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When evening came, Jason randomly checked the navigation chart. They were still some distance from Reverse Mountain. Under normal conditions, it would likely take a few more days to reach it.
After dinner, Robin was in the study, engrossed in a book. Jason had specifically ordered this study to be built during the ship's construction. Since their ship, the Devil, only housed the two of them, there was no need for separate crew quarters for men and women, so it had been converted into a study instead.
Jason stood alone on the deck and drew the Supreme Grade sword he had received from the system earlier that day—Yuhun!
With a sharp "shing" sound, the sword was unsheathed, and an intense sharpness surged through the air. It was even more powerful than the feeling Jason had when he first obtained the famed sword Shigure. Indeed, Yuhun was truly a Supreme Grade sword!
The sword had a total length of 97 cm, with a blade length of 73.32 cm. The blade's design was unique, with a rounded edge featuring a three-petal pattern. The entire sword was black, save for the edge of the blade.
Jason scratched his head, pulled out a few strands of hair, and gently placed them a few centimeters above Yuhun's blade. As he released his grip, the hair fell, with no resistance, and was instantly sliced in half—so effortlessly smooth.
"Good sword!"
When he tested Shigure before, there had been a slight hesitation before the cut, but Yuhun severed it instantly!
With this sword, Jason estimated his strength would increase significantly. As for Shigure, it had now fallen out of favor and would soon be relegated to the warehouse to gather dust!
Jason admired Yuhun for a while, drawing it from its sheath repeatedly to inspect it. He couldn't help but marvel at it. He mused to himself, Baby, you're something special! I bet Robin will have to be careful around this tonight.
...
A few days later, Jason and Robin arrived in Loguetown again. Jason held Robin's small hand as they strolled through the streets.
Robin had never gone shopping before. Aside from restocking provisions, Jason's primary goal in docking here was to take Robin shopping. He had never had the chance to go shopping with his wife in his life!
Whether it was in Ohara as a child or in Cocoyasi Village later, these were all remote places with no large markets or places to shop.
But Loguetown was different.
Loguetown was the gateway for everyone in the East Blue to enter the Grand Line!
Although the goods and markets here couldn't compare to those in Mariejois, they were still quite decent by world standards.
"Oh, Jason! This is delicious! Try some!"
Robin held up a piece of takoyaki with chopsticks and brought it to Jason's mouth. Jason took a bite.
"Mmm, delicious!"
"Ehehe!"
The eighteen-year-old Robin showed a rare, childlike side, which delighted Jason. He silently vowed to take Robin shopping more often.
Robin was usually gentle, quiet, and composed.
Though Jason loved this side of Robin, he enjoyed seeing her act more like a carefree young girl with him. He had been trying to encourage her to let loose, but had met with little success until now.
Without realizing it, the two of them had wandered to the base of the execution platform. Robin was full and content. As she looked up at the towering platform, a question formed in her mind.
"This is... where the Pirate King was executed?"
"Yes, and this is also where the Great Pirate Era began. I even came here to see it for myself, hahaha!"
But Robin ignored his lightheartedness and lowered her head, muttering to herself.
"A person who knows the entire history? I will know the entire history soon! And then I'll reveal the Void Century to the whole world!"
"Yeah! I believe in you!"
"Jason, do you know where the Poneglyph is?"
"Uh… How would I know that? We'll just have to find it slowly!"
Robin didn't expect Jason to know, so she just asked out of curiosity. The two of them continued wandering around until dusk, before finally returning to the ship.
Robin felt a bit tired after shopping all afternoon, so she went to bed early. Jason, lying beside her, suddenly had an idea—why not stay in Loguetown for a while longer? He could see how happy Robin was today, whether it was from shopping or just spending time together. Jason wanted to make her even happier!
...
For the next half month, Jason and Robin enjoyed everything Loguetown had to offer. They indulged in various entertainments and tried all sorts of food. Robin even experimented with things usually enjoyed by children. It wasn't until Jason noticed Robin's enthusiasm waning that he decided it was time to continue their journey.
When you spend so much time together, you become attuned to even the slightest shifts in each other's mood.
A few days after setting out again, they finally arrived at Reverse Mountain.
"We've made it to Reverse Mountain! We're finally entering the Grand Line! The last time we were here was when we first arrived in the East Blue!" Jason exclaimed.
Robin gazed at the enormous river flowing upward, a marvel to behold. "It's incredible," she murmured. Jason nodded in agreement. Although he often ventured out, he mostly stayed within the East Blue. The only other time he'd been outside was during their journey to the Sabaody Archipelago through the Calm Belt.
Jason then pulled out a wanted poster and handed it to Robin. It was an old picture of her from when she was a child. The Marines hadn't updated her bounty photo in over ten years since neither of them had appeared on their radar.
Jason carefully cut out parts of the photo and discarded the rest. "You were so young then! So adorable!"
Robin stared at him, bewildered. "Where did you get that? I had no idea it even existed."
