Chapter 91: Straight to the Stomach
"One hundred and eighty million? Is another big-shot rookie about to enter the New World from Paradise?"
Shanks' curious voice came from the top of the giant rock.
"Probably. Let me see," Beckman said, taking a drag from his cigarette. He looked at the newspaper for a moment, and his eyes widened in surprise.
"Hey! No, it's not from Paradise to the New World! This kid is from the East Blue! It's his first bounty, and he hasn't even entered the Grand Line yet!"
The other crew members were also shocked. They scrambled to their feet and gathered around.
"The East Blue?! How could a monster like that come from a place like that?"
"So another incredible guy has appeared…"
"Wow, one hundred and eighty million before even entering Paradise. That's fifty million higher than my bounty…"
A new apprentice on the crew couldn't help but look up at Shanks. "Hey, Captain, was your first bounty that high?"
"Of course not! This guy has completely shattered the record!" Shanks laughed, crouching on the rock. "I wasn't that amazing. The first time I was with another pirate crew and pissed off the Marines, I was so excited to look for my wanted poster, but everyone else had one except me! They just ignored me!"
"Huh, that really happened, Captain?!"
"Shanks, you were so lame," Lucky Roux said, munching on a chicken leg.
"What's that supposed to mean? Everyone starts as a rookie! Hey, Beckman, let me see that guy's wanted poster!" Shanks said with a grin.
"Here," Beckman handed it over.
"He's younger than I thought… huh?"
Shanks looked at the photo of the black-haired young man, his arms spread wide, laughing in the midst of a storm. He raised an eyebrow, a strange feeling coming over him.
It was the first time he had ever seen the man's face, but why did he feel such a sense of familiarity… as if they had some kind of close connection.
"He seems even more terrifying than I thought," Beckman, who was still reading the newspaper, suddenly added. "This kid is only eighteen, and it's been confirmed that he possesses the disposition of a king."
"Oh!" Shanks realized.
No wonder he feels like a kindred spirit. That must be why.
...
At the foot of the Red Line.
After a night of sailing, as the morning sun danced on the surface of the sea, The Curtain Call finally arrived at the entrance of Reverse Mountain.
"The Grand Line is just ahead!"
Nojiko sat in the crow's nest, her spyglass pointed upward. The Holy Land, Mary Geoise, is on the other side of this, right?
But the Red Line was just too high and steep. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't see the scenery at the top.
"Everyone, to your stations! Get ready to cross Reverse Mountain! This is very dangerous if you're not prepared," Shane commanded, then turned to Nami.
"I'm leaving it all to you for now. You're not strong enough to handle the helm, so I'll leave that to Kuina. She'll follow your orders. So, are you confident?"
"Don't worry, leave it to me!" Nami said, pumping her fist, full of confidence.
Before she had even decided to follow her brother to sea, she had already done extensive research on Reverse Mountain!
Of course, even so, she had to be extremely careful.
The current leading to the top of the mountain was much more turbulent than in other seas, and the channel was quite narrow. The slightest mistake could send them crashing into the cliffs on either side, which were thousands of meters high.
With that kind of impact, an ordinary ship would be smashed to pieces before it even hit the water.
Even The Curtain Call, with its Adam Wood hull, would be severely damaged, and their journey would be delayed.
"Alright! Set sail! To the mountain!"
Shane stood on the figurehead, looking up at the towering Red Line. He let the increasingly strong waves drench him, laughing as he announced, "—Grand Line, here we come!"
"Whoo-hoo, let's go up the mountain!!!" Nami shouted, even more excited than he was.
THUMP!
The moment the bow crossed the whirlpool and entered the turbulent current, the ship lurched violently and began to ascend rapidly. Zeff had warned them, so everyone was holding on tight to the railing, and no one was thrown overboard.
"Starboard fifteen degrees!"
Under Nami's constant adjustments, The Curtain Call withstood the test of the fierce current.
Even though the wind and waves grew stronger the higher they went, the ship shot straight up like an arrow, smoothly passing the summit. The entire vessel leaped into the air, entering a brief state of weightlessness—
"We're flying!"
