The Calm Belt and the Red Line roughly divided the world into four distinct seas. But seeing it on a map was nothing compared to experiencing the reality.
When Darian's crew finally got a clear look at what lay before them, everyone on board was left utterly stunned.
The crimson-red continent rose vertically from the ocean, piercing straight through the clouds. Its upper reaches were completely shrouded, making it impossible to discern just how high it truly reached.
The towering Red Line stood like a colossal "Wall of the World." It was a sight so awe-inspiring that no words could possibly do justice to the sheer sense of magnitude it evoked.
Having endured the ceaseless pounding of the four seas over countless millennia, the rock of the Red Line had long since hardened to the consistency of steel. Any ship that crashed into it would be instantly reduced to splinters.
The closer they drew to the continent, the more turbulent the waves became. The roar of the ocean grew deafening—the resounding echo of currents crashing against the massive landmass.
Darian clambered to the very top of the mast to maximize his field of vision. He squinted through his spyglass, searching the churning waters.
Finally, he located it: a distinct black fissure carved into the red rock.
The gateway to the Grand Line.
Who knows how many ships failed to navigate that entrance, Darian thought. Swept up by the currents, hurled against the cliff face, destroying the vessel and every life on board.
Fortunately, Darian knew the mechanics of Reverse Mountain. Unlike the reckless Straw Hat Pirates, he didn't rely on dumb luck.
"Furle the main sail!" Darian shouted down to the deck. "Keep our speed under control!"
Nami was already spinning the helm, adjusting their heading well in advance. She fought the wheel, preventing the sloop from being helplessly swept away by the lateral currents and driven straight into the cliff.
Thanks to the collective efforts of the crew, the Little Fish successfully—and smoothly—aligned with the entrance channel.
With their sails stowed, they hit the convergence point. The ocean currents from the East Blue flowed upward, defying gravity.
"Hold on!" Nami screamed over the roar of the water.
By riding this powerful, ascending flow, they harnessed the immense momentum of the surging waves. The ship was propelled straight up the side of Reverse Mountain.
"Aaahhhhh!"
Propelled by the ascending current, the ship surged toward the clouds at breakneck speed. Witnessing such a miraculous spectacle, the crew gazed in awe at the red rock rushing past them and burst into loud, adrenaline-fueled cheers.
"This is truly incredible!" Nami exclaimed, her face beaming with a joyful, exhilarated smile as she gripped the helm.
Darian, clinging to the mast, shouted back over the roar of the water. "Even more adventures await us! This world has Sky Islands ten thousand meters in the air, and Fish-Man Island ten thousand meters below the surface! Those are the true miracles! This is just the beginning!"
Hearing this, Nami looked up at him with a skeptical expression. "How do you know all that?!"
Darian was momentarily stumped. He couldn't exactly tell her he read it in a manga. He smiled down at her. "After we parted ways in Loguetown yesterday, I stopped by a tavern to buy some information from a broker!"
As they neared the summit, Darian climbed down and pulled a glass sphere set in a wooden wristband from his pocket. He handed it to Nami.
"This is a gift for you," Darian said. "It's a Log Pose. It's designed specifically for navigating the Grand Line. Standard compasses won't work where we're going."
Nami examined the strange compass, her navigator's curiosity instantly piqued. Her earlier suspicions regarding Darian's knowledge vanished as she focused on the new tool.
After cresting the highest peak of the mountain, the ship broke through the clouds and began its descent.
"Drop the sails! Full brake!" Darian yelled.
Although Darian had anticipated the speed, he had still underestimated the sheer power of the currents surging down into the Grand Line. Driven by gravity and the torrent, the sails—intended to act as a parachute—proved insufficient. The ship was hurtling downward at a terrifying velocity.
However, Darian and his crew were in luck.
Laboon, the island-sized whale that famously guarded the entrance at the Twin Capes, was nowhere to be seen. It was not blocking the exit—presumably, it had dived deep to forage, or perhaps it was simply resting elsewhere.
