The vast, boundless ocean stretched out, its surface as clear as sapphire, shimmering with gold under the sunlight—a truly enchanting sight.
The Dream Chaser sailed swiftly, driven by the sea breeze toward Reverse Mountain, the starting point of the Grand Line, leaving a long trail of white foam in its wake.
Inside the cabin, Goku, Nami, and Sanji gathered around a table. Goku sat on a chair, swinging his legs and yawning listlessly, while the other two focused intently on the nautical chart of the Grand Line spread out before them.
"According to the map, the only way to enter the Grand Line is through this canal on Reverse Mountain."
Nami pointed to a thin blue line representing the river on the mountain, her brow furrowed slightly.
"But how can a canal go uphill? How can a ship climb a mountain? This is just too strange."
Sanji rested his chin on his hand, a look of contemplation in his eyes.
"I've heard that entering the Grand Line is no simple feat. Many who try often fail before they even make it in."
"If those rumors are true, I think the moment we enter Reverse Mountain will be the most dangerous part of our journey to the Grand Line."
Nami nodded thoughtfully, then pinched her chin in deep thought. "Then if this canal really exists, how do we find it? According to the map, it should be quite small, yet the Red Line is so massive."
The two fell silent, both pondering the correct way to enter the Grand Line.
Just then, Goku let out another loud yawn, snapping Nami out of her deep thought.
Whack!!
"Hey! Goku! We're discussing something important right now! Why are you so listless? Where's your sense of responsibility as a captain?!"
Nami clenched her fist, giving Goku a sharp blow to the head.
Rubbing his head with a pained expression, Goku said sheepishly, "I get it, I get it, Nami. If we can't find it, can't we just sail along the Red Line and look for it slowly?"
"Idiot! That's the stupidest idea ever!" Nami snapped back.
She didn't believe for a second that everyone heading to the Grand Line just wandered along the Red Line looking for an entrance.
CRASH!!
Right then, the ship jolted violently, causing a water cup on the table to topple over.
If it hadn't been for Goku's quick reflexes, the cup would have shattered on the floor.
At the same time, Nami stumbled and nearly fell.
"What's happening?!"
After steadying herself, she rushed out of the cabin, looking around.
She saw—
The once-clear sky had turned dark without them noticing.
The cotton-white clouds had been stained like ink, first turning gray and then a heavy, oppressive black, like a thick curtain dropping down, making it hard to breathe.
On the sea, the once-gentle waves grew restless, surging like a stampede of horses, crashing into each other and throwing up high plumes of white spray.
Nami stood on the walkway outside the second-floor cabin, gripping the railing tightly as her body swayed with the ship's violent pitching.
"Is that...?!"
Through the hazy air, she could vaguely see a massive red landmass in the distance, towering into the clouds and stretching endlessly to both sides.
In an instant, she knew—this was the legendary Red Line.
"Hey, Nami! The helm isn't responding! The current underneath is incredibly strong!"
Sanji's voice drifted out from the cabin.
He gripped the wheel with both hands, trying to stabilize the ship by adjusting the direction, but he quickly realized the helm was as stiff as if it were welded in place.
"The current?"
Nami paused, a flash of realization hitting her.
"That's it! It's the current!"
Her eyes lit up with excitement.
"We don't need to look for the canal ourselves! The current will carry the Dream Chaser right to it!"
"And right now, we've already caught the current leading to the canal!"
Growing confident, she immediately shouted to Goku, "Hey! Goku, hurry and furl the sails! We won't be needing them for this!"
Not only was the wind no longer needed to move them, but the sea breeze had also shifted from gentle to fierce and biting.
If they kept the sails up, the ship would become even more unstable and could easily capsize.
"Got it, Nami!"
Goku rushed out, his movements agile and practiced as he furled the sails. He then bounded over to Nami's side and said with a grin, "Hey, Nami, anything else you need me to do?"
In moments like this, he was like a soldier under Nami's command, following her every lead.
After all, he was self-aware; he could handle a fight, but he knew nothing about winds, currents, or weather patterns—things that were essential to keeping a ship steady.
"Not for now! I'll tell you if I do!"
Nami shouted back without turning her head, her focus entirely on their surroundings.
Sanji stopped wrestling with the helm and stepped outside to survey the scene.
The wind howled around them like a pack of angry beasts in a frenzy.
The sea was turbulent, as if water demons were lurking beneath the surface, their red eyes fixed on the Dream Chaser. Giant waves slammed into the hull with a deafening roar.
Pitter-patter!!
At the same time, the gathered storm clouds finally burst, releasing a torrent of raindrops the size of beans. They hammered down on the sea and the Dream Chaser with the rhythmic intensity of a drumbeat.
"Look! That must be the canal!"
Nami suddenly pointed forward and shouted in excitement.
On the distant Red Line, a waterway climbed straight up the mountainside, defying the laws of physics as it ascended like a stairway to heaven until it vanished into the clouds.
And the Dream Chaser was heading directly toward it.
"Wow! I've never seen water flow uphill before," Goku said, leaning over the railing with wide, surprised eyes.
"What an unbelievable sight," Sanji remarked, a cigarette between his lips, his eyes filled with shock.
"We have to be careful now! If we don't line up perfectly with the canal, the ship will smash against the Red Line and be blown to smithereens!"
Nami turned back, her expression grave as she spoke to them.
Although they seemed to be aligned for now, anything could happen, so they had to remain extremely vigilant.
"Right!" Both nodded solemnly. Sanji returned to the cabin and gripped the helm, determined to keep the ship on a straight path.
As time passed, the canal became clearer. The three of them held their breath, their eyes fixed on the Dream Chaser as it raced toward the entrance.
Suddenly, a whirlpool formed in the churning waters nearby, like a gaping maw of the ocean ready to swallow everything in its path.
In an instant, the Dream Chaser was pulled off course. While it wasn't sucked in entirely, its trajectory shifted away from the canal and straight toward the solid rock of the Red Line!
It looked as if they were about to crash, facing a terrifying fate of being pulverized against the mountain and buried in the sea!
"Aaaah!! We're going to crash!!"
Nami's pupils shrank to pinpoints, her face pale with terror.
"Dammit!! Move, you piece of junk!!"
Veins bulged on Sanji's forehead as he strained against the helm, but it was useless.
At that moment, Goku suddenly jumped onto the side railing. His tail wrapped around the bar, and he stood perpendicular to the ship's side.
He looked ahead, cupped his hands at his side, and shouted with a determined look, "KA... ME... HA... ME... HAAA!!!"
BOOM!!!
A sphere of blue light materialized in his palms. As he thrust his hands forward, it streaked into the distance with a tail like a comet.
Instantly, a massive recoil from the Kamehameha wave surged back through him and into the ship.
The Dream Chaser was jerked as if by a giant hand, its direction snapping back on course. It aligned perfectly with the ascending waterway, shot into the canal, and began its climb toward the sky!
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]