Thud! Thud!
A rhythmic hammering echoed beneath the Black Whale. Under the bright sun, "Big Sister" Bonney was leading her crew of fishermen as they patched and reinforced the ship's hull.
"Hammer the left side a bit harder! Yeah, just like that!"
Before long, shards of Sea Prism Stone were embedded into the fragments of the Treasure Tree Adam, acting like a massive patch installed directly onto the bottom of the ship. Bonney clapped the sawdust off her hands and returned to Chrollo's side, looking quite proud of herself for a job well done.
"That's it? It's done?" Chrollo looked skeptical.
"Of course~" Bonney puffed out her chest, oozing confidence. "I was literate by three, ate the Age-Age Fruit by mistake at five, and by seven, I'd finished How to Be a Successful Pirate."
A nerve twitched in Chrollo's forehead. He couldn't help but snap, "Talk like a normal person!"
Bonney stuck her tongue out playfully and gestured to the group of fishermen behind her.
> "These uncles have been making a living at sea since they were kids. They might not know how to do anything fancy, but ship repairs are a piece of cake for them. The tech for using Sea Prism Stone to avoid Sea Kings isn't actually that complicated. The stone masks the ship's presence, tricking the Sea Kings into thinking the ship is just part of the ocean. The only reason most pirates don't do it is that the World Government hoards the entire supply."
Chrollo nodded silently. Bonney had grown up playing cat-and-mouse with the Celestial Dragons under Kuma's guidance; she was street-smart and well-traveled, so her word carried weight. Plus, she was on the ship too—she wasn't about to sabotage her own ride.
Chrollo stood up from his lounge chair. The ship was ready; now they just needed to confirm their direction. Since neither he nor Bonney knew the exact way to the East Blue, he realized it was time to consult a "specialist" they had on board.
"Bonney, come with me. We're going to see someone."
---
Clack... clack...
Clear footsteps echoed in the dim stairwell as Bonney followed Chrollo down to the third floor—the section of the Black Whale reserved for prisoners.
Bonney caught glimpses of curled-up or catatonic figures in the cells lining the hallway. She whispered, "Who are all these people?"
"My collection," Chrollo replied flatly, without looking back. "We're here."
They stopped in front of a specific cell. Inside sat an exceptionally tall man with a broken white wing on his back. Thick iron chains, as wide as a baby's arm, were pierced through his collarbones. He was filthy, his head hanging low under a mess of matted hair.
"Who is he?" Bonney asked, her curiosity piqued.
"The man who's going to tell us how to get to the East Blue." Chrollo's lips curled into a cryptic smile. "Urouge, look who I brought to see you~"
The man in the cell, Urouge, shivered almost imperceptibly and slowly lifted his head. Long-term starvation and minimal rations had dulled his senses. He first saw Chrollo, and his clouded eyes instantly flared with a deep, bone-deep hatred. Then, his gaze shifted to Bonney, and his pupils dilated in shock.
"You!"
His muddled mind snapped into focus instantly. There was no mistake. This pink-haired woman with the fierce attitude was the "Big Eater," Jewelry Bonney! Why is she standing next to this monster? Based on his calculations, the two of them should have clashed, allowing him to escape in the chaos!
Bonney recognized him too, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, it's you!" She remembered this guy—the "Mad Monk." He'd tried to raid the Sorbet Kingdom six months ago, and she'd given him a hell of a beating. Those trademark little wings of his were hard to forget.
"A woman like you... actually serving someone else?" Urouge rasped, his voice a low, disbelieving growl. The chains rattled as he struggled to move. "Don't you have any ambition? Don't you want to be a captain and sail these seas freely?!"
He knew her strength was significantly higher than his, especially with that troublesome fruit power. Urouge couldn't wrap his head around why she was standing so calmly beside this man—and looking at their positioning, she was clearly acting as a subordinate!
Hearing Urouge's question, Bonney instinctively stole a glance at Chrollo. She quickly looked down, acting like a guilty child, while screaming internally: You idiot! Shut up! You have no idea how terrifying this man is!
Chrollo took in Urouge's reaction, his smile widening. "What's the matter? Did I ruin your little master plan?"
"You bastard!! Did you come back just to mock me?!! Cough, cough..." Urouge roared, but the strain of the chains sent him into a fit of coughing. Watching his pathetic state only made Bonney more determined not to piss Chrollo off.
"Of course not~" Chrollo said with a half-smile. "I'm here for directions. Tell me which way Skypiea is. That is, unless you want to experience something far more painful than death."
Urouge seemed to deflate, his expression turning hollow and gray. His plan to escape was officially dead. Seeing this, Chrollo leaned in and whispered into Urouge's ear with a manipulative, coaxing tone:
"Don't lose heart. Bonney might not be enough to free you, but this ocean is vast. There are monsters out there far scarier than her. You'll get your chance eventually. Don't forget, our destination is Skypiea."
"Skypiea..."
Urouge's eyes suddenly lit up. Right, Skypiea!!! Enel was there! The man who ruled over the sky like a god, looking down on everything. Urouge had fled to the blue sea precisely to escape Enel's oppression. That man... Enel could definitely defeat Chrollo. If they fight, I'll have my chance to run!
It was a solid plan. Hope flickered back into Urouge's eyes. Chrollo saw the spark and smiled. This was his specialty: first, drive them to total despair, then give them a sliver of hope. That way, the enemy would be so afraid of losing that hope that they'd stay right in the palm of his hand, doing exactly what they were told.
It was the ultimate level of PUA. It was the most powerful skill he had honed over years of managing the Phantom Troupe.
"I need the Log Pose," Urouge rasped.
Chrollo nodded to Bonney. She reached into her clothes, pulled out the gold compass, and held it up for Urouge to see.
"Enter the Grand Line and follow the needle 35 degrees to the east. Follow that path until you hit an island called Jaya. From Jaya, you take the Knock-Up Stream to the highest point... there's an island floating in the air. That's Skypiea."
Chrollo looked at Bonney, and she gave him a nod. "The direction he's describing doesn't match any known sea routes. It's likely the real deal."
Chrollo's smile grew. "One more thing. How do we get to the East Blue?"
"Why would you want to go to the East Blue?" Urouge looked genuinely confused. Isn't that the weakest sea? Why go there—for a vacation?
If Urouge knew that Admiral Kizaru and the Revolutionary leader Dragon were both in the East Blue right now, he wouldn't be so confused. He'd just realize that the "weakest sea" had suddenly become a gathering spot for monsters.
Having found his new "hope," Urouge answered honestly.
> "There are two ways to get from the South Blue to the East Blue. One: go to the port cities below Mary Geoise. You can use the government-controlled lifts or land transport to move the whole ship across the Red Line. But that's heavily guarded by the Marines; pirates can't use it.
> Two: Head due north. Cross the Calm Belt to reach the other side of the Grand Line. That's where the East Blue is."
"Due north?" Chrollo looked stunned.
"Yeah. The Grand Line and the Red Line split the world into four quadrants. The East Blue is directly above the South Blue—which is North. You didn't know that?"
"But the Calm Belt is full of humongous Sea Kings," Urouge added worriedly. He was on the ship too, after all. He didn't want to get eaten before he had a chance to escape. "Pirates can't cross it."
"Don't you worry about that~"
Chrollo turned and walked away coolly with Bonney. Once they were out of earshot, however, Chrollo's face went blank. He was mentally facepalming so hard it hurt.
So the East Blue is north of the South Blue. He had assumed that because it was called the "East" Blue, he just had to keep sailing East until he hit it. No wonder he hadn't seen a single sign of the Calm Belt after days of sailing!
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