Chapter Thirteen
Over the Red Line
"Oh no, Nami!" Luffy shouted over the torrential downpour. "The light's gone out! This is bad! The Guiding Light is gone!"
The orange-haired woman rolled her eyes, "It's a Lighthouse. The light goes off sometimes. But that's why you brought me along, right? Trust me, I know what to do." She took a couple of steps closer to the boy, her eyes narrowed in annoyance.
"Wow, you're impressive." The captain said, hanging precariously from the Going Merry's figure head.
"Of course. Now get down, will you?" Nami shouted, looking up from her map.
"No way! You're not getting my spot!" he retorted.
"Who side I wanted it!?"
Aries ran out from the bathroom at that moment, carrying several towels. "Guys! Let's discuss this inside! You will catch a cold out here!"
"Kaay!" the rubber man cheered, leaping from his "special seat" and bouncing to the blonde. He took the towel on top of the stack and rushed into the kitchen, wrapping the soft material around his head.
Nami smiled at the younger girl, wiping droplets of water from her cheeks. She looked down at the map clutched in her hands and muttered, "But this bothers me. According to the charts..."
Aries furrowed her brow as she overheard the navigator's mumbles, before gently pulling her into the cozy kitchen. Nami worried her lip as she paced at the head of the table, while the sheep girl took her seat next to Usopp, squeezing the water from her curls.
A minute passed in tense silence, the howling winds outside and Luffy playing with his glass were the only sounds being made. Finally, the orange haired woman slammed the map down against the wooden table, her other hand pressed against her hip.
"The entrance to Grand Line is up a mountain," she said in a matter of fact tone.
Another beat of silence passed before Usopp erupted with a shrill yell, "A mountain!?"
Aries blinked and looked at the various expressions on her crewmates' faces. Sanji watched Nami speak, his cigarette dangling from his lips. Zoro was holding his head up with a palm against his forehead, a grimace tugging at his mouth. Usopp's jaw had dropped open comically low, and Luffy was holding his glass between his teeth, rolling its bottom along the groves in the table.
They really haven't heard of Reverse Mountain before? Granted, I probably wouldn't believe the map either if I hadn't already seen it for myself.
"That's right! When I first looked at the chart, I didn't believe it, but..." Nami pointed excitedly at the spot of the map that their path was drawn on. "Look here. The Guiding Light was definitely pointing toward Reverse Mountain on The Red Line."
"We have to run into a mountain?" Luffy asked, taking the cup out of his mouth and laying his chest down on the tabletop.
"No, there's a canal here." Nami clarified, tapping a spot on the map.
Usopp scoffed, leaning forward almost resting his chin on top of Aries' head. "A canal? Don't be ridiculous! Canal or no canal, a ship can't sail up a mountain!"
"Well, that's what the map says." Nami stated, holding up the piece of parchment and flapping it in the sniper's face.
"Listen, you guys, Nami's always right when it comes to charts and navigation." Sanji says around his cigarette butt, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
Zoro leaned forward across the table, eyes narrowing as he stared at the map in Nami's hand. "But you stole that map from Buggy. Can we trust it?"
"We're climbing a mountain in a ship? Yippee! Must be a mystery Mountain!" Luffy asked excitedly, bouncing in his seat.
Aries tilted her head, twirling a stray curl around her fingertip. "Have you guys really never heard of Reverse Mountain before?"
The bickering amongst the teens ceased as they all turned their eyes to their newest friend.
"You know how the mystery mountain works already, Aries?" Luffy questioned, pressing one knee against the tabletop in order to lean closer to the blonde's face.
She turned away from her captain, instead focusing on the droplets of water falling from her still damp hair.
"The water rushes up the side of the mountain from all four of the seas and then empties out into the Grand Line. No clue why though, just know that it does," she mumbled.
Usopp nudged the sheep girl with his shoulder, "You talk like you've seen it before."
Aries shrugged slowly, her face was soft and melancholy. She kept her eyes lowered to the ground, refusing to make eye contact with her crewmates.
Luffy opened his mouth to ask more questions, but was interrupted by Zoro chiming in. "Why do we have to go through an entrance, anyway? Can't we just sail south and go in from anywhere?"
The captain leapt backwards, pointing at the swordsman. "NO WAY!" he shouted.
"He's right. There's a good reason for it." Nami said, looking mildly impressed that Luffy already knew the answer.
