The Red Line towered into the heavens.From a distance, it looked like a colossal wall of clouds stretching across the sea, blotting out the sky itself. Only when one drew closer could the towering cliffs of jagged rock be seen, rising straight from the ocean.
At the summit of those cliffs lay the Red Line — the vast continent encircling the entire world.
And at its very peak stood the fabled realm of the gods — Mary Geoise.Its mere existence was proof of how unimaginably grand the Red Line truly was.
Even at sea level, if a ship ventured too close to its base, the violent currents would drag it straight into the cliffside —Shattered hulls and drowned men were the only outcomes.
But of course—
For Ren's crew aboard the Enlightenment, armed with navigational logs and charts, reckless missteps were out of the question.
Their navigator Nami, clutching the enormous world map, pinpointed the entrance with precision — aided by her keen instincts and the map's mysterious properties.
She located the current that led straight up the mountain —the legendary Reverse Mountain Canal.
In the blink of an eye, a massive fissure appeared within the endless wall of rock.Nami instinctively raised her crystal spyglass — and saw that the fissure was, in fact, a colossal passageway.At its base stood an enormous gate, carved with intricate symbols.
Waters from the East Blue surged toward it, funneled by a raging current that drew the sea upward like water through a straw.
But that was an illusion —it wasn't suction, but the sheer power of the rising current forcing the sea upward.
The Enlightenment caught that current, racing toward the monumental gate carved into the stone.
"So this is the canal current that climbs the mountain?!"Nami gasped. "Ren was right — this really is the only way to cross this impossible wall… the entrance to Reverse Mountain!"
Her heart raced. She turned and shouted, "Hey! Everyone, get ready — I see the entrance!"
"I see it too."
Ren, now wearing a black-trimmed coat, leapt down from the upper deck.Landing by the railing, he looked up to see the towering gate rapidly approaching.
From afar it had seemed small, but up close its immensity was awe-inspiring.
No one knew who had built such a structure. Legends only said that once you saw it, you'd reached the entrance to the Grand Line.But it wasn't something to celebrate lightly —for a single mistake would send your ship crashing into the cliffs or the gate itself, smashed to splinters by unstoppable force.
Even a master helmsman could barely control their vessel here.
Nami's voice trembled as she looked to Ren for help."What do we do? We can still pull back now… but in a moment, it'll be too late!"
"What's there to fear? Just charge straight in."
That was Zoro's voice, calling from afar. He'd stopped his training at the sound of chaos, his three swords sheathed at his waist as he appeared on the foredeck.Gripping the railing, he stared ahead, eyes bright with excitement.
"Incredible. The sea's climbing upward…? A current that sends ships up a mountain?So this is the entrance to the Grand Line? What a strange sight."
It was something even Zoro had never witnessed before.
"The current's just too fast — that's all," Ren said calmly.Then, turning to the anxious navigator: "Just steer as best you can. Leave the rest to us."
The Enlightenment rumbled as Nojiko directed the Iron Knights to standby for orders.
Power from the Steam Generator was rerouted entirely into the propulsion system, its force converging on the ship's wheel.The outer paddles spun to maintain balance against the furious current, keeping control firmly in Nami's hands.
This is it, Ren thought quietly. From here on, we step onto the stage of the world.
The towering gate loomed overhead —then suddenly, the ship tilted sharply upward.
Gate after gate appeared like a tunnel spiraling skyward.
From a distance, it looked as though the Enlightenment had stepped onto an enormous water elevator, ascending all the way into the clouds.
Higher and higher they climbed.Misty vapor veiled everything in silver haze.
But the "elevator" soon grew unstable. The raging currents beneath the hull began to surge and collide, sending the ship careening.
"Turn! Adjust the sails!"
The Iron Knights scrambled to obey Nami's commands, pulling ropes and shifting the sails' angles.
Yet balance was lost.The Enlightenment veered left, crashing toward the mountain wall.
"Ren!" Nami screamed, her voice cracking as she fought the wheel with all her strength — but the colossal vessel wouldn't obey.
"I'm here."
Ren's body flickered — Template Switch: Water Brother!
His throat became an abyss, and torrents of water erupted forth!At first, the streams were only the width of an arm — but in seconds, they swelled into roaring rivers.
