Raging Waves

"Let's go!"

Luffy shouted. Without another word, he grabbed Moonlight, Usopp, Zoro, Yosaku, Johnny, and Sanji, stretched out his arms, and launched them toward the small boat!

"Hey, hey, hey, are we really going to...?"

Yosaku was stunned by the sight, as if he had realized something.

"Captain! Captain!"

Johnny struggled desperately.

"Zoro's a patient!"

Usopp cried in alarm.

"No need, I'll go myself!"

Moonlight flashed lightly. Before Luffy could react, he moved like lightning and drifted gracefully onto the boat.

Sanji was the last one left, staring blankly at the scene before him, completely bewildered.

"Bang!"

Luffy's stretched arms suddenly snapped back like a slingshot, and the five of them were hurled through the air like launched birds, crashing violently toward the boat!

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The five landed headfirst!

"Hey, is everyone still alive?"

Sanji was the first to recover. He looked at Luffy with a face full of regret.

This was their captain?

Wasn't he way too reckless?

Damn it, didn't I just board a pirate ship?

Thinking this, Sanji took out a cigarette, lit it, and looked at the others.

"I'm fine, but from now on, I have to remember one thing: cherish life, stay away from Luffy!"

Usopp's nose emerged first. Then he clutched his long nose and declared with a look of enlightenment.

"So this is our big brother's captain? He's so violent. Big brother, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I didn't die from the fall!"

Yosaku and Johnny hurriedly looked at Zoro, only to find that he was still sleeping soundly, completely unaware of anything. They could not help but admire him.

"All right, everyone, let's set sail and bring Nami back."

Luffy laughed heartily, completely unconcerned as he sat at the bow and shouted.

"Hey, hey, hey, Captain, don't you think you owe everyone an explanation? That was way too reckless!"

"That's right, that was far too reckless! You absolutely can't do that again! And with Nami gone, who's going to guide us?"

"That's right!"

Yosaku, Johnny, and Sanji all shouted in protest, deeply dissatisfied.

"Huh? I see!"

Usopp rubbed his chin, looking thoughtful.

"Zoro is directionally challenged, Luffy is an idiot, I don't know navigation either, you two are useless, and you're a cook. The only capable one seems to be Moonlight. Moonlight, you guide us!"

Usopp looked toward Moonlight on the lookout platform with admiration. As for everyone else, they all looked disdainful.

"Hey, hey, hey, who are you calling useless? I may be a cook, but I've lived at sea for over ten years. I still know the simple routes!"

Sanji immediately flew into a rage, his curled eyebrow rising.

"Kid, who are you calling useless? Believe me, I'll butcher you! Besides, we saw Nami leave with our own eyes. I know her general direction!"

"That's right, we're eyewitnesses! Without us, who would know which way Nami went?"

Yosaku and Johnny pointed at Usopp's long nose and shouted.

"Oh..."

Luffy looked at them and nodded as if he understood perfectly.

"No, no, no, I was only... stating the facts. Hey, Moonlight, at least say something."

Seeing their angry expressions, Usopp waved his hands and looked toward Moonlight.

"Buzz!"

Moonlight stood on the lookout platform, swinging his longsword and slashing out crescent-shaped Sword Auras one after another.

The Sword Auras were incomparably sharp. They struck the sea and sent layer after layer of waves bursting forth.

The surging waves became a driving force, pushing their small boat forward at high speed.

"Damn, he's using Sword Aura to power the boat! That's amazing!"

"Big Brother Moonlight, your swordsmanship is way stronger than Big Brother Zoro's!"

The people who had been arguing all looked at Moonlight's actions with admiration.

"This guy..."

Sanji narrowed his eyes. Though he thought highly of himself, the sight of someone as powerful as Moonlight made his heart tighten.

At sea, the strong were respected!

"Wow, Moonlight, you're really reliable!"

Luffy shouted happily.

"Reliable, my ass! Look, Moonlight's slashing with his eyes closed! What does that mean? He's practicing his swordsmanship, not guiding us!"

However, Usopp shouted, pointing at Moonlight.

His eyes were sharp. While everyone else was focused on Moonlight's ferocious Sword Auras, Usopp, who had grown used to such things, noticed that Moonlight's eyes had been closed the entire time.

"Huh? Sorry about that. You were all arguing endlessly, and I didn't know when you'd reach a conclusion. So I decided it would be better to leave everything to fate. I'll practice my swordsmanship while steering the boat. As for where we end up, that's entirely up to destiny."

Moonlight's sword practice did not stop. He merely turned around, looked at everyone, and spoke calmly.

The moment he said that, everyone froze!

"Leave it to fate?"

"Rely entirely on luck?"

"No way!"

The five looked at one another. Even Luffy wore a stunned expression.

Then, all five shouted at once!

"Damn it, stop right now!"

"Stop! Your luck is terrible! We're getting farther and farther away from Nami's direction. No wonder something felt off earlier!"

Yosaku and Johnny shouted frantically.

"Hahaha, Moonlight, you're really funny!"

Luffy laughed carelessly, finding it immensely amusing!

"Hey, hey, hey, Moonlight, you're not joking, are you?"

Usopp's eyes widened as he stared at Moonlight in disbelief.

Was this really Moonlight, the powerful man who had fought Hawkeye to a draw?

Leave it to fate?

Rely on luck?

Damn it!

"Hey, hey, hey, have you all had enough? Since no one can make a decision, I will. I'm a cook with dreams, and I don't want to get lost right after setting sail!"

Veins bulged on Sanji's face before he exploded in rage.

After giving each of them a knock on the head, everyone finally behaved, and Sanji took charge of steering the boat.

Though he was not a professional navigator, Sanji clearly knew far more about navigation than the others. With no clouds in sight and clear skies stretching for miles, they crossed the waters smoothly. Soon, a coastline appeared faintly ahead, seemingly belonging to an island.

"Look, it's an island!"

Usopp had been using his telescope to watch the sea and was the first to react, crying out excitedly.

"It really is!"

"That's great!"

Yosaku and Johnny both looked over. They could vaguely see a white line in the distance and could not help cheering.

"Wow, there's an island! That means there'll be meat to eat."

Luffy's eyes gleamed. An island meant restaurants, and restaurants meant meat.

Thinking of that, Luffy grew even more impatient.

"Hey, hey, hey, with a first-rate chef like me here, why would we need to go to a restaurant? I'll cook for you."

Hearing that, Sanji exhaled smoke and spoke calmly.

"But this boat is just a simple speedboat. We don't have ingredients, supplies, or even tools. Even a chef can't cook without rice, right?"

Usopp's eyes widened as he looked at Sanji.

"Only third-rate cooks rely on tools and ingredients. First-rate cooks rely on heart. If there are no ingredients, then gather them on the spot. The sea is so vast. Are you afraid there won't be any ingredients?"

Sanji said disdainfully, pointing at the ocean.

"Watch closely. I'll find you a whole pile of ingredients in minutes!"

With that, he was about to dive into the sea.

Suddenly, raging waves surged up without warning.