Setting the Course for Whiskey Peak

"How should we deal with this guy, Miss Employer?"

Luo Wen pointed at Mr. 9.

Vivi had become the big patron, so the insignificant Mr. 9 was hers to decide upon.

"He is my companion, after all. He has always taken good care of me."

Vivi hesitated. She had gotten along well with Mr. 9, and she did not want to simply kill him.

An angel! Princess Vivi, you are an angel!

Mr. 9 looked at Vivi, tears of joy streaming from his eyes as gratitude filled his heart.

"Just cripple him so he cannot send word for seven days."

With her back to Mr. 9, Vivi frowned as she made her decision.

To keep her mission to save her country from being affected, Mr. 9 would just have to suffer a little.

"Understood."

Luo Wen nodded. Such a small matter was easily handled.

In truth, it did not matter whether this minor character was released or not, because Crocodile already knew Vivi's identity.

The information she had uncovered about Crocodile had merely been bait cast by Robin.

"Will you hate me?"

Luo Wen walked over to Mr. 9 and looked down at him.

Tears welled in Mr. 9's eyes as he shook his head furiously.

Hate Luo Wen? How could he dare?!

Luo Wen nodded in satisfaction and raised his foot, crushing Mr. 9's limbs.

Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!

"Aah!"

It hurt! It hurt so badly!

Two streams of hot tears shot from Mr. 9's eyes. His whole face scrunched up into a mask of pain.

"Do not be a pirate anymore. It will get you killed."

Luo Wen spoke calmly, as if he were merely offering ordinary advice.

"Waaah, I will never be a pirate again!"

Tears in his eyes, Mr. 9 whimpered and nodded desperately.

Being a pirate was too dangerous. He wanted to be a good person!

The trauma left behind by this short half-day would take Mr. 9 a lifetime to heal.

Luo Wen nodded in satisfaction. He had saved another lost lamb. What boundless merit!

After placing Mr. 9 and some food aboard the small boat he had arrived in, the Windrider gradually sailed away.

"Let us go to Whiskey Peak first and meet up with my captain of the guard."

"Then we will go to Alabasta and save my country."

Vivi's captain of the guard was still undercover at Whiskey Peak. She needed to meet up with Igaram first.

"By the way, have you prepared a Log Pose?"

Vivi asked Nami.

This was the first hurdle for rookie pirates entering the Grand Line. Without a Log Pose, rookie pirates would quickly become lost in the Grand Line and ultimately be buried beneath the sea.

"Some islands in the Grand Line contain enormous amounts of minerals, causing the magnetic fields along the entire route to become distorted."

"In that situation, only a Log Pose, which is unaffected by magnetic fields, can be trusted."

Vivi explained it to Nami.

Most newcomers to the Grand Line did not understand these things. She had seen quite a few of them.

Nami took out an ordinary compass. Sure enough, it had been affected by the magnetic field; its needle spun wildly, rendering it completely useless.

"Luo Wen, do we have a Log Pose?"

Nami cast Luo Wen a questioning look. As someone from the East Blue, she truly did not know about such things.

Luo Wen did not disappoint Nami. He had indeed prepared in advance.

"Do not worry. I prepared them long ago."

Looking composed, Luo Wen tossed two poses to Nami.

These were spoils left behind by the Arlong Pirates: an ordinary Log Pose and an Eternal Pose leading to the Sabaody Archipelago.

They had prepared the Log Pose for the Grand Line, while the Eternal Pose was meant for their journey home.

Nami looked at Luo Wen. How could this man be so dependable? He had never let anyone down.

"There are no markings at all, and it only relies on the islands' magnetism to point the way. How amazing!"

Nami examined the Log Pose in her hand.

Its appearance was completely different from both compasses and navigational compasses. This was unfamiliar territory for her.

"A Log Pose must set a route at Twin Capes, and once it does, it cannot be changed."

"Moreover, after passing each island, it must charge using that island's magnetic field. The charging time can range from one day to one year."

With Vivi's help and explanation, Nami understood how to use the Log Pose and set Whiskey Peak as their first destination.

"Then our destination is Whiskey Peak—set sail!"

With a clear direction, Nami perked up.

Guided by the Log Pose, the Windrider headed toward Whiskey Peak.

At first, the sky was clear, and the sea was perfectly normal.

But once the ship had completely left Twin Capes, the climate abruptly underwent an extreme change.

Mist rose across the sea, followed by violent winds, torrential rain, heavy snow, and other extreme weather.

"Turn the ship around. We have drifted off course."

What nearly made Nami collapse was that although she had looked away from the Log Pose for only a moment, the ship's direction had somehow almost reversed.

"This is what the sea here is like. The weather and wind directions are both unpredictable and cannot be trusted."

"Only the direction indicated by the Log Pose never changes. It is a navigator's sole reliance."

Vivi was already used to it.

Every time they sailed out, it was impossible not to go off course several times.

Nami broke out in a cold sweat and hurriedly directed the ship to turn.

"Angle the sails toward the wind, take the wind from the starboard side, turn the rudder fifteen degrees to port to avoid the iceberg, unfurl the triangular sail, and constantly adjust the angle..."

Fortunately, they discovered it in time, and Nami's commands were effective. The Windrider quickly returned to the correct route.

"There are challenges at every moment. One lapse of attention means failure. Is this the Grand Line?"

Nami lowered her eyes and muttered to herself.

Everything she knew about navigation had been completely overturned by this sea.

Even the navigational skills she had always been proud of had lost their former usefulness here.

The consecutive blows left her feeling somewhat defeated.

Luo Wen had been on deck, taking in the wonders of nature, when he suddenly noticed Nami's low spirits.

"Have confidence. You can do it."

"Fighting people brings endless joy; fighting heaven brings endless joy!"

Luo Wen placed a hand atop Nami's head, instilling confidence in his navigator.

With Nami's talent for navigation, these difficulties were nothing.

She had only just entered the Grand Line and had been caught off guard, which was why she had panicked so badly.

"You have already done incredibly well. You are the most gifted navigator I have ever seen!"

Tashigi gave Nami a thumbs-up, her face filled with admiration.

She was not merely comforting her. She had truly sensed Nami's talent.

In the face of extreme weather, Nami possessed extraordinarily keen instincts while still being able to issue precise commands.

She was even more astonishing than the navigators aboard Marine warships.

"That is right. When it comes to navigational talent, I would call you the strongest!"

Vivi was equally amazed by Nami's talent. Compared with those top navigators, all she lacked was time.

Hearing the encouragement of the three of them, a fire lit up in Nami's eyes.

Fighting heaven brings endless joy!

Battling the dangers of the sea was precisely the joy of being a navigator.

She would follow Luo Wen and conquer this sea.

Passion blazing in her heart, Nami directed the ship onward. Neither torrential rain nor heavy snow could stop the Windrider's advance.

"An island!"

Nami let out a breath and felt her spirits brighten.

"What a huge cactus!"

Tashigi cried out as she looked at the cactus-shaped island.

"We arrived safely. This is Whiskey Peak!"

Vivi was just as delighted.

Every successful voyage on the Grand Line was something worth celebrating.

Looking at the island before them, Luo Wen smiled.

Quite a few interesting people would appear on this island!