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The vast quantities of goods Jin had brought back from the North Blue were now stored in a newly constructed warehouse on Drum Island. From there, they would be transported to Hannabal Island, Kilauea, and other markets for sale.
Though this added an extra shipping cost, it also served as a training exercise for the kingdom's fleet, honing the skills of its sailors and crew.
The militia members who excelled in their training were recruited as sailors, a position that allowed them to earn a substantial amount of Merit Vouchers. The opportunity was too good to pass up, and the enthusiasm for going to sea was at an all-time high.
Jin's name, thanks to the incident in Hannabal Island, had spread like wildfire among the pirates of the Grand Line's first half.
The black dragon flag was now a guarantee of safe passage.
After all, Hannabal Island, the "free port" that offered a haven from the Marines, was his territory.
No sane pirate would dare to cross him.
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Three days later.
Jin set sail once again. Destination: West Blue.
This time, he didn't bring any of his regular crew.
With the Germa 66 clone army, he had no shortage of soldiers. It was better for his own men to get experience on the other ships. The demonic carrier, after all, wasn't the best place to learn the art of sailing.
The traveling party consisted of: Kuma, Law, Robin, the Germa 66 commanders, Wolf, Maya, and the Sabertooth.
After a long discussion with the Heart Pirates, and after witnessing the vast gulf in their strength, Law had decided to follow Jin and train under him.
The Heart Pirates would disband for three years.
Penguin, Bepo, and the others would disperse among the kingdom's fleet to train and acclimate themselves to the Grand Line.
In three years, they would reunite on Drum Island and set out once more.
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At the Twin Capes.
Maya stood on the cliff, conversing with Laboon.
The giant whale was overjoyed to see her again.
He caught a massive kraken and offered it to her as a gift.
He considered her a friend.
And when Chopper eventually arrived, they would surely become friends too.
Jin handed Crocus a copy of his medical text, now filled with Dr. Kureha's revisions.
Seeing the pages covered in red ink, Crocus rubbed his nose in embarrassment.
"Dr. Kureha... as strict as ever," he muttered.
"She holds your work in high regard," Jin said with a smile. "She says your surgical techniques are world-class. It's just the details that lack a bit of professionalism. Make these changes, and you could publish it. It would be a bestseller all over the world."
"Really?" Crocus said, his face lighting up.
Then a thought occurred to him. "You didn't come all the way back just to deliver a book, did you?"
"Of course not," Jin replied. "We're heading to the West Blue."
"The West Blue?" Crocus was surprised. "To get to the West Blue, you have to go through Mary Geoise or the Calm Belt in the New World. Why are you here?"
The geography of the world of One Piece was strange. The Grand Line divided the world into the eastern and western hemispheres, and the Red Line divided the northern and southern hemispheres, forming the four seas.
The first half of the Grand Line was flanked by the East and South Blues. The second half, the New World, was flanked by the North and West Blues.
Reverse Mountain and Mary Geoise were the two points where the Grand Line and the Red Line intersected.
Mary Geoise, the home of the Celestial Dragons, was the only transportation hub that connected all four seas and both halves of the Grand Line. It was the center of the world.
Reverse Mountain, on the other hand, was uninhabited, for reasons unknown. It was the starting point for those entering the Grand Line from the four seas.
And the end point.
What Crocus had described were the only two ways for a ship to reach the West Blue, other than by air.
"We're going to swim up," Jin said with a grin.
"Swim??" Crocus said, in utter disbelief. Is he making fun of an old man?
A short while later, Crocodile and Daz Bonez arrived. They were also heading to the West Blue and had arranged to catch a ride.
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Night.
"Woooooooooom..."
With a low, long groan, the demonic carrier "crashed" into the Red Line.
The moment of impact, the bow of the ship became elemental, fusing with the red earth. The massive hull seemed to cling to the vertical wall, and then it began to move upward, the earth flowing around it like water.
"Huh?"
Crocus and Laboon's eyes were wide with shock.
"A Devil Fruit ship??"
"And a Logia-type, at that??"
He was stunned. He had seen Devil Fruit-infused weapons before, but a Devil Fruit ship was unheard of. And a Logia ship, at that!
Laboon suddenly raised his massive, scarred head.
"Hey, Laboon..." Crocus yelped, thinking the whale was about to ram the Red Line again.
But he just let out a massive, mournful cry, a farewell to the departing ship.
Maya's appearance had eased his loneliness.
"Incredible," Crocus breathed, gazing up at the demonic carrier as it disappeared into the clouds and the darkness of the night.
A short while later, the demonic carrier reached the summit and paused for a moment.
"Amazing," Law said, staring at the massive, converging currents of Reverse Mountain, in utter disbelief. So this was how Jin had gotten to the North Blue.
"Incredible," Reiju said, equally stunned. It would have taken Germa 66 at least three weeks to cross the Red Line. The demonic carrier had done it in less than a night.
Even more shocking was the fact that the warship had already displayed the powers of more than one Devil Fruit. How was that possible? Wasn't it said that you could only eat one? Or... because the ship was so large, had each part of it eaten a different fruit?
Robin had been through this once before, but she was still in awe. She couldn't begin to comprehend the principles behind it.
"Pluton," Crocodile thought, staring at the rushing currents. "Which is stronger?"
"Terrifying..." Daz Bonez breathed, a chill running down his spine. To think that they had tried to burn this ship, without any intelligence on its capabilities. They had deserved to lose.
He was one of the few people Crocodile trusted. The former Warlord had told him about his defeat at Jin's hands, and that they were now "partners."
Though it was more like Crocodile's pride had been spared, and Jin had allowed him to save face. In reality, he had been absorbed.
Crocodile was heading to the West Blue to recruit new forces and contact his old network, to prepare for the establishment of a new bounty hunter's guild.
He was from the West Blue. He had connections there.
And the West Blue was the sea where freelancers—bounty hunters, mercenaries, gangsters—were most active.
This was another important reason why Jin had chosen it as his next destination.
It was also a place of art and romance.
It was once home to the holy land of scholars, Ohara.
Crocodile, Brook, Laffitte, Perona, Moria... they were all from the West Blue.
Including Robin.
Their common trait was a certain refinement, a taste for the finer things in life.
Crocodile and his cigars.
Brook and his music.
Laffitte and his gentlemanly attire.
Moria, though he had let himself go, still had an artistic flair.
And Robin, even after years on the run, was still a woman of refined taste.
Elegance never goes out of style.
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