"Hmm," Run grunts, turning the journal in his hands left and then right. "Hah, I dunno...all this Poneglyph writing just looks like a bunch of squiggles to me." Robin giggles while stirring her coffee as Run braces the rudder pole against his hip.
"It's upside down, Run," Robin tells him, watching him spin her journal before squinting his eyes.
"Nope. Still got nothing." Run flips through several more pages of her journal, the lounge otherwise quiet but for the soft clinking of her spoon. "Ah-ha! Here we go. Finally something I can read." The red head clears his throat, holding the journal out before him in a single hand. "'Day 42'," says Run, doing his best to affect a more feminine voice. "'The local wild-life seems to be rather intent on barring my progress through the ruins. Twice I've had to fend off spiders some ranging from the size of a cat to a large dog. It is a most interesting ecosystem on his island.'"
"I remember those ruins," Robin tells him, raising an arm to lean her hand on her hand. "Just being around all those ruins was enough to make my body tingle." She sighs almost dreamily, staring out the rain beaten window of the lounge for several moments. "Except for the spiders."
"Dahahaha~! Well, I can't say I blame you there. Personally, I don't mind spiders but I guess that would change if they had the intent of making a meal of me." He flips several more pages before eventually closing it with a soft 'thump'. "Aah, I can't say I'm not disappointed, though. Sounds like all of those places are a real riot to visit...I'm sad I missed the party." Robin giggles once again as she turns her attention to the red head.
"Well, you had your hands full with Luffy. Speaking of, I'd almost forgotten how lively he is."
"Yeah, that's Luffy." A strange shudder runs through the ship, and the rudder jerks violently, causing him to stagger in the opposite direction. "Whoa! What in the hell?"
"Seems as though you're having some difficulties, Run." The door to the lounge is sudden thrown open and the rest of the crew swarms in, chasing by the driving rain. Nami approaches the table and quickly slams a map down on it's surface before them.
"Alright," begins Nami. "I didn't believe it myself but the map shows canals leading up the mountain. Which means that the entrance to the Grand Line must be through the mountain!" Run begins to push against the rudder pole but is surprised to find that there's almost no give to it at all.
"What are you talking about?" Zoro questions her. "Even if it's on the map, there's no way that a ship can climb a mountain!"
"That's what the map says!"
"I don't know where you got that thing but can it really be trusted?"
"Oi, Usopp, Sanji, gimme a hand here," Run says, calling for the two men quickly. "I think the damn thing is bound up." They quickly begin helping the red head, shoving and pulling in an attempt to straighten out the rudder but to no avail. "Damn thing...won't move!"
"Why is the current so strong?!" shouts Usopp, pulling as hard as he can.
"Current?" echos Nami. "The current! We really DO go up the mountain!" She points at the map again, and explains that the current is pulling them towards the mountain on the red-line, called Reverse Mountain. The map shows that four currents from the four major seas are pulled up the mountain, and then flow down into the Grand Line. She also explains that the penalty for missing by even a small margin is to be bashed against the rocky face of the Red Line and sucked down into the depths with the strong current.
"You've been...awfully quiet, Robin," Run calls, still straining to straighten out the rudder. "Care to weigh in on the situation?"
"I'm afraid that I don't really have much to offer on the situation," Robin tells him. "I took a different route into and out of the Grand Line. Aah, now that I think about it I do know something. I recall hearing that half of everyone who attempts to enter the Grand Line dies. In my opinion, it would certainly be a shame to end our journey smashed against the Red Line. So, steady as she goes, Run." This only serves to panic Usopp, and win her flattery from Sanji for possessing such 'knowledge'.
"I will...do my...best!"
"Anyway," Nami says, earning their attention. "Since we're already caught in the current, as long as we don't mess up we should be able to ride it all the way to the summit of Reverse Mountain." With that in mind, Nami orders them out to trim the sail to avoid any unnecessary interference from the wind. Sanji replaces the red head, sending him off to scurry up the rat lines in place of Luffy to avoid any accidents. They had barely completed the task when Reverse Mountain slowly appeared before them. Run whistles in appreciation, turning his head skyward but finding himself unable to see the summit but for the clouds and driving rain, and the base of the mountain...the red head could see nothing but rock and the spray of the waves beating against it.
"Now that's a mountain worth climbing," Run says. "Aah, that said...I don't see an entrance, Nami. Not a problem right now but-" The ship shudders violently once again, nearly knocking everyone to the deck of the Merry.
