Dangerous Reverse Mountain Current

Before Reverse Mountain, the Cow Sea Beast Momoo looked at the rapidly surging current flowing upward and revealed a hint of fear, human-like in its expression.

"Momoo, just focus on protecting yourself! Leave the pirate ship to us!"

Daddy never expected this cow sea beast to be able to protect the Dreadnaught Sabre; he would take care of protecting his own pirate ship himself!

"Alright! Men! Today, we officially enter the Grand Line!!"

Daddy's shout filled all the crew members of the Big Daddy Pirates with excitement.

"Yes! Captain!!"

Nami began directing the other crew members, maneuvering the pirate ship into the turbulent, upward-flowing seawater, and even released the tow rope connected to Momoo.

Meanwhile, Kuro of a Hundred Plans stood at the stern, watching Cyclone Eric, who was being dragged through the water.

"We are about to ascend Reverse Mountain now. I hope you can survive it!!"

Kuro looked coldly at the captive. Ever since Eric had been captured, he had been hung behind the ship and dragged through the water to grind down his arrogance.

"I'll join... I'll join! Please, let me go!"

Cyclone Eric shouted weakly. He gulped down a few more mouthfuls of seawater; being soaked in the ocean while restrained by Seastone handcuffs left him completely powerless, and a sense of extreme despair welled up within him.

He had been shouting his surrender and willingness to join for hours, but it was as if Kuro couldn't hear him at all.

Now, hearing that they were about to enter the upward current of Reverse Mountain, he knew that if he remained dragged in the water, he would surely be smashed against the mountain walls and turned into a pulp of flesh and bone along the channel.

At this moment, he craved survival more than anything; he never wanted to experience this inhuman punishment again.

He was filled with dread toward the Big Daddy pirate ship, leaving behind a shadow that would never fade for the rest of his life.

At this moment, seeing that Eric had been broken enough, Daddy walked over.

At the very last moment before the Dreadnaught Sabre entered the upward current, he finally hauled the terrified, deathly pale Eric onto the deck!

"From now on, you are a member of the Big Daddy Pirates. Obey orders well, understand?"

Daddy slowly unfastened the Seastone handcuffs and the hemp rope from Eric's body, then spoke indifferently to the Scythe-Scythe Fruit user.

"I understand! Captain! I will never betray the Big Daddy Pirates in this life!"

Cyclone Eric was already streaming with tears. He immediately cried and pledged his loyalty to Daddy, hugging Daddy's thigh without a shred of dignity; he had finally survived the hands of these demons.

"I like obedient crew members! Now go change your clothes and join us as we enter the Grand Line!"

Daddy hoisted Eric up, straightened his soaked clothes, and said with a smile.

In this moment, Daddy transformed from a demonic captain back into a gentle, good boss.

"Thank you, Captain, I will be absolutely obedient!"

Cyclone Eric had been completely broken by Daddy's methods. He might still hold a sliver of resentment toward Kuro, but toward Daddy, his captain, he was absolutely submissive and filled with gratitude.

After having someone take Eric away, the pirate ship finally charged up Reverse Mountain. The violent tremors forced Daddy to immediately prepare himself to protect the ship at any moment!

"Barrier: Dreadnaught!!"

A massive barrier instantly enveloped the Dreadnaught Sabre. Amidst the turbulent currents, the pirate ship collided violently with the mountain walls of the channel multiple times, nearly capsizing the vessel.

"This really is a dangerous, massive undertaking!!"

Daddy finally understood why Reverse Mountain was the first gate of hell for rookie pirate crews from the Four Blues!

Damn it!

The upward current channel of Reverse Mountain was nowhere near as short as it appeared in the animation!

Daddy estimated that the upward channel alone was over 300 kilometers long. They had been charging through the super-turbulent current, moving at a speed of about 120 kilometers per hour, for nearly three hours!!

Based on the navigation knowledge Daddy had learned, combined with his own geographical knowledge from his past life, he estimated the Grand Line to be about three to four degrees of latitude wide on either side of the equator.

That meant the Grand Line was at least 600 to 800 kilometers wide, with the two Calm Belts on either side each occupying over 100 kilometers of that width.

"Holy crap!! If I didn't have the Barrier-Barrier Fruit! I would never have been able to charge through this Reverse Mountain!!"

Daddy cursed loudly. The current channels of Reverse Mountain from the Four Blues all had to converge at a central point before they could flow together into the Grand Line, and they traveled along a diagonal triangular path, not a straight line.

This distance was longer than half the entire width of the Grand Line!

Continuously using the Barrier-Barrier Fruit for three or four hours to protect the massive Dreadnaught Sabre left even Daddy breaking into a cold sweat.

The crew members were also shaken, their faces pale.

They knew the Grand Line was dangerous, but they hadn't expected the first hurdle, Reverse Mountain, to be this lethal!

How many pirate ships could continuously sail upward for three or four hours in turbulent currents moving at over 100 kilometers per hour?

These wooden pirate ships would likely be reduced to splinters after just a few collisions!

Indeed, every pirate crew that reached the Grand Line was a crew with maxed-out luck!

The fallen pirate crews were all washed into the Grand Line, becoming the personal salary of the Twin Cape tower guard, Crocus.

Otherwise, why do you think Crocus had been guarding Twin Cape for so many years, living without worry and reading newspapers at his leisure?

He even had vast wealth to buy medical books, precious herbs, and to treat and modify the massive island whale Laboon; perhaps even Laboon's nutritional rations were partly thanks to Crocus's efforts.

As they reached the peak of Reverse Mountain, the pirate ship collided violently once more, but it successfully changed direction, beginning its descent at an even greater speed.

The four ocean currents from the four seas converged into one, accelerating the flow to such a degree that even Daddy had to focus with every ounce of his being!

"Ahhh~!!"

The girls on the ship were screaming at the top of their lungs; the current speed of the Dreadnaught Sabre had already exceeded 180 kilometers per hour, causing the masts to bend under the strain.

If not for the protection of the Barrier-Barrier Fruit, a single collision would have reduced this pirate ship to a pile of scrap metal!

Just how lucky were those pirate crews who successfully entered the Grand Line, managing to avoid colliding with the mountain walls of the Reverse Mountain channel even once?

"Ahhh!! Captain Daddy!! It's a dead end ahead!! We're finished!! Why is there a wall in front of us?!"

Nami was sobbing, tears and snot streaming down her face in terror. She had expected to see the exit, but instead, a massive mountain blocked their path, leaving absolutely no room to maneuver!

"Damn it!! Everyone, hold on tight!!"

Daddy roared in fury. He hadn't expected to run into the island whale Laboon ramming the mountain. At this speed, even with the protection of the Barrier-Barrier Fruit, the immense inertia would leave his crew maimed or dead, and the ship itself would be torn apart.

"Barrier: Susanoo Hand!!"

Daddy bellowed, and two colossal barrier-construct hands erupted from the ship's shell, slamming into the walls of Reverse Mountain on either side to force a frantic deceleration. Sparks showered everywhere, a display dozens of times more extreme than Spider-Man using webs to stop a train.

The mountain walls of the Reverse Mountain channel were gouged with deep, massive furrows by Daddy's grip, kicking up clouds of dust...