Luffy's Call: My Journey with the Straw Hats

Little Garden

The food that had been taken from the kitchen was the last of their supplies, meant to last until they reached the next island. Now that Luffy had eaten it all, what were they supposed to eat? Air?

"Luffy, you bastard! You ate all our food!" Sanji roared, rushing out of the galley and kicking Luffy so hard he flew into the ship's railing. He looked at the meager scraps left and was overcome with a furious rage.

"Damn it, Luffy, you idiot!"

"Let's get a new captain! If this goes on, we're all going to starve to death!" Usopp, Nami, and the others shouted.

"How far is it to the next island?" Moonlight asked, frowning as he looked at Vivi.

"At least three days," she replied, her own face turning pale as she looked at the small amount of food left. "If the current is fast, maybe two. But this little bit of food... it's not even enough for one day."

"Aren't there any spare ingredients?" Zoro asked, his eyes lighting up as he looked at Karoo, who was standing beside Vivi. Hearing this, the duck began to shiver with fear.

"No! Karoo is my companion!" Vivi cried, hugging her terrified friend.

"Spare ingredients," Sanji mused, and a familiar glint appeared in his eyes.

"If we're really going to starve, maybe that's our only option," Nami added, looking at Karoo as if he were a plate of barbecue.

"Hmm," Usopp nodded in agreement. Karoo began to tremble even more violently.

"No! Absolutely not!" Vivi declared, shielding her friend from their hungry gazes.

"Nami, you take the helm. I'll help," Moonlight said, frowning as he looked at their meager supplies. He walked to the stern of the ship.

"Moonlight, what are you going to do?" Nami asked, surprised.

"We'll never make it there in one day, Moonlight!" Usopp cried out.

Sanji said nothing, but he watched Moonlight with a keen interest. He knew that this man never acted without a purpose.

"You'd better hold on tight," Zoro said with a grin. He vaguely understood what Moonlight was planning.

"Go for it, Moonlight!" Luffy shouted, climbing onto his usual seat on the bow.

"Huh? What's going on?" Vivi asked, confused.

"Phantom Sword Dance!" Moonlight shouted, and with a powerful slash, he sent a wave of sword energy into the sea behind them. The water churned and surged, and a powerful recoil shot out, sending the Going Merry flying forward like an arrow released from a bow.

"So that's it!" Usopp and Nami cried, their faces a mixture of shock and understanding. Moonlight was using the recoil from his sword slashes to propel the ship forward.

"Sanji, forty-five degrees to port," Nami commanded.

"Yes, Miss Nami!" Sanji replied, turning the rudder without a moment's hesitation.

The recoil from the first slash had already sent them a hundred meters forward. As it began to fade, Moonlight slashed again, and the Going Merry continued its rapid advance.

Vivi and Karoo stared, their mouths agape, completely shocked. Was this man even human? To be able to propel a ship with the force of his sword slashes... She looked around at the others, only to find that they were all acting as if this were completely normal. "Aren't they surprised at all? Who in the world are these people?" she wondered, amazed.

[Ding! You have performed Phantom Sword Dance and gained 100x100 experience points!]

[Ding! Phantom Sword Dance has been promoted to Lv. 3!]

With each continuous slash, Moonlight's skill grew, and after half a day of this, his Phantom Sword Dance had reached a new level. The number of sword slashes he could generate had doubled, and the size of the sword energy had grown to the size of a water tank. The sea was now being torn apart by his attacks, and the Going Merry was moving at a terrifying speed.

"Alright, if I keep this up, my sword skills will become even stronger," Moonlight thought, a satisfied smile on his face as he checked his stats.

