Chapter 87: Finally... Going In!
The wind howled.
The sky was weighed down by leaden gray clouds, among which pale white lightning snakes occasionally slithered, followed by deafening thunderclaps.
The Going Merry tossed violently in the storm, like a leaf.
But the few people standing at the bow had eyes shining brighter than the lightning.
"See that?!"
Nami pointed ahead, her voice nearly torn apart by the wind and rain, but the excitement on her face was unmistakable:
"That bright light! It's the lighthouse on the island, called the 'Guiding Light'! The direction that light shines—is the entrance to the Grand Line!"
Everyone followed her pointing finger.
Between the rolling dark clouds and turbulent waves, at the edge of their vision, there was indeed a faint glimmer of light.
Seeing that light, everyone's eyes lit up.
Lufia was especially excited.
She held onto the mast with one hand to steady herself, while the other pressed down on her straw hat flapping wildly in the fierce wind.
Ralph stood behind her, his gaze also fixed on the light of the Guiding Light, his expression complex.
Finally... they were about to enter.
That sea where all the strongest Pirates in the world gathered.
That place where Luffy and his crew experienced countless adventures, laughter, and tears in the original story.
And now, he was going to step into it with Lufia, with these companions.
"Right!"
Sanji suddenly remembered something, turned and ran into the cabin, returning moments later carrying a half-person-high wooden barrel.
"Let's hold a launch ceremony! To celebrate our official entry into the Grand Line!"
Usopp's face turned pale with fear: "Do we have to do this in such stormy weather?!"
But despite his words, he honestly moved closer.
The six people on the ship—Lufia, Ralph, Zoro, Sanji, Nami, Usopp.
They gathered around the barrel, forming a circle in the raging storm.
Nami was the first to place her right foot on the edge of the barrel.
"I'm going to draw a map of the whole world!"
Nami's voice was clear and firm, "I'm going to travel to every island in the Grand Line, survey every sea, and draw the most accurate, most complete—world map!"
Next was Sanji.
He elegantly placed his foot on it.
"I'm going to find the All Blue—"
Sanji's voice sounded especially gentle in the wind and rain, "The legendary sea where fish from all four seas gather. For that place, I'm willing to sail to the ends of the earth."
Zoro silently stepped onto the barrel.
"I'm going to become the world's greatest swordsman."
Simple and direct, but every word was as sharp as a blade.
Usopp tremblingly lifted his foot.
"I... I'm going to become a brave warrior of the sea!"
He shouted loudly, as if to bolster his own courage, "No bragging! For real! I'm going to become a true warrior!"
Then, it was Lufia.
Her eyes beneath the straw hat curved like crescent moons, her face lit up with an extremely bright smile, revealing two rows of white teeth.
"I'm going to become—" she took a deep breath, then shouted with all her might, "the Pirate King!!!"
Her voice pierced through the wind and rain, as if it could reach above the clouds.
Finally, it was Ralph.
He placed his foot on the barrel, his gaze sweeping over each companion beside him, finally resting on Lufia's face.
"I'm going to become," Ralph said, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly, "the Pirate King's man."
As his words fell, the entire scene fell silent for a moment.
The sound of wind and rain seemed to grow a little quieter.
Lufia blinked, then suddenly turned her head to stare at Ralph, her face filled with confusion.
"Huh?"
She tilted her head, "Ralph, wasn't your dream to marry me? When did it become becoming the Pirate King? That can't be! I'm the one who's going to become the Pirate King!"
Ralph laughed.
"It's the same thing."
Ralph said, his voice carrying a gentle slyness, "The wording is different, but the meaning is identical. Think about it—you become the Pirate King, and I become the Pirate King's man—isn't that the same as marrying you?"
Lufia frowned, seriously pondering for a few seconds.
Then she had a sudden realization: "So it was you who didn't explain it clearly!"
"Right," Ralph replied, following her lead smoothly, "it's all my fault."
"But that's not important!"
Lufia immediately tossed aside her minor confusion,
"What's important is that we're about to set off for the Grand Line! Right, Nami!"
Nami smiled and nodded, beginning to explain the unique features of the Grand Line's entrance to everyone.
"What the guiding light pointed to earlier was 'Reverse Mountain' on the Red Line."
Entering the cabin, she pointed at the chart on the table, "The entrance to the Grand Line is the canal on Reverse Mountain."
"Canal?"
Usopp asked curiously, "A canal on a mountain?"
"Exactly."
Nami nodded, "And the water flow in that canal is driven by seawater impact all the way to the mountain peak."
"Does that mean we'll be sailing up the mountain?"
Zoro was also surprised.
"Yes. Our ship will follow the canal and ascend to the summit of Reverse Mountain. There, we'll meet seawater converging from all four seas, then merge into the canal leading to the Grand Line and flow downstream."
Lufia's eyes sparkled as she listened:
"Though I don't really understand, it sounds amazing!"
The others, except for Ralph, all showed expressions of astonishment.
A river flowing against the current, a mountain gathering waters from four seas... This completely defied their understanding of common sense.
Usopp glanced at Ralph and noticed he looked completely calm.
"As expected of Ralph..."
Usopp murmured, "To remain unfazed even when hearing such bizarre things. Don't you find it miraculous? Don't you find it... frightening?"
Before Ralph could answer, Nami spoke for him.
"Ralph knows so much about the Grand Line—"
Nami glanced at Ralph, her eyes carrying a probing look, "Maybe he was from the Grand Line before he lost his memory? Of course he wouldn't find these things strange."
Usopp and Lufia both gasped simultaneously, then smacked their fists into their palms, their faces showing expressions of sudden understanding.
"So that's it!"
"No wonder Ralph knows everything!"
Meanwhile, Sanji and Zoro were muttering quietly nearby.
"That guy definitely has secrets."
Sanji lit a new cigarette in the heavy rain.
"Tell me something I don't know."
Zoro crossed his arms, "But at least his feelings for that idiot girl are genuine. Not like someone who can't walk straight when he sees a beautiful woman—"
Before he could finish, Sanji's eyebrows shot up.
"Green-haired algae head, who are you talking about?!"
Sanji glared angrily, "Are you saying my feelings for Miss Lufia are fake? Let me tell you, my feelings for every lady are genuine! Pure, noble, and completely untainted—"
While the two were nearly coming to blows, Ralph was thinking about how to steer the conversation away from himself.
He turned to look out the window and noticed that the howling gale from earlier had ceased without anyone noticing.
The torrential rain had stopped as well.
The dark clouds in the sky dispersed rapidly, allowing unfiltered sunlight to pour down and reveal a brilliant blue sky.
The sea was as calm as a mirror.
There was no wind.
Not a single breeze.
The sails hung limp and motionless.
The Merry had lost all momentum, drifting slowly on the sea like a motionless fallen leaf.
Ralph's face instantly changed.
"Not good!"
He shouted loudly, "Start rowing! We've entered the Calm Belt!"
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