After crossing the first stretch of ocean, the Grand Line's true madness began to reveal itself.
The compasses from the Four Seas were now useless.
Every island had its own magnetic field and weather system.
The only way to navigate was with a Log Pose or Eternal Pose — or, if you had no luck at all, pure intuition and the mercy of the waves.
The sea here was alive. The wind could turn against you in seconds, and even a veteran ship could be torn apart if the captain made one wrong call.
Anyone who managed to leave the Grand Line alive was no ordinary man — even the weakest survivor returned a king of the Four Seas.
Especially those who mastered Haki — they became rulers wherever they landed.
"Sharn, big brother," Ginny said, snatching a slice of his pizza.
"You said once I master the Six Powers and both types of Haki, I can be a full crewmate, right?"
"What about those without Devil Fruits?"
"Same deal," Sharn said without looking. "You'll just need better body technique, swordsmanship, and marksmanship."
He didn't even glance her way — he already knew the little thief was stealing his food again.
Despite their daily training, even Kuma and Urki couldn't eat as much as Ginny. She was an unstoppable appetite in human form.
But in terms of effort, Kuzan had everyone beat.
As the only one without a Devil Fruit, he knew just how wide the gap truly was.
He couldn't afford a moment of rest.
He trained endlessly — body, blade, and gun — pushing his limits every day, even when the sea rocked violently beneath him.
Nothing could stop someone determined to become strong.
On deck, Moria, Urki, Kuma, Kuzan, and Ginny all trained under the blazing sun.
In the navigation room, Olvia balanced her studies and practice, splitting her time between books and Haki drills.
At the ship's stern, Kaido sat cross-legged, tossing his kanabo aside and reading the latest newspaper.
Molly steered the ship, while Evil Wolf, too large to fit aboard, floated beside them using his Inflation Fruit, serving as a living lifeboat.
When he turned back into his smaller form, he'd rejoin them on deck.
"You're really interested in Vegapunk's research, huh?"
Sharn squatted beside Kaido, sipping hot soba noodles.
Kaido growled. "Oi! Don't distract me!"
He was annoyed — not because of the question, but because he had realized something uncomfortable:
No matter how much they trained together, Sharn's growth rate was terrifying.
Even Kaido's pride in his Haki and physique was starting to feel threatened.
Sharn slurped the last of his soup and smirked. "You hear? Vegapunk's group is researching weapons of war… even artificial Devil Fruits. Madmen, the lot of them."
Kaido jabbed at the paper, grinning. "This guy — Queen — I like him. Let's get him on the crew!"
"Oh?" Sharn's eyes gleamed.
"What about Caesar? He's got that mushroom haircut — stylish, don't you think? Or Judge, with his curly eyebrows."
Kaido's face darkened instantly.
"Are you picking crew or rating hairstyles?!"
Sharn chuckled. "Relax. I'm serious this time. I sensed something… something big."
Kaido frowned. "Don't tell me your Observation Haki's advanced that far."
Sharn stood and looked ahead.
After a long silence — the sea darkened, clouds gathered, lightning flashed —
and yet one island stood untouched by storm.
Little Garden.
On its plains, two massive figures were locked in eternal combat —
Dorry and Brogy, the former captains of the legendary Giant Warrior Pirates.
Kaido's brows rose. "You predicted this? Impossible. Even in the Grand Line, there are seven main routes — each diverging with every island. Landing here by chance means… fate."
Sharn smiled faintly. "Then call me fate itself."
He wasn't wrong.
His Demon Compass — the mysterious relic that had guided him since Skypiea — was spinning again.
The last time it had moved was in the sky above the White Sea.
Now, as they entered the Grand Line, it glowed violently — the pointer trembling.
[Fate Singularity Detected]
[New Choice Available]
Multiple Choice:
① Defeat the Blue Ogre Dorry and Red Ogre Brogy, ending their century-long battle.
Reward:1 SWEET Model Artificial Devil Fruit (Random Type)
② Recruit Dorry and Brogy, revive the Giant Warrior Pirates, and make them part of your fleet.
Reward:1 Alabasta Treasure Map
③ Use the Paw-Paw Fruit to launch both giants into the ocean to feed the Sea Kings.
Reward:1 Log of Treasure Tree Adam (Giant Size)
"A multiple-choice quest, huh?" Sharn muttered, rubbing his chin.
"An Alabasta Treasure Map? Sounds useless."
At first, he wanted to pick options ① and ③ — defeat and dispose — taking both rewards.
The SWEET artificial fruits were weak, yes, but at least tangible.
A map, though? Worthless.
Still, something felt off.
"The desert holds nothing — so what could possibly be hidden there?"
He remembered Alabasta's secrets well.
The ancient weapon Pluton, its blueprints with Tom, the shipwright of Water 7;
the actual weapon buried deep beneath Wano's crust.
A mere map couldn't change history.
And yet, his Demon Compass didn't lie.
It never offered pure good — or pure evil.
It always mixed fortune and disaster together.
"I choose Options ② and ③," he said finally.
If the Alabasta treasure was fake, so be it.
But if it was real — if it led to something even the Straw Hats hadn't found —
then it might be worth more than any Devil Fruit.
He recalled a tale:
deep beneath the sands of Alabasta lay a forgotten chamber,
a place not marked even in the royal tombs — possibly connected to a lost Poneglyph.
Years later, Luffy's crew would stumble upon hints of it while retracing their route.
The compass's glow faded.
[Choices Confirmed]
[Rewards Granted]
Sharn exhaled slowly.
"Let's hope the treasure's worth more than a cheap artificial fruit."
If not, even two giant warriors wouldn't save them from his wrath.
Still, the thought of recruiting the Giant Warrior Pirates sparked his interest.
He leapt from the ship's bow, landing on the island's dense soil.
Behind him, Evil Wolf and Molly followed close, their massive figures shaking the ground.
The hunt — and a new destiny — had begun.
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