Zhang Da Ye instinctively thought it was impossible, but looking at Tom paddling beside him, it didn't seem so unlikely after all.
The Sabaody Archipelago, the end of the first half of the Grand Line, was the goal. Also called the Soap Bubble Islands.
Here, countless pirates who had survived harsh environments would land, bounty hunters prowled the gray areas, and even criminal gangs and human traffickers gathered.
Zhang Da Ye and Tom had been lucky enough to drift through five days of the Grand Line without encountering severe weather, and they had found an island where humans could live.
At the same time, their luck had been poor enough to bring them to such a dangerous place.
Zhang Da Ye took a deep breath. At this point, the only choice was to reach the shore. After all, there were civilians here, so survival seemed possible.
He looked around—no pirate ships in sight—and called for Tom to paddle slowly toward the island.
He didn't notice that during this time, the number in the circle on the back of his left hand had gradually climbed to 81%.
In front of him were two massive trees: 60GR on the left and 59GR on the right.
From a distance, the tree trunks were wider than ordinary houses, and their height was extreme.
Countless buildings spiraled around the trunks, forming a town. Bridges connected the two islands, and there was a height difference between the coast and the sea, so landing wasn't possible just anywhere.
Zhang Da Ye paddled confidently into the gap between the 60 and 59 islands, spotting a building with a seagull flag on the left.
A naval base. In the anime, he had always seen the navy through a pirate's eyes, often incompetent.
But seeing it here in reality, it gave a reassuring sense of security.
"Hey~"
A deep, booming voice came from the right shore.
Zhang Da Ye and Tom looked up to see a stocky man with a square face wearing sunglasses.
The man noticed Zhang Da Ye and called out something incomprehensible.
Zhang Da Ye froze. Language barrier. He had never worried about communication before, speaking easily with Tom and encountering no one else.
Suddenly, the magic circle on his wrist glowed, and a purple light flashed. A translucent, phone-sized screen appeared for the first time.
[Loading language pack… Acquired universal language for this world, including listening, speaking, reading, and writing.]
The screen disappeared, and Zhang Da Ye noticed the number in the circle had slipped from 81% down to 71%.
He finally understood what the man had shouted: "Have you suffered a shipwreck?"
The timing of the language pack was perfect. Miscommunication could lead to serious trouble.
'So it consumes energy to give me a language? When did it charge?'
The man didn't seem to notice the sudden change. Seeing Zhang Da Ye's cautious gaze, he quickly explained:
"I'm a shipworker from Island 59, not a bad person. See, I carry tools. Besides, the naval base isn't far; no one would cause trouble here."
He waved a small handsaw attached to his waist.
Tom cowered behind Zhang Da Ye, gripping his leg, ready to draw a weapon as instructed.
Zhang Da Ye twitched at the man's imposing figure waving the saw—it looked more threatening than reassuring.
"We've been drifting at sea for five days. May I ask where this is? Can we land?"
His voice sounded weak, his clothes wrinkled and worn.
The man glanced at their fishing rods and bottles and immediately believed him. Shipwrecks were common here, and this boy clearly had endured hardship.
"This is the Sabaody Archipelago. See the numbers on the trees? Each numbered tree represents an island.
Islands 60 to 69 house the government and navy. Islands 50 to 59 are for shipworkers and shipyards like us."
He paused, then said, "Follow me if you want to land. There's a relatively flat spot ahead you can climb."
"Thank you!" Zhang Da Ye followed his directions, soon spotting a lower area.
No beach, no port—just slightly flatter ground.
He placed Tom on his shoulder and climbed using both hands and feet.
"Be careful. All the islands are made from the roots of erythrina trees, which secrete slippery resin," the man warned.
Zhang Da Ye noticed the sticky resin and algae near the water. Without the gentle slope, he wouldn't have made it up in his current state.
Tom crouched on Zhang Da Ye's shoulder, alert to any sudden attack.
Luckily, the man had no such intention. Once Zhang Da Ye was steady, he asked: "Where did you come from? Pirates?"
Zhang Da Ye's legs were weak from drifting. The land seemed to sway under him.
"I… came from far away and encountered some… unexpected events."
He couldn't reveal the truth—who would believe he had crossed worlds just by stepping outside?
"In any case, Tom and I survived on this plank. Making it here was good luck."
"Indeed. You were lucky. Most wouldn't survive this long without food or would be lost to the storms. The Grand Line is dangerous," the man remarked.
Seeing Zhang Da Ye hesitant to speak, he didn't press. Such hardships were common here.
"Oh, I'm Goodman, a shipworker from Island 59. And you, young man?"