Chapter 225: Chapter 225: Can You See Raftel from Reverse Mountain?
Brook hadn’t expected Crocus to make such a move. He’d planned to linger at Twin Capes for half a day, letting Crocus catch up with his uncle Aster and introduce the crew.
"Crocus, is this really okay? Yohohoho! I bet Aster is cursing me for being so thoughtless right now!"
Brook chuckled lightly, already guessing what was on Crocus’s mind.
"Brook, getting too close to Aster-san could spell trouble. The more he knows, the more danger he’s in. Better to let him live the easy life, guarding Twin Capes," Crocus replied.
Crocus knew the laid-back charm of Twin Capes came with its share of unexpected windfalls. He’d rather his uncle enjoy that peaceful life than join the Hell Pirates’ wild adventures, only to face brutal battles against New World overlords later.
"Don’t worry. If Aster runs into trouble, we’ve got his back! Besides, the Navy’s not so low as to go after family—yet," Brook said with a grin.
In the original story, the Navy rarely targeted pirates’ families to strong-arm them. Take, a key figure in a Yonko crew—Usopp was still living carefree. Even after the Straw Hats stormed Enies Lobby, wreaked havoc in Sabaody, punched a Celestial Dragon, broke into Impel Down, and stirred up chaos at Marineford, his families faced no real consequences.
In Brook’s memory, if he were running the World Government or a Celestial Dragon, he’d have rounded up every Straw Hat’s loved ones—Nami’s sister Nojiko, Sanji’s mentor Zeff, Zoro’s master Koshiro...
But family-targeting was rare. The Navy hunted Roger’s wife, Rouge, and slaughtered pregnant women on her island. Black Arm Zephyr’s wife and child were butchered by vengeful pirates. The Vinsmoke Family used Zeff to control Sanji. And then there was Ohara’s Buster Call...
So, maybe it wasn’t that
unlikely. Ambitious, ruthless warlords might stoop to targeting families to break honorable pirates. But most pirates were heartless rogues, caring only for their own freedom. Threatening their families often backfired, so the Navy rarely bothered.Or maybe it was a mutual understanding—pirates could retaliate against Navy families, leading to a cycle of vengeance. Eventually, both sides seemed to agree: leave families out of it, barring special cases.
Even Pirate King Roger and Yonko were deadbeat types, chasing glory and "missions" while ignoring their families. Ace’s mother, Rouge, died in childbirth. Usopp’s mom succumbed to illness. Both women, young and gone, got no share in their men’s triumphs or infamy.
...
Reverse Mountain loomed as a jagged slice of the Red Line, far taller than it appeared in the manga. Yet, oddly, neither its peak nor the Holy Land Mariejois on the other side showed a trace of snow or ice.
From high above, the Golden Ark offered a view of the four seas’ mighty currents crashing into Reverse Mountain. The four channels merged into one, funneling into the Grand Line. The water’s ferocity could sink a ship in moments—a testament to why only the toughest pirates from the four seas made it through.
Brook wondered: what if they sailed straight from Reverse Mountain into the New World’s second half?
They’d taken the long way around, but the New World’s back half was a nightmare of storms and chaos. Even from Reverse Mountain, dark clouds and howling winds painted a grim picture, nixing any plans to venture there directly.
Yet, according to Roger’s crew, a faint glimpse of the Red Line was visible from Raftel, the final island.
That meant, theoretically, sailing along the Red Line between the Calm Belts from Reverse Mountain might lead to an island that could be Raftel! If Brook found it first, forget Raftel—it’d be Brook Island!
He had Shiki steer the Golden Ark along Reverse Mountain for a stretch, but the Grand Line between the Calm Belts was deceptively vast. The Calm Belts themselves were wider still.
Otherwise, pirates would just row through. No wind? Paddle harder! Sea Kings? No big deal! Even Rayleigh, a Conqueror’s Haki master, swam part of the Calm Belt to reach Amazon Lily.
For a true Conqueror’s Haki titan, the Calm Belt might not be an impassable barrier. But maintaining that Haki to intimidate Sea Kings while your crew rows across an endlessly wide stretch? Few could pull it off.
Rowing a full day through the Calm Belt while blasting Conqueror’s Haki to keep hordes of Sea Kings at bay? No overlord could sustain that. The Calm Belt was a nest for massive Sea Kings, after all.
Brook mused: once Vegapunk outfits the ship with Seastone-lined hulls or a propulsion system, the Golden Ark or Golden Ship could zip through the Calm Belt to the four seas. The Vinsmoke Family’s giant sea snails could climb the Red Line from the North Blue to the East Blue. In the manga, an East Blue nation hired Germa 66 to crush a rival, and Sanji escaped during that job.
The Grand Line bordered the East and South Seas, while the New World touched the North and West. With Vegapunk’s propulsion system, why bother with detours? The Hell Pirates could hit Ohara in the West Sea for books, or the North Blue to recruit talents like Akainu, Kizaru, or Vinsmoke Judge.
Could the Golden Ship’s electric system and Wind Shells already cross the Calm Belt? Probably. Moonfolk tech powered ships from Skypiea to the moon—mere Calm Belts were child’s play!
If not for needing the Golden Ark to haul gold from Shandora, the Golden Bell, historical texts, and Ohara’s library, Brook could’ve used the Golden Ship and Bra Kara’s Pocket-Pocket Fruit to tour the West Sea already.
Once they found the Castle-Castle Fruit, even if the massive Golden Ark couldn’t get a propulsion system, the Golden Ship alone could roam the four seas freely.
...
Brook and the crew trekked along Reverse Mountain for a bit, but the search yielded nothing. They gave up and set sail for the West Sea.
Once in the West Sea, Shakky, the navigator, breathed easier. The four seas lacked the Grand Line’s extreme weather. No Log Pose or Eternal Pose needed—just a sea chart, a heading, and full speed ahead!
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