A surge of seawater filled the gap between the hull and the cliff, cushioning the impact just in time — the Enlightenment narrowly avoided destruction.
But then it lurched right.Ren dashed across the deck, unleashing another flood to balance the other side.
Over and over he repeated the process, his body pouring out rivers of water. By the time half of ten thousand tons had been spent, the ship finally crested the top of Reverse Mountain.
As they breached the summit, the first rays of dawn rose before them —a brilliant crimson sun ascending, spilling gold across sea and sky, turning the deep blue ocean into shining sapphire.
Nami and Nojiko held their breath in awe.Even Zoro's sharp eyes softened, glimmering with wonder.
And Ren — even he was stunned for a heartbeat.
Old memories stirred. The awe he'd once felt on seeing this moment returned.When dreams turned into reality, and what once seemed unattainable now stood before him—
Every cell in his body seemed to hum with excitement.This is it, he thought. The thrill that life in my past world could never give me!
But then — gravity struck.
The ship's hull hung in the air for two seconds before plunging.This time, the current pulled them downward — at terrifying speed.
The prow cut through the water, sending up roaring spray as the wind screamed past like a roller coaster dive.
"Ahhh! We're falling!"
Nami shouted in panic, hands hovering over the wheel — terrified to move, terrified not to.Her feet lifted off the deck as her body started to float.
"Careful!"
Zoro grabbed the railing, face pale.
Nojiko commanded the Iron Knights to shield her, anxiety flashing across her features.
But a moment later, both women exhaled in relief —Ren was there.
He'd appeared behind Nami, one arm wrapped firmly around her slender waist, anchoring her to the deck. His feet were rooted like iron.
The Enlightenment stabilized after a few seconds, still descending rapidly — and with a colossal splash, it hit the sea at the base of the mountain.
Spray soared a hundred meters high.
"Is… is it over?"
Nami slumped against Ren's chest, her pale hands gripping his coat tightly.
The Enlightenment now drifted steadily along the outflow, carried into the waters of Twin Cape.
Everywhere lay wreckage — broken hulls, splintered masts, and even the bones of the dead, rolling in the waves.The remnants of those who'd failed to conquer Reverse Mountain.
In a grim sense, they too had reached the Grand Line.The difference was simply that Ren's crew were alive — and they were not.
"Yeah. It's over," Ren said quietly.
He gazed toward the horizon — where a lighthouse stood upon Twin Cape.But the enormous whale Laboon was nowhere to be seen.Nor did the sea tremble with its presence.
So he's been sedated, Ren thought with a hint of regret. Still, it was fine.He couldn't do anything for that story anyway.
"What a sea…" Nojiko murmured, perched in an Iron Knight's palm, peering through a monocular. "Should we head toward that lighthouse?"
She'd spotted it too — the same one Ren was watching.
"No," Ren said, shaking his head."There's trouble there."
He knew the lighthouse keeper, Crocus, was no ordinary man — a former ship's doctor of the Roger Pirates, and Buggy's senior.
If they got too close and were recognized, things could get… unpleasant.
Besides—when Ren lowered his hand, a Log Pose rested in his palm.
A brown wristband with a glass sphere that contained a delicate magnetic needle, suspended inside.
He'd prepared it long ago, knowing this day would come.A prize from his dimensional draws — though, unfortunately, not a permanent pointer to Alabasta.
"So this is the 'Log Pose' you mentioned?" Nami asked curiously, still resting in his arms. "It looks strange…"
She took out her own compass — only to find its needle spinning wildly, completely useless.Just as Ren had said.
"The magnetic field's all messed up…" Nojiko murmured, watching from above.
"Seems everything's going exactly as Ren predicted," Zoro said, stepping closer, his tone thoughtful.
Before entering the Grand Line, Ren had explained the strange phenomena they'd face —Reverse Mountain's currents, and the magnetic chaos of the islands ahead.
Each island was rich in magnetic minerals, distorting the fields across the entire route.The weather was a hundred times more violent than in East Blue, and the currents infinitely more complex —sometimes even producing localized storms where summer and winter clashed in the same sky.
The Grand Line had truly begun.
(End of Chapter)