lola's face became extremely solemn. "A Vivre Card is a special piece of paper that reflects its owner's life force. Mr. Luffy, whoever owns this card... their life is like a candle in the wind, about to be extinguished at any moment."

"Ace... what happened to you?" Luffy's heart sank.

"Ace?" Zoro and the others looked on, their expressions grim. Ace was Luffy's brother. Though they had only spent a short time with him, they had all formed a deep friendship.

"Luffy, the Vivre Card is pointing toward the New World," Nami said, her voice gentle as she pointed in the direction the smoldering paper was pulling. "In that case, let's set off."

"Right," Luffy nodded without hesitation. The crew immediately prepared to depart.

Seeing this, Moonlight nodded silently. He had been struggling with how to break the news to Luffy, but now he didn't have to. Luffy knew Ace was in trouble. The only question now was how to get to Marineford. Before they did, he knew he had to raise his own strength even further. Although his skills were enough to contend with an Admiral, the Navy Headquarters was the dragon's den, the most dangerous place on the entire sea. Rescuing Ace from such a place would be incredibly difficult. However, since the Navy intended to use Ace as a public deterrent, they wouldn't act too quickly. They still had time.

Before leaving, Luffy turned to Brook with a solemn expression. "Brook, be my partner. Be our musician."

Brook was stunned, and a glint of tears flashed in his hollow eye sockets. A skeleton could not cry, but this invitation was completely different from the last. Before, it might have been out of simple curiosity, but now, having fought alongside them and shared in their hardships, they understood one another. This invitation was real. Brook was incredibly moved. He truly liked this group of pirates. But as an old ghost who had drifted alone for a century, he had grown accustomed to solitude and couldn't help but hesitate.

"Okay, I promise," he said finally. After a hundred years adrift, he had grown used to anything. He pondered for only a moment before resolutely agreeing. "But first, I have a promise to keep with a friend at Twin Capes. Fifty years have passed now. I don't know what's become of him, but I have to go and tell him that I'm still alive. After that, I will officially join you..." As Brook spoke, the image of Laboon couldn't help but appear in his mind.

"Twin Capes?"

"A friend?"

The crew exchanged confused glances before Luffy blurted out, "Wait, the friend you're talking about... is it a whale named Laboon?" There were only two beings at Twin Capes: one man and one whale. The man was the doctor for the Roger Pirates, so he wouldn't be waiting for Brook. That only left Laboon.

"How do you know Laboon?" Brook was stunned.

After everyone explained, Brook nodded immediately. The tenth member of the Straw Hat Pirates, Brook, had joined. It was as if destiny itself was weaving their paths together, bringing them to this fateful moment.

The crew quickly left the Florian Triangle, their next stop pointing towards Fish-Man Island. Brook's joining was like a shot in the arm for the crew's morale, and his wonderful music often filled the air. But after their back-to-back battles with Gecko Moria and Bartholomew Kuma, everyone was physically and mentally drained.

"If only we could find a place for a relaxing holiday," Usopp sighed. Since entering the Grand Line, they had been constantly on edge, always cautious, always on the run from the Marines. A real vacation was something they desperately needed.

"We're pirates. Where on this sea are you going to find a place for a leisurely vacation?" Sanji scoffed, ever the pragmatist, as he served Nami and Robin delicious drinks.

"That's not necessarily true. Look!" Frankie suddenly pointed forward.

"Huh?"

Everyone looked over and saw a huge, resort-like island in the sea ahead, shimmering like a hot spring oasis. Countless people could be seen playing and cheering on its shores.

"What is that?"

"It looks like a vacation spot," Usopp said, peering through a magnifying glass.

"It is," confirmed Franky, whose cyborg eyes could see much farther than anyone else's.

"Let me see, let me see!" Luffy cheered, grabbing the telescope Nami handed him. "Awesome!"

"Is it really a place for a vacation?"

