This is a great and dangerous sea route.
For any ship, if the navigator's steering skills are not up to par, they might crash straight into the solid Red Earth Continent and end up as corpses on the seabed.
Log Town is the closest to Inverted Mountain.
However, the Navy in Log Town also rarely sail over Inverted Mountain; it's just that this is the sea route closest to Drum Kingdom, and the poisoned Smoker urgently needs a highly skilled doctor.
"This is incredible…"
Karin watched as the warship rode the ocean current and climbed up the Red Earth Continent bit by bit as if it were scaling a mountain; the shock in her eyes was impossible to hide.
Tashigi also had a hint of amazement on her face. "Ever since the warships were upgraded, the Navy rarely takes Inverted Mountain either. Back then, no matter how dangerous Inverted Mountain was, it was still much safer than facing large Sea King Species in the Windless Zone…"
"Be careful…"
A Navy Squad Leader casually reminded the navigator on the warship, muttering under his breath, "I remember there used to be a huge island whale often hanging around the Twin Towers at the entrance. If we crash into it, we're finished…"
"Seems like it's gone…"
The Navy sailor in charge of lookout up front turned his head back.
Only, just as everyone finished talking about this and the ship was about to plunge down from Inverted Mountain, they saw an island whale of terrifying size surface from the sea!
The island whale's head was covered in scars, and on those scars there was actually a huge, sloppy Straw Hat Pirates graffiti mark painted!
"Hm?"
Smoker, who had just regained consciousness for a bit, caught sight of the Straw Hat graffiti on the island whale's head, and it made him so angry his teeth itched. "That's the Straw Hat brat's pirate crew symbol!"
That little punk!
He actually dared to leave their mark so brazenly!
"We go straight to catch Straw Hat… *cough cough cough*…"
Smoker slammed furiously on the railing, not caring about his injuries in the slightest; this Navy Colonel was instantly consumed by rage!
"Colonel Smoker…"
"Getting you treated is still more important right now!"
"As long as Straw Hat enters the Grand Line, we're bound to corner him…"
A group of Navy sailors hurried up to dissuade their Supervisor.
Although the Straw Hat mark that Straw Hat left on the island whale's head was indeed infuriating, at this moment his life could be in danger at any time…
These Navy men who had followed Smoker for years were afraid he'd work himself up into a fatal rage, and quickly supported him back to the cabin to rest, afraid he'd see another mark and get angry again…
Twin Cape.
The two lighthouses here were shining, and it was thanks to these two lighthouses that the ships passing over Inverted Mountain could find the entrance to the Grand Line.
As the warship sailed past the lighthouses, the Lighthouse Keeper, Crocus, watched the lively warship pass by, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Just as Crocus was about to look away, he saw a young Navy Lieutenant standing at the bow of the warship, and that Navy Lieutenant actually looked calm the whole time.
"This youngster…"
Crocus shook his head and lowered it again, not taking it to heart.
Only, not long after Crocus watched that warship pass, a massive sea vessel almost squeezed the channel as it slowly floated down from Inverted Mountain. Nine gigantic wooden dragons were swimming upside down, helping the ship slow down on the descent!
"Hm?"
Crocus looked in some surprise at the huge sea vessel. On the ship was painted a pirate skull with a Vortex mark—yet another Pirate crew coming to the Grand Line.
This Pirate crew…
Looks better than the other rookies entering the Grand Line!
However, when Crocus saw that there was even a tall figure tied up at the stern, bobbing up and down, he finally couldn't keep his expression together!
"Why does that guy tied to the back of the ship look so familiar…"
Crocus's mind raced as he tried hard to recall when he had seen that person. "Seems he was following behind Garp… Wait!"
Crocus immediately remembered that the kid who had been following Garp around had already become an Admiral of the Navy Headquarters many years ago. He'd seen that guy's face in the papers too—that was an Admiral of the Navy Headquarters!
"You've got to be kidding me?"
Crocus's eyes almost popped out in fright.
Even he considered himself well-informed, but how could this Pirate crew entering the Grand Line have just tied up an Admiral of the Navy Headquarters?
"Must be a fake…"
Crocus shook his head to himself, feeling he must be getting old and dim-eyed. "How could an Admiral of the Navy Headquarters possibly be…"
"Ice ball!"
Right at that moment, Admiral Aokiji, who was tied to the stern and bobbing up and down in the water, finally had a chance to emerge from the sea!
Aokiji quickly raised his palm and froze a portion of the seawater. That mass of seawater rapidly turned into an ice ball, letting his body hide inside the ice ball so he could sleep more comfortably!
"!!!"
Crocus instantly knew he hadn't seen wrong!
This miraculous freezing ability, combined with that familiar face and tall frame—only that Admiral from Headquarters in the whole world could do that!
This Pirate crew…
Why are they dragging an Admiral of the Navy into the Grand Line like this! Or is it that this Pirate crew is being used by that Admiral as a convenient ship to get into the Grand Line?
However…
Crocus quickly met the members of this Pirate crew.
The nine wooden dragons pulled the massive ship to a stop beside the lighthouse, and a red-haired youth unfolded a pair of mechanical wings and slowly flew up in front of Crocus.