Parting and a Promise / Whiskey Peak

And to become the Pirate King, one had to reach the end of the Grand Line—Laugh Tale. That meant crossing the Red Line twice...

Suddenly, an absurd thought popped into Noil's head.

Could the Red Line have been built by someone?

And could its purpose have been to protect the secret of Laugh Tale, the final island?

Noil shook his head hard. The gateway to Reverse Mountain had already come into view, and he laughed at himself.

"Overthinking it. If someone built it to keep people out, why cut a passage through Reverse Mountain and add a staircase?"

Farewells and a Promise

Alabasta was a vast desert kingdom.

As one of the great powers of the Grand Line, Alabasta had been having a rough few months.

It was a desert nation to begin with, and not a drop of rain had fallen in months.

Strangely, though, rain had fallen frequently in Alubarna, the royal capital.

Many citizens had their doubts, but they trusted their king and thought no further of it.

And Alubarna was not the only place to escape the drought.

Rainbase had rain too, and recently, an important figure had taken up residence there.

Crocodile, one of the Shichibukai.

Since Crocodile's arrival, pirate raids had all but ceased. He had also established his base there: Rain Dinners, the largest casino in the kingdom.

Neither the citizens nor the royal family knew that this "national hero" had orchestrated all the strange events plaguing the kingdom.

His true identity was Mr. 0, the leader of Baroque Works, a criminal organization plotting to incite civil unrest.

Crocodile sat in a dim room, a cigar between his lips, staring darkly at the tank before him.

Calling it a tank hardly did it justice. It was enormous, and housed his pet crocodiles.

In the deathly stillness, Crocodile spoke in a low voice. "How is that matter progressing?"

A mature voice, distinctly aloof, answered from the shadows.

"Baroque Works members disguised themselves as a transport crew. The Dance Powder they carried has been discovered by a man named Koza. Now it's only a matter of time."

A woman in a white cowboy hat and leather coat stepped out of the shadows as she spoke.

She had healthy, wheat-colored skin, blue-green eyes with a penetrating gaze, and strikingly beautiful features.

She was a poised beauty. Though she wore a smile, she still seemed to keep everyone at a distance.

Crocodile grinned and chuckled under his breath. "Well done."

"My plan is about to begin. Alabasta and that thing will both be mine."

Crocodile paused thoughtfully. "But I'll need more people to make it happen..."

"Have you found that top bounty hunter from the East Blue?"

The woman shook her head gently. "We've lost track of him, but our information suggests he's about to enter the Grand Line."

Crocodile nodded. "Perfect. Bring him to Whiskey Peak and talk to him."

"Understood." The woman then asked, "What if he refuses to join us?"

"Heh."

Crocodile gave a low, confident laugh. "Send Mr. 5."

"Does some brat from the backwater East Blue think a little strength is enough to win him freedom on these seas?"

A flicker of disgust crossed the woman's otherwise unreadable eyes. She nodded and turned to leave.

Crocodile's voice followed her.

"Nico Robin, don't forget what we're after. And don't try anything."

"You know my status as a Shichibukai is the only thing keeping you safe for now. Don't imagine you can run."

"Besides, where would you go?"

Robin showed no reaction to his words. But once she left the room, a trace of loneliness surfaced on her face before vanishing.

Meanwhile, Noil and Ace's ships reached the current that climbed Reverse Mountain beneath a torrential downpour.

Reverse Mountain had five current channels. Four were rising currents from the four seas, which climbed the mountain before joining a single channel that rushed down into the Grand Line.

The two large ships entered the current. Defying the laws of nature, the powerful flow carried them upward.

If Newton had come here, even his ashes would have ended up scattered across the sea...

The ships jolted all the way up the towering mountain. At the summit, they plunged down at breakneck speed!

Noil's ship and the Spade Pirates' ship burst through the clouds, dropped from the sky, and landed on the sea.

At last, the shaking stopped. Ace popped his head out and shouted excitedly, "What a ride!"

Soaked to the skin, Noil pulled himself up by the railing. "That put any roller coaster to shame."

Noil took out a dry towel, rubbed his head, and looked around curiously.

This was Twin Cape, but why wasn't Laboon, the giant whale, here?

He shook his head and gave it no more thought. Laboon couldn't spend all day at the surface.

Both crews straightened up their ships. It was time to part ways.

Noil transferred some of his supplies to Ace's ship and reminded him, "The Grand Line is nothing like the seas we've crossed. Find yourselves a navigator soon."

