The Starship cut through the azure sea under the morning sun, its bow's Starship bird statue gleaming.
As the voyage progressed, a majestic shadow gradually emerged on the distant horizon—the natural barrier separating the Four Seas from the Grand Line, the legendary "Reverse Mountain."
"All hands, attention!" Nami stood in the crow's nest, her orange short hair fluttering in the sea breeze. "The entrance to Reverse Mountain is ahead! Everyone, to your stations!"
Ron stood before the helm, his slender fingers resting lightly on the gilded wheel. His deep gaze pierced through the morning mist, fixated on the upstream channel.
"How magical, the seawater flowing backward."
Sanji had already prepared the special mooring lines, Usopp was checking the hull reinforcement devices, and Zoro's three swords were already unsheathed, ready to handle any sudden situations.
"It's starting," Ron's low voice echoed across the deck.
The Starship's power core hummed, and a pair of iridescent wing panels unfolded on both sides of the ship. This was a special modification granted by the system, now useful for scaling Reverse Mountain.
As the ship entered the upstream channel, the entire vessel was instantly lifted by the turbulent current.
The Starship began to ascend at a nearly vertical angle, the ship's frame groaning agonizingly.
Usopp clung desperately to the main mast, his face pale: "We're going to fall! We are definitely going to fall!"
"Shut up, long nose!" Zoro kicked him in the backside. "Hold on tight!"
The Starship continued to ascend in the turbulent upstream, its hull almost perpendicular to the water's surface.
Nami suddenly widened her eyes. Her Treasure Hunt System emitted a dazzling golden light, and a brand new treasure map automatically unfolded, with a red dot marking a location precisely at the summit of Reverse Mountain!
"Vice-Captain Ron!" Nami shouted excitedly, her voice almost drowned out by the roaring water. "The Treasure Hunt System has generated a new treasure map, and the location is at the summit!"
Ron raised an eyebrow slightly, steadily controlling the helm with one hand, and with the other, he smoothed his wind-blown hair: "The summit of Reverse Mountain? That's quite unexpected."
He quickly made a decision. "There's only one chance; the hunt must be completed the instant we pass the summit."
Nami nodded heavily, clutching the treasure map with both hands, her knuckles white from the effort: "I will seize the opportunity!"
The others on deck, hearing this news, showed expressions of astonishment.
Usopp clung desperately to the mast, his voice trembling: "Wait! We're not going to dig up any more vengeful spirits this time, are we? Those ghosts last time almost made me wet my pants!"
Sanji's cigarette, held between his lips, was blown out by the strong wind. He narrowed his eyes: "I, however, think we might dig up a mountain god or something..."
"Shut up, you two!" Zoro's three swords simultaneously unsheathed. "No matter what we dig up, just cut it down!"
As the Starship continued to ascend, the air pressure dropped lower and lower, and everyone felt their eardrums ache.
Just as the bow was about to touch the summit, the treasure map in Nami's hand suddenly transformed into a shimmering "Golden Shovel"!
Without hesitation, she leaped to the bow of the ship and, at the critical moment, plunged the Golden Shovel fiercely into the rock layer of the summit!
"Hunt, hunt, hunt on the tiny mountaintop!" Nami's shout echoed through the mountain.
"Boom—!"
A dazzling golden light erupted from beneath the shovel, illuminating the entire sky.
In the strong light, a parchment drawing with a strange luster drifted down, which Nami agilely caught in mid-air.
The moment she saw the contents of the drawing, her pupils constricted, and her lips trembled uncontrollably.
"This... this is..." Her voice was distorted by extreme shock.
The drawing meticulously depicted various complex meteorological symbols:
Spiral hurricanes, jagged lightning bolts, wavy ocean currents... At the very top, in gilded ancient script, was titled "Grand Line Hundred-Mile Meteorological Map."
Even more astonishingly, the patterns on the drawing were changing in real-time, as if predicting future weather!
"A meteorological map that can display the weather for a hundred nautical miles?!" Nami exclaimed, her hands trembling involuntarily. "This is simply a divine artifact tailor-made for navigators!"
Ron glanced at the drawing, surprise flashing in his eyes: "It seems we've dug up a treasure this time." He smirked slightly. "System-produced, indeed extraordinary."
Usopp leaned in, his long nose almost poking the drawing: "Wow! Does that mean we can avoid all storms in advance from now on?"
"More than that," Nami excitedly pointed to a small whirlwind mark on the drawing. "Look at this! It can show the precise location and movement trajectory of miniature cyclones, and even the duration is clearly marked!"
Zoro folded his arms and snorted: "Finally, some reliable gain."
Sanji's eyes, meanwhile, sparkled: "Miss Nami is so cute even when she's excited~"
Ron also looked at the nautical chart and analyzed: "It's true that we can understand the weather conditions within a hundred miles, but the weather in the Grand Line is unpredictable; it's possible for a downpour to start right above us the next second. So, as long as it's not an emergency that suddenly happens right next to us, we can generally avoid bad weather."
Everyone nodded, thinking it was indeed true.
The moment the Starship finally burst through the summit of Reverse Mountain, everyone held their breath.
The view suddenly opened up, and the unpredictable waters of the Grand Line unfolded in the morning light!
"That is..." Luffy pressed down his straw hat, his eyes gleaming with excitement, "The Grand Line!"
"All hands, attention!" Ron suddenly raised his voice. "Prepare for the dive!"
The Starship's wing panels fully extended, refracting a colorful halo in the sunlight.
As the ship passed over the mountaintop, the entire vessel plunged towards the sea below like an arrow released from a bowstring.
The strong wind howled in their ears, and everyone couldn't help but let out excited shouts.
"Bang!"
The ship slammed heavily onto the sea surface, splashing waves tens of meters high.
When the mist cleared, the Starship was already steadily floating and sailing calmly on the waters of the Grand Line.
Suddenly, the sea ahead churned violently, and a huge shadow emerged from the deep sea.
Accompanied by a deafening cry, a gigantic whale, comparable in size to an island, broke through the water, spraying a water column that shot straight into the sky, forming a brilliant rainbow in the sunlight.
"Waaah!" Luffy's eyes instantly turned Starship-shaped, and he drooled as he sprawled over the ship's railing. "Such a big fish! It looks super delicious!" His arm was already stretched out, ready to grab. "We can have a full fish feast tonight!"
"Gomu Gomu no—"
"Stop!" Ron flashed over and pressed down on Luffy's straw hat. "You can't eat this one." His voice carried a rare seriousness. "It's the most important friend of one of our future crewmates."
The deck immediately fell silent. Everyone exchanged glances, and Usopp's long nose twitched: "Fu-future crewmate?"
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