Mox leaned against the mooring post of the Going Merry and rubbed his still-throbbing temples.
His gaze fell on the wine barrels a short distance away—
Zoro was sprawled out on his back, snoring evenly.
Every now and then, he would mumble, “I won’t lose again.”
Mox shook his head helplessly.
Drinking with this guy last night had really been asking for trouble.
His last memory before blacking out was Zoro hugging a ship’s anchor and shouting,
“Mox, one more round!”
Who knew whether he’d actually gone along with that idiot’s antics?
“Heyyy—Sanji!
Where’d that guy go?!”
Luffy ran around the deck.
His rubber arm suddenly shot out with a snap and grabbed Mox by the shoulder, swinging Luffy over.
“Mox, Mox!
Have you seen Sanji?
It’s time to go!”
“You just woke up and you’re already making a racket.”
Mox raised a hand and snapped his fingers.
A pale-blue glow curled around his fingertips as he gently swept it across the faces and collars of the two men.
A cool sensation carrying the freshness of morning dew instantly cleared away the haze of their hangovers.
Luffy let out a comfortable, “Ahhh.”
Meanwhile, on the second floor, Sanji was slumped deep in a chair.
The cigarette between his fingers had burned almost to the end.
The glowing ember was barely an inch from his fingertips, yet he didn’t seem to notice.
He tilted his head slightly, staring at the white ceiling.
For a moment—
Zeff scolding him for “peeling potatoes until you peeled your own fingers,” the old man secretly wiping his eyes after Sanji had cooked a decent seafood fried rice for the first time, the night they had shared a single piece of dry bread during a storm…
All of those memories floated before his eyes.
“So damn noisy…”
Luffy’s voice was like a needle, piercing through those fleeting memories.
Sanji suddenly came back to himself and pressed the cigarette butt into the ashtray with a faint sizzle.
He stood and picked up the bag of cooking utensils he had packed long ago.
The crisp clinking of metal utensils echoed through the silent corridor.
His dress shoes tapped against the wooden stairs, each knock sounding like the final punctuation mark on his years at the Baratie.
The Going Merry was already moored securely beside the Baratie, its sails gently billowing in the morning breeze.
Nami stood at the bow with her hands on her hips, occasionally glancing down at the nautical chart before looking up and shouting to Usopp on deck:
“Hey!
Tie that rope tighter!”
Usopp hurriedly acknowledged her while Johnny and Yosaku helped carry supplies nearby.
Zoro was already leaning against the railing, still rubbing his eyes and yawning, his eyebrows knitted together.
Clearly, he hadn’t completely woken up yet.
Sanji finally appeared at the end of the stairs.
He walked up to Luffy and suddenly curled his lips into a smile.
“Luffy, do you know about the All Blue?”
“I do!”
Luffy blurted out without hesitation.
“It’s the legendary sea where all the fish in the world can be found!”
Sanji raised an eyebrow, his eyes widening in surprise.
This idiot actually knew about it?
“Mox told me.”
Luffy pointed toward the ship and said matter-of-factly,
“He said it’s a place he absolutely has to visit.”
Luffy rubbed his temple.
“Although I don’t know what that guy called ‘Ka’ did to offend him.
Mox insists on beating him.”
Mox leaned against the mast with his arms folded and added,
“More precisely, it’s a mysterious sea where fish from the East Blue, West Blue, South Blue, and North Blue all converge.
“For a chef, it’s the ultimate holy land.
And for someone like me who’s determined to taste every delicacy in the world, it’s somewhere I absolutely have to visit.”
“Ohhh—a chef and a gourmet?
Sounds like a pretty fitting combination.”
Sanji teased him.
“Pah!
Say that again and see what happens!
Who’s a fitting combination with you?!
Believe it or not, I’ll beat you up right now!”
Mox immediately blew his top.
“Sanji, let me make this clear one more time.
I’m a man!
When I first arrived at the Baratie, you mistook me for—”
This time, Sanji was the one who exploded.
Back when Mox had first arrived at the Baratie, his delicate features and long hair had caused Sanji to mistake him for a beautiful young woman.
Sanji had gone out of his way to curry favor with him.
