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"Yo-hohoho, yo-hohoho!"
"Bring along Binks' brew, close to your sides."
"Like the sea breeze, free and unbound, riding the waves~"
The melody, light and melodious, emanated from the second deck of the Endless Dream, spreading out across the distant ocean.
Meowth sat on the ship's railing, holding a delicate, small violin. Although unfamiliar with "Binks' Sake," the pirate banquet song, its musical talent meant it could play the right rhythm just by reading the sheet music.
Under Aqua's outstanding performance at the banquet, which left her cheeks flushed from alcohol, even Crocus found himself caught up in the jovial atmosphere aboard the Endless Dream, softly singing this song long buried in his memory.
The sounds of the Reverse Mountain's currents falling, and the sea breeze stirring the waves, seemed to perfectly accompany the music.
The cheerful singing brought a relaxed and joyful atmosphere to the night-shrouded Twin Cape.
Wooo wooo! As the familiar tune began, Laboon immediately emitted an incredibly excited cheer from the sea.
Joy mingled with profound sadness.
Its enormous eyes, as big as ships, grew moist.
Through blurred vision, Laboon mistook the Endless Dream for the Rumbar Pirates' ship, vaguely seeing a group of cheerful, optimistic pirates on board.
Those were the "comrades" it had missed for decades!
As the song ended, the natural accompaniment continued.
"Hey, Laboon!"
Zyhark stood at the bow, looking up at Laboon, which filled his entire field of vision.
"Although I don't know if the members of the Rumbar Pirates are still in this world, just like this song that hasn't been forgotten, their will to bring joyful music to the world still exists."
"If any of them are still alive, they definitely wouldn't want to see you like this."
"As a member of the Rumbar Pirates, you should carry on their will—make even the crying children smile (the Rumbar Pirates' motto)!"
Laboon's moist eyes slowly turned, fixing on the tiny human at the bow, sinking into deep silence.
After decades of repeatedly slamming into the Red Line, its body was covered in fierce scars, mirroring the unhealable wounds in its heart.
Zyhark didn't believe a few simple words would sway Laboon's feelings, but sensing the giant's emotions stirring, he decided to strike while the iron was hot.
"So, Laboon, you..."
"Join the Church of Axis, big guy, banging your head against the wall all day is just dumb!"
Before he could finish, Aqua, licking sweet and spicy sauce off her fingertips, suddenly interrupted, "When faced with unpleasant things, you should turn and run. Running away isn't losing; it's winning!"
Earlier at dinner, she had learned about Laboon's plight from Crocus.
Zyhark: "…"
Looking at Aqua, who had abruptly caused a commotion, he really wanted to throttle her soft neck!
Laboon is still a baby in its decades of life, don't randomly impose such strange thoughts on it!
And from a certain perspective, Laboon's relentless ramming into the unyielding Red Line was a form of escape—using endless pain to cover up sorrow and longing.
Now you've labeled that method as "victory!"
Wooo wooo! Predictably, Laboon was initially stunned by this twisted logic, then let out an ear-splitting whale cry and quickly sank to the ocean floor.
Seconds later, the ground trembled violently.
Crocus, King, and Meowth: "…"
Aqua:
"Stupid goddess, look at what you've done!"
Tasting the bitter fruit of his efforts being undone, Zyhark could no longer hold back and directly grabbed the cluelessly cute Aqua.
"Wait, wait a minute, Zyhark-sama, gurgle gurgle gurgle…"
Before Aqua could finish her excuse, Zyhark tossed her into the sea, "If you can't calm Laboon down, forget about drinking on this ship!"
Splash!
Thus, the Water Goddess struggled and sank to the ocean floor.
"Although that little girl's words indeed had the opposite effect, is this really okay?"
Crocus, looking towards the now calming sea, furrowed his brows.
If the information displayed in the news was correct, Aqua was supposed to be a user of a water-type Devil Fruit.
Just throwing her into the sea, which should be an absolute counter to her powers, could be really dangerous!
"Don't worry, she's a bit special, even in water she can move freely."
