Free Web NovelOnce time began to move again, Allen's only reaction was to blink and raise an eyebrow, but he soon set it aside and returned to staring at the massive Red Line.
Of course, his target wasn't the Red Line itself, but Reverse Mountain.
Throughout the entire Red Line, there was only one place with a unique characteristic: a section of this enormous wall that contained an upward current.
"That's it," Allen said.
Nami, Kaya, and Uta opened their mouths. It was exactly as rumored. As absurd as it seemed, there was indeed a channel in the Red Line where water from East Blue was pushed upward all the way to the top of the Red Line.
"Are we really going in through there?" Kaya asked.
The blonde girl was scared, so she grabbed Allen's sleeve. Nami also looked at Allen with concern, while Uta, although impressed, wore a faint smile.
"What? Are you scared?~" Uta teased.
"No," Kaya replied.
She didn't want to look weak in front of Uta.
The rest of the girls smiled. Seeing Kaya act brave eased some of their own nerves and fear.
Hina observed Reverse Mountain with a bead of sweat on her cheek. She knew that many pirate, merchant, and civilian ships had met their end at the Red Line. For ordinary people and pirates, it was the only entrance. Of course, Marine ships had developed technology that allowed them to avoid taking this risk, but she was trapped aboard the Black Pearl.
"Captain Hina," Tashigi whispered.
Both women stood near the bow, while Allen and the others were gathered around the helm, so they shouldn't have been able to hear them. Of course, Lenalee was capable of hearing anything on the ship, so Allen wasn't worried about it.
"What do you want?" Hina asked with a tired look.
"Couldn't this be our chance?" Tashigi replied.
She cautiously looked at Allen's group, but seeing them focused on Reverse Mountain made her feel a little calmer.
"You want to escape?" Hina asked.
The woman couldn't help but sigh. Looking at it logically, crossing Reverse Mountain was so dangerous and complicated that it would require the crew's full attention. This was the perfect opportunity to recover Hina's heart and escape.
"Foolish girl," Hina scolded. "My heart is in his cabin. How are you going to recover it while they're all at the helm? And escape? Did you forget I'm a Devil Fruit user? I can't swim. Take the ship's boat? Do you know what the currents would do to it?"
Tashigi groaned in embarrassment as she realized how foolish her words had been.
"Just calm down. Don't let your impatience, anger, and prejudice cloud your judgment. Besides, we'll be safe for now," Hina said while looking at Allen.
Kaya was holding onto his arm, seeking his protection while pretending to be brave. Those smiles, those looks, that confidence... those weren't things obtained through strength alone.
Hina understood. Allen had earned their respect, trust, and even affection, to varying degrees. At the very least, she could say that Allen wouldn't force them to do anything unpleasant or torture them.
Tashigi looked at Allen and his crew, completely absorbed in their own world, and snorted. The bastard had captured them, yet now he was completely ignoring them.
'He's a pervert...' Tashigi thought, pressing her lips together.
"Nami, can you do it?" Allen asked.
Crossing Reverse Mountain would be like riding a tiger without falling off. It was impossible to truly prepare for it because any mistake meant death.
Nami remained silent, lost in his eyes. She remembered how she had met him as a captive, how she had thought Allen was crazy, how she had listened to his ridiculous declarations about becoming King of the World. But she also remembered how this strange guy had become her savior.
She wanted to answer that trust. She wanted to prove herself worthy of it. More than repaying him, she wanted to surprise him. Just as she admired him, she wanted him to admire her as well. She wanted him to think she was the genius navigator he believed her to be.
"Of course!" Nami smiled confidently, her eyes shining.
Nojiko, who witnessed this, couldn't help but tear up. How many times had she seen emptiness in Nami's eyes? How many times had she watched her suppress her fear, pain, and suffering until her heart had closed itself off?
Now she was smiling. And on the arm that had once borne Arlong's mark, there was now a tattoo of a windmill and a tangerine.