It was a dark chapter in Sanji’s history that he absolutely could not let anyone know about!
Especially Nami-san.
He couldn’t let her misunderstand him.
And he absolutely couldn’t let that moss-head make fun of him.
That would be worse than death!
Sanji immediately leaped onto the Going Merry and clamped a hand over Mox’s mouth.
“Hey—Luffy!
We can leave now!
Come on…
full speed ahead!”
Sanji hurriedly changed the subject and shouted toward the deck.
Luffy blinked in confusion.
“Huh?
What happened?
…Oh!
Sanji’s on the ship?
Great!”
Only then did he realize what was happening, and he immediately cheered before jumping aboard the Going Merry.
Mox looked at Sanji, his gaze passing over Sanji’s shoulder toward the second floor of the Baratie.
“You’re not going up to say goodbye?”
Sanji’s eyes drifted in the same direction.
The restaurant windows were tightly shut, and no figures could be seen inside.
He remained silent for several seconds before finally shaking his head.
His voice was slightly hoarse.
“Forget it.”
“Sanji!”
An old yet powerful voice suddenly came from the second floor.
“The sea wind is strong.
Don’t catch a cold.”
Sanji’s body trembled.
He spun around and saw Zeff standing there, one hand resting on the railing.
The old man no longer wore his usual fierce expression.
Instead, his face was filled with warmth, a faint sheen of tears in his eyes.
All the gratitude, guilt, and reluctance trapped in Sanji’s throat suddenly surged forth like a dam breaking.
With a thud, Sanji dropped to his knees and slammed his forehead against the cold deck.
“Old Man Zeff…
thank you…
Thank you for taking care of me all these eight years…”
“You idiot.”
Zeff turned his face away and roughly wiped his eyes with his sleeve, though his voice was slightly choked.
“Since when are goodbyes between men supposed to be this sappy?
Get lost.
Go find your All Blue!”
The restaurant door was suddenly thrown open, and all the chefs of the Baratie poured out, leaning over the railing and waving desperately.
“Sanji!
Have a safe journey!”
“Remember to send us pictures of the All Blue!”
“If someone bullies you, come back!
We’ll beat them up for you!”
“Stop being such a picky eater, you brat!”
Sanji waved with all his might, continuing to wave until the Baratie’s silhouette became a tiny, blurry dot on the horizon and finally disappeared completely.
The Going Merry raised its sails and carved a white trail across the azure sea.
By noon, the sunlight had become scorching, heating the deck until it was almost burning hot.
Everyone gathered in the shade beside the railing.
The sea breeze lifted Nami’s orange hair, revealing the unmistakable tattoo of the Arlong Pirates on her shoulder.
It was her shame.
Nami took a deep breath.
“Mox, can you remove this?”
Mox shook his head.
“My ability can only clean the surface.
I can’t penetrate deep enough into the skin yet.”
Nami’s voice trembled with emotions she had suppressed for far too long.
She slowly laid out the story she had kept buried in her heart for eight years before her companions.
“I was born in Cocoyasi Village in the East Blue.”
She gazed at the glittering sea, her eyes seeming to pierce through the water toward her distant homeland.
“When I was very young, I was abandoned by the sea.
Bell-mère found me and took me home.
“She used to be a Marine.
After retiring, she lived in a small house on the edge of the village with me and my sister Nojiko.
We grew orange trees…”
Nami’s voice gradually grew softer.
“Bell-mère always said that girls should live like the sea—free and boundless.
“She also said that once I grew up, she’d give me a ship so I could draw charts of every sea in the world…”
Her voice trembled, and her eyes reddened.
“Until the day the Arlong Pirates came—
“That sawtooth shark Fish-Man led his men in taking over the village.
He said he was going to build something called ‘Arlong Park’ and forced everyone to pay exorbitant protection money…”
“To protect me and Nojiko, Bell-mère was clearly poor, yet she insisted on declaring that we were her daughters.
“She only had enough money to pay for two people’s living expenses, but she said, ‘They’re my daughters.
I can’t abandon either one of them.’
“She refused to pay.