Splash!
The Little Fish shot out of the channel and crashed heavily into the relatively calm waters of the Grand Line, bouncing several times before settling.
"We... we made it out alive," Nami gasped, sinking onto the deck in a kneeling position. Her face was pale with lingering terror. She looked back at the towering, cascading waterway behind them. "I never imagined the very first hurdle would be this perilous!"
Even without a giant whale blocking the path, scaling Reverse Mountain remained a deadly undertaking. With currents flowing at such breakneck speeds, even a slight deviation in the ship's course would have sent them scraping against the walls of the channel, tearing the hull apart.
Carmen lay sprawled on the deck near the galley, utterly drained of strength. She was hyperventilating, clutching her chest.
Alvida, resting against the mast, fared slightly better. As a seasoned pirate, she was accustomed to danger. Yet, even she looked shaken, her hand resting over her racing heart. "It seems I underestimated the Grand Line..."
Compared to the women, Darian was perfectly fine. He had long since steeled himself mentally for the journey. He knew that even if they did collide with Laboon, his Devil Fruit would have absorbed the impact.
Seeing that the women's legs had gone wobbly with fright, Darian sighed helplessly. "Drop the anchor. Let's all take a moment to rest."
The ship anchored near the Twin Capes lighthouse. While Nami and the others caught their breath, Darian hopped ashore to check the lighthouse and the small house at its base. He was looking for Crocus.
Darian had been hoping to see if he could bribe or persuade the old doctor to teach him the basics of Observation or Armament Haki.
But he found no sign of Crocus anywhere. The house was locked and empty.
"Where did you go?" Nami asked curiously as Darian jumped back aboard.
"Nothing much," Darian replied, dusting off his hands. "I saw a lighthouse over there, so I went to check if anyone was home. Not a soul in sight."
Shortly After.
Just as Darian had predicted, the moment they entered the Grand Line, their standard compass began spinning wildly, rendered completely useless by the magnetic fields. Nami was currently sitting on the deck, intensely studying how to read the Log Pose.
Carmen had recovered enough to go prepare a meal to calm everyone's nerves. Darian was inspecting the ship's hull for any potential damage from the descent. That left Alvida as the only one with nothing to do, idly filing her nails by the rail.
Suddenly, a small, peculiar boat emerged from the morning mist. It was barreling straight toward the Little Fish.
On the deck of the approaching boat stood a man sporting an afro and sunglasses, accompanied by two women.
One woman held a yellow umbrella and was clad in a lemon-themed outfit. The other woman—whose hands were bound with rope—was dressed in a flashy, slightly rebellious style, with long, light-blue hair.
Darian stood up from his inspection. Having specifically reviewed his mental notes on future adversaries just the other night during his watch, he recognized them instantly.
All three were members of the secret criminal syndicate, Baroque Works.
The unkempt man with the afro was the user of the Bomb-Bomb Fruit, Mr. 5. The woman holding the umbrella was his partner, Miss Valentine.
As for the blue-haired girl with her hands bound... that was none other than Princess Nefertari Vivi of the Alabasta Kingdom, who had infiltrated Baroque Works under the alias Miss Wednesday to uncover the mastermind trying to destroy her nation.
As the trio approached, Darian felt a twinge of curiosity. Shouldn't Vivi be partnered with Mr. 9 right now? And shouldn't they be trying to kill Laboon?
Judging by her current predicament—bound and captured by two high-ranking Officer Agents—it appeared the timeline had shifted again. Perhaps without the Straw Hats causing chaos at Whiskey Peak, Mr. 5 had discovered Vivi's true identity as a spy ahead of schedule.
Intrigued by this turn of events, Darian made no move to stop them as they pulled alongside and boarded his ship.
Upon stepping onto the deck, Mr. 5 immediately fixed his gaze on Darian.