Ace nodded and grinned. "Take care of yourself too. See you out on the sea!"

Seven magnetic routes branched out from Twin Cape, the starting point of the Grand Line. The two of them had decided to part here.

"Our routes are different, but they'll meet at the Sabaody Archipelago. Want to see who gets there first?"

Smiling, Noil held out his fist in challenge.

Ace bumped it firmly with his own and laughed. "You're on! Whoever loses buys next time!"

"Deal!"

With that fist bump, they sealed their wager. Ace returned to his ship, then waved goodbye to Noil with a grin.

Noil waved both arms and shouted, "See you!"

As Ace's ship slowly receded, silence settled over Noil's deck again.

He found he wasn't used to it.

Noil sighed and mocked himself. "Pretty pathetic. They annoyed me while they were here, but the moment they leave, I feel lousy."

He wasn't someone who liked joining a crowd, but he liked having people around. Their presence made him feel at home.

After sighing over it for a while, Noil finally shook off his gloom.

I need a companion to sail with. This is too boring.

Noil pulled himself together, raised the sail, and set off again, following his Log Pose.

His first destination was Whiskey Peak, where Crocodile's informants were everywhere.

He might be able to find an Eternal Pose pointing to Alabasta there.

But only after he set sail did Noil realize he had no idea where Whiskey Peak was...

Just as he was scratching his head over what to do, help arrived courtesy of Crocodile.

A ship slowly approached across the sea. Its lookout spotted Noil's vessel and shouted, "Found him! The guy the boss wants to recruit!"

Noil's keen senses picked up the shout, and he looked toward the people aboard in confusion.

A man stood by the rail, rubbing his hands eagerly. "Excuse me, are you Mr. Noil?"

Whiskey Peak

Noil raised an eyebrow. "I am. Who are you?"

The man's smile widened. "We're bounty hunters with Baroque Works. We'd like to invite you to Whiskey Peak."

"Baroque Works?" Noil asked, puzzled.

Wasn't that Crocodile's organization? I hadn't even gone looking for him, and he'd come to me?

"But I don't know you," Noil said.

The man smiled. "You're the strongest bounty hunter in the East Blue. It's only right that we welcome you."

"Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Mr. 9. Everyone in our organization goes by a code name."

Noil studied him thoughtfully. Was this Mr. 9 in the Original Story?

I thought Mr. 9 had a number on his face and was Princess Vivi's partner...

Did Crocodile fire him later?

But Noil had no time to worry about Baroque Works' staffing. With a guide ready and waiting, he could save himself the trouble.

"Thanks, then. Lead the way," Noil said.

"Of course!"

Mr. 9 answered cheerfully. Then he turned away, a sly smile spreading across his sleazy face.

The boss had suddenly informed him that he was to receive a newcomer.

Worse, the boss had said the newcomer was much stronger than him and would take his position, pushing him down to Mr. 10!

Why should he?!

Mr. 9's face twisted with resentment.

He would get rid of the man standing in the way of his promotion!

Mr. 9 hid his feelings well, but Noil sensed them clearly.

Noil chuckled and paid him no mind.

He put on a sleep mask and lay back comfortably on the deck.

Weaklings like this always thought they were Sun Wukong, ready to turn the heavens upside down.

But even the mighty Monkey King had ended up trapped under Five Finger Mountain for relieving himself where he shouldn't...

With the ill-intentioned Mr. 9 leading the way, Noil found his bearings and reached Whiskey Peak.

Whiskey Peak was known as "the town that welcomed pirates."

In truth, most of its residents were bounty hunters.

They gathered there to prey on green pirates entering the Grand Line and collect the generous bounties on their heads.

Many young, inexperienced pirates lost their lives and became easy prey.

The town was also an outpost of the secret criminal organization Baroque Works.

In other words, it was Crocodile's territory.

Noil was escorted ashore. He gazed at the peaks, which looked remarkably like cacti, and marveled.

The world really was full of wonders. Even mountains could grow like that.

Though the "cactus spines" covering them were all gravestones. That rather spoiled the view...

"This way, Mr. Noil," Mr. 9 said warmly. "We've prepared a meal for you."

"Now that sounds good. Lead on," Noil said with a grin.

Mr. 9 led Noil into town, where a table laden with food and drink already awaited them in one of the buildings.

"Wow!" Noil's eyes lit up, and he rushed over to eat.