"It'd feel all wrong if we didn't go through the entrance! Are you crazy!?" he yelled loudly, still pointing his finger in Zoro's face.
Nami clenched her fist and punched the rubber-man in the back of the head, heaving a disappointed sigh. "That's not it!" she countered.
Usopp turned away from the navigator and captain's fight, only to notice the sunlight drifting in through the porthole window. He scurried across the room, pressing his long against the cool glass. "Hey! How weird. The storm's gone all of a sudden."
"Yeah, it's calm," Sanji agreed, walking up behind the sniper, peering outside around the other boy's unruly curls.
Both women in the room whipped their heads towards the closet porthole, a look of fear flashing in their eyes.
"What? That's impossible. We're supposed to ride the storm right up to the entrance!" Nami muttered, drops of sweat running down the side of her face.
The girls shared a panicked glance, before everyone rushed outside onto the deck. The lack of a breeze against her skin sent chills down the sheep girl's spine. Butterflies erupted in her stomach as a cold sweat broke out on her palms. Something in the air was screaming DANGER DANGER DANGER to her animal instincts. Remembering snippets of stories from the older fishermen back home, Aries quickly ran into the storage room, digging through her tackle box, frantically looking for the correct pieces of equipment.
Please let them just be stories! Please let them just be stories! She mentally chanted as she dug through her things.
"Ah! The weather's beautiful!" Luffy cheered, stretching his arms above his head.
"What's going on?" Sanji asked out loud, looking around at the calm waters in wonder.
Aries ran out of the storage room and up to Usopp. She grabbed the straps of his overalls, tugging him down to be in her face. "Where is your ammo stash? I need your Pepper Stars, like right now."
Usopp tilted his head back, out of his friend's personal space. "Um, downstairs. In our room. Why do you need to know?" he asked with a confused tone.
"No time!" Aries called out, already halfway to the mast and the hatch that led below deck to the boys' room, her arms full of her fishing gear.
Luffy laughed cheerfully as Nami fell to her knees in despair, both oblivious to the crew's fisherman scurrying about.
"Oh no! We're in the the Calm Belt!"
The hatch clattered shut as the sheep girl dropping into the men's room. Instantly, she wrinkled up her nose at the smell of dirty laundry.
Ugh! Gross! I guess Luffy and Zoro haven't washed their clothes yet. Whatever, I'll have to get onto them about that later. Now, where is Usopp's stuff?
She started digging through the chest in the corner of the room, but gave up quickly once all she seemed to find was the boys' clothes and underwear. She then glanced around the room, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. Goosebumps littered her limbs as the fluttering in her gut sunk into a feeling of dread.
Finally, she noticed the sniper's science station and the little chest that held his supplies. Letting out a small cheer, she threw the lid open, searching for the gray pellets that would help them. Her hands pulled out a small bag filled with all of Usopp's experimental ammunition.
Aries grinned, spreading the balls out on the small table in the room, only keeping the gray pepper pellets. Once the unneeded bullets were properly stored away, the blonde took off her satchel, the wool bundles tumbling out onto the floor.
She started with her fishing rod, pulling the translucent fishing line from the reel, and wrapping it up neatly to store it in the tackle box. She then pinched one wool bundle, gently pulling away, using her powers to form a thin, dense string. She threaded the string through the rod and around the reel, totally replacing her other line.
Feeling happy with her progress, the blonde grabbed another chunk of wool, this time forming it into a small pouch. She filled the pouch with the Pepper Stars, the dark gray color visible through the thin fabric. Tying the pouch to the rod with the wool string ended Aries' impromptu rigging a new weapon for herself.
She held the rod out in front of her, watching the pouch as she concentrated on the string beneath her fingers. She watched as the holes in the pouch became larger and more pronounced as she willed it. She grinned in relief.
"Great. Now let's hope this works if we need it," she muttered, securing the rod to her back and climbing the mast to get back onto the deck.
"Listen!" Nami yelled, frustrated that the boys weren't understanding the severity of their situation. "The Grand Line is sandwiched between two other seas. They're the Calm Belts where no wind blows!"
"Calm, eh? So there's no wind. So what?" Zoro said, walking down the steps from the upper deck.
"So this ocean is…!" Nami started but was interrupted by the Going Merry shaking violently.
"Hey! What was that? An earthquake!?" Luffy shouted, stumbling backwards with the tremors striking the caravel.
