Recaps

Moonlight used Conqueror's Haki to defeat a group of pirates, prompting Smoker to recognize the power and call for Marine reinforcements. Moonlight sensed Luffy was in danger at the Execution Platform and rushed there as Buggy's crew closed in on him.

• Moonlight knocked out the pirates around him with Conqueror's Haki and slipped away before Smoker and Tashigi arrived with the Marines.
• Smoker identified Conqueror's Haki as the power behind the pirates' sudden defeat and ordered Tashigi to request reinforcements.
• Moonlight used Observation Haki to locate Luffy and the others, then saw that Buggy, Cabaji, Alvida, and their crew were heading for Luffy at the Execution Platform.
• Luffy climbed onto the platform where Roger had been executed, announced that he dreamed of becoming the Pirate King, and found a blade pressed to his neck as Buggy confronted him.

Buggy and the Buggy Pirates captured Luffy in Loguetown and prepared to execute him before a crowd. Just as Buggy’s blade came down, a mysterious Sword Aura destroyed the Execution Platform and sent everyone on it falling.

• Buggy, Cabaji, Mohji, and Alvida confronted Luffy and sought revenge for their past defeats and grievances.
• Buggy restrained Luffy with a blade and raised it over him on the Execution Platform, while Smoker watched from a nearby building.
• Sanji, Usopp, Zoro, and Nami heard Luffy was about to be executed and rushed toward the square.
• Luffy smiled and accepted his apparent death as Buggy swung his blade, leaving his crewmates and the crowd horrified.
• A crescent-shaped Sword Aura slashed in from the crowd and shattered the Execution Platform, knocking everyone on it down.

Moonlight rescued Luffy from the collapsed Execution Platform and held off Smoker so the Straw Hat crew could escape. He then unleashed Conqueror’s Haki, knocking out nearly everyone in the square and leaving Buggy, Smoker, and Tashigi standing.

• Moonlight appeared after cutting down the Execution Platform, and the Straw Hat crew celebrated his arrival as Buggy and his pirates charged at them.
• Smoker arrived with a large Marine force and blocked Luffy and the crew as Buggy pursued them from behind.
• Moonlight told Luffy to lead the crew away and meet him at sea in ten minutes, then struck Smoker and pinned him to the ground with Haki.
• Moonlight released Conqueror’s Haki across the square, incapacitating at least a thousand Marines and Pirates while Buggy, Smoker, and Tashigi remained conscious.

Moonlight defeated Smoker and left Loguetown as Luffy and the others escaped toward the Going Merry. The Straw Hats then faced a Navy blockade, but Nami steered them beyond the cannons’ range while the Marines claimed they had prepared for their escape.

• Moonlight overwhelmed Smoker with Conqueror’s Haki, warned him not to pursue the crew, and left as Tashigi fainted and Smoker abandoned the chase.
• Luffy and the others hurried to the Going Merry, where Zoro trusted Moonlight to handle the Marines while Sanji warned that Navy ships had sealed off Loguetown.
• Nami ordered the crew to their stations, and the Going Merry set sail as the Marines identified the Straw Hats and fired cannonballs around the ship.
• Nami guided the Going Merry along the coastline and used the currents from the bombardment to escape the cannons’ range.
• Three Navy colonels dismissed the crew’s escape as futile and said they had prepared for the blockade.

The Straw Hat Crew was trapped between Marine fleets and endured a devastating cannon barrage while Nami waited for an approaching storm. As the Going Merry neared destruction, a man leapt from Loguetown harbor and sprinted across the sea toward the Marines.

• Nami and Usopp spotted Marine ships surrounding the Going Merry from ahead and behind, and the crew chose to fight rather than surrender.
• The Marine Colonels ordered a barrage of at least forty cannons, damaging the Going Merry and creating a massive whirlpool around it.
• Luffy used Gum-Gum Balloon to shield the ship from cannonballs while Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, and Nami worked to keep the crew alive.
• The Marine Colonels doubled the rate of fire, and Nami saw a man leap from Loguetown harbor and run across the sea toward the fleet.

