Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. I only own my OC, Aurora.


Chapter 23

"Nami, this is bad! The light just went out!" Luffy's voice rang out, said boy hanging upside down from the ship's figurehead. "And that was our guiding light too! What do we do now?"

Nami walked up to where her captain was perched, swathed in a raincoat. "Well, it is only a lighthouse. It can go out from time to time. Besides, it's for times like these you have a navigator, you know? So don't worry. I know the basic direction at least."

Luffy swung himself up, lower body now dangling from the figurehead. "Wow. You're amazing."

"More importantly, can you please get off from there!?"

"No, this is my spot! You can't have it!"

"When did I say I wanted it!?" Nami roared. "But this is rather troubling… at this rate, it'll be exactly as the rumors say…!"


"The entrance to the Grand Line… is a mountain."

Nami slammed the map down on the table. The straw hats were all gathered in the galley, gobsmacked at this revelation. Even Aurora, who was originally from the Grand Line, hadn't known that. She'd lived a sheltered life for the most part, due to what she was. Not to mention, when she'd escaped Skypiea and struck out on her own, she'd traveled via the skies and flown high enough that she couldn't be seen. This also meant she couldn't necessarily see what all was below her. She probably flew right over the mountain without realizing it.

"A mountain!?" Usopp gaped.

"Exactly. I had a hard time believing it myself when I looked at the map, but look!" Nami pointed to the map. "The light of guidance was directly pointing at Reverse Mountain located right here on Red Line."

"Does that mean we have to crash through the mountain?"

"No, there's a waterway right here."

"A waterway? That's crazy!" Usopp croaked. "Even if that waterway really is there, there's no way a ship could climb up a mountain!"

"But that's what the map says."

"That's right. As if what Nami says could ever be wrong!" Sanji defended the navigator.

"But isn't that the map you stole from Buggy?" Zoro asked. "How dependable could it be?"

"I know Buggy's our enemy and all, but I doubt he'd carry around a false map." Aurora was quick to defend Nami as well. "Besides, Nami's our navigator. We need to trust that she knows what she's doing."

"Aurora's right!" Sanji was quick to agree. The girl sweatdropped and discreetly inched away from the cook. It would take a while for her to get used to his affections toward women… especially when it got directed at her.

"Are we really gonna climb up a mountain on a ship!? That sounds so cool! So it's a magic mountain, huh?" Luffy missed the point entirely, like always.

Zoro piped up once more. "In the first place, why do we even have to enter directly through the entrance anyways? Couldn't we just head directly south and still enter?"

"No we can't!" Luffy argued.

"That's right, and there's a perfectly good reason for that." Nami agreed.

"It's so much cooler to go in using the real entrance!"

Nami punched Luffy in the back of the head. "That's not the reason!"

"Wait, wha?" Usopp's voice drifted over, the sniper peering out the porthole. "Guys! The storm suddenly stopped!"

"Hey, you're right." Sanji popped up next to him.

Nami's head whipped around. "What? That can't be… that storm should have directly led us to the entrance…"

The crew bustled outside onto the deck. What Usopp said rang true. The storm had stopped. Everything was calm.

"Wow, such a nice day!"

"I wonder what happened to the storm?"

"Hahahaha!"

"Oh no!" Nami cried. "We've entered Calm Belt…!"

Aurora was confused. "Calm Belt? What's that? Why are you so worried? Nami?"

"Hey, look. Even though the storm's still going on over there, it's perfectly calm over here…"

"This is no time to be standing around! Go grab the oars and start rowing as fast as you can!" Nami ordered the boys. "We have to return back to the storm immediately!"

"As you wish, Nami!" Sanji was happy to acquiesce.

"What're you getting so worked up about?" Luffy was confused, much like Aurora was earlier. "And you know this is a sail ship, not a rowboat, right?"

"Why would we even want to go back into the storm?" Usopp questioned.

Nami was practically screeching now. "JUST SHUT UP AND DO AS I SAY!"

"But the weather's so nice here…" Zoro wasn't concerned.

"Fine, then I'll give you your explanation! Right now, we've drifted south exactly as you suggested doing!"

"Oh, so we're in Grand Line now?"

Nami looked ready to blow. "If it were that easy, anybody could just come to Grand Line whenever they wanted!"

Aurora laid a hand on the navigator's shoulder, releasing a bit of her power into her. Nami's tension went down a fraction, the navigator nodding in gratitude at the angel. She needed to be calmer if she was going to explain the situation.

"Listen! The Grand Line is surrounded by two ocean belts. And those two windless belts know as the Calm Belt are exactly where we're stuck in right now!"

"Calm, eh? Sure seems that way with no wind and all." Zoro continued to be nonchalant. "So what's your point?"

"The point is that-" Nami was cut off as the ship began to shake.

"Ahh! Is this an earthquake?"

"But we're out in the open seas!"

The crew all happened to glance beyond the railing at the same time, a terrifying sight meeting their eyes.

"HOLY… SH…" Luffy couldn't even get the words out.