"We're at sea, you fool!" Usopp retorted, grabbing ahold of the ropes surrounding the mast.
Aries lurched over to the railing, holding on as the ship began to rise out of the water. She looked on in horror as countless Sea Kings rose from the depths around them; their large bodies dwarfing the small ship that was the crew's home.
Finally, the behemoth beneath them completely emerged from the waves. It's white and blue marbled skin seemed to take over the horizon in every direction as the Going Merry balanced precariously on its large snout.
The boys darted to the side of the ship as quickly as they could, gaping at the situation that they had found themselves in.
"TH-THEY'RE HUGE!" Luffy shouted as Usopp fainted, foaming at the mouth.
Nami fell to her knees, gripping the mast for dear life, tears running down her cheeks. "This place is a den… for Sea Kings. Big ones..." she whimpered to herself.
Sanji grabbed the Merry's oars from the storage room, tossing 2 of the 4 to Zoro and Luffy. Then, the Monster Trio stood in position, their impromptu weapons at the ready.
"Now, listen! When these guys go under again, we row like mad!" Zoro choked out through gritted teeth.
"G-Got it!" Luffy responded, watching the massive Sea King for the first sign of movement.
Aries scoffed, quickly drawing her pole from it's secure spot on her back. She morphed her wool gloves to the hilt of the pole, attaching it to her so it wouldn't get lost. Seconds later, she took off in a sprint to the ram figure head of the caravel. She leapt up to stand on its head, raising her fishing pole over her head in her casting position.
"Aries! What are you doing?!" Nami screamed, pulling at her hair desperately.
The blonde girl closed her eyes and took a deep breath, shutting out the shouts of her friends. She focused her energy into the wool string, picturing the pouch at the end in her mind's eye.
Let's hope this works!
She launched her cast, watching the line arch perfectly over the Sea King's snout. Her hands gripped the rod tightly, her fingers going numb as their circulation was cut off. The baited line traveled almost weightlessly as it swung down towards the Sea King's snout. Seemingly endless seconds passed until the ammo pouch dipped out of sight, headed directly into the beast's large nostrils.
Breathe and wait for the right moment!
Aries pressed her index finger harder against her woolen fishing line, feeling the vibrations through it. A sharp tug on the line told her that the pouch was starting its upward swing.
NOW!
"Wool-Wool Burst!" she shouted as she sent the command for the tiny bundle of pelts to open and pop against the monster's inner nose passage.
Immediately, the Sea King reared its head back and then forwards, a violent sneeze sending the Going Merry and its crew sailing through the air.
Screams pierced the air as everyone on board was launched into the air. Aries felt her feet leave the wooden ram head, her blonde curls whipping around her head as she fell. She turned her head to the side, dread and panic settling in her gut as she realized her situation. The blue waters of the sea were rapidly approaching her.
"ARIES!"
She turned her head back towards the ship, just in time to see Usopp reach out for her as he also fell away from the safety of their home. However, before she could move to respond to the long-nosed boy, a humongous frog sea monster breached the waves beneath them.
She stared at the frog with a blank, wide eyed look, her mind empty of any plan to save her friend or herself.
DO SOMETHING! ANYTHING! THINK OF SOME WAY BACK TO THE MERRY! YOU'VE ONLY JUST STARTED YOUR JOURNEY!
"USOOOOOOOP! ARRRIEESSSS!"
The feeling of a soft, smooth limb wrap around her waist and fingers digging into her hip pulled her attention out of her thoughts and back to the situation at hand. Her blue eyes dart to the owner of the arm, watching Luffy yank both her and the sharpshooter back to safety. Their bodies collided with their captain's, sending him sprawling to the deck where the others lay prone. Usopp hit the wooden planks hard, flopping next to the rubber man on his stomach with a dull thud, while Aries landed on top of Luffy, his arm still wound tightly around her waist, keeping her pressed between him and the floor beneath them.
The crack of thunder and the pelting of heavy rainfall brought the Straw Hat crew out of their daze. Zoro groaned as he pushed his back against the mast and tucked his face in between his knees.
Luffy's breath left his mouth in heavy pants before he wheezed, "Oh thank god… we're back in the storm… Good work Aries... getting us back on track… but could you warn us… next time you have a plan to send us flying?"
