*Crash* *Crackle*

Undaunted by the extreme weather, Pinky swam in a light-hearted mood while chewing on yet another wild bird. Lightning continued to crackle without stop as Nami had pulled down the pole entirely lest they attract lightning in the sea. The heavy downpour and the dark clouds may have also hinted at a storm. But more than that, Nami had a look of concentration within their hut while everyone except Tashigi gathered around the table.

Tashigi herself sat in the corner and would only move to sleep, freshen up, or eat. Else, she would remain silent.

With a map unfurled on the table, Nami pointed at the intersection of the four Blue Seas.

"Look here. The upstream to the Reverse Mountain enters from the four directions of the four Blue Sea and meets at the top of the mountain before flowing to the entrance of Grandline!" Nami pointed out, "This means, if Pinky if off the course even one bit, she'll smash against the entrance itself and it would be terrible because her blood attracts sea beasts and we're too close to Calm Belt which is the breeding ground for the largest sea kings!"

"Interesting... so the sea climbs up the mountain?"

"Yeah, Reiju and I saw it when we climbed the redline to enter East Blue," Brody nodded.

They've already heard of the story so they weren't too surprised and Nami continued, "Reiju-san, that Log Pose you were talking about... the equipment we need to travel in Grandline. Do you still have it?"

"Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get anything from Loguetown before we were thrown out. But don't worry. I have heard of an old caretaker living at the foot of Reverse Mountain. We can get the rudimentary direction from him, at the very least."

Nami nodded as Tashigi suddenly stood up. She had been facing the wall the entire time so even if they didn't know why she wiped her eyes with the back of her arms, they could imagine it.

Not stopping by the table or any room, Tashigi opted to go out into the Meat Tropical, as they called it, while beckoning Brody, "Please come out. I need to talk with you."

Looking at others, he shrugged and went out as the downpour drenched him but still finding a good spot, Brody plucked a banana and unpeeled a sausage to bite on it.

"Hmm? What's up?"

Looking at Brody seriously, Tashigi spoke in a louder tone to not let her words get drowned out by the rain and lightning, not to mention crashing tides and waves.

"I have no value as a hostage. Do you plan to sell me as a bounty in Grandline?" She questioned while Brody couldn't help but blink in surprise, "Oi... what have you been drinking? Did Reiju and others keep the good stuff away from me?"

"What? No!"

"Oh, then... you talking stupid, I see."

Biting her lower lip, Tashigi questioned, "What do you intend to do with me then?"

"Nothing?" Brody's expression brightened, "Say, Tashigi, you never told me what you wanted to achieve. Is it something grand? I bet it's something along the lines of— Rising through the ranks and making changes! Hmm?"

Adopting a bland expression, Tashigi replied curtly, "I dream to take grade swords from anyone who uses them for evil!"

"Evil... like?"

"Harming others for their selfish goals!"

"So... a sword that is made to harm... you want it to stop harming?" Brody rubbed the back of his head, "Man, that's confusing. Wait, you want to re-engineer the development of swords?"

"What... wait, shut up! Stop playing with me! My dream was perfect until now!" Tashigi hissed.

"It's not that good of a dream if even you can't back it up after hearing one opposition," Brody shrugged, "Sorry. But hey, maybe you can find another dream?"

Releasing a sigh, Tashigi slid down the tree and sat with her knees curled close to her chest, "What am I going to do? While I was clumsy, Captain Smoker always had my back. But the government declared me a pirate... so easily! And now, the dream I thought was perfect... is no longer the same... I really am hopeless, right?" She looked up with tears... raindrops sliding down her cheeks as a sad, defeated smile adorned her face.

Sitting down, too, Brody shook his head, "I'm the hopeless one. But if you really keep this up, we'll call you the Sulking One"

"Not any of this would have happened if you didn't take my hostage!" She glared at him.

"Is that your attitude towards all pirates?" He smirked and she went silent.

"It's all a play of titles..." Brody leaned back, "Pirates are evil... Marines are good. In all that, Brody and Tashigi disappear. It should always be, Brody is evil and Tashigi is good."

"I would have agreed if that's true..." She muttered.

"So maiming is good? When am I getting that medal?"

"What? No, that's terrible! But... I still haven't seen you go out of your way to hurt an innocent," Tashigi smiled, "And I know that because Reiju-san said that not a single innocent individual lived in her kingdom."

He shrugged, "It's up to you to decide that."

"So? I'm a pirate now?" Tashigi sighed.

"In the best crew, yes."

"I see... then, will you train me—"

"Uh... do I have to? Can't you be like Nojiko and train on your own?"

Frowning, Tashigi pressed forward, "I thought you were responsible for all of us!"

"I am..." revealing a difficult expression certainly true to a pirate, Brody groaned, "Just never thought someone will really hold me up to it until before my first kid."

His words made Tashigi blush as she wiped her eyes with the back of her arm in the rain and scowled, "And don't you think like that about me!"

"Oh, now that's easy!" Brody grinned brightly, maybe simply not aware of the damage he'd been causing and the menace he'd turned into as he pulled Tashigi in, "Everyone, meet Tashigi! The first swordswoman!"

