BROTHER ON BOARD
Guess who's back? Back again! Silver's back! Tell your friends!
I closed the Sabo Epithet Poll on September 1st. A hearty thank you to everyone who voted. The end result was a tie between "the Dandy Man" and "the Noble Pirate". Those two were pretty much neck and neck the entire time the poll was open and had a combined 20 votes between them so I'm going to include them both in the story and see which one catches on.
yuzukikuran476 - Thanks! I'm glad you like it. Here's more for you!
Bluejay Blaze - Maybe its just a coincidence? I may have taken some creative liberties with Dragon during my version of the Loguetown Arc but on a whole he's still a mystery. Here's hoping Sabo and the Revolutionaries come back into the One Piece story soon.
Lunapok - Thanks. I laid the groundwork for them have a different relationship with the Straw Hats than they do in canon. There's more Smokey and Tashigi in this chapter - hopefully that'll wet your appetite and hold you over until Alabasta.
WaterStar45 - The most OOC was probably Dragon. But it's not my fault he's not featured more prominently in the series. Then I'd have a more accurate gauge on his personality. The only time the Straw Hats come close to crossing paths with Dragon is in Loguetown. I wanted to have a moment with Sabo, Dragon and Koala all together so I made the most of what I had to work with.
lostdog200 - And I'm back! Sorry I was away for so long. Here's hoping Lostdog can find their way back to the story.
BedofRoses1989 - Glad you enjoyed my take on it. I tried to mix things up enough that it doesn't feel like you're reading the same really long story all over again. I'm back now and I've got a couple chapters done already. I'll be returning to my usual Monday update schedule.
crazyrubsoff - Devil Fruits are one of the most interesting parts of One Piece. Powers like elasticity, control over fire and transforming into an animal aren't unique. You can find multiple western-style comics that feature each of them. Fantastic Four immediately jumps to mind. But its the sheer creativity in how Oda uses those common powers that makes his characters so interesting and sets One Piece apart from everything else. That's something I really want to try my hand at. I'm not giving Sabo a Devil Fruit Power just so he'll be stronger. I'm doing it so I can blend my version of Sabo with one of the most enjoyable parts of my favorite series. Also, most characters already have their powers when they enter the story. I think showing Sabo learning to use his powers will be an interesting plot line to include in this story. And for what its worth, I'm really happy with the power I decided on. Its an underrated power that you've seen before which stresses creativity over sheer power, also I think it fits Sabo's Steampunk theme. Bonnie's great but the enemies the Straw Hats face will keep getting stronger as the series goes on. Sabo will never abandon Bonnie but when the time comes he is going to need something with a little more fire power to hold his own against those powerful enemies.
Wiba - Glad you love Bonnie. I've got a fun storyline planned out for her in the Grand Line. I guarantee that you've never seen a rifle like this before!
The Patient One - I fixed that bit about Koala. Thank you. The Loguetown Arc set the ground work for a very different relationship between the Straw Hats and our favorite Loguetown Marines. This will allow them to work a lot closer together when we finally get to Alabasta.
AnyMoreBrightIdeasGenius - Thanks!
rasEnshur1KEn - Sorry for the long wait. But I think it'll be worth it. Even though I was very busy over the summer I was still able to work out where I want to go with each arc. I've got some great stuff in story for you.
Twilight Dusk - When you put it that way... maybe I can include 'the Dodger' as an unofficial nickname for Sabo further down the line. I've actually got a spin-off Sabo-solo adventure story planned out that'll take place during the Straw Hat Separation/Time Skip. Maybe he could lay low for the two years using the alias 'the Dodger' Jack Dawkins. Oh, and I'm not even close to done playing around with Smoker and Tashigi. Just wait until we get to Alabasta.
Guest - Thanks!
mundanebeast - That's what Sabo brings to the table. A special blend of charisma and charm that allows him to smooth over most of the damage the Luffy's usually leaves in his wake. The fact that Sabo was able to grow up alongside Luffy and Ace means he's probably had a lot of experience doing that already.
