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Page 84
"We...have we arrived?" Sabo asked uncertainly. There were no cheers, no excitement, only the calm of finally seeing the goal after overcoming countless hardships, and a trace of...bewilderment.
Is this the end? Obviously not.
The new world was vast and boundless, and they had always crossed it along one (or several) routes guided by danger pointers.
"It is said that the final island of the New World is 'Laugh Tale,' but that remains a mystery! Legend has it that only the Pirate King Gol D. Roger led his crew to it once."
Robin said softly, his breath condensing into white mist in the cold air.
"Without an eternal pointer, no one can say for sure which island is the 'final island.' Or perhaps it's simply not something that can be easily found by the recording pointer!"
Chapter 98 The Three's Decision
The small boat floated silently in the huge shadow cast by the red earth, the cold seawater gently lapping against its hull.
After nearly two years of fighting and exploring the islands of the new world, the three of them felt no excitement or sense of accomplishment as they had expected when facing the wall of this world; instead, they felt a sense of emptiness.
Gazing at the endless red rock walls, Sabo broke the silence first: "So... does this mean we've successfully circumnavigated the Grand Line?"
His tone was uncertain.
According to geographical concepts, they set off from the East Blue, passed through the Reverse Mountain to enter the first half of the Grand Line, arrived at the Sabaody Archipelago, and then crossed the Red Line to enter the New World. Now they have indeed arrived at the other side of the Red Line.
This is a complete ring.
Kuina gently stroked the scabbard of the Purple Cloud sword, feeling the subtle marks left on the blade after fighting countless strange and powerful enemies over the past two years, and shook her head: "Geographically, maybe. But in terms of feeling... it's still far from that."
She looked up, her gaze seemingly trying to pierce through the thick rock walls. "At the top of this continent, there is that so-called 'holy land,' which we have never set foot in. On the other side of the continent, there is that even more vast sea, which we have never seen. And there is what Robin mentioned... Laugh Tale."
Robin placed her hands on her knees, her voice calm yet carrying a profound meaning: "The Grand Line's loop may be more than just a geographical route. What Pirate King Roger accomplished was probably not just a simple 'circle.' What we've walked is only a part of his footprints, perhaps even... the very surface."
She looked at the recording pointer in her hand, which had long since stopped vibrating. "Without guidance, we're like wandering aimlessly in a maze. Even if we explore every passage, we might still miss the true core."
The three fell into deep thought. Their strength had increased, and their knowledge had broadened, but the fog ahead seemed to have grown even thicker.
The world is far more vast and complex than they initially imagined.
Liu Jiu, who had been silent all along, finally spoke. His voice was as calm as ever, without any ripples, yet it was like a pebble thrown into a lake, breaking the confusion in the hearts of the three:
"In this world, someone once roughly estimated that the number of islands... probably exceeds 2000 million. But... the path is one you walk yourself."
He stood up and glanced at the three young people: "The meaning of traveling is for you to define. Will you be content with this, or will you continue your pursuit? The next step is up to you."
After saying that, he even pulled out a water bottle from somewhere and slowly took a sip, his posture clearly indicating that he was only responsible for following, not for giving directions.
Just like back then on Gol D. Roger's ship, he was just a quiet "floor mopper," silently following, witnessing, until the end.
Although… it seems he also missed something?!
Sabo couldn't help but laugh when he saw Liu Jiu's expression. He could guess his uncle's past identity and recalled those amusing stories about how he had indeed had a faint presence in the public eye.
Compared to the three of them's valiant struggles along the way, the uncle was more like a background figure, but it was precisely this background figure who always managed to help them escape danger at the most crucial moments.
“Uncle, did you ever go to ‘Laugh Tale’ back then?” Sabo asked half-jokingly.
Liu Jiu glanced at him, neither admitting nor denying, and simply took another sip of water.
But in the eyes of the three, this attitude was almost tantamount to admitting (what they imagined)!