"Nami! I don't see an entrance!" Luffy screams. "We're just gonna crash into the rocks if we keep going this way!"
"What do we do?!" demands Usopp, hanging onto the rudder with Sanji.
"Just keep going straight ahead!" Nami orders them. "That crack in the rock...that's gotta be the entrance! So just go straight ahead!" They draw closer, and closer, pushed ever forward by the strong currents. The fog begins to clear, and the red head stares forward at the rock face...or more specifically, the river of water flowing straight UP it. A broad grin splits his face as he follows the canal flowing straight up the mountain towards the clouds over head.
"Dahahaha~!" laughs Run. "We have to ride that up? You know what, Robin? I don't think I'm all that jealous of your exploring anymore!"
"So this is Reverse Mountain," Robin says, stepping up beside the red head and opening her journal regardless of the rain. "It's certainly breath-taking, isn't it?"
"We have to make our way through the gates just right!" Nami tells them all. "If we mess up the ship is gonna be smashed to pieces!" The ship begins to list to the left, heading for the water gates and the rocky mountain face beside it.
"O-Oi! We're drifting!" Luffy yells at them. "Right! Go right! Starboard! Starboard! We're gonna crash!" The two begin pushing the rudder in that direction, using all their strength in an attempt to fight the current...and the result is that the rudder snaps in two, sending them sprawling across the deck much to everyone's horror.
"That's certainly not good," announces Robin calmly. Luffy surges forward as the ship nears the water gates, leaping over the railing between them.
"Gum-Gum...Balloon!" He swells up with air, acting as a buffer between the two, and setting the ship back on course. Of course, gravity takes over and he starts falling towards the sea. "Aah! Crap!" A number of arms sprout from the railing the next second, quickly grasping Luffy by his shoulders and throwing him back onto the deck. All heads immediately turn to Robin, who slowly uncrosses her arms.
"Good job, Robin!" cheer Luffy and Run before noticing the stares of everyone else. "What?"
"Arms," say the whole crew at once, pointing at her.
"Ah, how embarrassing," remarks Robin. "It seems I forgot to mention my Devil Fruit abilities." Fortunately, the rest of the crew doesn't stay hung up on her abilities for long as they quickly turn their attention to the canal and their rapid ascent to the top of the mountain.
"Dahahahaha~!" laughs Run, grinning from ear to ear. "Go, go, go! Let's go all the way to the top!" They cleared the clouds, and then the summit, sailing several meters into the air as a result of the speed. Naturally, what goes up must come down and so they dropped out of the sky quickly. Laughter over takes the crew as they sail even faster than they'd come up the mountain down it towards the Grand Line. They disappear into the clouds, unable to see much of anything.
"Oi! I see something ahead!" Sanji calls. "I think...I think it's a mountain!"
"Are you kidding?!" Nami asks him. "There can't be a mountain ahead! It should only be open water!" They cleared the clouds, and all were treated to the sight of the single largest whale any of them had ever seen before in their lives. And not just big, but scarred, too...and sticking straight up out of the water.
"Whoa-ho!" calls Run, rapidly approaching the bow of the Merry. "Look at the size of that thing!"
"Should we fight it?" Luffy asks, grinning from his seat on the figure-head.
"As if!" retorts Nami. "There's no way to fight something that size!"
"Well if we don't do something we're gonna hit it!" Zoro tells her. "H-Huh? Oi! Left! Go left! We can get through to open water that way! Hard to port!"
"Let's it give it a try then, Zoro!" Run tells him, sprinting into the kitchen and looking at the stump of a rudder. "Need a hand in here, fellas!" The red head grasps what little bit of the stump there is and begins pulling hard to port, with Zoro pushing as hard as he can. Even Sanji and Usopp grab hold, attempting to turn the ship. Even with all four of them pulling at it it doesn't budge in the slightest, and for all intents and purposes it seems that they're going to strike the whale head on...at least until the deafening boom of a cannon cracks through the air. "What the hell was that?"
The ship slows immediately but it isn't enough as they still strike the whale, snapping the figure head off. They dash out of the room, and onto the deck to look up at the whale. Other than a small plume of smoke surrounding the area the cannon ball had struck it doesn't appear to have done anything...and the whale isn't moving, either.
"Everyone certainly is lively all of the sudden," Robin muses, standing arms crossed near the bow of the ship.
"Aah...well...bail?" Run asks, scanning the deck slowly.
