Everyone felt strange at that moment. They could not quite describe it, but the feeling left them uneasy all over.
Still, they knew perfectly well that this journey was no ordinary undertaking. It was absurdly difficult.
They kept pressing forward until Luffy spotted something emerging on the sea ahead.
What was something like that doing here?
Luffy could not stop wondering.
The thing looked so strange that he could not begin to tell what it was.
He rubbed his eyes to make sure he was not seeing things.
No matter how the others looked at it, something seemed wrong. It drifted like a cloud of smoke, shifting unpredictably.
The hazy mass of smoke had edges that churned without cease.
They had no idea what sort of object it was.
When they drew closer, it looked a little like a ship, but a closer look made it seem nothing like one.
If it was a ship, its outline was far too indistinct; if it was not, it certainly had the shape of one.
Everyone was baffled, unable to figure out what it was.
Just then, something resembling a mirror appeared before them.
A cold gleam shimmered across its surface, making their skin crawl.
The ship plunged straight into it.
It seemed to vanish into thin air, leaving no trace at all.
It did not even raise a splash. It was simply gone.
Everyone present felt their heart lurch and their scalp prickle.
Someone could not help swallowing hard.
They had no idea what had happened.
The Marines following behind looked grim, their faces twisted as though they had swallowed flies.
They had clearly witnessed what had just happened, too.
"Don't go any farther. Hold position here."
The bespectacled man's voice was calm, without the slightest ripple of emotion.
"Don't worry. Just