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Chapter 84 is out!!!! +40 advanced chapters monthly
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However, Baishui didn't see anything wrong with it.
Loving good food was perfectly normal! He loved eating too. And as for a love of clothes, that was practically second nature to any woman.
After resting in Loguetown for a day and snapping a beautiful commemorative photo, the two continued their journey, setting their sights on Reverse Mountain.
Aki had been looking forward to seeing Reverse Mountain for a long time, but Baishui had previously refused to bring her. She never understood why, only that he had firmly said no.
She had imagined that Reverse Mountain would be majestic and towering, but when they actually arrived at the base of it, Aki still couldn't help but gasp in awe.
It was far more magnificent than she had ever envisioned.
She couldn't see the edges or the peak. It soared straight into the clouds, like a colossal pillar connecting heaven and earth, filling the heart with a profound sense of reverence. The roaring, thunderous sound of the water flowing upward left Aki completely dumbfounded.
"How is it? Pretty magnificent, right?"Baishui whispered in her ear, wrapping his arm around her waist.
"Mhm! I never expected it to be so massive. It's truly unbelievable!" Aki leaned into Baishui's embrace, her face flushed with excitement.
With Baishui by her side, she wasn't afraid of anything. She knew he would protect her.
"Alright then, get ready. We're entering the Grand Line!"
Right as Baishui murmured those words into her ear, eight tendrils shot out from his body, anchoring onto eight different points of the ship, securing him perfectly in place so he wouldn't be thrown off balance.
BOOM!
The moment the ship caught the ascending current of Reverse Mountain, it jerked violently as if struck by lightning. Aki was thrown heavily against Baishui's chest with a muffled thud.
Then, to her absolute horror, the entire ship tilted to a perfect ninety-degree angle against the mountain wall and shot upward against gravity at terrifying speeds.
"Ahhhh!"
Aki let out a piercing, terrified scream. It seemed to be an innate skill shared by all girls. As she shrieked, she flailed her arms wildly, looking utterly convinced that the ship was going to fall out from under them.
"Don't be scared, I've got you. We're not going to fall!"
Seeing her panic, Baishui tightened his grip and gently patted her back, signaling her to relax.
Aki finally remembered that Baishui was holding her. There was nothing to worry about. Blushing a deep red, she stuck out her tongue in embarrassment, then comfortably snuggled back into his chest, closing her eyes to enjoy the cool, rushing winds of the mountain ascent.
Her back was completely drenched in cold sweat.
Roooooar!
Suddenly, a massive, soul-piercing bellow forced Aki to open her eyes again.
The moment she looked ahead, she froze stiff. Like a frightened octopus, she clung desperately to Baishui, terrified to let go.
Looming right in front of them was an island-sized whale, its massive, terrifying maw wide open as if waiting to swallow them whole.
"Haha, it's fine! That's Laboon. Don't let his fierce looks fool you, he doesn't have any bad intentions!" Hakusui laughed out loud, patting Aki's back to comfort her.
"R-Really?"
Aki hesitantly peeked out from Baishui's embrace, only to find a colossal eyeball glaring menacingly right at her.
She let out another shriek and immediately buried her head back into Baishui's chest like an ostrich, her slender body trembling uncontrollably.
Baishui couldn't help but sigh helplessly. Is it really that scary?
But thinking about it, it made sense. Aki had never seen a creature like Laboon before; it wasn't surprising that she was terrified by his intimidating size.
It couldn't be helped—Laboon was simply too big! To the whale, their entire ship was nothing but a tiny speck.
SPLASH!
The ship crashed heavily onto the surface of the water, but Baishui had already taken to the air with Aki in his arms. Her fragile body wouldn't have been able to handle such a violent impact.
"Alright, it's safe now," Baishui said softly, landing gently back onto the deck.
"Are you sure?" Aki looked up, still highly suspicious. She immediately noticed that the massive silhouette of Laboon was still looming right behind Baishui.
She instantly shrank back into his arms.
"Don't worry, I'm here, aren't I?"Baishui smiled helplessly. He had no choice but to push the ship forward and get them out of there. Laboon was going to start ramming his head against the Red Line soon, and Aki definitely wouldn't be able to handle that sight.
Once they were safely away from Laboon, Aki seemed to recover.
Having never left the East Blue in her entire life, everything in the Grand Line felt incredibly fresh and novel to her. She stood on the deck, constantly marveling at the vastness and beauty of this new sea.
Baishui, on the other hand, didn't share her enthusiasm for the "beautiful" ocean. After staring at it long enough, anyone would get tired of it.
Their first stop in the Grand Line was Luxi Island, a place relatively peaceful and stable compared to the usual chaotic islands of this sea.
Truthfully Baishui felt that the scenery here wasn't much different from the East Blue, aside from the wildly unpredictable weather. But Aki was thrilled, so Baishui naturally let her do as she pleased.
He had money; why not enjoy it?
Their first order of business upon arriving at the island was, of course, hitting the clothing stores. Girls always possessed an unimaginable persistence when it came to clothes.