StrawHatLuffy94 - I thought about it. But the Goro Goro no Mi is WAY too OP for Sabo. I was looking for something that better captured One Piece's unique brand of creativity and decided to go in a different direction.
BedofRoses1989 #2 - As I said in my PM. I had a summer job that kept me very busy and away from my computer. It's the reason I had a huge gap in my updates last year too. And if they bring me back again it'll probably be the cause of another summer-long break next year. But the time away allowed me to organize my thoughts and really hammer out what I wanted to do with this story and where I wanted things to go. I made the most of the time away.
Dudemil - I was away and wasn't able to add your suggestion to the poll. But by mid July 'Noble Pirate' and 'Dandy Man' already had a commanding lead so I don't really think it would have made much of a difference.
PipeDream - Maybe as they start off. But the Straw Hats' accomplishments and all the trouble they get in will no doubt speak for themselves. They're on good terms with the Marines now... but I don't think the World Government and CP9 will allow things to stay that way if the Straw Hats want to keep Robin on their crew. Sabo has a discussion with Sanji in this chapter about the importance of flying below the radar at this stage of their careers. Once they actively and publicly go against the World Government there will be no doubting the kind of pirates they are.
TurtleOtaku777 - I've got a fair bit of ground to cover before I get to that point. But hang in there. Ace will be sticking around for a bit longer when he reunites with his brothers in Alabasta.
MasteroftheSeas - When I write this story I'm out to spread laughter and have some fun. If you enjoy reading my work and had a few laughs along the way then I've succeeded. As for the sound effects, now that I've revealed the truth about Bonnie Anne you can see how important my Ker-Chow and Click sound effects are since they're Bonnie's main way of communicating. Things would get really redundant if I kept writing "there was a loud bang!" every time Bonnie fired. Especially with how many shots Sabo ends up getting off during most of his fights.
Here we go everybody! Brother on Board is heading into the Grand Line! Hang on to your hats! You won't recognize the place when the Straw Hats are done with it!
The Grand Line-
"Nami! I see a lighthouse!" Luffy called out as he clung to the Going Merry's figurehead as she sailed through the raging storm.
"Good," Nami, clad in a pink raincoat, replied, "once we get passed that we'll be able to see Reverse Mountain. That's the entrance to the Grand Line. We're going to have to sail up it."
"Sail up?" Zoro questioned. "How is that possible?"
"No idea," Nami admitted, "But that's what I've heard."
"This calls for a celebration," Sanji announced as he placed a barrel on the deck in front of him.
"We never did get to toast the Going Merry when we left my village," Usopp recalled. "I heard that ships that are untoasted are bad luck."
"If Garp had caught us it would have been even worse," Sabo assured him. "Let's just toast both now… To the Going Merry! And to the Grand Line!"
Sanji placed his heel on top of the barrel, "I'm going to find the All Blue."
Luffy grinned and placed his foot on the barrel next to Sanji's, "I'm gonna be King of the Pirates."
Zoro joined them, "I'll become the World's Greatest Swordsman."
Nami followed, "I'm going to draw a map of the entire world."
Usopp took his turn, "I'll be a Brave Warrior of the Sea."
Sabo placed Bonnie's handle on the barrel, "Bonnie wants to be freed from her prison." Then he placed his own boot on the barrel. "And I'm going to take down the Celestial Dragons."
"What?" Sanji gasped.
"Who?" Nami and Usopp chorused.
"They're also called World Nobles," Sabo quickly explained. "They're the descendants of the Kings that founded the World Government. But they left their kingdoms behind and don't do anything but enslave all kinds of people and lord their superior birthright over everybody. They're the worst excuses of human beings in the world. They're a major part of why Arlong and his men hate our species so much."
"Is that why you don't like being called 'noble'?" Nami asked.
"No, Sabo hates that 'cause his old family are nobles," Luffy answered.
"You're a noble?" Usopp questioned.
"No I'm not!" Sabo insisted. "I ran away from that life and I'm never going back."
"Noble Pirate…" Zoro muttered.
"That had better not catch on!" Sabo growled at him.
"LET'S DO IT!" Luffy called out abruptly changing the subject, "TO THE GRAND LINE!"
