The Grand Line cannot be understood by common sense.
The seasons and weather here are fickle. One moment it might be a clear, sunny day, the next, a few bolts of lightning might suddenly strike from the sky! Yesterday it was a crisp autumn climate, today you might wake up to find the deck covered in thick white snow.
Perhaps if you don't pay attention to your Log Pose for a moment, your course could reverse by 180 degrees. The sea here is like that; whether it's the wind, the sky, the waves, or the clouds, nothing is reliable. The only constant is the direction pointed by the Log Pose.
...
Today's weather was spring, turning to summer.
The Beagle sailed out of the Reverse Mountain's Twin Capes and headed straight for Tanal Town.
The sun was warm, and the sea was calm and peaceful.
Victor lay leisurely on a deck chair at the edge of the deck, one arm under his head, idly flipping through a popular Grand Line novel given to him by Crocus.
Mai Hime stood on the deck, her eyes closed, striking a sword-drawing pose, trying to recapture that hint of foresight she had during her battle with the 'Cursed Blade Wielder' Fleming.
Perona sat on top of the ship's cabin, swinging her long legs, humming a gloomy song while munching on an apple. A large group of ghosts formed a lookout team, circling above the ship, constantly monitoring changes in ocean currents and weather.
Robin sat in the cabin, organizing information about the various islands along their route against the sea chart.
"Big Brother, turn right 47 degrees."
"Okay, right 47 degrees... done."
Such brief conversations occasionally drifted across the ship. Under Perona's excellent navigation and Victor's precise control, the Beagle fully utilized its speed advantage, swiftly sailing towards Tanal Town.
The 5th day after departing from Twin Capes.
"Passengers of the Beagle, please prepare your luggage to disembark, we've arrived at Tanal Town~"
Perona's cheerful voice echoed throughout the Beagle.
Mai Hime poked her head out from the kitchen: "So fast? Didn't they say it would be at least an 8 to 10-day journey?"
Victor, who was adjusting the sails, smiled slightly: "The Beagle's speed is top-notch. If it weren't for our first time in the Grand Line and being unfamiliar with the climate and currents, the journey could have been shortened by about another day."
Mai Hime looked at the distant horizon; the outline of Tanal Town was already vaguely visible straight ahead: "Where's Robin?"
"Hoh-loh-hoh-loh-hoh-loh~ She's gone to get our spending money."
As soon as her voice fell, Robin walked out of the cabin carrying a briefcase, smiling: "100,000 Beri spending money for each person!"
"Oh yeah~~" Perona and Mai Hime cheered.
Victor smiled: "Everyone go change, get ready to disembark."
Before long, the Beagle gradually approached the port of Tanal Town.
Today seemed to be an important festival in Tanal Town. There were at least 50 ships of various sizes densely moored around the port, and the docks were festooned with colorful banners and festive pennants, bustling with people.
"Victor, do we need to leave someone to guard the ship?" Mai Hime had changed into a red and black casual outfit, similar in color scheme to Perona's Gothic short dress.
"No need, everyone just take your personal belongings and disembark."
After everyone disembarked and stood on the dock, Victor flicked a finger, and a 'Guiding Zipper' shot to the ship's hull. The power of the Devil Fruit instantly transferred to the Beagle and began to transform its shape.
"Resin Zipper: Capsule Hotel."
Layers of resin zippers arched into a dome, completely covering the upper empty spaces of the entire ship, leaving no gaps.
The passing crowd involuntarily stopped, gaping at this astonishing sight. They had seen Devil Fruits before, but it was truly rare to see such an extent.
This also served as an intangible display of power and deterrence.
After 'coating' the Beagle, Victor hooked his index finger, retracting the 'Guiding Zipper':
"Alright, let's go. Everyone, free to move around. We'll meet back at the Beagle in the evening."
Perona and Mai Hime cheerfully went together, heading for the famous tourist food street that Robin had described to them earlier. Robin, meanwhile, stuck close to Victor, wanting to secretly enjoy this rare private date.
Victor was happy to stroll with Robin. After all, he hadn't done much tourist research on Tanal Town, and Robin knew more.
