The rushing water roared like a giant dragon, lifting the Going Merry and rapidly ascending the Reverse Mountain waterway.
The ship swayed violently in the rapids, water splashing everywhere. Nami and Usopp clung tightly to the ship's fixtures, afraid of being thrown off.
"Ahahaha! So fast!" Luffy stood at the bow, gripping the ship's rail, his face full of excited smiles. "It feels like flying!"
"Flying your head!" Nami clutched the helm, gritting her teeth, fine beads of sweat trickling down her forehead. "Can you stop causing trouble! Hold on tight!"
"Nami! Look ahead!" Usopp suddenly pointed forward, his voice filled with terror. "What is that?!"
Ahead in the waterway, a colossal rock blocked the center of the channel like a barrier. The water crashed against the rock face,
raising towering waves, the rapids surging in all directions with a deafening roar.
"Oh no! It's a giant rock that rolled down Reverse Mountain!" Nami's face instantly turned pale. She quickly spun the helm. "Hold on! I'll steer the ship around it!"
"There's one there too!" Zoro suddenly shouted, pointing to the right.
Another massive rock emerged from the water, forming a narrow gap with the one on the left.
"Make up your mind quickly!" Sanji yelled. "If we hit it, the ship is finished!"
"No choice!" Nami gritted her teeth, her eyes fixed on the direction of the current. "We can only charge through the middle!"
The Going Merry lurched violently, the entire ship rushing into the narrow waterway.
The rapids slammed against the hull, making deafening crashing sounds. The edges of the rocks almost brushed the ship's body, and everyone held their breath.
"It's too narrow! We can't get through!" Usopp shrieked, clutching the mast. "We're going to hit it!"
"Don't be afraid, watch me!" Luffy sprang up, grabbed the mast with both hands, and pulled hard.
"Gum-Gum Rocket!" The bow of the Going Merry suddenly lifted, forcing its way over a protruding rock.
"Well done!" Nami shouted, quickly adjusting the helm to get the ship back on track.
"That was close..." Sanji let out a long breath, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "This place is really not for humans."
"Don't relax! There's more ahead!" Kai stood at the bow, his gaze fixed on the distance.
The current grew even more turbulent, the ship lifted by the rapids as if it would be flung into the sky.
The wind howled in their ears, waves crashed over the deck, and everyone's body trembled.
"Hold on! We're almost at the summit!" Nami shouted.
"So exciting! Hahaha!" Luffy's laughter echoed throughout the ship. His hat was blown off by the wind, but he deftly caught it.
Suddenly, a huge whirlpool appeared in the current ahead. The center of the whirlpool was like a giant mouth, frantically devouring everything.
"A whirlpool!" Usopp's face turned ashen. "It's over! We're going to be sucked in!"
"Not so easy!"
Kai tightened his grip on the Sky Halberd, and with a gentle flick, a sharp gust of wind swept the edge of the whirlpool, forcibly correcting the ship's direction.
"So strong..." Zoro murmured, looking at Kai's calm back, secretly amazed.
"Don't just stand there! We're almost at the top!" Nami focused intently on controlling the helm, as the Going Merry was pushed by the current towards the summit's exit.
The moment they reached the summit, the whole world seemed to fall silent.
The Going Merry was tossed high, suspended on the water at the summit. Everyone finally saw the entrance to the Grand Line—a massive waterway.
It cascaded down from the summit like a waterfall, leading to the unknown distance.
"This is the Grand Line..." Luffy's eyes widened, his face filled with shock. "It's magnificent!"
"It's beautiful." Nami released the helm, exhaling softly. "We're finally here..."
Before everyone could finish marveling, the Going Merry suddenly lost its balance, and the entire ship plummeted down the waterfall-like waterway.
"Ah ah ah ah! Hold on!" Usopp's scream instantly erupted, as he hung onto the mast.
"Hahaha! This is amazing!" Luffy shouted, standing at the bow.
"Amazing your head!" Zoro cursed, gripping the ship's rail tightly, veins bulging on his forehead. "Nami! Can't you control it!"
"Shut up! This is a matter of gravity, what can I do?!" Nami roared.
