Snow-white seagulls wheeled through the sky.
Their shrill, ringing cries echoed without pause.
This boundless sea filled people with an incomparable sense of peace and freedom.
Wave after wave crashed against the hull of the sailing ship.
Strong sea winds puffed up the high white sails, shaping their surfaces into beautiful curves.
On the clean wooden deck, three beautiful girls stood side by side, gazing at the island's outline gradually coming into focus ahead.
Warm, brilliant sunlight fell over their skin, fair as snow, and their lovely faces, leaving the nearby male sailors staring dumbly.
Around this medium-sized sailing ship, more than a dozen vessels of various shapes could also be seen.
Their destination was clearly the island ahead, with its many green, spherical hills.
Cactus Island.
An island located in the first half of the Grand Line, divided in two by a central river.
Originally, there had only been a small town on the island, somewhat known for its winemaking and music.
But because it was close to Reverse Mountain, making travel between the Four Seas and the Grand Line convenient,
many bounty hunters had used it as a place to rest and resupply.
Later, the World Government established the G-0 Marine Branch beneath Reverse Mountain as a checkpoint specifically for inspecting passing ships.
This not only stopped many Four Seas pirates attempting to force their way into the Grand Line in search of adventure, but also increased merchants' sense of security.
As a result, many merchant ships, merchants, and the sailors and workers they brought began appearing on Cactus Island.
Later still, the emergence of Flamingo Shipping Company turned this place into a tourist haven for civilian air travel.
Because it was one of the starting islands for the seven routes through the first half of the Grand