The remaining few pirates watched this scene, their weapons dropping to the ground with a “clatter”, their faces pale, legs weak, and some even directly dropping to their knees.
“Spare, spare my life!
We surrender!”
Luna shook her right hand.
The faint black luster on her fist had already dissipated, but the feel of that previous strike left her deep in thought — Armament Haki, even if it was just an embryonic form, provided a bonus to attacks far beyond imagination.
When she truly mastered it, how much would its power increase?
She ignored the begging pirates, walked over to Brad, bent down to pick up the wanted poster, and fished out a bulging money bag from his embrace — weighing it in her hand, it was not light, estimated to be a few million Berries.
Very good, her startup capital was now more abundant.
Then she looked at the terrified pirates: “I will give you thirty seconds to return what you robbed, and then get lost.
If I see you nearby again, bear the consequences.”
As if granted amnesty, the pirates scrambled to pile the food and valuables back into the center of the open space, then propped up their unconscious comrades (including Brad) and fled toward the sea without looking back — not daring to board their own ship, they instead seized two small fishing boats and desperately rowed toward the open sea.
Luna did not stop them; she had no interest in the lives of these small fry.
Not until the pirates’ fishing boats disappeared from view did the villagers snap out of their shock.
An old fisherman tremblingly stepped forward and bowed deeply: “Th-Thank you for saving the village!
You are…”
“Luna, just passing by,” Luna helped the old man up, her gaze sweeping across the villagers who had survived the disaster, lingering for a moment on the face of a young girl — Hmm, weathered by the sun and wind in the fishing village, her skin wasn’t fair, but her features were quite delicate.
Braided hair, big eyes, and she looked a bit like…
Cough cough, stop right there.
She quickly withdrew her gaze, her facial expression unchanged: “I need supplies, and that ship.” She pointed at the pirate ship at the dock.
“Of course!
Of course!” The old fisherman nodded repeatedly, “You are our benefactor, take whatever you want!
Feel free to sail that pirate ship away; leaving it here would only be a disaster for us.”
The villagers also chimed in one after another.
Several young men proactively ran to the warehouse to move out food, fresh water, and dried salted fish, while the women brought out clean clothes and medicine.
Luna didn’t stand on ceremony; she indeed needed these.
She tallied the supplies and asked the villagers to help bring over her luggage hidden near the reefs.
During the process, the braided-hair girl blushed and handed her a basket of still-warm baked flatbreads: “L-Lord Luna, this…
please accept it.”
Luna took the basket, smelled the aroma of the baked flatbreads, and her stomach uncooperatively started rumbling.
She grinned: “Thanks, what is your name?”
“Li-Lilia…” The girl’s face turned even redder.
“Good name,” Luna nodded, pulled a few gold coins from the money bag, and shoved them into Lilia’s hands, “Help me distribute these to the injured people in the village as medical expenses.”
“N-No need…”
“Take it,” Luna said in an unrefusable tone, lowering her voice to add another sentence, “You look very pretty when you smile, smile more often.”
Lilia froze, then her entire face flushed bright red, and she ran off hugging the gold coins in a fluster.
Luna touched her nose, feeling a bit guilty.
Was she too direct just now?
Whatever, she was leaving anyway.
She moved the supplies onto the ship — this pirate ship named “Bone Breaker” was indeed quite good.
Although it was plundered, the previous owner had obviously spent a lot of thought on its maintenance.
The hull was about twenty-five meters long, twin-masted, with a spacious cabin containing six rooms (including the captain’s quarters), and a storage hold large enough.
Luffy checked the rigging, the helm, and the bilge; except for a few minor damages that needed patching, the overall condition was good.
She had the villagers help lower the pirate flag and burn it, then fetched clean water to scrub away the stains on the deck.
Finally, she stood at the bow, looked at the empty flagpole, thought for a moment, rummaged through her luggage for a piece of spare white cloth, and found some charcoal.
What should she draw?
A straw hat skull?
That was the emblem of Shanks and future Luna (?); she didn’t want to copy it completely.
A beauty pirate crew emblem?
Not a single crew member was here yet; it was too early.
Luna pondered for a moment, then suddenly had an inspiration.
She grabbed the charcoal and drew a simple pattern on the white cloth — the side profile of a straw hat.
Below the straw hat was not a skull, but an abstract smiley face symbol with the corners of its mouth curled up somewhat exaggeratedly, and eyes like two crescent moons.
Then, she wrote the ship’s name below in crooked handwriting: “new departure”.
“Let’s use this for now.” Luna nodded with satisfaction, hoisting the flag up the mainmast.
The white-background black-patterned pirate flag fluttered loudly in the sea breeze; although crude, this was her own beginning.
When the setting sun slanted westward, everything was ready.
The villagers gathered at the dock to see her off, and the old fisherman handed her a waterproof package: “Inside are the sea charts of the nearby waters, along with a little token of our appreciation…
Please take care of yourself.”
Luna took the package and nodded seriously: “Thank you, you take care too.
If any pirates come again in the future, you can go to Windmill Village and seek help from Makino’s bar.
Mentioning my name might be a little useful.”
She jumped onto the ship, untied the mooring ropes, and adjusted the sails.
The sea breeze blew, and the straw hat swayed slightly on her head.
“Lord Luna!” Lilia waved her hand vigorously on the dock, her eyes shining brightly, “Wishing you a smooth voyage!”
Luna smiled at her and waved back.
Then, she turned the helm, and the “new departure” slowly sailed away from the dock, its bow parting the calm waters of the bay and heading toward the open sea.
The villagers’ shouts gradually faded into the distance, and the small fishing village shrank into a black dot on the coastline in the setting sun.
Luna stood by the ship’s rail, looking at the boundless blue sea, and took a deep breath of the salty, humid air.
She had a ship, supplies, and money.
Although the process was a bit twists and turns — chased and beaten by her grandpa, jumping into the sea to escape, and tidying up a bunch of pirates along the way — the result wasn’t bad.