Nami hugged the mast, tears streaming from her eyes. "This place is a den… for sea kings… the big ones especially."

She wasn't kidding. Their tiny little ship was perched upon the snout of a very large sea king. Aurora had heard of sea kings before, but never had she seen one. The tales paled in comparison to the sight of such a monster. It was at that moment that the sea king took notice of them.

"A… alright… as soon as this thing dives back down into the sea, start rowing your arms off, got it!?"

"Aye aye!" the boys agreed with Zoro, no questions asked.

"A…" the sea king began to twitch. "CHOO!"

The sneeze sent the ship flying, the crew airborne as well. Aurora released her wings to catch herself, the rest of the crew scrambling to grab hold of some part of the ship.

"WHAAAAAAAA!?"

"RIBBIT" the sound came from nearby.

"AGHH! A giant frog is jumping this way!"

"Don't get thrown overboard!"

"Usopp just fell!"

"USOOOOOOPPPP!" Luffy cried, his arm stretching to grab their sniper.

"AHHHHH!"

The ship came crashing back down onto the sea, rain pelting the five figures laid out on the deck. Aurora too became soaked once more, landing shakily on the deck next to her crewmates. Having wings saved her from a rough landing. Unfortunately, the others didn't have that luxury.

Crack! Rumble! Rumble!

"Oh thank god… we're back in the storm now…"

"Now do you understand why we have to use the entrance?" Nami groaned.

"Yeah… understood…"

Nami popped up. "Ah, I got it…!"

"What?"

"We really are going to climb up the mountain!"

"You still going on about that?" Zoro grumbled.

"It must be due to the sea currents. If strong currents from each of the four seas were to all head towards that mountain then they would drive the water up the waterway. And at the very top, the currents will merge and come out to the Grand Line! Since we're already riding the currents, all we have to worry about is steering properly. Reverse Mountain is a winter island so the currents that hit its edge will travel down to the bottom of the sea. So if we fail to enter the waterway, we'll crash and get dragged down to the bottom of the sea. Got it?"

"So basically, you're saying that it's a magic mountain, right?" Luffy was still on that kick.

"I shouldn't have expected you to understand…" Nami lamented.

"Nami, you're amazing!" Sanji was swooning again.

"Never heard of a ship going up a mountain before." Zoro seemed skeptical.

"I've heard a bit."

"About the mountain?"

"No, but I've heard things about Grand Line…" Sanji admitted. "Supposedly, half of the people die just trying to go in. Entering it is no easy task."

"Guess I had it easy when I exited." Aurora muttered under her breath.

"What was that, Aurora?"

"N-Nothing!" she stuttered, not realizing she'd been heard. She really needed to learn to keep her comments to herself.

"I see the magic mountain!" Luffy crowed, Aurora silently thanking her captain for drawing the attention away from her.

"Wait! What's that huge shadow!?"

"So that's the Red Line? I can't even see the top because of the clouds!"

"Get a good grip of the rudder so we don't get dragged down under!" Luffy commanded.

"Just leave it to us!" Sanji and Usopp gripped the rudder tightly.

"Amazing."

Zoro held up binoculars. "I can't believe it… the ocean is…"

"It's the entrance to the waterway!"

"The water really does go up the mountain." Aurora breathed. How did she miss this when leaving the Grand Line all those years ago? She must've been flying higher up than she originally thought.

"We're veering off course! Turn a little to the right!" Luffy shouted.

"Right!? Turn starboard!"

"HNGHHH!"

Sanji and Usopp began to move the rudder, but there was one slight problem. The two boys put too much strength behind the action. The rudder broke.

"The rudder just…"

"We're gonna crash!"

Luffy rushed forward, throwing his hat to Zoro, who caught it with ease. "Gomu Gomu… BALLOON!"

The rubber boy's body expanded as he placed himself between the ship and the gate of the waterway. The Merry bounced off of Luffy's body, propelling it to the right as intended.

"We're saved!" Nami cheered, the navigator squeezing the angel standing next to her. Aurora grunted at the strength of the navigator's hug, but was smiling nonetheless. Luffy had saved them again.

"Luffy! Grab onto my hand!" Zoro reached out. The straw hat captain stretched his arm out, hand firmly clasping the swordsman's. Zoro yanked Luffy back onto the ship, Nami and Aurora having to move to avoid being landed on. In the background, Sanji and Usopp could be heard cheering.

"WE DID IT!"

"Now all we have to do is go down!"

"Whoa…" Luffy breathed, perched once again on the sheep's head. "Ohhh! I can see the Grand Line up ahead! So this is the greatest sea in the world! FULL SPEED AHEAD!"

"BUOOOOOH!"

"Hm? Did you hear something just now?" Zoro perked up.

"Who cares! WOOHOO!"

"I wouldn't be surprised if that's just noise from the wind." Nami commented. "The terrain here is quite odd after all."

"BUOOHHHHH!"

"What's that…"

"Nami! There's a mountain up ahead!" Sanji called out from his perch.

"A mountain? That can't be! Once we pass the twin capes up ahead, we should reach the open sea."

