Chapter 78: Rushing into the Clouds! The Incomprehensible Current!
After the storm, the sea air carried a hint of saltiness and freshness.
The Going Merry was gently swaying with the waves as it headed toward unknown waters.
Inside the cabin.
Tatsuya was lying comfortably in a hammock with his legs crossed, his consciousness immersed in the system interface in his mind.
Looking at the row of numbers in the upper right corner, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up wildly.
[Current Ninja Points: 5200.]
"Finally... I'm a rich man too."
Tatsuya sighed. From the series of events in Loguetown, he had made a fortune.
His gaze fixed hungrily on the exchange option he had been eyeing for a long time.
Although his original Two-Tomoe Sharingan was sufficient for now.
But facing the upcoming Grand Line, especially those increasingly powerful monsters, his dynamic vision and insight were already slightly lacking.
"Whew..."
Tatsuya took a deep breath. Although his heart was bleeding, his finger still pressed down firmly.
"Exchange! Three-Tomoe Sharingan!"
[Ding!]
[Consumed 5000 Ninja Points. Congratulations to the host for successfully upgrading the Kekkei Genkai.]
[Obtained: Three-Tomoe Sharingan.]
With the crisp notification sound, Tatsuya only felt a warm current surge through his eyes, and the feeling of being filled with power instantly made him clear-headed.
The remaining 200 Ninja Points hung there lonely, looking exceptionally pathetic.
With a hint of hope and curiosity, Tatsuya continued to scroll down, wanting to see how much the next stage of evolution would cost.
[Mangekyo Sharingan: 20000 Ninja Points.]
[Note: Mangekyo abilities will change according to the host's soul characteristics and desires.]
"Twen... Twenty thousand?!"
Tatsuya almost fell off the hammock.
He clutched his chest, the joy of the upgrade instantly extinguished by this bucket of cold water.
"This is a robbery! Twenty thousand points... How many Pirate Admirals do I have to kill, or how many times do I have to change the plot to collect that much..."
Tatsuya came back to his senses and sighed helplessly, feeling a sharp sting in his heart.
However, despite the complaining, he immediately activated his newly acquired eyes.
"Buzz—"
His pitch-black pupils instantly turned red, and three tomoe slowly rotated within them, connected to each other.
The world became incredibly clear in his eyes; the floating dust in the air, the texture of the wooden planks, and even the subtle changes in the distant waves outside the window were all vividly apparent.
"Not bad... this sense of control."
Just then.
"Waaaaah!! What is that!!"
Luffy's deafening scream suddenly came from the deck, followed by a flurry of chaotic footsteps.
"Hmm? Are we there?"
Tatsuya closed the system panel, straightened his collar, pushed open the door, and walked toward the deck.
As soon as he stepped out of the cabin, a moist and strong sea breeze hit him in the face.
The mist on the sea was quickly dissipating.
And directly in front of the going merry, a massive red wall, so magnificent it was breathtaking and seemed to block out the entire sky, spanned the horizon between the sea and the sky.
It towered into the clouds, its top invisible at a glance, extending infinitely to the left and right as if dividing the entire world in two.
Red Line.
"So... so big!!" Luffy leaned over the bow, craning his neck and shouting excitedly: "Is this the Red Line? It's like a wall!"
"This... this isn't a mountain at all! This is a monster!"
Usopp's legs went weak with fear, and he hugged the mast tightly. "Are we really going to crash into it?!"
"No! This isn't right!"
Nami was nervously looking at the sea chart in her hand, then at the strange current ahead, her face pale:
"The compass has failed... and, look at that current!"
She pointed at the canal entrance leading to the crack in the mountain, her voice trembling with shock that defied common sense:
"The... the water is flowing up the mountain?! That's impossible! It violates the laws of physics!"
"Laws of physics?"
Tatsuya stood at the bow, hands in his pockets, looking up at this massive continent.
The Three-Tomoe Sharingan in his eyes rotated slowly, peering through the layers of mist.
He not only saw the magnificent red rock wall but also felt the wild rules of this world.
"Talking about common sense in this world will only lead to trouble, Miss Navigator."
