".........So, the currents and winds in the Grand Line have no regularity whatsoever. Setting sail without knowing anything about them is a surefire way to die."
Crocus took a sip of tea and explained to the three of them. Nami and the others nodded with lingering fear in their hearts—they had indeed been a bit reckless.
Sanji exhaled a puff of smoke and said, "So, to sail the Grand Line, you absolutely need a Log Pose, right?"
Nami rubbed her forehead in frustration. "Ugh......... Where can we even get a Log Pose?"
At that moment, Sherlock tossed over a box. Nami clumsily caught it, opened it, and saw a finely crafted glass sphere inside, with a needle faintly trembling in the center.
"This Log Pose is a gift for you." Sherlock swallowed a piece of fish meat, then asked Nami with some confusion, "I remember they sell them at the Goldglint Trading Company in Loguetown. What were you all buying before heading to the Grand Line?" "......" Nami let out an awkward laugh and scratched her head (she had been too busy shopping for clothes), then fastened the Log Pose onto her slender wrist. The Log Pose, emblazoned with a golden iris emblem, looked just like a piece of fine craftsmanship. In an instant, the weather-savvy navigator miss fell in love with it.
"Thanks, Sherlock." Nami smiled brightly. Seeing that they now had a Log Pose, Crocus continued speaking to the group: "With a Log Pose, you'll first need to choose one of the seven magnetic routes, but no matter which route you take, they all lead to the same island in the end."
Crocus paused for a moment. "Laugh Tale, the endpoint of the Grand Line. But aside from the Pirate King's crew, no one has ever been there." When he mentioned the Pirate King, the old man's tone carried a hint of nostalgia. "Is the One Piece there, then?" Usopp's eyes widened in excitement as he pressed the question, but Crocus shook his head, indicating he didn't know.
"Something like that......…"
Luffy crunched the fish bones in his hand and swallowed them, flashing a confident grin. "We'll just go there and see for ourselves if the One Piece is really there or not, right?" After saying that, Luffy glanced at Sherlock, who was wiping his mouth, and laughed triumphantly. "Hahaha, Sherlock, I still ate more than you!" "Who's competing with you over who eats more........." A drop of cold sweat rolled down Sherlock's forehead. Eating at the same table as Luffy was quite the thrilling experience—you always felt like the entire spread could vanish in the next second.
So, already starving, Sherlock sped up his eating pace, and before he knew it, everything was gone.
(This is so embarrassing…) Sherlock's expression was utterly mortified. In all his life, this was the first time he'd done something so rude. Taking advantage of the moment when Luffy and the others weren't paying attention, he quickly activated his ability and slipped into invisibility. It was only then that Sanji and Usopp noticed—their group's dinner had been completely devoured, and to make matters worse, not even a single fish bone was left!
"You rubber bastard!" Sanji's face turned livid. The dream ingredients he'd gone through hell to win, the dishes he'd poured his heart into making—they'd all been eaten by this idiot captain! (Note: Sanji hadn't noticed Sherlock eating as well.) Overcome with rage, he grabbed Luffy by the collar and roared, "You bastard! I wanted Nami-san to eat more!"
Then, with a single kick, Sanji sent Luffy flying. Judging by the force of that kick, Sanji had truly inherited Zeff's teachings.
Invisible, Sherlock adjusted his glasses and let out a long sigh of relief, secretly glad he'd made a quick escape. Luffy screamed as he shot straight toward Nami like a cannonball. Nami was curiously examining the Log Pose on her wrist, her expression focused. Just then, accompanied by a gust of wind, Luffy came hurtling over—and with a crisp crack, the Log Pose shattered under Nami's incredulous gaze.
The shards of glass glittered brilliantly in the sunlight, almost beautiful in their destruction. Silence......... "You two, calm down and come back when you're ready!" In a rampage, Nami kicked both of them flying.
"Ah~ An angry Nami-san is cute too!" by a certain airborne pervert cook.