Aurora flew up next to where the cook was, peering into the distance. "Sanji's right. I see something up ahead. But it's too foggy to tell right now."

"Thank you, my beautiful angel!"

Aurora cringed, taking in Sanji's heart-eyed expression. "The thanks aren't really necessary…"

"Of course they are!"

"Sanji!" Nami snapped. "Quit fawning over Aurora and focus!"

"Yes, Nami!"

With the cook's attention now placed on her, Nami sent the angel a discreet wink. Aurora mouthed her thanks, grateful that the navigator understood how uncomfortable such attention made her.

"BUOOHHHHH!"

"Hm?"

The sight that met their eyes was not what the Straw Hat Pirates were expecting.

"That's no mountain!"

"It's a whale!"

"BUOOOOHHHHH!"

Blocking their entry into the Grand Line was a very large black whale.

"What do we do!?"

"Should we fight!?"

"Are you kidding!? How the heck are we supposed to fight something that big!?"

"But it's blocking our way!"

"We're too close to see anything! It looks like just a giant wall!" Sanji observed. "Where are its eyes!?"

"Ah, that's right! Maybe the whale just hasn't noticed us yet!"

Wanting to get a closer look, Aurora took to the skies, ignoring Nami's cries for her to come back. Zoro's voice shouting out orders faded away as she climbed higher and higher.

She was quite high in altitude now, but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle. Still, it amazed her to see how large the whale really was just sticking straight up out of the ocean. Aurora flew off to the left, trying to locate where the whale's eyes were. Maybe if she got its attention…

Aurora screeched to a halt, one lone eye landing on her form. The whale had taken notice of her. She didn't see anything malevolent in its gaze… just curiousity. It probably hadn't seen a being like her before. Aurora gently smiled, sending a friendly wave in the whale's direction. She went to speak when-

BOOM!

The sound startled the girl, her wings flapping in alarm. Gazing down, she saw smoke through the fog. Had someone fired the cannon!?

'Why do I get the feeling that Luffy did that?' she lamented.

The Going Merry crashed into the whale's body, the figurehead breaking off during impact. It landed on the deck with a thud! The two acts caused a reaction in the whale, it's eye widening. But… it didn't retaliate-

"BUOOOOHHHH!"

Aurora slammed her hands over her ears, the sound deafening this close up. "W-Wait! We're sorry! We didn't mean to harm you! It was an accident!"

"How dare… you destroy… MY SPECIAL SEAT!" Luffy's fist slammed into the whale's eye, just barely missing Aurora, who could only stare in horror.

"THAT IDIOT!" the crew cried out.

Luffy's assault didn't seem to have much of an effect, the whale's gaze landing on the Going Merry.

"It saw us!"

"Come at me, you bastard!" Luffy was ready to fight.

Zoro and Usopp kicked him from behind. "Just shut the hell up already!"

At that moment, the whale opened its mouth, water rapidly rushing in. Caught in that rush was the Going Merry. Aurora heard her crewmates cries of distress. They were heading into the whale!

"No! Wait!" Aurora cried. "Please, don't do this!"

"AGHHHHHHHHH!"

Aurora could make out her captain's form falling from the ship. If he landed in the water, he would drown for sure!

"Luffy!"

The angel swooped down, wrapping her arms around her captain. But it was no use. Getting so close had caused her to get caught up in the vortex with Luffy in tow.

"I ain't gonna die here!"

Stretching his arm out, Luffy managed to grab hold of something outside of the whale's mouth. Keeping a tight grip on the angel, the two were pulled to safety, the whale having swallowed their friends and ship whole.

Luffy and Aurora both panted in exhaustion, now situated atop the whale. They'd managed to make it out alive, but their friends…

"What do we do now? Everyone was swallowed up." Luffy sprang to life, pounding on the whale they sat upon. "Hey you! Give me my friends back! Cough 'em up!"

Aurora practically dove at her captain, grabbing hold of his hammering fists. "Luffy, stop! You're just going to make it mad again! We have to be calm and rational about this."

The two teens started, the whale having sunk into the ocean a few feet.

Luffy continued his assault from earlier, now stomping his feet. "Damn it! Planning to dive under the sea!? Wait! I said wait! Give my back my crewmates! We were about to start our grand adventure! They're my important friends!"

Aurora grabbed hold of her captain once more, halting his assault. "Luffy! Calm down! We'll get them back. If I remember correctly, whales feed on other aquatic life forms, not humans."

"So they're still alive?"

Aurora nodded. "Mmhmm. I'd say based on his size, he'll either blow them out of his spout when he needs to breath, or…"

"Or what?"

"Or he'll end up expelling them as waste."

Luffy cocked his head in confusion. "Huh?"

Aurora twitched, not wanting to use what she considered vulgar language. Luffy wasn't giving her much of a choice though. She had to dumb it down. "He'll poop them out, Luffy."

"But that could take forever!"

The two were suddenly jolted as the whale began to move once more. Only this time, he seemed intent on going underwater.

"Luffy, quick! Grab onto me! I'll fly us out of here. We can come back when he breaches." When she got no response, Aurora turned. "Luffy?"

