"Ahh, I'm stuffed."
Looking at the mountain of dishes stacked beside him, Luffy wore a satisfied grin. Zoro had just finished a drink and was feeling good too. The six people who had eaten their fill were the Straw Hat Pirates.
Only Sanji frowned as he took a drag on his cigarette.
"Do we have enough money to pay the bill?"
That question instantly made the others feel guilty. They started glancing furtively around, looking ready to make a run for it.
Sanji looked like he'd seen right through them. Whatever. They were pirates now, so they might as well dine and dash just this once.
"Let's run!"
Luffy scooped up the others, crashed through the door with them, and sped away in a cloud of dust.
A white-haired man in a Marine uniform rose from the rubble. It was Smoker, who had been looking for Moya.
His brow bulged with veins, and his eyes blazed with fury. He had even bitten through the cigar in his mouth.
"Captain Smoker, it was the Straw Hat crew! They just skipped the bill and ran!"
"After them!"
Smoker had been thoroughly humiliated. As a Logia user, he'd actually let pirates knock him over through sheer carelessness. It was mortifying.
He even forgot his mission to find Moya and went straight after the Straw Hat crew.
"Hey, hey, you're Gin, right? Why not come work with me? Forget about going back to your captain, Moya."
The pompadour-haired Bartolomeo had just gone a round with Ghost Man Gin.
He hadn't been able to get the better of Gin. That was rare since he'd gotten the Bari Bari no Mi and become the boss of several hundred streets.
After learning that Moya was at the Execution Platform in the town center, Gin was ready to head back and report to him.
When Bartolomeo saw Gin leave, he became a little interested in the captain of such a formidable fighter. He followed along, chattering nonstop.
The many squad leaders who had received word through their Den Den Mushi were also converging on the center of town.
Moya finally stepped onto the Execution Platform and looked down upon the world from the same vantage point Roger once had.
At that moment, he seemed to fall into harmony with some kind of aura. The seed of his Conqueror's Haki began to grow at an astonishing pace.
A breeze slowly stirred around the platform, growing more and more urgent, stronger and stronger. The sky and earth grew oppressive.
People on the ground raised their hands to shield their eyes. Wind and sand swept through the area, clothes flapped in the gale, and the beautiful women's figures were perfectly outlined.
Watching from the sky, Dragon frowned too. He hadn't expected this kid to possess such astounding potential—he seemed like a born king.
Moya recalled the hardships he had suffered when he first crossed over, and the suffering of ordinary people under pirate rule. He saw Roger laughing in the face of death.
With his eyes closed, Moya heard the emotions of the thousands upon thousands of people in the square.
He remembered the painful past. Clenching his fist, he watched it swiftly turn a glossy blackish red.
As he felt Roger's imposing spirit, black-and-red lightning began to streak through the air around him. The air currents rushed inward, and an overwhelming pressure filled the area.
In an instant, Moya felt it all. His emotions surged, and he opened his eyes, looking down on the world.
"The Three-Color Haki shakes the heavens. My fate is mine to decide, not heaven's."
At that moment, the sky and earth changed color. All sound fell silent, with only Moya's proud declaration echoing through the world.
Monkey D. Dragon, high above the clouds, stared at the young man in shock, his eyes filled with disbelief.
The fleeing Straw Hat crew were forced to stop, staring at the scene in stunned silence.
Nami and the other women, along with Buggy and his crew, braced themselves against the waves of Conqueror's Haki. Their faith in Moya's figure was godlike.
The smoke-wielding Smoker, chasing after Luffy's crew, was also stunned by the sight.
He saw a king who would dominate an era being born. His pupils contracted as if he were looking at Roger more than twenty years ago.
Bartolomeo and Gin were so overwhelmed by the pressure that they couldn't speak. They stared blankly at the figure above the Execution Platform.
The squad leaders were pressed straight to their knees, but they stared feverishly at the figure on the platform. That was their captain!
Countless tourists, civilians, and lackeys rolled their eyes and collapsed under the pressure. Even those with strong wills could only lie on the ground, raise their heads, and stare fearfully at the figure that seemed like a demon.
Time seemed to stop. Space seemed to freeze.
A full minute passed before the world regained its color and sound returned. An earth-shaking roar of discussion erupted at once.
"Captain Moya will surely reach the summit and become the strongest!"
El Drago's Oto Oto no Mi carried the shout across Loguetown.
The Moya Adventure Group began to cheer, their cries shaking the heavens and earth.
Click! A reporter swiftly captured the scene.
"White Fist!"
Smoker watched Moya on the Execution Platform with a grave expression and attacked without hesitation. Anyone with Conqueror's Haki wasn't the sort to stay quiet and keep to themselves.
Moya didn't have a bounty yet, but Smoker wanted to nip any danger in the bud and capture him first. If he really had no intention of becoming a pirate, Smoker could consider letting him go.
Moya was still swept up in the moment, his spirits soaring. His Observation Haki warned him of danger, and he saw the smoke fist rushing toward him. Without a word, he swung his black-coated fist with all his might.
Bang! Their fists collided.
"Ah!" The smoke fist was sent flying back, and Smoker cried out in pain. His knuckles had shattered, and blood seeped through his glove.
Since obtaining the Smoke-Smoke Fruit, Smoker had never suffered such a serious injury. He clutched his fist, gritting his teeth.
"That was Armament Haki Hardening!"
"I never thought someone like you would appear in the East Blue, with all Three-Color Haki!"
"Moya, are you planning to become a pirate?"
Moya looked down at Smoker and spoke slowly.
"I've never planned to become a pirate. My only goal is to grow stronger, so no one can threaten me.
"And now I have another dream: to plant my red flag across the world. Beneath it, there will be no slaves or oppression. All peoples will live together in peace under the red flag."
"Are you planning to challenge the World Government? Or do you want to join the Revolutionary Army?"
Smoker suppressed his pain and questioned him.
"The Revolutionary Army is a fine choice! But an organization can't have two powerful kings. I'll change this world in my own way."
After awakening his Three-Color Haki, Moya seemed to have lost some of his earlier caution and timidity.
Perhaps every Conqueror's Haki wielder was an obsessive person, someone with a goal they had to pursue for their entire life.
Otherwise, they wouldn't deserve to awaken Conqueror's Haki.
Moya jumped down from the Execution Platform and passed by Smoker, speaking softly.
"I hope the Navy and I won't become enemies."
Smoker watched Moya's retreating figure, gritting his teeth, but made no move to attack again. He could only let Moya leave.
"So he also wants to change the corrupt World Government. It seems there's no shortage of powerful people who share the same ideals on this path."
Dragon watched Moya with interest, his eyes showing a little more respect.
"Moya, you're so handsome and cool!"
"Moya, you're amazing!"
"Captain Moya is destined to become a mighty king!"
Nami and the other women, along with Buggy and the other officers, gathered around him.
"Moya, you'll be the strongest enemy I face on my journey to become the Pirate King."
Luffy adjusted his straw hat, his expression serious and grave.
"Hey, so you're the Moya Gin was talking about? You really are incredible! 'My fate is mine to decide, not heaven's'—that got me fired up! Take me out to sea with you!!!
"I can't wait to follow you and turn this world upside down! Hahaha!"
Bartolomeo put one hand on his hip and pointed at Moya with the other, shouting loudly.
His eyes—his eyes—seemed to shine like stars.
Gin hurriedly pushed Bartolomeo's hand down, then knocked him out with a punch.
"You bastard! How dare you point at Captain Moya? Show some respect!"
Everyone immediately turned to look at Bartolomeo lying on the ground.
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