"Let's get the hell outta here!" Zoro tells them, as they go about retrieving a pair of oars. They begin rowing away quickly, moving around the whale. They've just begun passing it's eye when Luffy makes an appearance on deck again.
"You bastard!" screams Luffy. "You broke it! That was my special seat and you destroyed it!" He cocks back, and to the utter amazement of everyone, stretches an arm out and punches the whale right in it's eye...which immediately turns down to look at them. "What? You wanna go? Come at me then, ya bastard!" The next second, the whale opens it's mouth drawing in what has to be millions of gallons of sea water along with the Going Merry. Luffy loses his balance, fumbles across the deck and then flips off to plummet towards the sea.
"Robin, get him!" Run shouts, holding tight to the railing of the Merry in an attempt to avoid the same fate.
"I can't!" Robin calls back. "He's too far!" They're sucked down the whales throat quickly, and honestly, it's one hell of a ride for them at least until they end up in what has to be it's stomach. None of them quite know what to make of their situation...well, honestly, someone does. "Well, I've never been eaten before. I never imagined it to be so pleasant."
"There's a joke there...but in the interests of my own personal well-being, I'll leave it be."
"Mm, a good call." There's an island in front of them, and if they're in the whales stomach...why does it have clouds and a blue sky painted on it? Are they REALLY in the stomach of a whale? "This is...rather strange. Oh! Perhaps we actually died, instead?"
"How can you be so calm about this?" Usopp questions her. Before she can answer, however, a huge squid emerges from the water in front of them. This immediately sends Nami and Usopp into a panic while Zoro, Sanji, Robin and Run get ready to fight it. Before it can make even a single move though, it's struck by a trio of harpoons from the home on the island which kill it instantly.
"Well," begins Run, watching the squid splash down into the water. "All's well that ends well, huh? Let's find a way..." His words trail off as a man with a strange flower like hair-style leaves the hut, staring down the crew as he walks calmly in their direction...and then stretches out on a lawn chair, paper in hand.
"Say somethin' will ya?!" demands Sanji.
"If ya wanna fight, bring it on!" screams Usopp. "We've got cannons, ya know!"
"If you do that...I'll die," he tells them.
"Oh come on!" exclaims Zoro. Run approaches with a chuckle, giving the swordsman a calming pat on the back before stepping past him.
"Relax, relax, Zoro!" Run tells him. "Oi, old timer! Don't suppose you'd mind telling us your name, and where we're at would you?"
"When asking someone a question...isn't it proper manners to introduce yourself first?" counters the old man, staring intently at them.
"Aah, my apologies! My name is-"
"I am Crocus. I am the lighthouse keeper of the Twin Capes, I'm seventy-one years old and a Gemini. My blood type is AB." Run nods in understanding, ignoring the now irritated Zoro behind him. "As for where we are, isn't it obvious that you're in the belly of a whale? What, did you think you would end up somewhere else after getting swallowed?"
"W-Wait, so we really are in a whale's stomach?!" panic's Nami. "What's going to happen to us?! I don't want to end up digested!" Crocus simply responds by pointing his finger to the exit across the way. "What the?! We can get out?! Why is there an exit in the stomach of a whale?!"
"Alright, thank you kindly," Run calls back. "Wait, wait, wait. This scenery then...it's all fake?"
"It looks like a painting," Robin says, taking in the unmoving scenery. "Why? What's the purpose?"
"Who cares?" Zoro says simply. "If that's the exit then lets hit it." Before they could start rowing again, however, the whole place began shaking. The ship pitches up and down on the waves, revealing that the island isn't in fact an island but an iron hulled ship...which makes sense when they all come to the conclusion that any NORMAL ship would begin being digested after so long in the whales stomach. Which almost means that their time here is limited before the Merry's hull begins to succumb to the sea of stomach acid they're floating in.
"Looks like it's started again," Crocus mutters. "The whale...Laboon has begun smashing his head against the Red Line again."
"Again?" echos Nami. "Wait...those scars. Is that why he has all those scars on his head?" She stares at the old man. "Those scars...and his howling...he's suffering! Are you...you're trying to kill the whale! From inside his own body!"
"Not our problem," Zoro tells her. "We need to go before we end up digested."
"Oh! The old man dove in," announces Robin. "I wonder how long it takes for a person to digest?"
"Oh, gimmie a break," Run says simply, reaching down and grasping the bottom of his shirt. "Wait here, I'm going in after the old timer before he-" Before he can even finish his sentence a small door in the whales stomach was thrown open, and a trio of people came tumbling out...among them Luffy. "Luffy? Oi! Luffy!"
