Hearing this, Luffy and the others were filled with anticipation. Dragon Island... a truly legendary place.
Roar... Roar...
At that moment, the same dragon cries echoed from the distant horizon, as if in response.
"What's that sound?" Everyone's eyes shot to the horizon. Usopp raised his spyglass, and his whole body went stiff, a look of pure shock on his face. "That's... that's..."
The eyes of Luffy and the others were also drawn to the sky. A swarm of black dots appeared on the horizon, rapidly approaching. As they got closer, they saw that it was a flock of thousands of Millennium Dragons, a dense, awe-inspiring sight. They roared in unison with the ancient dragon, a sound so powerful it shook the very sea and sky.
"Is... is that... the Millennium Dragons?"
"There are so many of them! So many in the world?" The Marines, who were still battling the Sea Kings, were stunned into silence by the spectacular scene.
"Elixirs!" Nelson's breath hitched. Though the Sea Kings were a formidable foe, the sight of so many Millennium Dragons was like looking at a sea of eternal life.
"So many Millennium Dragons," Eric whispered, his own greed flaring. He immediately abandoned his pursuit of the Sea Kings and turned his attention to the sky. The Sea Kings themselves had also stopped, their attention drawn to the magnificent sight. Though they were the kings of the sea, the Millennium Dragons were the kings of the sky. At that moment, the two kings converged.
But the Millennium Dragons paid them no mind. They roared together, shaking the heavens and causing the sea to surge violently. The ancient dragon, overjoyed, roared along with them. Luffy and the others watched in stunned silence, their own excitement palpable. Only Apis, her face alight with joy, understood. From their roars, she knew that they were indeed at Dragon Island.
At that moment, as if in response to the dragons' cries, the sea around Warship Island began to change. A violent tremor shook the seabed, and the waves erupted into a turbulent frenzy. A series of massive vortexes formed around the island, and from their center, a new island, shrouded in a mystical mist, rose from the depths. A rainbow arched across the sky, and the Millennium Dragons, as if returning home, landed on the new island. The ancient dragon, his strength and spirit restored, flew high into the air before settling down on a patch of land, a look of pure contentment on his face.
"The dragon says that many years ago, Dragon Island would sink to the bottom of the sea from time to time," Apis translated, her own voice filled with a happy relief. "They had to leave their home and wander. He and his comrades left together, but halfway through, he was too tired to fly, so he stayed behind. He never expected to be separated for so many years. He thanks you all so much for helping him get home."
"Congratulations, old dragon!" Luffy and the others cheered.
"That must be caused by submarine volcanoes or changing ocean currents," Nami surmised. "The sea is always in motion. Sometimes, it may seem calm on the surface, but deep below, the undercurrents are always surging. No one knows what changes are happening. Dragon Island must be affected by some kind of underwater activity."
"Wow, the intelligent Miss Nami is shining!" Sanji swooned.
Zoro said nothing, just leaned against the ship's railing, taking in the beautiful scenery before him, stunned by its sheer beauty.
"It's so beautiful," Usopp sighed, a rare moment of genuine introspection from him. "I never knew the sea could be so beautiful. But at the same time, compared to the sea, we are so small. Even a creature like a Millennium Dragon has to leave its home when the sea gets angry. What can we do?" Seeing the dragons return to their home had made him feel a pang of homesickness.
"Yeah, the sea is so big, and we are so small," Moonlight said, nodding. "But that's the value of our existence, isn't it? The Millennium Dragon traveled far, but he always knew he had to return to his home. We risk our lives to go to sea, all for the sake of our own dreams. In this world, every creature is worthy of awe, and every beautiful sight is worthy of appreciation. But the most important thing is our own dream, because that is the meaning of our existence. Luffy, now that Apis can talk to the Sea Kings, this matter is over. With the Sea Kings on guard, we don't have to worry about the Navy. It's time for us to set sail."
"That guy..." Sanji and the others looked at Moonlight, a sense of admiration in their eyes. He was truly worthy of being their vice-captain. At every critical moment, he always knew just what to say.
Luffy waved his arms at Apis, who was with the ancient dragon, and shouted, "Apis, we're leaving now! Goodbye!"
"Luffy, thank you! Thank you!" Apis shouted back, her voice filled with a mixture of gratitude and sorrow. The ancient dragon, along with all the other Millennium Dragons, looked up at them and nodded, as if in thanks.
As for the Navy, they were no match for the Sea Kings. In a short time, they were all driven into the sea, their ships destroyed, left to drift on the waves.
With their goodbyes said, the Going Merry, under Nami's command, set a course for the Grand Line. The crew was filled with excitement, watching the changing currents, knowing that the East Blue was now behind them. The ocean currents in front of them grew more and more turbulent, until they all converged into a single, massive stream that flowed, not down, but up.
