How can one travel from the North Blue to the West Blue?
This is a question worth contemplating.
Broadly speaking, there are two methods. The first involves entering the Grand Line, crossing the Calm Belt at an appropriate location, and traversing half the globe to reach the West Blue.
Theoretically, this process can apply to all sea regions.
However, in practice, this route is not only incredibly time-consuming but also exceedingly dangerous. The Grand Line is a chaotic and treacherous place rife with conflicts and dangers. Furthermore, the Calm Belt is home to the Sea Kings, massive aquatic creatures that dominate the area. For those lacking sufficient strength, venturing into the Calm Belt is tantamount to becoming a Sea King's meal. Additionally, traditional wind-powered ships are unable to navigate its still waters.
Thus, the only truly safe and efficient route connecting the seas is one that passes through the Red Line's Holy Land, Mariejois.
Known as the "World Artery," this route connects the Grand Line's first half with the New World and links the four seas—North, South, East, and West—serving as the primary conduit uniting the world's oceans.
This "World Artery" offers the shortest, fastest, and safest passage between the seas. Its strategic importance and geographic centrality have allowed Mariejois to prosper for over 800 years, firmly earning its reputation as the Holy Land.
However, this vital route has its drawbacks, most notably its monopolized control.
As the saying goes, "Monopolies are always the most expensive." Since the World Government controls the sole safe passage between the seas, it imposes exorbitant tolls on those wishing to use this route.
The toll is divided into two main categories:
People Only (No Ships)
Due to the Red Line's geography, it is extremely difficult for ships to pass through. As a result, the most common practice is for caravans to dock at Mariejois, unload their goods, and transport them to the opposite port for reloading onto new ships. This "people only" option is relatively affordable, and many major trading companies have fleets stationed near Mariejois in each sea region to accommodate this system.
People and Ships
This is the most expensive option. Ships arriving at Mariejois are hoisted by massive cranes, transported across the Red Line by land, and then lowered into the sea at the destination port. The cost for this service, based on the size of the ship, can easily reach billions of Berries.
At this moment, Doflamingo stood aboard his ship, the Flamingo, as it was hoisted by one of Mariejois's giant cranes. The crane's mechanism gripped the ship firmly, slowly lifting it along a track ascending the Red Line.
As a Young Master with no shortage of funds, Doflamingo had chosen to transport both himself and his ship to the West Blue. After all, the Flamingo was a modestly-sized, three-masted schooner. The cost? A mere 10 million Berries—a price the Donquixote Family could easily afford.
In truth, the Donquixote Family had the capability to traverse the Calm Belt and reach the West Blue. Their smuggling operations often employed paddle steamers, enabling them to bypass the windless seas.
As for the Sea Kings, centuries of smuggling had revealed relatively safe routes through the Calm Belt with fewer Sea Kings. By pairing these routes with capable crews or preparing suitable "offerings" to deter the creatures, crossing the Calm Belt, while risky, was not a death sentence.
Nevertheless, this method was far more time-consuming, often taking months or even years to complete. In comparison, paying to pass through Mariejois was a much faster option.
"Doffy, this machinery that can lift a ship onto the Red Line… It's really amazing! Did you used to live here?" asked a young boy with a mushroom-shaped haircut and sunglasses, gazing in awe at the spectacle before him.
Among the Donquixote Family, those close to Doflamingo knew he didn't shy away from discussing his painful past. He never treated his history as a taboo or untouchable wound.
The boy speaking to him now was none other than Vergo, Doflamingo's childhood companion and trusted brother figure.
Vergo, the same age as Doflamingo, had grown up alongside him. With a natural talent for Haki and a shared dedication to training, the two had been inseparable, pushing each other to grow stronger.
"Yes," Doflamingo replied casually. "This is my first time returning here since I was exiled… As for the crane, it's nothing special." He retrieved a cigarette from his pocket, lighting it with a practiced motion.
Doflamingo had been smoking since he was eight—a habit he continued into adulthood. Perhaps he'd one day succumb to lung cancer?
The crane mechanism at Mariejois wasn't particularly sophisticated. Like the moving walkways, it appeared advanced but was, in reality, powered by enslaved giants. If Doflamingo's memory served him right, the "crane" was essentially a massive winch operated by giant slaves.
"Slave trading… Truly a lucrative business. Even in Mariejois, it's no different," Doflamingo mused.
As a dominant force in the North Blue's underworld, Doflamingo was no stranger to the slave trade. In fact, the Donquixote Family actively participated in this business.
On the far western edge of the North Blue, near the Calm Belt, lay a massive island akin to a continent, rivaling Alabasta in size. This island was home to primitive tribes of "savages," dark-skinned and lazy, yet living comfortably due to the island's abundant resources.
Surrounded by constant thick fog, treacherous reefs, and whirlpools, the island had been largely inaccessible for centuries.
However, two years ago, the fog inexplicably dissipated within three months, exposing the island. The Donquixote Family immediately launched expeditions to survey and capture the island's inhabitants, selling them as slaves to plantations and estates across the North Blue.
Thus, Donquixote Doflamingo pioneered the North Blue's black slave trade.
This new "commodity" added to the already diverse slave market. The captured were classified as "black slaves."
As the ship slowly ascended, Mariejois came into view.
Doflamingo could almost feel the familiar sea breeze of his childhood. Beneath its freshness, however, lingered a stench he detested.
The stench of the Celestial Dragons.
First impressions are critical. When Doflamingo's soul first awakened in this world, he had been met with the jeers and insults of the Celestial Dragons—a memory that solidified his hatred for them.
Even after altering his fate, Doflamingo's loathing for the Celestial Dragons remained unabated.
"Leaving Mariejois wasn't such a bad thing after all. After all… how could Donquixote achieve greatness while mingling with such parasites?" Doflamingo muttered, his gaze fixed on the distant Holy Land.
One day, he vowed, he would return to Mariejois in triumph. That lofty Empty Throne—if Imu could sit on it, why couldn't Donquixote Doflamingo?
This world's king… I'll be the one to claim that title.