DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING, EXCEPT RAGNAR AND ALL VIKINGS AND OCs IN THIS STORY! ONE PIECE BELONGS TO EICHIRO ODA, VIZ MANGA, TOEI ANIMATION AND FUNIMATION ENTERTAINMENT/CRUNCHYROLL LLC
Chapter 52: Start To A New Adventure! Cross the Red Line!
With the chaos of Loguetown behind them, the Straw Hats continued on their way towards the Grand Line, following the light from the guidepost further southwest. The storm continued to rage all around them, however, forcing most of the crew inside the galley. It was still high noon, but it seemed as dark as night. Ragnar went out to light the lanterns that were posted on the mast and entrances to the cabins, to provide illumination. Luffy and Nami were at the bow, the former sitting atop the Merry's figurehead, while the latter was looking over the nautical chart of the Grand Line they nabbed from Orange Town. All at once, however, the guiding light was suddenly extinguished.
"Uh-oh! Nami! Bad news!" Luffy shouted, "The light just went out!"
"It's a lighthouse, it's supposed to go out from time to time," said Nami, reminding her captain about how basic nautical navigation worked, "But then again, that's why you brought me along, isn't it? Don't worry! I know exactly what to do!"
"We're lucky to have you aboard with us," said Ragnar as he approached the bow, "I imagine that you learned these skills both from books, as well as from your time trying to free your village from Arlong, no doubt."
"Right on the money!" Nami replied to her quartermaster, "It's no secret that Hachi managed to sneak a few navigation books when I was a kid, but most of this I learned on my own before Arlong showed up."
"So, do you think we'll reach the Grand Line soon?" Luffy asked as he got up and off the figurehead.
"Whaddya think? We just left Loguetown a few hours ago," Nami replied, "It'll take some time before we get there. Just be patient." Then she looked over the chart again, "According to the map, we should be spotting the Red Line any time now."
"That would make sense, seeing that storms don't usually get past the mountains," said Ragnar, "Though, given that the Red Line consists entirely of mountains, they could be snow clouds."
'Can this be right?' Nami thought, as she mulled over the map, noticing Reverse Mountain in the center of it all, 'Is the path to the Grand Line really as perilous as its drawn here?' She then turned to Ragnar and told him, "Ragnar, have everyone meet at the galley."
"Understood," Ragnar replied, then rang a bell as he headed toward the aft castle, shouting, "All hands, report to the galley!" Inside, all the Straw Hats gathered as Nami placed the chart down on the main table.
"Take a look," she told them all, "I'm familiar with the rumors, and these drawings combined with what Ragnar told me confirm it. As unimaginable as it may seem, the entrance to the Grand Line is a mountain."
"It's true. I've seen it with my own eyes," Ragnar added with a nod.
"So, what? Do we crash into it?" Zoro asked, confused by what the navigator and quartermaster meant.
"You gotta be kidding me!" Sanji muttered, "Is it really that dangerous?"
"I didn't believe it either, but the map's clear," Nami confirmed, "Given what Ragnar and I discussed, it looks like the mountain is riddled with small canals, so we might have to go up and over it."
"Ooh! Sounds like fun!" Luffy exclaimed, unaware of what awaited them once they got to the Red Line continent.
"What are you talking about?" Zoro asked, still somewhat befuddled by this whole notion, "Even if there are canals or whatever, a caravel can't climb up a mountain. The draft probably couldn't handle it."
"Well, the map says otherwise," said Nami, "Plus, Ragnar says that he's seen plenty of those ships go up the North Blue's canal entrance as well."
"Indeed. My homeland is directly on the Red Line continent, and this mountain is not very far," Ragnar confirmed, "I've seen ships of all types go up the mountain canals, as impossible as it may seem."
"Yeah, but remember, that map was stolen from Buggy the Clown," Zoro reminded everyone, "Can we trust it?"
"Didn't you just hear a thing that Ragnar said!?" Usopp growled at the swordsman, "He's seen it for himself, so it has to be possible!" Just then, the archer noticed that the sound of rain pounding the ship suddenly came to a stop, and sunlight peered into the galley. "Wait, wha? Guys! The storm suddenly cleared up!"