Unlike Wano Country, the dock in Tanal Town didn't have many distinctive food stalls. Most of them were merchant ships and civilian fishing boats trading or transporting goods.
The two walked straight through the dock. At the end of the dock was a huge arched doorway, adorned with colorful ribbons made of festive pennants.
As they approached the arched doorway, it was as if a volume knob had suddenly been turned all the way up; the bustling atmosphere immediately enveloped them.
The laughter of adults and children, the aroma of food, colorful ribbons fluttering in the sky, and the bustling crowds on the street!
Today was Tanal Town's most important annual festival—the Summer Dragon Festival!
Both sides of the street were filled with people, some local residents, but more were tourists from out of town. Every stall emitting the aroma of food was surrounded by people, while children clustered around stalls selling festival masks and souvenirs, reluctant to leave.
In the center of the road were long columns of exquisitely crafted giant paper dragon models. Each dragon model was unique in design, but all were meticulously made. The creators stood in front of their works, happily exchanging ideas with other creators or diligently explaining to curious onlookers.
Victor and Robin were infected by the joyous festive atmosphere, slowly strolling along the main street with smiles on their faces.
"The Summer Dragon Festival is an important festival that has been passed down in Tanal Town since ancient times. Every year at this time, almost every family in the town spontaneously builds paper models of giant dragons and displays them together on the main street for everyone to admire, in memory of the hero who saved Tanal Town 300 years ago—'Paper Dragon' Angi Wells."
The two were drawn by the aroma of food and stopped at a stall. While waiting in line, Robin began to explain the customs of Tanal Town to Victor.
"Oh? 'Paper Dragon'? Sounds impressive."
After a while in line, it was Victor's turn. He spent 400 Beri to buy two portions of 'Bin Bin Puru,' handing one to Robin.
'Bin Bin Puru' is a unique-flavored grilled sausage, cut into evenly thick slices and placed in a paper box, then sprinkled with a generous amount of yellow mustard sauce and shredded cheese. If a customer likes spicy food, they can also get a thin, pointed pepper for free from the stall. This is 'Tanal Town's specialty chili 'Mercy's Blue,' with astonishing spiciness.
Robin considered it, but still didn't take the chili. She used a bamboo skewer to pick up a cheese-covered sausage slice and put it in her mouth, her large eyes narrowing slightly with a smile. The two stood in the shade, slowly eating their snack, and Robin continued to explain to Victor:
"'Paper Dragon' Angi Wells, a famous thief who roamed the seas 300 years ago, was a paper-bender who ate the Origami-Origami Fruit. He could fold his body at will, transforming into various paper models as he pleased, and the paper on his body could become as hard as a sword. Additionally, after a successful theft, he would leave behind a small animal origami. One day, his hometown, Tanal Town, was invaded by the pirate crew of the great pirate 'Emperor Penguin' Dinabo.
The incident was so sudden that even the stationed Marines were caught off guard and wiped out by these Ferocious Chains pirates. In the moment of crisis, 'Paper Dragon' transformed into a paper bird, single-handedly rushing back to his hometown and confronting a pirate army of thousands alone. By the end of the battle, he transformed into a giant paper dragon, defeating all the invaders, but also died from exhaustion. The people of Tanal Town, to commemorate this reformed hero, designated that day as the 'Summer Dragon Festival'."
Victor listened with a touch of yearning: "One person against a thousand-man army. Even after countless artistic embellishments, the battle scene at that time must have been astonishing... Is this 'Bin Bin Puru' delicious?"
"Mm, delicious!" Robin nodded with a smile.
"Come on, I see a drink stall ahead." The two slowly walked towards the stall in front of them.
Just then, several men in black clothes and festival masks blocked their path. The man leading them, with a well-proportioned build, slowly spoke:
"'Ferocious Chains' Victor, may we have a word?"
Victor raised an eyebrow: "I don't like talking to people who hide their faces."
Robin, however, looked a little panicked, subconsciously hiding behind Victor.
Even without using his special Observation Haki 'Revelation' for identification, Victor could guess the identities of the men opposite him.
The World Government's intelligence agency, Cipher Pol, abbreviated as CP.
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