"What a coincidence!" Zoro and the others exchanged glances before letting out a collective sigh of relief. Even they couldn't help but feel exhausted after the recent battles. A place to relax and rest would be perfect. It was just hard to believe such a place existed, especially for pirates.

"It looks like it really is a vacation spot, open to anyone," Brook said, adjusting his new suit and top hat. He pointed to a large sign hanging at the island's entrance. At the top was the flag of the World Government, and below it, text declared that no one was restricted from entry, not even pirates.

"'Spa Island.' What an appropriate name," Nami said, reading the sign. She could faintly make out buildings on the island. "This place is officially recognized by the World Government, which means everything here is legal. Even pirates can relax safely." Wasn't this exactly what they needed right now?

"Luffy, this place..." Nami began, turning to her captain. But he was already gone. Luffy, Usopp, Chopper, and Franky had already vanished, unable to wait a second longer to land on the island.

"The moment you said pirates were allowed, they were gone," Robin shrugged with a wry smile.

"Yohohohoho..." Brook laughed.

Zoro sighed helplessly. "Honestly! They never listen. They'll be lucky if they don't get lost."

Sanji immediately sneered at him. "Really? You should worry about yourself instead of others, you damn marimo."

"What did you say, you curly-browed cook!" Zoro shot back furiously.

"I'll kick you to death!" Sanji retorted, ready for a fight.

"Boys..." Nami sighed, shaking her head. She smiled at Robin. "Just let them be." Then she looked over at Moonlight, who was sitting cross-legged on the deck. "Moonlight, aren't you going? Don't worry, the ship will be safe docked here."

"Okay," Moonlight hesitated for a moment before nodding. The continuous battles had taken their toll, and he agreed they needed to relax. Spa Island seemed safe enough. "An extremely dangerous battle lies ahead," he murmured to himself. "This can serve as a buffer."

Ace had been arrested. Their next destination would bring them close to the Navy Headquarters for what would likely be the final battle of the first half of the Grand Line. If Luffy was determined to save Ace, it would be the most difficult fight they had ever faced. The rest was necessary. "No matter what," he murmured, his eyes gleaming with determination, "I will not let the regrets of my past life be repeated."

With that, Nami led the way, and the rest of the crew followed. As soon as they set foot on the island, they saw Luffy and the others being greeted by a man with a long mustache.

"I am Shutaro," the man said with a bow. "I am responsible for entertaining you all. Please, indulge yourselves! Our Spa Island has every kind of entertainment imaginable. There is nothing you can think of that we can't provide. Here, you will enjoy treatment fit for a god."

"Really? I want meat!" Luffy shouted immediately.

"I want lots of lovely ladies!" Sanji's eyes turned to hearts.

"I want booze."

"I want to sunbathe."

"I want to take a milk bath."

"I need to..."

The requests came flooding in. Shutaro nodded, maintaining his composure even when faced with a living skeleton like Brook. He arranged everything for them, one by one. Sure enough, Luffy was soon surrounded by mountains of meat, Zoro was happily drinking, Sanji was swarmed by beautiful women, Franky was soaking in a pool of cola, and Brook was letting out satisfied burps, though skeletons shouldn't be able to burp. Nami and Robin sunbathed on the beach, Chopper was being adored by a crowd of admirers, and Usopp was beginning one of his grand performances.

As for Moonlight, he sat under a waterfall, but the force of the water was too weak to be of any meditative use. He shook his head, gave up on his waterfall bath, and simply fell asleep.

"Heh, heh, what an idiot." At that moment, a cold laugh rang out. A middle-aged man with a fox-like face, a foxy haircut, and a red-tipped nose approached. He was followed by a Fish-Man and a woman with brown hair and goggles. It was the Foxy Pirates, appearing in the most unlikely of places. The one who had spoken was Silver Fox Foxy himself.

"It couldn't be him!" Foxy sneered, but when he got a clear look at the sleeping Moonlight's face, he jumped back, shaking as if he'd seen a ghost.