The Straw Hat captain's eyes sparkled with curiosity and excitement. "You want to join my crew?" Luffy asked, his voice filled with genuine surprise and joy. "That's awesome! Welcome aboard, Lucas!"
Sanji raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips. "Well, if the captain says so, who am I to argue?" he said.
Lucas felt a wave of relief and excitement wash over him. The adventure with the Straw Hats had just begun, and he couldn't wait to see what lay ahead.
The Going Merry came into view, with Usopp waving frantically. "Hurry up!" he yelled, his voice carrying over the waves. As the crew arrived and set sail for the Grand Line, a new member stood among them.
"Who's this guy anyway?" Usopp asked, his curiosity piqued.
"Oh, you mean cape guy? He's Lucas, and he's the new member of our crew," Luffy said with a broad grin.
"New member?" Usopp and Nami gasped in unison.
"He helped us on our way here and asked to join as we made our escape," Zoro explained, his tone casual.
"Hi," Lucas said, giving a small wave.
"Haaa. Whatever, welcome, I guess," Nami said, heading inside to grab a raincoat.
"So, I take it word of my greatness has spread far and wide, that even the likes of you want to join my crew," Usopp said pompously, puffing out his chest.
Lucas looked at him for a moment, creating an awkward silence. "Wha... What is it?" Usopp asked, feeling the weight of Lucas's stare.
"I was just wondering if your nose got this big because you lied a lot," Lucas replied, striking Usopp with emotional damage.
Luffy burst out laughing. "You're funny!" he said, clutching his sides.
"How dare you make fun of the great Usopp!" Usopp retorted, his face turning red.
"Well, you see, when I saw your nose, I remembered a story from my childhood about a wooden doll that came to life. Whenever it lied, its nose would grow," Lucas said, looking all serious.
"Wow. Usopp, are you a doll? Is that why your nose is so big?" Luffy asked, his eyes wide with wonder.
"Who would've known of such a story? Maybe the author was inspired by Usopp," Sanji said with a smirk.
"Hey! I'm not a wooden doll!" Usopp defended himself as they sailed off.
Later, the Straw Hats gathered in the kitchen to discuss their entry into the Grand Line. "A mountain!" the crew repeated in shock.
"Yes. Like I said, the entrance to the Grand Line is called Reverse Mountain. That light was pointing directly at Reverse Mountain, which is here, you see," Nami said, pointing at the map.
"Is it necessary to even enter directly? We could just head south and still enter, can't we?" Zoro suggested.
"No, we can't," Luffy responded firmly. "Luffy's right. And there's a perfectly good reason for that, you know." Nami added.
"Yeah. It's way cooler," Luffy added, causing Nami to lose her patience.
"Umm. Guys! The storm suddenly disappeared," Usopp notified, his voice tinged with unease.
"Not good," Nami said, her voice tinged with worry. "Oh no. We must've entered the Calm Belt," she addressed the crew, her eyes scanning the still waters.
"Well, that's not good," Lucas remarked, his tone casual but his eyes alert.
"Huh? What's a Calm Belt?" Luffy asked, tilting his head in confusion.
"It means there's no wind or current here, so we're stuck," Lucas replied, his voice steady.
"Don't just stand there! Get the oars and start rowing!" Nami yelled, her urgency clear. The guys, however, seemed more or less chill about the situation.
"We need to get out of here now," Nami warned, her voice rising.
"Calm down, loosen up a little," Zoro said, leaning back with a relaxed demeanor.
"Well, this place is known to be the den of Sea Kings," Lucas said nonchalantly, glancing around. "I wonder if they taste good," he added, just as the Merry suddenly shook. Sea Kings popped out of the ocean, making the Merry look like a toy on one of their massive faces.
"Huuuge," Luffy gasped, his eyes wide with awe. The others were dazed in shock and fear.
"Hey Sanji, you think you can cook one of those things?" Lucas asked, a mischievous glint in his eye.
"What, are you crazy?" Sanji responded, his voice a mix of disbelief and irritation. Nami scolded them to be quiet, but soon afterward, the Sea King sneezed, sending the Going Merry back to its original course.
"That was something," Luffy remarked, his voice filled with wonder as they continued on their main course.
"Ah, I get it now," Nami said, her eyes lighting up with realization.
"What is it?" Zoro asked, his curiosity piqued.
"It must be due to the sea currents from each of the four seas heading towards the mountain, causing them to drive up the waterway. And as they reach the top, they must merge there and come out to the Grand Line," she explained, pointing at the map.
"But that means if we miss the waterway, we'll get caught up in the side currents and be ripped to shreds," she added, her voice serious.
"Aah. So it's a magic mountain," Luffy said, leaving Nami hopeless in trying to explain to him.
"Say, I've been meaning to ask, but what's with your cape? It's been reflecting all sorts of colors whenever it billows," Usopp asked, noting Lucas's cape and reminding him that he hadn't changed back.
"Right, that reminds me. Omnitrix, change back to my normal clothes," Lucas said. His sentry suit turned back into his normal casual wear, and as they changed back, he made an invisible barrier to ward off the rain from making his clothes wet.
"Awesome. How'd you do that? Are you a magician?" Luffy asked, amazed by Lucas's sudden change of clothes.
"Oh look, it's the magic mountain," Lucas pointed, redirecting Luffy's attention to the mountain. The crew was amazed at the sight, but as they drew near, they placed their amazement aside, focusing on steering the ship. The rudder broke due to the strong currents, causing them to go off course. Luffy jumped and inflated himself, changing the course of the ship by acting as a cushion between the ship and the mountain wall. As the ship continued back, he stretched his hand, grabbing Zoro's hand and returning to the ship.
Now, the Straw Hats were finally headed towards the Grand Line. They rejoiced at their success, but as they descended to the Grand Line, a new obstacle stood in their way.
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