When Robin shared her dream, her gaze never left Don.
In her mind, the "Hunter Association" Don spoke of was not something that could be established casually.
It sounded impossibly difficult—yet if you never try, how would you ever know?
"So, you'd better not just be saying that."
Robin smiled faintly as she repeated herself.
Don sighed softly, then nodded.
Raising his hand, he pointed upward at the waterway. Flames burst from the ship's stern, propelling it forward with sudden speed.
"To make that dream real, at the very least, we'll have to conquer the Grand Line."
Don shouted over his shoulder.
"Have you gotten taller?"
His hard-won sense of seriousness was broken in an instant by Robin's remark.
"Really? Well, I'll be sixteen soon—it's only natural I'd grow a little taller."
He answered lightly.
Robin nodded, then strapped herself tightly to the ship.
Don could be reckless at times; if she wasn't careful, he might just fling her overboard.
With the added thrust of his flames, combined with the already swift current of the waterway, the ship surged upstream like a comet trailing fire.
What should have been a long climb was shortened dramatically.
At the peak, the ship shot free of the water, soaring into the air.
This time, Don did not try to change its course.
"From this height, the ship won't withstand the impact!"
Robin shouted, her voice almost lost to the roaring wind.
"It's fine!"
Don grinned, leaving the ship to free-fall.
Just before hitting the water channel that led into the Grand Line, he coated the entire vessel in Armament Haki.
BOOM!
The ship crashed down, spraying water over the deck and drenching Robin.
She glanced at Don—equally soaked—but unlike her, he looked utterly unfazed.
Don only laughed, standing boldly at the bow.
The ship plunged onward, currents rushing ever faster beneath them.
Robin, infected by his laughter, rose once the seawater's numbing chill had faded. She joined him at the prow, gazing at the downward sloping current.
Their descent sped them like an arrow loosed from the string.
Soon, the endless ocean stretched out before their eyes, sunlight glinting on its surface.
But then, just as the ship was about to drop into the sea, a massive shadow appeared below.
The shadow swelled rapidly—until an entire island seemed to rise from the ocean at the mouth of the channel.
Their ship was hurtling straight for it.
"It's an Island Whale!"
Robin's eyes widened in shock.
"Watch this!"
Don stomped off the bow and launched himself skyward. His fist glowed with a deep violet light, growing brighter as it condensed.
BOOM!
He smashed his fist into the colossal whale's upturned jaw.
A thunderous bellow split the air as the giant creature reeled back, its bulk crashing into the sea and throwing up a titanic wave.
The ship slowed in the wake of Don's strike, its fall checked.
Landing lightly on the prow, Don steadied himself as the vessel rocked in the swelling waves.
"To think an Island Whale would be here… They're rare. Supposedly there are some in the West Blue, but few have ever seen them."
Robin stared in awe at the massive creature floating like a living island.
"The Grand Line really is dangerous. Any other pirate crew would have been smashed to splinters."
Her gaze flicked toward Don, who still held his blade.
"How is it?" she asked.
"Nothing serious. This thing's far too large—just drifting there, hardly anyone could harm it. I expanded the range of my Armament Haki earlier so I wouldn't wound it."
Don shook his head.
The whale, having toppled back, floated again on the surface. Its every movement sent vast swells surging outward.
But what drew their attention was the way one massive eye fixed on them, blazing with fury.
"Can you defeat it?" Robin asked, her voice tight.
That single eye alone was larger than their entire ship.
"I'd rather not get stuck here the moment we reach the Grand Line—and crawl home in disgrace."
Don chuckled, patting her shoulder.
Defeating or even killing the whale was well within his power.
But what interested him more was the man living inside it.
Crocus—the doctor of the Pirate King Roger's crew.
Roger's men had never been weak—Buggy was the lone exception.
As the doctor who had sailed with Roger to the final island, Crocus intrigued Don far more than the destination itself.
Just as the whale—Laboon—glared at them in growing rage, a small figure appeared atop its head.
The man looked battered, clearly shaken by Laboon's sudden roll.
"Someone's there!"
Robin raised her hand, pointing to the figure.
Don had already sensed him with Observation Haki: a sturdy old man, sporting a strange, flower-like hairstyle and carrying several sharp harpoons on his back.
"You wait on the ship."
With that, Don's body burst into flame and shot toward Laboon's head.
Crocus, for his part, was astonished.
Laboon's body was over four hundred meters long. Despite his massive size, the whale rarely moved violently except when slamming against the Red Line—and Crocus's sedatives always calmed him then.
But today, Laboon's insides had been thrown into chaos, storms raging in the inner ocean.
It meant he'd faced a formidable foe.
Alarmed, Crocus had rushed out—only to see a two-man ship, and then one of its crew turning into fire and flying straight at him.
The flames landed not far away, reforming into Don's figure.
"It's you?!"
Crocus's eyes widened.
Though he seldom left this place, he kept an ear to the outside world. He had read the special reports not long ago.
To see Don in the flesh so soon after reading about him—and arriving with such intent—set every nerve on edge.
And by the look of it, this newcomer had not come in peace.
END OF CHAPTER
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