As the ascending current reached its peak, it was as if they had entered the clouds. The splashing water dispersed in the air, condensing into ice crystals due to the altitude, then shattering and reflecting a colorful halo under the sunlight.
Soon they reached the top, and the going merry soared into the air, then landed on the descending current.
Everyone's eyes shone brightly; their dreams lay ahead.
As they sped down the descending current, the group let out excited screams. When they passed through the clouds, Orochimaru's expression changed drastically.
Ahead stood a giant 'mountain peak'.
"Usopp! Turn left quickly!"
"No, that's not a mountain! It's a whale!" Usopp tried to turn the rudder, but found it was broken.
The group tried to stop the ship together, but it was useless. Even Orochimaru's face was a little pale... No... What is this situation? How did it become a struggle for survival?
Luffy suddenly had a great genius idea, ran to the cannon room, and with one shot, due to the recoil's inertia, the going merry rapidly decelerated.
The going merry narrowly crashed into the whale, with a splat, the Merry's sheep figurehead broke off... spinning endlessly in the air before smashing onto the deck.
After surviving the ordeal, they were almost flattened... Orochimaru wiped away non-existent sweat. Although he was hard to kill, he didn't need to be inexplicably turned into meat paste. That would truly be Orochimaru-chan, that Crow Red Hair.
Luffy looked at the Merry and cried out, "Merry!!!! My VIP seat!"
No one paid him any mind. Taking advantage of the whale not having noticed them yet, they stealthily paddled the going merry away.
Just as they glided under the whale's eye, an angry Luffy stomped over and punched the whale's eye.
"What did you do to my VIP seat?!"
(*꒦ິ⌓꒦ີ) The group was so scared that tears streamed down their faces.
The whale's gaze shifted downwards, but Luffy was still provoking it.
"You scoundrel! Bring it on!"
"Shut up already!!" Zoro and Usopp, with shark-like faces, kicked Luffy away.
The whale, whether from pain or anger, began to roar incessantly, the sound waves making their ears ache. Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp rowed with all their might, but the pirate ship was still sucked into a whirlpool. Luffy was flung out, and Orochimaru instinctively flew over, held Luffy tightly, and watched helplessly as the going merry was swallowed by the whale.
Holding Luffy, he flew in the air, observing his surroundings. Luffy discovered a door on the whale's back and landed in surprise.
As the two entered the door, Orochimaru observed in astonishment... remarking that this person was truly a genius, to have thought of installing a door... Why hadn't he thought of opening a door on Manda back then... Wouldn't that be a free and safe stronghold?... But summoning beasts probably wouldn't work... Or maybe when he could use Yamata no Orochi later, he could decorate the inside?
Wait? Orochimaru instantly fell silent. Why did he need a house? He seemed to have been seriously affected by the fragments of the Blue Star person recently. That Blue Star person's obsession with houses was even etched into their soul... This was too pathetic... In Konoha, even orphans had houses.
Just as he was thinking, the whale suddenly began to shake violently. Luffy was bounced around like a ball, rolling everywhere. Orochimaru gathered Chakra at the soles of his feet, steadily clinging to the top of the passage. Just as Luffy stopped, he uncontrollably ran forward due to the whale's tilt, crashing into two people who looked like snake spirits.
- = ͟͟͞͞ = ͟͟͞͞ ﾍ ( ´ Д ` )ﾉ Orochimaru desperately chased after him from behind. What kind of karma did he create in his past life, for this to happen every day? Uh... he probably created a lot of karma. If he had known this life would be like this, he would definitely go back to Hokage... and make fewer useless experimental subjects.
Heaven knows if there would be stomach acid ahead to dissolve Luffy. Finally, as the person flew out, he successfully caught him and flew in the air, discovering the going merry below... safely landed... If Luffy hadn't been carrying two people, Orochimaru said he would have landed more steadily, not crashing into Zoro... His pectoral muscles... were a bit lumpy... The old man with the flower on the other side, he didn't know, but it looked like he had given the whale a sedative, and soon the whale quieted down.
The crazy person duo somehow pulled out a rocket launcher, intending to blow up the whale, but the old man with the flower blocked it with his body. Could it be said that he was indeed a former Pirate King's crew member?
Before them, two snake spirit people, a man and a woman, were laughing, "Oh hohoho!" Luffy was inexplicably annoyed and couldn't help but punch both of them unconscious. Orochimaru walked over and wiped Luffy's hands.
"Next time, use a stick. Don't hit every dirty thing with your fist."
Oh, Luffy nodded obediently.
The old man with the flower, Crocus, sat on his self-made island, "Thank you for helping me, but why?"
Luffy looked at the coconut tree in front of him and couldn't help but climb it, driven by his monkey instincts. Usopp pulled on Luffy's clothes to drag him down.
"I wasn't trying to help you; I just don't know why, but I found them very displeasing to the eye."
"What are you doing inside this whale's belly?" Nami asked, very confused.
"These people are ruffians from a nearby Village. Their target is whale meat. If they catch Laboon, it will be enough food for the town for two or three years."
"Laboon?" Nami asked, puzzled.
"That's the name of this whale. It's an island whale, the largest type of whale in the world, found only in the West Blue. How could I let it become food?
There's a reason why this fellow keeps crashing into the Red Line and roaring at Reverse Mountain.
This fellow, you see, is a whale with human emotions. It's simply waiting for a certain group of pirates, and has been for these fifty years."
Crocus recounted how, more than fifty years ago, he met a group of cheerful, music-loving pirates who brought a young whale here. But because the whale was too young, it could only be left with Crocus, with the promise that they would return to pick it up after circling the world.
The going merry followed Crocus's island, leaving through the tunnel inside Laboon.
"Is this your pastime too?" Sanji asked, puzzled.
"It's a doctor's pastime. Don't let my appearance fool you, I am a doctor. I used to run a clinic and was a ship's doctor for several years."
Orochimaru was studying the passage and casually interjected, "The Pirate King's ship's doctor, not just anyone can be one."
"Pirate King!!" ((ᵒꈊᵒ᷅ ू‖)՞
Orochimaru's mouth twitched as he threw over an old newspaper. With a shark-like face, he roared, "Don't any of you read newspapers! Although it's from over a decade ago, especially Luffy! Aren't you going to be the Pirate King! You should read the information I've collected!" The more he spoke, the angrier he got, clenching his fists, ready to punch the Captain.
"Ah... Gomen." He apologized half-heartedly.
Orochimaru felt that in... the pirates, he had endured more frustration than in his entire previous life.
"But... they've really taken a long time... making it wait for 50 years," Usopp said, looking at Laboon with emotion.
"I received news that they've already run away. Even if they're alive, with all the climate issues, they probably can't come back."
Orochimaru was currently holding Luffy and slamming him.
ヽ(￣︿￣ )—C＜(/;◇;)/
He turned to Crocus, "Look on the bright side, maybe they're already dead."
...Everyone fell silent... Even Laboon was stunned... A desolate leaf swirled in the air... So cold.