Chapter 9 : Grand Line Begins!
"So That's the Red Line!" Yelled Luffy in curious excitement while looking at it.
"I CAN'T EVEN SEE THE TOP BECAUSE OF THE CLOUD'S" Luffy shouted looking at the monumental size of the rock wall in front of them that seems never ending.
"This mountain is gigantic, how does something like this even form" Axel ponders aloud while gazing at the Red Line in wonder.
"I'm not certain, But we're coming up on Reverse Mountain" Nami stated in preparation for what's to come.
"Get a good grip of the rudder so we don't get dragged down!" Luffy orders while watching the fast approaching entrance and the deadly waves slamming into the rock face brutally cracking against it.
"Just leave it to us!"Sanji shouts as he and Axel run to grab the rudder with Sanji gripping the top half and Axel taking hold of the bottom half already noting the difficulty of moving it in the crushing current of Reverse Mountain as it started to drag them to one of the gates at the entrance.
"I can't believe it, The ocean is really going up the mountain..." Zoro whispered in amazement at the sight him front of him soon joined by Nami also looking on in wonder and amazement.
"WE'RE VEERING OFF COURSE, Turn a little tot the right!" Luffy shouted taking note of the ship slowly start to veer into one of the gates as Sanji and Axel standing on either side of the rudder applied their full strength into quickly following the orders lest they crash.
"Right Turning Starboard!, HNGHHH!" Sanji and Axel shout in unison as Sanji pulls the rudder with all his strength and Axel Pushes it with all his might both straining at the intense effort they are putting into keeping the ship on the correct course.
"Amost there!" Luffy shouted back at the two who are visibly straining with the rudder as the ship slowing moves back on course keeping them from slamming full force into the gates at the start of Reverse Mountain and as they got back on course they were dragged along with the current up the mountain at a fast pace.
"We Did It!" The whole crew exclaims in joy as they celebrate the successful entrance.
"Wow were so high up even further than the clouds that the water freezes when it splashes away" Axel remarked in wonder at taking in the amazing views around him.
"Now all we got to do is go down!" Luffly shouted over the sound of crashing waves as the ship reached the apex of the mountain and began heading down towards the grand line at incredible speeds.
"I can see the Grand Line ahead!" Luffy shouted as he peered over the clouds to the boundless beautiful sea ahead.
"So this is the Grand Line, The greatest sea in the world!, FULL SPEED AHEAD!" Luffy said the first part quietly to himself and shouted his orders as Sanji and Usopp unfurled the sails making the ship pick up more speed as it rocketed down the mountain.
"BUOOOH!" Suddenly from nowhere came an ominous noise that only Axel and Zoro noticed causing Axel to look at Zoro in confusion, Zoro noticing as much turned to Nami and Luffy.
"Did you hear that as well?" Zoro asked the two who seemed to just brush it off as nothing causing Axel to frown a little as his gut told him it wasn't nothing.
"BUOOHHH!" Came the ominous noise yet again forcing the rest of the crew to take notice of the sound they can't identify.
"What's That" "Nami there's a Mountain ahead" both Usopp and Sanji say respectively causing Nami to take a look at the path ahead in confusion.
"That doesn't make sense, after we pass the Twin Capes ahead it should be open ocean" Nami informs growing more and more confused by the second only for her eyes to widen when she finally noticed what they were talking about.
"That's no Mountain, It's a whale!" Nami shouts in terror at the sight before her and the direct path they are headed to on a direct collision course with it.
"How is that a whale!" Axel shouts as he gazes on in worry that is only growing as they draw closer to the behemoth before them.
"BUOOOHHHH!" The whale continues bellowing not seeming to have notice the ship approaching it at high speeds nor it having the intention to move for them caused the crew to begin to panic at the situation presented to them.
"Quick turn the rudder!" Zoro yelled to the others causing Sanji, Axel, Usopp and himself to run to the rudder hoping to turn away from the whale and get around it only for it be for naught as the wind and current was too strong driving them forwards towards the whale at great speeds as everyone continues panicking.