Feeling a bit awkward, Jason explained, "I bought it when we were in Loguetown. It only cost 100 Berries for a complete set of bounties! Of course, that's only for those worth over ten million!"
(The bounties under ten million are too numerous to count, so I figured it made sense to get the ones over ten million!)
Robin nodded in understanding, and Jason continued.
"We didn't have a camera when we were kids, and we never thought to buy one, so we don't have any photos of us growing up together. Now that I see these, I can't let them go!
Look how cute you were as a child. And me? I didn't expect I was such a handsome boy back then! Hehehe!
We should keep these photos. One day, when we're older, we can show them to our kids. They'll be surprised, too, and it'll give us something to brag about!"
As he spoke, Jason pulled out a photo of himself with the bounty poster and cheerfully described his future plans. Robin couldn't help but laugh at his antics.
It's wonderful having Jason here, Robin thought. I'm so lucky to have met him!
"Ahem! We're about to enter the canal. Robin, take the helm! I'll furl the sail!"
"Okay!"
Jason coughed to clear the mood and put away the photos. They were approaching the canal, and it was dangerous. A small mistake could mean getting caught in the backflow vortex around the Red Line or crashing into it, which could destroy the ship and kill them.
While Jason wasn't afraid of such things, he wouldn't let Robin get hurt!
Under Jason's careful guidance, the Devil successfully entered the canal of Reverse Mountain.
"Even seeing it again, it still feels magical! This Upside Down Canal is truly one of the three miracle currents!" Robin marveled at the upward current.
"Hahaha! Yes, it's incredible! But what are the three miracle currents?" Jason asked, a bit puzzled. He had a vague memory but wasn't sure.
"The three miracle currents are the Reverse Mountain Canal, the Knock Up Stream, and the White Strom Current in the deep sea!"
"Oh, I see!" Jason clapped his hands as the memory suddenly clicked into place. Yes, there were three such currents!
Half an hour later, the Devil reached the top of Reverse Mountain. This time, Jason didn't pause but immediately sailed towards the only downward current.
...
The descent was much faster than their previous journey to the East Blue. Going to the East Blue required the ship's own momentum; otherwise, the current would slowly carry it up the mountain.
Now, they were speeding down at over 100 kilometers per hour, with the wind distorting Jason's face!
"No! This is too fast! We need to slow down somehow!" Jason shouted.
"Are we really just rushing straight down into the sea? I've read the navigation logs, and there shouldn't be any islands below, so we won't crash into anything!"
"There's a giant whale blocking the way below! If we hit it, the ship will be destroyed!" Jason warned.
"Is that so? Will we be eaten by the whale, or drown in the sea? Or will we drown first and then get eaten and digested?"
Jason: …
Can you not joke about this right now? This isn't the time!
Jason knew he wouldn't die in this situation, but the thought of the ship being destroyed just as they entered the Grand Line was troubling. It would be incredibly unlucky, especially with all the supplies they had on board! The only viable option was to open the sails to slow down, but doing so at such a high speed could easily snap the mast.
Quickly, Jason leaped onto the mast, untying one of the ropes and holding it tightly in his hand. He then untied the rope on the other side, gripping both ends firmly. He began to lower the sail gradually, not all at once. If he released it too quickly, the mast would likely break. Instead, he eased the sail down bit by bit, allowing the ship's speed to decrease steadily. Under Jason's careful control, the mast held strong, and the ship's speed reduced significantly.
As the ship slowed down, Jason could already hear the distinctive sound of Laboon, the whale. The closer they got to the bottom of the mountain, the more pronounced the whale's calls became. It wasn't the deep, resonant sound as described in the original story, but rather an ethereal, almost haunting tone that reverberated through the air, accompanied by loud roaring noises.
"Is this the whale you were talking about that's blocking the way? What's it doing?" Jason asked.
"Yes! That's him. He's obviously ramming into the Red Line!" Jason replied, making up an explanation. Robin rolled her eyes at his nonsense.
I can see it's ramming the Red Line! What are you even talking about?
By this time, they could clearly see Laboon. However, instead of blocking the entrance to the Grand Line, the whale was off to the side, away from the intersection. It seemed Laboon didn't block the entrance every time—Luffy's crew had just been unlucky enough to encounter him at the wrong moment.
As the ship stabilized, Jason and Robin moved to the bow together.
"This is the most amazing sea area in the world, the Grand Line? Are the Poneglyphs scattered here?" Robin asked, her curiosity piqued.
"Yes! We've finally arrived at the Grand Line!" Jason confirmed.
"So, where to next? Do you have any plans?"
"Of course… not!" Jason admitted with a grin.
Robin stared at him, exasperated. "…"
"But no matter which route we take, we'll eventually reach the Sabaody Archipelago. Before that, we need to visit someone!"
"Who?"
"You'll find out soon enough!" Jason said, with a hint of mystery in his voice.
Robin didn't press further. She trusted Jason completely and knew he would never put her in harm's way, so she was content to follow his lead.