Her captain was staring at something in curiosity. "Huh?"

Aurora peered around the straw-hat wearing boy. The sight that greeted her eyes baffled her as well. "There's a door… in the whale."

Yes, there was indeed a door situated atop the whale, not far from where they stood. With the whale rapidly beginning its descent, the two crewmates shared a look, coming to a decision.

Luffy yanked open the door, Aurora dropping in first with her captain not far behind. They slammed the door shut, locking it from within. At least they didn't have to worry about drowning now, but…

"What the…" Luffy gaped. "Just what is all this? Why's there a door in a whale…? And a hallway, too…"

Aurora took in the hallway they now stood in. It appeared to be made out of metal, with wooden supports here and there. "How can a whale live with all of this inside of it? It shouldn't be possible…"

The two teens went to take a step when suddenly they were thrown around. They bounced off the walls, not having a chance to regain their footing. Luffy was fine, due to being a rubber man, but Aurora knew she'd have some major bruises later. Nothing that couldn't be healed though.

"Wha!? What's going on!? AGHHHHH!"

The two continued to bounce along, traveling further and further down the hall.

Aurora couldn't get her bearings. "My head is spinning! I think I'm gonna be sick!"

"What!? A dead end!?" Luffy's voice rang out, followed by the sound of a sickening thud!

Aurora fell into her captain, his body cushioning the blow. The two slid down the wall they'd crashed into, abruptly dropping through another entryway to a walkway below. Luffy landed with a groan, Aurora managing to release her wings in time to stop her descent.

She landed gracefully next to her captain, reaching down to help him stand. "Where are we now?"

"Is this an ocean or a river? Looks like a waterway of some sort…"

"I think you're right."

"I am?"

The angel chuckled. "Yes, Luffy. This is a waterway. But I don't understand. Why is all this built inside the whale? How did all this not harm it?"

The walkway they were on suddenly tilted, both teens' feet sliding out from underneath them. Luffy scrambled to find purchase on the wall, Aurora hovering in the air to keep from taking another trip.

"Agh, I'm sliding down! Aurora, help!"

"Take my hand!" the angel thrust a hand out, Luffy latching onto it with his own. There was just one slight problem…

Luffy's arm began to stretch, the rubber man now barreling down the walkway. His arm began to snap back, abruptly dragging Aurora along with him.

She shrieked, trying to pry Luffy's hand off. "Luffy! Let go! AAAAAHHHH!"

"AGHHHH!" Luffy began to scream as well. "I can't stop! I can't stop! Please stop me!"

Two figures up ahead snapped to attention, startled by the sight of the two pirates.

"W-Who's that, Mr. 9!?"

"I have no idea, Miss Wednesday!"

"AGHHHHHH!" the two teens screamed in unison.

"AGHHHHHH!"

Luffy collided with the pair first, Aurora slamming into him from behind. The force was enough to catapult them through the nearby door into another part of the whale. More specifically, its stomach.

"L-Luffy!? Aurora!?" a familiar voice rang out.

The two teens, who were airborne, glanced over. Floating not that far away was the Going Merry. And safe onboard were their crew.

"Guys! You're alright!" Luffy cheered, still dragging along Aurora. "Well, in any case, just help us out!"

It was then that the angel took note of Luffy's words, but by then it was too late. She didn't have time to react. With Luffy still clinging to her hand, Aurora got dragged down with the boy into the whale's stomach acid.

She surfaced with a gasp, keeping a tight hold on Luffy. With his devil fruit abilities, he would sink like a stone. And if the way he was wrapping himself around Aurora like a monkey was any indicator, he knew that too.

"Luffy, ease up. I can't breathe!"

"But I'll drown!"

"No you won't! I won't let you. Just try to calm down. The others will pull us out."


"The whale seems to have calmed down…"

Back aboard the Going Merry, Aurora and Luffy sat side by side perched atop the railing. At their feet were the two individuals they'd crashed into earlier.

The first was a young man. He wore a golden crown on top of his red hair and had the number 9 written on his cheeks. He wore a green suit with white lace along with a ruffled red scarf. His attire made him look like a prince or a king.

The second was a young woman. She had icy blue hair pulled back into a tight ponytail atop her head. She donned a white corset with concentric circles across the torso, white shorts, white go-go boots and mint green jacket with white fur trim.

"Well? Just who exactly are you guys…!?"

"I won't let you lay even a single finger on Laboon, for as long as I live!"

Both Luffy and Aurora perked up at the new voice, turning to where it had come from. "Who's that old man?"

"Oh, he's back…" Usopp recognized him.

"Fufufu…" the girl began to chuckle.

"Oh… but we're inside the whale now…"

The two stood, hauling their weapons up with them.

"It'll be only too easy, to blast a hole in its stomach!" They fired their bazookas. "We won't let you interfere in our whaling business any longer!"

The old man moved swiftly, launching himself off the platform he stood atop. There was a loud boom! but no hole appeared in the whale's stomach. The old man had jumped in the blast's path.