"You're right!" Sanji added, having noticed the change in the weather, "It's calm out!"
"What!? That's impossible!" Nami remarked, "That storm should've led us directly to Reverse Mountain." Sensing that something seemed off, Ragnar rushed out towards the deck. "Ragnar, where are you going!?" Nami asked as she took off her raincoat, revealing a sleeveless baby blue shirt with a light heart in the center with a crisscross design, and a dark blue mini-skirt. She'd gotten so totally soaked when they left Loguetown, she had to change outfits.
"Oh man, it's so nice out!" Luffy exclaimed as he looked out one of the windows.
"I wonder what happened to the storm?" Usopp pondered as he saw nothing but clear blue skies reflecting out on the water.
"What is going on?" Nami muttered, before the sound of ringing finally got everyone's attention.
"ALL HANDS, ON DECK!" Ragnar bellowed as he furiously rang the bell from outside.
"Ragnar, what's going on!?" Nami asked, concerned by the quartermaster's behavior, "I was in the middle of …!"
"There's no time for that!" Ragnar shouted, "We've come to a dead stop! No wind, no current! Nothing!"
"He's right," Zoro added, "It seems to me like we're not even moving. You feel that?" Instantly, Nami realized that both Ragnar and Zoro were right.
"Now that you mention it, the sail doesn't appear to be catching any wind at all," she remarked, only for her to realize their exact situation. Nami's eyes widened in total shock as she suddenly screamed, grabbing everyone's attention. The horrified look on her face said it all. "OH…NO! WE'RE SCREWED! WE'VE ENTERED THE CALM BELT!"
"Exactly!" Ragnar replied, equally panicked, then barked out to the crew, "Quickly! Everyone, grab oars and start rowing!"
"The Clam Belt?" Usopp asked, somewhat confused. Not even he heard this term before.
"Calm Belt!" Nami corrected, frantic, "It's a part of the sea where nothing moves a muscle!" It was evident that she and Ragnar both knew that something was up, and even Luffy could sense it.
"Nami, Ragnar, how is rowing our way out gonna help?" Luffy asked, "You guys look like you've both seen a ghost." Yet all at once, a sudden rumbling was soon felt by everyone. "What was that? An earthquake?" Luffy asked.
"A good trick since we're at sea," Zoro muttered sarcastically.
"All of this chit-chat isn't gonna get us outta here!" Nami told the rest of the crew, "Ragnar's right, furl all the sails and grab oars now! We have to get back on course!"
"You can count on me, Nami!" Sanji declared, his lovestruck side evidently showing itself.
"Don't panic, and besides, caravels are sailing ships," Zoro reminded her, "Luffy's got a point, why would we need to row with oars?"
"True," Usopp added, "And why would we go through the trouble of doubling back when that storm is waiting for us?"
"Look! Guys, there's no time to argue!" Nami barked, "So please, just shut up and do as Ragnar says!"
"At least it's nice and quiet here," Luffy muttered, much to his girlfriend and quartermaster's mutual frustration.
"Nami, we may need to explain our situation," Ragnar told her, "It seems that some of our crewmates aren't as well versed in these waters as we are."
"Fine! I'll explain as simply as possible," Nami grumbled, "In our effort to escape from Loguetown, we ended up sailing too far south, and now we're off course and stuck out here!"
"So, we're in the Grand Line!?" Usopp asked enthusiastically, and then began to cheer and do a celebratory dance. Yet it was clear to him that nobody else felt the same way.
"Hold on, Usopp! I don't think that we're there just yet," Luffy told the archer, before looking up to his navigator, "Am I right Nami?"
"Yes, you're absolutely right, Luffy," said Nami as she took out the chart they nabbed from Buggy back at Orange Town, which detailed a closer image of the Grand Line, and pointed to two stretches of green, "Now look, The Grand Line is sandwiched between these two areas here, which is where we are. These two areas, just as they're labeled, are called the Calm Belts. Nobody knows why, but inside the Calm Belt, there's no wind or current. It's like a void where everything's stagnant. Given that sailing ships like galleons and caravels rely on the wind, these waters are not only dangerous, but also completely fatal."
"So, this is what the old geezer meant when he said it was dangerous," Sanji muttered, remembering Zeff's warning about the Grand Line and the voyage to get there.
