The Grand Line.
The sea of legends.
The sea where the strong rise, the weak fall, and the impossible becomes possible.
For most, entering these waters meant gambling their lives.
For Kaito and his crew, it was the next natural step in a journey they chose not out of ambition—but out of freedom.
The Queen's Grace creaked steadily as it approached Reverse Mountain, where the four seas converged into the unpredictable, lawless stretch that was the Grand Line.
Standing at the helm, Kaito kept his grip firm on the wheel, eyes sharp as the sea churned violently around them.
Nojiko, maps fluttering in her hands, gave precise directions despite the looming waves.
"The current is pulling harder to port!" she shouted. "We're getting dragged toward the reef!"
Kaito gritted his teeth and shifted the wheel with all his strength. "Hold steady! Trust the current, but don't fight the sea—guide the ship through it!"
Kuina was already securing the sails, her movements sharp and fearless even as salt spray lashed across her face.
Carmen and Kaya worked together below deck to keep their supplies from being tossed overboard.
They didn't panic.
They didn't scream.
They had faced storms before.
But this was no ordinary storm.
This was the threshold of the Grand Line.
A test.
As the Queen's Grace climbed the raging currents toward the peak of Reverse Mountain, Kaito's heart pounded—not from fear, but from exhilaration.
They were sailing beyond the safe world now.
They were chasing the horizon.
And they were doing it together.
The ship crested the summit of Reverse Mountain, teetering on the razor-thin edge of the water's peak before plummeting down the other side.
The Queen's Grace crashed into the Grand Line with a roar, but the hull held steady.
The crew braced themselves, muscles burning as they stabilized the ship.
When the sea finally calmed, they realized they had done it.
They had crossed.
They were in the Grand Line.
A hush settled over the deck, broken only by the soft creak of wood and the rhythmic splash of waves.
"We made it," Nojiko whispered, half in disbelief, half in wonder.
Kuina sheathed her sword and gave a rare, satisfied nod.
Carmen stretched her arms lazily. "Now this… this feels like the right sea."
Kaya emerged from below deck, cheeks flushed from the adrenaline. "No injuries. We're all good."
Kaito released a slow breath and allowed himself a small smile. "Let's see where this sea will take us."
His system chimed in his mind.
[Main Mission: Grand Line Entry – Complete.]
[New Mission: Explore the Grand Line and Seek the Sky Island.]
Their journey had officially entered its next chapter.
The Grand Line was unlike anything they had experienced.
Unpredictable weather.
Islands with wildly different climates.
Seas that shifted without warning.
And yet, the Queen's Grace, guided by Nojiko's increasingly sharp navigational skills, carved its own path.
They encountered strange creatures, minor pirate crews, and bounty hunters—none of whom could match the coordination and growth of Kaito's crew.
Their ship became a moving training ground.
Every day, Kaito sparred with Kuina, refining his swordsmanship while pushing her limits.
Nojiko honed her ability to read the ever-changing weather patterns.
Carmen, now a master cook aboard the ship, created high-energy meals that kept the crew strong and focused.
Kaya's medical skills matured under the pressure of real battle injuries and sea-borne illnesses.
Their teamwork grew seamless.
But the Grand Line would not let them sail smoothly for long.
Their first major stop was an island engulfed in constant lightning storms.
Locals called it "Raijin Isle."
The storms never ceased.
The sky constantly roared with thunder, and the ground trembled with every strike.
Kaito's system quietly notified him.
[Side Mission Detected: Raijin Isle's Mystery – Rumored to hold information about the Sky Island.]
The crew's curiosity was piqued.
"Sky Island?" Kuina's eyes narrowed with determination. "Could this be connected to the island I'm searching for?"
Nojiko studied the local maps. "The people here believe that the lightning on this island is 'borrowed' from the sky itself. It's part of their legend."
Carmen twirled her knife. "Sounds like a good lead."
Kaito's gaze was steady. "Let's investigate. But be cautious. This is Grand Line territory. The odds are never fair."
They ventured inland, navigating through rain-slicked forests and jagged rock formations.
It was there that they encountered their first true Grand Line obstacle—a pirate crew that called themselves the Blitz Fangs.
Their leader, Captain Drek, wielded the power of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit's imitation—a lightning-based weapon that crudely mimicked the power of the real Thunder Fruit.
But it was incomplete.
Artificial.
A pale shadow of the true legend.
"You're after the Sky Island too?" Drek sneered, electricity crackling around his artificial gauntlets. "Then you're my enemy."
Kaito drew his blade. "We're not here to compete. We're here to find our own way."
"Doesn't matter," Drek hissed. "Anyone who steps onto this island is mine to crush."
The battle that followed was the most intense Kaito's crew had faced so far.
Drek's crew was fast, brutal, and armed with technology that mimicked Devil Fruit abilities.
But they lacked something.
They lacked trust.
They lacked unity.
They lacked the bond that Kaito's crew had forged through their shared journey.
Kuina's sword cut through Drek's gauntlets, shattering the fake thunder weapon in a burst of sparks.
Nojiko's quick thinking allowed them to outmaneuver Drek's traps, guiding the battle toward more favorable ground.
Carmen's precise strikes and Kaya's relentless support kept their momentum steady.
In the end, Drek fell—not because Kaito's crew was stronger, but because they were a family.
And family doesn't falter.
After the battle, the locals, grateful for the crew's intervention, revealed what they knew.
The Sky Island was real.
But the path to reach it wasn't found on any map.
It could only be accessed when the sea itself allowed it—when the Knock Up Stream revealed itself.
And such occurrences were rare and unpredictable.
But there were signs.
Weather patterns.
Sea vibrations.
Ancient texts.
Clues scattered across the Grand Line.
Kaito's system updated quietly.
[Sky Island Route: Partial Coordinates Acquired.]
It wasn't much.
But it was enough.
Kuina's grip tightened around her sword. "I'm not giving up. We're going to find it."
Kaito looked at his crew, their eyes burning with the same fire.
They wouldn't turn back now.
They would chase the sky—together.
Their next destination was Water 7.
Kaito knew that in the original story, the Straw Hats would soon dock there.
Their paths would cross again.
But this time, Kaito wasn't there to interfere.
He was there to find something else.
The next piece of his crew.
And fate, as always, would weave their stories together.
But before they reached Water 7, they would face tempests, mercenaries, bounty hunters, and whispers of the World Government's growing curiosity about a crew that sailed alongside the Straw Hats but never claimed a pirate flag.
Kaito's legend was quietly spreading.
Not as a king.
Not as a warlord.
But as a man who sailed for freedom.
As a man whose crew didn't chase titles—but chased the sky.
And as they sailed into the next storm, Kaito felt it.
The Grand Line had only just begun to test them.
And he welcomed it.