Hearing the voice in his mind, Moonlight realized that after constant practice, his Dragon Strike had finally reached level 3!
At level 3, Dragon Strike gained a certain degree of aerial suspension! It meant he could now move in midair, somewhat similar to Geppo (Moonwalk). However, while Geppo allowed for rapid movement in the air, Moonlight's Dragon Strike achieved suspension through quick sword slashes that allowed brief hovering.
Moreover, at level 3, the friction between his strikes and the air became so intense that the previous "whooshing" sound from his slashes had now vanished, transforming into an even fiercer sword wind. If covered in Haki, the power would be even greater!
"Tch, he saved you, and you're not even grateful. How about you fall into the sea again?" Sanji sneered, glancing at Usopp before swiftly serving a hot drink and bringing it to Nami with a cheerful expression.
"Nami-swan, here, have something warm to drink so you don't catch a cold!"
"That guy!" Zoro rolled his eyes in annoyance.
"Thank you," Nami said, accepting the drink gratefully. Her gaze wandered to the sky and then back to the sea currents, a frown forming on her face.
"This is bad. After all the turbulence earlier, we've probably veered off course. The currents here are too strange. I can't even tell where we're headed anymore."
"What?!" Usopp exclaimed in panic.
"Does that mean we're going to end up like Crocus said, just drifting in circles, never finding our way out?" Sanji and Zoro exchanged glances, their expressions growing serious. That would be a major problem.
Nami nodded, her face grave. Though she didn't say it aloud, everyone could understand the implication. A heavy mood settled over them—would they be forever lost in the vast and treacherous Grand Line?
"But Nami, you're the navigator!" Luffy suddenly said, with an air of seriousness.
"This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't broken the Log Pose!" Nami exploded in fury, kicking Luffy into the deck. She was furious—how could he have the nerve to question her after destroying their only tool for navigation?
"Yeah, it's all your fault! If you hadn't smashed the Log Pose, we wouldn't be in this mess!" Usopp, Sanji, and Zoro chimed in, glaring at Luffy. The reason for their situation was obvious—it was Luffy's carelessness.
"Such a scary navigator, such a poor captain," Miss Wednesday and Mr. 9 muttered, shocked at how ruthless the crew was toward their captain.
"Hey, hand over your Log Pose!" Moonlight suddenly demanded, walking up to Miss Wednesday and pointing at the Log Pose on her wrist.
"You!" Miss Wednesday and Mr. 9 were startled, but when Miss Wednesday saw the cold and intimidating look in Moonlight's eyes, she shuddered. That gaze—it was terrifying. Her heart pounded in fear, and without any resistance, she handed over the Log Pose.
"Wow, Moonlight, you're amazing!" Nami exclaimed with relief as she took the Log Pose from Moonlight and carefully strapped it onto her arm, guarding it protectively. She cast a wary glance at Luffy, ready to defend the Pose.
"Right! Why didn't I think of that earlier!" Usopp smacked his forehead, cursing himself for not realizing the simple solution sooner.
Sanji and Zoro, on the other hand, kept a close eye on Luffy, determined not to let him anywhere near the new Log Pose.
"Alright, I get it!" Luffy waved them off and settled at the bow of the ship, turning to Sanji. "Sanji, I'm hungry!"
Moonlight: "…"
Zoro: "…"
Usopp: "…"
Everyone else: "…"
They were all speechless. What exactly went on inside Luffy's head?
"Fine, give me a moment." Sanji sighed and headed back to the kitchen. After some time, he returned with a table full of food, each dish looking more delicious than the last. Everyone's mouths watered—even Miss Wednesday and Mr. 9 couldn't resist.
"I'm digging in!" Luffy shouted before pouncing on the food. The others smiled—it looked like Luffy was finally acting like a proper captain.
But as they prepared to eat, they were met with an astonishing sight—the table was completely empty!
"Where's the food?!" they all wondered, confused.
Miss Wednesday, with wide eyes, pointed toward Luffy.
Luffy's stomach was now the size of a giant balloon, and he lay on the deck, patting his belly and letting out satisfied burps. He had eaten all the food in the blink of an eye.
"What the hell, Luffy?! What kind of stomach do you have?!" Usopp yelled, outraged.
"Luffy, you selfish idiot! You think just because you're full, the rest of us don't need to eat?"
"Stupid captain, at least leave me a piece of meat!" Sanji, Zoro, and Usopp fumed. How could he hog all the food?
"I suggest we vote on a new captain!" Usopp raised his hand.
"I'm in!" Zoro added.
"Me too!" Sanji agreed.
Even Miss Wednesday and Mr. 9 raised their hands—they had also been robbed of their share.
"Alright, unanimous decision! I, Usopp, will now take command of this ship as your new captain!" Usopp announced triumphantly.
"Get lost!"
"Dream on!"
"Not a chance!"
Everyone shot him down immediately, leaving Usopp frozen in shock.
Am I really that unappreciated? Not a single vote?
Splash!
At that moment, two splashes echoed across the water. Everyone turned in surprise to see that Miss Wednesday and Mr. 9 had jumped overboard, making a break for it while the crew had been distracted.
"See ya, suckers!" they shouted, laughing as they swam away.
"Aren't they going to get lost without a Log Pose?" Usopp wondered aloud.
"They came prepared," Sanji said, taking a drag of his cigarette.
"Yeah, they're professionals. They won't lose their way so easily," Zoro agreed.
"I think we've got more important things to worry about—like food. Luffy ate everything. What are we supposed to eat now?" Nami pointed at Luffy, her tone accusatory.
Sanji shook his head. "We're out of supplies. Unless we reach the next island soon, we're out of luck."
Everyone groaned in despair.
"There's an island ahead," Moonlight suddenly said, pointing forward.