But who can say for sure? At this moment, Liu Jiu is still in a daze. When he heard the Pirate King Roger announce the disbandment of the pirate crew, he couldn't remember whether he had ever been to Laugh Tale Island.
Even during the adventure, when fierce battles break out, it's always...
Captain Roger,
Left First Officer Raleigh,
Jabba the Right Arm, the True Man
After that came Crocus, Kozuki Oden, Douglas Barrett, Shanks, Buggy, Inuarashi, Nekomamushi, Spencer, Bulmarin, Sambell, Pittam, Mun Isaac Jr., Lowingu, Max Max, Miller Pine, Elio, Jackson Barna, CB Garron, Conchino, Doron, Dorringer, Langram... and many other top-tier characters.
Even in the queue, it wouldn't be Liu Jiu's turn to make a move.
But there are many ways to take a risk.
Sabo took a deep breath, his eyes regaining their firmness and brightness: "I understand! Circumnavigating the Grand Line is not the end for us, but a beginning! It's the first step in truly understanding this world!"
He looked at Kuina and Robin, "Now that the geographical loop is complete, we should fill in the gaps in our understanding!"
Guina nodded: "Beyond the East China Sea, there are the West China Sea, the North China Sea, and the South China Sea. The world is so vast that it should not be limited to just this one shipping route."
Robin smiled and said, "Moreover, from the perspective of the four seas, we can perhaps see the whole picture of the Grand Line more clearly, as well as... the reality under the rule of the World Government. I want to find traces of the Revolutionary Army, and perhaps it will be easier to find them on the next voyage."
She finally spoke her mind.
"Alright!" Sabo slapped his thigh. "Then let's leave the New World, cross the Calm Belt, and head to the West Blue! Then we'll return from the West Blue to Reverse Mountain and sail the first half of the Grand Line once more!"
Having made the decision, the small boat changed direction and resolutely headed towards the windless zone marked as the "death zone".
As soon as they entered the edge of the Calm Belt, they immediately felt a deathly stillness that was completely different from that of the Grand Line.
The air seemed to freeze, without a breath of wind. The sea was as smooth as a mirror, reflecting the gray sky, giving people an unreal, suffocating feeling.
Even the sound of the waves had disappeared; only the monotonous sound of oars cutting through the water stood out starkly in the absolute silence.
"Sure enough... there wasn't a breath of wind."
Sabo lowered the sail, which hung limply and lifelessly.
He resigned himself to his fate, picked up the spare oar, and began paddling.
Kuina and Robin each picked up a paddle.
All three were strong individuals with physical strength far exceeding that of ordinary people, and they rowed the small boat at a fairly fast speed.
The problem is that the doldrums are extremely vast, and the time and effort required to navigate them by manpower alone is staggering.
“The biggest problem isn’t the lack of wind,” Robin said, paddling while cautiously observing the unfathomable depths of the surrounding water, “but rather the sea kings here.”
As if to confirm her words, a huge shadow suddenly rose silently from the calm sea not far away, its outline comparable to that of a small island.
Immediately afterwards, a head the size of a castle slowly emerged from the water, covered in bluish-black scales, its cold, vertical pupils indifferently sweeping over the insignificant little boat on the sea.
The sheer pressure emanating from it alone is enough to cause an ordinary person's heart to stop.
The three of them froze instantly, even holding their breath.
When one appears, it often alarms a large group of sea kings behind it.
Sabo gripped the steel pipe tightly, Kuina's hand rested on the hilt of her sword, and Robin's fingertips trembled slightly, ready to activate her ability at any moment.
However, the enormous sea monster seemed to only glance at it casually, not taking the small boat seriously. Its massive body slowly sank into the sea, and the resulting undercurrents caused the small boat to rock violently a few times before returning to silence.
"It...didn't attack us?" Sabo breathed a sigh of relief, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
"Maybe it's because we're too small to fill a tooth gap," Guina analyzed calmly, but her tense muscles didn't relax.
