Everyone stared down at the two men as they gathered around the table, narrowing their eyes at them. Aya had changed back into her clothes. She sat down on the edge of the table, leaning in, looking at them. L was completely unfazed and emotionless by the frowns and glares from everyone while Ichi was sitting with a wide sheepish grin on his face.
"Alright, spill it. Why are you two here? And how did you even get on this ship?" Sanji asked.
"And what about your mother? She's probably worried sick." Aya spoke.
"She'll be fine." L answered.
"Yeah, our mom's really strong! She may be old but she's knows how to get around easily. She has her ways." Ichi grinned as he rocked in the chair. "It was actually her who told us that we were old enough to leave. And we've always been waiting for this chance! It's our dream!"
"Your dream?" Nami asked.
"We want to see the world for ourselves and have our own adventures." L explained as he told the straw hats. "So, we stow away on board the ship, inside sake barrels, without you guys noticing."
"We were going to introduce ourselves, eventually, but for some reason the ship was rocking very violently so we decided to wait until it calmed down. When it did, we got hungry. Sorry for eating almost all of the food. But there's still some left." Ichi told them. "We can work for it to pay you back, if that's the case." Luffy stared at him, silently, listening.
"So, you wanted adventures of your own and your first thought was to hop aboard a pirate ship that's filled with pirates? You didn't even think about the danger or consequences of what would happen?" Aya asked them.
"Yep." Ichi nodded.
"Seem's about right to me." Luffy murmured.
"Don't agree with them!" Nami scolded him.
"Well, what should we do with these two?" Aya asked, turning to everyone.
"I vote that we toss them out into the sea." Zoro replied.
"Let's just dump them off at the next island." Sanji spoke.
"If you think that we're a burden, don't. We know how to handle ourselves. We can fight." L told them. "We've been training for this moment."
"We won't slow you down. Please, let us join your crew!" Ichi insisted, determinedly.
"They seem pretty dead set about this." Usopp said.
"What do you think, Luffy?" Zoro asked him.
"Alright, you can join my crew." Luffy told the two young men. Ichi and L's eyes widened, looking at Luffy in surprise. L made a small smirk while Ichi was practically beaming, cheering.
"I'm going to get the food started, well, what's left of it. What does any want?" Sanji asked.
"MEAT!" Luffy and Ichi both shouted.
"You just ate!" Aya and L both shouted. Ichi ignored them, chanting along with Luffy saying "food" repeatedly.
Everyone ate and celebrated with the two new members of the Straw Hat crew. Aya smiled as she watched Ichi and Luffy wolfing down the food in a competition on who could eat the most. Luffy won by a landslide. Ichi slumped on the floor, looking like he was going to puke. L sat down with Zoro as the two were drinking some rum, watching. L silently glanced over at Aya, staring and watching her as she laughed along with the rest of the Straw Hats.
The next morning came, everyone was outside on the ship enjoying the weather.
"Nami, shouldn't we reach the Grand Line, soon?" Luffy asked her.
"What do you think? We just left Loguetown a few days ago. It'll take some time before we get there. Just be patient." She told him.
"Okay!" Luffy grinned and rocked as he sat down the ship's figurehead.
"Ah, feel that sunshine. With weather like this, it's almost seems like that storm was just a bad dream." Usopp remarked. Aya frowned. Nami noticed, turning to her.
"What's wrong?" She asked. "You've had that strange look on your face for a while now."
"Nami, this may sound crazy, but it feels like we're not even moving." Aya replied. Nami's eyes widened a little. She looked around, quietly looking in the surroundings. Zoro hummed, noticing too.
"She's right, I feel it too. We're dead in the water." Nami looked up at the mast seeing that the sails, weren't moving.
"Now that you've mentioned it, the sail isn't appearing to be catching any wind at all." Then Nami's eye's widened in realization and she let out a scream. Luffy, Usopp, Sanji, jumped completely startled by the woman's scream. Ichi, and L looked up at her.
"What's wrong?" Luffy asked.
"Are you hurt?!" Sanji shouted in worry. Nami's eyes were filled with horror as her face went completely pale and started to sweat, nervously.
"We're screwed! WE'VE ENTERED THE CALM BELT!" She cried out
"The grand belt?" Luffy questioned.
"What's that?" Usopp asked.
"CALM belt, a part of the sea where nothing moves a muscle!" Nami told everyone.
"So there's mussels and clams?!" Luffy asked, excitedly.
"NO!" Nami exclaimed, furiously. Suddenly, the ship shook a little as something hit it underneath.
"What was that, an earthquake?" Luffy questioned.
"We're at sea." Aya deadpanned, frowning at him.
"All of this chit chat isn't going to get us out of here. Pull the sails and start paddling now. We have to get to get back on course." Nami told everyone.
"You can count on me!" Sanji smiled.
"Don't panic and besides, this isn't a sailboat. Why do we need to paddle?" Usopp asked her.
"Look, there's no time to argue, just shut up and do as I say!" Nami insisted.
"At least it's nice and quiet here." Luffy replied. Nami let out a growl in frustration.
