At that moment, the Pirates who had eaten the food Gin brought them gradually recovered. Seeing Luffy actually challenge their captain, they all sneered.
"You want to challenge me? You're not qualified, yet. Men, attack! Show them the might of the Krieg Pirates!"
Krieg sneered. Although Luffy had challenged him, not just anyone could challenge him.
This was the dignity of the East Blue's overlord!
"Get him! Let this brat see what we're made of!"
"Hehe, brat, you think you can challenge our captain? How naive!"
"Our captain isn't someone just anyone can challenge!"
At those words, the Pirates burst into laughter and prepared to charge forward!
"No need. I can handle small fry like this myself!"
However, at that moment, a man resembling a sea turtle and standing over two meters tall appeared.
He rolled off the pirate ship and blocked Luffy's path. Looking coldly at Luffy and the others, he spoke in a sinister voice.
"It's Captain Pearl! Go, kill them!"
"Captain Pearl is incredibly strong, second only to our commander! Kill them!"
"Go, Captain Pearl!"
Seeing the man, all the Pirates nodded and stopped, cheering excitedly as though he possessed unmatched strength!
"Hehe!"
Pearl chuckled as he looked at Luffy.
"Hm?"
Luffy frowned. If that was the case, then to send Krieg flying, he would first have to deal with the man in front of him.
Buzz!
However, the instant that thought crossed his mind, a crescent-shaped Sword Aura suddenly slashed out from beside him!
Pearl's entire body was instantly split in two!
With a splash, he fell into the sea and died!
Just like that, he had been killed by a single sword strike!
"Why would our captain need to deal with trash like this? Go ahead, Captain. I'll take care of these small fry!"
Moonlight walked forward and looked coldly at the Pirates before him.
After Pearl was taken down, their excitement instantly turned into stunned disbelief.
Only after Moonlight finished speaking did sharp gasps rise one after another!
"Gasp! No way, Captain Pearl was taken out just like that?"
"That swordsman is that strong? He killed our captain with one strike?"
"That's insane!"
They stared at Moonlight in utter shock.
"Hmph! You dared to kill my subordinate right in front of me! Everyone, attack! Kill him!"
Seeing Pearl cut down in one strike, Krieg's face immediately darkened.
Having his subordinate killed before his very eyes was the greatest humiliation!
At his command, the Pirates immediately rushed forward.
Krieg had eight thousand subordinates, and now all of them charged in, a dense, overwhelming mass.
"This is bad. There are way too many of them!"
"Two fists can't beat four hands. Moonlight, I'll help you!"
"Moonlight!"
Seeing this, Luffy and Usopp were greatly alarmed and hurriedly looked toward Moonlight.
"There are too many of them. No matter how strong he is, if he's surrounded and attacked by so many people, he'll eventually run out of strength!"
"Let's help too. Those Pirates are utterly despicable!"
"Fine! Their target is our restaurant anyway. We absolutely can't give them this restaurant. Since we have to fight sooner or later, let's go!"
The restaurant's chefs were filled with righteous indignation at the sight, roaring in anger.
Then, fully on guard, they prepared to charge forward and face the Krieg Pirates!
"Hehe!"
"Conqueror's Haki!"
Moonlight merely smiled faintly. Looking at the Pirates blanketing the area before him, he shouted coldly.
A blue current of energy immediately spread outward from his body in every direction!
Buzz!
Within a radius of a thousand meters, all the charging Pirates froze as though struck by a paralysis spell. Then, one after another, they collapsed unconscious.
In the blink of an eye, every Pirate lost the ability to fight and fell to the ground!
Not only them—even the restaurant chefs who had rushed forward were caught in the aura. Those who had charged fastest suddenly stopped and fainted one after another, some even foaming at the mouth.
"What's going on?"
Krieg's pupils shrank sharply at the sight!
He had never imagined such a situation.
"So this is the Conqueror's Haki Moonlight mentioned?"
Usopp was secretly shocked. He looked at Luffy, who nodded approvingly at Moonlight before focusing entirely on charging toward Krieg.
"Damn it, what happened? Why is this happening?"
"There have to be at least five thousand people here. Why did they all fall at once? Did he use some kind of magic?"
"It's not just the enemy—even our people are like this. What is this?"
The restaurant chefs stared blankly at the scene, their faces filled with confusion and shock. They had no idea what had happened.
The remaining people no longer dared take another step forward, staring at the scene in astonishment.
With their knowledge, they naturally could not understand what had happened.
"Old man, what's going on?"
Sanji was equally shocked and hurriedly asked Zeff.
"I don't know either. But one thing is clear: that swordsman is the strongest among them. No wonder he could exchange blows with Hawkeye without falling behind. I originally thought Hawkeye simply didn't want to fight in a place like this, but now it seems this man is truly extraordinary!"
Zeff muttered.
He truly did not understand Conqueror's Haki either, but he could sense Moonlight's strength. It had already surpassed what ordinary people could imagine!
"There's actually someone this powerful in the world!"
Sanji looked at Moonlight, utterly shaken.
He felt like nothing more than a frog at the bottom of a well!
"Until our captain's battle with the enemy is decided, no one may interfere!"
After finishing all that, Moonlight clapped his hands, sat down to one side, and spoke calmly as if nothing had happened.
Yet at that moment, no one dared question his words.
"Gum-Gum... Pistol!"
Just then, Luffy had already made his move!
His arm suddenly stretched out, his fists clenched as he charged toward Krieg!
He wanted to build up enough power to send him flying in one blow!
"Hehe, brat, you're courting death!"
"Spike Cape!"
As Luffy rushed at him, Krieg suddenly moved!
Bang!
The armor around his body suddenly erupted with countless sharp steel spikes, like those of a porcupine!
Caught off guard, Luffy punched straight into the steel spikes covering Krieg's body!
"Argh!"
Luffy cried out in pain, his body injured!
"It's not over yet. A little Pirate like you dared challenge me, so I'll show you what I'm capable of!"
"Great Battle Spear!"
Then Krieg sneered. A massive spear, as large as three people, suddenly appeared in his hand.
Before you continue