Looking Up at the Visitor

Moke sat there steadily, leaning back slightly, his hands casually resting on the back of the chair, appearing quite relaxed. His gaze slowly rose and landed on the person who had just arrived.

The newcomer stood before Moke, a smile on his face that made one uncomfortable, seemingly filled with disdain and Moke. Looking at his self-important demeanor, Moke couldn't help but sneer.

"A piece of trash who only dares to hide on the first small island at the entrance to the Grand Line actually dares to mock those who harbor dreams?" Moke's voice wasn't loud, but it was full of sarcasm and contempt. "Although many of those people are indeed not good people, they are at least much stronger than trash like you."

As soon as Moke finished speaking, the once noisy tavern suddenly fell silent. Whether it was the newcomer or the others who had originally planned to watch the show, their expressions were now frozen in place, as if they had been put on a trance.

Moke's words were like a resounding slap in the face to everyone present. In an instant, everyone's gaze towards Moke changed, no longer filled with the previous mocking amusement, but with hostility and anger, as if Moke were their mortal enemy.

Especially the burly man, whose eyes were wide open, almost popping out of their sockets. His gaze burned with rage as he stared intently at Moke, stammering, "You... you..."

However, just as he was about to erupt, his gaze met Moke's. In that instant, he suddenly felt a powerful force erupt from Moke's eyes, like a raging torrent, rushing directly into the depths of his heart.

To his astonishment, Moke's pupils had turned a strange purple, as if he were a demon from the underworld. At the same time, a dense Ghost Aura surged from Moke's body, like a black whirlwind, rapidly sweeping across the surroundings.

The Ghost Aura came on fiercely, and the burly man was the first to be hit. He had just opened his mouth, as if to say something, when suddenly he was struck as if by an invisible heavy blow, and his whole body trembled violently. His face turned deathly pale, devoid of any color, and his body swayed involuntarily, as if he might fall to the ground at any moment.

The words he was about to say were abruptly swallowed back by a powerful force, leaving him unable to utter a sound. Not only him, but everyone present felt an extremely cold aura sweep over them like a gust of cold wind, causing their bodies to tremble involuntarily, and some even shivering.

More importantly, the aura of this seemingly ordinary young man had undergone a complete transformation. He exuded a chilling pressure, as if he were no longer an ordinary person, but a demon from hell, sending shivers down one's spine.

Upon seeing this, everyone gasped in shock. These were all seasoned veterans of the martial world, and had seen all sorts of people. But they had never encountered someone like Moke, who exuded such terrifying aura in an instant. Without a doubt, they had met an extremely formidable opponent today.

Moke stared expressionlessly at the group of pirates before him, his voice icy and devoid of emotion. "Leave all your valuables behind, and then you can get lost. If you don't, your lives are in danger today. Pay for your offense with your lives."

Upon hearing Moke's words, everyone's expressions instantly froze. They had only intended to bully this newcomer and squeeze some benefits out of him, but they never expected to be robbed by him instead. This sudden turn of events caught everyone off guard, leaving them completely at a loss for how to react.

However, these pirates were no pushovers; their hands were stained with blood, and greed was their very nature. Getting them to easily hand over the money they had worked so hard to steal was practically impossible.

Just then, a pirate sitting by the window suddenly stood up, and without saying a word, swung his fist and smashed it against the window. With a loud crash, the windowpane shattered instantly, and he took the opportunity to leap out of the window.

"Haha, trying to run? Not so easy!" Seeing this, Moke's lips curled up slightly, revealing a cold smile. He slowly raised his right hand, extending his index finger. A large amount of light elements began to gather on his index finger, as if attracted, continuously converging at his fingertip.

"Boom..." Accompanied by a deep rumble, a dazzling beam of light shot out like Inazuma, heading straight for the fleeing pirate.

With a loud "whoosh," the beam of light pierced the pirate's back without any resistance, the powerful impact even sending his body flying. However, the power of the beam did not stop there; it continued to fly forward at an astonishing speed, finally slamming into a large tree a hundred meters away.