Zyhark dusted off his hands, speaking gravely.
During their battle against the Buggy Pirates, Aqua had already demonstrated her ability to ignore the effects of seawater.
Adventuring on the Grand Line, it was only a matter of time before this became known, no need to keep it a secret.
Of course, he didn't plan to explain too much to Crocus.
"I see, it seems to be a very special ability…" Crocus's eyes flashed with surprise.
Even as someone who had traveled the world with Roger and reached Raftel, he had never heard of such a miraculous ability.
Truly, it was fitting for a water-based power that wasn't even recorded in the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia, to be a Devil Fruit user who isn't afraid of the sea!
How interesting! These unpredictable youngsters, could they be the ones Roger was waiting for?
Crocus cast a deep glance at Zyhark, King, and Meowth beside him, finding it hard to make an accurate judgment.
As the trembling ground finally stilled, "Phew, at least the liquor is safe."
The first to emerge from the calm sea was a wise blue head.
With the water's help, Aqua returned to the deck of the Endless Dream, arrogantly winking at Zyhark.
The message was clear: Such a minor issue couldn't possibly trouble the omnipotent Goddess Aqua!
Wooo wooo…
Following closely, the giant head of Laboon also surfaced.
Under the bright moonlight, one could faintly see a big red bump on its forehead.
Setting aside other factors, this big fellow had indeed calmed down without sedatives!
But...
Zyhark narrowed his eyes, observing Laboon's eyes, which held a hint of abnormal frenzy, and couldn't help feeling a bit worried.
"Aqua, how did you do it?"
"Of course, I charmed it with the charisma of a goddess!"
"Don't make me hit you, just tell the truth."
"… I used a privilege."
Facing Zyhark's skeptical gaze, Aqua averted her eyes, finally buckling under the pressure, admitting defeat.
"Ah! Even if the methods were a bit dirty and the process somewhat violent, creatures bound to the Water Goddess find it very hard to resist my orders!"
"So you forced it?" Zyhark asked tentatively.
If he remembered correctly, Aqua did indeed have the ability to control schools of fish, making fish in a pond perform synchronized swimming with a whistle.
"Mhm!" Aqua nodded emphatically.
Although her divine power was suppressed in this world and couldn't be fully utilized, with her recent acquisition of followers, she could just manage to control ordinary large fish like Laboon.
"Why couldn't you catch a single fish before then, meow?"
Meowth spotted the inconsistency.
Over the days heading to the Grand Line, it had clearly witnessed Aqua's abysmal fishing skills.
"Fishing, yeah, what's the fun using strength?" Aqua placed her hands on her hips, as if it were the most natural explanation.
So, this is why you imbued the bait with life and still couldn't catch a normal sea fish?
King, maintaining a serious expression throughout, silently criticized in his mind.
"Well! Anyway, this guy is now a member of the Church of Axis, old man, you don't have to worry about it banging its head against the wall anymore." Aqua patted Crocus on the shoulder.
The distance between man and god was instantly erased by her presumptuous action.
"Ahaha, ahaha! I haven't seen such an interesting young lady in a long time."
Crocus laughed heartily, spontaneously asking, "Can I join this church too?"
Zyhark was stunned by his serious demeanor: Not really, bro, are you serious about joining the Church of Axis?
"It's the Church of Axis!"
In matters of faith, Aqua was meticulous.
"If you wish to join, of course you can. The great and holy Lady Aqua would never refuse anyone with sincere belief!"
"Hahaha, then it's settled." Crocus laughed again.
"Crocus-san, please fill out this form then."
Zyhark, quick on his feet, pulled out a Church of Axis pamphlet from his pocket.
He didn't care if you were just playing around or had other thoughts; once you joined the Church of Axis, you were one of theirs.
So, Old Croc, we'll be using your face without hesitation from now on!
"Is it that formal?"
Crocus was a bit puzzled that such a thing was carried around, but he didn't refuse and signed his name on the application form.
Thus, the Church of Axis gained its first high-profile member: the ship doctor of the Pirate King!
