"What? 180 million?! Is there another flashy rookie trying to go from Paradise to the New World?"
From atop the massive boulder, Shanks' curious voice rang out.
"Seems like it. Lemme take a look."
Beckman, cigarette in mouth, glanced at the newspaper. But just moments after starting, his eyes widened in disbelief.
"Wait! No, this isn't someone moving from Paradise to the New World! This brat's from the East Blue—this is his first bounty, and he hasn't even entered the Grand Line yet!"
The rest of the crew were equally shocked. They scrambled to their feet and gathered around quickly.
"East Blue?! That place still produces monsters like this?"
"Looks like another terrifying guy's shown up…"
"Whoa, he hasn't even reached Paradise and he's already worth 180 million? That's fifty million more than my bounty…"
A new trainee couldn't help but look up and ask Shanks, "Captain, what was your bounty the first time you got one? Was it this high?"
"Of course not! This guy's totally shattered the record!"
Shanks squatted down and burst into laughter. "I wasn't nearly this badass! Back when I first sailed with another pirate crew and ticked off the Marines, I was excited, flipping through the wanted posters looking for mine. But guess what? Everyone else had one—except me! They completely ignored me!"
"Whaaat, that really happened, Captain?!"
"Shanks, you suck," Lucky Roux said with a bite of his drumstick, smacking his lips.
"Oh, come on. Everyone starts as a rookie. Hey, Beckman, lemme see that wanted poster!"
"Here." Beckman handed it over.
"He's even younger than I thought… Huh?"
Staring at the photo, Shanks saw a black-haired boy, arms spread wide, laughing boldly in the pouring rain. His brows twitched, a strange feeling rising in his chest.
It was his first time seeing this kid's face—so why did he feel so familiar? Almost as if they shared some deep, unexplainable bond.
"Looks like he's even more dangerous than I thought," Beckman added, still reading. "He's just eighteen. And it's confirmed—he's got Conqueror's Haki."
"Ohhh!" Shanks lit up in realization.
No wonder the kid felt like a kindred spirit. That explains the feeling.
...
At the base of the Red Line—
After a full night's journey, as the morning sun shimmered across the ocean, the Curtain Call finally arrived at the entrance of Reverse Mountain.
"That's the Grand Line up ahead!"
Nojiko sat atop the crow's nest, straining to raise her spyglass higher. Somewhere up there, supposedly, was the Holy Land of Mariejois.
But the Red Line was just too tall, too steep. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't make out anything up above.
"Everyone to your positions. Prep for the climb. This place is dangerous if we're not ready."
Shano gave the order, then turned to Nami.
"Alright. I'm leaving the command in your hands for now. You don't have enough strength to steer yet, so Guina will handle the helm. She'll follow your directions. Think you can manage?"
"Leave it to me!"
Nami raised a fist confidently.
Before following her brother out to sea, she'd gone out of her way to research everything about Reverse Mountain!
Still, even with all that prep, she knew she had to stay extremely careful.
The upward current was way fiercer than any other sea, and the channel was dangerously narrow. One wrong move and the ship could smash into the cliff walls thousands of meters high on either side.
With that kind of force, a normal ship wouldn't even get the chance to fall back into the sea—it'd be torn apart instantly.
Even with the Curtain Call made from the legendary Treasure Tree Adam, a head-on crash would still cause heavy damage and delay their journey.
"Alright then! Let's go—begin the climb!"
Standing at the prow, Shano looked up at the towering Red Line. He let the growing waves soak him through and laughed loudly as he announced,
"——Grand Line, here we come!"
"Whooo! Let's go!!" Nami shouted even more excitedly than he did.
BOOM!
The moment the ship crossed the whirlpool belt and entered the raging current, the whole vessel jolted violently and started surging upward.
Everyone, having been warned by Zeff earlier, had a firm grip on the railings—no one got flung off.
"Right rudder, fifteen degrees!"
Thanks to Nami's constant adjustments, the Curtain Call withstood the violent waters.
