"Wow, that's the Red Line!"
"It's covered by clouds, you can't see the top."
Roman looked up at the towering red curtain that reached the sky, his eyes flickering.
"So, if we climb over the Red Line now..."
Roman turned to look at the others on the deck.
"We can directly reach the New World..."
And Roman just happened to have the 'ability' to cheat and enter the end of the Grand Line in the shortest time.
???
"That's no fun at all!!"
Facing Luffy's complaint, Roman just shrugged.
"Of course, I was just saying."
"Not to mention whether I have the stamina to leap over the Red Line, just the fact that the New World is full of pirates with bounties in the billions could get me killed at any moment."
"Hahaha, the fun of sailing is fighting all the way through!"
One has to admit, Luffy often hits the nail on the head — abandoning shortcuts and leveling up along the Grand Line is the wise choice.
"There's an entrance ahead!"
"Be careful, we're being pulled in!"
In the towering Red Line ahead, a 'river' appeared on the mountainside, with rushing water flowing towards the summit! This was the entrance to the Grand Line.
"Oh oh oh, I've heard that half the people who get here don't make it."
Sanji looked at the 'waterway' on the slope ahead—if the ship couldn't stay on the correct current, it could easily veer off course and crash into the Red Line.
"Leave it to me,"
This was Nami's moment to shine. Only she could accurately navigate the currents beneath the ship to avoid a collision.
"Then I'll help too."
Roman spread his arms, and sheets of white paper flew out from his arms, forming 'wings' on either side of the Going Merry.
"Paper Dance - Horizontal Wings!"
"Great, this will minimize the chance of the ship being thrown off course by the turbulent currents. But—"
Even the most experienced navigator, Nami, had never experienced something like 'climbing a mountain' with a ship.
"Careful—"
"We're in!!!"
With Nami at the helm and Roman stabilizing the ship, despite the raging waves and stormy weather, the Going Merry successfully entered the 'Grand Line' between the Red Line.
As the rushing currents propelled the ship upwards at high speed, the scenery around them flew by until:
"Oh oh oh, I see the Grand Line!"
Luffy, sitting on the 'sheep' head at the bow of the Going Merry, shouted as the ship reached the summit. Looking out, they saw a shimmering, endless ocean.
"This is the greatest sea in the world!"
"We're here, charge—"
As they reached the summit, the waters from the other three seas converged, pushing the Going Merry downwards. Once they exited this waterway, below would be:
?
"What's that, a mountain?"
"Whoa~~~~"
But in front of the rapidly descending Going Merry was a towering black mountain...
"That's not a mountain, that's a whale?!"
"So magnificent!"
"Oh oh oh, such a big whale~~~"
Facing the excited Luffy and the others, Roman covered his forehead, unable to watch.
"Have you not considered that if we crash into this giant whale at this speed, the ship will be destroyed and we'll all die?"
"Ah~~!?"
"Roman, think of something!" X5
....
"What do you think I am, a magic pocket robot...?"
Despite saying this, Roman was prepared for such a scenario. After deciding to join Luffy's crew, he had always considered how to survive in various extreme environments on land, sea, and air.
Don't ask, it's because of love...
Clap!
With a clap of his hands, sheets of white paper flew from Roman's clothes, thousands of them, all gathering at the stern of the ship.
"Paper Dance - Parachute!"
The sheets of paper formed a giant 'parachute' at the stern. Though it was called a parachute, it was actually a 'drag chute,' like the ones used on space shuttles in Roman's previous life. It sounded high-tech, but actually..
It's just a sturdy umbrella.
But anyway, under the deceleration of this giant 'paper umbrella,' the speed of the Going Merry, which was rushing down from the mountain top, kept decreasing rapidly. By the time it approached the sea level, it had almost come to a stop.
"Great—"
Crack,
The decelerated Going Merry crashed into the black whale that was as big as a mountain, and the sheep figurehead at the front broke off. But compared to the previous potential shipwreck and loss of life, this was much better.
"Turn right, let's go around..."
Just as Roman was about to steer around this 'big guy,' Luffy jumped onto the ship's rail with a thud.
"You broke my... special seat!"
?
Hey, don't—
"Gomu Gomu no Pistol!"
Wham!!