With a sharp "crack," the large tree snapped in an instant! As wood chips and leaves rained down, the scene became incredibly dramatic, as if the earth itself trembled.

The terrifying power was astonishing; the tree was simply blasted in half! Because the tavern's windows were exceptionally large, almost everyone could see the entire scene clearly.

For a moment, the tavern fell into a deathly silence, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Some people couldn't help but swallow hard, while others gasped as if they had been scared out of their wits by the sight.

When everyone came to their senses, their gazes towards Moke had completely changed. The previous contempt and resentment had vanished without a trace, replaced by deep awe.

These people stood frozen in place, as if under a spell, not daring to move an inch. Then, as if suddenly realizing something, they hurriedly and respectfully placed all their money on Moke's table before retreating with a sigh of relief...

However, in the next second, something unexpected happened—the person who had just placed the money on the table suddenly froze in place, as if under a spell.

His fingers were less than ten centimeters from Moke's head, as if he could touch Moke's hair if he stretched forward just a little more. However, despite his desperate attempts to move his body, he found that he could not move an inch at all!

Colonel Wild Dog stared in astonishment at the scene. He looked down and was immediately dumbfounded—a large amount of soil had suddenly surged up from the ground, and as if it were alive, it quickly wrapped around the man's body, binding him tightly!

In that instant, time seemed to freeze, his face filled with shock and confusion. However, before he could even recover, the Sandai Kitetsu in Moke's hand flashed through the air like Inazuma, tracing a graceful arc, and hurtled straight toward Colonel Wild Dog's neck!

"Not good!" Colonel Wild Dog's face turned deathly pale instantly. He cried out inwardly, realizing that he had completely lost his ability to move and was completely unable to dodge this fatal blow.

As the Sandai Kitetsu drew ever closer, Colonel Wild Dog was filled with despair and helplessness. In this critical moment, he had no choice but to unleash his last defensive measure— Tekkai!

However, despite Wild Dog's best efforts to activate the Tekkai, the power of the Sandai Kitetsu far exceeded his expectations. The Sandai Kitetsu easily sliced through Colonel Wild Dog's neck, as effortlessly as cutting through a block of tofu.

First, a shallow wound slowly appeared on Colonel Wild Dog's neck. Then, blood gushed out like a fountain, splattering onto the surrounding ground and forming a shocking pool of red blood.

"No... no... impossible..." Colonel Wild Dog's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief. He couldn't accept the fact before him. This guy clearly possessed a Logia Devil Fruit ability similar to the Glint-Glint Fruit, so how could he possibly control the earth? This was completely beyond his comprehension.

However, at that moment, he suddenly noticed a surprising detail—the man's skin had undergone a noticeable change. What should have been radiant skin was now dull and lifeless, even faintly tinged with yellow.

Unfortunately, by the time he realized this, it was too late. Just moments before, after taking the Tempest Kick Wild Dog's kick and being forced back four or five meters, Moke cleverly used his hand to touch the ground. In that instant, his body seemed to undergo some kind of magical transformation, changing from his original Glint-Glint Ability to his Mud-Mud Ability.

Not only that, Moke's lips curled into a smug smile. Clearly, he was very satisfied with the successful execution of his series of actions.

What's even more unexpected is that, just as Moke sheathed his sword, someone was secretly taking a picture of him from a dark corner. This person was clearly very professional, not only quickly finding a suitable angle but also accurately capturing the moment Moke sheathed his sword, perfectly freezing his arrogant and domineering aura in the frame.

Meanwhile, Moke's eyes darted anxiously around, trying to find Bartolomeo. However, no matter how carefully he searched, he couldn't find that familiar figure. Moke was stunned, muttering to himself, "Where did that guy go?"

He muttered to himself, "Truly a key figure, his life is tough!" Despite his surprise, Moke didn't dwell too much on Bartolomeo's disappearance. After all, he had more important things to do.

