Chapter 116: Chapter 116: Route Selection
"Do you see the cliffs ahead?"
"That's Red Soil Continent."
On the Donquixote ship, Rosinante pointed to the towering red cliffs ahead and introduced them to the others.
The endless red cliffs that couldn't be seen at the top looked like a giant snake dividing the world. Humans appeared tiny in front of this continent that stretched infinitely along the sides of the sea.
One Piece, a world united by four seas.
Rosinante looked up at the cliffs hidden in the clouds, dividing the world, and it was hard to imagine what could separate him from that.
Even if it's a so-called "nuclear bomb," it would probably just be like scratching an itch for this Red Soil Continent, right?
"So how are we going to cross this continent?"
Facing Gladiolus's confusion, Doflamingo, who was at the helm, answered casually while examining the sea chart.
"We will enter the Grand Line through Levi's Mountain. That's the only place to enter the Grand Line."
Of course, if they were leaving the Grand Line, they wouldn't take the route through this 'Upside-Down Mountain' but would use the special 'cable car' beneath the Red Soil Continent to cross the windless zone.
However, because they could only move along the cliffs of the Red Soil Continent, the efficiency naturally wouldn't be high.
Rosinante and Doflamingo had initially left the Holy Land using this method aboard the "Flat Tower."
"Here we are, everyone, hold on!"
As the Donquixote ship continued to approach the towering red continent, a canal appeared before everyone's eyes. This canal, dug into the cliffs at a 45-degree angle, sloped upward.
Due to the climate of "Winter Island," the waters from all four seas converged here simultaneously, creating four "upward" torrents, allowing ships to climb a kilometer-high peak. It was one of the wonders of this world!
Boom!
The Donquixote ship entered the canal, which was situated on the mountain slope, and was carried forward by the huge sea currents, continuously accelerating towards the mountaintop.
No need for sails, no need for oars, it was all propelled by the waves, pushing everyone to the peak!
This kind of exhilaration, where "heaven and earth shared the same power," made everyone on the deck unable to resist either opening their arms, placing their hands on their hips, or cRosinanteng their arms.
"So, this is the Grand Line. It's so cool!"
Others might still have some "restraint," but Gladiolus, the youngest of them all, exclaimed excitedly.
"Don't get too complacent. After the easy part, there will be real challenges."
Rosinante's words made Joala, who was standing nearby, nod.
"I've heard that half of the ships entering the Grand Line perish at the entrance."
What?!
This statement stunned everyone who was still enjoying the rapid ascent. They instinctively adopted a vigilant posture.
"That's right, we're about to face the first threat of the Grand Line—"
Boom!
The Donquixote ship suddenly jolted and, after flying more than ten meters into the air, landed in the downstream current, descending at a 45-degree angle.
"Hahaha, we actually found prey here!"
At this moment, another pirate ship leaped from another canal beside them and landed behind the Donquixote ship. Numerous pirates, hanging from ropes, wielding sabers and flintlock guns, emitted wolf-like howls.
Because the Donquixote ship flew the flag with two golden dragons, there was no need to distinguish what it meant; as long as it wasn't the skull flag, it meant prey to the pirates.
At the same time, a thunderous roar, like thunder, came from the front:
"Wooohhhhh~~~~"
"What's that sound?"
Vergo furrowed his brow and didn't even spare a glance at the boastful pirate ship nearby.
"The howling of the gale doesn't sound quite right..."
Diamante, a tall figure, peered forward from under the awning but had his vision obscured by the clouds and mist.
"Doflamingo, create a 'deceleration parachute' for the ship."
Although Doflamingo didn't understand Rosinante's intentions, he clapped his hands on the deck.
"String String - Deceleration!"
Countless threads shot out from Doflamingo's five fingers and quickly spread to the stern of the Donquixote ship. They extended, wove together, and entwined—
Soon, a massive 'parachute' took shape at the stern of the ship. While capturing a large amount of air, it started to slow down the descending Donquixote ship.
"Rosinante, what's ahead..."
As the Donquixote ship descended along the waterway, Doflamingo's Observation Haki also sensed the 'object' ahead.
"What is that?!"
"Mountain... no, it's a... it's a whale!"
From the nearby pirate ship, there were cries of shock and fear.
As the clouds and mist dispersed, even without Observation Haki, the others could see the gigantic whale below, resembling a mountain.
This massive whale was preparing to ram into the Red Soil Continent with its scarred head. If the ship continued to descend along the canal, it would undoubtedly collide with this colossal whale and be crushed to pieces.
"A 400-meter tall island whale, this is the first challenge at the entrance to the Grand Line."
Compared to the panicking pirate crew nearby, Rosinante and his group remained calm.
"What kind of monster is this—"
"Damn it, reduce speed, reduce speed!"
The ship, carried by the combined currents of the four seas, quickly overtook the Donquixote ship and charged straight towards the massive island whale blocking its path.
Amidst the roars, cries, curses, and gunfire, most of the pirates deeply felt the despair of what it meant to be "fated to be a hero."
Boom!
In the eyes of Rosinante and his group, the ship that couldn't "brake" plummeted, crashing into the massive island whale at an incredible speed. It instantly exploded into a cloud of wood chips, mixed with a pile of red meat sauce.