"Fine! If I need to explain it to you, I will. We've ended up going too far south and now we're off course and stuck out here!" She shouted, irritated.
"So we've entered the Grand Line?" Luffy said.
"If we're at the the Grand Line, you think I waste my time explaining this!?" She exclaimed. Nami pulled out a map of their location, placing it down. Everyone gathered around, looking at it as she explained. "Now, look. The Grand Line is sandwiched in the middle between these two group areas we see here. You understand?"
"Sort of." Luffy answered.
"These areas labeled here are what's known as the calm belt. That's where we are. Nobody knows why but inside the calm belt there's no winds or current, it's like a void where everything's stagnant. Given the sail boats move by touching winds, this is more than a dangerous region. It could be fatal, get it?" Nami finished.
"Nope. But it sounds like we're in big trouble." Luffy replied.
"Good." Nami sighed.
"So, this is what that geezer meant when he said that it was dangerous." Sanji frowned.
"Well, that explains why we've haven't gotten a single gust of wind." Zoro murmured.
"How are we going to get out of this if our ship can't move?" Usopp asked.
"Maybe the wind will start blowing again?" Ichi suggested.
"Winds don't blow here, idiot." L frowned at him. "We're you even listening?"
"And that's not all, there's another reason why people call this area dangerous. It's infested with-!" Nami spoke before a harsh jerk, rocked the boat, knocking everyone down on the floorboards. Usopp caught Aya just before she slid off the ship. L grabbed Ichi before he was tossed off. The ship started to rise as they saw the clouds, moving a little closer. Everyone's eyes widen in shock, letting out horrified yelps and squeaks in terror, not moving a muscle, as they saw that they were onto of a giant sea monster's head. More came out from the sea, surrounding the ship.
"Sea monsters! They're gigantic!" Usopp cried out.
"The calm belt is also home to the sea kings. It's their main breeding ground. They're the biggest reason way people can't cross the calm belt!" Nami exclaimed.
"Any idea on how we get out of this?" Sanji asked.
"Yes, everybody don't move a muscle. We don't want to give them any reason to stick around to eat us. Once they're gone, we'll paddle back, got it?" Zoro told everyone.
"YOU CALL THAT A PLAN!?" Usopp shouted. Nami and Aya quickly slapped their hands on the sniper's mouth.
"Shut up!" Nami hissed.
"You're going to piss them off!" Aya whispered.
"Sorry."
Suddenly, a giant frog leaped towards them, heading towards the sea king that the ship was underneath of. It smacked right into the creature, before crashing back into the water.
"The giant frog is attacking one!" Usopp shouted.
"It's spotted us!" Aya shouted.
"Hold on!" Zoro shouted. Suddenly, the ship began to rumble as the sea king underneath began to make strange noises.
"It's going to sneeze." L replied.
"Everybody hold on!" Luffy shouted. The creature let out a huge sneeze, knocking the the Merry off it's head, sending it flying.
"Usopp fell!" Aya shouted. Luffy turned his head just in time to see the sniper fall overboard. A sea king was below him as it opened its mouth, ready to eat him.
"Usopp!" Luffy quickly stretched his arm, grabbing Usopp and pulled him away just as the creature snapped his mouth shut. He pulled the sniper back on board the ship.
"Get ready we're going for a ride!" Luffy shouted. "It feels like we're flying!"
"In case you haven't noticed, we are flying!" Ussop shouted. The ship sailed away and landed into the water. Everyone felt the ship started to move again as the cool winds blew into the sails.
They quickly sailed away, getting some distance away from the sea kings, escaping unnoticed. Seeing that they were safe, Nami pulled everyone inside the kitchen and started to explain about the mountain which would take them to the Grand Line, as everyone gathered around at the table, looking at the map.
"Take a look. I'm familiar with the rumors and these drawings prove it. As unimaginable as it may seem, the entrance to the Grand Line is a mountain." Nami told them.
"So, what, do we crash into it?" Zoro asked.
"I didn't believe it either. The mountain appears to be riddled with small canals. So, we might have to go up and over it." Nami said.
"Sounds like fun!" Luffy smiled.
"What are you talking about? Even if there are canals or whatever, a ship can't climb up a mountain." Zoro replied, in disbelief.
"Well, the map says otherwise." Nami frowned.
"That's right. If Nami thinks something can be done then it can! You got that?!" Sanji shouted, angrily at the swordsman.
"Yeah but remember that map was stolen from Buggy the Clown. Can we trust it?" Zoro asked.
"Guys, a little help? The rudder's stuck!" Usopp shouted as he tried to get it to move, pulling on it.
"Sanji, can you please give Usopp a hand. I can't think with all his shouting!" Nami told him.
"Right away, Nami!" The cook went over to help Usopp and the two tried to get the rudder to move while the rest of the crew tried to decide on what to do next about the mountain.
"What if it's the currents?" Aya suggested. Nami's eyes widened in surprise. She turned to Aya. "If there are canals in the mountain and it goes up it, then it must be the currents. It pulls anything that gets close into it."
"Does this current seem unusually strong to anyone?" Usopp asked.
"Usopp, what did you just say?" Nami asked, turning to him.