Now, there was no need to stay in Loguetown any longer. Moke took a deep breath, then raised his hand, pointing his palm at the sun in the sky. Instantly, his body began to radiate a dazzling light, as if he had merged with the sun.

Immediately afterward, Moke transformed into a beam of light like Inazuma, rushing straight towards Reverse Mountain. His speed was Inazuma fast, and in the blink of an eye, he passed through Reverse Mountain and entered the Grand Line.

On the Grand Line, there are many different routes to choose from. And on the first island of each route, there is a special entity—an underground force that sells information. These underground forces possess detailed information about each island, including the whereabouts of the Eternal Pose.

However, this intelligence wasn't free; it was quite expensive. But that wasn't a problem for Moke. He chose one of the routes without hesitation and quickly flew to the first island.

Upon landing on the island, Moke immediately began searching for a tavern. He knew that in places like this, taverns were often centers for information exchange. Sure enough, it wasn't long before he spotted a bustling tavern.

Moke stepped into the tavern, and before he could even speak, a waiter greeted him with a broad smile and asked enthusiastically, "What would you like to order?"

Moke stated bluntly, "I need an Eternal Pose from Chef Island." His words were concise and to the point, without any hesitation. Before he finished speaking, an enticing aroma wafted over, as if a delicacy from heaven had drifted down, instantly whetting Moke's appetite.

He couldn't help but add, "Give me another table of your most famous dishes." He said this as if it were a matter of course, seemingly full of anticipation for the restaurant's food.

"Alright... please find a seat wherever you like, I'll be right back," the shop owner replied warmly, then turned and hurried away to prepare food for Moke.

Moke glanced around, casually picked an empty table, and sat down without any ceremony. However, the moment he sat down, a group of people simultaneously turned their gazes to him. Their eyes met, creating a complex and subtle scene. Some people's eyes gleamed with curiosity, as if they were full of interest in this newcomer; while others made no attempt to hide their unfriendly expressions, and some even let out bursts of cold laughter, their laughter revealing contempt and mockery towards Moke.

"Another arrogant newcomer has arrived..."

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

"Aren't all newcomers like this? So naive..."

The whispers buzzed around Moke's ears like a swarm of annoying flies, making him feel restless. However, Moke was not affected by these sounds; he merely raised an eyebrow slightly, while his eyes swept across everyone present with Inazuma speed.

His gaze held a faint disdain, as if these people were nothing more than insignificant ants in his eyes. He knew very well that most of the so-called "veterans" here had actually lost their courage and fighting spirit, becoming a bunch of useless people. They hid in this corner, pointing fingers at the newcomers, putting on an air of superiority, but had long forgotten their former dreams and pursuits.

"Hello..."

One of the burly men stood up and walked towards Moke: "Kid, the Eternal Pose to a specific island isn't cheap. I suppose you have some money. Pay for our table too. And leave some for me to spend, how about that?"

It sounded like a question, but the tone was firm and unquestionable. Moke sat there leisurely, slowly raising his head and staring intently at the newcomer.

A slight, mocking smile appeared on his lips as he looked at the other person's confident and self-assured demeanor, and couldn't help but find it somewhat amusing.

"Hahahaha..." Moke suddenly burst into laughter, the sound echoing in the tavern and attracting everyone's attention.

"A spineless coward who only dares to hide on the first small island at the entrance to the Grand Line actually has the nerve to laugh at those who have dreams?" Moke's voice was full of sarcasm and disdain. "Although most of those guys aren't good people, they're still much better than trash Koby you!"

His words exploded in the tavern like thunder, instantly turning the once noisy place into a deathly silence.

Whether it was the person who came to provoke them or the other patrons who had originally planned to watch the show, they were all frozen in place, as if under a spell.

Moke's words were tantamount to slapping them hard in the face in front of everyone.

In an instant, everyone's gaze toward Moke changed. Originally, they were just there to watch the show, but now they all looked like enraged beasts, staring fiercely at Moke as if they wanted to devour him alive.

