A captain must always follow the navigator's orders. But setting sail without supplies is practically suicide. No one can predict how long they'll be at sea.
Even powerful ships rely on wind and currents. In the volatile climate of the New World, that's incredibly unstable. Even strong people get sick, from diseases like scurvy.
Once all supplies were ready, the day of departure finally arrived.
Kozuki Oden stood at the bow, hands on his hips, brimming with the spirit of a powerful sailor. Their ship wasn't large, and for now, the sea was calm.
"What's that ship?" Kin'emon asked, his eyes on a massive vessel docked in the port. Compared to that one, their ship, the Odenmaru, looked like a toy.
"That? That's the Daimyo's personal vessel—the Death Star. We couldn't afford even one of its masts with the money from selling all of you."
"That's quite rude..."
"I'm not lying. From the keel to the masts, it's all made from the legendary Adam Wood. A single mast is worth over one hundred million Berries. In terms of your nation's currency, that's tens of thousands of gold."
The price made Oden and his men gasp. But he noticed the sailor said "your nation of Wano." Ren had ordered everyone to claim they were from Wano after leaving, but the key was the word "your."
"Are you... from overseas?"
"Of course. The sailors in this country are pathetic." The sailor shook his head. They were sailors and navigators recruited by Kurozumi Higurashi from overseas. Of course, they were all trustworthy people, and Ren had not forgotten to place the Orochi's Mark on them.
"After all, the seas have been forbidden for so long. Even the inner sea of Wano... no, of Wano, was off-limits." Denjiro said.
"Hey, tell me more about overseas." Kozuki Oden's interest was piqued. The imminent departure only made him more eager.
The group gathered together as if at a feast.
The Odenmaru began to move in the port. The principle of the port's inner structure was different from Water 7. Most importantly, Wano lacked the technology to control water levels like Water 7 did.
The actual port was at the same level as the sea outside. After the ship was docked, sailors would take a primitive elevator back to Wano.
As the sailor told his tales, Kozuki Oden watched a distant turbulent waterfall part like it was sliced by a blade. His narrow eyes changed.
He felt as if his entire chest might burst open, the boundless sea stretching out before him, seemingly ready to break his heart.
This time, he couldn't focus on the sailor's story at all. He leaped back to the bow, spreading his arms wide to welcome the sea wind.
"Look at this! This is the real ocean! It's nothing like the inland sea of Wano!"
"Are you an idiot?" the sailor sighed, rising and walking away as he shouted, "Keep your eyes to yourselves! We're heading into an area full of whirlpools and reefs!"
The sailors on the ship grew tense.
This wasn't the inland sea of Wano. The reefs and whirlpools surrounding the nation made it nearly impossible to approach; many ships could be smashed to pieces by the reefs or swallowed by the whirlpools with the slightest mistake.
At a time like this, one should remain vigilant, not stand on the bow like a fool in a pose that could easily lead to the ship sinking.
The entire ship became a flurry of activity. Kin'emon and the others, who were at sea for the first time, were especially flustered. After finally passing this natural barrier, they were all lying flat on the deck like dogs.
"Heh, sailing isn't so simple. This is just the beginning," the sailor mocked. Besides, they passed through the barrier unscathed only because they already knew the correct route. Otherwise, some bumps and scrapes would have been unavoidable.
"The old man on Pirate Island and the Marines are the two most powerful opposing forces in the world right now. The strongest pirate in the world right now is Rocks," the sailor spoke with authority, as he himself had once been a pirate.
Although the year was 1486, the battle at God Valley had not yet officially begun.
Considering Buggy's birthday was in August, the God Valley battle was likely to take place in September, October, or at the end of the year. But no one knew for sure, and even Ren just occasionally read the papers, waiting for this giant to fall.
After briefly mentioning some precautions, the sailor felt a sense of dread, as Kozuki Oden now had a look of eager anticipation on his face.
Challenging these monsters was sheer folly. Even someone like Whitebeard, Charlotte Linlin, or Wang Zhi, Ren might not have a guaranteed chance of winning with his full strength, let alone the fact that they often traveled in groups, risking being surrounded.
With just Kozuki Oden's strength, he would be brought to his knees by any of Rocks' top executives.
These veterans, even those who wouldn't later become one of the Four Emperors, were no slouches. In the coming decades, Wang Zhi would continue to dominate Pirate Island. Even Blackbeard, with his two Devil Fruits, only managed to take it over by a stroke of luck.
"In any case, we have to avoid those great pirates. Don't forget your mission is to help Lord Oden search for a Devil Fruit," the sailor said, handing them a sea chart. In the New World, sea charts weren't for navigation, but to indicate which areas were off-limits.
"That's all well and good, but how are we supposed to find the Soru Soru no Mi? Those things are rare, aren't they?"
"We have informants. If there's information requiring our presence, we'll get a notification," the sailor said. "Otherwise, there are no restrictions. We just have to rely on luck."
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