Moonlight

Basic Swordsmanship [System Grade Not Applicable]

Three-Stage Cut [System Grade Not Applicable]

Sword Draw Lv. 5 (50,000,000/1,000,000,000)

Raptor's Air Rend Lv. 3 (50,000,000/10,000,000)

Phantom Sword Dance Lv. 3 (8,000,000/10,000,000)

Sky-Shattering Sword Draw Lv. 1 (400,000/1,000,000)

Observation Haki Lv. 4 (50,000,000/100,000,000)

Armament Haki Lv. 4 (90,000,000/100,000,000)

Conqueror's Haki Lv. 3 (5,000,000/10,000,000)

With the exception of his newly unlocked technique, all of his sword skills had improved greatly. If this continued, he would soon reach an even higher level.

They sailed from evening to the afternoon of the next day, and finally, a dense, verdant island appeared on the horizon. The island was covered in a lush, ancient jungle, and the air was thick with a humid, tropical heat.

"Here it is! That's Little Garden!" Usopp shouted, having spotted it through his spyglass.

"Great! An island with a forest means there must be creatures to hunt," Sanji said, stretching his fists, eager to get to work. Zoro said nothing, but a flicker of excitement in his eyes betrayed his own anticipation. Luffy's eyes were already shining, and he looked as if he were about to stretch his arms and launch himself onto the island.

"Aren't you going to say anything about him?" Vivi asked, a look of pure astonishment on her face as she looked at Moonlight, who was still at the stern of the ship, slashing at the sea. "He's been swinging that sword since early yesterday morning, without a single break." Was his physical strength even human?

"It's nothing," Usopp said with a shrug, a look of admiration on his face. "He's Moonlight. This is nothing to him." He had seen Moonlight practice for three days straight back in the East Blue. At first, he had been shocked, but now, he was used to it.

"Alright, don't worry," Nami said, patting her shoulder with a smile. "Our vice-captain is no ordinary person."

"He's like that, a sword idiot," Sanji said, presenting her and Vivi with the last two glasses of juice. "Miss Nami, Miss Vivi, would you care for a drink?"

"The reason he's so strong is because of that terrifying training," Zoro said, his own fighting spirit flaring. "But I will surpass him."

Vivi was shocked once again. "Here we are!" Luffy suddenly yelled as the Going Merry finally arrived at Little Garden. Usopp docked the ship, and Luffy, his eyes fixed on the rich, vibrant forest before him, was about to run off before anyone else could react.

"You'll do as you're told!" Nami snapped, slamming her fist down on Luffy's head. He immediately squatted down, clutching his head in his arms. "Although this place looks peaceful, this is the Grand Line. We can't let our guard down. As the only navigator on this ship, I'll be assigning the tasks. Luffy, Vivi, Usopp, you three will explore the island. You're in charge of gathering fruit and other food. Zoro and Sanji, you're in charge of hunting. Moonlight and I will stay and watch the ship." She gave her orders with the air of a seasoned captain.

"Hey, why should I listen to you?" Zoro grumbled, raising an eyebrow.

"If it's an order from Miss Nami, I will certainly complete the task successfully," Sanji said, a lovestruck look on his face as he shot a provocative glance at Zoro. "Moss-Head Swordsman, since Miss Nami has spoken, you should just do as you're told. Otherwise, I'll have to crush you."

"Is that so, you pervy cook?" Zoro sneered, his hand on the hilt of his sword. "I've wanted to slice you up for a long time."

"Just watch me kick you into next week," Sanji retorted with a smirk, and the two of them glared at each other, sparks flying between them.

BAM! BAM!

Nami sent both of them flying with a single punch each, and they immediately and obediently headed off into the jungle.

Seeing this, Usopp swallowed hard. "Nami," he began, "I've recently come down with a terminal illness that prevents me from setting foot on any island. So, Moonlight and I can just watch the ship. You can go with Luffy and the others."

"Really?" Nami's eyes suddenly turned cold. "It seems you have a problem with my decision."

"No, not at all! I... I..." Usopp began to shiver, a look of pure terror on his face.

"Great! We can go exploring again! Let's go!" Luffy shouted, completely ignoring Usopp's protests and Vivi's bewildered expression. He grabbed both of them and, with Karoo in tow, rushed into the jungle. "Aaaah! Luffy, I have a terminal illness! I can't go on the island!" Usopp's miserable voice echoed through the trees before finally fading away.