Moonlight escaped the Marines surrounding Loguetown Harbor by using Conqueror’s Haki to knock out nearby soldiers, then raced across the sea toward the Going Merry. Luffy and the others recognized him and watched in disbelief as he approached.

• Moonlight knocked out the Marines within three hundred meters and continued toward the shore.
• Buggy and the other pirates recognized Moonlight as the Straw Hat Crew’s 50-million-Beli vice-captain.
• The Marines called for reinforcements, while their colonel prepared to capture Moonlight.
• Moonlight leaped into the sea and used Dragon Ascent Slash to speed across the water toward the Going Merry.
• Usopp spotted Moonlight through his telescope, and Luffy and the others stared at his approach in shock.

Moonlight defeated the Marine force surrounding the Going Merry with Conqueror’s Haki, but a violent storm and waterspout trapped the ship. With the crew facing disaster, Luffy decided they had to abandon the Merry.

• Moonlight raced across the sea and used Conqueror’s Haki to incapacitate the Marines surrounding the Going Merry, advancing his Haki to lv3.
• Moonlight returned to the ship and warned Nami that a storm was gathering, so she ordered the crew to move through the growing whirlpools.
• Thunder, heavy rain, and powerful winds formed a huge waterspout around the Going Merry, leaving the crew unable to escape safely.
• Usopp and Sanji despaired, Zoro urged them to abandon ship, and Nami looked to Luffy for the decision.
• Luffy apologized to the Going Merry and decided the crew had to leave the ship.

Moonlight tried to cut through a deadly tornado storm to save the Going Merry, but his attack failed and the crew prepared to flee. Monkey D. Dragon rescued them and their ship with a powerful wind, while Moonlight recognized him from afar.

• Usopp refused to abandon the Going Merry, and Moonlight attacked the approaching tornado storm with his Phantom Sword Dance.
• The tornado swallowed Moonlight's Sword Aura, so Luffy ordered the crew to retreat and Usopp reluctantly left the ship.
• Dragon surrounded the Going Merry with a powerful wind and carried it safely through the tornado storm.
• Luffy and the others recovered aboard the Going Merry, while Usopp celebrated the ship's survival and Zoro fell asleep.
• At Loguetown, Dragon supported Luffy's choice to set sail, and Moonlight recognized Dragon's silhouette from aboard the ship.

After realizing how far he still had to go to protect his companions, Moonlight resolved to train harder as the Going Merry sailed toward the Grand Line. The crew rescued Apis from the sea, unaware that Erik had set out to find her.

• Moonlight assessed his skills after Dragon's intervention and decided to strengthen his sword techniques and Haki before entering the Grand Line.
• The crew recovered aboard the Going Merry, with each member renewing their ambitions as they headed for the Grand Line.
• Apis escaped from Nelson's warship by jumping into the sea, and Nelson sent Erik after her alone.
• Luffy pulled the exhausted Apis aboard the Going Merry, where Nami confirmed she was safe.
• Apis woke, saw the Pirate Flag, and panicked that she had been captured by pirates.

Luffy agreed to help Apis return home after she revealed that her family had been killed, despite Usopp and Nami warning that it would delay the crew near the Grand Line. When the Scythe-Head Man pursued Apis and leaped toward the Going Merry, Moonlight stopped him with a powerful slash.

• Apis panicked at the Straw Hat crew’s unusual traits, then calmed down when Nami and Moonlight assured her they would not hurt her.
• Apis said that terrible people had killed her family and pleaded for help getting home, but Usopp and Nami argued that the crew should not get involved.
• Luffy asked Apis’s name, declared her a friend, and ordered the ship turned around to help her.
• Moonlight noticed a Scythe-Head Man speeding toward the Going Merry, and Apis hid behind Nami in fear.
• The Scythe-Head Man leaped at the crew, but Moonlight’s Iai Slash forced him to dodge and carve a deep mark into the sea; Luffy then asked who he was.

Erik failed to take Apis from the Straw Hat Crew, who chose to protect their friend and sail toward Battleship Island. Nelson then ordered Erik to pursue them with ten ships and twenty cannons, leaving the crew headed toward a confrontation.