“Arlong’s officer Hatchan suggested giving her a few more days, but Arlong took Bell-mère’s attitude as a ‘provocation.’
“He shot her dead on the spot…
right in front of Nojiko and me…”
A tear fell onto the nautical chart.
Nami roughly wiped her face and continued.
“Arlong took a liking to my cartography skills.
He said that if I drew charts for him and saved up one hundred million Berries, he’d give the village back to us.
“I believed him.
I endured it for eight years…
“I drew charts and saved money every single day!
“But I knew he had never intended to give the village back.
Even so, I had no choice but to keep doing it.
If I lost my value to him, Arlong would treat the villagers even more brutally.
“He’s a shameless bastard!”
“That bastard Arlong!”
White vapor puffed from Luffy’s nose as he clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles cracked.
Sanji’s face was dark with rage.
The cigarette between his fingers was crushed into powder, and he couldn’t say a word.
He merely gritted his teeth, his jaw clenched tight.
Zoro leaned against the mast with his eyes closed, seemingly calm.
Yet the hand gripping his sword sheath was bulging with veins.
Wado Ichimonji gave a faint hum from within its sheath, as if echoing its master’s anger.
Usopp bit his lip, his eyes red like a rabbit’s.
He secretly glanced at Nami before quickly lowering his head and tightening his grip on his slingshot.
“I know everything about them.”
Nami took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.
“Now I’ll tell you what I know.”
“Arlong.
A sawtooth shark Fish-Man.”
Nami enunciated every word, each one seeming to be squeezed out through clenched teeth.
“He’s the captain of the Arlong Pirates.
He used to be a member of the Sun Pirates before striking out on his own.
“He absolutely despises humans and believes Fish-Men should rule over them.
He’s cruel and arrogant, but he trusts his Fish-Man subordinates deeply.
“His most distinctive weapon is that saw-like nose.
His teeth can crush steel and stone, and he’s also skilled in Fish-Man Karate.
In the water, his speed is astonishing.”
She paused before continuing.
“He has three main fighters under him.
“Kuroobi, a Whipray Fish-Man, is an expert in Fish-Man Karate, especially underwater combat.
“His personality is as cold as ice, and he enjoys using Fish-Man Karate to torture his opponents.
His ‘Thousand Brick Fist’ can easily punch through walls.”
“Then there’s Chew, a Kissing Gourami Fish-Man.
He’s a sniper with a sinister personality who loves attacking from behind.
“He can fire high-pressure water bullets from his mouth.
They have tremendous range and enough power to pierce a human body.”
“Finally, there’s Hatchan, an Octopus Fish-Man who uses Six Sword Style, wielding one sword in each of his six hands.
“He…
he’s the dumbest and kindest of the bunch.
Even though he’s a Fish-Man, he doesn’t seem to hate humans…”
Nami’s tone softened slightly when she mentioned Hatchan.
“They don’t just exploit the villagers.
They’re also working with the Marines.”
Nami’s eyes filled with disgust.
“That Marine Captain Nezumi splits the money they extort with Arlong.
He doesn’t care at all about the villagers’ lives!
“I suspect Nezumi had something to do with Bell-mère’s death back then, too.”
“Hmph.
A shark Fish-Man?”
Mox snorted coldly, his eyes sharpening.
“Sharks have extraordinarily sensitive senses of smell and electroreception.
They’re practically born with Observation Haki.
They can sense movement and hostile intent around them, so don’t underestimate them.”
He stood up and clapped his hands to draw everyone’s attention.
“Fish-Men have powerful physiques, but there’s no need to worry too much.
I’ve prepared some things for all of you.”
With that, he pulled several thread-bound manuals from his System Storage Space and handed them out.
“These are the notes Luffy and I made while training Haki.
If you want to become top-tier fighters, Haki is a compulsory lesson.”
Everyone accepted the manuals and curiously flipped through them.
They were filled with dense writing and illustrations, making the contents look profound and mysterious.
“Besides that, there’s equipment.”
Mox smiled faintly and snapped his fingers.
“Mo Yun, come out.”
The pitch-black weapon at his waist suddenly emitted a faint blue glow before floating into the air with a hum.
At Mox’s command, the light grew brighter and brighter.