The Going Merry shot down the mountain like an arrow. The wind howled in their ears, water splashed everywhere, and everyone held their breath.
Just then, a low vibration came from ahead, a muffled sound as if from deep within the earth, making the deck tremble slightly.
"What's that sound?" Zoro gripped his sword hilt, looking vigilantly ahead.
Sanji stood by the ship's rail, shading his eyes to look into the distance, and suddenly yelled: "Nami! There's a mountain ahead! A giant mountain!"
"A mountain?" Nami froze, turning to look at Sanji. "Impossible! That should be Reverse Mountain, how can there be a mountain?"
"But I really saw it!" Sanji pointed ahead, his voice filled with urgency. "It's right at the exit! Look quickly!"
Everyone looked up and was immediately stunned.
At the exit of the river channel, a giant "mountain peak" stood tall. Its black silhouette blotted out the sky, covering the entire waterway exit.
It was like a massive barrier, completely blocking the river channel.
"Is that really a mountain?" Usopp's face turned pale, and he shouted, clutching the mast, "We're going to crash into it! The Going Merry will be finished!"
"Luffy, do something quickly!" Nami cried out, the helm in her hands completely useless.
"Who cares!" Luffy jumped up, waving his fists and shouting, "Just charge through!"
"Luffy!" Kai interrupted Luffy. His gaze was fixed ahead, a red light flashing in his eyes. "That's not a mountain."
"Not a mountain? What is it then?" Zoro asked, frowning.
"It's a whale." Kai's voice was low, his tone calm. "A giant island whale."
"A whale?!" Nami's face was full of shock.
No sooner had she spoken than the "mountain peak" slowly moved. Water splashed up from its sides, accompanied by a low roar that made the air tremble.
Its colossal form was revealed—a whale of immense size, its dark skin gleaming with a wet luster in the sunlight.
Its giant tail fin gently swayed on the water, like a colossal fan, each movement creating huge waves.
"So big..." Usopp's teeth began to chatter. "This is too terrifying!"
"At this speed, we're going to crash!" Sanji shouted.
"What do we do?" Nami's face was pale with anxiety, her hands gripping the helm but unable to do anything. "The Going Merry will be shattered to pieces!"
Just as the Going Merry was about to collide with the island whale,
"Let me!"
Kai stepped to the bow, a formidable killing intent flashing in his eyes.
Kai took a deep breath, his body trembled slightly, and the next moment, a powerful surge of Conqueror's Haki erupted from him!
The air instantly solidified, then visible waves of energy surged. The water around the Going Merry suddenly rose in huge swells.
The wind abruptly became piercing, and everyone on the ship felt a heavy sense of oppression.
The Conqueror's Haki pressure surged directly towards the island whale ahead. The whale's massive eyes suddenly widened, and its body trembled slightly.
The next second, it let out a low wail, and its entire body weakly toppled over.
"Boom!"
The whale's colossal body crashed into the water, raising a heaven-shaking giant wave.
The wave, like a giant wall, surged towards the Going Merry. Everyone's eyes widened, their faces filled with terror.
"It's over! There's really no hope now!" Usopp collapsed onto the deck, terrified.
"Kai!" Nami shouted. "Think of something!"
"Don't worry." Kai's lips curved slightly. He tightened his grip on the Sky Halberd, his gaze resolute, and leaped into the air.
In mid-air, Kai swung the Sky Halberd and brought it down fiercely. A sharp slash shot directly towards the giant wave.
"Boom!"
The slash instantly split the giant wave in two. The waves slid past on both sides, and the Going Merry landed steadily on the calm water.
"So... so amazing!" Usopp's eyes widened, watching Kai descend from the air, his gaze full of adoration. "Kai! You're a god!"
"Kai, you saved us again." Nami let out a sigh of relief, a slight smile on her lips.
"It's nothing." Kai said gently, returning to the bow, his gaze looking into the distance.
Just as everyone was celebrating their escape, a tall figure appeared by the lighthouse at Twin Capes.
He leaned against the lighthouse, a pipe in his mouth, his deep gaze fixed on the Going Merry.
"Conqueror's Haki, huh..." He murmured softly, a hint of emotion in his voice. "Truly a remarkable young man."