Though the wind and waves only grew stronger the higher they went, the ship climbed like an arrow, flawlessly slicing through the peak of the mountain and launching high into the air.
For a moment, they were weightless—
"We're flying!!" Nojiko screamed in excitement, hugging the mast tight and looking around from the crow's nest.
"Whoa, is that the West Blue right ahead? And that other route… Oh my god, Sea Kings! Guys, look! In the Calm Belt, giant Sea Kings!"
"I see them too! Damn, those huge ones in the north, just the part above the water's gotta be 4 or 5 kilometers tall!"
"That's why barely anyone dares to cross the Calm Belt directly," Zeff chuckled and turned to ask,
"Captain, with your strength now, could you make it across the Calm Belt alone?"
"Probably," Shano scratched his chin and thought about it seriously. "Even if I got unlucky and got swallowed, they couldn't chew me. I'd find a way out eventually."
"But yeah, sounds like a hassle. If we've got a ship, might as well use it."
"Hey, we're going down! Everyone, hold tight!" Nojiko called from above. Then her voice shifted to panic—
"Wait! Something's surfacing below!"
Gurgle... Gurgle...
Everyone else noticed it too. From the supposedly empty waters below, a massive shadow began rising—blocking out the light.
A gray-blue mountain of flesh slowly emerged from the depths. Its scar-covered head glistened in the morning light. It let out a sorrowful, echoing call and rushed straight toward Reverse Mountain—
"What is that?!" Nami shrieked. "There wasn't any info about Sea Kings hanging around here!"
"That's no Sea King! That's Laboon, the Island Whale!" Zeff shouted. "Turn the rudder—fast! We'll crash!"
"It's too late! We've lost control of the ship!"
Just as she said.
The Curtain Call was now like a rollercoaster in freefall—plunging downward faster and faster.
No matter how hard they turned the wheel, it was no use.
The wind howled wildly in their faces, shaking their skin and bodies. And all they could do was watch as the ship hurtled straight toward the giant creature Zeff had called "Laboon"—whose massive jaws were wide open—
"Don't panic."
Strangely enough, seeing this scene calmed Shano down. He reassured the others coolly,
"Getting swallowed is actually way better than crashing into its head."
"What kinda logic is that?!" Nami cried as she grabbed his leg. "My body's not as tough as yours, big bro! If I die, bury me under the orange grove on the ship so I can still travel the Grand Line with you…"
You dumb girl!
"Don't be stupid." Shano snapped, kicking her toward the railing. "You're a Logia user. What are you afraid of?"
"Oh, right!" Nami perked up.
At that exact moment, the immense suction pulled the entire ship into darkness. The world spun, and all they heard was the roar of rushing water and the low bellow of a whale.
BANG!
The ship slammed into something soft and bouncy, bouncing a few times before settling.
In the dim light, they could see pinkish flesh walls rhythmically pulsing on either side. Digestive fluids flowed through crevices like streams, pushing the ship forward through a narrowing tunnel—
"We're entering the intestines now?!" Nami winced. "That's disgusting!"
"That's not the intestines, it's the cardia. You're fourteen—at least learn your biology." Shano ruffled her hair irritably.
"Get ready. We're almost at the stomach."
The stomach?
Wouldn't that be sticky and gross, too?
Nami's face fell even more. She looked down at her clothes—she'd just taken a bath and changed an hour ago to celebrate entering the Grand Line!
WHOOSH!
Suddenly, it was like a spotlight hit them. The area lit up sharply.
Instinctively, she looked up—and was stunned to see a massive iron gate, dozens of meters tall, swing open before them.
As the Curtain Call sailed through, what greeted them was—
A boundless sky of blue and white, filled with puffy clouds. The weather was warm and sunny, the air gentle and pleasant. As if everything that had just happened… had been a dream.
Even Zeff was left speechless. Everyone stared in awe.
"This place… kinda reminds me of…" Shano looked around, smiling knowingly.
"Yeah. It's like a set from The Truman Show."
Want More? The Patreon is 40 Chapters Ahead!
patreon.com/TonyTranslations