Jason docked the Devil at the shore near Twin Capes and led Robin up to the lighthouse that stood sentinel over the area. Once there, he casually sat down in a lounge chair in front of the lighthouse, somehow managing to find a pair of sunglasses, which he promptly put on.
"Jason?" Robin asked, puzzled by his relaxed demeanor.
Jason stretched out his arms, and Robin, curious yet comforted, settled into them. As they lounged together, Jason explained, "The old man who guards this lighthouse used to be a member of Gol D. Roger's crew. He should know a lot about things like the Poneglyphs!"
"Oh~ I see! So why don't we knock on the door?"
"He's probably not here right now. He's likely with the whale. Let's just wait a bit."
"Hmm! How did you know?"
Jason's initially proud smile faltered slightly. How do I explain this? he thought.
"fufufufu~" Robin chuckled, amused by Jason's sudden discomfort, but she didn't push for more answers.
"So, are we just going to wait here?" Robin asked.
"Yup! Isn't the view of the sea beautiful from here? Let's enjoy it while we wait. The old man will probably be back by evening."
"Okay!" Robin agreed, finding comfort in the moment.
Meanwhile, inside Laboon's belly, Crocus was administering a daily dose of sedative to calm the whale. Once Laboon stopped ramming the Red Line, Crocus took a break and headed back to the lighthouse. As he approached, he noticed two people lounging on his chair.
"Hey! Who are you two? Why are you here?" Crocus shouted, surprised and somewhat annoyed.
Jason, who had nearly dozed off, instantly perked up at the sound of the old man's voice. Robin quickly got up, looking slightly embarrassed.
"Oh, it's great to be young!" Crocus remarked, eyeing the two of them.
"Hello, uncle!" Jason greeted him with a wide grin.
"I saw the ship docked below. You didn't come here by accident, did you? Are you here to see me specifically?" Crocus asked, his tone a mix of suspicion and curiosity.
"Yes, we came to visit you. After all, you were the ship's doctor on Gol D. Roger's famous crew!" Jason said, his admiration evident.
Crocus narrowed his eyes. "Boy, not many people know about that!"
"There's no need to be so hostile. Shanks and I are friends! Oh yes! And Mr. Rayleigh too!" Jason added casually.
"Huh? Is that so? You learned about it from them, did you? Then what brings you to me?" Crocus asked, his demeanor softening slightly.
"Of course, we're here to visit, but I also wanted to discuss the Poneglyphs with you," Jason said, getting to the heart of the matter.
This was Jason's initial plan.
Before joining Luffy's crew, he intended to take Robin on a journey through the first half of the Grand Line. His goal was to uncover as many Poneglyphs as possible. However, aside from knowing about the one located on Sky Island, his knowledge was limited. He had also forgotten the exact method to reach Sky Island—it had something to do with the Knock Up Stream, but he wasn't sure about the specific location. So, he planned to wait until they could follow Luffy.
As he explained his intentions to Crocus, the old man was puzzled. "Why are you so interested in this? Even if you find the Poneglyphs, no one can understand them. That's why no one has made it to Raftel in the past ten years."
Jason smiled confidently. "Well, I know that without deciphering the four Road Poneglyphs, you can't reach Raftel. But we're different!"
He pulled Robin closer and pointed at her while addressing Crocus. "We're the remnants of Ohara! We can understand them!"
Crocus's eyes widened in surprise. He looked intently at Jason and Robin, taking in this revelation. "I see... I've heard about Ohara. If any of them survived, it would only be you two..."
"Yes, we're the Devil's Son and the Devil's Guardian," Jason confirmed.
"After more than ten years of silence, everyone assumed you were dead," Crocus remarked, still processing the information.
"Of course we're not dead! Uncle, can you help us?" Jason asked earnestly.
Robin's eyes sparkled with hope—this was her lifelong dream, finally within reach.
"You want to find the Poneglyphs to uncover the history of the Void Century," Crocus observed.
"Yes," Robin nodded, her excitement palpable.
Crocus sighed. "Unfortunately, I only sailed with Roger as a ship's doctor. I rarely left the ship, so I don't know the locations of the Poneglyphs. But if you can gather the four Road Poneglyphs, you can reach Raftel, where all the history is waiting."
"Ah, I see," Robin murmured, her excitement dimming slightly with disappointment. Jason gently squeezed her hand, offering silent comfort.
Crocus noticed her downcast expression and chuckled softly. "Don't be discouraged, young lady! I believe you'll succeed, and one day, the history of that lost century will be revealed to the world."
"Thank you," Robin replied, her resolve strengthening once more.
Jason sighed inwardly, realizing that there would be no shortcuts on this journey. "Thank you, Uncle Crocus. We should get going now. We have a lot of work ahead of us if we want to uncover the Poneglyphs."
"Go ahead," Crocus nodded, watching as Jason and Robin left the lighthouse.
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If you enjoy please support me on my patreon Future 80+ chapters at patreon.com/Phoenizbeelze
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