"I asked if anyone noticed the strength of this current." The sniper spoke.
"The current...that must be,"
"What is it?" Luffy asked Nami.
"The canals steeper up the mountain." She answered.
"We really have to sail up the mountain. It's the sea currents! If powerful currents from all four seas converge at that mountain. The waters would rush up the sides through the canals, collide at the top and flow out into the Grand Line! This ship is already riding the current, so all we have to do is steer. Reverse Mountain is a winter island, so when the currents collide with it, the upper waters are forced back under. If a ship misses the canal, it breaks up and is swallowed up by the sea. Get it?"
"In other words, it's a mystery mountain!" Luffy chuckled.
"Guess not." Nami sighed and she continued. "Anyways, since we're positioned on this current. We shouldn't have any problems getting to the summit of Reverse Mountain. The only thing that can hurt us now is if something went wrong with the rudder."
"Nami, you're a genius!" Sanji shouted.
"I've never heard of anyone sailing over a mountain before." Zoro murmured.
"I've heard a few stories." Sanji said.
"About a mystery mountain?" Luffy grinned.
"No, about the Grand Line." Sanji spoke. "I've heard you've got to be half-dead before you entered it. I knew it wouldn't be easy."
The crew headed outside, seeing that it was starting to rain. The winds were starting to pick up.
"Sanji, can you get the sail?" Nami shouted.
"Of course, Nami!" He shouted. "Luffy help me!" The two climbed up to the masts, tying the sails down. As Luffy was finishing up, he noticed something ahead in front of the shape. A dark shadowy figure began to slowly appear, getting closer. Luffy's eyes widened.
"There's the mystery mountain!" He exclaimed, excitedly.
"It's huge!" Usopp cried out.
"That's the entrance to the Grand Line." Nami said.
"Awesome! It's bigger than I thought!" Luffy grinned. Suddenly, a harsh jerk shook the ship, nearly knocking everyone off their feet, as the Going Merry got caught in the fast current. Luffy almost fell from the mast, hanging on tightly as his arms stretched.
"We're going to be sucked in! Steer carefully!" He shouted.
"Leave it to us!" Sanji and Usopp shouted.
"Nami! Where's that entrance that you were talking about!? I can't see anything! We're going to crash into the rocks!" Luffy called out to her.
"There's a crack in that cliff. That must be it!" Nami replied.
"Nami, give us a direction!" Usopp shouted.
"Keep baring straight ahead!"
"You can't be serious!" Usopp exclaimed.
"It's true! The ocean, it's the entrance to the canal, is rushing up the mountain!" Nami said.
"Have we made it to the canal entrance?" Luffy asked Nami as he landed beside her.
"More than likely." She smiled. Luffy grinned.
"I don't believe it. It's impossible the ocean really is flowing up the mountain." Zoro said in disbelief as he looked at the canal entrance, through the pair of binoculars.
"We have to make it through those gates just right or we'll crash into the Red Line and be smashed into pieces!" Nami warned. The ship started to drift of course, leaning left as it got closer.
"We're a little off! More to the right! Right!" Luffy shouted to Usopp and Sanji.
"Right!? You mean star board! Here we go!" Usopp and Sanji, along with L and Ichi started to pull on the rudder, trying to get it to turn. It wouldn't budge. The four pushed harder with all their strength. Snap! The rudder had broken as it snapped off. Usopp and Sanji were thrown forward, colliding with the table. Ichi and L were thrown to the other side, falling on the floor. Aya's eyes widened along with everyone else as they gaped in shock.
"It broke." L deadpanned.
"The rudder!" Everyone exclaimed. The Merry was getting closer and closer to the gates. Without the rudder, to steer the ship, it was going to smash into the mountain!
"We're gonna crash!" Ichi cried out. Luffy jumped off the boat, putting himself between the ship and the gates to the canal. "Gum Gum Balloon!" He inflated himself into a ball. The ship crashed into Luffy and bounced off of him, veering right back in course.
"We're saved!" Nami cried out in relief. Zoro quickly rushed to the side of the ship, holding his hand out.
"Luffy, grab on!" Luffy stretched his arm, grabbing the swordsman's hand and Zoro pulled him back. Luffy was flung forward, and he crashed headfirst into the floor of the ship, smashing into it. The rain slowly began to let up and it completely stopped. The ship rode along with the current. Sanji, Usopp, and Ichi cheered as they danced together.
"WE MADE IT!" The three exclaimed. Nami grinned in celebration and taking off her raincoat.
"Now we just have to slide down!" She shouted. Luffy pulled himself out from the floorboards. He ran towards the front of the ship, standing with Zoro, seeing the current take the ship upwards to the top of the mountain like a huge rollercoaster.
"Wow, look how high we are! We're in the clouds!" Luffy shouted.
"We've done it, we've reached the summit!" Nami shouted. The ship reached the top and it was knocked up, tossing everyone into the air. Then it came down, taking them with it and landed on the next canal, riding the current down.
"Wow! I see it! The Grand Line!" Luffy grinned. "Somewhere, out there the One Piece is waiting and we're gonna find it!"