After a while, the chaos in the Going Merry's cockpit finally quieted down.
Nami had determined that the ship was now caught in the ocean current, which was why the rudder wouldn't turn. All they needed to do was wait for the current to carry them up Reverse Mountain on the Red Line.
Carina was still a little worried. "The current is very wide. Can it really take us precisely to the entrance of Reverse Mountain? If we deviate even a little, the ship will be destroyed and we'll all die."
Nami frowned. "It's hard to say, but we can't control our course right now. We can only wait."
She looked at Luo Chen with a hint of helplessness.
'How can this guy be so calm?'
The only ones on the ship who could remain calm right now were Luo Chen and Luffy.
Luffy was just a simple-minded oaf. Nami had already figured that out over the past few days. But Luo Chen's calmness was definitely not due to foolishness, but to confidence.
Once Nami figured this out, she also sat back down next to Luo Chen to wait quietly. She believed that with Luo Chen around, she wouldn't be in any danger.
Soon, everyone saw the giant, dark-red rock wall that lay across their path. It was like a natural chasm, a great mountain that soared straight into the clouds, its top out of sight.
Carina observed with a telescope and shouted, "I see the entrance to Reverse Mountain! Our course is fine!"
Only then did everyone completely relax.
A few minutes later, the Going Merry's bow suddenly lifted, and it began to head diagonally up into the sky.
Luffy and the others excitedly ran out of the cabin and stood on the deck to observe the spectacle.
The Going Merry was "climbing" Reverse Mountain along with the ocean current!
Luo Chen also put down his teacup and walked outside with Nami.
Cool seawater splashed onto their faces.
The Going Merry was like a log flume ride at an amusement park from his previous life, climbing toward the summit of the Red Line.
And upon reaching the top, the ship would then plunge down into the Grand Line.
Luo Chen wouldn't interfere during this time, so as not to disrupt the Straw Hat crew's journey. He just hoped the Straw Hat crew could still follow the original story's route. That way, they could smoothly reach Alabasta and Water 7.
Nami stood next to Luo Chen, her beautiful eyes sparkling with interest in the miraculous experience of climbing Reverse Mountain.
She smiled. "The Grand Line is truly a magical sea. We haven't even officially entered, and we've already experienced the wonderful journey of climbing a mountain by ship."
Luo Chen nodded in agreement.
In his previous life, with the rules established by the great and powerful Newton, something like climbing a mountain by ship was absolutely impossible.
The Going Merry climbed all the way to the peak of Reverse Mountain, then shot high into the air.
Then, under the influence of gravity, it fell, dropping toward the rushing current below.
Luo Chen controlled several branches to firmly tie everyone to the ship so they wouldn't be thrown off by the jolting.
"Grand Line, One Piece, King of the Pirates, here I come!" Luffy shouted excitedly.
The Going Merry rode the current rushing down the mountain.
At this moment, they were still at a height above the clouds. Looking into the distance, they could see the azure sea beyond the clouds.
"That's the Grand Line. Mihawk is there," Zoro murmured to himself.
"All Blue is in this sea," Sanji said, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, his eyes gazing into the distance.
Luo Chen chuckled. He could be said to have witnessed a famous scene.
With their entry into the Grand Line, the Straw Hat crew's adventure had truly begun.
The Going Merry continued to ride the rushing current, passing through the clouds and getting closer and closer to the sea below.
Just then, Usopp shouted, "There seems to be a mountain up ahead!"
Everyone was taken aback.
How could there be a mountain?
Luo Chen smiled and said nothing. It seemed they were about to encounter that giant whale, Laboon.
The white mist gradually thinned.
A towering, massive black shadow stood directly in their path.
At the speed the Going Merry was diving, it would inevitably crash into the giant black shadow, and the ship would be destroyed, killing everyone.
For a moment, Carina was so anxious that cold sweat broke out on her forehead. In this situation, navigation skills were useless. The ship simply couldn't stop at its current speed.
Usopp covered his face and shrieked, "What do we do! What do we do! We're going to crash!"
Sanji and Zoro gripped the railing of the second deck tightly, beads of sweat dripping down.
Nami's pretty face was ashen, her hands and feet ice-cold.
Luo Chen smiled and comforted her, "It's fine. Luffy has a plan."
Nami was stunned. She turned her head and happened to see Luffy running back into the ship's cabin.
The Going Merry was getting closer and closer to the massive black shadow.
Everyone could now see the true form of the black shadow.
"It's a giant whale!" Carina screamed in surprise.
"We're still going to die!" Usopp's legs trembled violently like fans.
At the critical moment, the sound of a huge cannon blast shook everyone's eardrums.
A giant cannonball exploded on the whale's vertical belly.
The shockwave halted the Going Merry's forward momentum.
Luffy laughed. "Hahahaha, it stopped!"
Carina and the others looked back and gave him a thumbs-up.
But soon, the Going Merry slowly crashed into the whale's belly anyway.
The ship's sheep figurehead was broken off and fell at Luffy's feet.
Luffy was stunned for a moment, then flew into a rage. "My special seat!"
He threw a punch, hitting the whale's belly.
Usopp, Carina, Sanji, and even Zoro were so scared they screamed.
"Stop it! Are you crazy?!"
"Don't wake it up!"
Everyone quickly steered the Going Merry to the side, trying to get away from the whale.
Luo Chen knew what was going to happen next and returned to the ship's cabin, feeling rather bored.
"Nami, you go and have fun with them. Call me if there's danger."
With that, Luo Chen left the trembling Nami and entered the cabin.
At this moment, no one had the mind to pay attention. Nami was also nervously and fearfully staring at the whale, not daring to breathe.
By the time the Going Merry had sailed to the side of the giant whale, they could already see its massive, distinct black-and-white eye.
Luffy let out a roar, stretched his arm, and smashed it into the whale's eye.
At that moment, the air fell silent.
Nami, Carina, Zoro, and the others' faces were ashen.
"Wooo—!"
The whale's painful cry, like a train whistle, echoed across the sky.
Luo Chen remained calmly in the cabin drinking tea. He once again used tree branches to make a seatbelt, strapping himself to a long bench.
'I just need to stay on the ship and wait for the Merry to be swallowed by the whale.'
'Then, inside the whale's stomach, we'll run into Princess Vivi, code-named Miss Wednesday, and start the journey to Alabasta.'
The ship shook violently.
Outside the cabin, the terrified screams of Nami, Usopp, Carina, and the others were incessant.
To avoid spilling his tea, Luo Chen quickly drank it all.
A minute or two later, the violently shaking Going Merry finally stabilized.
Luo Chen silently poured himself another cup of tea and continued to drink.
There was a commotion outside the cabin.
Just as Luo Chen finished his pot of tea, the cabin door was pushed open.
Zoro walked in, carrying two unconscious figures, a man and a woman, and threw them to the floor.
When he saw Luo Chen looking at him, the corner of his mouth twitched. He explained, "Luffy knocked them out. They're not good people."
Luo Chen nodded.
The woman had long, wavy, light-blue hair tied in a high ponytail. She was beautiful, with an exquisite figure.
She was the princess of Alabasta, Nefertari Vivi.
At this point in time, she was going by the codename Miss Wednesday, having infiltrated Baroque Works with the intention of hunting Laboon the whale.
Evidently, Vivi and her work partner had been stopped by Luffy's crew.
Luo Chen continued to brew and drink his tea.
Before long, the unconscious Princess Vivi on the floor slowly began to stir.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]