Chapter 81 Reverse Mountain

“Huiye~

Kaya~

Time to eat~”

The two people organizing medicinal herbs in the medical room heard Nojiko’s call.

“Let’s go, eat first.”

“Mm.”

As soon as the two went downstairs, they saw Nami leaning against the restaurant door.

“Why not go in?”

“Hmph~

What’s the deal with that woman?

We just went to town to buy some things, how did another woman end up on the ship?”

Nami gave a delicate huff, shooting Huiye a somewhat dissatisfied glare.

“This time it’s not my fault~

She came to us on her own, insisting on joining. I saw she had some strength, so I agreed.”

Huiye innocently spread his hands.

“Hmph~

She’s quite the looker, isn’t she~

You playboy!”

Nami stomped on Huiye’s foot, then pulled Kaya into the restaurant.

Huiye followed closely behind them.

“Hello, you must be the ship doctor Kaya!

I’m Dezaya! Please take care of me!”

Dezaya proactively extended her hand to Kaya, a bright smile on her face.

Kaya shyly took her hand and said softly.

“Hello, Miss Dezaya… I’m Kaya.”

The restaurant immediately became lively as everyone gathered around the long table.

Makino brought out the last dish and said gently.

“Everyone, eat while it’s hot.”

Dezaya unceremoniously picked up a fork, speared a large piece of roasted meat, and stuffed it into her mouth.

“Mmm! This tastes really good! Much better than what I ate in the gang!”

Honey Queen elegantly took a sip of red wine and smiled.

“This is Makino’s specialty, you’re in for a treat from now on.”

Nami ate her salad in small bites while secretly observing Dezaya.

Though this boisterous woman acted rough, her eyes were sincere.

She quietly nudged Kaya beside her.

“What do you think of her?”

Kaya replied softly.

“She seems… like a straightforward person.”

Just then, Dezaya suddenly stood up and raised her glass.

“Come! To celebrate me joining this big family, cheers!”

Her movement was so big she almost knocked over the soup bowl next to Nojiko.

Tashigi frowned.

“Could you…”

“Sorry, sorry!”

Dezaya quickly apologized, scratching her head sheepishly.

“I… I’ll be more careful in the future.”

Seeing this, Huiye smiled and raised his glass.

“Come, cheers to our new companion!”

“Cheers!”

Everyone responded in unison.

While everyone was eating, the deck modifications were completed.

After breakfast, Huiye inspected the deck.

Though the reinforced deck couldn’t be called indestructible, it was sturdy enough to withstand some less intense battles and their usual training.

After the shipwrights left, the dragon soaring ten thousand miles was slowly towed away from Loguetown by Moomoo.

“Huiye, this logbook says that to enter the Grand Line from the four seas, you need to cross the Red Line.

Or enter through the Calm Belt.

But the Calm Belt is the nest of Sea Kings, very dangerous…”

Nami frowned as she flipped through the yellowed logbook, suddenly looking up at Huiye.

“Which route should we choose?”

“Of course, cross the Red Line! I haven’t seen the Red Line that separates the four seas with my own eyes yet!”

Huiye’s eyes sparkled with excitement as he walked to the bow, the sea breeze ruffling his black hair.

“I heard the Red Line towers into the clouds, like a natural Barrier dividing the world.

We’ll go up the waterway of Reverse Mountain with the current, it’s a spectacle never seen before!”

Having traveled to the pirate world, Huiye naturally wanted to try the thrilling upward current.

Nami nodded thoughtfully, her finger tracing the sea chart.

“According to records, Reverse Mountain has four waterways connecting the four seas.

We’ll enter from the East Blue waterway, but the current is rapid and requires precise control…”

“It’s fine, we have you!

I believe in you!

And with your Barrier-Barrier Fruit, we won’t be in danger.”

Huiye patted Nami’s shoulder, showing a confident smile.

“Hmph, you just know how to say nice things.”

Nami complained, but the corners of her mouth unconsciously lifted slightly.

She turned and shouted to Moomoo.

“Adjust course, target Reverse Mountain!”

“Moo~”

Under Nami’s command, Moomoo pulled the dragon soaring ten thousand miles toward Reverse Mountain…”Huiye! A storm ahead!”

The distant sky was already dark and heavy, lightning occasionally splitting the clouds, thunder rumbling closer.

Everyone training heard Nami’s call and stopped their actions.

Huiye walked to the bow, frowning at the dark thunderclouds ahead.

“Can we go around?”

“No, can’t see the edge.”

Nami shook her head.

“Then go straight through, protect the ship.”

“Mm!”

Nami immediately released a spherical Barrier, enveloping the dragon soaring ten thousand miles within it.

Dezaya reached out and touched the transparent Barrier by the ship’s side, looking at Nami with envy.

“Devil Fruit ability~

So amazing.”

Nami had no mind to reply, as she was fully focused on the front.

Soon, the dragon soaring ten thousand miles entered the thundercloud area under Moomoo’s lead.

Wind mixed with heavy rain violently beat against the Barrier, making crackling sounds.

The ship rocked violently in the turbulent waves; Kaya stumbled and almost fell, but Dezaya caught her in time.

“Thank you~”

“No need, hold on tight.”

The dragon soaring ten thousand miles continued to struggle forward in the storm, rising and falling with the huge waves.

Nojiko held onto the ship’s side with one hand and hugged Makino with the other.

“This storm is even fiercer than expected!”

“Huiye! Look!”

Nami’s exclamation rose from the rain.

Huiye looked ahead and saw a towering shadowy Barrier looming in the storm, like a sleeping giant beast spanning between sea and sky.

“That’s… the Red Line! We’re almost at Reverse Mountain!”

“But I don’t see the upward current! At this rate, we’ll crash into the Red Line!”

Nami used binoculars to search for traces of the upward waterway.

Huiye also searched.

Just then, Moomoo, pulling the dragon soaring ten thousand miles forward, let out a high-pitched cry.

“Moo~”

“Moomoo seems to have found the waterway.”

“Moo~”

Moomoo cried out again, then quickly swam to the left, pulling the dragon soaring ten thousand miles.

Everyone tightly held onto the ship, feeling the strong push from the sudden acceleration.

“I see it! It’s the upward waterway!”

Nami excitedly pointed ahead.

A rapid current rose from the sea like a dragon, soaring into the sky.

On both sides of the current were steep Red Line cliffs, glowing dark red under the lightning.

The metal arch at the front of the waterway was carved with ancient text, flickering in the lightning.

…

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