Story Quote: "Dreams are like sails — fragile until the wind of courage fills them."
-Three Days to Reverse Mountain-
The Fumigator had entered the stretch of sea known as the Convergence Current, where all waters of the East Blue began to pull toward one point — Reverse Mountain.The air grew heavy with salt and mist; seagulls vanished from sight, replaced by the endless sound of rushing waves far ahead.
The crew could feel it.The shift in the sea. The whisper of a boundary.The Grand Line was close.
Mira Lune — The Crimson Chef
During these final calm days, the crew learned more about their newest member. Mira wasn't just a skilled cook — she was a survivor of her own ambitions.
She had grown up in Crescent Port, a city famed for its culinary academies. Her mother had run a small noodle stall, humble but full of warmth. Mira dreamed of elevating that food — to bring flavor to the seas themselves.
At fifteen, she earned a scholarship aboard the merchant ship Scarlet Spoon, cooking for nobles and merchants. But as she rose, so did envy. Her success drew the ire of her captain, who sold her recipes and reputation to rival cooks for profit.
When she confronted him, the betrayal turned violent. A pirate raid struck mid-argument — whether by fate or the captain's design, she never knew.The ship sank. Mira drifted for days until Kairo's crew found her.
"I thought the sea would take me," she said one evening, slicing vegetables under the lantern light."Instead, it sent me to a bunch of lunatics with better manners than most nobles."
Rumi laughed.
"Lunatics, sure. But the kind that feed you first."
In her days aboard, Mira began training with the others. She refused to be "just a cook."
Her style was unlike anything they'd seen — she called it Culina Flow, a defensive and fluid combat art born from kitchen reflexes and precision.She fought with twin cleaver-like short blades she could flip between grip styles. Each strike was clean, calculated — almost rhythmic, like the chopping of ingredients.
"Cooking and fighting aren't so different," she told Jett. "Timing, precision, and never letting the heat control you."
Her movements flowed like a dance, spinning gracefully between dodges and counterattacks, using her smaller frame to redirect force rather than block it.Jett was impressed.
"You could probably cut cannonballs if you seasoned 'em first.""Maybe I'll test that on you someday."
As Reverse Mountain loomed ever closer, the reality of the crossing settled in. The waters grew turbulent, currents pulling in unnatural directions.
That night, under a crimson dusk sky, Kairo gathered his crew on deck.
"Tomorrow, we climb the mountain," he said. "Once we cross, we enter the Grand Line. There's no map, no promise of safety, and no turning back."
He looked at each of them — Aria, Jett, Rumi, Kino, and Mira — faces glowing in the lantern light, each holding quiet determination.
"Before we go," Kairo continued, "we honor the sea. The old way."
He rolled an empty barrel into the center of the deck and set it upright. The crew recognized the ritual — one Luffy's crew had once done, though they didn't know the story.
"We each place a foot on the barrel," Kairo said. "And we speak our dreams. Then we send them to the sea — to the god of tides, who listens to those with courage."
The Barrel of Dreams!
The waves were calm. The stars watched silently.
Jett went first, his massive heel thudding against the wood.
"I want to forge the strongest ship in the world," he declared. "One that'll never sink, no matter what hell the sea throws at us."
Rumi stepped forward next.
"I'll create medicine that can heal even the wounds of monsters — so none of you idiots die before I do."
Kino placed his foot beside hers.
"I'll learn to lead without fear — and if fate demands it, I'll steer this crew through any storm."
Mira followed, her foot light but firm.
"I'll cook meals that make even the gods jealous — and learn to fight so I'll never need saving again."
Aria came next, her heel pressing down softly, eyes bright with conviction.
"I'll protect this crew — and the man I love — no matter how far we sail."
The words made the others smile knowingly.
Finally, Kairo placed his foot on the center of the barrel.The mist swirled around him, his voice carrying through the wind.
"I'll uncover the truth of this world — not the one the Marines tell us, but the one the sea itself hides.""And I'll make sure every one of you lives to see it."
They stood together — six souls under the moonlight, hearts steady, voices rising.
"To our dreams!" Kairo shouted."To the Grand Line!" they roared in unison.
Six heels slammed down.The barrel cracked and rolled across the deck before tumbling into the ocean below, splashing into darkness.
The sea shimmered faintly, as though accepting their offering.
After the Oath was complete, the group began tending to their own devices
Later that night, as the crew dispersed, Kairo and Aria lingered by the railing, watching the foam trail in the moonlight.
"Do you think the sea really hears us?" she asked."The sea hears everything," Kairo said softly. "The trick is surviving long enough to hear it whisper back."
She smiled, leaning against him.
"Then we'll listen together."
The wind rose, carrying the sound of laughter and waves — and somewhere beyond the horizon, the roar of Reverse Mountain waited.