She didn't respond, just pressed her face into his shoulder, her eyes closed in relief. Her fingers on one hand unclamped themselves from her fishing rod, allowing it to roll a few inches from her, while the other attached themselves to the captain's red vest.
"Now do you see why we have to use the entrance?" Nami questioned, her forehead still resting against the deck.
"Yeah, I get it." Zoro answered into his knees.
"That's it!" Nami exclaimed, hopping to her feet and looking around.
"What is?"
"We really do have to sail up the mountain!" the navigator said excitedly, pacing in oblong circles.
"You still on that?" Zoro grumbled, getting back up to his feet.
Aries tuned out as Nami continued. Instead, she focused on the arm that was still wrapped tightly around her waist, restricting her movement. She opened her eyes only for her gaze to be filled with Luffy's tanned skin. The heat of his fingers still pressing into her hip drew her gaze downwards, taking in how closely together their landing had configured their bodies.
A warmth filled her cheeks as she continued to look at her situation. When she finally looked back up to confront the rubber man, he was already staring at her with a raised eyebrow.
"You okay, Aries? Your face is all red," he said simply, his dark eyes unwavering even in the pelting rain.
The blonde opened her mouth to speak, but a snicker from Usopp cut her off. She glared at her friend as he sat up against the stairs, before looking back at Luffy. She shifted her weight, hoping he would notice without having to say anything, but when he didn't release her or do anything other than blink, she realized she had to speak up.
"Um, you can let go of me now, Luffy. I don't think I'm at risk of falling into the sea anymore. Thank you for saving me," she mumbled, prying her fingers loose from his vest.
Her navy-blue eyes flittered back and forth between his arm and his face, the heat in her cheeks slowly raising the longer the captain went without responding.
He remained silent a few more moments until a wide grin broke out across his face. His arm unwound from around her body, snapping back into place, as he got back on his feet. He stretched both arms over his head, bending backwards slightly, loosening up his back muscles.
Aries sighed to herself, sitting up and tucking her knees under her chin. She took a deep, calming inhale through her nose, hoping it would help the swirling emotions roaring in her head. Realizing that her breathing exercises were not going to quell her thoughts, she returned her attention to the rest of the crew's discussion.
"Reverse Mountain is a Winter Island, so when the sea currents collide with it, the upper waters are forced back under. If a ship misses the canal, it breaks up… And is swallowed by the sea. Get it?" Nami explained, her index finger tapping against her lips as she spoke.
"Aha! In other words, it's a mystery mountain." Luffy chimed in cheerfully.
The navigator sighed heavily, brushed her wet bangs out of her face, "I guess you wouldn't understand…"
"I've never heard of anyone sailing over a mountain before," Zoro said, crossing his arms.
Usopp walked up to the sheep girl, who still had her head tucked against her knees. He patted her on the crown of her head, chuckling when she jerked up at the unexpected touch. He held out his hand, pulling her to her feet as soon as she slid her palm against his.
"I think I have." Sanji offered.
"About a mystery mountain?" Zoro arched an eyebrow, glancing at the cook.
"No, about the Grand Line…" Sanji paused, grinning as he noticed everyone paying attention to him. "I've heard you've got to be half-dead before you enter it. I knew it wouldn't be easy."
"That's true," Aries interjected, her eyes following the guiding light in the distance, "The first test of the Grand Line is actually entering it. No matter how you go about it, making your way to this part of the sea is dangerous."
Usopp rested a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "You talk as if you know from experience?"
Aries rubbed her arms, her soft fleece gloves absorbing the rain droplets that were scattered across her skin. "I'm not originally from the East Blue like you guys," she reminded him.
The sniper nodded, but his next question was interrupted by the captain's excited shouts.
"There's the mystery mountain!" Luffy shouted, his hands gripping the ship's railing.
"Wait! What's that shadow behind it?! IT'S HUGE!" Usopp screeched, his jaw hanging open in awe.
Aries laughed quietly, the winds whipping her limp curls around her shoulders. She tilted her head back, shielding her eyes with a free hand.
"That's the Red Line." the captain continued, bouncing excitedly on the balls of his feet, "The summit is lost in the clouds."
The blonde nodded to herself, lowering her head to gaze at the rubber-man's profile. "There is only one way over the Red Line and it's only available to Marines and other World Government officials. Plus, it's on the other side of the sea. Reverse Mountain is our only chance in."