The pirates raised their legs and smashed their heels down on the barrel.
CRUNCH!
While the rest Straw Hats continued their celebration of embarking on the the next leg of their journey, Sanji quietly led Sabo away from the others.
"It's not my place to question somebody else's dream," Sanji stated. "I'm not going to question whether or not you can take them down. I'm not even going to question your motivations for wanting to do it. I just want to make sure you understand the type of backlash you'll be facing if you take out just one of those bastards."
"Why do you think I make a point not to mention my dream in public?" Sabo countered. "I know that my dream is more or less and death sentence. But I also know that the world will be a much better place when I succeed and they're gone."
"Just remember that you won't be the only one facing that death sentence," Sanji pointed out. "If you start going after the World Nobles… you'll be turning the attention of the World Government not just on you… but onto all of us as well. The second the government catches wind of the fact that you want to take down the Dragons… you can kiss your plan to fly under their radar goodbye."
"All the more reason for us to fly under their radar now," Sabo replied. "We're not going to be able to coexist with the Marines and the World Government forever. It's inevitable that either Luffy or myself will eventually do something to earn their ire. But if we lay low now we'll be able to hone our strength and maybe hide some of our abilities so we'll have a better chance of surviving when the World Government starts to focus on us."
"As long as you're sure," Sanji said.
Sabo smirked, "And here I thought you were just a mere Sous Chef. I won't pry but there's clearly more to you than meets the eye, Sanji."
"Let's just say that you're not the only one on this ship that left his family behind," Sanji told him.
"Want a free piece of advice?" Sabo offered, "Forget about your old family. Focus on your new one right here on the Going Merry. That's what I did and I've been happy ever since."
"This is all your fault, you witless buffoon!"
"MY FAULT? IT WAS YOUR FLASHY PLAN, SMART-ASS!"
Kuro and Buggy stood arguing in the middle of the cell while Arlong, Morgan, Cabaji and Jango sat around the edges watching. The 'cell' was a sealed steel room. There were no bars just solid steel walls, a steel floor and a steel ceiling. The door blended into the wall and was sealed with a thick lock and two bars going across the outside.
Buggy's hands were bound by Sea Prism Stone Handcuffs designed to negate his Devil Fruit Powers while Kuro, Jango and Cabaji were all secured with regular handcuffs. Morgan's ax-hand was cuffed behind him by a pair of shackles. Finally Arlong was bound in a steel-enforced straitjacket that wrenched his arms behind him so he couldn't bite through it.
"You're the one that tried to pass himself off as our leader," Kuro insisted. "You should take some responsibility for your moronic incompetence!"
"You're the one that had the bright idea to spare the Straw Hats' ship!" Buggy sneered. "Those flashy bastards are probably half way to the Grand Line by now! That's all on you!"
"Perhaps my biggest mistake was believing that you would actually be of help in carrying out my plan!" Kuro snarled. "It's no wonder you're considered the biggest joke of all pirates!"
"A JOKE!?" Buggy shrieked.
"How 'bout we just say you're both pathetic human weaklings and leave it at that," Arlong suggested.
"You ran off and abandoned the whole plan!" Morgan accused him. "If you're so strong and superior then why didn't you stick around and help when things got crazy?"
"I didn't realize you grown men needed me to hold your hand!" Arlong spat. "Then again, you've only got one of those don't you, cripple? Truly, you five are a credit to your pathetic species."
Cabaji and Jango shared a look and agreed to remain silent as the four 'Captains' continued to argue and toss around the blame for their joint failure.
KRASH!
The sound of something smashing through the wall emanated from outside the cell. This was followed by gunshots and then cries of pain as something heavy hit the marine guards outside.
WHUMP! WHAM! WHOMP!
Kuro's eyes widened in surprise, "What the?"
Buggy's painted mouth stretched into a wide grin. "It looks like I'm the one that had a flashy backup plan for getting out of here!"
Shunk! Shunk!
The bars were slid off of the door.
Click!
The cell door was unlocked and swung open to reveal Alvida.