Besides, as the saying goes: clothes make the man. Until you put on the right outfit, you never truly know how good you can look.
That was certainly the case for Baishui and Aki. They were already a good-looking pair, but their previous clothes had been a bit too modest and plain. After changing into high-quality outfits, it was as if they had transformed entirely. Even the store owners couldn't help but marvel at the perfect couple.
The man was tall and handsome; the woman was delicate and adorable. They were a sight for sore eyes!
With every store they visited, they drew amazed glances. If Baishui hadn't refused, a few of the shopkeepers would have asked Aki to be a model for their brands.
By the time they finished shopping, it was approaching six in the evening. The sky was beginning to dim, and the setting sun cast a shimmering, beautiful golden glow over the sea.
Baishui and Aki found a high-end restaurant with a perfect view of the sunset and enjoyed a romantic dinner together. The meal wasn't cheap, but Baishuihad no shortage of Berries.
And though he didn't really want to admit it, the food in the Grand Line truly was better than in the East Blue. East Blue cuisine always felt a bit restrained, like the true flavors of the ingredients hadn't been fully unlocked. The Grand Line's food, however, was exploding with bold, unrestrained flavors that made it impossible not to indulge.
While Baishui and Aki were happily enjoying their meal, on an island known as Little Garden, a group of people had gathered with grave expressions.
"I heard that guy has entered the Grand Line!"
The speaker was a somewhat skinny man wearing a striped shirt and glasses, dressed like a waiter. His hair was styled into a flaming '3'. Despite his odd appearance, the aura he gave off was anything but weak.
It was none other than Galdino, codenamed Mr. 3, a senior Officer Agent of Baroque Works—the secret syndicate run by the Warlord of the Sea, Sir Crocodile.
"A troublesome guy has shown up," noted a little girl sitting next to him, wearing an oversized, colorful hat.
Holding a painter's palette in one hand and a few brushes in the other, she furrowed her brow. This was Miss Goldenweek, a girl with the bizarre ability to alter people's emotions using colors. She wasn't a Devil Fruit user, but her Color Trap abilities were just as potent.
(In the original timeline, after Crocodile's defeat, it was she who spearheaded the rescue operation to save her fellow agents and later became a painter at the new Spiders Cafe.)
"Who cares? As long as he doesn't mess with us, we won't mess with him. But if he insists on getting in our way, we'll show him what we're made of!"
The one speaking this time was Mr. 5. He was a man with explosive curly hair, wearing a brown trench coat and sunglasses, looking very much like a rock star. As a senior Officer Agent, he had eaten the Bomb-Bomb Fruit (Bomu Bomu no Mi).
Every part of his body—including his flicked boogers and his breath—could be detonated at will, and he was completely immune to explosions. (In the canon story, he would give Zoro a hard time and even briefly incapacitate the giant warrior, Dorry. His abilities were remarkably similar to Gladius from the Dressrosa arc, though Gladius caused objects he touched to rupture, while Mr. 5's own body was the explosive source).
"Enough. We should just follow the Boss's instructions," Mr. 3 said, calmly taking a sip of his tea. "That man, Ronel Baishui, is someone even the Boss doesn't want to casually provoke. If he doesn't go too far, just leave him be."
"But if he does go too far, then we'll let him taste our power. The Boss's plans cannot be disrupted. You all know the consequences of ruining the Boss's schemes!" Mr. 3 warned.
"Yeah, got it," Mr. 5 shrugged, deciding not to argue with Galdino. He knew perfectly well how ruthless their Boss could be. Just thinking about Crocodile's methods sent a chill down his spine. He was not a man to be trifled with.
Meanwhile, back on Luxi Island, Baishui and Aki were enjoying the island's nightscape, completely oblivious to the fact that they were already being discussed by dangerous figures not too far away.
"So pretty!"
With a camera slung around his neck, Baishui frequently snapped photos of Aki. Making one's girlfriend look beautiful in pictures seemed to be an innate talent for all men.
Aki skipped around happily like a little fairy, drawing the attention of passersby. However, the faint but terrifying aura radiating from Baishui was enough to quickly extinguish any dirty thoughts from the onlookers' minds.
After all, a pretty girl wasn't worth throwing away your life for.
Ten o'clock rolled around in the blink of an eye. The streets gradually grew quiet.
Exhausted from a full day of playing, Aki allowed Baishui to carry her on his back as they returned to the inn.
After securing a room, the two took a comfortable, relaxing bath to wash away the day's fatigue. Then, dragging their completely drained bodies to the bed, they fell into a deep sleep, holding each other close.
That night was probably the most peaceful sleep Aki had ever had—she was simply too tired to even dream.
The next day, it wasn't until high noon that Aki finally rubbed her sleepy eyes and sat up in bed.
She turned to see Baishui sitting cross-legged next to her, resting his chin on his hand, watching her wake up with a lazy, affectionate smile.
Aki's face instantly flushed a bright, beet red. Embarrassed and flustered, she grabbed a pillow and hurled it right at his face, knocking him off the bed.