"That's it!, I've got a plan!" Luffy exclaims as he runs of into the ship causing Axel to worry as his captains plans are not the most reliable at which he was proved correct when the Canon on the front of their ship went off hitting the whale successfully slowing them down enough to stop, but not before the ships figure head broke free of the ship from the collision against the whale and everything to go deathly silent including the whale, causing the crew even more fear at what is to come because of their Captain.
"Now's our chance to run!" Zoro shouted as he took in their current situation.
"Quick grab the Oars, we have to row as fast as possible!" Axel shouted as the four previously on the rudder quickly grabbed the Oars attempting to row away as quick as they possibly can.
"What's with this thing!, did it not even feel that canon ball!? Maybe it's just really slow!" Sanji remarked after having noticed the whales silent and still form.
"Row! Just keep rowing as fast as you can!" Zoro shouted to the rest as they were more focused on the whale with only him and Axel trying to row with all their strength only to be stupefied when their captain screamed at the whale and threw a punch at it's giant eye.
"THAT IDIOT!" The males all shouted with pointy teeth and tears pouring out of their completely white eyes with Nami seemingly fainting from the shock and fear at their current predicament.
"IT SAW US!" The crew shouted as the enormous whales eye suddenly snapped down to stare directly at them causing the crew to panic in fear.
"Come at me, You bastard!" Luffy shouted at the whale in anger at the damage to his special seat that has now been detached from the front of the ship, his anger is quickly dispelled as he is kicked in the back of the head but Axel and Zoro forcing him to go tumbling forward due to the strength of the two fighters as they screamed at him to shut up before the whale gets angry.
Suddenly the whale moves opening it's mouth and inhaling water at such force that it drags the ship into it while this is happening Axel briefly noted that Luffy because of their kick had not been taken with them as the Ship is violently dragged into the whales stomach.
...
"What do I make of this...?" Zoro asked in confusion at his surroundings.
"Yeah, correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't we just swallowed whole by a whale" Axel followed up Zoro's question with one himself.
"Yeah we definitely were swallowed no doubt about it, what's you're explanation for this?" Sanji asked Nami hoping she had an answer after answering Axel's question.
"Are we just dreaming or something? Yeah this has to be a dream" Usopp stated as he looked around at the strangeness of his surroundings.
"Then what's with the house on the island? Must be an illusion" Sanji asked and concluded as they were focused on this the green water below the ship started to move.
"IT'S A GIANT SQUID!" Nami and Usopp screamed as they ducked for cover while Zoro, Axel and Sanji prepared to strike at a moments notice only for three harpoons to cut straight through the squid directly in front of them instantly killing the monster squid.
"Seems like there's a person here" Zoro stated sweating along with Axel and Sanji at the previous display displayed by the unknown person.
"Let's hope it's a person" Sanji states while gazing towards the small island ahead where the attack seemingly came from.
"Better yet let's hope they are friendly" Axel says as the other two nod at his words.
"M..Maybe we should just open fire!" Usopp inquired while pointing at the island in front of them with a little fear leaking into his voice.
"Why would we do that, they just helped us" Axel asked Usopp with confusion visible on his face with made Usopp stammer to think of a response, ultimately failing to he decided to just remain silent when all of them noticed a shadow appear in the door way of the house on the small island.
"Hang on, Someone's coming out...!" Sanji stated as they all prepared for a fight just in case this mystery person did happen to be an enemy and after the figure stepped forward revealing a little more of its form, Sanji was shocked at what he saw.
"It's a flower!" He says in shock while pointing at the silhouette in the doorway causing the others to gasp in shock.
"A Flower!" (Zoro)
"IT'S A PERSON DUMBASS!" Axel shouted at Sanji with a tick mark on his forehead when the figure further revealed themselves as an old man with multi coloured flower petals growing out of his head, a stocky build and a beard holding ropes attached to the harpoons still sticking out of the now dead squid.
