Red Line

After waiting a while, a table full of delicacies was finally served. Just looking at them whetted his appetite.

Lobsters, steaks, and the like were signature dishes of the sea restaurant. Werther did not wolf down his food as he usually did, but slowly savored it.

After finishing the feast and drinking a bottle of Baratie's finest wine, Werther felt thoroughly satisfied.

He had originally wanted to fight Zeff, but now it seemed the man really had grown old. From beginning to end, Zeff had never appeared before Werther, no matter how much Werther provoked him. This was once a ruthless man who, when he had no food, smashed his own leg with a rock and ate it to survive. His legs had been the foundation of all his strength. Sadly, he really was old now.

Werther tossed more than a dozen diamonds onto the table, then turned and left.

Looking at the diamonds Werther had left on the table, Sanji was not particularly delighted. He merely smiled and muttered softly,

"What a troublesome yet generous customer." Every chef was delighted when a customer respected his dishes, especially when that chef was also his teacher, savior, and adoptive father.

After leaving Baratie, Werther sailed directly in one direction. He did not interact much with Sanji, because Sanji had his own journey, and Werther had his own adventure.

Werther had already decided on his next destination: he was going to enter the Grand Line.

Half a month later, a massive red mountain that seemed to lead into the heavens appeared before Werther.

No matter how vast or towering the Red Line had been described as in the anime he had watched before, it was nothing compared to seeing it with his own eyes. Werther was deeply shaken.

Just how had that fish-man called Fisher Tiger climbed such a mountain? How much hatred and determination to save the slaves had filled his heart?

Werther struggled to control his ship as the swift currents hurled it toward the Red Line. If not for its electric propulsion, he would already have been smashed to pieces. Even now, before the power of nature, Werther was still so insignificant.

Werther sailed for a long time before finally spotting the entrance in the distance. The heavy consumption along the way had forced him to recharge the ship twice already.

After calibrating his position, he shut down the ship's propulsion. Everything from here on would depend on fate. In such violent currents, even electric power could not change his direction.

Werther felt his ship rapidly accelerate before it charged straight toward the towering Red Line.

Standing on the ship, Werther had to grip the rail tightly to keep from being blown away by the wind. Watching the ship continue its upward charge, he was thrilled. This was the adventure he wanted.

When the ship finally reached the highest point, inertia sent it soaring high into the air. Then it splashed back into the water and shot downward even faster.

"Laboon, don't block my ship. If you damage my beloved ship, then even if I can't beat you, I'll still go beat up Brook." Werther clung to the rail and began muttering to himself.

After being at sea for some time, Werther was still vicious, but he was no longer someone who would casually slaughter an entire family. This was the change the vast sea had brought him. But do not think this fellow had abandoned evil and turned good. If he encountered anyone who provoked him, Werther would absolutely let them know what hell was.

He passed through the Red Line without any trouble. Laboon was nowhere to be seen and did not block Werther's route, so Brook was fortunate enough not to get dragged into it.

After stopping the ship, Werther began searching. He was looking for Doctor Crocus, the former ship's doctor of the One Piece crew. Werther was not searching for him because he had an incurable illness, but because he wanted to get a Log Pose from him.

In the Grand Line, traveling without a Log Pose was practically suicide.

After searching for half a day without finding Doctor Crocus, he found Laboon instead. The fellow was sunbathing by the shore.

Werther steadied his breath, took a deep breath, and shouted,

"Doctor Crocus, come out for a moment! I have something to discuss with you!" After shouting, Werther was exhausted and began coughing dryly. Afraid Crocus would not hear him, he had used every ounce of strength he had.

Not only was Werther exhausted, but Laboon was also badly shaken. He let out a roar no weaker than Werther's.

Then Laboon stared curiously at the little fellow before him. How could someone so small make such a loud sound? The more Laboon looked, the more curious he became, like a child seeing a toy.