"That old man took the blast with his own body!" Usopp cried, watching the man fall to the waters below.

"What… so then, he's been protecting the whale…!?"

"Ohohohoho! Cease your futile resistance!"

"Just try to protect the whale if you still can! But it won't stop our town from using this whale as our food!"

"Wha… why is that old man…?"

"What's going on!?"

Aurora and Luffy, sitting in the background, cocked their heads in confusion. They had no idea who these people were or who the old man was. They had no idea what was going on… but they did know one thing. The two shared a look, nodding in silent agreement.

They pounced.

"I'm not sure what's going on but we'll knock these guys out for now!" Luffy declared, both he and Aurora standing over the man and woman, fists raised. They wouldn't stand for these two attacking the whale or old man any longer.

The old man merely watched on.


"This whale is an island whale, found normally in West Blue. It's the largest species of whale in the world. This one's name is Laboon." The old man, whose name was Crocus, began to explain. "And these two are rogues from a nearby town… their goal is to hunt Laboon, because the meat from Laboon can feed their town for 2-3 years. But I won't allow that! As for why Laboon keeps bashing his head against the Red Line, and bellows while facing Reverse Mountain… there's a reason for all that too."

Crocus seemed to drift into thought.

"Long ago, while I was minding my business as a lighthouse keeper, a certain group of friendly pirates came down Reverse Mountain. And following their ship was a little baby whale. That whale was Laboon. It seems that Laboon had accompanied their journey in West Blue, but fearing that Grand Line was too dangerous, they left him behind or so they thought. Normally island whales are known to swim together in pods, but to Laboon, those pirates were his pod members. Their ship was damaged when they arrived so they stayed her for several months to fix it. I became quite good friends with them during their stay. And so, on the day of their departure, their captain asked me, "Could you please take care of Laboon for 2-3 years? Once we've sailed around the world, we'll come back for him no matter what." Understanding their intent, Laboon patiently waited for them here."

"BUOOHHH…"

"So that's why he keep on bellowing even today…" Nami realized. "And bashing himself against Red Line…"

"That's right…" Crocus nodded. "It's been over 50 years since then…"

The crew was startled at this revelation.

"He still believes his friends will come back…"

"BUUUOOOOHHHH!"


"This is some waterway. I'm amazed you've managed to dig out such a big hole and live inside here. Is this another one of your ways of having a good time?"

The Going Merry sailed along inside Laboon, Crocus traveling alongside it on his ship/island.

"It's a hobby of mine as a doctor." Crocus answered. "Don't get the wrong idea. I may not look like much, but I'm a real doctor. I even used to run a clinic at the cape long ago. Not only that, I've got a few years under my belt working as a ship doctor too."

"A doctor!? Really!?" Luffy was excited. "Then join my crew as a doctor!"

Crocus docked his ship, climbing up a nearby ladder to open a large steel door. "Stop talking nonsense. I'm too old to be doing reckless things unlike you youths."

"So you're a doctor, huh…" Nami bemused. "And you're living inside a whale?"

"That's right. With a whale this big, it's impossible to properly treat it from the outside." Crocus explained. "I'll open this gate now."

He finished turning the wheel, the gate opening with a groan. The Going Merry sailed right on out, once again back in the ocean where it belonged.

"Alright!" Luffy cheered. "We're out! I can see the real sky at last!"

The gate shut behind them. "What should we do with these two?"

"Just throw them over somewhere around here."

The man and woman were tossed into the sea, the impact immediately bringing them back to consciousness.

"Ubagh! Where are we!?" the man wheezed.

"Is this stomach acid!?"

"No, we appear to be in a real ocean, Miss Wednesday."

"We must've been knocked out by those pirates. Mr. 9!"

Luffy leaned over the railing. "So… who were you guys again?"

"Shut up! It's none of your business!"

Aurora popped up next to her captain. "You just called each other by your names, Miss Wednesday and Mr. 9."

"Why would their parents name them that?"

"I don't think those are their actual names, Luffy. Codenames, perhaps?"

"Codenames?"

"… I'll explain later."

"Wait, Miss Wednesday. Perhaps it is their business. As long as they're pirates, that is." Mr. 9 piped up.

"True indeed, Mr. 9. Our organization may have some use for you. Prepare yourselves!"

The two turned, rapidly swimming away.

"Then we bid you good day until next time, you hillbilly pirates!"

"And heed this, Crocus!" Wednesday called back. "That whale shall be ours for the taking soon enough!"

"So her name is Miss Wednesday? What a beautiful enigma, your are." Sanji cooed, watching said woman swim away.

Luffy bent down, picking a strange object up off the deck. "Huh? Did someone drop this or something?"

Aurora looked over her captain's shoulder. "Must've belonged to those two. Wonder what it is?"

"Are you sure about just letting them go?" Nami questioned Crocus. "They'll be sure to come back for the whale again, you know."

"Even if I didn't let them go, there'll be other rogues who'll come to take their places."


"But to think it's been waiting here for 50 years… does it still believe its friends will really return?"

