Luffy's Call: My Journey with the Straw Hats

Dorry and Brogy, now free, couldn't help but laugh, giving a thumbs-up to Moonlight. They had been fighting for over a hundred years, but today, they had discovered that there was an even stronger existence in this world. In front of Moonlight, they were just frogs in a well.

"You despicable bastards, you actually attacked us," they then growled, their eyes falling on Mr. 3. To be ambushed and nearly killed... anyone would be furious. Not just them, but Zoro, Nami, and Luffy also sneered, their own anger now directed at the Baroque Works agents.

"Damn it... I didn't expect to run into this kind of thing," Mr. 3 said, his eyes cold as he looked at the now-freed crew. "But do you really think it's over? I am Mr. 3!" His body began to ooze wax, and with a slam of his hand on the ground, he shouted, "Giant Service... Candle Feast!"

A massive river of wax, ten meters wide, shot out from him, and in an instant, with the exception of Moonlight, Luffy and the others were once again trapped. A ten-meter-tall candle tower, shaped like a fancy cake, rose from the ground, restraining them all. On top of the tower, seven wax statues of the crew stood, and above their heads, a large, pumpkin-shaped wax ball slowly rotated, dripping a waxy mist onto them, causing the wax on their bodies to harden even faster.

"What kind of trick is this?"

"It's a shame to be caught again!"

"We weren't on guard before, but this time, he got us in a frontal attack. Is this person really that strong?" Luffy and the others were shocked, their bodies once again encased in wax. Dorry and Brogy's faces fell. To be caught in a sneak attack was one thing, but to be caught again in a direct confrontation... the strength of this man was not to be underestimated.

"Is this the true power of Mr. 3?" Vivi's heart sank, and a new wave of despair washed over her. She had been a part of Baroque Works; she knew that the lower the number, the more terrifying the agent's strength.

"In our organization, strength is determined by our code number," Mr. 5 gasped. "I am Mr. 5, and he is Mr. 3. It goes without saying who is stronger. You were no match for us in a sneak attack, and you're no match for us in a head-on fight."

"That's right," Miss Valentine agreed. The lower the number of a Baroque Works senior agent, the more terrifying their power.

"Mr. 3, be careful! That swordsman is still free!" Miss Goldenweek quickly reminded him, seeing Moonlight standing unharmed.

"I know," Mr. 3 said, his eyes fixed on Moonlight. "This swordsman's slashes are too fierce; my wax can't hold him. If that's the case, then I'll just have to defeat him head-on with my own strength." He was not going to be careless. "Candle Champion's Armor!"

The wax on his body began to flow, wrapping around him until it formed a massive suit of wax armor. He was now over three meters tall, his strength and speed greatly enhanced.

"Colors Trap!" Miss Goldenweek picked up her drawing board and painted a red, bull-like pattern on Mr. 3's armor. "Red of the Bullfight!" Mr. 3's attack power was suddenly amplified.

"Let me use this technique to end you!" he shouted, rushing towards Moonlight, his strength and speed now truly terrifying.

But...

WHOOSH!

A crescent-shaped wave of sword energy shot out, fierce and unparalleled, and Mr. 3's wax armor was shattered to pieces. The sword energy raged on, and Mr. 3's body was sent flying, blood spraying from his wounds as he collapsed to the ground.

Mr. 5, Miss Valentine, and Miss Goldenweek were speechless. Luffy and the others were equally stunned. Mr. 3, at his full power, amplified by Miss Goldenweek's color palette, had been defeated so easily? What kind of terrifying power did this man possess?

WHOOSH!

At that moment, Moonlight swung his sword again. A fan-shaped slash shot out, and the giant wax tower was shattered to pieces. The wax on everyone's bodies was broken, and the large wax ball above their heads was also destroyed. With a single sword slash, the candle tower was gone, and everyone was free once more.

"Is this the gap in our power?" Zoro said, his hand tightening on his sword. It was one thing to see Moonlight's sword skills in practice, but to see them against a real enemy... the difference was deeply and painfully clear.

"We're saved! Moonlight, you're really the best!" Usopp cheered, overjoyed to be alive.

"Moonlight!" Nami said, giving him a thumbs-up.

"I knew that man was strong, but I never had a specific concept of just how strong he was," Vivi said, taking a deep breath. "Now that even Mr. 3 has been so easily defeated... maybe he even has the power to fight Mr. 0." A glimmer of hope shone in her eyes.

"You despicable, dirty bastards! I'm gonna send you flying!" Luffy roared, looking at the four Baroque Works agents, who were struggling to their feet, trying to escape.

"Aaaah!" Four consecutive screams rang out.

"Human swordsman, thank you for showing us the wider world," Dorry and Brogy said, looking at each other with a new understanding. "In front of a man like you, our duel is a joke." After this ordeal, they had finally reconciled. They looked at Moonlight, their faces filled with a look of awe and anticipation. He had shown them that there were mountains even higher than they had ever imagined.

"Where's Sanji?" Moonlight asked, noticing that the cook was missing.

"He should be back on the ship," Zoro replied. "I made a bet with him to see who could catch the biggest prey, and then..." He trailed off, a look of frustration on his face.

"And then what happened?" Usopp asked, his curiosity piqued.

Zoro said nothing, but his expression betrayed him.

"You got lost, didn't you?" Nami said, a knowing look on her face. Zoro's silence was all the confirmation she needed. The others immediately burst into laughter.