"You're the guy with the 66-million Berry bounty," Mr. 5 stated flatly. "The 'White Emperor', Darian. Aren't you?"
Unless he was stepping ashore in a populated town, Darian never wore his mask while aboard his own ship. Consequently, it was unsurprising that Mr. 5, an assassin whose job involved tracking bounties, had recognized him from the newspaper.
It wasn't just Mr. 5. Both Princess Vivi and Miss Valentine stared at Darian, momentarily transfixed. Seeing him in person, his face—enhanced by his Devil Fruit—was undeniably captivating.
"Well?" Darian asked, crossing his arms and sounding vaguely amused. "What business do you have with me?"
Mr. 5 adjusted his sunglasses with an air of absolute arrogance. "I am Mr. 5. A high-ranking agent of Baroque Works. We traveled all the way to the East Blue specifically to invite you to join our organization. We just never expected to run into you right at the entrance to the Grand Line."
Hearing that he was being formally invited to join Baroque Works, Darian froze for a moment. Then, he let out a scoff and burst into laughter.
It made sense. Baroque Works was constantly recruiting strong fighters from across the Four Seas. In the original story, they had even tried to recruit Zoro.
However, Darian was currently planning to head to Alabasta, steal Nico Robin, and pick a fight with Crocodile! And now, Crocodile's lackeys were asking him to become a subordinate? It was a delightful irony.
He had extended a serious invitation, yet Darian responded with mocking laughter. Even a saint would struggle to tolerate such disrespect—and Mr. 5 was certainly no saint.
"What are you laughing at?" Mr. 5 demanded irritably, a vein popping on his forehead.
Vivi, still bound, watched the exchange nervously. She recognized Darian immediately. Thanks to Morgans' sensationalist hype, Darian's wanted posters were everywhere. Vivi even had a copy of it in her own intelligence files.
She was well aware of his staggering 66-million Berry bounty. Consequently, when she heard Mr. 5 invite him to join Baroque Works, Vivi had felt a surge of despair. If a monster like the White Emperor joined Crocodile, Alabasta was truly doomed.
However, seeing Darian respond with such a disdainful laugh, Vivi couldn't help but breathe a tiny sigh of relief.
Seeing the afro-haired man's thoroughly displeased expression, Darian finally stopped laughing. "It's nothing," Darian smirked. "I was just thinking... if your boss were to step down and appoint me as the leader, then joining your little club wouldn't be entirely out of the question."
Upon hearing this, Mr. 5's face instantly darkened. His voice turned icy. "We've seen plenty of people like you in the Grand Line. Just because you ate a Devil Fruit in the weakest sea and gained a few tricks, you think you're invincible. Arrogant, ignorant fools. I've lost count of how many rookies just like you I've killed."
Mr. 5 cracked his knuckles. "Since you've now discovered our existence and rejected our offer, we can't let you live."
The tension spiked. A battle was poised to erupt. Although Nami and Alvida were completely bewildered by the sudden intrusion, they immediately assumed combat stances.
Seeing that violence was imminent, Vivi hurriedly called out a warning to Darian. "Be careful! He's a Devil Fruit user! His ability allows him to generate explosions from any part of his body!"
"Thanks for the tip!" Darian replied with a relaxed smile.
Seeing Darian's total lack of fear, Miss Valentine stepped forward, holding her yellow umbrella, trying to reason with her partner.
"Mr. 5, there's no need to rush into a fight!" she giggled nervously. "We can still try to talk this out!"
Mr. 5 furrowed his brows. Though his sunglasses obscured his eyes, it was abundantly clear he was thoroughly annoyed by her hesitation.
"Miss Valentine..." Mr. 5 sneered. "Don't tell me you've actually taken a fancy to this pretty boy?"
Struck by that remark—and gazing at Darian's flawless, aristocratic face—Miss Valentine found her words catching in her throat. She blushed. The agents of Baroque Works were organized into two-person teams. If Darian were to join, she would vastly prefer to be partnered with the handsome Emperor rather than Mr. 5, who literally picked his nose to fight.
