Time had flown by, slipping past like water through a sieve. Two months had passed in the blink of an eye. During this period, Eli Winters had completed his check-in tasks on all the remaining islands, steadily expanding the reach of his journey.
He had briefly returned to Frostmoon Village in that time. Despite his repeated warnings to Guina about avoiding the attic and staying away from the whetstone, fate seemed intent on testing her. A disaster had struck, but thanks to Eli's careful preparation, his decoy puppet had stepped in at the critical moment, shielding Guina from harm.
Thinking back on it, Eli still found the situation absurd. Could anyone believe that a top-tier swordsman could almost choke to death while drinking water? It was ridiculous but at that moment, Eli truly felt the weight and unpredictability of fate.
After spending two days in Frostmoon Village training with Guina and Zoron, Eli returned to the Silver Dragon, ready to continue his voyage. Meanwhile, Gugochi had been temporarily confined under the supervision of Crow. Eli decided not to bring him along until they reached the Sabaody Archipelago, where the man's utility would truly come into play. Before then, there was no reason to carry such a dangerous captive.
With preparations complete, the Silver Dragon set sail toward the Grand Line.
For sailors of the Four Seas, entering the Grand Line came with two options. The first was to navigate through the Calm Belt and directly enter the Grand Line. This method demanded not only the ability to sail in the Calm Belt but also a considerable amount of Seastone to ward off the Sea Kings. The Silver Dragon, with its exceptional propulsion system, was more than capable of such a journey. Eli lacked the sheer quantity of Seastone typically required, but he had Conqueror's Haki, and Sea Kings feared it greatly. Thus, technically, the ship could traverse the Calm Belt, though the adventure would lose much of its excitement.
The second route led through Inverted Mountain, also called Levis Mountain, one of the few intersections with the Red Line (the other being the World Government's Holy Land, Mariejois). Inverted Mountain marked the true entrance to the Grand Line.
The mountain's waterways formed an X-shaped network. Four ascending streams flowed from the Four Seas, converging at the peak before spilling out through a single horizontal channel that led into the Grand Line. Eli and his crew would take the southern sea route.
The Silver Dragon glided steadily toward Inverted Mountain, a colossal ship moving like a leisurely vessel through the river of time. Eli stood at the bow, gazing across layers of mist and clouds until his eyes fell upon a breathtaking sight water flowing upward.
Having seen such phenomena in the anime, Eli knew it was caused by the inversion of magnetic fields. Even so, seeing it with his own eyes was astonishing. Unlike the illusions he could craft with his Space Fruit abilities, this spectacle was a natural marvel, sustained by immense geological and magnetic forces. Maintaining such a phenomenon artificially required continuous infusion of spatial energy; once interrupted, the effect would vanish instantly. The reality of this environment was staggering.
Big Pan and the others were nearly speechless, overwhelmed by the impossible sight. For them, this upended every expectation of nature, leaving them momentarily dumbfounded.
"This is incredible, Eli," Filina exclaimed, her eyes wide. "How do the waters flow upwards like this?"
Eli smiled. "It's just a quirk of the magnetic inversion. Remember the recording compasses I had you buy? In the Grand Line, ordinary compasses are unreliable due to magnetic interference. Dotai and Simon can probably attest to that."
Dotai nodded gravely. "In the Grand Line, the magnetic fields, weather patterns, ocean currents, and winds are all chaotic. Even knowing your own position can be difficult, let alone finding islands. Old navigation methods from the Four Seas are useless. Only recording compasses and permanent compasses can be trusted."
Filina pouted. "So all the stuff I learned before is useless… What do I do now?"
Eli chuckled. "Don't worry. Once we cross this mountain, you'll meet a teacher who can guide you properly."
"Who is it?" she asked eagerly.
"You'll see soon enough. Pay attention the Silver Dragon is about to enter the countercurrent," Eli warned.
The crew tensed. The ship's bow lifted, tilting sharply upward, climbing the inverted stream with surprising speed. A sense of weightlessness hit, and Big Pan and the others staggered backward. Only Eli, standing firmly at the bow, remained unshaken, even glancing back to laugh at Filina and the others' flustered expressions.
Thankfully, everyone recovered quickly. Each used their own techniques to stabilize themselves. Cree, still inexperienced, struggled a bit, prompting Big Pan to scoop him up. The sight of the five-meter-tall Big Pan holding the one-and-a-half-meter Cree added a touch of humor to the tense moment.
Once steady, Fiona noticed that while those at the bow were affected by the tilt, the ship's cabin and stern remained perfectly stable. She gritted her teeth, recognizing Eli's handiwork. He clearly wanted to see them squirm his mischievous streak ever-present.
The Silver Dragon, like a mighty dragon, crested the peak of Inverted Mountain. Eli spread his arms, chest puffed with confidence, and shouted to his crew. "Hold tight, everyone! Next, we dive down the mountain!"
At his command, the ship surged forward like a lightning bolt, plunging into the descending stream. The speed was exhilarating, surpassing all expectations, and in an instant, the ship shot through clouds and mist.
Filina, unable to contain her excitement, dashed to the bow, grabbing Eli's arm and bouncing with joy, letting out a series of gleeful screams.
The rest of the crew, caught up in her energy, rushed to the bow to share the thrill. Big Pan turned crimson, wildly gesturing as he rode the velocity rush, inadvertently shaking Cree violently in his arms. The small boy spun dizzyingly, stomach churning as if he might vomit.
Dotai and Simon yelled with joy, their voices echoing across the mountaintop. In that moment, every worry and fatigue vanished, replaced entirely by the adrenaline of the adventure.
Finally, the Silver Dragon landed smoothly on the ocean's surface. Eli looked back and spotted twin lighthouses flanking the landing streams. He wondered if Kurokas was perched atop one, or if he remained in Lab's belly. If memory served, after Roger's death, Kurokas had returned to this twin gorge as a lighthouse keeper.
Eli was puzzled. Wasn't the whale supposed to strike the mountain? He hadn't seen it.
Suddenly, the sea erupted in massive waves. A colossal head broke the surface a whale of unimaginable size. Its back was scarred from countless battles. Eli knew immediately: this was Lab, the whale that had been waiting for the return of the Rumba Pirates.
"Wow, that is one massive whale!" Big Pan exclaimed.
"This is an Island Whale," Eli explained. "Fully grown, it's the size of an island."
Lab roared mightily, opening its massive mouth to suck in surrounding seawater. The Silver Dragon was caught in the current, drifting toward Lab's gaping maw.
Dotai and Simon rushed to the control room to navigate the ship out of the flow, but Eli stopped them. "The person we're looking for is inside Lab. We follow the current it's fine."
Though curious why their target would be inside a whale, Big Pan and the others trusted Eli and didn't question him.
The ship passed through a wide tunnel, emerging into a place indistinguishable from the outside world. Above, clouds and the sun hung in the sky, bizarrely real.
Ahead, a small island rose from the ocean, with a simple house and a lounge chair on the front porch a clear sign of habitation.
The door creaked open. An old man with long hair dyed saffron emerged, wearing casual beach clothes. He glanced at the luxurious Silver Dragon in Lab's belly with mild surprise but remained calm, as though accustomed to such events.
Seeing Kurokas appear, Eli grinned at Filina. "Look, there's the teacher I promised you."
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