…
The next morning, amid farewells from Crocus and the oddly behaving Laboon, the floating restaurant Endless Dream set sail, following the direction indicated by the log pose.
According to the first half of the Grand Line navigation chart provided by Crocus, their first island was called the Island of No Return.
From this ominously funny name, one could guess that the journey ahead for the floating restaurant would not be simple.
Sure enough, just a few hours into their voyage, the calm sea was suddenly covered by dark clouds.
Fierce winds howled, lightning flashed, and thunder roared.
The violent rain mercilessly beat against the Endless Dream's hull.
The rolling waves threatened to mercilessly overturn the modestly-sized sloop!
"Aqua, stabilize the surrounding currents and watch out for the undercurrents!"
"Meowth, please stow the sails securely, King, turn full to the left front, we need to get out of this area quickly!"
Zyhark, in charge of directing, stood before the ship's goddess figurehead, fully utilizing his Observation Haki and his rudimentary navigation skills to predict the storm's path and the best route of escape.
Unlike the common thunderstorms of the East Blue, the storms of the Grand Line were unpredictable, blowing in from the southeast one moment and bursting from the northwest the next, with no discernible pattern!
They could only respond to the situation as it unfolded.
At such times, an experienced and sensitive navigator was crucial.
Even with Aqua on board, ensuring their safety even if they capsized, the ship itself was their foothold on the sea.
Moreover, having sailed for some time, they had developed a sentimental attachment to the Endless Dream, the vessel embodying the craftsmanship of Windmill Village.
Giving up was not an option; to make one's way on the Grand Line, overcoming extreme weather was a common hurdle.
Otherwise, how would they navigate the even more complex environment of the New World?!
"Understood!"
Although taken aback by the suddenly changing weather, under Zyhark's command, Aqua and the others coordinated fairly well.
Especially Aqua, her cheeks smeared with fried chicken remnants, earnestly working—it had to be said, the scene was rather harmonious…
After over twenty minutes of hard labor, the Endless Dream finally passed safely through the storm and returned to sunny seas.
Warm sunlight evaporated the rainwater off Zyhark and the others, producing clouds of steam.
The fresh and comfortable sea breeze blew against them, dispersing the mist and bringing a hint of coolness.
Zyhark and his tired crew leaned on the deck railing, cooled by the sea breeze—it was hard to imagine they had just weathered a fierce storm!
"So this is the Grand Line, truly a place that defies all reason…"
King, composed, wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"To think you would want to confront that kind of weather head-on, you're also quite unreasonable, meow."
Beside him, Meowth, mimicking his actions, vigorously shook its body to dry off the rainwater.
Yes, it had clearly heard the sound of the engine and mistook King's intent as a "challenge to the heavens."
As for that cold sweat, it was naturally mistaken for rainwater.
"I've memorized the scent of that storm."
Aqua, surprisingly calm, came beside Zyhark with a mix of sarcasm and seriousness, "Zyhark, let me steer. On the Grand Line, your super limited navigation skills seem pretty useless~"
"You?" Zyhark showed an incredulous expression.
"Yes! Don't underestimate the perceptiveness of the Water Goddess! Even Laboon was easily handled by me. With my sensitivity to water molecules in the air, avoiding extreme weather is no problem at all!"
Aqua patted her ample chest, her cute face brimming with inexplicable confidence.
"Can you really do it?" Hearing her confident explanation, Zyhark couldn't help but be skeptical.
Theoretically, the Water Goddess's ability to sense water molecules in the air and thereby determine safe routes was not impossible.
"Relax, relax, my intuition is always super accurate, almost!"
"…Could you not save the most important point for last?"
"Let me try, please let me try, Zyhark-sama."
Aqua, overcome with a desire to perform, started acting like a spoiled child, sitting on the ground and making a scene.
Look at her now, where was the image of a goddess?
Even a three-year-old wouldn't believe it!
Considering that this method did hold a sliver of possibility, after some thought, Zyhark made a decision he would soon deeply regret:
"Fine, I'll give you a chance to prove yourself."
(End of Chapter)