The weapon began to transform, eventually taking the form of a majestic mythical beast.
Its body was as agile and powerful as a lion’s, covered in black fur.
A pair of curved goat horns grew from its head, while golden eyes glittered with intelligence.
“Whoa!
What’s that?!
That’s so cool!”
Luffy was instantly captivated.
He stared wide-eyed as he circled the beast, reaching out to touch it before hesitating.
“Mo Yun ate a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit—the Inu Inu no Mi, Model: Taotie.
It’s a special weapon.”
Mox stroked the beast’s head as he explained.
“Its first ability is its Animal Transformation: Taotie Form.
Later, it can fight enemies independently.
“The second is even more practical.
It can replace materials.”
In truth, there was a third ability that Mox hadn’t mentioned.
That one was simply too horrifying to explain.
“Nami, give me your weapon.”
Nami drew her Clima-Tact and handed it to Mox.
He tossed it to Mo Yun.
The beast opened its mouth and swallowed it whole.
Its throat moved slightly as a faint metallic grinding sound came from within.
About ten minutes later, it opened its mouth and spat out a completely black Clima-Tact, far more refined than the original.
“Zoro, test it.”
Zoro nodded and drew Wado Ichimonji.
The blade flashed through the air.
Clang!
The sharp impact made everyone’s ears ring.
Everyone held their breath.
Not even a white mark remained on Nami’s Clima-Tact.
“That’s amazing!”
Nami happily took it back.
Surprisingly, it felt only half as heavy as before.
She couldn’t resist swinging it a few times, the Clima-Tact tracing smooth arcs through the air.
“What kind of material is this made from?”
“Armament Steel.
Extremely rare!”
“Because the material itself contains Armament Haki energy, it can even make contact with Logia Devil Fruit users.
“It can also carry Observation Haki.
The longer it’s used, the more closely it synchronizes with its wielder’s will.
“For example, this—”
As soon as he finished speaking, the beast flashed with light again and transformed back into Mo Yun’s weapon form.
With a whoosh, it flew back into Mox’s hand.
“Use Observation Haki to move your weapon.”
“That’s so cool!”
Usopp’s eyes practically bulged out of his head.
“Mox, can you upgrade my slingshot too?”
“Usopp, wait a moment.”
Mox turned toward Zoro.
“Your swords can’t be upgraded yet.
My ability replaces materials; it doesn’t forge blades.
“Besides, swordstone material needs to be incorporated into them before they can fully unleash their wielder’s strength.”
Zoro’s eyes lit up as he tightened his grip on his sword.
“So next, we just need to find two swords and replace their materials?”
“Exactly.”
Mox smiled.
“When the time comes, you can shout, ‘Sword, come!’ during battle.
Just imagine the scene.
Doesn’t it sound like something worthy of the World’s Strongest Swordsman?”
A look of anticipation appeared at the corner of Zoro’s mouth.
“Sounds good.
Looks like I need to master Haki as soon as possible.”
Nami lovingly stroked her new Clima-Tact.
“Maybe I should give it a name…
How about…?”
“Don’t rush it.
You can discuss an upgrade with Usopp first.”
Mox pulled out another small booklet and handed it to her.
“These are some staff-fighting techniques I’ve compiled.
They incorporate changes of momentum from Baguazhang.
You can use them as a reference.
“Also, your Observation Haki seems particularly sensitive to changes in air currents.
That’s a good direction for you to develop your perception.”
“Are these the staff techniques you used when you fought Dracule Mihawk?”
Nami accepted the booklet excitedly, her eyes sparkling.
“That’s awesome!
Thank you, Mox!
I’ll definitely train hard!”
Mox turned to Usopp and pulled a blueprint from his bag.
“Usopp, this is a design for a compound slingshot I’ve made for you.”
Usopp curiously accepted it.
The blueprint showed a sophisticated slingshot design with detailed specifications marked beside it.
“I plan to make it from a mixture of Armament Steel and titanium alloy.”
Mox pointed at the blueprint as he explained.
“That’ll keep the frame sturdy while making it lightweight, with enough elastic force to pack a serious punch.
