Soon, the ship reached the peak of Reverse Mountain. After a brief moment of balance at the summit, it began descending toward the downstream—the final path that would lead directly into the Grand Line. As the ship moved forward, its speed remained unnaturally stable. It did not accelerate wildly as one would expect while moving downward with such a powerful current, and that was entirely due to Gojo's control over Blue.
Maintaining a precise balance, Gojo guided the ship carefully until it finally reached the flatter stretch of sea just beyond the mountain. The vessel settled onto the water smoothly and steadily, without a single violent jolt.
Only then did Gojo finally release Blue.
The moment he let go, he exhaled sharply, breathing heavily. It had been a long time since he had maintained Blue continuously for such an extended period. The technique demanded constant focus and stamina, and even for him, it wasn't something to be taken lightly. Still, he straightened up and glanced around the ship.
Despite the strain, the result was clear.
The ship was intact—no cracks, no broken planks, no structural damage whatsoever.
"So, a win," Gojo muttered to himself, a faint sense of satisfaction settling in.
Just as he was beginning to relax after successfully crossing Reverse Mountain without any damage, his Observation Haki suddenly reacted. Something massive moved beneath the water.
Without a moment's hesitation, Gojo walked to the edge of the ship and looked down, his Six Eyes activating as his gaze pierced through the sea below. Almost immediately, he spotted it—a gigantic shadow rising upward.
Moments later, a massive whale surfaced from the depths.
Seeing such an enormous creature appear so close made Gojo instinctively tense. From the way the whale was moving, it didn't seem aggressive—there was no killing intent, no direct hostility aimed at the ship. Even so, Gojo had no intention of letting his vessel be destroyed by a careless collision.
"Better safe than sorry," he thought calmly, his attention fully focused on the massive creature now looming near his ship.
So, Gojo once again activated Blue, carefully manipulating its pull to guide his ship sideways. Under his precise control, the vessel slid laterally across the surface of the sea. As it did, the enormous whale fully emerged above the water, releasing a deep, thunderous cry that echoed across the surrounding cliffs.
Keeping his ship close to the rocky sidewalls and well away from the whale's massive body, Gojo maintained steady control. This narrow stretch along the cliffside wasn't much of a problem for him, but he deliberately slowed his pace. He wanted to observe the creature—to understand its behavior.
As he watched, the whale suddenly moved forward and slammed its enormous head directly into Reverse Mountain.
Again.
And again.
The repeated impact sent shockwaves rippling across the water, the sound of stone and flesh colliding reverberating through the air. Watching this strange and almost tragic scene, something clicked in Gojo's mind.
"Oh… right. I remember now," he muttered. "This is Laboon."
His eyes narrowed slightly in understanding. "He's the same whale that Brook's previous pirate crew left behind after promising they would return. But they never could… because they all died." Gojo sighed softly. "That's why he keeps ramming himself into Reverse Mountain—waiting for them."
Despite its terrifying size and overwhelming presence, Gojo knew this whale wasn't a violent or malicious creature. In fact, by nature, it was known to be quite gentle and friendly. Still, its sheer scale made it dangerous. Even casual movements of its body were generating massive waves, strong enough to destabilize any normal ship.
"If I were relying only on my sailing skills," Gojo thought calmly, "my ship would've been wrecked by now. Without Blue, it wouldn't have survived this."
After one final glance at the whale, Gojo adjusted his course. "No point wasting time here," he said quietly. "Better to leave."
Gojo acted on that decision immediately.
Maintaining his control over Blue, he guided the ship to slowly move away from the whale's location, carefully increasing the distance between them. Under the steady pull of his technique, the ship glided smoothly across the water. Gojo didn't stop until he was well clear of the area, far enough that any sudden waves caused by the whale's movements would no longer pose a threat.
Even then, faint echoes still reached him—the dull, distant sound of the whale repeatedly slamming its head against Reverse Mountain. But those sounds soon faded into the background, swallowed by the vastness of the sea.
Gojo didn't dwell on it. What mattered was that he had left the area safely and his ship remained completely unharmed.
With that, he finally deactivated Blue.
The moment the technique dispersed, Gojo sat back in his reclining chair, his breathing noticeably heavier. Prolonged usage of Blue had taken its toll, and even for him, the strain was undeniable. He reached for a bottle of juice, took a few slow gulps, and allowed his body to recover.
Once his breathing steadied, Gojo stood up and entered the cabin. From among the supplies he had purchased in Loguetown, he took out the Log Pose and examined it closely. The compass-like needle was already moving before settling, pointing firmly in a specific direction.
Gojo stared at it with genuine interest. "Still amazing," he muttered. "Mysterious… but not without logic."
Now that he knew exactly where to go, Gojo returned to the deck and adjusted the ship's course. Following the direction indicated by the Log Pose, he steered his ship forward—deeper into the Grand Line.
Soon—within half an hour or so—as evening began to descend and the sky slowly shifted in color, Gojo finally sighted land. Along the way, he had already passed through several sudden storms, each one different from the last, before the sea finally calmed enough to reveal an island ahead.
Still wearing his blindfold, Gojo reached up and removed it, replacing it with his familiar black sunglasses as his gaze settled on the approaching island.
"I expected the weather of the Grand Line to be volatile," he muttered to himself, "but not this volatile." His lips curved into a faint smile. "It changes within moments—sometimes freezing cold, sometimes stormy and rain-filled, then suddenly bright sunshine."
Despite the unpredictability, there was no irritation in his voice. If anything, he seemed amused.
"…Still, it's fun traveling like this," he added. "Experiencing new things."
As his ship moved closer, Gojo's attention was drawn to the massive cactus-shaped rock formations rising from the island, their silhouettes sharp and unmistakable. The waters narrowed as he entered the island's inner channels, and with his Observation Haki, Gojo could clearly sense numerous presences watching him.
Scouts.
Many of them.
Soon enough, his ship docked quietly at one corner of the town. Gojo stepped onto the shore, his eyes quickly taking in his surroundings. The island itself felt more like a wide river splitting the land into two sides, with the town established along both shores, buildings lining the waterway in an organized yet oddly tense manner.
----
Want to get daily updates and read 20+ chapters? Then join my Patreon!
Patreon Link: https://[email protected]/Hkj822
Join Discord Link: https://discord.gg/MXPrVTBM