"What's going on? Why is the current going up? Is there really an upward current in this world?" Sanji asked, his eyes wide with surprise.
"I've heard that the Grand Line is a sea of miracles," Zoro said, a hint of excitement in his voice. "Anything can happen here. Though this is incredible, it seems reasonable."
"What an incredible place," Usopp marveled.
Nami opened her nautical chart of the Grand Line and pointed to a specific location. "Look, as the map shows, we are now on the current that leads to the Grand Line. We're heading towards the Red Line."
"The Red Line is a massive continent that encircles the world. It divides the seas into the East Blue, West Blue, South Blue, and North Blue. There are only two ways to get to the Grand Line. One is to cross the Calm Belt, which is impossible because it's a nesting ground for Sea Kings. The other is to take the current of Reverse Mountain and enter the Grand Line from there. And now, we're on that current. Everyone, protect the Merry, and prepare to enter the Grand Line!"
"The Grand Line... I've been waiting for this for a long time," Zoro said, his eyes burning with a fierce determination.
"Me too. This is why I left the old man and went to sea," Sanji added.
"I'm going to be the King of the Pirates! I'll risk everything for that dream!" Luffy declared, stretching his palm out towards the Red Line.
"I'm going to be the world's greatest navigator, and I'm going to complete a map of the entire world!" Nami said, placing her hand on top of his.
"I'm going to find the All Blue!" Sanji followed.
"And I'm going to become the world's greatest swordsman, and I'll defeat Hawkeye and Moonlight!" Zoro vowed.
"I... I'm going to be a brave warrior of the sea!" Usopp chimed in, reaching out his hand.
Finally, only Moonlight was left. "I'm going to find the One Piece, and at the same time, I'm going to uncover the secrets of the lost history and see the truth of this world," he said with a quiet smile. Wasn't that why he had come to this world and set sail? The truth of the world... it was what everyone, deep down, wanted to know. And now, he was one step closer.
"Alright, let's move forward together," Luffy said, and their hands met, a silent pact between them as they sailed towards the rushing, chaotic currents of Reverse Mountain.
WHOOSH!
The current suddenly intensified, as if a great behemoth from the depths was pushing them forward, dragging the Going Merry up the steep incline.
"Look, there really is an upward current in this world!" Usopp shouted in amazement. Everyone's eyes followed his, and they saw a massive channel, a river flowing from the bottom of the sea to the top of the mountain.
"It's spectacular!" Sanji, Zoro, Luffy, and the others were all stunned by the magnificent sight. Even Moonlight was shocked. The sea of miracles, a truly magnificent landscape. This was the Grand Line.
"No, the current is too fast! The Merry is out of control!" Nami suddenly cried out, her face a mask of panic. The current was too strong, and the small ship was like a toy in a storm.
"There's a cave ahead! If we continue at this speed, we'll crash and be smashed to bits!" Usopp screamed, pointing to a dark hole in the rock face not far ahead. The ship was approaching it at an incredible speed.
"Damn it! The current is too strong! I can't change course!" Sanji yelled, struggling with the helm, but the ship was completely out of control.
"Is the first challenge already here?" Zoro's face grew serious.
"Hmph," Luffy grunted, ready to use his rubbery elasticity to change the ship's direction. But Moonlight was already at the bow, standing in Luffy's usual spot.
"Moonlight, please!" the others cried out in unison. Throughout their journey in the East Blue, they had all come to trust him completely.
Moonlight gave them a thumbs-up, and his Armament Haki flared, enveloping his arm. He slashed again and again, and a massive ball of sword energy formed at the bow of the ship. With each slash, the ball of energy grew, and after his Phantom Sword Dance reached level 2, the speed and number of his slashes had increased, allowing him to create an even more powerful attack.
WHOOSH!
The massive ball of sword energy shot out, striking the rock wall at the entrance of the cave. The wall shattered, and the rushing current surged into the newly formed gap, weakening its force. Sanji quickly turned the helm, and at the very last second, the Going Merry scraped past the cave entrance and continued on its way.
"That was too close!" Usopp said, breathing a sigh of relief.
"Honestly, Moonlight, you're on another level. You can even cut the walls of the Red Line," Nami said, still amazed. The others all nodded in agreement.
"Be careful. We're about to go down," Moonlight warned, looking ahead. The Going Merry had reached the peak of Reverse Mountain and was now about to descend, the current like a roller coaster.
"What?" the others asked, and a sense of weightlessness washed over them as the ship plunged down the other side of the mountain at a terrifying speed.
"Luffy, look!" Moonlight shouted, pointing to a massive, gaping mouth ahead.
"What is that?!" a massive whale, ten times the size of any Sea King, was blocking their path, its mouth wide open, swallowing the current.
"Such a big whale! Is there really a whale this big in the world?"
"Its mouth is so big! Oh no, is it going to eat us?"