Chapter 99 The Rules of the West Sea
Robin glanced thoughtfully at Liu Jiu, who remained calmly seated at the bow of the boat, not even touching the oars. She keenly sensed that the moment the sea king appeared, an extremely subtle yet vast aura seemed to ripple outwards from Liu Jiu.
That aura wasn't a domineering, proactive release; it was more like an unconscious, instinctive deterrent.
Just as a rabbit dares not approach a sleeping lion, even if the lion has not yet woken up.
"Keep paddling," Liu Jiu said calmly, interrupting Robin's thoughts. "As long as you don't provoke them, they generally won't bother with you."
The three were skeptical, but the facts were undeniable: the sea monster had indeed left. Suppressing their doubts, they continued paddling with all their might.
During the rest of their voyage, they encountered various strange and enormous sea kings several times.
Some resembled giant winged pythons, others were like multi-legged monsters clad in coral armor, and still others were simply writhing, foul-smelling mountains of flesh.
Each time, these deep-sea overlords simply watched them indifferently, or ignored them altogether, never launching an attack.
One or two times could be considered lucky, but after it happened repeatedly, Sabo and Kuina realized something was wrong.
“Something’s not right,” Sabo said to Kuina in a low voice. “These sea kings… seem to be avoiding us? Or rather, avoiding this small area where our little boat is?”
Kuina nodded, her gaze returning to Liu Jiu. She recalled how, on those dangerous islands in the New World, they were sometimes driven to the brink of despair, seemingly surviving only through their own strength, but there were always some inexplicable "coincidences" and "luck".
Looking back now, it probably wasn't all luck.
"Uncle," Sabo couldn't help but ask directly, "did you use Conqueror's Haki? Did you scare them all away?"
Liu Jiu glanced at him and shook his head: "It's not Conqueror's Haki."
He paused, seemingly searching for the right words: "It's just a simulation... to make them feel the 'troublesome' atmosphere. They're not stupid; they know that it's better to take a nap than to invite unnecessary trouble."
This explanation left the three of them looking at each other in bewilderment.
Making Sea Kings feel "troublesome" and voluntarily avoid them? That sounds even more outrageous than forcibly intimidating them with Conqueror's Haki!
Conqueror's Haki is used to forcefully knock out the weak or to clash with the strong.
This aura that "makes them feel troubled" is more like a natural suppression on a life level, making these top predators not even have the desire to test it.
Sabo clicked his tongue and gave up asking. He had long known that his uncle was no ordinary person, but the unfathomable depth of his abilities always seemed beyond his imagination.
Knowing they had a "protective charm" made the three of them much more relaxed as they rowed. Although they were still expending a lot of energy, at least they didn't have to be constantly on edge, worried about being swallowed by a giant mouth that suddenly appeared.
They took turns resting and rowed day and night for a full fifteen days.
When the horizon finally revealed a vibrant blue, a normal ocean blue unlike the deathly deep blue, and when the long-awaited, salty sea breeze gently caressed their faces, the three almost wept with joy.
"I see it! It's normal sea area!" Sabo pointed excitedly ahead.
The sea breeze gradually picked up, blowing their sweat-dampened hair and clothes.
With the help of the weak wind, the small boat sped up a bit and finally sailed out of that oppressive windless zone.
Looking back, that desolate sea seemed like an invisible boundary, separating danger from "ordinariness".
"Did we... really cross the Doldrums?"
Kuina looked back, still somewhat incredulous. This feat, which seemed almost impossible to ordinary people, they had actually accomplished by rowing...
Robin took a deep breath of the free air and smiled, "Welcome to the West Sea."
Ahead lies the vast, calm waters of the Western Sea.
Unlike the extreme climate, chaotic magnetic field, and bizarre islands of the Grand Line.
Even the air in Xihai seems to carry the scent of history.