Sandy picked up the guitar and strummed a few times, immediately feeling awkward.
He didn't know how to play at all. He didn't even have enough Pheromone Coins to buy the guitar-playing skill.
And to make it worse… he couldn't read sheet music either.
So, Sandy could only fake it — strumming random notes while singing,
"Autumn wind rises again, yesterday's dream.
Flowers bloom and fall, looking back is empty.
Thoughts of the sea are heavy, when will they end?
Many years later, but in a hurry!"
Luffy tilted his head in confusion. "Sandy, what are you saying?"
Usopp shook his head. He didn't get a word.
Zoro added bluntly, "Sandy, you don't even know how to play the guitar, do you?"
…
This was unbearable.
He had tried to show off — pieced together some poetic nonsense — and these guys were just laughing at him!
Sandy snapped angrily, "What do you illiterates know?!"
Sanji turned to Zoro and asked, "Is he getting mad out of embarrassment?"
"Pfft…"
"Hahaha!"
"Sandy, you idiot…"
So, Sandy sulked and squatted in the corner, drawing circles like a moody kid.
After the Merry had sailed for a while, Sandy suddenly remembered that he had received a lot of rewards back in Loguetown. He quickly opened up the system panel.
[pheromone system]
Host: Sandy
Constitution: Seventh Order (Top Tenth Order)
Observation Haki: Second Order
Armament Haki: Second Order
Conqueror's Haki: Second Order (Can freely control deterrence target)
Skill 1:
Establish Space Field
One-Sword Style
Space Slash (Advanced application of the Space Devil Fruit, depends on stamina)
Skill 2:
Nine Swords of Dugu (Reference)
System Store: (Open)
Pheromone Coins: 250
Sandy was originally in a good mood—until he saw the balance.
Sandy growled, "Pheromone system, are you toxic?"
[If the host needs poison, it can be purchased in the System Store. Does the host need to open the System Store?]
"???" Sandy snapped irritably, "No!!"
Soon after, Nami gathered everyone around the table. She spread out the nautical chart they had taken from Buggy and pointed to a spot on the map.
"Everyone, the entrance to the Grand Line is… a mountain!"
Sanji looked confused. "How is that even possible?"
Usopp nodded. "Yeah! If the entrance is a mountain, do we just… crash into it?"
Luffy laughed. "Then we'll just charge straight through!"
Nami slapped her forehead. "That's literally what the map shows!"
Zoro crossed his arms. "Nami, this map came from Buggy. Could it be fake?"
Sandy glanced at the group, full of disdain. "Bunch of illiterates. Didn't you notice the contour lines?"
"Contour lines? What's that?"
"Yeah? Sounds impressive…"
"Oh, I know—it's the incredible contour lines!"
Luffy was promptly kicked away by Nami.
She turned to Sandy. "Sandy, do you know how to get across?"
Sandy raised his eyebrows proudly. "This map is showing three-dimensional space in a two-dimensional way. And look at this data here—this proves it."
Good thing he had been forced to study this stuff by his geography teacher back in high school.
Seeing that everyone except Nami looked lost, Sandy leaned toward her and explained, "Nami, look at this Red Line. There should be a special current flowing up the mountain, carrying the ship with it. After that, the ship rides the current down to the other side of the Red Line."
Nami clapped her hands excitedly. "So that's it! Nature is incredible! Thank you—mua!"
Sanji immediately dropped to his knees, pounding the deck. "Why wasn't it me?! Why wasn't it me?!"
Luffy's eyes sparkled. "Sandy, you even know how to do this, you guy, you—"
Bang. Sandy punched him away without hesitation.
Sandy raised an eyebrow at Zoro.
"Tch." Zoro turned his face away. "What's so great about that?"
(Skipping the Millennium Dragon arc—because, honestly, it's long and boring.)
Finally, the Going Merry approached the Red Line.
The clear sky darkened in an instant, heavy rain pouring down relentlessly.
Nami, who had been about to rally the crew, suddenly noticed Sandy drawing his sword.
She stepped forward. "Sandy, what are you doing? Are there enemies?"
Sandy slowly turned. "I'm just annoyed by those dark clouds. I'm going to slash them."
Zoro chuckled. "Can you even do that?"
Luffy's eyes lit up. "Whoa! You can split clouds too?!"
Usopp shouted, "Don't talk nonsense! That's impossible!"
But Sandy had already drawn his sword.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Nami, unable to stand it anymore, knocked Sandy, Luffy, and Zoro down with one punch each.
"Seriously! Do you guys even realize what's going on right now? Look at that lighthouse!" she shouted. "Furl the sails — we're about to enter the Grand Line!"
Rumble…
A white flash split the sky, and a bolt of lightning came down—hitting Sandy directly the moment he stood up. That's what he got for pointing a sword at the sky.
Nami stiffly turned her head. "S-Sandy? Are you… okay?"
Sandy blinked. His Seventh Order constitution had taken a direct lightning strike without a scratch. If this were Earth, he'd be toast.
He quickly checked himself—particularly below the belt. Thankfully, everything was still intact.
The others saw this and immediately darkened their faces. They knew exactly what he was checking.
At that moment, Luffy brought out a barrel and set it in the center of the deck.
"Everyone," he said seriously, "we're about to enter the Grand Line. Let's make our vows."
He placed his foot on the barrel. "I'm going to be the Pirate King!"
Sandy crossed his arms proudly. "I'm going to be the most Pheromone-filled Brother Wave!"
"Brother Wave?"
Yeah… based on his track record, everyone already understood.
Zoro: "World's Greatest Swordsman."
Sanji: "All Blue."
Nami: "I want to draw a map of the world."
Usopp hesitated, then said, "I want to become a brave warrior of the sea!"
"Grand Line, here we come!"
Under the stormy sky, no one could have imagined that these few inexperienced dreamers would one day make the entire world tremble.
And especially that man—who would one day be Pheromone-filled to the heavens…