"Well, that explains why we haven't gotten a single gust of wind," Zoro remarked, his arms crossed.
"How are we gonna get outta here if our ship can't even move?" Usopp asked, dismayed by Nami's explanation.
"The only way one can reach the Grand Line via the Calm Belt, or to leave it, is by way of ships that rely on both sail and oar power," said Ragnar, "One of the many reasons that my people are able to cross the Grand Line so easily is because our ships are powered by both wind and oar power, allowing us to travel the Calm Belt with ease. Even smaller knars are able to sail through these waters, thanks to their similar power of oar and sail power."
"Exactly, and among the Vikings, their longships are extremely fast," Nami added, "Which is a good thing, because there's another good reason why sailors consider this area dangerous! It's infested with…!" She did not finish. At that precise moment, the entire ship buckled as the sea rose and fell like the Merry was going up and down a hill.
"What was that!?" Usopp asked, startled at the sudden movement.
"EARTHQUAKE!" Ragnar shouted as he positioned himself right up against the mast, turning into his hybrid lion form, and using his claws to anchor himself.
"HERE THEY COOOOOOMMMEEE!" Nami suddenly screamed as the sea began to rise up all around the Merry. Through the cascading water, Luffy could see two bulging eyes, followed by a cobra-like hood and an elongated mouth full of teeth! More creatures emerged from the depths, resembling a mixed mashup of different animals.
"SEA MONSTERS!" Luffy shouted, sheer terror eating away at his heart, "THEY'RE GIGANTIC!"
"AND THEY'RE EVERYWHERE!" Ragnar added as he looked around, noticing that they were now positioned on the snouts of one of them. All around the Straw Hats, they gathered, in all shapes and classes. Each one had either fangs, scales, or some even had the beaks of birds. Everyone was completely aghast with horror. This was what Nami meant by this part of the sea being infested.
"The Calm Belt is also home to the Sea Kings…" Nami lamented while she hugged the mast, with Usopp climbing right above her, "It's their main mating grounds…they're the reason why only the Vikings are the few people who can safely cross the Calm Belt…" Luffy, Ragnar, Zoro and Sanji all looked out. Unless they found a way to get down, then they were royally screwed!
"Any idea how we get outta this one?" Sanji asked, desperate for any plan at this point.
"Yes! Everybody, don't move a muscle!" Zoro replied, trying his best not to raise his voice, "We don't wanna give them any reason to stick around or eat us! Once they're gone, we'll row back. Got it?"
"YOU CALL THAT A PLAN!?" Usopp suddenly bellowed out, fear getting the better of him.
"Shut up!" Nami whispered as she covered Usopp's mouth with both her hands. Any loud noise was enough to get the attention of one of these monstrous beasts.
"Sorry…!" Usopp muttered, trying his best to stay quiet, but it was now too late. One of the sea kings, a frog-like one with golden skin and a noticeable underbite, heard Usopp's scream and leapt up towards the Sea King that the Merry now sat on, mouth wide open!
"A GIANT FROG IS ATTACKING US!" Luffy shouted, and all the Straw Hats could do was scream in terror as the great amphibian approached. In the chaos, Ragnar lost his footing and began falling towards the beast's jaws. "RAGNAR! HOLD ON!" Luffy yelled as he stretched his arm out and pulled his quartermaster to safety. The great frog only closed its mouth as it fell back into the sea again.
"Phew! That was too close! Thanks for the save!" Ragnar shouted, relieved that he would not be bound for Helheim this day. Suddenly, as he was flung back up, he noticed something about the Sea King they were positioned on, and an idea formed in his head. "Luffy! I got an idea! Send me downwards!" He requested of his captain.
"You got it!" Luffy replied, and pulled Ragnar down towards the Sea King's nostril, much to the shock of the rest of the crew.
"Luffy, are you NUTS!?" Usopp asked.
"What are you doing!?" Nami chimed in.
"No idea, guys," Luffy plainly replied, "This is all on Ragnar."
As he descended closer towards the beast's nostril, Ragnar flicked his hands, allowing his claws to come out. Then, he saw it, exactly what he was looking for.