“I’ve also designed a telescoping mechanism so its size can be adjusted according to the situation.
“There’ll be a pulley system inside the grip.
It’ll reduce the force required to draw the band by four times.
Normally, the band will be concealed inside the grip and deployed only when you’re fighting.
“The band itself will be made from a special material infused with Armament Haki.
I don’t even know how terrifying its recoil force might become.”
He paused, his tone turning serious.
“However, it has a weakness.
You need considerable arm strength and Haki to operate it properly.
“So you have to train hard.
You need the perseverance to endure hardship before you can unleash its full power.
“Remember: all fear comes from insufficient firepower.
Once your slingshot is powerful enough, there’s nothing left to be afraid of.”
Mox actually understood Usopp very well.
At this point in the original timeline, Usopp could only rely on bluffing to fight.
Later, he would undergo two years of brutal training so he wouldn’t become a burden to his crew.
Usopp held the blueprint in both hands, and tears suddenly began streaming down his face.
“I…
I’ve always been scared…
Scared that I’m too weak and that I’ll hold everyone back.
Scared that Luffy will think I’m useless…
and kick me out…”
Choking back his tears, he suddenly lunged forward and hugged Mox.
“But I really love being with everyone…
Mox, thank you…
Thank you for believing in me…
for being willing to help me…”
“Hey!
Get away from me!”
Mox tried to push him away with a disgusted expression, but Usopp only hugged him tighter.
“Hey!
Your snot is getting all over me!
Let go, you idiot!”
“Usopp isn’t weak!”
Luffy suddenly burst into laughter and slapped Usopp on the shoulder.
“You’re awesome!
Without you, without everyone, I couldn’t become the Pirate King!”
As he spoke, Luffy copied Usopp and lunged forward to hug Mox.
“So, Mox, I want a weapon too!
I want an awesome weapon!”
BAM!
BAM!
Mox gave both of them a hard knock on the head.
Two large bumps immediately swelled up on their foreheads.
“Now behave!”
The two men covered their heads and finally quieted down.
Mox also upgraded Sanji’s dress shoes, covering the outer layer with Armament Steel.
They were slightly heavier than before, but Sanji’s kicking power had increased considerably.
He also gave Sanji two weighted sandbags that could be strapped to his ankles, allowing him to train his leg strength at any time.
Sanji’s greatest potential lay in his genetic modifications, but Mox was completely clueless about how to work with that.
Seeing that all his companions had received new equipment and were happily admiring their upgrades, Luffy scratched his head somewhat aggrievedly.
“What about me?
Don’t I get a weapon?”
All of Luffy’s attacks relied on his fists, while his rubber body could deform freely.
It really was difficult to find a suitable weapon for him.
Mox patted him on the shoulder.
“Your fists are the best weapons you could have.
Once you train your Armament Haki to the point where you can make it flow, your fists will be stronger than any weapon.”
Luffy thought about it and immediately brightened up.
“Oh, right!
My fists are the strongest!”
“All right.”
Mox’s expression turned serious as he looked around at everyone.
“Although we have new equipment and Haki manuals now, we can’t let our guard down.
“Our captain has set his sights on becoming the Pirate King.
With our current strength, we’re still far from being strong enough.
“What we lack most right now is time.”
He paused before continuing.
“This time, our enemies may not be limited to the Arlong Pirates.
That Marine named Fullbody got beaten up by us.
Given his personality, he’ll definitely go back and bring reinforcements.
“So we have to finish this battle quickly.
We need to deal with Arlong as soon as possible while conserving enough strength to deal with a Marine pursuit.”
“With that, the Straw Hat Pirates’ first battle meeting comes to an end.”
Mox looked toward Luffy.
“Captain, you have the floor.”
Luffy stood up.
His stomach suddenly growled loudly.
He rubbed his belly and announced at the top of his lungs:
“Sanji, food!”
Everyone froze for a moment before bursting into laughter.
The sea breeze carried their laughter across the waves, filled with hope and determination, toward Cocoyasi Village.
The sails of the Going Merry shimmered brilliantly beneath the sunlight, as if heralding both an intense battle that was about to begin and a brand-new chapter in their journey.