Especially the burly man, whose eyes were wide open, almost bulging out, his face full of anger, veins bulging on his forehead, staring intently at Moke, his lips trembling, wanting to say something, but too angry to utter a single word.

However, just as he was about to Ground Burst in uncontrollable rage, his gaze suddenly met Moke's. In that instant, he seemed to be stunned by a powerful force, and his body involuntarily froze.

To his astonishment, Moke's pupils had turned a strange purple, as if corrupted by some mysterious force. At the same time, a dense Ghost Aura surged forth from Moke's body like a raging wave, sweeping outwards at an astonishing speed like a black whirlwind.

This Ghost Aura was almost tangible, carrying a bone-chilling cold and a suffocating sense of oppression. The burly man was the first to be affected. He had just opened his mouth to say something when he was suddenly struck as if by an invisible, heavy blow, and his whole body trembled violently. His face instantly turned deathly pale, devoid of any color, and his body swayed involuntarily, as if he might fall to the ground at any moment.

The words he was about to say were abruptly swallowed back, as if an invisible force had choked him, preventing him from uttering a single sound.

Not only the burly men, but everyone present felt the chilling aura emanating from this place. It was like a cold wind passing by, carrying a chill that made people shiver involuntarily.

More importantly, they all clearly sensed that the seemingly unremarkable young man before them had undergone a tremendous change in aura. His originally ordinary appearance now exuded a chilling pressure, as if he were no longer someone who could be easily ignored, but a master who held the power of life and death.

The group exchanged bewildered glances, a sense of dread rising within them. Though they were seasoned veterans of the martial world, having weathered many storms, they had never encountered anything like this before. They all knew they had likely run into an extremely formidable opponent.

Just as everyone was stunned, Moke suddenly let out a cold snort, a voice that seemed to come from the depths of hell, sinister and terrifying, sending chills down everyone's spine.

"Leave all your belongings behind, and then you can get out of here." Moke's tone was cold and resolute, leaving no room for negotiation. His words were like a sharp sword, piercing straight into everyone's hearts.

"Otherwise, you will pay for offending me with your lives today." Moke's voice echoed in the air, like a thunderclap, making their eardrums buzz.

The crowd's faces instantly turned extremely ugly, as if they had been slapped hard in the face. They had originally intended to bully this newcomer and take a share of the spoils from him, but they never expected to be robbed by this seemingly insignificant guy instead.

Everyone was stunned. They looked at each other, unsure how to react. These were pirates with blood on their hands; greed was in their nature. How could they easily hand over their wealth?

Just then, a pirate sitting by the window suddenly stood up as if he had made up his mind, and without hesitation, broke the window and jumped out.

However, just as he was secretly pleased, the others in the tavern suddenly noticed something shocking— Moke's index finger was pointing straight at the guy who was trying to escape, and a large amount of light element was gathered on his index finger!

Everyone stared wide-eyed, watching the scene with bated breath. Moke's index finger twitched slightly, and a dazzling beam of light shot out like Inazuma! This beam of light was extremely fast, like a meteor streaking across the night sky, and instantly struck the fleeing man in the back.

With a soft "whoosh," the beam of light easily pierced through the man's body, as if his body were nothing more than a thin sheet of paper. The power of the beam did not dissipate; it continued its astonishing journey forward, slamming into a large tree a hundred meters away.

With a deafening roar, the massive tree proved utterly powerless against this terrifying force, snapping in two! Broken trunks and branches flew everywhere, raising a cloud of dust.

The tavern's windows were very large, so most people present could see the breathtaking scene clearly. For a moment, the entire tavern fell into a deathly silence; no one dared to make a sound.

After a long while, some people finally came to their senses, swallowing hard as if something was blocking their throats. Others gasped, clearly still shaken by the terrifying scene they had just witnessed.

When everyone looked at Moke again, their gazes had completely changed. The previous disdain and resentment had vanished without a trace, replaced by deep awe.

Without hesitation, these people respectfully placed all their money on Moke's table, then scurried out of the tavern as if avoiding a plague, fearing they might offend this unfathomably powerful figure...