Uta glanced at Nojiko before smiling. She had joined Allen without knowing what to think. She wanted answers from her father. Why had he abandoned her? Had he already forgotten her? Deep down, Uta carried a lot of resentment.
And yet...
'It's warm...' she thought.
This crew was warm. It consisted of two sisters burdened by a tragic past, a naïve girl who simply wanted to see the world, a strange magical entity who apparently acted like an older sister and constantly suffered headaches because of Allen, and finally an eccentric captain foolish enough to declare that he would rule the world.
Compared to this, even Shanks' crew wasn't this strange.
Uta laughed and then looked toward the two Marines.
'I wonder how long it'll take them to fall under our captain's charm~,' she teased.
At the end of the world—or the beginning of it, depending on how one viewed it—the sea cared little for human feelings. It merely roared as the currents increased in speed.
It was an incredible spectacle. Hundreds of millions of tons of water slammed into the Red Line with the sole purpose of forcing their way into Reverse Mountain.
The Black Pearl was already fast, so this increase in speed wasn't much. Nami didn't need anyone else to manage the sails. As a navigator, she was capable of controlling them herself.
The Black Pearl approached the channel, and with it came the sight of shattered shipwrecks scattered around. The sight made the girls nervous. It was unfortunate that many people never even reached the Grand Line and instead met their end at its entrance.
"Why the long faces?" Allen grinned boldly as he appeared atop the figurehead at the bow. "A little water is nothing for this ship. A sea current is nothing to us. This isn't even an obstacle. It's simply the end of the prologue, that's all. So lift your heads and smile. Let the Grand Line know that it isn't just any crew that's arriving, but the greatest crew in history!"
"Make the seas tremble!"
"Make rulers and emperors kneel because the true king and his crew have arrived!"
Nami, Kaya, Nojiko, Uta, and Lenalee smiled. Every fragment of fear vanished. That wasn't a speech meant to motivate. It was a declaration that resonated with everyone present and even with the summit of the world itself.
Hina and Tashigi stared in disbelief.
Those weren't the words of a rookie, nor those of a teenager. That voice shook their souls. Somehow, even they, who should have been horrified by the rise of such a monster, instead felt inspired and even a little admiration for him.
It was absurd!
Marines admiring a pirate?!
Tashigi even grabbed her head, but there was no time for regret because the ship suddenly tilted at a fifty-degree angle and began ascending the channel. Its speed increased dramatically.
Nami smiled and raised half the sails. It was best to sail with the current, but thanks to the Black Pearl's structure, it could endure more than ordinary ships. Nami wasn't content to simply let the current carry them.
"Let's go, baby!" Nami grinned.
The Black Pearl wasn't merely being carried by the current. It was truly sailing through Reverse Mountain.
Hina was impressed. The current's speed always caught navigators by surprise, but this girl wasn't merely praying not to crash into the walls. She was actively steering the ship.
'It's not just the ship's capabilities. That girl can sense even the slightest changes in the current!' Hina thought while gripping the railing.
The other girls also held onto something. Only Allen remained standing without concern, but that was because he had anchored his feet to the deck with ice.
"When we reach the top, the four currents will collide!" Hina shouted at Nami. "You'll only have one chance to align the ship with the outgoing current!"
Nami widened her eyes in surprise that Hina was helping them, but thinking about it, Hina's survival depended on crossing successfully as well.
"Got it!" Nami smiled.
On any other ship, she would have been nervous. But aboard the Black Pearl, and with Allen's confidence supporting her, she had become not only brave but daring.
The ship accelerated more and more until, before they realized it, they could see the summit of the Red Line, where the waters of the four seas collided and dispersed.
Knowing where the exit to the Grand Line was located, Nami guided the Black Pearl to the right so they could take the impact diagonally.
The ship reached the summit and briefly became airborne. Visibility vanished, but it didn't matter. Nami had done everything perfectly, and when they landed, they did so in the descending current.
"Yes!" Nami exclaimed. "That's ten million!"
"I knew you could do it!" Nojiko laughed.