"Those pirates sure are taking a long time…" Luffy mused, lounging against a rock by Crocus's lighthouse.

"You idiot, this is the Grand Line." Sanji grumbled, perched atop a table nearby. Usopp and Zoro sat on either side of him. "They promised they'd be back in 2-3 years, yet they're still not back… the answer's obvious. They're long dead by now. They won't come back no matter how long that whale waits!"

Usopp abruptly stood. "Why do you have to go and say such cold things! You can't say that for sure! They still might come back! Can't you even appreciate such a moving story about a whale who still believes in his friends' promise…"

"The truth is far more cruel, however." Crocus piped up from behind. "Those fellows left already. Left from Grand Line, that is. I heard it from a reliable source."

"W… What!?"

"… so they just left the whale behind!?" Nami was shocked. "But that would mean they left Grand Line through Calm Belt!"

"Yes… that is why I do not know whether they survived or not. But even if they did survive, they would never dare to return here again… a place where the seasons, climate, currents, and winds could not be any more chaotic… a place where common sense fails to uphold… that place is this sea, the Grand Line, and it rules with fear over the faint-hearted."

"So basically, those cowards were more concerned about their lives than keeping a promise, and thus left Grand Line to never return again…" Sanji mused.

Usopp was livid. "So they just abandoned the whale behind!? Even though this whale never doubted them, and has been waiting here for over 50 years! How could they be so cruel!?"

"As much as I hate to say it, a lot of people in the world are like that." Aurora spoke up, having been pensively silent the rest of the time. "They become so concerned about themselves that they're willing to leave everything else behind if it means saving their own skin." She drifted into thought. 'I'm guilty of doing the same thing…'

The sound of Nami's voice broke Aurora from her thoughts. "If that's the case, then why haven't you tried telling the whale the truth!? This whale can understand human words, right!?"

"I have. I've told him the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. But he refuses to listen."

"He won't listen?"

Crocus appeared to be in thought, most likely thinking about when he'd told Laboon the truth. "Ever since then… Laboon has been bellowing at Reverse Mountain, and bashing his head against the Red Line, as if trying to stubbornly assert that his friends are beyond the wall, and that they'll return someday…! I've tried telling the truth many more times since then, but Laboon still refuses to accept the truth."

"What a whale… he still keeps on waiting even after being betrayed…" Sanji breathed.

"Even though there's no point in waiting anymore!" Usopp chimed in.

"That's exactly it…" Crocus hummed. "It's because he'll lose all reason that he refuses to listen. He's afraid of losing the meaning behind his waiting above all else. The whale's home is back in West Blue, which is located on the other side of Red Line. It's too late for him to go back. That's why his only hope are the very friends he came along with here in the first place."

"…But you know, as much as I feel sorry for this whale and all," Sanji began. "You've also been betrayed by them if you think about it. So why don't you just leave the whale be already?"

"Look at the scars on his head…" Crocus responded. "If he continues to recklessly bash his head against the wall, he'll definitely die. We've had an odd relationship but he's still my companion that I've lived with for over 50 years. I can't just stand by and watch him die…"

Aurora frowned. 'This whale is his friend… and he's willing to stand by him no matter what.' She glanced over at Crocus. 'He's a good man. I wish I'd had the guts to stand by my people. Instead, I just ran and never looked back. I'm as much a coward as Laboon's pirate friends were.'

"UOOOHHHHH!"

The battle cry snapped Aurora out of her thoughts, the angel turning to where the sound had come from. Just off the cliff, Luffy was charging up the side of Laboon, the Going Merry's mast in hand.

"What's that idiot up to now?" Sanji wondered.

"Take your eyes of him for one second…" Zoro grumbled.

"Maybe he just likes climbing things?"

"Alright, I've reached the top!" Luffy crowed. "Ah, there's a fresh wound! Gomu Gomu…" He raised the mast up high. "FLOWER ARRANGING!"

With that, he slammed the mast into Laboon's open wound.

"Hey, is that a mast?"

"Yeah, I think it's our ship's…"

"Yup, it's our main mast alright."

"Luffy just slammed a mast into one of Laboon's wounds and they're more concerned about figuring out if that's our mast!?" Aurora fumed. "Nami, back me up here!"

"BUOOOOHHHHH! BUOOOHHHHH!" Laboon began to thrash.

"WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING!?"

"HE DESTROYED OUR SHIP!"

"Oh, now they react!" Aurora quietly griped.

Luffy's screams drowned out her complaining. "AGHHHH! AGHHHHH!"

Laboon continued to thrash, trying valiantly to detach the mast and Luffy from his head. The cliffside came into view, Laboon thrusting his head downward.

"AGHHHHHH!"

"It's coming this way!"

"He's going to crash down here!"

Laboon slammed his head into the ground, Luffy catching the brunt of the impact.

"Hey! Hey kid!"

Nami latched onto Crocus. "It's too dangerous! Don't worry about him, he won't die!"

Laboon reared back after having shaken Luffy off, but was still in pain. "BUOOOHHHH!"

"Heh heh. You big dummy!" Luffy chuckled, brushing off the assault.

