Reverse Mountain

As soon as Ye Mu finished speaking, Freya felt a chill on her arm. She looked up and saw that a light rain had begun to fall, while the clouds overhead grew darker and thicker.

Tiger was also somewhat tense at this point. He gripped the helm and called out,

"Everyone, hold on tight. The current is about to accelerate..."

As soon as he finished speaking, the ship suddenly sped up. Freya lost her balance and instinctively hugged Ye Mu beside her.

It seemed that in only a few breaths, the world before Freya's eyes had undergone a complete transformation.

The rain grew heavier, and the black clouds thicker. Everyone could barely see the path ahead. The howling wind made it impossible to stand steady, while the terrifying current sent the Twin Goddess pitching and rolling amid the waves.

"Is this really going to be okay? Can we find the entrance to Reverse Mountain? We won't crash into the Red Line, will we?"

Freya asked in a panic.

"There's a possibility..."

Ye Mu said with a smile.

"Eek!!!!"

Just as Freya was thrown into a panic, Tiger spoke up.

"I see it—the Red Line..."

Freya's attention was instantly drawn over, and she looked into the distance.

Amid the mist and black clouds, an enormous red mountain appeared in everyone's field of vision, towering like a wall supporting the heavens.

The massive continent, as solid as a mountain and rising into the clouds, gave off an intensely oppressive feeling.

At this moment, Tiger's voice grew tense as well.

"Everyone, keep your footing..."

In an instant, a massive whirlpool appeared on the sea ahead. The Twin Goddess was swept into it, and the entire ship began spinning within the vortex.

Fortunately, Tiger seized control of the helm in time and escaped just before the entire ship was sucked in.

Just then, the entrance to Reverse Mountain appeared.

At the center of the continent was a canal that looked as though someone had sliced it open with a knife. It was thin as a line, yet enormous amounts of water surged upward from below and plunged into the clouds.

"This waterway is way too narrow, Mr. Tiger. Can we really get in safely...?"

"Of course. Don't worry. It'll be fine."

With a confident smile, Tiger controlled the helm. The Twin Goddess entered the entrance to Reverse Mountain smoothly, moving in a straight line as it climbed toward the sky under the guidance of the current.

At this moment, as the Twin Goddess ascended, the rain gradually weakened and the black clouds slowly dispersed. Everything ahead became clear once more.

"This is amazing... The ship is climbing a mountain..."

"It's so beautiful..."

At this moment, the Twin Goddess seemed to have entered the clouds, flying among the colorful clouds.

"It feels like we've returned to Sky Island..."

Enel said wistfully.

"Eh!!! Sky Island!!!"

Freya was startled and was about to ask more when Tiger's reminder rang out again.

"Hold on tight. We're about to reach the peak of the current..."

As soon as he finished speaking, the clouds parted. The highest point of Reverse Mountain appeared before them, visibly forming a triangle.

The Twin Goddess shot straight out of the current and into the sky. After gliding through the air for several seconds, it fell under the force of gravity and crashed heavily into the descending current.

At this moment, Tiger finally let out a long breath and said to Ye Mu,

"Captain, I have accomplished my mission!"

"Ah... Tiger, you're truly incredible!!! Now, leave the rest to Enel and me. Freya, take Baby-5 away."

"Eh... What do you mean...?"

Although Freya did not understand, she obediently followed his instructions. While the ship's speed was steady, she picked up Baby-5 and held her in her arms.

She soon understood.

As the Twin Goddess rapidly descended, the exit of Reverse Mountain appeared in everyone's field of vision.

Along with it came countless densely packed ships, completely blocking the exit.

The ships varied in size and design. Some looked extremely luxurious, while others were very dilapidated.

Freya assumed they were pirate ships, but she did not see any pirate flags.

"They're not pirates... and they're not Marines... So what are they?"

"They're a group called pirate hunters... They said they're going to take our heads and exchange them with the Marines for the bounty..."

Enel answered her. His Observation Haki was incredibly useful for listening in.

"Oh... There are even spies from the World Government..."

Freya finally understood. She looked at Enel in shock.

"You... You can hear them talking from that far away?"

"Yeah."

Enel's answer was exceedingly simple, but the smug look on his face made his pride obvious.

Seeing this, Ye Mu explained,

"Vice Captain Enel's Observation Haki is exceptionally powerful. Generally speaking, on an island like Loguetown, his Observation Haki can completely cover the entire island. No matter what anyone says there, he can hear it. That's why we were able to learn of the Marines' plan while we were in Loguetown."

"W... What...?"

"That's also one of the reasons we aren't afraid of the Marines or the World Government. Until they learn this secret and find a way to deal with it, they'll never be able to find us. Of course, this place is an exception. After all, it's the only entrance to the Grand Line..."

At this moment, Freya truly felt that her pirate crew was incredible.

In that case, I can't hold everyone back either.

"Then should we deal with them?"

Enel asked impatiently.

"Yes. Since they dared to point their guns at us, there's no need to show mercy. Clear the obstacle quickly."

"I understand."

Enel's expression grew excited as he slowly walked to the very front of the ship.

"Let me count. Fifty-six pirate ships in total, and 1,024 people. Then let's begin."

As Enel spoke, he raised the Golden Staff straight into the air. Visible blue lightning traveled through the Golden Staff in his hand before vanishing into the sky.

Freya was just about to ask what Enel was doing when he uttered four words.

"Divine Judgment..."

In an instant, in the distance ahead where the pirate hunters' ships were gathered, enormous, dazzling pillars of lightning descended from the sky.

"Boom..."

The blinding light made Freya squeeze her eyes shut uncontrollably as she cried out in terror.

Once the thunder had faded, Freya opened her eyes again. The ships that had been blocking the exit had vanished completely, leaving behind only wreckage floating on the sea, proof that they had once existed.

The Twin Goddess finally reached the exit of Reverse Mountain. Its speed slowed as it drifted past the wreckage.

Freya looked at the wreckage and the bodies floating on the surface of the sea. Her face was deathly pale as she asked,

"Th... They're all dead?"

She was ultimately just a young girl. Before this, although she had prepared a great deal of food, she had never killed anyone.

"Ah..."

Ye Mu's broad arm came to rest on her shoulder.

"If they're lucky, they might still be saved. But if they're unlucky, they'll sink to the bottom of the sea and become food for the fish. I know this is difficult for you to accept, but you must accept it, because this is the Grand Line. As we go on, there will be more and more days like this."

"However, you can rest assured. Just as I agreed with that Marine, Kuzan, as long as they don't point their guns at us, I have no interest in killing innocents either."

"If you don't believe me, you can stay close by my side and keep an eye on me..."