Krieg swung his massive spear.
"Boom!"
Before Luffy could get close, a sudden explosion erupted around him. Luffy was violently blasted away, his body covered in wounds.
"What is this?" Luffy muttered as he staggered to his feet. Thanks to his rubber body and incredible resilience, he was still standing, though clearly in pain. He stared at Krieg's massive spear, astonished.
"There it is! That's the captain's signature weapon, the Great Battle Spear! It's filled with explosive gunpowder, and one swing can trigger a blast. With this weapon, our captain has crushed every foe in the East Blue!"
"Hahaha! Did you see that, kid? This is the strength of our captain. You could never match up to him!"
"Yeah, captain, finish him off!"
The surrounding pirates cheered, boasting about Krieg's power.
"Luffy!" Usopp shouted, his face full of worry. He glanced over at Moonlight. "Moonlight, this guy is too strong. I don't think Luffy can win. You should—"
Before Usopp could finish, Moonlight waved him off and said, "This is a battle between captains. I won't interfere. If Luffy dies, he has no one to blame but himself. If he wants to be the Pirate King, this is a path he must walk."
Moonlight shook his head, refusing to step in.
"Moonlight, you—" Usopp was stunned, staring at Luffy with worry but unable to argue. Moonlight was right: if Luffy wanted to be the Pirate King, he couldn't afford to fail here. He could only succeed. If he couldn't handle this, how could he claim the title of Pirate King? It wasn't a position that could be earned easily.
"Their friends are just going to stand there and do nothing?"
"That straw hat kid looks like he's in trouble!"
"Hey, aren't you going to help him?"
The Baratie chefs shouted, unable to bear watching Luffy struggle.
"If you all are just going to watch your friend die, then I'll step in myself!" Sanji said coldly. Though he'd only just met Luffy, their personalities clicked, and he couldn't stand by while Luffy was being beaten down.
With that, Sanji prepared to move.
But suddenly—
"Whoosh!"
A crescent-shaped sword slash cut through the air in front of the group, creating a deep gash on the deck of the Baratie.
Sanji halted, narrowing his eyes as he stared at Moonlight, who had just intervened.
"Hiss!" The other chefs gasped at the sight of the sword slash, wondering how anyone could wield such power. They turned their gaze to Moonlight, confused. They just wanted to help—why stop them? Weren't they supposed to be on the same side?
"This is our captain's fight. Anyone who interferes, I'll kill on the spot!" Moonlight said coldly, his terrifying killing intent exploding forth without restraint.
Feeling the weight of his words, everyone fell silent, chills running down their spines. Memories of Moonlight's duel with Mihawk and his earlier display of power came rushing back, making them shudder. Even Sanji, faced with such potent swordsmanship, took a deep breath and hesitated to move.
Moonlight was dead serious; his threat wasn't a bluff. There wasn't a soul who doubted him.
"Boom!"
Krieg swung his Great Battle Spear again, sending another explosion Luffy's way. Time and again, Luffy was blasted back, only to jump up and charge forward once more. Again and again, he was knocked down, but like an unyielding warrior, Luffy kept rising, stunning everyone watching.
Even Krieg's pirates fell silent, unnerved by Luffy's indomitable spirit.
"Luffy!" Usopp called out, but seeing Luffy's unwavering determination to keep fighting, he felt a deep sense of respect.
"Gomu Gomu no… Gatling Gun!"
After being knocked down repeatedly, Luffy grew stronger, his movements quicker as he dashed toward Krieg. His fists flew like machine gun bullets, raining down on Krieg.
Krieg smirked. "Still haven't learned your lesson, have you? How many times must you fall before you realize how futile this is?" He swung his spear once more.
"Boom!"
A thunderous explosion, more violent than any before, erupted. The blast consumed Luffy, even tearing apart large sections of the ship around him.
"Luffy!" Usopp shouted, horrified by the devastating sight.
"This is bad… the power of that blast… that kid's done for."
Sanji and the other chefs were equally stunned, unable to move past the sword slash Moonlight had left.
"Hahaha! As expected of the captain—he's incredible!"
"Brat, now you see the power of our captain. Going against him was the most foolish thing you could've done!"
"Yes, captain, finish him! The Krieg Pirates are invincible!"
Krieg's pirates cheered wildly.
"Moonlight!" Usopp glanced desperately at Moonlight, filled with fear for his friend.
"Relax. Luffy isn't going down that easily. Just keep watching." Moonlight smiled, unfazed, pointing ahead.
From the flames of battle, a figure emerged—Luffy, standing strong with a fierce determination in his eyes. In his hands, he gripped the spearhead of Krieg's Great Battle Spear, having torn it off with his bare hands.
"Heh, what else have you got?" Luffy grinned coldly at Krieg.
Everyone—friend and foe alike—was stunned by the sight. Even Zeff couldn't help but comment, "Out at sea, there are two kinds of people: those like Krieg who rely on external weapons to appear invincible, and those like this Straw Hat kid who depend on nothing but their own strength and heart. No matter what kind of enemy they face, they fight on without giving up until the enemy falls. We'll see soon enough which type comes out on top."