"Oi! So everyone's alright?!" calls Luffy, sailing through the air towards the ocean of salt water and stomach acid below. "Great! Now...help!" The trio splash down, and after a bit of fishing are pulled onto the deck. While Luffy is over-joyed to be back with the crew, the other two appear to be absolutely terrified of the lot of them for some reason. At least until they lay eyes on Robin which is a feat in and of itself considering she's almost completely hidden herself behind Run.
"Aah! It's you, Miss-" Begins the man only to be silenced by a stare from Robin.
"I'm sorry have we met?" Robin asks him, smiling at the man.
"A-Aah, my apologies. I-I seem to have mistaken you for someone else!" He almost nervously in response...and although the strange back and forth is brushed off easily enough by most everyone else Zoro and Run are somewhat suspicious of it. After all, Robin doesn't exactly have one of those 'familiar' sort of faces. The woman stares intently at Robin, and although she is silent she certainly seems to hold some animosity towards their newest crew-mate for some reason or another.
"You thugs are back again?!" calls Crocus. "I've told you countless times that I won't allow you to lay a finger on Laboon as long as I'm alive!" This seems to amuse the two who slowly stand, telling the man that no matter what they aren't leaving without killing the whale. The turn their weapons towards the 'sky' and fire...only to have their rounds intercepted by Crocus who uses his body as a shield before splashing down into the lake of stomach acid and water. They tell him again that no matter what they're bringing the whale back to their town as food...their gloating is ended, however, by Luffy who punches them both in the head and knocks them out.
"Those two...really had that coming," Luffy mutters watching them fall to the deck. After fishing out the old man, he invites the crew onto his little island. Run declines the invitation so he can instead attempt some kind of temporary repair on the Merry's rudder. Even if they CAN escape from the whale, it won't do them any good if they can't actually control their direction. Of course, a single glance is enough for the red head to figure out that it's gonna take more than just a hammer and a few nails for him to fix this.
"Oooh...I may have bitten off more than I can chew here," Run says, scratching the stubble along his jaw.
"Think you can fix it?" asks the familiar voice of Robin from the doorway. He glances over his shoulder at her and then offers a confident smile.
"As you well know, I just so happen to be a man of many talents!" She responds with a small chuckle and approaches a bit closer. He bends and retrieves the broken rudder pole before approaching the remaining stump and crouching to have a better look. "Hmm...we definitely need to find ourselves a proper shipwright."
"Mm, I have faith in you."
"Hmm...you know, that guy with the nines on his face? He looked like you recognized you, Robin. Wanna talk about it?" The woman remains silent for several moments before suddenly appearing beside him, crouching down and wrapping her arms around her legs.
"It's a long story."
"It's gonna be a long fix."
"Well, let's just say that we belong to the same organization. The same one I've been working with for quite some time. I..." Robin's words trail off as she seems to be searching for the right words. "...report directly to the head of the organization, both of them are subordinates."
"The boss got a name?"
"Crocodile. He's a dangerous man but he can give me something I want. He's got big plans...plans that involve hurting a lot of innocent people. I've gone out of my way to sabotage him every step of the way but unfortunately it hasn't be enough." Run looks in her direction now meeting her eyes for only a brief few seconds before she looks away, turning her eyes down. "I didn't want to tell you before I didn't want your name mixed up in what's happening...what's going to happen. I can accept the blame, the hatred, and the anger. But I didn't want anyone coming after you."
"I think I can take him."
"Mm, I know you can handle yourself. But Crocodile is the kind of man who doesn't always come directly for someone. He won't hesitate to target those close to someone to get to them."
"So, he's a real slimey bastard," Run sums up quickly. "This thing you're after...is it a Poneglyph?"
"Yes."
"I see. Well...we'll just have cross the bridge when we get there. Wait here. I'm gonna go grab the tool box and see what I can do." The red head sets the broken rudder pole down and stands. She listens to his footsteps retreating, coming to a halt after a few seconds. "Robin, just so we're clear I don't care what anyone else thinks or says. Doesn't matter to me if the whole world is hot on your heels...you can always come back to me. Your home will always be at my side. At least for as long as you want it to be." He turns and walks out of the room only to return several long moments later with a tool box in his hand.
It takes a bit of doing but with Robin's help, the red head manages the reconnect the steering pole to it's broken stump with the metal strip and a handful of nails. When he's driven the last one he sighs and Robin releases it to examine his handy-work.