Nojiko shouted excitedly, clinging to the mast. She looked around from the crow's nest. "Huh, is that the West Blue over there? And next to it… wow, it's a Sea King! Everyone, look! In the Calm Belt, there's a super-giant Sea King!"
"I see it too! My god, the biggest ones in the north… just the part of their bodies that's above the water must be four or five thousand meters high!!!"
"That's why so few people dare to cross the Calm Belt," Zeff said with a chuckle, then turned to ask, "Captain, with your current strength, could you cross the Calm Belt on your own?"
"Shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Shane scratched his chin, thinking seriously. Even if he was unlucky enough to be swallowed whole, the Sea King wouldn't be able to chew through him. He'd have plenty of ways to escape.
But it would be a real pain, and a waste of time and energy. It was better to take a ship if you had one.
"Hey, we're going down! Everyone, hold on tight!" Nojiko shouted from above, accurately judging their position. She had just given the warning when she suddenly cried out, "Wait! There's something coming up from below!"
Gurgle, gurgle…
The others noticed it too. A massive, sun-blocking shadow suddenly appeared beneath the surface of the sea, where there had been nothing before.
A mountain of blue-gray flesh slowly rose from the water. Its head was covered in jagged scars. In the morning light, it let out a mournful cry and charged toward Reverse Mountain—
"What is that?!" Nami shrieked. "My research didn't say anything about a Sea King waiting here!"
"It's not a Sea King! It's an Island Whale, Laboon!" Zeff roared. "Turn, now! Or we're going to hit it!"
"It's too late! We're not in control of the ship anymore!"
And she was right.
At that moment, The Curtain Call was like a rollercoaster that had just reached the top of a drop. It was plummeting, gaining speed with every second.
No matter how hard they turned the wheel, it was impossible to steer.
A fierce wind slammed into them, making everyone's faces flap wildly.
They could only watch as the bow of the ship grew closer and closer to the giant creature that Zeff had called "Laboon." And, as luck would have it, the creature had just opened its cavernous mouth—
"Don't panic," Shane said, seeing the scene. He was actually much calmer now. "Crashing into its mouth is actually a lot better than crashing into its head."
"What kind of thing is that to say, Big Bro?!" Nami immediately hugged his leg tightly. "Not everyone's body is as tough as yours! If I die, remember to bury me in the tangerine grove on the ship, so I can still finish the journey through the Grand Line with you…"
This unlucky kid!
"Stop being a moron," Shane said, kicking her into the railing with a dark expression. "You're a Logia user, what are you afraid of?"
"Oh, right!" Nami realized.
In that instant, a massive suction force pulled the entire ship into darkness. Everyone was sent spinning, their ears filled with the roar of water and the low cry of the whale.
THUD!
The ship slammed into something soft and bounced a few times.
In the dim light, they could vaguely see pink, fleshy walls pulsating rhythmically on either side. A stream of digestive fluids flowed in the crevices, pushing the ship forward into a narrow passage…
"Are we going into its intestines?" Nami asked, her face pale. "This is so gross!"
"What intestines? This is the esophagus. You're fourteen, you should brush up on your biology!" Shane said, ruffling her hair. "Get ready, we're about to enter the stomach."
The stomach?
But isn't the stomach all sticky and gross too?
Nami was even more worried now. She looked down at herself. She had just taken a bath and changed into a new outfit an hour ago, especially for their arrival in the Grand Line.
Flick!
In that instant, as if a spotlight had been turned on, the surroundings suddenly brightened.
She instinctively looked up and was stunned to see a massive iron gate, dozens of meters high, standing wide open before them.
And as The Curtain Call passed through the gate, what came into view was—
A boundless blue sky with white clouds, a gentle breeze, and a warm, pleasant climate, as if everything that had just happened had been a dream.
Everyone, including Zeff, was dumbfounded.
"This place… it's a bit like…" Shane, however, was not surprised. He grinned. "The movie set from The Truman Show."
☆☆☆
-> SUPPORT ME WITH POWER STONE
-> FOR EVERY 200 PS = BOUNS CHAPTER
☆☆☆
-> 20 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Inkshaper
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you