"So, Sanji is already back at the ship," Moonlight said with a smile. "After what just happened, more and more enemies will be coming after us. We can't waste any more time here. We have to leave."

"Yes, Baroque Works is extremely powerful," Vivi agreed, her expression tight. "And Mr. 3 is already this strong, let alone Mr. 2 and the others. To prevent them from chasing us, we have to leave now."

"No, I've already led them away. No more pursuers will be sent," a voice said, and Sanji walked out of the forest, a look of relief on his face when he saw that everyone was safe.

"Sanji, you're alright!" the others cried, overjoyed. They had been worried about him, but now, he was fine.

"What do you mean, you led the pursuers away?" Nami asked, confused.

"I went back to the ship and saw that the moss head hadn't returned, and you and Moonlight were gone. I figured something was wrong, so I went looking for you. In a corner of the forest, I found a house made of wax. I went in and found a phone snail. It didn't take long for it to ring, and it was the one called Mr. 0," Sanji explained, lighting a cigarette.

"What?! Mr. 0!" everyone gasped. This was the true mastermind behind Baroque Works, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the same man as Hawkeye: Crocodile. This was the real big shot. And Sanji had received a call from him?

"What did he say?" Vivi asked, her voice trembling with a nervous anxiety.

"He asked me if the Straw Hats had been dealt with," Sanji replied, repeating the conversation verbatim. "Naturally, I didn't reveal my identity. I just told him it was taken care of. He told me to return as soon as possible, that everything on his end was ready, and he was prepared to make his move."

"He's ready to make his move?" Vivi's body trembled, and her face went pale. Nami had to catch her to keep her from falling.

"Mr. 3 is already this powerful... this Mr. 0 must be even more terrifying," Usopp shivered. An agent like Mr. 3 had nearly wiped them all out. If Mr. 0 himself were to appear, they would be crushed like ants.

"I don't care if he's Mr. 0 or Mr. 100!" Luffy shouted. "A despicable guy like that... I'm gonna send him flying! Everyone, let's get on the ship and get out of here!" He was ready to go and punch Crocodile right now.

"Alright," the others nodded, knowing that the situation was urgent.

"Wait," Nami said, looking at her Log Pose. "We might be staying on this island for a while."

"Why?" the others asked, confused.

"The Log Pose hasn't finished recording the island's magnetic field yet," she replied with a wry smile, pointing to the device on her wrist. "We can't leave here." She wanted to leave as much as they did, but in the Grand Line, without a Log Pose, they were lost.

"How much longer?" Luffy asked, a hint of worry in his voice.

"At this rate... about a year," Nami replied, looking at Vivi with a pained expression.

"What? A year?" everyone was stunned. A year later, even if she did go back, what could she do? Her father and her country would have been long gone. Vivi collapsed to the ground, a look of pure despair on her face.

"I have an Eternal Pose to Alabasta," Sanji said, taking a compass-like device from his pocket. "This was sent by Mr. 0. It seems it will come in handy now."

"An Eternal Pose to Alabasta?" Nami's eyes lit up with joy.

"Sanji, you're really reliable!" Usopp praised.

"Mr. Sanji..." Vivi whispered, her despair turning to a new, endless hope.

"Of course," Sanji said, shooting a smug look at Zoro. "Much better than a certain moss-headed swordsman who's always getting lost."

"You bastard! I'll cut you down!" Zoro roared, furious.

"Alright, we have the Eternal Pose, and we have our food. Let's go!" Luffy shouted, raising his arms in the air.

"Alright," the others nodded, and they all boarded the ship, preparing to leave.

"Are you leaving?" Dorry and Brogy asked, a look of sadness on their faces. They had hoped to spend more time with them, but it seemed it was not to be.

"Two uncles, we have important things to do," Luffy said with a smile, waving goodbye. "When we have time, we'll come back and have a drink with you."

"Alright," the two giants laughed, waving back.

"By the way," Dorry said, suddenly remembering something. "Should we tell them about the giant, island-eating monster in front of this island?"

"No," Brogy replied, shaking his head, his eyes fixed on Moonlight. "In front of that man, even the Island-Eater is nothing."

"Yes, for a man like that, the Island-Eater is nothing," Dorry agreed, a look of admiration on his face. This was a man who had easily blocked both of their attacks. They had never seen such a powerful man. And to so easily defeat a strong opponent like Mr. 3... what was the Island-Eater to him?

On the Going Merry, Usopp waved goodbye to the two giants. "Strange," he said, "what are those two muttering about over there?"

"Perhaps after fighting for over a hundred years, they've finally figured things out," Zoro chuckled.

"That's very possible. They are both respectable warriors," Nami added, a look of admiration on her face.

"Huh? Be careful!" Moonlight suddenly shouted, a look of alarm on his face.

"What?" the others asked, surprised. The sea ahead suddenly began to churn violently, the waves turbulent and wild, as if a massive monster from the deep was stirring. A goldfish, even larger than Laboon, rose from the sea, its mouth a black hole as it lunged towards them.

"What a big goldfish!" Nami was stunned.

"Is that a goldfish?" Usopp's eyes were practically bulging out of his head.

"So big," even Luffy, who was usually fearless, had a bead of cold sweat on his face. This behemoth was no small thing.

Zoro and Sanji said nothing, but their expressions were grim, and they were ready to fight. Vivi and Karoo were frozen in fear.

WHOOSH!

At that moment, Moonlight suddenly moved.