• Erik demanded that the Straw Hat Crew hand over Apis, warning them that Admiral Nelson Roy would destroy anyone who opposed him.
• Luffy refused to abandon Apis, and Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp backed their captain; Erik withdrew after deciding he could not take her alone.
• Apis thanked the crew and directed them east toward her home on Battleship Island, so Usopp changed their course.
• Erik reported to Nelson, who gave him ten large ships and twenty cannons and ordered him to bring Apis back.
• Erik accepted the order and promised Nelson he would capture Apis.

While Luffy and the others rested on Battleship Island, Moonlight mastered a devastating new sword technique aboard the ship. After a night of eating and drinking with the islanders, Apis slipped away with a large supply of food, leaving her destination unknown.

• Luffy rushed off in search of meat while Nami and the others planned to rest before heading to the Grand Line, and Moonlight stayed aboard to train.
• Moonlight's Phantom Sword Dance advanced, allowing him to comprehend Sky-Breaking Iai Slash, which combined the power of Iai Slash and Phantom Sword Dance.
• Moonlight tested Sky-Breaking Iai Slash, sending a vast wave of Sword Aura across the sea that devastated the water and killed sea creatures.
• Nami, Zoro, Usopp, and Apis saw the sword attack from shore, and Nami explained that Moonlight was training.
• Apis led the group to a restaurant, where they ate and celebrated with the islanders before falling asleep.
• After confirming everyone was asleep, Apis secretly packed enough food for a hundred people and headed toward the island's mountain.

Luffy and the others followed Apis to a cave, where she revealed an ancient Millennium Dragon and explained that Admiral Nelson sought its bones for eternal life. Meanwhile, Erik returned with a fleet of Marines and began shelling the Going Merry and the island, leaving the crew facing an attack.

• Zoro, Usopp, Sanji, and Nami woke and followed Apis up the mountain, with Luffy joining after they explained what had happened.
• Apis led them into a cave, where they found a frail, enormous dragon and learned Admiral Nelson was hunting it for its Dragon Bone.
• Moonlight spotted Erik approaching Battleship Island with more than twenty Marine ships and alerted the crew’s danger by watching the fleet close in.
• Erik urged the Marine Captain to attack the Straw Hat Crew, and the fleet fired warning shots that shook the Going Merry and the island.
• Apis used the Whisper-Whisper Fruit to learn that the Marines had surrounded the island and cried out in alarm.

While Luffy and the others decided to help Apis return Elder Dragon to his hometown, Moonlight fought Erik near the Going Merry. The chapter ended with Moonlight catching Erik’s devastating attack in his Haki-coated palm and leaving him trapped.

• Luffy, Nami, Usopp, and the others decided to help Apis take Elder Dragon back to his hometown, and Usopp proposed using the slope outside the cave to get the dragon down.
• Erik attacked Moonlight with his Kamaitachi, but Moonlight blocked the slicing air with his sword.
• Erik launched a powerful downward strike, and the Marines and islanders watched in alarm as it split the air.
• Moonlight coated his arm with Armament Haki and caught Erik’s attack in his palm, stopping him from moving.

Moonlight defended the Going Merry from the Marines’ barrage until Luffy and the others returned with a Millennium Dragon. With the Marines distracted, Moonlight unleashed a powerful sword strike that split their entire fleet, leaving the Marine Captain and his forces in the sea.

• Moonlight knocked Erik away with Armament Haki and cut through the Marines’ initial cannon barrage with an Iai Slash.
• The Marine Captain ordered all the ships to keep firing, forcing Moonlight to repeatedly defend the Going Merry alone.
• Luffy and the others returned with Apis and an enormous Millennium Dragon, drawing the Marines’ attention.
• Erik recovered and fixed his attention on the dragon, hoping to obtain its Dragon Bone and live forever.
• Moonlight unleashed Void-Cleaving Iai Slash and split all twenty Marine ships, sending the Marine Captain and Marines into the sea.

Moonlight destroyed Admiral Nelson’s Marine ships with a single slash, then rejoined the Straw Hat Crew as they set sail with Apis and Elder Dragon for Dragon Island. After Erik and a Marine Captain returned to the base, Nelson ordered the entire fleet to pursue and destroy the crew.

