First Steps into the Grand Line

"???"

But the next second, his entire body froze. His fingers were less than ten centimeters from Moke's head.

Yet Colonel Wild Dog realized that, at this very moment, he could not move even the slightest bit.

Looking down, he saw that at some point, mud had surged up from the ground and wrapped around his entire body, binding him in place.

His face was filled with shock and confusion.

Whoosh...

At that moment, the Sandai Kitetsu in Moke's hand traced a graceful arc through the air, slashing toward Colonel Wild Dog's neck!

Not good!

Colonel Wild Dog's expression changed drastically.

He had already lost the ability to move and had no way to dodge. He could only watch helplessly as the Sandai Kitetsu drew closer and closer.

Iron Body!

With no other choice, he could only defend passively.

Whoosh...

The Sandai Kitetsu swept across Colonel Wild Dog's neck. Clearly, his Iron Body could not withstand Moke's strike.

A wound slowly appeared first, followed by a spray of blood.

No... no... impossible...

Colonel Wild Dog looked utterly incredulous. This guy clearly had a Logia fruit similar to the Glint-Glint Fruit. How could he control mud as well?

But then he noticed that, at some point, the skin of the man before him had ceased to gleam. Instead, it had become dull, even taking on a yellowish tint.

Unfortunately, it was already too late.

Moke's lips curled upward into a smile.

When he had taken Colonel Wild Dog's Tempest Kick head-on and been forced back four or five meters, he had taken the opportunity to touch the ground with his hand, changing from his Glint-Glint Ability into his Mud-Mud Ability.

Also, Iron Body truly was the strongest "illusion"!

Under his all-out slash enhanced by erupting Ghost Aura, this guy's defense had been broken in one blow. He was dead beyond doubt...

Click...

Meanwhile, in a dark corner, someone took a picture of Moke. With professional care, he found just the right angle.

He captured the moment Moke sheathed his sword.

It gave off a feeling of looking down upon the world!

Meanwhile, Moke searched for Bartolomeo, only to find that he had vanished without a trace long ago.

Moke paused, then muttered, "As expected of an important character. His life sure is tough!"

But there was no longer any need to remain in Loguetown.

He raised a hand toward the sun in the sky and transformed into his Glint-Glint Ability once more. Then his whole body became a beam of light and shot straight toward Reverse Mountain.

Soon afterward, he entered the Grand Line and swiftly arrived at the first small island.

There were several routes one could choose on the Grand Line. On the first island along each route, there were underground organizations that sold intelligence.

One could buy Eternal Poses for almost every island, though they were rather expensive.

So the moment Moke landed on the island, he immediately found a tavern...

The instant the waiter saw Moke, he approached with a smile. "What would you like?"

Moke did not waste words and got straight to the point. "I want an Eternal Pose for Chef Island."

After saying that, his nose twitched. A delicious fragrance had reached him, stirring his appetite, so he added, "And bring me a table full of your most famous dishes."

"Certainly... Please find yourself a seat. I'll be right back."

"Tut, tut..."

Moke casually sat down at an empty table. Yet everyone in the tavern turned to look at him, and some of their gazes were openly malicious!

They even let out cold sneers.

"Another newcomer who doesn't know his place..."

"He's probably still dreaming of becoming the One Piece!"

"Aren't all newcomers like that? So childish..."

Moke raised an eyebrow and swept his gaze over everyone present, his eyes carrying a trace of disdain. The old hands here were mostly cowards who had lost their nerve.

All they could do was put on airs in front of newcomers...

"Hey..."

A burly man stood up and walked toward Moke. "Kid, Eternal Poses for specific islands aren't cheap. You must have some money. Pay for our table too, then leave us some extra spending money. How about it?"

It sounded like a question, but his tone allowed no refusal.

Moke remained seated and looked up at the man. Seeing the way he acted as if he had Moke cornered, Moke could not help laughing. "A piece of trash who only dares to cower on the first island at the entrance to the Grand Line dares to mock people with dreams?

Sure, most of those people aren't good men. But they're still far better than trash like you."

"Silence..."

The tavern instantly fell silent. Whether it was the man who had approached him or those who had been waiting to enjoy the show, every expression froze.

Because Moke's words were the same as slapping them across the face.

In an instant, everyone's gaze toward Moke changed. They were no longer watching a show; they looked as though they wanted to devour him alive.

The burly man in particular widened his eyes, his gaze full of fury. "You..."

But just as he was about to explode, he met Moke's eyes. Moke's pupils had turned purple, and Ghost Aura surged from his body, sweeping outward in every direction.

The burly man was hit first. After uttering just one word, it was as though he had been struck heavily. His face turned pale, and his body swayed... He forcibly swallowed every word that followed.

Hiss...

Everyone present felt a chilling gust sweep past them, making them shudder. More importantly, the aura of the kid before them had completely changed.

He brought them an unprecedented pressure.

Everyone could not help drawing a sharp breath. They had, after all, made their way out of the Four Seas and had seen a thing or two. How could they not realize that they had encountered someone formidable today?

Moke said coldly, "Leave behind all the valuables on you, and you may leave. Otherwise, you'll pay with your lives for the consequences of offending me today."

Everyone's faces stiffened.

They had wanted to bully a newcomer and get a share of the spoils. Who would have thought they would be robbed instead? All of them were dumbfounded.

But these were pirates with blood on their hands. Greed was in their nature. How could they so easily hand over the money in their possession?

Crash...

A pirate sitting by the window smashed through it and leaped outside.

Rumble...

But before he could rejoice, the people in the tavern saw that Moke had pointed his index finger at the man, with a large amount of light gathering at its tip.

Then a beam of light shot out, piercing straight through the fleeing man's back. Its momentum did not lessen as it slammed fiercely into a large tree a hundred meters away.

The terrifying force blasted the tree apart.

The tavern window was large, so most people saw it clearly. The tavern fell silent once more!

Gulp...

Hiss...

Some swallowed hard, while others drew in sharp breaths. Once they came back to their senses, the way they looked at Moke had completely changed.

There was no longer any contempt or resentment in their eyes. Only reverence remained.

They immediately and respectfully placed all their money and valuables on Moke's table before backing away and leaving...