"BUOOOHHHH!" Laboon roared, head-butting Luffy.

Luffy tumbled back but was quick to recover, punching Laboon in the eye. "Take this!"

Laboon was quick to retaliate, knocking Luffy into the lighthouse.

"What is he trying to do…?" Usopp wondered. The rest of the crew was just as confused.

The epic battle continued on, neither side willing to budge or admit defeat.

"Luffy! Just what the hell are you doing!?" Zoro roared, his captain having once again been knocked into the side of the lighthouse.

"BUOOOHHHH!"

"IT"S A TIE!" Luffy suddenly called out, Laboon halting in his tracks. "I'm pretty tough, eh?"

Laboon merely stared, confused by Luffy's words.

"Our fight has yet to be settled, so we must fight each other again!" Luffy declared. "Your old friends may be dead, but I'm your new rival! And once my crew sails around Grand Line, we'll be sure to come back here to see you again. And then we'll duke it out again!"

During Luffy's monologue, Aurora glanced over at Laboon. The whale was transfixed by Luffy's words, his eyes beginning to well up with tears. Aurora smiled. Her captain was truly something else. A quick glance at her crewmates and Crocus told her they were thinking the same thing.

"BUOOOHHHHH!"


Aurora blinked, processing the sight that was laid out in front of her. After their fight and Luffy's declaration, the straw-hat pirate had found a way to further seal his promise to Laboon.

"BUOOHH"

"And… done! This will be a sign of our promise to fight again!"

The sign, to be exact, was their Jolly Roger. Luffy had painted it on Laboon's head, the insignia covering some of his scars. It was crudely done, but the thought was what mattered.

"So don't bash your head against the wall and make it disappear by the time we come back, you hear!?"

"BUOOHHH"

Crocus stood off to the side, smiling.

"Good!" Luffy grinned.

"Alright then, time to chart out our navigation route." Nami mused, sitting at the table nearby, map in hand. The rest of the crew was on the ship. Sanji was preparing a meal, Usopp was attempting to repair the mast and Zoro… well, he was asleep.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The scream alarmed the crew, Laboon himself diving underwater at the sound.

Aurora whipped around, looking their navigator over. "Nami!? What's wrong!?"

Luffy turned from where he'd been standing to paint Laboon. "What? You're being so noisy."

"What's the matter, my dear Nami!?" Sanji suddenly appeared, numerous plates in hand. "If it's about the meal, then it's all ready!"

"Ugh…" Usopp panted, having climbed back up the rope ladder that led down to the ship. "I'll take a brief break from the ship repairs and eat."

Down below, Zoro continued to snooze away. "Zzzz…"

"The compass…! It's broken! It's pointing all over the place!" Nami fretted.

"Hmm…" Crocus hummed. "It appears you've come here without knowing anything. I'm quite amazed. Did you come here to just throw your lives away?"

"Ah, time for food?" Luffy sat down, not even paying attention to the conversation. As was always the case when food was around.

"In your case, it's time for feeding." Sanji muttered.

"I've said before that common sense fails to uphold in this ocean. That compass isn't broken." Crocus continued to explain.

"Then is it… the magnetic field!?" Nami asked.

"Yes… there exists a geomagnetic anomaly across Grand Line, due to many islands rich with various minerals. Not only that, the currents and the winds here are as unpredictable as they can be. As a navigator, you should well understand how terrifying that can be. You venture out into this ocean without knowing anything, you'll die for sure."

"True…" Nami mused. "Without a reliable way to tell one's directions, it's all hopeless." She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "I… had no idea."

"What!? Isn't that like really bad? Are we gonna be ok!?" Usopp began to fret.

Sanji took on his usual lovestruck expression. "Ah, Nami's so cute even when she doesn't know!"

"Huh? Just what about this fish is bad?"

"Luffy, that's not what we're-" Aurora was suddenly cut off.

"YOU TWO JUST QUIET DOWN!"

"This elephant trout trunk is especially delicious!" Luffy was still oblivious.

"To navigate through Grand Line, you'll need a log pose."

"A log pose? I've never heard of it."

"It's a special type of compass that records the magnetic field." Crocus explained.

"So it's a weird looking compass?" Luffy asked.

"Well, it is rather oddly shaped as well."

Aurora hummed, turning to her captain. "Luffy, do you still have that thing you picked up earlier?"

He nodded, mouth full of food. He reached into his pocket and pulled it out. "Is it something like this?"

"Yes, that's it." Crocus confirmed. "Without a log pose, it'd be impossible to navigate on this ocean. Of course, it is quite hard to obtain one outside Grand Line."

"I see, but hang on just a second…" Nami stood up, making her way to where Luffy and Aurora sat. "WHY THE HECK DO YOU HAVE ONE!?"

The navigator decked Luffy. Aurora squeaked, jumping out of the way of the onslaught.

Nami turned to her. "AND WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US HE HAD ONE!?"

Aurora took to the air, avoiding any attempt the navigator might make to hit her. "We didn't know what it was! I forgot Luffy even had it until now!"