Usopp stared at the scattered fragments on the ground, clutching his head with a look of utter despair. "What do we do? Without a Log Pose, how are we supposed to keep sailing?" At that moment, Sherlock reappeared, patted Nami on the shoulder, pulled a brand-new Log Pose from his Mirror Space, and reassured her, "Don't panic. I've got plenty more." People compared to people just make you want to die; goods compared to goods just get thrown away.
"Sherlock........." Nami looked at him, tears welling in her eyes. "Meeting you has been the luckiest thing ever!"
A little while later, Luffy and Sanji returned, and they'd brought back two familiar faces—none other than Mr. 9 and Miss. Wednesday, who they'd parted ways with not long ago.
"Please, you have to help us." "We're begging you—we really need your help." The duo prostrated themselves, pleading with the straw-hatted kid. As it turned out, these two had lost their Log Pose and wanted the Straw Hats to take them to a place called Whiskey Peak.
However, the pair still refused to reveal their true identities. According to them, their company prided itself on mystery, so they couldn't disclose anything about themselves to outsiders. They claimed they were asking Luffy and the others because they seemed like good people and were willing to give them a ride home.
Sherlock gave the two a strange look. Just what did these guys think pirates were? Saints who saved the masses? Heroes who punished evil? Or some kind of charity organization that delivered warmth?
"But if it's Luffy…" Sherlock adjusted his glasses and thought to himself, "He really might agree."
And sure enough.
"No problem. Hop aboard!" Luffy answered with straightforward nonchalance, seemingly unbothered by whatever shady intentions the suspicious pair might have.
Nami and the others looked helpless. Though they were dead set against it, Luffy had spoken—as the captain, what could they do? The Going Merry had been repaired by Usopp, the Log Pose was set, and it was pointing straight toward Whiskey Peak.
The time for farewells had arrived.
"Are you sure about this? Choosing this route just for these two scoundrels?" Crocus frowned slightly at the pair and kindly asked Luffy.
Luffy nodded firmly, then broke into a huge grin. "No big deal! If we don't like it, we can just loop back around!"
A statement that perfectly matched Luffy's personality. "Is that so?" Crocus smiled in relief, his brow relaxing. (What an idiot pirate!) Mr. 9 and Miss. Wednesday covered their mouths and snickered, their faces full of mockery.
Then, leaning over the ship's railing, Luffy called out to Sherlock, "What about you? Sherlock, you coming with us?"
Everyone's attention focused on the handsome young man with glasses.
Sherlock pondered for a moment, silently gazing at Luffy. The straw-hatted kid immediately responded with a massive smile.
"Here's to working together from now on, Captain." Adjusting his glasses, Sherlock's lips curved into a slight smile.
"And from now on, just call me 'Sherlock'." The Straw Hats reacted in their own ways to the new crewmate's arrival. "Ah, got it, Sherlock." Luffy wasn't surprised by Sherlock's answer at all—it was as if he'd already considered Sherlock one of his crew. Zoro was still snoring away. "Eh?! He actually agreed! His bounty's even higher than Luffy's!" Usopp looked utterly shocked. Sanji exhaled a puff of smoke and chuckled, "This is gonna be trouble. The guy can really pack it away."
"Finally, a reliable crewmate!" Nami wept tears of joy (and he's loaded!).
Luffy sat in his captain's seat—the beautiful, adorable sheep's head—spreading his arms and shouting to Laboon, "We're off, whale! Don't go ramming your head into stuff anymore!"
"Woooooo~" Laboon let out a joyful roar, as if bidding farewell to the Straw Hats. The little ship gradually sailed away. Standing on the shore, Crocus and Laboon watched the pirate ship with its straw hat skull flag disappear from sight.
"What a bold pirate!" Crocus sighed. "If I weren't so old, I'd want to set sail with him too! Just like that black-haired young man with glasses."
As if recalling his own days at sea, Crocus's face took on a reminiscing expression.
"That straw-hatted kid might just be the one you've been waiting for."
"You think so too, don't you, Roger."
--
Support me & read more advance & fast update chapter on my pa-treon:
pat reon .c-om/windkaze