The extended fist suddenly smashed into the giant whale's eye, perfectly demonstrating the saying "don't poke the bear."
"Are you an idiot?!?!" x5
Nami, Usopp, Zoro, and Sanji all burst into tears!
As expected of the Pirate King, he can easily make the mighty Zoro cry...
"Calm down, calm down..."
Roman, who was steering, didn't even know what he was saying anymore.
"As long as I develop a 'golden spiral' with paper, using friction to affect the surrounding speed field, controlling water and air to move according to the golden spiral, I can break through time and space and travel back to before meeting Luffy..." (Araki Science)
Glance,
The eyeball, several times larger than the entire Going Merry, turned to look at the 'little thing' that had just attacked it.
"Hmph, bring it on—"
Wham!
"Shut up!!" x3
Facing Luffy, who was kicked onto the deck by Zoro, Usopp, and Sanji at the same time, Roman wished he could rush up and give him another kick if he wasn't holding the helm.
"Hit him, hit him! We don't need this captain—"
Do you even check the level before starting a fight?!
Then:
"Watch out, it's sucking in water—"
As the giant whale opened its mouth, the Going Merry, which wasn't even a fraction of one of its teeth, was sucked into its abyssal maw without any resistance!
Swish, swish, swish~~
Sheets of paper flew out, quickly binding everyone on the ship. Then:
"Let's leave it to fate."
Roman was tired, Roman couldn't get up again, Roman started to go with the flow~~~
——————
Under the 'blue sky and white clouds.'
"What do you think?"
Facing Zoro's question, Sanji, with a cigarette in his mouth, looked around.
"What do I think... I think we've been swallowed by a whale..."
"Hahaha, aren't we alive and well!"
This was the eternally optimistic trio.
As for the others—
Usopp, who had fainted again, had a peaceful face, even holding a bouquet of flowers in his hand. It would be perfect if there was a suicide note.
"Mom... I want to go home."
Giant sea kings, giant whales, being swallowed whole with the ship... Nami, who was on the verge of tears, already started missing Cocoyasi Village.
"Roman, Roman, look, there's a small island over there~~"
In response to Luffy's shout, Roman had already used paper to create a sun chair, lying on it like a 'slacker.'
"I'm not Roman~~~~"
"I'm just a slacker,"
"Just let me idle here..."
Starting a big dragon at level one, rushing the tower with the ship... can't carry, don't want to play, goodbye...
"Is this... not an illusion?"
The trio with strong hearts had calmed down, pointing at the old man lying on a sun chair on the small island.
"And what about this?"
—
It was a sturdy old man, wearing a beach shirt, beach shorts, and slippers, sitting under a coconut tree on the island reading a newspaper.
Facing the Going Merry, he just glanced slightly, his eyes behind the glasses were exceptionally sharp!
"Hey... what are you looking at... if you want to fight... we have cannons..."
Facing Usopp's trembling threat, the old man just coldly said one sentence.
"I advise you not to,"
"It could be deadly."
"Oh, who are you saying will die?"
Facing the battle-ready Sanji, the old man just calmly said one word.
"Me."
??
"You're talking about yourself!!"
This is saying the most cowardly words in the most arrogant tone?
"Forget it, don't be impulsive."
Zoro indicated that Sanji, with his temper, shouldn't be the one to negotiate. Let me handle it:
"Sir, could you tell us who you are and where this place is?"
Facing the 'friendly' Zoro, the old man lying and reading the newspaper snorted.
"When asking others, it's polite to introduce yourself first, right?"
"Mm-hmm..."
"You're right," for the sake of information, endure it. "My name is..."
"My name is Crocus, I'm the lighthouse keeper of Twin Capes, 71 years old, Gemini, blood type AB."
?
Didn't you just say everything...
"Can I cut him?"
The tricked Zoro immediately 'revealed his true nature,' exuding killing intent, making Luffy pat him on the shoulder.
"Forget it, don't get angry..."
?!
Crocus—
Roman, lying on the side pretending to be a slacker, had a flash in his eyes.
This name... although just a lighthouse keeper seems ordinary, Roman knew this old man had another 'extraordinary' identity!
The Pirate King, Gold Roger's ship doctor.
Well, it's time to take action.
----
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