• Moonlight cut apart more than twenty Marine ships, prompting the villagers and the Straw Hat Crew to marvel at his strength.
• The Marines tried to retreat, while Erik escaped in a small boat ahead of the others.
• Luffy accidentally crashed into Moonlight and damaged the Going Merry, then Nami led the crew away with Apis and Elder Dragon toward Dragon Island.
• Erik and the Marine Captain reported back to Admiral Nelson, concealing how decisively Moonlight had beaten the Marines.
• Admiral Nelson ordered his entire fleet to sortie and wipe out the Straw Hat Crew.

Nelson mobilized the Marines’ full East Blue force after Erik reported finding a Millennium Dragon, while Moonlight’s crew explored ruins that might reveal Dragon Island’s location. The chapter ended with the Straw Hat Crew surrounded by a vast fleet as Nelson pursued immortality.

• After Erik told Nelson he had seen a living Millennium Dragon and that its Dragon Bone could grant immortality, Nelson ordered them to go after it.
• In an underground palace, Apis admitted Elder Dragon might not remember where Dragon Island was, and Moonlight recognized Battleship Island in a mural.
• Moonlight suggested Dragon Island might be Battleship Island, but the crew had no proof of his theory.
• The Marines bombarded the island, and Moonlight discovered their fleet had surrounded it.
• Usopp counted fifty Marine warships, while Sanji spotted a battleship and Moonlight identified the force as Nelson’s full East Blue deployment.

Admiral Nelson's fleet bombarded the island, trapping the Straw Hat Crew and Elder Dragon as they sought a way to escape. Moonlight stayed behind to hold off the Marines, but his sword attacks were shattered by their cannon barrage.

• Nelson ordered fifty ships and a warship to bombard the island, while the Going Merry remained untouched.
• Zoro, Sanji, Nami, and Usopp feared the fleet's firepower, and Apis despaired that Nelson could not be stopped.
• Moonlight told Luffy to protect Elder Dragon, then charged down the mountain with Armament Haki and his Kusanagi Sword.
• Luffy ordered the crew to flee with Elder Dragon while Moonlight drew the Marines' attention.
• The Marines blasted apart Moonlight's Three-Stage Slash, and the Marine Captain recognized him as the Straw Hat Crew's vice-captain.
• Moonlight unleashed Sky-Breaking Iai Slash, but the Marines' hundred cannons shattered that attack as well.

Moonlight held off fifty Marine ships so Luffy and the others could get the Millennium Dragon to the Going Merry. As Nelson sailed to intercept the Straw Hat Crew, the crew accepted Moonlight as their Vice-Captain and Luffy urged him to rejoin them.

• Moonlight unleashed Phantom Sword Dance to keep the Marines occupied while Luffy and the others carried the Millennium Dragon toward the Going Merry.
• Nelson learned the Straw Hat Crew had the Millennium Dragon and ordered his warship to intercept them, trusting Erik and Vegapunk’s Laser Particle Cannon to handle the crew.
• Nelson’s hundred-cannon volleys pinned Moonlight in place, but he endured them unharmed and refused to retreat because the Going Merry would be exposed.
• Usopp, Sanji, Zoro, and Nami recognized Moonlight’s strength and his willingness to protect them, and they accepted him as their Vice-Captain.
• Luffy called for Moonlight to hurry so they could sail together, and Moonlight smiled and raised his thumb.

Admiral Nelson attacked the Straw Hat Crew with a warship while Erik kept Zoro occupied and Marines pinned down Moonlight. The Going Merry was battered as Nelson pressed to ram it, leaving Luffy and his crew struggling to escape.

• Nelson arrived aboard a warship and attacked, while Zoro engaged Erik and Luffy's crew sailed away with Elder Dragon.
• Luffy and his crew found themselves circling back to Battleship Island because Elder Dragon could not clearly remember the route.
• Nelson fired his warship's cannon and struck Elder Dragon, prompting Luffy, Sanji, Usopp, and Nami to defend the Going Merry and steer it away.
• Nelson ordered his warship to ram the Going Merry, while Erik held off Zoro and Marines continued bombarding Moonlight.
• Nami directed Usopp to turn the ship forty-five degrees as Nelson bore down on the Going Merry.