"You boys have looked better," she remarked as she casually rested her mace on her shoulder.
"How did you get down here?" Kuro demanded. "I know for a fact that this cell is located underground."
Alvida gave a casual shrug, "I sweet-talked a marine into telling me where your cell was. The walls of your cell and the hallway outside might be reinforced but the same doesn't go for the stone street in the alley that runs alongside the Marine Base."
"Captain! I've got the keys!" Mohji called out as he slipped passed Alvida into the cell.
Buggy sneered at Kuro as Mohji unlocked his Sea Prism Stone cuffs. "It looks like the joke's on you, Kuro! Since you don't like the way I run things… you can rot here in this cell and dwell on your many failures."
"Thanks Captain," Cabaji said as his cuffs were unlocked and he rose to stand next to Buggy.
Buggy turned and smirked at Jango, "So, hypnotist, you're funny. How'd you like to join my crew? Your old Captain's schemes only got you as far as this cell. But if you still want revenge on the long-nose that stole your dancing ability… then you've gotta follow him to the Grand Line. You'll be better off with a Captain like me that's been there before and knows those waters."
Jango blinked and looked over at Kuro then slowly rose to stand by Buggy. "Sorry Kuro… but this guy's got a better health plan. He's less likely to try and kill me."
Kuro growled as Buggy stole his first mate right out from under him. Buggy smirked and turned to Morgan. "So, ax-guy, you tired of working for the guy that cut your arm off? Feel like joining a real—"
"Save it," Morgan interrupted him. "I joined the Marines to catch lowlife pirates like you. I may have lost my way over the years. But I think I've still got a tiny shred of dignity from when I was a Marine Captain and I refuse to become a pirate!"
"Your loss then," Buggy replied. "Enjoy your years in prison." Finally, Buggy turned to Arlong. "There's room for one more. The Buggy Pirates could use a flashy Strongman."
"I refuse to join that three ring circus you call a pirate crew!" Arlong growled. "I won't take orders from a clown! But… get me out of here… and I'll sail with you as far as Fishman Island. Then I'm gone."
"You've got a deal," Buggy agreed. The clown pirate once again freed the fishman from his chains.
Arlong stood up and cracked his knuckles.
WHAM!
Kuro went flying and was knocked out when he slammed into the steel wall of the cell.
"That one's free," Arlong told Buggy, "I never trusted that prick to begin with."
"LET'S GO BUGGY CREW AND FRIENDS!" Buggy called out, "TO THE GRAND LINE! HOW NOSTALGIC!"
Buggy and his allies slipped out of the cell then relocked it leaving only the unconscious Kuro and the former marine behind them.
Outside the cell, they were greeted by Richie the Lion who lifted the escapees up through the hole Alvida had made in the street before they all raced off for the harbor.
Captain Smoker sat in his office smoking a pair of cigars with Tashigi nearby.
"Do you think they'll make it to the Grand Line?" Tashigi asked.
Smoker exhaled a small cloud of smoke, "Unless they try something stupid like sailing around Reverse Mountain through the Calm Belt… I'm positive a spirited crew like that will make it. What I'm most concerned about is whether or not they have ties to the Revolutionaries. I'm worried that Dragon the Revolutionary being here wasn't just a coincidence. Working with the Revolutionaries could make those Straw Hats even more dangerous than that motley bunch of pirates that they helped us catch today."
BANG!
The door to the office flew open and Mashikaku staggered inside.
"Captain Smoker! Jail break!"
"Damn it!" Smoker cursed. "They won't escape my town!"
Tashigi and Mashikaku watched as Smoker became a cloud of smoke and floated out the window. A few seconds later they heard the revving of a motorbike.
VVRRRROOOOOM!
Tashigi and Mashikaku dashed to the window and watched as Smoker raced off towards the harbor on his smoke-powered Blower Bike.
Tashigi turned to Mashikaku, "I guess you'll have to tell me what happened down there…"
A moment later, Smoker sat on his Blower Bike at the harbor and seethed as he watched Buggy's ship sail off into the storm.