"Mehahaha, welcome to the Grand Line."
Snap!
Rosinante snapped his fingers, and the sounds of the wind howling and the ship's horn abruptly disappeared.
What?!
The colossal whale, as massive as an island, stopped its ramming motion, and its enormous head swayed left and right, filled with confusion. It had eyes larger than the Donquixote ship itself, and they were filled with doubt.
As for the pirate ship that had just crashed into it, it was as if a person had been hit by a falling leaf.
It was not worth mentioning.
"Alright, let's take this opportunity to go around it."
Rosinante had no interest in the whale known as Laboon. This whale had entered the Grand Line from the West Blue with the "Rumbar Pirates" more than twenty years ago. Laboon was just a baby at the time, left behind here because the Grand Line was full of various sea kings.
The oath that was made with it and the pirate crew that had agreed to return here after sailing around the Grand Line had been long unfulfilled.
For the purpose of finding the "Rumbar Pirates," the lighthouse keeper who should have been stationed here, Crocus, accepted Roger's invitation and became the ship's doctor.
Without that old man's communication, let alone whether Laboon would be obedient, Rosinante had no reason to inexplicably get involved with the giant whale in front of him.
"Let's go,"
They passed by Laboon, who had been silenced, and Rosinante snapped his fingers:
Snap!
"Wooohhhhh~~~"
The massive island whale's sound, silenced earlier, rang out again, making the others unable to resist turning their heads. But in their eyes:
"How many people could you feed with such a gigantic island whale?"
"What a pity. If we had someone with storage abilities, we could make quite a bit of money."
...
"Alright, this whale has an owner."
Rosinante didn't want to be pursued by Roger's Pirate Crew. It was better to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Moreover:
"Everyone, gather around,"
Rosinante took out a sea chart and spread it out on the deck, pointing to seven winding routes marked on it.
"Our current goal is the 'City of Seven Waters.' We're going there to find a shipwright and use the 'Treasure Tree Adam' in our ship's hull to create a sturdy enough vessel."
Although the Donquixote ship beneath their feet was decent, to be honest: with the strength of the Donquixote family, the only difference between them tearing this ship into ruins was a matter of seconds or minutes.
This ship was no longer sufficient to accommodate Rosinante and his growing crew.
"In the first half of the Grand Line, there are seven known routes. To reach the City of Seven Waters, we can choose from these three routes."
The route on the right was the future path of the Straw Hat Pirates: Whiskey Peak – Little Garden – Alabasta – Long Ring Long Land – City of Seven Waters.
("Drum Island" and "Skypiea" were accidental arrivals. Originally, there were two normal stopover islands between Alabasta and Long Ring Long Land.)
"This one on the left consists of a series of kingdoms primarily focused on tourism, including the Drum Island, Banaro Island, and Carnivale Island."
"I like this one! Let's take this route!"
Trebol was excited at the prospect of the New World's entertainment, food, and fun. Why miss out on all that?
"Sure..."
The others exchanged glances, and most of them were indifferent to the choice of the route. To them, any island was a new and exciting experience.
"Doflamingo, what do you think?"
"Hehehe, well, since everyone is in favor of this route, let's go with it."
It was clear that Doflamingo wasn't just taking care of Trebol but also the woman by his side, Vanessa. Perhaps she had no interest in shopping and gourmet food?
"Alright, since you all agree."
Seeing that Rosinante neatly put away the sea chart and pulled out a recording pointer, the crew suddenly felt something was amiss.
Something's not right!
Considering Rosinante's personality, he should have chosen a route with less 'touristic' nature. Or was it all within his expectations, and there was something suspicious about this route?
"Rosinante, this route isn't dangerous, is it..."
Facing the anxious question from Trebol, Rosinante innocently looked up at the sky.
"You all chose the route; shouldn't you be asking me if it's dangerous or not?"
Huh?
Certainly dangerous!
"Cough, Rosinante. Don't scare them—"
With a cough from Doflamingo, Rosinante no longer kept them in suspense.
"It's simple. This route is controlled by a certain 'big shot': one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, 'Chameleon' Kamino!."
The Seven Warlords were pirates officially recognized by the World Government, granted the authority to 'privateer.' They possessed catastrophic destructive power and formidable combat strength comparable to that of nations.
In simple terms, they could be seen as 'privateers' enlisted by the World Government.
Of course, these pirates were all a bunch of arrogant individuals, and most of them had their own hidden agendas or reasons for accepting the title of 'Seven Warlords.'
"'Chameleon' Kamino was once a member of Whitebeard's pirate crew, a notorious pirate with a bounty of 300 million Berries."
"Because he attempted to foment discord among the crew members, he was expelled by Whitebeard's pirates and fled to the Marines after reaching the first half of the Grand Line."
With the protection of the Marines, he managed to evade the pursuit by Whitebeard's pirate crew.
"Although we currently don't have any conflicts with him, we should stay vigilant. He might decide to target us."
After all, Kamino was skilled in disguise and infiltration, having close ties not only with the Marines but also with the Cipher Pol organization.
?????
"...Is it still possible to choose another two routes?"
Facing Trebol's question, Rosinante chuckled and spread his hands.
"It's too late!"
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(End of this chapter)
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