"Amazing!" Kaya gasped, her face glowing. She could never have experienced an adventure like this back home.
"That was exciting and dangerous!" Uta laughed.
"Of course we made it. I never doubted it," Allen said confidently.
[That's easy for you to say, but you were ready to step in, weren't you?]
Allen had considered using the Noro Beam to slow the current and help Nami, but it hadn't been necessary.
'It's not that I doubted Nami. I just wanted to avoid any damage to the Black Pearl. That would mean losing millions.'
The descent was considerably easier. They only needed to let the current carry them. Since it was a downward slope, the water naturally flowed with gravity, making the journey much less dangerous.
When the Black Pearl finally reached the end, the girls sighed in relief while Allen gazed at the vast sea stretching across the horizon.
"I'm finally here, and it's not a dream..." he murmured, allowing only Lenalee to hear him.
[That's right~]
The ship slowed until it was sailing with only one sail so Nami could rest her arms. Steering through currents like those was exhausting despite her enhanced strength and endurance.
Hina leaned against the railing while smoking, and Tashigi sat down on the deck.
Uta began humming a slower version of Binks' Sake. Kaya leaned against a mast while calming her racing heart, and Nojiko smiled before heading into the kitchen to prepare something to drink.
As for Allen, he sat atop the figurehead, staring at the horizon without losing the smile on his face.
After resting, they decided to eat something.
Hina didn't refuse to join them for the meal. Tashigi didn't want to, but the hunger from not having eaten for over half a day won in the end.
(One hour later)
Just as they were preparing to set sail toward their first island, Lenalee interrupted.
[We have company...]
"What? Enemies?" Allen was about to alert everyone, but the scroll that appeared beside him only displayed a small blue dot.
According to Lenalee, enemies appeared in red on the minimap, allies in green, treasures in gold, and blue represented those who posed no threat, such as animals and civilians.
Allen looked up and was surprised to see a seagull flying overhead. It was a News Coo, one of the birds responsible for delivering the World Economy News Paper.
"Hey!"
After being called, the bird descended and dropped a newspaper onto Allen. He tossed a coin, which the seagull caught before flying away.
The girls gathered around Allen.
"This is strange. There shouldn't be another newspaper so soon..." Tashigi said.
"It must be a special edition. That only happens when major events need to be spread quickly," Hina said.
She narrowed her eyes slightly while looking at Allen. She could already guess why this special edition had been printed.
Allen laughed before opening it. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
To everyone's surprise, it was a special edition dedicated entirely to Allen and his crew.
The girls didn't even know how to react since they themselves were mentioned in the paper.
Everyone watched silently as Allen flipped through the pages. The article covered various events since the official beginning of Allen's journey, but the most important points were:
– Rookie Allen Walker, also known as White Hair, attacks Garp and defeats him during a moment of carelessness. However, this proves that his bounty is not only deserved but perhaps even too low.
"I see. They're going to downplay it as a 'moment of carelessness' from an old man..." Nami said.
It was easy to understand. The Marines couldn't afford to be humiliated by a rookie, so this was the best way to handle it. But even if it had been due to Garp's carelessness and a surprise attack, the fact remained that a legend from Gold Roger's era had been injured and brought down. That alone shook the world.
"Give me a break!" Allen growled.
He was angry. How could he not be? Sure, if Garp had taken him seriously, he could have killed Allen with a single punch. But that wasn't the point. The old man hadn't been unconscious. It was thanks to Lenalee's plan and the fact that they had gambled everything on that attack that they managed to bring Garp down.
"Relax." Uta approached and patted Allen's head with a smile. "You'll have plenty of chances to prove how amazing you are in the future."
"Of course," Allen said with his arms crossed. "By the way, how long are you planning to keep patting my head?"
Uta blushed and quickly withdrew her hands.
"Sorry. I didn't realize your hair was so silky. Do you use some kind of hair product?"
Allen felt offended. While he was fully aware of his perfection as a male specimen, it wasn't like he did anything narcissistic to maintain his appearance.