"Ready…Ready…!" he muttered to himself as he saw the great strand before him, then as soon as he was close enough, he shouted, "NOW!" The Viking grasped onto the great follicle and pulled it straight out of the massive nostril as he was pulled back upwards.
"What in the hell did he just do!?" Zoro asked Luffy, completely shocked by the quartermaster's actions.
"Yanked a nose hair, from the looks of it," said Luffy, who noticed what Ragnar was holding in his hands as he pulled his best friend back to the Merry. The great black and white sea king only felt its nostril twitch, tearing up as it felt an irritating sensation in its nose, which rocked the whole ship about.
"THAT DIDN'T IMPROVE ANYTHING!" Usopp screamed at the top of his lungs, all while he clung to the mast for dear life.
"It sounds like it's gonna…!" Nami began, knowing all too well this sensation, and shocked to be on the receiving end of it.
"Brace yourselves! I think this behemoth's gonna sneeze!" Sanji told everyone; his face frozen in terror at the thought of what was going to happen. Luffy, though, was in awe as he saw the great nose hair come closer and closer, before Ragnar ultimately let it go and landed safely on deck with his feet.
"No way! It's huge!" Luffy muttered, noticing how great the follicle was, all while Ragnar happily gave everyone a thumbs up before hanging on tightly. Luffy could now feel the beast rearing its head back, and shouted, "Get ready, we're going for a ride!" All at once, the Sea King let forth a great sneeze which sent the Going Merry flying through the air as the Straw Hats all tried to hand on, or were flung into the air.
"THERE'S GOTTA BE A BETTER WAY!" Nami, Zoro, Usopp, and Sanji shouted in unison, as they all sped northwards.
"Whoa! It feels like we're flying!" Luffy exclaimed, grabbing onto the mizzen mast like a tree branch.
"IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED, WE ARE FLYING!" Usopp screamed at the top of his lungs. The Merry continued soaring through the air, further north, until at last, she landed safely with all the Straw Hats aboard without so much as a scratch!
"Looks like we landed back where we started!" Nami exclaimed, feeling the wind filling the sail once again.
"Yeah, and it looks like that storm did clear up after all," Zoro remarked.
"I thought I was a goner…" Usopp uttered out, relieved that they weren't all Sea King food.
"Quick thinking, Ragnar!" Luffy exclaimed, giving the quartermaster a thumbs up.
"Many thanks, captain!" The Viking replied, "Now we really should be heading back on course. The stormier the weather gets, the more likely we'll be reaching our destination. Hopefully, now you guys see why the Calm Belt is dangerous."
"Yeah…we all get it," said Zoro, who was slumped over after having a near death experience at the hands of the sea kings.
"Okay! Set the sails!" Luffy ordered happily.
"And our destination is?" Nami asked back.
"Where else? The Grand Line!" Luffy replied. Now that their little excursion with the Sea Kings was over, they could get underway with their main voyage. Hopefully, the only thing now that they would have to deal with would be the weather.
As the day continued, another great black wall of clouds appeared on the horizon, not unlike the storm that they all encountered back at Loguetown.
"Nami! I have a report!" Sanji shouted from the crow's nest, "Major cloud cover ahead; big rain clouds! There's a storm coming!"
"Oh Gods, not another one," Ragnar bemoaned, worried that the stormy weather was not going to do wonders for the ship.
"Oh well, at least we're back on our original course," Nami muttered as she looked back at the map.
"Hey, guys? Does this current feel unusually strong to anyone else?!" Usopp asked as he manned the helm, trying to get the Merry on course. Yet it was those words that struck Nami.
"Usopp, what did you just say?!" She asked the archer.
"I asked if anyone else noticed the unusual strength of this current!" He clarified.
"A current…?" Nami asked, before realizing what was going on. Suddenly, it all made sense! "That must be…!"
"What is it, Nami?" Luffy asked.
"All hands, in the galley!" Nami called out, and they all returned inside to get a view of the map. "Ragnar, we were right! The canals do go up the mountain!" She told the quartermaster.
"You're still going on about that?" Zoro asked, exasperated, "How could that possibly even work?"