Seeing this, Nami breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Moonlight with a sense of peace. "Phew, I really feel safest when I'm with you, Moonlight," she said, finding a comfortable spot to lie down and soak up the sun.

Moonlight nodded and sat down beside her, but he didn't rest. He closed his eyes and began to practice his Haki. "Observation Haki," he whispered, and his senses spread out, covering the entire island. He remembered what Nico Robin had said, that Little Garden was an extremely dangerous place, a place from which no pirate had ever returned. Though he had some knowledge of what was to come, he still needed to see for himself. And he needed to practice his Observation Haki. He was so close to reaching level 5.

Compared to his other abilities, Observation Haki was the easiest to practice. As long as he extended his senses, he was constantly training. If he could reach level 5, the range of his perception would double.

"So, I can sense them now," he thought. "Are those Dorry and Brogy of the Giant Warrior Pirates? And... the agents from Baroque Works are here too." He could feel several unusual presences on the island. Two of them were like scorching suns, incredibly fierce, and one was like a biting, cold wind. Auras like that... they definitely weren't ordinary people. They had to be the two giants. The other four were gathered together, their auras more vivid and cryptic, the telltale sign of Devil Fruit users.

At that moment, Usopp, Vivi, and Luffy were staring in speechless amazement at a ten-meter-tall giant. After they had entered the jungle, they had discovered that this was no "little garden." The creatures here were all massive, four to five meters high, and there were even giant, prehistoric beasts like dinosaurs. Usopp and Vivi had been running for their lives, while Luffy, having a grand time, had been using the dinosaurs as swings. This had, of course, attracted the attention of a particularly large dinosaur, which had attacked them. But then, a ten-meter-tall giant had appeared and saved them. Looking at him now, they felt as if they were in a dream. He was so tall.

At the same time, in a house made of wax somewhere in Little Garden, Miss Valentine and Mr. 5 were laughing. Opposite them was a man in a cyan shirt with a "3" painted on his head, a paintbrush in his hand, and a small girl beside him. These were Mr. 3 and Miss Goldenweek, also senior agents of Baroque Works. They had been given the order to hunt down the Straw Hat crew and had finally found them on this island. They were now discussing their plan of attack.

"What's that sound?" Nami, who had been sleeping soundly, was suddenly awoken by a deafening roar that shook the very ground. A five-meter-high dinosaur was charging towards them, its eyes filled with a ferocious hunger.

"Is... is that a dinosaur?!" Nami shrieked, her eyes wide with a mixture of shock and terror. She had never thought she would see a living dinosaur. She subconsciously hid behind Moonlight. He raised his sword, ready to strike, but at that moment, a flash of light shot past them, and the dinosaur's head was suddenly in the hands of an even larger giant.

"Ah... a bigger giant!" Nami trembled.

"Are you the humans who have come to this island?" Brogy chuckled, looking down at the two of them on the Going Merry. Nami backed away, terrified, but Moonlight remained calm and nodded. "Yes. Who are you?"

"My name is Brogy, one of the captains of the Giant Warrior Pirates," the giant replied, sitting down and speaking with an enthusiastic voice. He had been alone for a long time and was happy to have someone to talk to. Gradually, Nami's fear subsided. Though the giant was massive, he didn't seem to be unreasonable.

"Really? You've been fighting for a hundred years?" Moonlight's eyes flashed with a hint of recognition. This was indeed the leader of the Giant Warrior Pirates.

"So that's what 'Little Garden' means," Nami said, a look of understanding on her face. She had been wondering why the island was called that, but now it all made sense.

She was about to ask another question, but at that moment, the entire island began to tremble. "What's happening?" she asked, a new wave of fear washing over her.

"The volcano is erupting," Moonlight said, looking at the distant volcano, which was now spewing thick smoke into the sky.

"It's time," Brogy said, his face suddenly serious. He stood up and, without another word, turned and walked away.