"SO LONG SMOKER!" Buggy shouted to him. "WE'LL BE SURE TO TELL STRAW HAT YOU SAY 'HI' BEFORE WE KILL HIM!"
"Damn it…" Smoker growled.
"Are we too late?" Tashigi called out as she arrived with a marine unit.
Smoker looked back at her. "This is the second time the Straw Hats have beaten those pirates and it's the second time the Marines have let them slip through our fingers…"
"It was Iron Mace Alvida," Tashigi informed him in a sullen tone. "The guards suspect that she's gained some kind of Devil Fruit Power. All their attempts to apprehend her were useless. Bullets slid off of her. Swords couldn't break her skin. No one could hold her for more than two seconds. The men were caught off guard and didn't have any of their Sea Prism Stone gear ready. Also, she had one of Buggy's men with her. He had a giant lion."
"I take it there's more?" Smoker asked.
"It's my fault, sir," Tashigi confessed. "Sabo… he mentioned that he was attacked by her. I got so caught up bringing in Arlong that I completely forgot about it."
"Then it looks like we've both got reputations to restore," Smoker reasoned.
"What are we going to do, sir?" Tashigi questioned.
"This time we're going to catch those crooks ourselves," Smoker answered. "Get everything ready. We're heading to the Grand Line."
"Approved," came the voice of the High-Ranking Marine Official on the Transponder Snail.
"Really?" Smoker asked. "I half expected you to try and force me to stay at my post."
"Those pirates escaped from the Marines… twice. We need to show that we're taking steps to rectify the problem. Sending you to the Grand Line in pursuit of the escaped criminals does just that. In the meantime, we'll raise the bounties of Buggy's crew and send a Marine Officer to temporarily take over your post in Loguetown until we can find a longer term replacement."
"That went well," Tashigi remarked when the call ended. Smoker still didn't look pleased. "What's the matter? We've been granted permission to head to the Grand Line."
"I guess having permission to go after Buggy's Crew took some of the thrill out of it," Smoker confessed, "Before I was stationed at Loguetown I used to be a loose cannon. Promoting me to Captain and sticking me here was their way of 'keeping me out of trouble'. To tell the truth… I was excited to go back to that. I was all set to tell the brass to go to hell."
"Well… these last few years you've managed to build a reputation as a dependable Marine Captain," Tashigi pointed out. "Maybe they decided not to give you orders to stay here when they knew you'd ignore them."
"Who knows," Smoker said with a shrug. "Did you call the Straw Hats to warn them about Buggy?"
"I almost forgot!" Tashigi gasped as she pulled out her receiver for the Transponder Snail that she'd given to Nami. "Straw Hats… Straw Hats… Buggy and his crew have escaped Loguetown and are following you to the Grand Line. We're coming after them to try and recapture them."
"…"
"Hmm… no response," Tashigi mused. "Straw Hats? Are you there?"
"Transponder Snail sets like that one have an eavesdrop function," Smoker informed her. "Squeeze the sides of the shell and our snail will send a signal to theirs that'll make it pick up without the Straw Hats having to do anything."
Tashigi squeezed the sides of the Transponder Snail's shell.
Click!
"HOLY COW!"
"LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THAT THING!"
"MOOOONSTEEERR!"
"WHOOOOAA! THEEEYY'REE HUUUGE!"
"THIS IS WHY I SAID WE COULDN'T GO AROUND THE MOUNTAIN!"
"Alright! Alright! I'm sorry!"
AAAAA-CCHOOOO!
"WOOOW! WE'RE FLYING!"
"WAAAAAAAH!"
"GAH! USOPP FELL OVERBOARD!"
"LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THAT FROG!"
"IT'S CHASING US!"
"I DON'T WANNA DIIIEEEE!"
Smoker and Tashigi stared wide-eyed at the Transponder Snail.
"I… I think I'll call back later," Tashigi decided as she ended the transmission.
"Oi! Did I just hear my grandson screaming?"
Smoker and Tashigi turned to see Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp standing in the doorway.
"You!" Smoker exclaimed.
"I'm here to relieve you of your post," Garp announced.
