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After sailing for roughly a month, The Logan arrived once again at the foot of Reverse Mountain.
Following the waterway, with a thunderous roar from the ship's hull, the vessel shot upward in an instant.
The sound of the rushing current echoed in the minds of the crew. Although this was not the first time they had heard it, it still stirred their hearts.
This was a miracle of nature, a true wonder.
When the ship reached the summit of Reverse Mountain, Rojen did not hesitate in the slightest this time. With a turn of the helm, The Logan headed straight toward the direction of the Grand Line.
This time, the ship sailed downstream.
After a brief moment of buffering, The Logans' speed grew faster and faster.
The sails swelled tight, while the wind whistled sharply in everyone's ears.
"So fast!"
"Hold on tight! Don't get blown off!"
"Hahaha! This feels amazing!"
The dozen or so crew members, each in a different posture, clung tightly to nearby objects. The wind was so fierce that they could only speak in short phrases. Even then, the powerful gusts puffed out their cheeks like canvas sails.
With the downward current and the force of the wind behind it, the Logan's speed reached its absolute limit.
Rojen sat cross-legged atop the skull figurehead at the bow, smiling faintly. Powerful winds slammed against his face as his black hair streamed wildly behind him.
The incredible speed made everyone's hearts race, adrenaline surging through their bodies. A thrilling sensation filled every crew member's chest.
It was a feeling difficult to experience in ordinary times.
Their blood accelerated; there was even a dizzying sense of exhilaration.
Only after nearly half an hour did the ship's speed finally begin to decrease. By this point, Reverse Mountain's current had entered a relatively gentler flow.
"Hey, it's finally slowing down!"
As the speed lessened, the roaring wind naturally weakened as well. The crew let out long breaths, smiles covering their faces.
"This reminds me of that time Crocodile carried us while climbing the Red Line."
Jason shouted loudly.
"If the captain hadn't come up with a solution at the end, we'd probably all be dead already."
Trens chimed in with a laugh.
"If you don't speak, no one will mistake you for mute."
Crocodile replied coldly, glaring at Trens.
The interaction among the three brought smiles to the faces of everyone aboard.
Half a quarter-hour later, The Logan had left Reverse Mountain behind, and the ship began docking at Twin Cape.
Twin Cape sat adjacent to Reverse Mountain, practically connected to it. On this small stretch of land stood a lighthouse used to guide passing ships.
The crew peered from the ship and noticed lights flickering within the lighthouse.
Rumble!
At that moment, dark clouds suddenly gathered across the sky, lightning crisscrossing wildly.
"The weather in the Grand Line changes just like that."
Chaporos complained.
"The reason this place is spoken of with such awe by the world isn't just because of the abundance of pirates and fierce competition, it's also because of this unpredictable and violent weather."
Rojen said.
"The captain's right. Compared to other pirates, the bizarre meteorological conditions here are even more terrifying."
"Sometimes, sudden tsunamis and cyclones are the truly fatal threats."
Daz Bonez added.
He had spent considerable time in the Grand Line and knew very well how terrifying this place could be.
Sometimes, powerful pirates did not die at the hands of rivals, but instead perished to some legendary, mysterious weather phenomenon.
These strange climatic events existed only in rumors; very few people understood them clearly. But once encountered, death was almost guaranteed.
Or a ship might lose its bearings and accidentally sail into an unknown region, where the circumstances awaiting them would drive people into despair.
Countless pirate crews had vanished from the world in exactly this way, disappearing without anyone ever learning what happened to them.
"There seems to be someone inside that lighthouse. Should we go take a look?"
Crocodile pointed toward Twin Cape's lighthouse.
The moment he finished speaking, Rojen had already leapt down from the ship.
Rumble!
Above them, dark clouds twisted together, lightning intertwined and roared through the heavens, as though a torrential downpour might descend at any moment.
"Looks like there's no need to think too much about it, it's about to rain. Brothers, put on your raincoats. Let's go meet the keeper of this lighthouse. Maybe we'll pick up some interesting information."
Jason burst into laughter, jumped down, and followed after him.
The others got ready as well, leaping down from the ship and heading toward Twin Cape.
Truth be told, while there were countless pirates in the Four Seas, they were relatively scarce in the Grand Line. It was common to go several days without seeing a single pirate crew.
There might be many pirates in the world, but very few truly dared to come to this sea region.
Quite a few arrived here overflowing with passion and ambition, but many also had cold water poured over them, suffering devastating losses and leaving with lasting psychological scars.
After returning, they spread stories of what they had experienced, inspiring fear in others. Naturally, many pirates became deeply wary of this stretch of sea.
Rojen walked to the doorway beneath the lighthouse and knocked.
Knock knock knock.
The dull sound of knocking rang out.
The person inside seemed not to hear and ignored it.
Knock knock knock.
Rojen remained patient and knocked again.
Still, no one opened the door, though through the window it was clear that someone was sitting inside.
After a short interval, Rojen would knock again.
The continuous knocking finally seemed to irritate the person inside.
"What're you knocking for? This old man isn't deaf! I heard you!"
The elderly man, who had been sitting at a table fiddling with some documents, finally rose with an impatient expression and walked toward the door.
Creak!
The door was yanked open.
Crocus looked at the visitor irritably, subconsciously beginning to curse.
"You brat, what are you knocking for? Don't you kno…"
But the moment he clearly saw the visitor's face, the latter half of his sentence jammed in his throat.
"R–Roger?!" Crocus exclaimed in shock, disbelief filling his eyes.
The face before him resembled Roger by seventy percent. If there was any difference, it was the absence of the iconic handlebar mustache and the fact that the man looked much younger.
"I'm not Roger. He's already dead." Rojen said with a smile.
Hearing that, Crocus's expression grew complicated. He drew a deep breath.
"You're right. He's dead. Been dead… four or five years already, hasn't he?"
"Yes." Rojen nodded.
By this point, Jason and the others had also arrived behind him.
BOOM!
Thunder roared across the sky, and a torrential downpour suddenly descended, smashing violently against the ground.
"Waaah! Heavy rain! Quick, let's get inside and take cover!"
The crew dashed over.
"Old sir, you don't mind letting us shelter from the rain, do you?" Rojen looked at Crocus and asked with a smile.
"Oh, of course not. Come in." Crocus stared at Rojen's face for a long moment before finally reacting and stepping aside.
Outside, rain poured from the heavens as the crew hurried inside.
The house beneath the lighthouse was very small. Once everyone squeezed in, the place became packed to the brim.
"Young man… what's your name?"
Having observed Rojen the whole time, Crocus finally could not hold back his question.
"My name is Rojen, Gol D. Rojen!"
(End Of This Chapter)