"Pretty good work," Robin applauds him. "Think it will hold?"
"Hah, who's to say, really?" Run asks honestly. "I'm no shipwright so...here's hoping?" He puts the tools back into the small tool box and slowly stands. No sooner has he stood than Luffy enters the room, grinning from ear to ear as he does so.
"How's it- Oi! Oi! You fixed it!" cheers Luffy, approaching the steering pole and giving it a firm push and then pull with no ill effect. "Nice timing! We're about ready to set sail...!"
----
The way out of Laboon proved to be less exciting than the entrance. Along the way he explains that every tunnel, and canal was created to better treat Laboon as it would be almost impossible to treat such a massive creature from the outside alone. Upon hearing this, Luffy immediately invites the old man to join the crew as their doctor, but he dismisses the idea almost as quickly, citing the fact that he's 'too old' to go running around the Grand Line with a bunch of youngsters.
The whole way Robin and Run stand guard over the tied up two they'd fished from Laboon's stomach. For the most part, the two seem to completely ignore the red head, instead discreetly attempting to keep an eye on Robin. After her admission in the lounge it makes more sense to the red head while they'd be wary of someone who is supposed to be their boss working with an unfamiliar pirate crew. Waiting for them at the end of the canal was a large gate, which Crocus promptly opened and allowed them all to exit back onto the Grand Line.
"Aah, fresh air," mutters Run, taking a deep breath and turning his head up towards the blue sky for a moment before looking back down at their two prisoners. "Alright! What should we do about our two little visitors here?" Run squats down in front of them. "Well? I'm open to opinions."
"Let's just toss 'em over-board," Zoro replies simply, approaching the two of them.
"We can't just sink to the bottom of the sea...I guess we'll let Luffy decide. For now, just sit tight and try behaving." Run stands and turns away from them. Robin, Zoro and Run approach the rest of the crew, gathered at the bow of the Going Merry, where Luffy is sitting on the broken off figure head in the middle of the deck. Though they've missed most of it, it seems that the old man is in the middle of explaining why Laboon is lingering here at the entrance of the Grand Line. From what little he can glean from it, it seems that Laboon had followed a crew on the Grand Line that promised to return for him.
However, rather than keeping their promise, it seems that the terror of the Grand Line had gotten to them and sent them scurrying for their lives leaving Laboon to wait for fifty years. Crocus had attempted to explain this to Laboon time and time again but to no avail. Laboon, unable to accept this, had begun howling at and battering himself against Reverse Mountain ever since.
"Wait a minute...so you've been watching over him this own time?" Run finally questions the old man. "For fifty years?"
"I couldn't just abandon him," Crocus tells him. "He's originally from the West Blue but with the size of him now...there's just no going back. All he has left is the promise he made with that pirate crew all those years ago. They are the only friends he has left now."
"Even so, fifty years is..."
"Gum-Gum...!" All heads turn towards the voice, and immediately lock onto Luffy who is sprinting up Laboon towards his nose...with the main mast in his arms. "...Flower Arrangement!"
"Isn't that our mast?" Zoro asks aloud.
"Yeah, the main one, actually," Usopp adds. "So, who's fixing that?" After a moment he quickly says, "Not it."
"Not it."
"Not it."
"Not- damn it!" curses Run, only seconds before the whale slams Luffy into the rocky face of Reverse Mountain which only serves to drive the mast deeper into Laboon's head. He recoils from the pain, and Luffy tosses off a bit of rubble before sitting up with a wild grin. Laboon comes back a second time only to be punched in the eye by Luffy, who follows it up with a kick before being knocked back into Reverse Mountain. However, when Laboon comes back at him a third time, he surprises them all.
"It's a draw," Luffy tells Laboon, stopping him in his tracks. Luffy picks himself up, brushes himself off and firmly plants his straw hat on his head. "I'm pretty strong, huh? I tell that you definitely want to beat me, right? Well, that's good cause our fight isn't over, yet! We're gonna fight again someday soon! Your buddies are dead but I'm not, and I plan to be your rival forever! We're gonna go around the whole Grand Line, and when we come back to see you, we'll finish our fight then! Got it?!" Laboon immediately roars his agreement...