Apis took the Millennium Dragon away from the Going Merry to draw the Marines after her, but her course led into the Calm Belt, where Sea Kings threatened everyone. Moonlight raced into the dangerous waters to rescue her as Luffy and the others pursued.

• Apis left the Going Merry with the Millennium Dragon, drawing Erik and Nelson’s fleet away from the Straw Hat Crew.
• The Straw Hat Crew turned back to chase Apis, while Moonlight used Dragon Ascent Slash to keep pace with the warships.
• A Marine colonel warned that they had reached the Calm Belt, and Nami explained that it was windless and filled with Sea Kings.
• Luffy ordered Usopp to keep pursuing Apis despite the danger, and Moonlight raced ahead into the Calm Belt to bring her back.
• Nelson halted his warship at the edge of the Calm Belt and hesitated over whether to continue.

Moonlight and Apis survived the Sea Kings in the Calm Belt, and Apis used her Whisper-Whisper Fruit to explain their plight and gain the creatures' help. After Elder Dragon remembered that Battleship Island was Dragon Island, he called for his companions, leaving Luffy and the others wondering whether other Millennium Dragons would appear.

• Sea Kings burst out of the Calm Belt, and Luffy and the others feared that Apis and Moonlight were in danger.
• Luffy spotted Moonlight and Apis standing unharmed atop a Sea King as the others pulled Elder Dragon through the waves.
• Apis explained that Moonlight had frightened the Sea Kings and that she had used the Whisper-Whisper Fruit to ask them for help.
• Moonlight told Apis to send the Sea Kings after Nelson's Marines, forcing the Marines to flee.
• Apis told the Going Merry's crew that Elder Dragon had remembered Dragon Island was Battleship Island.
• Elder Dragon spread his wings and roared to summon his companions, and Apis said Dragon Island was nearby.

Apis and the Straw Hats helped Elder Dragon return to the newly emerged Dragon Island, where a thousand Millennium Dragons gathered. After saying goodbye, the Going Merry sailed toward the Grand Line and encountered currents flowing uphill.

• A thousand Millennium Dragons answered Elder Dragon's roar, astonishing Luffy and the others, the Marines, and Erik.
• Dragon Island rose from the sea in a chain of misty islands, and Elder Dragon returned home with the Millennium Dragons.
• Apis translated Elder Dragon's thanks, and Luffy and the others said goodbye before leaving the Marines and Erik to the Sea Kings.
• The Going Merry set course for the Grand Line under Nami's command, and the crew realized they had left the East Blue.
• The currents ahead converged and flowed upward, leaving Sanji, Zoro, and Usopp astonished as Nami opened the Grand Line sea chart.

The Straw Hats rode Reverse Mountain’s upward current toward the Grand Line, where Moonlight used his Sword Aura to keep the Going Merry from crashing into a cave wall. As the ship plunged down the far side, the crew spotted an enormous whale with its mouth open ahead.

• Nami explained how Reverse Mountain led into the Grand Line, and the crew shared their dreams as they approached the Red Line.
• The Going Merry was swept up Reverse Mountain’s violent current and nearly crashed into a cave entrance.
• Moonlight unleashed a mass of Sword Aura to cut away part of the cave wall, letting Sanji steer the ship safely past it.
• The Going Merry plunged down the mountain’s far side, and the crew saw a gigantic whale ahead with its mouth open.

Moonlight and the Straw Hats were swallowed by Laboon after Moonlight struck the whale, and the crew landed inside its body near Crocus. Moonlight sensed Miss Wednesday and Mr. 9 plotting to kill Laboon and confronted them.

• Moonlight struck Laboon with Armament Haki, causing the whale to roll and the Going Merry and Straw Hats to be swept into its mouth.
• Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, and Nami fell onto the island inside Laboon and crashed into Crocus's house; Crocus recognized Luffy's Straw Hat.
• Moonlight explored Laboon's wounded body and used Observation Haki to confirm that the Straw Hats were safe with Crocus.
• Moonlight sensed Miss Wednesday and Mr. 9 discussing a plan to kill Laboon for food and report their mission's success.
• Moonlight appeared before Miss Wednesday and Mr. 9, who decided they could not let him live after he overheard them.