Pirates: Martial Arts Masters on the Straw Hat Ship

"call……"

Luffy withdrew his fist and exhaled a long breath of white air.

The black aura on the fist slowly faded, restoring its original skin color.

At this point, the naval soldiers in the square had completely lost their fighting spirit.

Seeing the monster that even Colonel Smoker could defeat, their weapons trembled and fell to the ground, and they dared not take another step forward.

"Luffy!!"

In the distance, Ronan, Zoro, Sanji, and the others, who had cleared away all the obstructing marines, stood at the entrance to the street leading to the port, waving to him.

Although Nami and Usopp were soaked to the bone, their faces were filled with the excitement of surviving a disaster.

Luffy picked up his straw hat from the ground, patted off the raindrops, and put it back on.

He turned around, took one last look at the direction Smoker had fallen, then faced his companion, faced the raging sea, and a smile so bright it could illuminate the night spread across his face:

"Everyone—!! Let's set sail!!!"

"Boom—!!!"

Just then, a huge silver bolt of lightning ripped through the sky, instantly illuminating the entire town of Rogue and the six young faces wet with rain.

In that fleeting flash, their eyes shone brighter than thunder.

"oh--!!!"

Ronan, Zoro, Sanji, Nami, and Usopp roared in unison, their voices filled with longing and fearlessness for future adventures.

......

Off the coast of Loguetown, in the eye of the storm.

It was as if a hole had been torn open between heaven and earth, with howling winds and torrential rain.

The black waves, like moving mountains, crashed wildly against the tiny Merry.

The sound of the cable snapping was particularly jarring in the wind.

"Hold on tight!!"

Ronan gripped the gunwale with one hand and planted his feet firmly on the deck, remaining unmoved despite the ship's violent rocking.

According to his Observation Haki, this sudden gust of wind, though violent, carried a strange, escorting force, propelling the Going Merry towards the distant north.

And at the highest point of Rogge, atop that majestic clock tower.

A figure clad in a dark green coat stood like a god in the storm.

Rainwater automatically slid off when it came within three feet of him; even nature seemed to revere this man.

Monkey D. Dragon.

The leader of the revolutionary army, the most mysterious and dangerous man on this vast sea, is now just a father watching his son depart.

His face, etched with a red square tattoo, was expressionless, but his deep eyes reflected the departing sails of the Going Merry, revealing a hint of barely perceptible relief and anticipation.

"Luffy..."

The dragon's voice, deep and resonant, pierced through the thunder and echoed across the empty tower top:

"You've grown up. It seems... you no longer need my help."

He slowly opened his arms, and the gale behind him howled as if in response to his will.

"Go ahead! If this is how you do things!"

"The world awaits the answer... There is no reason to stop a man from setting sail!"

"BOOM—!!"

A bolt of lightning, like a silver snake, ripped through the sky, making the dragon's silhouette appear as if it were the master of the storm.

On the other side of the sea, the Going Merry, aided by this "divine wind," broke free of the waters off Loguetown and sailed into the unknown abyss.

......

USS Merry, deck.

After leaving the coast of Loguetown, the storm not only did not stop, but intensified.

The sea seemed to be boiling, and the Going Merry was violently tossed about between the crests and troughs of the waves.

Every descent sent your heart pounding, and every ascent was accompanied by the groans of the ship's frame straining under the weight.

"Whoa! The ship's going to capsize!!"

Luffy clung tightly to the ram's head at the bow of the ship, his whole body swaying wildly with the ship's movements, a smile of excitement for the unknown on his face.

"Everyone! Look!!"

Just then, Nami, who had been keeping a close eye on the course of the voyage, suddenly pointed to the end of the dark sea and let out a joyful shout:

"Look at that light in the distance!"

Everyone looked in the direction Nami was pointing.

In the depths of the raging storm, at the horizon where the sea meets the sky, a faint yet resolute light, like a sharp sword cleaving through chaos, pierced through layers of rain and shone straight forth.

"That's..." Usopp wiped the rain off his face, squinting, "Is it the island's lighthouse?"

"No."

Nami shook her head, her voice trembling with excitement:

"That's the guiding light! The entrance to the Grand Line... lies at the end of that light!"

"The Grand Line...are we almost there?!"

Ronan looked at the light, his grip on the ebony stick tightening slightly.

Having traversed this long, we are finally about to step into that legendary sea.

That place is the stage for the strong, the graveyard of dreams, and also the necessary path for him to achieve divine martial arts prowess.

Luffy slowly straightened up, and even though the ship was rocking violently, he remained firmly standing at the bow.

He held his straw hat on his head with one hand to prevent it from being blown away by the strong wind, his eyes fixed on the light.

"Is the Grand Line... just ahead?"

Luffy's voice was deep, yet it revealed an irrepressible fervor.

"What do we do, Captain?" Nami asked loudly, awaiting final instructions.

"Is that even a question?!" Luffy grinned.

"No... but we don't need to be in this storm..." Usopp clung tightly to the mast, trembling, trying to make a last-ditch effort.

But when he looked up, he found that everyone except himself had the same burning flame in their eyes.

Luffy's ambition, Zoro's persistence, Sanji's romance, Nami's determination, and Ronan's longing.

That kind of gaze is irresistible.

"Hey……"

Sanji chuckled, turned and went into the kitchen, bringing out an empty wooden bucket meant for holding water.

He slammed the wooden bucket down in the center of the deck, letting the rain wash over it.

"Alright! Now that the atmosphere has gotten this far!"

Sanji straightened his soaked suit, then slammed one of his gleaming leather shoes heavily onto the wooden tub, a sophisticated yet unrestrained smile playing on his lips.

"To celebrate the ship's imminent departure into the great ocean, let's have a launching ceremony!"

"I... am here to find ALL BLUE!"

"good!"

Luffy followed closely behind, stepping onto the slippers and declaring his status as a future king:

"I... will become the Pirate King!"

Zoro's eyes were sharp as an eagle's as he stood on the barrel:

"I... will become the world's greatest swordsman!"

Nami tossed her wet, orange short hair aside and stepped onto the barrel:

"I...drew this to create a world map!"

As Usopp watched this scene, the fear in his heart was finally dispelled by his passion.

He walked over, his legs trembling, took a deep breath, then stomped on it and roared:

"I...I...want to become a brave warrior of the sea!"

Finally, everyone's eyes turned to Ronan.