"Look right here," said Nami, pointing to the center of the mountain, "The guiding light was pointing us towards this spot on the Red Line. Notice how it's labeled here, Reverse Mountain." She then indicated five small lines going up the mountain, from each of the four seas and one leading up to the Grand Line, "These green lines represent canals, or artificial waterways. If major currents flowed from all four oceans, Whaddya think's gonna happen? The currents would force water up these canals, collide at the summit, and then flow straight down into the Grand Line! Now, given what Ragnar told us all about the landscape of Norðvegr, Reverse Mountain is a winter mountain. So, it's cold, right? That means that any surface currents that don't flow up the canal will be forced down as they cool; anything riding those currents will be pulled down as well. If we screw up and miss the entrance to the canal, the Going Merry will be carried straight into the Red Line's rock face, and likely be scuttled. Ship and crew would likely be sucked to the bottom of the sea as well. Understand?"
"Yeah…basically, it's a mystery mountain!" Luffy surmised, chuckling to himself, "But in all seriousness, yeah. We gotta be extra careful about this, don't we?"
"Exactly," Nami replied, knowing when her boyfriend was just messing with the crew, "Anyway, since we're positioned on this current, we shouldn't have any problems getting to Reverse Mountain. The only thing that would hurt us now was if something went wrong with the rudder."
"Nami, you're a genius!" Sanji declared, lovestruck yet again, much to Luffy's subtle jealousy.
"Call me a skeptic, but ships do not climb mountains," Zoro muttered, which caught the chef's attention.
"Well, I've heard a few stories," Sanji revealed.
"Stories about the mystery mountain?" Luffy asked enthusiastically.
"It's not so much of a mystery, Luffy," Ragnar interjected, "Besides, I don't think that's what Sanji was talking about, am I right?"
"Yeah, you're right. I wasn't referring to anything remotely close to that," Sanji explained, "What I have heard, though, is that more than half the people who try to make it to the Grand Line die before they even get there. Whatever we find in that sea, it won't be easy."
"He's right," Ragnar added, "The Grand Line is only meant for those strong enough to survive its waters. Not even my people know what awaits in the second half of that vast sea. Know, however, that the first half seems like paradise, like a Folkvangr on Midgard. Yet that does not mean it is not without its own dangers. We're heading onto the sea that Gold Roger conquered, so be on your guard."
As they sailed further southwest, the rain began to pour down once more, but nowhere near as intense as it did when the Straw Hats left Loguetown. The wind was not as intense either, but the current was pulling them all towards something.
"Luffy, Sanji, could you boys get the sails?" Nami asked as she donned her raincoat once more. Ragnar only donned his waterproof woolen cloak decked with lionskin for protecting his armor.
"Sure thing!" Luffy replied.
"Anything for you, Nami~!" Sanji added, and he and Luffy quickly got to work furling the sails on the mainmast. Just then, Luffy noticed a great wall of rock coming right for them, dyed red. The Red Line continent!
"HEY GUYS!" He exclaimed, "I CAN SEE THE MYSTERY MOUNTAIN!" With that announcement, everyone rushed to the aft castle to get a glimpse of what Luffy was referring to. Ragnar knew exactly what the Red Line looked like, so he wasn't bothered with the sight of it at all, but the others were shocked.
"THAT'S INSANELY HUGE!" Usopp uttered out, stunned by the sheer scale of this great mound of earth.
"Wow…we're finally here," Nami muttered, awestruck, "Somewhere in that mountain is the entrance to the Grand Line!"
"Oh wow! Awesome!" Luffy muttered happily, "It's bigger than I thought!"
"That it is, Luffy," said Ragnar, recalling how it looked from his homeland.
"I can't see the top!" Usopp shouted, "It's bigger than the clouds!"
"The highest mountain peak in all of Midgard, we call it!" Ragnar explained, "If you were to hike it from my homeland, you would be able to see all four oceans!" The Straw Hats all looked on the horizon, scanning for any cracks in the face of the sheer cliffs. Somewhere in this wall was the canal that led to Reverse Mountain. The way forward was littered with whirlpools as well, so it was clear to see why this voyage was considered treacherous by some. One had to choose between Scylla or Charybdis now in such circumstances.
All at once, the Merry suddenly jerked forward as she sped faster than ever before due to the current. Luffy dangled from the mast, bouncing up and down as he tried his best to hang on for dear life.