"No. My hair has always been like this, and thanks to my superior genetics, it never gets damaged..."
The girls paused.
Even Hina and Tashigi looked at Allen with envy. Didn't this guy realize he'd just stepped on a landmine?
Pirates or Marines, women cared about their appearance. Did he have any idea how difficult it was to maintain long hair with constant sea breezes?
Kaya approached Allen with an intense gaze and pressed lips.
"What is it?" Allen asked.
"Can I touch your hair?" Kaya asked in a cute voice.
Allen had his pride as a man, but since an angel was asking, he lowered his head and allowed her to do it.
Kaya smiled and extended her small pale hand. The moment she touched Allen's hair, her eyes widened. It was soft, silky, clean, and almost seemed to shine beneath the sunlight.
The other girls grew curious when they saw Kaya's reaction and even felt a little jealous. Given Allen's ego, it certainly wasn't common for him to let someone do something like this.
"Are you done?" Allen asked.
He felt a little uncomfortable. In a few months, he would turn eighteen. More importantly, what dignity would remain for the future King of the World if someone saw him being patted like a child?
Kaya froze.
The expression Allen made, combined with being so close to him, dealt critical damage.
Her eyes turned into hearts just like Sanji's before she fainted.
"As expected. Being too close to me is devastating for anyone." Allen caught her and sighed dramatically. "I can't imagine how difficult it must be to witness my perfection from this close without being endangered by it."
The girls stared at Allen coldly.
It was true that he was handsome. Perhaps the most handsome man in the world. But that attitude, that ego, that shamelessness, and everything else had the magical effect of neutralizing his charm and attractiveness.
Noticing their looks, Allen coughed. He knew he had probably pushed the joke about his attractiveness too far. He carried Kaya to her cabin before returning and continuing to read the newspaper.
"Is he a future Emperor of the Sea or just an incredibly lucky rookie?" Hina said. "Do they really hold you in such high regard?!"
– The young monster is officially the pirate with the highest pre-Grand Line bounty in history!
"Well, that was expected," Uta shrugged.
– A power capable of copying other powers? White Hair has demonstrated the ability to use powers and abilities from multiple Devil Fruits, leaving the world bewildered.
"..."
Tashigi looked at Allen with caution.
– A young womanizer? Is White Hair destined to become a Big Daddy?
"Huh?!" Allen nearly turned pale when he saw that headline. What kind of joke was that?! And what was with that ridiculous nickname? It sounded like he was some kind of pimp!
Allen's decision to recruit a crew composed entirely of beautiful young women had left people speechless, leading many to speculate that he might become the male version of Big Mom, the Emperor of the Sea famous for having forty-three husbands.
The girls blushed, especially Kaya and Nami. Uta took it as a joke, while Nojiko openly mocked Allen.
However, when they saw his reaction, everyone burst out laughing. Apparently, even the shameless captain could feel embarrassed when labeled a pervert and womanizer.
Even Hina smiled, and Tashigi joined in the teasing. Any caution she had previously felt disappeared as she enjoyed Allen's embarrassing moment.
Allen did his best to move on to the next topic, which discussed the Black Pearl.
– The mystery of the self-proclaimed King's ship: a vessel with abnormal speed and firepower.
Everyone agreed with that headline, but the girls—except for Hina and Tashigi—knew the truth.
The ship itself wasn't the truly special part. Lenalee was.
That mysterious magical chest was the real reason the Black Pearl had become such a terrifying vessel, and of course, it would continue evolving.
There were more topics to discuss, but everything became secondary when two wanted posters fell onto the floor.
The moment the girls saw them, they swallowed nervously.
– Allen Walker "White Hair" WANTED Dead or Alive: 300,000,000 B
– Uta "The Singer of Calamity" WANTED Dead or Alive: 60,000,000 B
"WWHHHAAAATTT?!"
A collective scream of disbelief echoed across the ship.
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A/N: Lately, I've been listening to the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack a lot while writing this arc.
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