----
"Haah, gimme a break," complains Run, driving a final nail through the tin plate and into the broken mast with a single blow. It took quite a bit of doing to retrieve the mast from Laboon's head, and carry it back to the ship but...it had to be done. Of course, that wasn't their only worry as the two people they'd tied up had slipped their ropes and made a quick escape. The red head steps back and examines his handy work for a moment before heaving a sigh. "Well, I guess should start on the figure head while I'm at it. Luffy will be disappointed if we don't patch up his favorite seat." He kneels down and slowly begins stowing the tools back into the tool-box.
"Looks good," Robin compliments him, looking over the work. "Luffy...he always has a way of doing something you least expect."
"Dahahahaha~! That's Luffy for ya! It's been ten years and I still can't figure him out sometimes. He kinds things interesting, and me on my toes!" Run shuts the lid of the tool box, pausing when he notices a small glass orb lying next to it. "Huh? Are you kidding me?" Run picks up the orb with a grin, observing it carefully. "Check it out, Robin! A Log Pose!" She steps closer, taking it from his hand carefully and looking it over.
"Well, would you look at that? Those two must had dropped it when they slipped their ropes. What good luck, we can make good use of it. Let's hand it over to Nami." It's a short climb up a rope ladder to the lighthouse where Nami has set up a makeshift table for her maps and compass. No sooner have they reached the top, than a panicked scream echos from Nami. Their Navigator is standing beside the table, staring down at it's surface in horror.
"C'mon, quiet down," complains Luffy, seconds before Sanji, and Usopp make an appearance as well. The cook balances several plates of delicious looking food...leaving the red head to wonder how it is that he ever even climbed the ladder to begin with.
"The compass!" panics Nami. "The compass is broken! The needle is just spinning in circles!" Robin and Run approach their panicked navigator, and Robin holds the Log Pose out in offer to her.
"Here," Robin tells her. "I believe this may be just what you need."
"What is it?"
"It's a Log Pose," Crocus tells her before either Robin or the red head can respond. "And here I thought you youngsters had come here without any knowledge at all." The red head remains silent in response, deciding it best not to confirm the old man's accusations. He explains to them all how it works, giving them a quick down and dirty explanation about navigating on the Grand Line. He explains that there are multiple paths across the Grand Line, seven to be exact, and that by recording the magnetism of two islands pulling against each other it's possible to navigate from island to island all the way to the end of the Grand Line...all the way to Laugh Tale.
Of course, the whole time Crocus has been explaining this, Luffy has been stuffing his face and when Sanji notices that he's eaten everything a scuffle quickly breaks out between the two...which results in a broken Log Pose. Nami immediately responds by kicking the two off them off the cape, and into the sea. Run is rather impressed with her strength in the moment. Normally he'd have gone racing head first after Luffy since he dropped into the sea, but considering Sanji won't exactly just leave him to sink he instead decides to trust in their cook.
"Our precious Log Pose," cries Nami, looking at the shattered remains.
"Well, easy come, easy go, I suppose," Run says simply, offering her a carefree smile.
"Can't you take it a little more seriously?! We needed that to sail!"
"Aah, what's the point in me getting all riled up? I have complete faith in your navigation, Nami."
"That's not the point! We need-"
"There's no need to panic. You can have mine," Crocus tells them. "Take it as my thanks for helping Laboon." Seconds later, Luffy and Sanji, as well as the two that had slipped over board are tossed up onto the cape with the assistance of Laboon. Sanji immediately abandons Luffy, choosing to help the woman to her feet while Run approaches and helps his friend.
"Aah, I thought I was gonna die!" complains Luffy, standing slowly.
"Wait!" calls the man. "We have a favor to ask!" The man introduces himself as Mr. 9 and the woman as Miss Wednesday and begs them for a ride back to their home of Whiskey Peak.
"Whiskey Peak?" echos Luffy. "That's a weird name!"
"Please! Our ship is busted and we need to get back to our home! We beg you! Please do us this favor!" After a moment of consideration, Luffy nods firmly in agreement.
"Sure, let's go!" They both stare in amazement at him. "You said Whiskey Peak, right? Alright, let's go there!"
"You're sure?" Run asks him. "I mean, according to Crocus we can only pick our path from here."
"Aah, it'll be fine! If we don't like it, we'll just circle back around!" It takes a few hours for the Log Pose to be properly calibrated and when it was finally done the sun was beginning to sink into below the horizon. The crew has gathered on the deck to be seen off by Crocus and Laboon. A wave from the old man, and a roar from Laboon see's them sailing into the distance away from Reverse Mountain...their destination? Whiskey Peak. Their first stop on the Grand Line...