"We're getting sucked in!" He shouted, "Hold the rudder steady!"
"We're on it!" Sanji and Usopp declared in unison, as they rushed towards the helm and governed the whip staff.
"Nami! I don't see anything!" Luffy told his girlfriend, "Where's that entrance you were talking about!? If we keep this heading, we're gonna crash into the rocks!" It was at that exact moment that Nami spotted it – an opening in the rockface, but one that was big enough for a ship to sail through.
"There's a crack in that cliff! That must be it!" She muttered, realizing it all at once.
"Nami! Give us a heading!" Usopp shouted from the helm, as he and Sanji did their best to keep the whip staff on course.
"Keep bearing straight ahead!" She shouted, a smile on her face.
"You can't be serious can you!?" Usopp asked in utter shock.
"Trust me! I'm telling you it's our only way!" Nami shouted back, as Luffy made his way to her side, the two interlocking hands together.
"So, is that the canal entrance?" He asked her, using his free hand to secure his hat. Either they had to get this right, or they would be toast.
"More than likely," Nami replied, confident in her skills.
"Oh, it definitely is!" Ragnar added, "It looks exactly like the entrance to the North Blue canal."
"I've gotta be dreaming!" Zoro muttered as he looked through the binoculars, unable to comprehend what he just saw. "It's impossible…! The ocean really is flowing up the mountain!" As they drew nearer, the crack in the cliff opening grew wider and wider, large enough for a ship to sail through. The canal itself was marked by a series of four huge arches, each carved with tribal patterns of what looked like either fish, whales, or sea kings.
"We have to make our way through those water gates just right!" Nami instructed, "If we screw up the angling, then we'll crash into the Red Line and be smashed to pieces!" As the Going Merry drew closer and closer towards the canal entryway, she began to drift off course, towards the portside.
"We're drifting off course!" Luffy shouted, "Gotta go more to the right! Right!" He knew that this was definitely a dangerous time now, and despite his excitement, this was not the time to celebrate yet.
"You heard the captain! Hard to starboard!" Ragnar shouted back to Sanji and Usopp. The two young men pushed and pulled the whip staff as hard as it could go to starboard, determined not to sink on impact.
"C'mon, Sanji! Put your back into it!" Usopp grunted, but at that exact moment, everyone's worst fears sounded with a loud CRACK! The whip staff snapped in twain!
"THE RUDDER!" Everyone screamed, fearing that the Merry would indeed be smashed to pieces, but at that moment, Luffy handed Nami his hat and jumped overboard.
"GUM-GUM…BALLOON!" He shouted, inflating himself and cushioning the Merry before she collided with the water gate. Luffy only endured the pain as the ship used him to slide mere inches past the water gate, and safely bouncing off towards the center of the canal, as the current pulled the Merry further up the slope.
"LUFFY! GRAB A HOLD!" Zoro shouted as he held his arm out for the captain. Luffy quickly deflated, stretched his arm out and grabbed Zoro's hand as he was suddenly pulled back aboard the Merry, albeit with his head stuck like an ostrich in the sand. Nami and Ragnar both breathed a sigh of relief while Sanji and Usopp both began dancing in happiness at the galley.
"WE MADE IT!" They both exclaimed in unison. As they ascended higher and higher, the rain turned to snow before stopping altogether. The further they ascended, the colder it got, but Nami didn't care as she threw her raincoat off.
"Now it's just a straight shot to the summit!" She exclaimed, thrilled that they all managed to enter the canal unscathed.
"I can't believe it! We actually are entering the Grand Line!" Ragnar cackled happily, "Oh, thank the Gods we survived that squall!"
"Hold on, I'm coming!" Luffy shouted as he pulled his head free from the deck. "I'm free! What'd I miss? Wait for me!" Nami only happily handed Luffy his hat back as he made his way to the bow with Zoro, Ragnar and Nami at his side. "Wow! What a view!" Luffy exclaimed. All of the Straw Hats looked on with awe and excitement as they continued to climb higher and higher.
"Ragnar, do you know what we can expect when we make it down?" Nami asked curiously. If there was anyone who knew about the first half of the Grand Line, it was definitely the quartermaster.