When Mr. 5 spoke those words, Nami and Alvida both glared at Darian. Nami, in particular, fixed him with a murderous glare that sent a chill down his spine. Great, Darian thought. More jealousy.
"Hmph." Darian gave a noncommittal hum to divert the attention. He looked back at Mr. 5. "Hey—what was it again? Mr. Booger? If you think you're so tough, go ahead and make your move."
"It's Mr. 5!" the assassin yelled. He immediately launched into his villainous monologue. "My name is Gem! I am a senior agent of Baroque Works—a user of the Bomb-Bomb Fruit! I am an 'Exploding Man' capable of transforming my entire body, including my breath and secretions, into explosives and detonating at will!"
Faced with an enemy who, much like Luffy, felt compelled to blurt out his name, his abilities, and his exact combat mechanics to anyone he met, Darian decided there was simply nothing left to say.
"Alright, I get it," Darian sighed with heavy impatience. "Let's just get this over with."
Feeling thoroughly disrespected, Mr. 5 grew even more enraged. Acting on his gross instinct, he reached a finger up to pick his nose, intending to flick a highly explosive "snot-bomb" right at Darian's face.
While Darian possessed the Hungry Ghost Path and could absorb explosive kinetic energy harmlessly, he had absolutely no desire to be touched by another man's explosive booger. It was repulsive.
Darian struck immediately. He raised two fingers.
"Asura Path: One Million Volts... Discharge."
KRA-KOOM!
A blinding flash of blue lightning streaked across the deck, followed by a deafening clap of thunder.
Thud!
The lightning bolt struck Mr. 5 square in the chest. His afro stood on end, smoking violently. His already dark complexion was charred an even deeper, crispy black. The lightning delivered a thorough, full-body electrotherapy session, instantly frying his nervous system.
Mr. 5 collapsed limply onto the deck, knocked out cold before his finger even left his nostril.
Darian lowered his hand and shifted his gaze toward Miss Valentine. She recoiled a step in absolute terror. The fear of lightning is a primal dread, etched deep into the very bones of humanity, and she had just watched her partner get smited by a god.
"My beautiful lady," Darian inquired politely, sparks still dancing across his knuckles. "Would you like to give it a try as well?"
Upon seeing the "Booger Guy" scorched to the point of smoking—the very air reeking of burnt hair and ozone—Miss Valentine immediately dropped her umbrella and waved her hands frantically. "No! I surrender! I don't want to fight!"
With the assassins subdued, Princess Vivi—just as she did in the original story—spilled the beans on everything regarding Baroque Works, rattling off the details of the syndicate and its leader as if pouring them out of a sack.
When Nami heard the mention of Crocodile, one of the "Seven Warlords of the Sea," she instantly bristled with rage and panic.
Although Nami had never met a Warlord personally, Darian had previously filled her in on Jinbe and Mihawk. She knew they were government-sanctioned monsters. Naturally, upon learning that they had just attacked the subordinates of a Warlord, how could Nami not be furious at Darian's recklessness?
One might have assumed Princess Vivi was a pure, innocent maiden in distress. But in reality, she was a desperate politician who knew how to play the game. Seeing Nami's panic, Vivi successfully bought her cooperation by offering a massive reward.
"Please!" Vivi begged. "If you escort me safely back to Alabasta and help me stop Crocodile, I will pay you one billion Berries!"
Darian raised an eyebrow. He knew Alabasta was currently locked in a civil war and suffering from a massive drought. The royal treasury was likely destitute. He knew full well that Vivi couldn't possibly come up with that kind of money.
Yet, Darian chose not to expose her bluff. He smiled beneath his invisible mask. After all, compared to a billion Berries, what Darian truly desired in Alabasta was something money couldn't buy.
He was going to collect Nico Robin.
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