As soon as Yemu finished speaking, Flare felt a chill run down her arm. She looked up—light rain had begun to fall, and the clouds overhead were growing darker and heavier by the second.
Tiger, gripping the helm a little more tightly, spoke up with a hint of tension in his voice.
"Everyone, hold on. The current's about to pick up..."
The moment the words left his mouth, the ship suddenly surged forward. Caught off balance, Flare instinctively clung to Yemu beside her.
In just a few breaths, the entire world before her eyes changed.
Rain poured harder, the clouds turned pitch black, and visibility all but vanished. The howling wind made it nearly impossible to stand, and the violent current tossed the Twin Goddesses violently across the waves.
"Is this really okay? Can we even find the entrance to Reverse Mountain? We're not gonna crash into the Red Line, are we?!"
Flare asked in panic.
"There's definitely a chance..." Yemu said with a smile.
"Whaaaaat?!"
Just as Flare started to panic, Tiger called out.
"I see it—the Red Line...!"
Flare's attention snapped to the distance.
Through the fog and swirling black clouds, a towering red mountain appeared, like a wall reaching to the heavens. The massive landmass—solid and overwhelming—pierced the clouds with an oppressive presence that sent a chill down everyone's spine.
Tiger's voice grew tenser.
"Hold steady...!"
Suddenly, a massive whirlpool opened up ahead, and the Twin Goddesses was pulled into it, spinning wildly. The entire ship rocked violently.
Thankfully, Tiger wrestled control of the rudder just in time, steering them free before the ship could be fully sucked in.
And then—there it was.
The entrance to Reverse Mountain.
In the center of the Red Line, it looked like someone had carved a narrow line right through the rock. A massive stream of water flowed upward, cutting into the clouds like a vertical canal.
"This passage is way too narrow... Tiger-san, are you sure we can make it?"
"Relax. We'll be fine."
With a confident grin, Tiger maneuvered the helm. Under his control, the Twin Goddesses shot straight into the entrance of Reverse Mountain, caught by the current and pulled skyward.
As they climbed, the rain began to lighten, the dark clouds slowly scattered, and the view ahead became clearer.
"This is amazing... the ship's actually climbing a mountain..."
"It's beautiful..."
At that moment, the Twin Goddesses felt like it was sailing through the sky itself, gliding through a sea of colorful clouds.
"It almost feels like we're back in Skypiea..." Enel said, lost in the memory.
"Wait—Skypiea?!" Flare yelped, startled. She was about to ask more when Tiger called out again.
"Brace yourselves—we're hitting the peak current!"
Just as he spoke, the clouds cleared, revealing the sharp, triangular peak of Reverse Mountain.
The Twin Goddesses burst free from the upward current and soared into the open sky. For a few breathtaking seconds, the ship glided weightlessly... before gravity took over, sending it crashing down into the descending current on the other side.
At that moment, Tiger finally let out a long breath of relief and turned to Yemu.
"Captain, mission accomplished!"
"Ah... Tiger, you were incredible! Alright, leave the rest to me and Enel. Flare, take Baby-5 inside."
"Eh...? What do you mean by that...?"
Flare didn't fully understand, but she nodded and quietly followed the order. With the ship steady for now, she scooped Baby-5 into her arms.
It didn't take long for her to realize why.
As the Twin Goddesses rapidly descended, the exit of Reverse Mountain came into view—and so did the dense cluster of ships blocking it.
Big and small, some sleek and extravagant, others worn and battered—there were dozens of them, completely jamming the passage.
Flare initially thought they were pirate ships, but she didn't spot a single pirate flag.
"They're not pirates... and not Marines either... then who are they?"
"They're pirate hunters. Bounty chasers who plan to take our heads and trade them in with the Marines..."
Enel answered. His Observation Haki made it easy to eavesdrop.
"Oh... even spies from the World Government are mixed in..."
Now Flare understood. She turned to Enel in shock.
"You... You can hear them from this far away?!"
"Yeah."
Enel's reply was short, but his smug expression said it all.
Yemu stepped in with an explanation.
"Enel's Observation Haki is outstanding. On an island like Loguetown, he can cover the entire area. Whatever anyone says, he can hear it. That's how we were able to uncover the Marines' plan back there."
"Wh... What...?"
"That's one of the reasons we're not afraid of the Marines or the World Government. As long as they don't know this secret or how to counter it, they'll never find us. Well, except here. After all, this is the only entrance to the Grand Line..."
At that moment, Flare was genuinely awed by how powerful her crew was.
She couldn't afford to drag them down.
"So... are we wiping them out?" Enel asked eagerly.
"Yeah. If they're bold enough to aim their weapons at us, we won't be showing mercy. Clear the path—fast."
"Got it."
Excitement lit up Enel's face as he slowly walked to the front of the ship.
"Let's see... 56 ships, 1,024 people total. Alright—let's begin."
As he spoke, he raised his golden staff high into the air. Bright blue lightning crackled through the weapon, shooting into the sky and vanishing.
Flare was just about to ask what he was doing when she heard him speak four words.
"El Thor..."
In an instant, the sky over the enemy ships erupted. Blinding bolts of lightning crashed down like spears from the heavens.
BOOM—
The flash was so intense that Flare couldn't help but shut her eyes, crying out in fright.
When the thunder faded and she opened them again, the ships that had blocked the exit were gone—completely wiped out. Only bits of charred wreckage floating on the sea remained, the last traces of their existence.
The Twin Goddesses reached the mouth of Reverse Mountain, slowing as it passed through the shattered remains.
Flare stared at the debris and the bodies drifting in the waves, her face pale.
"A-Are they all dead...?"
She was just a girl, after all. She'd prepared plenty of meals—but never taken a life.
"Yeah..."
Yemu's strong hand rested on her shoulder.
"If they're lucky, maybe some survived. If not, they'll sink and become food for the fish. I know this is hard to accept, but you'll have to get used to it. This is the Grand Line. Days like this will only become more common."
"But don't worry. Just like I promised Kuzan of the Marines—as long as no one points a gun at us first, I have no interest in killing anyone innocent."
"If you don't believe me, stick close to me. Watch me yourself..."