After wrapping up their "family visit," Garp's fleet began its return journey. The Dog-Head warship slowly left the East Blue and set its course for the Grand Line.
When they ca to the East Blue, Garp's fleet had taken a shortcut through the Calm Belt using a more efficient thod exclusive to the Marines.
But on the way back, Garp changed course. Instead of taking the usual Marine route, he decided to pass through Reverse Mountain to enter the Grand Line.
Reverse Mountain, other than crossing the Calm Belt, it was the only known entrance into the Grand Line.
The seas from all four Blues, East, West, South, and North, each had their own river, and all four currents surged in reverse up to the peak of Reverse Mountain, where they then rged and flowed into the Grand Line.
This gravity-defying natural phenonon had once blocked countless pirates from entering the Grand Line.
It could be said that Reverse Mountain was a natural barrier protecting the Grand Line.
Because of this natural obstacle, pirates from the East Blue were especially rare within the Grand Line. Any pirate who managed to cross Reverse Mountain was not to be underestimated.
"Whoa~ So this is Reverse Mountain, huh? It really is spectacular!"
Standing at the bow of the Dog-Head warship at the foot of the mountain, Yoriichi Tsugikuni and his crew gazed at the bizarre upstream current ahead. Yoriichi couldn't help but let out a sigh of awe.
Even after multiple lifetis, he was still moved by the magnificent craftsmanship of nature.
A few hundred ters ahead of the warship stood a towering, sky-piercing cliff. Its pinkish rock face glowed a brilliant orange-red under the sunlight, like a sea of burning clouds.
At the center of the cliff were two broad rivers, rising vertically like waterfalls in reverse. These currents shot straight up into the sky at a ninety-degree angle to the sea.
What was most astonishing was the seawater within those rivers. It seed to defy the planet's gravity, rushing upward with incredible speed.
Even though the Dog-Head warship was still several hundred ters away from those reverse currents, it was already being pulled in by their powerful force, rapidly accelerating toward the rivers.
Behind Yoriichi, both Kyros and Shimotsuki Kōshirō were left speechless by the sight. Neither of them had ever witnessed anything like this before. Kōshirō had visited the East Blue once as a child with his father, but he had been too young to rember anything.
And though Kyros had traveled far and wide during his years in the Marines, this was also his first ti seeing such a phenonon.
As for Mihawk, he remained calm. He had crossed this route himself before. In fact, when he ca to the East Blue, he had done so in a tiny boat, not a massive warship like now. So seeing Reverse Mountain again didn't rattle him in the slightest.
The only one who could rival Mihawk's calmness was Issho.
Since Issho couldn't see, he wasn't awed by the spectacle around them.
"Hehehe... Yoriichi, this is one of the great wonders of the East Blue!"
"It'd be a sha to co all the way out here and not witness it with your own eyes."
"If you get the chance to return to the East Blue again, I'll take you across the Calm Belt personally. No need for Marine special techniques."
"That trip is even more fun."
Garp chuckled as he watched the subtle flicker of surprise finally break across Yoriichi's normally composed face. For once, the young man didn't look so indifferent.
Ever since he'd t Yoriichi, the kid had always carried himself with unusual restraint, far too mature for soone barely in his teens.
He never got angry, rarely showed excitent, and even his smiles were faint and reserved.
At tis, Yoriichi's depth made Garp worry. He wondered if the boy was carrying so hidden burden in his heart.
But now, seeing that rare spark in Yoriichi's expression, Garp felt reassured. This kid wasn't so different from others after all. He just had a higher threshold for emotional response.
"You an... crossing the Calm Belt without Marine tech?"
"I'd actually like to try that soti."
Instead of being intimidated by Garp's words, Yoriichi smiled with genuine interest.
Garp glanced at him, then turned to see the Dog-Head warship getting closer and closer to Reverse Mountain. He quickly barked out orders:
"Alright, we're about to hit the upcurrent!"
"Everyone, get ready! Return to your stations!"
"All guards and patrols, back into the cabins!"
"Lower the sails!"
Garp's voice bood across the deck, and the Marines sprang into action at once.
Yoriichi and the others didn't move, however. They remained on deck, each walking over to the railing and gripping it tightly.
The few who stayed topside were all confident in their strength and wanted to personally feel what it was like to ride the river up Reverse Mountain.
Besides, most of them had the ability to float or hover briefly. Compared to being inside the sealed interior of the ship, the open deck actually felt safer.
WHOOOOOSH!!!
The sails were swiftly lowered. The Marines stationed at the lookout quickly descended into the ship's interior after finishing the task.
Now the Dog-Head warship was at the rcy of the current, being pulled swiftly toward Reverse Mountain.
The helmsman was a seasoned Marine who had followed Garp for years. He had crossed Reverse Mountain more than once and was well-acquainted with the dangers at its base, where currents from all four Blues converged.
Under his steady hand, the ship held its course perfectly, nose pointed straight at the river that shot into the sky, no deviation in sight.
In monts like this, even a slight misalignnt would send the ship crashing into the cliff walls, spelling total destruction.
"Hold tight! Here we go!"
With Garp's shout, the Dog-Head warship surged forward, entering the reverse current. With a roar, the river flung the ship upward, racing toward the summit of Reverse Mountain.
At the sa ti,
Far away in Water 7, Tom returned to his ho after a long day's work.
As he opened the door, he was greeted by an unexpected scene.
On his sofa sat a familiar figure, half-reclining, wine bottle in hand, chugging away with carefree ease.
"Ah! Tom, you're finally back!"
"I've been waiting for you for ages!"
The middle-aged man on the couch sat up with a grin, waving at Tom as if this were the most normal thing in the world. Thɪs chapter is updatᴇd by ⓝovelFire
The mont Tom saw who it was, his pupils shrank. He quickly stepped inside and slamd the door shut with a loud BANG. Ignoring the man entirely, he rushed to the window, peered outside for anyone watching, then hastily closed the curtains.
Only then did he spin around and yell at the man on the sofa, voice sharp and anxious:
"You bastard! What the hell are you doing here?!"
"Do you have any idea what kind of heat I'm under right now?!"
"If the World Governnt finds out you're here, they'll hunt you down!"
"Roger!!"
The man now lounging in Tom's ho was none other than the long-lost Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, who had reached Laugh Tale and vanished from the public eye years ago.
"Bwahahaha!"
"Relax, Tom. It's fine!"
"No one's going to find !"
"Want a drink?!"
Roger burst into laughter, casually raising the bottle of wine toward Tom with a carefree smile.
Tom didn't answer. He stord over, grabbed the bottle, took a heavy swig, then finally let out a long breath, his shoulders easing.
Then he looked Roger in the eye and asked:
"It really has been a long ti, Roger."
"No... Pirate King."
"So, what are you doing in Water 7 this ti?"
As he spoke, Tom walked over to his desk, plopped down in his chair, and didn't look at Roger again. His gaze fell to the ship blueprint resting on the table, only a frawork so far. He sighed.
Roger didn't miss a beat.
"I'm here to ask you to build a small ship."
"Tom... I've been diagnosed with a terminal illness. I don't have much ti left."
"Before I die, I want to sail the New World one last ti. To see my old friends again."
"Then I'll return to the South Blue... and wait for the end."
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100 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter
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