"Those two weirdos from earlier accidentally left it on our ship." Luffy piped up. "Why'd you hit me?"

"Just felt I had to." Nami defended.

"Oh." Luffy took it all in stride, Aurora cautiously taking a seat once more.

Nami took the device from Luffy, looking it over. "So this is a log pose… there's no marking on it or anything…"

"The various islands across Grand Line all have their own magnetic fields surrounding them. So in short, you'll have to record the magnetic field interaction between any two islands before you can progress on to the next island." Crocus explained. "In this ocean where one can't use any normal means of path-finding, this log pose represents the only reliable way for one to find his way. From this mountain, you'll choose 1 out of 7 magnetic fields to record, which'll lead you to different islands. But no matter which island you start with, the paths will converge into one eventually… and the name of the very last island one can reach in Grand Line is… Raftel, the final stop in Grand Line. The only ones who've ever confirmed its existence in history are the Pirate King and his crew. It is an island of legends."

Usopp perked up. "Then does that mean… One Piece is on that island!?"

"Who knows." Crocus shrugged. "Although that is the most likely theory, nobody has ever reached there to confirm it."

"Enough thinking. We can see for ourselves once we're there!" Luffy grinned. "Ahhh... should we get going now? I'm finished eating and all."

"Did you just eat everything all by yourself!?"

"Aghhh! Even the bones are gone!"

Aurora sweatdropped. "I'm not surprised…"

"Alright, log pose…" Nami placed the device around her wrist. "I'll make sure to take good care of you. The fate of our journey is all up to you, after all."

"Why you rubber crap head!" Sanji was furious. "That food was… was… FOR NAMI AND AURORA TO ENJOY!"

"AGH!" Luffy cried out, Sanji having kicked the rubber man in the head. The teen was sent flying, a smash! reverberating throughout the area.

Aurora froze, taking in Nami's wide-eyed expression. When Sanji attacked Luffy, he'd sent him flying… right into the log pose. Aurora shrunk down, waiting for the inevitable blow-up.

"YOU TWO CAN JUST GO COOL YOUR HEADS DOWN IN THE SEA!"

Nami sent the boys flying, both landing in the water below.

"Ahhh!" Usopp was gobsmacked. "Wasn't that compass, like, super-duper important!?"

"What do we do, Crocus!? Our precious log pose is…!"

"Don't worry. I'll give you one as a sign of thanks for the matter with Laboon."


"Whiskey Peak? What's that?"

"It's… the name of our town."

"So you want us to take you there because you lost your ship?"

Aurora couldn't believe this conversation was taking place. After being knocked into the sea by Nami, Luffy and Sanji had managed to run into Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday once more. They'd followed the two pirates up the cliffside, and were now attempting to strike a deal.

"Don't you think that's asking a bit too much, Mr.9?" Nami queried. "Especially considering you tried to kill the whale and all."

"Just who are you guys anyways?" Usopp asked.

"I'm a king."

"Liar." Both Nami and Aurora chimed, the former pinching the man's cheek. The navigator sent the angel an amused look. She merely shrugged in response. There was a hint of darkness behind a lie. Aurora couldn't help but say something about it. I mean, she did it all the time with Usopp.

"We cannot say!" the two strangers bowed before the Straw Hat Pirates. "But please! Please take us back to our town and we swear we'll return the favor!"

"We'd really rather not keep things hush-hush about everything," Miss Wednesday admitted. "But "Mystery" is our organization's motto. And so we absolutely cannot tell you anything more. Please help us out from the kindness of your hearts…!"

"Don't listen to them." Crocus warned. "They're nothing but trouble."

"Well, we accidentally broke our log pose, but do you still want a ride?" Nami asked, holding the log pose up as proof.

"W-What!? You broke it!? And isn't that ours!?"

"How dare you try to take advantage of our misfortune when you're just as misfortunate as we are!?"

"Oh right! I forgot to mention that Crocus here gave us another log pose." Nami added, obviously having toyed with the two.

They bowed once more. "We beseech your kindness, madam…"

"Ok. They can come along if they want." Luffy agreed.

Aurora pursed her lips. Something about this whole situation just didn't sit right with her.


"Alright then… your log should have been recorded by now. Is it properly pointing towards a place indicated on the map?"

"Yup!" Nami chirped, glancing down at the log pose. "It's pointing towards Whiskey Peak."

"You sure about this, kid?" the question was directed at Luffy. "Picking Whiskey Peak all just because of these ruffians… the only place you can choose which route you want to take is here, you know."

"It's fine." Luffy waved the man off. "If I don't like the route, I can always sail once around and choose a different route."

"I see…" Crocus smirked.

"Bye then, Flower Gramps."

"Thanks for the log pose!" Nami called.

"See ya then."

The Going Merry began to sail away, but not without some final parting words…

"WE'RE GOING NOW, WHALE!"

"BUOOOHHHHH!"

Back at the lighthouse, Crocus watched the Straw Hats go. "Perhaps they're the pirates we've been waiting for… that captain has got quite a mysterious aura about him. What do you think, Roger…?"