Krieg's face twisted in rage as he shouted, launching a purple shell from the cannon hidden within his arm. It shot toward the Baratie and the gathered crew.
"Damn it! Get to the kitchen and grab the gas masks for everyone!" Zeff's face turned pale as he realized why Krieg's crew wore masks. Krieg had just launched a poison gas bomb at them! This gas bomb, while not as immediately destructive as a regular cannonball, was lethally dangerous. A single shot was enough to wipe out an entire village of a hundred people, a cruel and inhuman weapon that only the most ruthless would use.
Krieg was truly a devil.
"Hurry! Get the gas masks!"
"That devil!"
"Damn you, Krieg!"
The cooks sprinted in panic.
"Bastard!" Luffy roared, powerless against the incoming gas bomb.
"So ruthless!" Usopp had never seen such viciousness. The brutality left him stunned.
Just as everyone was scrambling for masks, a crescent-shaped sword slash suddenly cut through the air. It was Moonlight, drawing his sword to intercept. The sword energy swept out in a wide arc, scattering the spreading poison gas, dispersing it in all directions.
"Fierce Dragon Void Slash!"
Moonlight shouted, merging with his sword as his body became enveloped in sword energy. Moving at high speed across the ocean's surface, he left behind a trail of afterimages while fierce winds blew the scattered gas away until it completely dissipated. A triumphant cry echoed across the sea before Moonlight stopped right in front of Krieg.
He calmly sheathed his sword.
Krieg stood frozen. His once-impenetrable golden armor shattered into pieces, and his entire body was sliced in half by Moonlight's sword. He was killed in one clean strike.
"You… you actually shattered my golden armor?" Krieg's eyes widened in shock, staring at Moonlight in disbelief even in death. He couldn't accept that someone could cut through his golden armor with sword energy alone. It seemed impossible.
"He cut through Krieg's golden armor with a single slash! Is he even human?"
"He's not human; he's a demon! No normal person could do that!"
"That rubber kid was hitting Krieg's armor for so long without breaking it, but this swordsman did it in one slash? Who is this guy?"
Krieg's crew, who had fought alongside him across countless battles and witnessed the East Blue warlord's strength firsthand, could hardly believe their eyes. To see their captain, the man they followed, killed in one strike shattered their spirits.
"He's incredible!" the Baratie cooks gasped, their eyes wide in disbelief. They had been rushing to grab masks to protect themselves from the poison gas, but Moonlight had neutralized the threat in an instant and even killed Krieg himself.
"This strong… and he's not even the captain. These guys are something else!" Sanji muttered, so stunned that his cigarette fell from his mouth. He stared at Moonlight, realizing that this man's strength was on a completely different level.
"Moonlight!" Luffy cheered, jumping in joy. As expected, Moonlight had come through.
"Hey, join my crew as our cook," Luffy said, turning to Sanji with an invitation that barely waited ten seconds after the battle.
After spending time with Sanji, Luffy knew he wanted him on his ship.
"…"
Everyone else was speechless. Was this really the time for recruitment? Right in front of the Baratie crew? Was he really trying to poach their cook?
"I…"
Sanji began to refuse, but when he looked at Moonlight and recalled everything that had just happened, the words caught in his throat.
"Well? Come with us to the Grand Line," Luffy urged, his enthusiasm evident.
"The Grand Line…" Sanji swallowed hard. Luffy's invitation was tempting, especially with a crew that had someone as strong as Moonlight. He knew about the Grand Line; it was a place that every adventurer dreamed of exploring. More than anything, Luffy's words awakened his own long-held dream—All Blue, the legendary sea with ingredients from all over the world.
No cook could resist the allure of such a place.
"Sanji!"
"You…"
"So, you're finally tempted?＂
The Baratie cooks fell silent. They had known Sanji the longest, often bickering and fighting, but deep down, they all understood each other. They knew about Sanji's dream better than anyone.
"Sanji, if you want to go, then go. We're old now; we'll stay here in the restaurant, but you're still young. You shouldn't be stuck here. Go out there, explore the wider sea, and fulfill the dream of all chefs—find All Blue!" Zeff grinned at Sanji, his voice filled with warmth.
"Everyone, old man, I…"
Sanji fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face. "Thank you for everything. I'll never forget what you all did for me, and I'll never be able to repay you, old man…"
His voice choked as he tried to speak. Sanji was decisive, yet this moment was difficult. All Blue was a dream he'd longed for, and as a man, he felt it was his duty to set sail and seek adventure on the Grand Line. But the bonds of family made the decision harder.
This was his chance, though. After seeing Luffy's crew in action, he knew they were the kind of people he wanted to journey with—the kind of people who were worthy of his cooking skills.
Just then, a frantic shout echoed from the shore.
"Bad news! Nami took the ship and left on her own! She's heading toward Arlong Park!" Johnny and Yosaku, having just rescued Zoro from the sea, called out in alarm.
"What? Nami ran away?" Usopp exclaimed, eyes wide. What was going on?
"Arlong Park?" Moonlight's eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint flashing within them.
"My navigator ran away? Without saying a word? No way, we're going after her!" Luffy shouted, determination in his voice.
"Yeah. Go get Nami back. She can't just leave like this; she owes us an explanation," Zoro said, catching his breath.