"Vice Admiral Garp, sir!" Tashigi snapped off a quick salute. "I… how'd you get through the storm?"
"Oh, that little thing?" Garp asked. "I've sailed through much worse. But it scared my new chore boys half to death! GAHAHAHA!"
"How'd you get here so fast?" Smoker inquired.
"I was already headed here," Garp admitted, "I wanted to teach my pain in the ass grandson a lesson for making me clean up his messes. He's always spouting about wanting to be King of the Pirates so I thought he wouldn't be able to resist coming here."
"You were right," Smoker stated, "But you just missed him."
"And we have reason to believe that his crew attempted to sail around Reverse Mountain through the Calm Belt," Tashigi added. "They were still screaming when we hung up so it sounds like the Sea Kings left them alive."
"Reckless rascal," Garp muttered. "Anyway, I'm supposed to keep an eye on this place until they find someone else to fill in. I brought along a prisoner so I'm gonna toss his ass in the brig downstairs."
Just as abruptly as he'd appeared, Vice Admiral Garp turned and left the office. The Legendary Marine was already starting to make himself at home in his new temporary base of operations.
"I guess that means we can leave now…" Tashigi noted.
"Right," Smoker agreed as he stood up. "We'll try calling the Straw Hats again once we set sail."
Shunk! Shunk! Click!
Kuro and Morgan looked up as the door their cell was opened again.
THUD!
A large man was tossed inside and landed on the floor in between them.
"That's… Don Krieg…" Kuro realized. With a sense of horrible foreboding Kuro and Morgan turned to look at the door.
"So much for a clean getaway, huh boys?" Garp taunted as he stepped into the prison.
BANG!
The door slammed shut behind him.
"So ax-guy… you like cheap-shotting guys while they're napping, eh?" Garp challenged Morgan as he stomped towards him.
"Hold on! My arms are bound! I'm unarmed!" Morgan pointed out.
Garp stopped. "Good point."
Click!
A second later Morgan was released from his shackles.
"Let's see you try that again when I'm ready for it!" Garp urged him. "Come on, big man!"
Locked in a cell and backed into a wall with a crazy marine barking at him, Morgan was left with no real alternative. He gave a loud bellow and lashed out at Garp with his ax. "RAAAH!"
WHAP!
Garp caught the ax with his bare hand.
KRACK!
The Vice Admiral broke the head of the ax with simple flick of his wrist then tossed it away behind him.
"You're disarmed," Garp pointed out. "NOW what're you gonna do?"
Morgan was many things… but he wasn't a coward. He lashed out with his good arm and punched the hulking Marine Legend in the face.
POW!
Garp didn't buckle an inch. "Well… at least you've got some balls," he remarked. "I can respect that."
KA-POW!
Morgan went flying across the cell. His large body hit the wall so hard that it left an indent in the steel.
"Time to put this old dog down!" Kuro, having retrieved the broken head of Morgan's ax, lunged at Garp from behind with his cuffed wrists the ax raise overhead poised to strike.
WHAP!
Garp spun around and caught Kuro in midair then tossed him aside like he was a child playing with a toy.
Kuro paled as the Marine Hero turned his undivided attention towards him. "So wise-ass… I guess that this means it was your idea to cheap-shot me while I was napping."
"I… you… you wouldn't hit a guy with glasses?" Kuro attempted to beg off as Garp advanced on him.
Garp showed surprising speed to go along with his bulk as he snatched Kuro's glasses right off his face.
CRUNCH!
"Problem solved," Garp announced as he dropped the crushed glasses beside him.
"Oh dear…" Kuro mumbled.
KA-POW!
And so while Garp held down the fort in Loguetown, Smoker and Tashigi chased Buggy and his crew into the Grand Line. A new set of wanted posters would eventually be issued for the Clown and his six companions as they pursued the seven Straw Hats.
WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE: BUGGY 'THE CLOWN' 25,000,000 BERRIES
WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE: CABAJI 'THE ACROBAT' 8,000,000 BERRIES
WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE: MOHJI 'THE BEAST TAMER' 7,000,000 BERRIES
WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE: RICHIE 'THE LION' 1,000,000 BERRIES
WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE: JANGO 'THE HYPNOTIST' 14,000,000 BERRIES
WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE: 'IRON MACE' AVLIDA 15,000,000 BERRIES
WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE: 'SAW TOOTH' ARLONG 30,000,000 BERRIES
"Thank goodness all we have to deal with is a storm!" Luffy exclaimed as the Straw Hats laid scattered on the deck of the Going Merry fresh off their escape from the Sea Kings in the Calm Belt.
"And that's why we have to go up the mountain," Nami growled at Zoro.
"I said I was sorry!" Zoro complained. "You don't have to rub it in."
The navigator stalked off and went to adjust their course towards Reverse Mountain.
"I thought… I was gonna die…" Usopp whimpered.
"Look at it this way," Sabo suggested, "When you tell that story you can say you looked death right in the face but escaped at the last second."
"Ooo, that does sound cool," Usopp agreed and immediately perked up.
"Do you really have to encourage him?" Sanji asked.
"I don't see the harm," Sabo said. "If I was nearly eaten by a giant frog I'd want to tell people about it. And we all know it's true so he's not lying."
"Well, since the mossball bosun is done trying to feed us to Sea Kings…" Sanji resolved.
"Oh for the love of swords…" Zoro growled, "How does sailing up a mountain make more sense than going around it!?"
"Nami-swan said that's the way to go so that's the way to go," Sanji resolved. "That's all there is to it."
"Actually… I think I finally figured it out," Nami announced. "We really do need to sail up the mountain. The way is works is that the currents from the East Blue, North Blue, West Blue and South Blue hit the Reverse Mountain from all four sides. Those currents as so strong that they force the water straight up a path to the top of the mountain. The four paths meet at the peak and join together to form one final path that leads down into the Grand Line."
"So you're saying it's a mystery mountain!" Luffy realized.
Nami rolled her eyes, "Right… a mystery that I clearly just explained…"
"NAMI-SWAN! YOU'RE AMAZING!" Sanji swooned.
"It still doesn't make sense," Zoro insisted.
"It's not supposed to," Sabo told him. "It's the Grand Line. Ace sent us a letter saying that anything is possible there. So sailing up a mountain is really just the beginning when you're traveling in a sea filled with all sorts of things that you have to see to believe."
"You make it sound like it's some sort of fantasy dream-land," Sanji pointed out. "I heard that half the people that try entering the Grand Line die in the process."
"GULP!" Usopp swallowed hard as he stood on shaky knees. "I think I prefer Sabro's interpretation…"
"HEY! I SEE THE MYSTERY MOUNTAIN!" Luffy called out.
The Straw Hats all turned to look in the direction their Captain indicated only for the Going Merry to suddenly be covered in the shadow of the massive looming mountain that laid before them. The pirates craned their necks upward as they stared up towards the top of the mountain which seemingly vanished into the dark storm clouds overhead.
While the others marveled at the size of Reverse Mountain, Sabo pulled Bonnie Anne out from his coat, "See that, Bonnie? That's the Red Line. It stretches all the way around the world and intersects the Grand Line while dividing the world's four oceans. The Holy Land of Mariejois is located on the exact opposite side of the world. That's where we'll find the Celestial Dragons. But we've gotta sail along the Grand Line to get there."
"LOOK! IT'S THE ENTRANCE!" Luffy called out as he spotted a split in the mountain. A series of arches marked the entrance of the waterway that was running skyward. "THAT'S SO COOL!"
"I don't believe it…" Zoro gasped as he stared through binoculars, "The water really is flowing up."
"We've gotta enter it just right," Nami warned the others, "If we're off course our ship could be smashed to pieces."
"Leave it to us!" Usopp and Sanji called out as they darted into the galley and grabbed the central steering rudder that was located there.
The Going Merry battled the powerful currents from the East Blue as it closed it on the tiny waterway and the massive unrelenting mountain that surrounded it. The rushing waves and the roaring wind from the storm slowly managed to push the tiny caravel off course.