"YOU THOUGHT IT WAS A FLOWER TOO BASTARD!" Sanji shouted back as he and Axel's foreheads collided and pushed at each other with sparks between their eyes.
Suddenly all the crew felt an intense pressure emanating from the old man as he stared them down causing them to sweat as the three fighters prepared for an attack while the old man remained completely silent and slowly walked over to a chair on the front of the island, sat down and opened his newspaper to read.
"SAY SOMETHING!" Sanji yelled in anger with pointy teeth towards the old man as he could not take the intense silence any longer.
"I..I..If it's a fight you want, T..Then you've got one!, We have a Canon on our side!" Usopp shouted at the Old man's continued silence only to panic and hide behind Axel when the old man's intense stare turned towards him lingering a little longer on Axel than the others.
"Don't or someone might end up dead" The old man stated with his ever present intense stare causing the entire crew to tense at the perceived threat.
"....Oh and just who would that be...?" Sanji asked the old man with a cautious grin on his face in preparation for a fight.
"Me" The old man said causing the crew to falter in astonishment and Sanji to grow angrier than before.
"You!?" Sanji yells at the man with pointy teeth and blazing anger having had enough of the old man's attitude.
"Now, Now, Don't get so worked up, Hey! Old man, would you mind telling us just who you are?, And just where this place exactly is?" Zoro calms down Sanji then proceeds onto question the old man who has maintained his intense stare the entire duration of their interaction with him.
"...It's common courtesy to introduce yourself before asking others questions, You know" The old man states while staring down Zoro waiting for his reply.
"Oh right, Sorry about that, My name is Zor....." Zoro begins his sentence intent to share his name with the old man only to be cut off mid sentence by said old man.
"My name is Crocus, The lighthouse keeper of Twin Capes, I'm seventy one years old, A Gemini, And type AB blood" the now old man now named Crocus informs cutting Zoro off from his own introduction causing Zoro immense anger.
"NOBODY MINDS IF I KILL HIM?!, RIGHT!?" Zoro asked the rest of the crew with pointy teeth and righteous anger while gripping his swords handle ready to slash down Crocus.
"Calm down, He's just an old man leave him to his antics" Axel says to Zoro with a hand placed on his shoulder to keep him steady and to hopefully calm him down enough.
"Hello my name is Axel, would you be able to answer my friends questions please?" Axel asked which made Crocus shift his intense stare onto Axel making him slightly twitch, In case of an attack Axel gripped the handle of his bat.
"You're wondering where this place is? You first trespass in my private resort and then start mouthing off with that attitude!?, Does this look like the stomach of a mouse!?" Crocus accuses then mocks the crew by answering the question with sarcasm and his perpetually intense stare.
"So we are in the whale?, ALSO! WHAT DO YOU MEAN ATTITUDE!? THAT WAS THE NICEST I HAVE EVER BEEN!" Axel shouted at Crocus causing the man's stare to intensify if at all possible.
"Needs some work" He stated in disinterest causing Axel to grab his bat off his back preparing to strike with tick marks popping up all over his forehead and while grinding his teeth asked the rest.
"It's ok to smash his head in now isn't it, we got the information we needed! Tell me it ok to hit him!?" Axel hysterical asked with righteous anger rolling off him in waves.
"If it's and exit you want, it's right over there" Crocus stated as he pointed off to the side completely ignoring Axel's fury.
Axel zoned everyone out while calming his fury although not before hearing about the exit which he decided he would love to leave through as fast as possible to avoid dealing with the old man when suddenly three big splashes went off around there ship causing it to sway a little and the loud banging coming from the whale ramming its head forces Axel back to focus.
As the crew brought Luffy and the other two on board Nami questions as to who the other two who were brought on board are only for the two to suddenly bring rocket launchers out and fire them at the inside of the whales stomach muttering about this being there only chance to complete their mission only for Crocus to jump in front of the two rockets tanking the blow with very little damage visible after the smoke cleared.
"I'm not sure what's going on, but for now I'll knock these guy's out!" Luffy stated as he slammed his fists down on both their heads.
...