Story Quote: "Every sailor dreams of reaching the Grand Line. But the sea god allows only the worthy to pass — those who can face chaos without breaking."
-The Roar of the Mountain-
The Fumigator sailed into the shadow of Reverse Mountain, and for the first time, the crew understood why men called it the Gate of the Gods.A massive peak of stone and mist rose from the horizon, its sides carved into rivers that climbed upward instead of down. The sea itself bent against nature's laws, defying gravity to meet the heavens.
Thunder echoed through the gorge.Waves collided and merged, creating whirlpools of impossible scale.It wasn't just a mountain — it was the ocean testing itself.
Kairo stood at the bow, wind whipping through his dark hair, eyes gleaming.
"The sea isn't welcoming us," he said. "It's challenging us."
The Legend of the Sea God
Mira, who'd grown up among superstitious sailors, crossed herself out of instinct.
"My mother used to say the god of the sea, Ryujin, guards this place. Every current is his breath, every wave his hand."
Rumi raised an eyebrow.
"You think he judges who gets to pass?"
Mira nodded.
"The unworthy drown — their bodies feed the ocean, their souls become foam. The worthy… they're carried up his throat into the next world."
Kairo smiled faintly.
"Then let's make him choke on us."
The crew laughed — nervously.
Kino gripped the helm, his knuckles white.
"The current's pulling in four directions. We'll have to ride the center stream straight up."
Jett fastened the reinforcement cables he'd built into the ship's hull.
"The Fumigator's tough, but she's never fought gravity before."
Aria climbed to the mast's lookout, tying herself in place.
"I'll spot the safest path through the rapids — if there is one."
Rumi checked the gas flow vents, making sure they were sealed tight.
"Last thing we need is a burst of hydrogen mid-climb."
Mira tied a bandana around her hair and looked toward the bow, determination burning in her eyes.
"If we survive this, I'm cooking a feast so good the sea god will regret letting us go."
Kairo chuckled.
"Then let's live long enough to make him hungry."
Then the ascent began!
The ship hit the base of the mountain — and the sea roared to life.
The Fumigator lurched violently upward, the bow lifting as the current dragged it against gravity. Water surged around them like liquid walls, slamming into the hull from every side.
"Steady!" Kairo shouted."I'm trying!" Kino gritted his teeth, steering with all his strength.
Jett held the rigging taut, bracing the sails to catch the updraft. Rumi's chemicals hissed as she stabilized the air vents, keeping the ship's gas stores from igniting under friction.
Mira clung to the railing, wind tearing through her clothes. Yet she didn't scream — she laughed, wild and alive.
"This is madness!""No," Kairo called back, voice steady even amid chaos. "This is freedom!"
Lightning crackled across the sky, illuminating the path ahead — a spiraling torrent that rose higher than sight.
As they climbed, the ocean's voice grew deafening — a deep, resonant hum that seemed to vibrate in their bones. The air thickened, almost alive.
Aria shouted from the mast,
"Something's moving in the water!"
Shapes formed beneath the waves — enormous, translucent silhouettes like serpents. The currents began to twist, each movement timed as though guided by unseen will.
Kairo closed his eyes for a moment.He felt it — not with his Observation Haki, but something older. A pressure that wasn't human.
You seek my waters, mortal… then show me your resolve.
The voice wasn't heard — it was felt, in every droplet of seawater clinging to his skin.
Kairo gripped the railing.
"He's testing us."
Aria's eyes widened.
"You can feel it too?""Yeah. He's watching. Waiting to see if we drown or rise. As if saying"
"Are you worthy of the Grand Line?!"
The current tilted violently — a massive whirlpool opened on the right, threatening to drag them in. Kino spun the wheel, Jett braced the cables, but the pull was too strong.
"We're losing balance!"
Kairo inhaled deeply, vapor curling from his mouth as he extended his arms.
"I'll lighten the ship — hang on!"
He exhaled a controlled burst of gas, creating buoyancy around the hull. The Fumigator lifted slightly, weightless against the current.
"That's it!" Kino shouted, regaining control. "We're climbing again!"
But the storm wasn't finished. A wall of water crashed down from above, threatening to crush them. Mira sprinted across the deck, blades drawn.
"Leave it to me!"
She sliced through a loose cable with surgical precision, letting a sail collapse just in time for the wave to pass through without tearing it free.The move saved the mast.
"Nice cut!" Jett yelled."Told you — cooking and fighting aren't so different!"
The ship roared up the mountain, the storm screaming around them.
At last, they reached the eye of the climb — the peak where the currents converged into a single massive funnel, leading into the unknown beyond.
The wind fell silent. The water shimmered gold beneath the moonlight. For a moment, everything was still.
Then, from the depths, a shape stirred — a massive silhouette like a coiling dragon beneath glass.
Kairo looked down and whispered,
"Sea god Ryujin… grant us passage."
The waters rumbled softly. Then the current beneath them lifted, cradling the ship like a gentle hand.
The Fumigator shot forward, cresting the mountain's peak and diving down the other side.
-The Grand Line-
The ship plunged through clouds and mist, weightless for one breathtaking instant — then splashed into calm, foreign waters.
Silence.No storm. No resistance. Just the endless stretch of the Grand Line.
Aria leaned against Kairo's shoulder, breathless.
"We did it.""No," he said softly. "We were allowed to."
The others joined them at the railing, watching the horizon ignite with sunrise.
"We passed the sea god's trial," Mira whispered."Let's make sure we never give him a reason to regret it," Kairo said.
The crew laughed, exhausted but euphoric.
Behind them, Reverse Mountain faded into the mist — the gate between worlds, now closed.