Chapter 129: In This Moment Our Souls Are One, Human and Ship United!
Actually, it was already too late by the time Usopp's warning was heard.
The Going Merry, rushing down from the peak of Reverse Mountain, propelled by both gravity and the fierce current, was moving so fast it seemed about to take flight.
The exit of Reverse Mountain, Twin Cape, was shrouded in thick fog.
When that "mountain" appeared through the mist in their line of sight, the distance had already closed to the point where even attempting to turn felt rushed.
"Hard to starboard! Now!"
Nami screamed.
The unexpected turn of events threw the others into a panic.
Only Lufia, sitting at the bow, craned her neck, peered carefully, then turned back and explained in a relaxed tone:
"Everyone, don't panic! That's not a mountain, it's a whale! It's just... a bit big!"
As soon as her words fell, a deep, drawn-out whale song drifted over.
"Ooooh—oooooh—!!!"
The sound was exceptionally mournful, filled with the sorrow of waiting for decades.
Mixed in was Usopp's wailing from the crow's nest.
"Who cares what it is! Avoid it!"
Ralph gripped the helm with white knuckles, veins bulging on the back of his hands.
In that moment, scenes from his past life flashed through his mind.
Luffy "stopping" the ship by firing a cannon at the whale, the Going Merry crashing into Laboon the whale, the figurehead breaking...
No.
That absolutely must not happen.
For the Straw Hat crew who hadn't experienced it, perhaps that was a "fun adventure."
But for Ralph, who knew the story, it was too cruel!
Too cruel for the Going Merry, for Laboon, and mainly for Ralph himself!
Laboon truly wouldn't care about such a minor injury, and the Going Merry's figurehead was indeed easy to repair.
But Ralph simply didn't want to see it happen.
"Betting on the reputation of an intermediate Navigator and advanced mechanic..."
Ralph gritted his teeth and closed his eyes.
Observation Haki—full release!
His perception poured out like quicksilver, enveloping the entire Going Merry.
The condition of every plank, the tension of every rope, the angle of each sail catching the wind, the speed and direction of the current beneath the hull... all this information flooded into his brain instantly.
Not just the Going Merry.
Ahead—the Island Whale blocking the entrance to the Grand Line, Laboon.
The narrow, almost impossibly tight gap between its massive body and the bay of Twin Cape.
To adjust their course at this near free-fall speed and pass through that gap required centimeter-level precision control.
But Ralph didn't hesitate.
In this moment, our souls are one, man and ship united!
He snapped his eyes open, his hands performing a series of continuous, precise, almost dance-like movements on the helm.
The Going Merry seemed to be given life, its hull tilting slightly in the current, its bow turning at a tricky angle, heading straight for that gap—
And charged through!
"Aaaaah, we're gonna hit—!"
Usopp covered his eyes.
"Trust Ralph!"
Nami said through gritted teeth.
Zoro and Sanji held onto the ropes tightly, steadying the sails.
Lufia's eyes were wide open, her face not showing fear but pure excitement:
"Wow—!"
"Whoosh—!!"
The Going Merry shot forward like an arrow from a bow, grazing past Laboon, slipping through the gap between it and the cliff wall!
At the closest point, the hull was less than half a meter from the whale's skin!
The current slowed behind them as the Going Merry glided into relatively calm waters.
Ralph released the helm, letting out a long sigh, his back already soaked with cold sweat.
But a smile spread across his face—success.
The Going Merry was completely unharmed.
Laboon was not injured.
Everything...
"Gomu Gomu no Pistol!"
A crisp shout shattered the calm.
The smile on Ralph's face froze.
He slowly turned his head and saw that Lufia had somehow already jumped onto the ship's railing. Her rubber arm stretched back to its limit, and then—
She punched Laboon right in the eye.
Thump!
A dull sound.
To Laboon, this punch probably felt like a mosquito bite.
But its massive eyeball still shifted, looking down at this tiny creature who dared to challenge it.
On the deck, dead silence.
Usopp's mouth hung open in an "O" shape. Nami's legs gave way, and she collapsed onto the deck. Zoro and Sanji's expressions were frozen solid.
Ralph's mind went completely blank.
Why?
The ship clearly hadn't hit Laboon, hadn't provoked any conflict. So why did Lufia still punch it?
Then he heard Lufia shout angrily:
"You stupid whale! So huge, blocking the Grand Line like that—are you trying to scare people to death?!"
Ralph:
For a moment, he was at a loss for words.
Well... it wasn't entirely unreasonable.
Laboon was indeed too big, indeed blocking the sea route, and indeed terrifying and dangerous.
Under normal circumstances, no one would reason with a whale.
But this particular whale... was actually quite human-like.
So the situation fell into the awkward territory of "hard to say who's right or wrong."
Laboon had waited for fifty years—its existence wasn't wrong in itself.
Lufia punching Laboon on behalf of her frightened companions... didn't seem wrong either.
"Whatever."
Ralph rubbed his forehead.
"As long as you can handle the consequences of throwing that punch."
Sure enough, Laboon's massive eyeball turned fully toward them.
It looked at the Going Merry, at Lufia on the ship.
And Lufia wasn't scared at all.
She stood on the railing, hands on her hips, face tilted upward, continuing to taunt:
"What are you looking at?! Come fight me, you road-blocking bastard!"
In all the seas, probably only Lufia could talk tough while being stared down by such a colossal creature.
Everyone else felt their blood freeze, their muscles so stiff they could barely move a finger.
Usopp's teeth chattered:
"R-Ralph... control your Lufia..."
Ralph smiled bitterly:
"I can't control her."
No sooner had he spoken than—
Laboon's massive mouth opened.
Its enormous maw was like a cave, bottomless.
The sea currents began to reverse, and the Going Merry, like a fallen leaf, was pulled by an irresistible force toward that abyssal mouth.
"We're going to be eaten—!!!"
Usopp screamed.
"Hold on tight—!"
Ralph roared.
Everyone clung desperately to anything fixed.
Lufia finally realized the seriousness of the situation, stretching her rubber arm to grab the main mast.
The Going Merry was swallowed.
Ralph sighed inwardly.
What could he say?
Thanks to Lufia, the plot had returned to its "proper course."
But not everything was exactly the same.
In the original story, Luffy grabbed Laboon's teeth and stayed outside alone while the others were swallowed.
This time, because Lufia was on the ship with everyone, she was swallowed along with them.
"Now this feels more like sharing hardships together,"
Ralph thought.
Darkness lasted for over ten seconds, and then—
Light appeared.
The Going Merry drifted with the current into a massive space.
Here, there was a "sky," a "sea," and an "island."
A small island stood in the center of the sea, with even a little wooden cabin on it.
Even more bizarrely, "seagulls" were flying in the sky.
The deck was eerily quiet.