A smile tugged at the corner of Tatsuya's mouth, red light flickering in his eyes:
"Is this the entrance to the Grand Line... What a crazy and magnificent world."
Just as he finished speaking.
"Rumble—!!"
The going merry was suddenly sucked into the powerful current leading to Reverse Mountain, as if grabbed by an invisible giant hand.
Its speed surged instantly!
The ship lost control, racing through the rapids like a leaf.
"Waaaaah! Too fast!!" Usopp screamed.
"Damn! If we hit the Minato at this speed, the ship will be smashed to pieces!!"
Zoro watched the canal entrance getting closer and closer; it was a narrow stone gate, and any slight deviation would mean the destruction of the ship and the death of everyone on board.
At the critical moment.
"Don't panic!!!"
A sharp shout calmed the scene.
After a brief moment of panic, Nami instantly displayed the qualities of a genius navigator.
She stared intently at the direction of the current and shouted orders:
"Take the helm!! Hard to starboard!!"
"Use the swirling current to rush in!!"
"Got it!!"
Zoro and Sanji glanced at each other. Although they usually couldn't stand each other, at this moment, the two of them rushed toward the helm with great rapport.
"Heave!!"
Both of them exerted their strength at the same time, veins popping on their arms as they desperately turned the massive helm.
"Creak—!!"
The going merry let out a painful groan in the rapids, and just a second before it was about to hit the stone wall, the bow jerked to the right.
"Sizzle—!!"
The hull scraped against the stone wall of the Minato, sending up a shower of sparks and wood chips.
"We're in!!!"
At the final moment, the going merry rushed into the canal!
Then, an incredible scene unfolded.
"Go for it!!!"
Amidst Luffy's cheers, the going merry followed the gravity-defying current and surged vertically toward the clouds along the steep canal!
The surrounding water flowed backward like a waterfall, and the ship continued to climb amidst the roar, as if it were sailing toward heaven.
"Ah!"
Nami lost her footing and couldn't help but fall backward.
Tatsuya, who had been looking up at the scenery, heard the commotion and silently stepped forward to catch her.
A flush of red spread across Nami's face, but she didn't resist; instead, she leaned into his embrace.
There was no other way. It was an accident... an accident, Nami thought to herself.
Meanwhile, Usopp was clutching Clay's leg tightly. "Clay, fly quickly! We're going to fall!"
"Quack! You're holding too tight, quack!" Clay's wings flapped incessantly.
A few minutes later.
"Poof—!!"
The going merry broke through the thick clouds and reached the summit of Reverse Mountain.
Sunlight spilled down.
Four currents from different seas (East Sea, West Blue, South Blue, North Blue) converged at the top of the mountain, kicking up sprays of water that filled the sky, before rushing down toward the only exit—the direction of the Grand Line!
"We're here! The summit!" Nami was so excited her face was flushed.
"Next... is the downhill!!" Tatsuya grabbed the railing.
"Yahoo—!!!"
The bow suddenly dipped.
The going merry dove rapidly down the downhill current!
That intense feeling of weightlessness hit them instantly, like riding a vertical roller coaster without brakes.
"Hahaha! This is so much fun!!" Luffy spread his arms and laughed into the wild wind.
"Help!! Mama!! I want to go home!! I have a 'can't-ride-roller-coasters' disease!!" Usopp's tears and snot flowed as he was scared out of his wits.
The wind whistled in their ears, and clouds raced past them.
Just as everyone thought they were about to smoothly enter the Grand Line.
A massive shadow suddenly appeared in the thick mist below.
It was a black "mountain" blocking the only exit.
"Is that... a reef?!" Zoro narrowed his eyes. "How can there be a black mountain?"
"No... that's not right..."
Tatsuya's Three-Tomoe Sharingan contracted sharply as he saw the texture on the "mountain" and that eye as large as a house.
"That's not a mountain..."
"Wooooo——————!!!!!"
A deafening cry, filled with sadness and loneliness, pierced through the thick mist and echoed through the sky.
The black "mountain" slowly moved.
It was... an impossibly large Whale!
Loving Book So Far Check Out 80+ Chapters In Advanced At Pa Treon:
patreon.com/FicTonic1