"Laboon, don't look at me like that. I'm not going to play with you. If you crush me to death, that would be far too unfair a death." Werther looked at the whale before him and jokingly smiled at Laboon. Werther truly liked this fellow, who had waited fifty years for a promise. How many could maintain such steadfastness? And it was only a whale.

"Who is it? Disturbing my rest so early in the morning. What do you want? Even if I can do it, I won't agree." Crocus looked somewhat irritated, having had his sleep interrupted.

"Hehehe, hehehe. You old man, it's already noon. Besides, you'll definitely agree to my request. Definitely." Werther looked confidently at Crocus. If he told him that piece of news, Doctor Crocus would absolutely agree to his request.

"Hm? Let's hear what you want. Why would I definitely agree?" As a former crew member of the One Piece crew, Crocus calmly looked at Werther. He did not seem particularly interested in him.

"I want your medical notes, journals, or something like that. I want to study them a little. And give me a Log Pose. In return, I can tell you news about Laboon's companions. As far as I know, one of them is still alive." Werther made a request that put Crocus in a difficult position, while also offering him an irresistible temptation.

Before Doctor Crocus could say anything, Laboon had already become extremely agitated.

"Woooo!" Laboon let out a huge roar that sent waves rippling across the sea and badly rattled both Werther and Doctor Crocus. Then he began splashing wildly in the water. A massive wave nearly slammed Werther into the Red Line, but fortunately, Werther had parked his ship far away beforehand.

After a while, Laboon finally calmed down.

"You really know news about the Rumbar Pirates? If your information is accurate, I can give you both the medical books and the Log Pose." Crocus was also extremely excited upon hearing Werther's words. He had searched the entire Grand Line for that crew and failed to find them, yet one of them was still alive. What an important piece of news this was for Laboon, his beloved companion of several decades. Compared to Laboon, medical books were worth nothing.

"Yes, I do know about the Rumbar Pirates. The Rumbar Pirates were wiped out by another pirate crew. Now only one man called Brook, with an afro, remains alive in another way." Werther stopped there and waited for Doctor Crocus's response.

"I see. What a pity that we can't find all of them. You said one person is still alive in another way. What does that mean?" Crocus was neither shocked nor suspicious, because Werther had described Brook's distinctive feature: his afro.

After all, fifty years had passed. Anything could have happened. He merely glanced at Laboon.

Laboon's huge eyes were already filled with tears, as though he refused to accept this fact. He sank into the sea. Perhaps, with intelligence no less than a human's, he had long guessed it, but had simply been unwilling to accept it.

"Brook ate the Revive-Revive Fruit, so he did not truly die. He revived after death, but became a skeleton." Werther explained the Rumbar Pirates' situation to Crocus in detail.

After hearing this, Doctor Crocus said, "Wait here," then jumped into the water to search for Laboon.

Before long, Doctor Crocus came ashore again, carrying a large handwritten volume wrapped in waterproof cloth and a Log Pose. Without saying another word to Werther, he jumped back into the water. It seemed he was going to find the grieving Laboon and comfort the child.

Werther held the handwritten volume and Log Pose in his hands. The Log Pose was what he had planned to obtain, while the handwritten medical book was an unexpected bonus.

After returning to his ship, he began sailing in the direction opposite the pointer. Once he had locked in the ship's speed, he turned his attention to the handwritten medical book.

At first, Werther read with great interest. After a while, however, his expression became strange. By the end, he was completely dumbfounded.

The medical book was probably genuine, but Werther had greatly overestimated both his learning ability and Crocus's medical skill, because he could not understand any of it. It was like reading a book where he recognized every word, yet could not understand them once they were put together. There were also countless formulas and herb names he had never heard of.

It had only been an extra anyway. If he could not understand it, then so be it. Without effort, how could there be any reward? Which doctor had not studied diligently before gaining superb medical skills? Just like his swordsmanship.

Sure enough, there was no such thing as getting something for nothing in this world.