"And I'd like my clothes back!" Tashigi stated seriously, making Nami and Alvida smirk.

---

"That's Red Line, huh?" Everyone stood at the edge of Pinky's shell while only Brody had gotten permission for the 'best' seat on Pinky since he's the only one who had tamed her even if he didn't give her a name. Even under the heavy downpour, everyone's gaze was locked onto the giant red 'wall' that simply encompassed their vision. Even Pinky looked like a miniature snail in front of it as the ring-shaped continent that divided the sea pierced through the clouds!

"Woah!" Nojiko looked at it with her eyes wide in awe, "Reiju-san, you two really climbed this?"

"Heh~ Well, I flew. He did the climbing saying that was good training," Reiju smiled as their gazes shifted to the man sitting firmly on top of Pinky's head with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Wait, where's the entrance? With this speed, Pinky might just crash into it!" Alvida sensed the situation and looked at Nami who pulled out her scope, "Ah... there's a very 'thin' creak!" Nami pointed out, "Brody, have Pinky enter that crack!"

"Shut up, perv!" Brody hissed.

"I DIDN'T MEAN THAT!!"

"Heh," chuckling, Brody slid down from Pinky's head and looked at everyone, "Everyone... we're gonna enter Grandline! If you have any fear... you can stop now! I'm already happy about the few days of excitement I got to relish!"

"Really?" Nojiko smiled, "So, you'd have no problem if I want to leave now?"

"Oh, I'd cry myself to sleep while spooning Nami," Brody replied without any hesitation as the orangette groaned weakly, "Why always me..."

"Oh, you didn't know? Whenever we sleep, you actually start to push yourself against me—"

"Shut up!"

"Hmm, this will be different from the last time you escaped Grandline, Bro," Reiju smiled, "This is what you wished for ever since you fell."

"Yeah..." Looking towards Redline, Brody's gaze couldn't help but grow... devilish. "Everyone... I lied about one more thing. I... don't just want to be the Strongest! Being at that peak... all alone, wandering the seas with no one to look up to... that's a fate I don't want for myself. That's why I never kill. Any of my opponents can train past their limits should they have a will for it."

Looking back, Brody smiled fondly, "What I want is to be the Strongest Devil! A man everyone challenges out of anger, vengeance, or spite! In Grandline, if you feel weak, train. If you feel helpless, call for help! If you ever need a good fu—"

"We get it, Captain," Alvida took off her white cowboy hat, "To be the most beautiful pirate!"

"To see you be the strongest and break past the technological advances of Germa Kingdom," Reiju leaned back with a slightly excited smile.

"To map this world!" Nami smiled.

"To have the best adventure and protect my sister and friends," Nojiko held Nami's hand with a smile.

"To feed you all until the last day of your lives!" Carmen held a ladle in her mouth while posing.

"T- To spread my justice regardless of the title!" Tashigi declared and looked at Brody whose smile broadened.

"Alright! To have 200 kids!"

"Wait... 200? Wasn't it 100?" Alvida blinked.

"I changed my mind! 200!"

*Roooaaaaaaaagggggghhhhhhhh!*

Pinky threw her head back and roared loudly, calming the sea around her even if just for a moment!

Brody grinned and jumped, soon reaching the top of Pinky's head. Looking at his crew below, Brody threw his arms back with an excited shout, "MEN! Full speed ahead!"

Pinky's flippers began to rotate at their top speed as she located the crack Brody relayed to her from Nami. Truly, it was a 'thin' crack in the Red Line— An indestructible continent down to its very last rock! So, Brody couldn't help but feel amazed at who could have created these channels in Red Line. Compared to the entire ring-shaped continent around the world, this was a tiny crack but as they grew closer, it was easily five times Pinky's size if not more and others cheered.

The Sea... really was running up a mountain, as if excited to meet others—

"Oye! I just thought of something, Pinky... the speed of the current is too much. When we enter the meeting point on top of Reverse Mountain... eat! There will be animals from all four seas right there! Do you know what that means?"

"Grrrrgghhhh!"

An excited growl escaped Pinky's lips as her red eyes lit up!

Patting the bridge of her wide nose, Brody chimed, "That's my girl! Eat till you're full!"

Everyone held on tightly as even Pinky's course was forcefully shifted when she entered the Reverse stream and she rested her flippers. Still, she hadn't lost control as any other ship would have. Instead, determination flickered in her eyes. Soon, under everyone's merry cheers and encouragement since they simply couldn't help but praise Pinky given that she was literally carrying their burdens, they entered Reverse Mountain— The entrance of Grandline.

---

"Mr. 9... Do you know why the agents decided to join us? We were inevitably delayed because of them," A light-blue-haired woman in a ponytail looked towards the cabin of a small ship as the orange-haired man with a crown on his head and the number '9' tattooed on his cheeks frowned, "I don't know, Baby. But they surely cannot have been called to hunt that giant whale, Baby!"

"Yes... everything smells fishy," The woman narrowed her eyes cautiously.

***

Alternative: 1$ Store All-Blue— Reverse Mountain; Walking All-Blue— All-Meat.

***

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