The ship sailed steadily through the West Blue. Everything seemed peaceful.
Aiden sat alone in the captain's room, studying a large sea chart.
Bang!
The captain's room door was shoved open.
Smoker walked in with a dark expression. He closed the door behind him without a word, strode straight over to Aiden, and slammed a crumpled newspaper onto the sea chart.
It was the bounty poster for "Demon Arise", worth 500,000,000 Berries.
Aiden looked up. He glanced at Smoker, then at the face on the newspaper wearing plain glasses.
He put on a surprised look and let out an "Oh?"
"What is it, Smoker? Are you interested in this Arise too? Five hundred million... he's definitely a big shot."
Smoker did not say a word.
He only stared fixedly at Aiden's face. His eyes were filled with shock, anger, and the kind of frustration that said, "I should have realized it sooner."
Aiden felt slightly uncomfortable under that stare, but his expression remained calm.
The two of them faced each other in the cramped captain's room for a full thirty seconds.
In the end, Aiden was the first to break the silence.
He did not look at Smoker. Instead, he lowered his eyes to the bounty poster and spoke as if to himself. "Still, if we ever go back, this actually makes things easier to explain."
Smoker's brows twitched sharply.
Aiden continued slowly, "After all, we're just two Marine recruits. We were 'knocked unconscious and went missing' in Ohara because of 'Demon Arise', a man worth five hundred million who even defeated Vice Admiral Kuzan."
He looked up and gave Smoker a meaningful smile. "Getting out alive after running into someone like that... counts as a lucky escape, doesn't it?"
Smoker's breathing grew heavier.
He understood. This guy had already prepared the perfect excuse.
Smoker suddenly grabbed the newspaper and turned to leave.
"Hmph."
A cold snort slipped through his teeth. He pulled the door open and slammed it shut behind him.
Aiden looked at the trembling door and laughed.
"This guy... looks like he's already on the same boat as us now."
Bell Toll Town
A few days later, the ship arrived at the last stop before Reverse Mountain, Bell Toll Town.
It was an extremely busy port town. The docks were packed with ships of every kind, and the air carried the sweet smell of rum. Everywhere, rookie pirates wore excited expressions as they prepared to enter the Grand Line.
"Saul, you and the professors stay on the ship," Aiden said. "Your size makes you too noticeable. Don't go ashore."
"Gahaha! Don't worry, leave it to you guys!"
Aiden and Smoker changed into civilian clothes and pulled up their hoods, blending into the noisy crowds in town.
First, they went to the largest merchant house and had workers move barrels of fresh water, large quantities of rum, smoked meat, fruit, and medicine onto the transport boat. This ship had to support hundreds of people, so the amount of supplies they needed was enormous.
After spending most of the day getting everything ready, the two of them finally entered the largest navigation shop in town.
"Owner," Aiden said without wasting time, "do you have a Log Pose for Jaya Island?"
The shop owner was a one-eyed man. He lifted his eyelids and glanced at Aiden. "Huh? Jaya Island? That's an island in the Grand Line! Kid, you're in the West Blue!"
He suddenly lowered his voice and shot a wary glance toward the door. "The World Government strictly forbids the sale of Grand Line Log Poses in the Four Blues. Are you trying to get me killed? Get out of here. Now."
Aiden and Smoker exchanged a glance and walked out of the store.
"What now?" Smoker frowned. "Without a Pose, we'll just be wandering around blindly once we enter the Grand Line."
"Don't worry." Aiden looked around.
He pointed at a tavern across the street. "Go wait for me there. I'll ask around somewhere else. There's always a way."
Smoker nodded. He knew Aiden always had a way of getting things done, and it would be easier for him to move alone.
After Smoker left, Aiden turned into an empty alley and opened the system shop.
"I remember... I think the system shop sells Poses," Aiden thought.
He searched for a Log Pose for Jaya Island in the shop. Sure enough, there was a category called [Dimensional Items].
He found [Eternal Pose: Jaya Island].
Description: Permanently locks onto the magnetic direction of Jaya Island. It is unaffected by the Grand Line's chaotic magnetic fields and can guide you directly to the target island.
Price: 10,000 Sin Points
"So expensive..." Aiden felt a pang in his chest, but he still chose to exchange for it.
A strange object appeared out of thin air in Aiden's hand, a glass sphere mounted on a wristband, with the needle inside firmly pointing in one direction.
Aiden pulled down his sleeve and covered it completely.
Looking at the system shop, he suddenly grew curious and tried searching for "Laugh Tale."
The system panel froze for a moment, then an option popped up:
[Eternal Pose: Laugh Tale] Status: Cannot be exchanged Requirement: ??? (Insufficient information, cannot locate)
"As expected..." Aiden shrugged and stopped thinking about it.
He adjusted his hood, walked out of the alley, and entered the tavern. Smoker was sitting at the bar, drinking.
"Did you get it?" Smoker asked.
Aiden sat down beside him, raised his left hand, and pulled back his sleeve to reveal the Eternal Pose. "Got it."
Smoker looked at the Pose. Surprise flashed through his eyes, but he did not ask any questions. He simply assumed Aiden had some special black-market connection.
"Good." Smoker finished the last sip of wine. "Let's go. Let's get out of here."
The Ascent
With the Eternal Pose, everything became simple.
The ship's preparations were complete. Under Aiden's navigation skill, the massive refugee ship turned toward the legendary point of no return, Reverse Mountain.
"Professor! Tell all the professors to grab onto anything fixed inside the cabins!"
"Saul! Get to the rudder! Use your weight to hold the wheel steady! Don't let go no matter what happens!"
"Smoker! Get on deck! Be ready to use your smoke as a cushion at any moment!"
Aiden stood at the bow, facing the terrifying current surging upward, and gave the final order.
"Full speed ahead!!"
Boom!!
The ship plunged straight into the upward-flowing canal!
A terrifying acceleration hit them at once. The entire ship let out loud "Creak! Creak!" sounds, as if it might come apart at any second.
"Waaaaah!!"
"We're going to fly!!"
The professors screamed in terror. Robin grabbed the railing excitedly, her little face flushed red as she watched the Red Line race past on both sides.
Lifted by the enormous waves, the ship continued to climb, higher and higher.
It passed through the clouds and surged over the mountaintop.
The moment they reached the summit, a wave of weightlessness struck them.
"Hold on tight!!"
"Gahaha!!" Saul used his giant body to pin the rudder down with all his strength.
The ship dived from the peak and rushed toward that legendary sea.
Boom!!
With a deafening crash, the ship slammed heavily onto the calm water's surface.
The chaotic air currents, the strange magnetic field, the completely different scent in the air...
The professors stepped out of the cabins on trembling legs. When they saw the new ocean before them, they burst into thunderous cheers.
"We... we made it!"
"This is... the Grand Line!!"
Aiden stood at the bow, ignoring the cheering crowd. He raised his left hand and looked at the direction indicated by the Eternal Pose on his wrist.
"Grand Line... here I come."