The Grand Line

The Grand Line was a ring of ocean that intersected the Crimson Continent at right angles. It was the most wondrous and dangerous sea route in the world, and the ultimate treasure lay somewhere along it.

The Grand Line was flanked by the dangerous Calm Belts.

In these waters, where you couldn't even accurately determine your own position, only the magnetic records indicated by a Log Pose could be trusted.

Therefore, to reach your desired destination on the Grand Line, you needed a Log Pose.

Without one, you ended up like Luo Sa at that moment, flying around aimlessly like a headless fly.

Over an unknown stretch of sea, a Winged Gull rode the wind.

Apparently tired, the Winged Gull dropped the wooden plank it had been clutching in its feet into the sea, then slowly landed on it.

"Phew, it's been three days already. How come I haven't seen a single island or merchant ship?"

Luo Sa ended his Winged Gull transformation and slumped down on the plank.

His golden hair fluttered in the wind, and his face was etched with exhaustion. After flying for three days straight, he was completely worn out!

On top of that, he'd finished his last ration a while ago. Now his stomach was empty, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Rubbing his hollow stomach, Luo Sa stared intently in every direction, afraid he might miss even a single merchant ship.

Suddenly, a bird flying overhead caught Luo Sa's eye. His eyes lit up. If he caught it, he could keep himself going for another day!

Without hesitation, Luo Sa took off into the sky, not even bothering to grab the plank, and hurtled after the bird in the distance.

But when he got closer, Luo Sa suddenly froze. He knew this kind of bird all too well. Wasn't it a News Bird?

"A News Bird! If I follow it, maybe I can find a merchant ship or an island!"

Luo Sa grew excited, as if he'd found a beacon in the endless darkness.

Following the News Bird, Luo Sa beat his wings with all his strength. Just as he thought he couldn't keep going, a ship finally appeared before him.

But it wasn't a merchant ship. It was a pirate ship, with a Giant Axe Pirate Flag fluttering from its mast.

"A pirate ship?"

A gleam flashed in Luo Sa's eyes. After hesitating for a moment, he controlled his body and cautiously approached the pirate ship like an ordinary little bird.

The pirates aboard were holding a banquet, stuffing themselves with meat and drinking cup after cup.

"Hahaha, after this job, the boys probably won't have to work for half a year!"

"That's right, that's right! This haul was a real windfall!"

"Ha ha ha!"

Dozens of pirates started bragging and shooting the breeze, their laughter ringing out without end.

"Hey, it's a News Bird. I wonder if the captain's bounty will go up after he robs that village this time!"

"Hahaha, of course it'll go up! We sank a warship this time. It was the smallest kind, sure, but that should still make his bounty several times higher!"

"Several times? Our captain's bounty is already 8 million Beli. Doesn't that mean it'll go up to tens of millions?"

The pirates eagerly discussed it, completely unaware that Luo Sa was listening with a bewildered expression.

"What? A pirate with an 8-million-Beli bounty? Please tell me, how did you make it to the Grand Line and survive this long?"

The pirate crew's banquet continued.

But no one noticed that a stranger had joined the crowd, helping himself to the food as if he belonged there. Like a starving ghost, he devoured one plateful after another.

"Hahaha, you've got quite an appetite, kid!"

A pirate laughed and slapped Luo Sa's small frame.

"Yeah, yeah. Who knew a kid this little could fit so much food? How'd that stomach get so big?"

Another pirate laughed and teased him.

"Wait a minute. Since when did our crew of grown men hire a little brat?"

One pirate suddenly looked puzzled.

"Something's wrong. He's not one of our crew!"

The pirate in charge of recruiting shouted as he drew the blade from his waist.

"Damn it, some brat sneaks aboard our ship to mooch our food and drink? I'll toss you overboard to feed the sharks!"

One of the pirates nearest Luo Sa reached out to grab his head.

Facing such a small fry, Luo Sa swatted him away like a fly. One hand turned into a wing, and with a casual flick, he sent the pirate flying.

That single move was enough to stun the other pirates. They held their weapons, but none dared to approach.

"A Devil Fruit User!"

After a long pause, one pirate finally said in a trembling voice.

They might've been an obscure little pirate crew, but they'd still heard of Devil Fruit Users!

"Hmph! So what if he's a Devil Fruit User? I'm a Great Pirate whose bounty is about to pass ten million!"

A gruff voice rang out. A huge man strode from the cabin, holding an axe in one hand and an attractive young woman in the other.

"Uh, a Great Pirate whose bounty is about to pass ten million?"

Luo Sa looked at the pirate captain who had just emerged, barely holding back his laughter.

No wonder a pirate crew with a bounty of less than ten million dared to come to the Grand Line. They really did have something wrong with their heads!

"Phew, that was a great meal! Fighting you will make for some nice exercise afterward!"

Luo Sa patted his stomach and stood up. His expression grew serious as he looked at the pirate captain.

This was, after all, his first face-to-face fight with an enemy. He wanted to use it as a test to see how strong he really was!

"First, a test of my physical strength!"

Luo Sa muttered under his breath, then shot forward like a cannonball.

The pirate captain didn't dare let his guard down either. He pushed aside the woman leaning against him, gripped his axe with both hands, and swung it down.

Feeling the gust of wind kicked up by the axe, Luo Sa's expression changed slightly. He didn't try to take the hit head-on.

With a shift of his body, he was already at the pirate captain's side, driving a fierce straight punch into him.

The pirate captain freed one hand and punched back, meeting Luo Sa's fist head-on.

Boom!

An invisible wave of air swept outward. Luo Sa stood rooted to the spot, while the pirate captain staggered backward several steps!

"How is that possible? The captain's strength is what he's most proud of! That kid actually knocked him back head-on!"

The pirates' jaws nearly hit the deck. They rubbed their eyes, refusing to believe what they were seeing!