Luffy stopped bouncing for a moment, glancing at the sheep girl from the corner of his eyes. He swiftly spun on his heel, almost slipping as the rain gathered in puddles beneath them. He gripped her upper arms, his signature toothy grin stretched across his lips. "Then we better get going!"
Aries returned his smile, nodding enthusiastically, ignoring the hair sticking to her face.
"We're being sucked in! Steer carefully!"
The crew cheered, pumping their fists in the air, before rushing to their positions. Usopp and Sanji grabbed ahold of the rudder, their eyes locked on Nami, waiting for direction.
"Just leave it to us!" Sanji exclaimed.
Nami, Zoro, and Aries all stood in a row, watching as their entrance came into view.
"Wow," the navigator breathed, her eyes locking on the rushing water before them.
Zoro lifted a pair of binoculars to his eyes, "I don't believe it…" he paused, "It's true! The ocean is rushing up the mountain."
Luffy jumped and hung from the mast, "It's the entrance to the canal!"
Aries' eyes followed the path before them, until she realized the stone archway ahead of them was closer than it should be.
"Uh, guys!" she shouted above the wind, pointing to the obstacle in their way.
"We're a little off!" Luffy hollered, "More to the right! Right!"
"Right?!" Usopp answered, "You mean starboard! Here we go!"
Aries turned back to see the cook and the sniper pushing the rudder hard against the strain of the current, trying to change their course. She then watched in horror as the wooden beam snapped under the pressure, sending the two boys hurdling against the wall.
"The rudder just…!" Nami cried, grabbing chunks of hair in her fists.
Luffy set off in a run to the edge of the ship, flinging his prized straw hat to Zoro, who was standing at the ready.
"WE'RE GONNA CRASH!" the navigator screeched, as she watching in terror as one of the stone gates rapidly approached their vessel.
The rubber man placed one foot on the railing, poised to launch overboard. "Gum-Gum…"
Holding a hand out in the captain's direction, Aries rushed to Zoro's side. "Luffy! What are you doing?!"
"BALLOON!" Luffy's air-filled body was positioned just right to bounce the bow of the Merry away from the stone archway that threatened to sink them.
Aries looked over her shoulder, watching the path the ship was now set on, before quickly patting Zoro on the back. "I leave getting the idiot back on board to you! I am gonna go see if I can patch up the rudder with my wool!"
"We're saved!" Nami cheered as the sheep girl rushed past her.
Sanji and Usopp wrapped an arm around each other's shoulders and danced in celebration. They were so delighted, the sniper didn't even notice the wooden beam being snatched from his grip.
She lined the jagged broken pieces up, grabbed a handful of material from her wool bundle, and held it over the split. "Wool-Wool Bind," she commanded, watching the wool leap and expand around the wood. It tightened around there was no room for the jagged edges to move around. Once she was satisfied with her repair work, the sheep girl returned to the deck just in time to see the sun crest over Reverse Mountain's peak.
"Wow," she murmured in awe to herself as she watched the Going Merry landed on the downward canal that would take them straight into the Grand Line.
"We're in!" Luffy cheered, leaping into the air near the ship's bow. The other crew members stood in various spots around the front of the ship as well, all waiting for their first glimpse at the legendary sea before them.
"Now we just slide down!" Nami said, pointing at the water rushing down the slope around them.
While Luffy climbed onto his special seat, Aries moved to stand beside the orange haired woman, trying to feel the joy everyone else was radiating. But for some reason, the hairs on the back of her neck were still standing up, as if they had not yet escaped danger.
Well, of course we haven't. She thought to herself bitterly. We are entering the most dangerous sea in the world. It will only get more and more dangerous as we go forward.
"Oh wow!" Luffy yelled, leaning as far forward as the figure head would allow him.
Aries watched the toothy grin stretch across his cheeks, and sighed, attempting to shake off the bad feeling. This is supposed to be exciting. I shouldn't let my bad memories cloud my new experiences.
"I see it! I see The Grand Line!"
Thank you guys so much for sticking with me for so long! Seeing all the emails of new people watching and reading has really kept me going. This year, I have made it my mission to stop being such a perfectionist when it comes to my writing. I think somewhere along the line I forgot that fanficition was supposed to be fun. So I hope you all will hold me too my promise and resolution to update more often. Follow me everywhere! JayBirdVanna is my handle on instagram and twitter.
Thank you all again and I hope you have an amazing 2019!
Vanna