"First, we'll need to get past the twin capes, two lighthouses that mark the entrance to the Grand Line," Ragnar explained, "From there, the nearest town would be Whiskey Peak, on Cactus Island. Be warned, though, it will not have much in terms of supplies. Last I was there, it was overrun by many Vikings, namely because it's a vital trade post for those coming to the Grand Line to trade their wares. Though, that was ten years ago. It may have changed since then!"
"Well, we'll find out when we get there, won't we?" Luffy chuckled. He didn't care what awaited them in that town, as long as they were sailing the seas, that was all he cared about. "Whoa! Look how high we are! Guys, we're in the clouds!" He exclaimed with a chuckle, and before long, the Merry peaked out above the clouds, reaching higher and higher towards the sky, the sun drying the entire deck off. "This is insane!" Luffy exclaimed again, "We're not in the clouds anymore, we're above them!" The canal's water all flowed up and up, until it reached a great peak that spewed up like a fountain. The surrounding mountainside was covered in blankets of snow.
"It's amazing! We've done it!" Nami shouted happily, "We've reached the summit of Reverse Mountain!" The Merry only continued to be pulled further upwards, until she ascended the very peak of the summit, the water that splashed out turning into ice before shattering as the Merry was catapulted into the central canal. Luffy only cackled happily as they all flew in the air for a brief moment, before descending down the central canal, and zoomed on downhill like a sleigh on snow or ice. As the Straw Hats descended the mountain, each of them remembered why they joined in the first place.
'To be the World's Greatest Swordsman,' Zoro thought, his eyes filled with determination.
'To find the All Blue!' Sanji mused to himself, hands in his pockets.
'To draw a map of the entire world!' Nami reminded herself as she kept her gaze fixed ahead, smiling.
'To become a brave warrior of the sea!' Usopp proudly thought to himself, clinging to the mast all the way down.
'To be the first of my people to explore the entire Grand Line!' Ragnar internally told himself. Luffy only climbed back aboard the Merry's figurehead, and looked past the clouds.
"Whoa…! Guys! I can see it, dead ahead!" He shouted, "This is the greatest sea in the whole world! The Grand Line! Somewhere out there, the One Piece is waiting, and we're gonna find it!" He declared proudly. The Saga of the Straw Hats had finally arrived at its destination, and they were now finally following in Gold Roger's footsteps at last: the Second Expedition to the Grand Line was now finally on, and they would either find the greatest treasure in all the world or die trying!
A/N: Wow! Another chapter down! This one was pretty short compared to the previous two, but don't worry, expect that to be kind of the pace here and there. As the Straw Hats travel throughout the Grand Line, some stories will be longer or shorter than others. But now, it's officially onwards towards the Grand Line.
For the Calm Belt section, I knew I had to add that in from episode 55 of the anime, because not only was it funny, but it was also the only part of the Warship Island Arc that was considered canonical to the manga. Also, we will definitely have foreshadowing ahead, as it seems that Ragnar has been to Whiskey Peak before, but hasn't returned since the first voyage he and his father made. He is definitely going to be in for a shock, in more ways than one.
I should add that the Sea Kings, or rather sea monsters in general, also appear in Norse mythology. According to the Sagas, one such sea monster is known as the Hafgufa. The Hafgufa was a sea monster said to live off the coast of Iceland, somewhere in the Greenland Sea in the Arctic. The beast was said to be either a fish, a whale, or a monstrous sea serpent, and was said to be capable of swallowing ships, crew and all. According to the sources, it would lure sailors in with an alluring sweet and intoxicating smell to fool sailors into believing they were nearing an estuary or a harbor. However, as they sailed closer, the Hafgufa would swallow the entire ship whole. This is actually pretty similar to how humpback whales breach when they are feeding on krill. Therefore, it is likely that those who recorded the tale of the Hafgufa really only saw a humpback whale breaching somewhere off the coast of Greenland, which is a very common thing, since humpback whales have been known to feed in polar waters, including the Greenland Sea.
And speaking of whales, stay tuned for the next chapter, as it's definitely gonna be a real whale of a tale! Had to do it, sorry not sorry. Anyway, stay tuned!