"We've drifting too far to the side!" Luffy called out from the front of the ship. "We need to go right!"
"OI! TURN STARBOARD!" Boatswain Zoro barked back at Usopp and Sanji.
The Ship's Cook and the Master Gunner struggled with all of their combined strength against what seemed like the force of the entire East Blue. The two Straw Hats struggled in a deadlock against the powerful force of nature that seemingly wasn't budging an inch. Eventually something had to give.
KRACK!
"WAAH!" Usopp and Sanji yelped as the whipstaff snapped from all the force being exerted on it.
Luffy, Sabo, Zoro and Nami went bug eyed as they looked back at the broken rudder.
"The rudder just…" Nami whimpered.
"WE CAN'T CONTROL THE SHIP!" Sabo exclaimed as he hugged Bonnie to him, "WE'RE GONNA CRASH!"
The Going Merry barreled onward on a collision course with the first of the ten arches.
"No we're not…" Luffy resolved as he tossed his straw hat back to Zoro then a deep breath and launched himself off the front of the ship. "GUUUM… GUUUM… BAAALLOOOOOON!"
FWOOSH!
Luffy's belly swelled in size as he inflated like a balloon and dropped between the Merry's port side and the first arch that she was about to crash into.
BOING!
Luffy was squished as the Going Merry bounced off of him and veered back on course. The ship was saved but the rubber pirate was now dropping down towards the rushing water below him.
"LUFFY! GRAB MY HAND!" Zoro called out as he stuck his arm over the side railing.
WOING!
Luffy stretched his arm and grabbed Zoro's outstretched hand which allowed the Boatswain to haul the Captain back on board the boat.
Zoro looked back over his shoulder and saw the Quartermaster give him a grateful nod.
"WE'RE SAVED!" Usopp exclaimed as he and Sanji staggered out of the galley. He was still clutching the broken top of the steering rudder.
The Going Merry continued on its corrected course and sailed straight through the ten arches and began its journey up to the top of Reverse Mountain.
"WE DID IT!" the Straw Hats cheered.
Up, and up, and up the Going Merry went. Soon it passed through the dark clouds of the storm and the Straw Hats found the bright sun shining down on them from the other side.
Nami wasted no time in throwing off her raincoat while Sabo happily pulled his rifle out of his own coat no longer needing to shield his girlfriend from the storm.
"WHOA!" Luffy cheered, "Look at how high we are! We're going through the clouds!"
"Yeah! That storm's way below us now!" Usopp added.
"Come on, Bonnie," Sabo said as he climbed up the rope ladder towards the crow's nest. "Let's get a bird's eye view from one of the highest points in the entire world."
"There it is!" Nami called out as she pointed ahead of them, "The top of the mountain!"
The rushing water coming up from the East Blue met three similar streams coming up from the North Blue, West Blue and South Blue. The waterways joined together at the peak then went down the mountain as one.
WHING!
The Going Merry went flying up over the top of the mountain and flew above it for a moment.
The Straw Hats stared down from the airborne ship at the final waterway which would lead them back down the mountain into the legendary ocean where they all sought to make their dreams come true.
"We'll get you out of that gun Bonnie," Sabo told his girlfriend, "And then you and I will take down the Celestial Dragons together."
KER-CHOW!
"I'll become the World's Greatest Swordsman."
"I'll find the All Blue."
"I'll draw a map of the entire world."
"I'll be a Brave Warrior of the Sea."
"I'LL BE KING OF THE PIRATES!"
SPLASH!
The Going Merry splashed down in the final waterway and started sailing downward.
"THERE IT IS!" Luffy shouted to his crew, "I CAN SEE THE GRAND LINE!"
I think I'll leave it off there. Thanks to a great deal of the focus being on our wonderful Loguetown supporting cast, everything from the East Blue's been wrapped up and now the main focus returns to Straw Hats as they head down into the Grand Line.
And what's this about Sabo and Sanji discussing families together? Eh, Sabo will probably have forgotten about it by the time they reach the New World.
Sabo meets Vivi next chapter! You can probably imagine how well that's going to go.
Silver signing off…