REVERSE MOUNTAIN

Luffy's face is shown upside down in a close-up, looking panicked as he yells, "NAMI, THIS IS BAD! THE LIGHT JUST WENT OUT!" Nami is standing on the deck below, looking up at him calmly. She replies, "WELL IT IS ONLY A LIGHTHOUSE. IT CAN GO OUT FROM TIME TO TIME. BESIDES, IT'S FOR TIMES LIKE THESE YOU HAVE A NAVIGATOR, YOU KNOW? SO DON'T WORRY. I KNOW THE BASIC DIRECTION AT LEAST." In the background, Usopp is panicking, shouting, "AND THAT WAS OUR GUIDING LIGHT TOO! WHAT DO WE DO NOW?" Sanji swoons over Nami, saying, "WOW, YOU'RE AMAZING." Nami then yells up at Luffy, who is sitting casually on top of the Going Merry's sheep figurehead, "MORE IMPORTANTLY, CAN YOU PLEASE GET OFF FROM THERE!?" Luffy stubbornly refuses, "NO, THIS IS MY SPOT! YOU CAN'T HAVE IT!" Nami retorts angrily, "WHEN DID I SAY I WANTED IT!?" Usopp, looking worried, comments, "BUT THIS IS RATHER TROUBLING..." Nami's expression turns serious as she says, "AT THIS RATE, IT'LL BE EXACTLY AS THE RUMOURS SAY...!"

Nami slams a map down onto a table with a loud "DON" sound effect. She declares confidently, "THE ENTRANCE TO GRAND LINE, IS A MOUNTAIN." Usopp, with his sniper goggles resting on his forehead, reacts with extreme shock, his jaw dropping as he yells, "A MOUNTAIN!?" The scene shifts to the ship's galley, where Sanji, Zoro, Luffy, and Usopp are gathered around the table while Nami stands at the head. Nami continues explaining, "EXACTLY. I HAD A HARD TIME BELIEVING IT MYSELF WHEN I LOOKED AT THE MAP, BUT LOOK! THE LIGHT OF GUIDANCE WAS DIRECTLY POINTING AT REVERSE MOUNTAIN LOCATED RIGHT HERE ON RED LINE."

A close-up of the map shows a finger pointing to a specific location. The map is labeled with "RED LINE", "GRAND LINE", "PRESENT LOCATION" pointing to an 'X' near "LOGUETOWN", and "REVERSE MOUNTAIN" with a "WATERWAY" cutting through it. Nami explains, "NO, THERE'S A WATERWAY RIGHT HERE." Usopp asks nervously, "DOES THAT MEAN WE HAVE TO CRASH THROUGH THE MOUNTAIN?" He then imagines a ship sailing vertically up a steep mountain face and yells in disbelief, "A WATERWAY? THAT'S CRAZY! EVEN IF THAT WATERWAY REALLY IS THERE, THERE'S NO WAY A SHIP COULD CLIMB UP A MOUNTAIN!" Sanji defends Nami's navigation skills, saying, "BUT THAT'S WHAT THE MAP SAYS. THAT'S RIGHT. AS IF WHAT NAMI SAYS COULD EVER BE WRONG!" Zoro, looking skeptical, questions, "BUT ISN'T THAT THE MAP YOU STOLE FROM BUGGY? HOW DEPENDABLE COULD IT BE?" Luffy, however, is thrilled by the idea. Grinning excitedly, he says, "ARE WE REALLY GONNA CLIMB UP A MOUNTAIN ON A SHIP!? THAT SOUNDS SOOOO COOL! SO IT'S A MAGIC MOUNTAIN, HUH?"

Zoro questions the plan, asking, "IN THE FIRST PLACE, WHY DO WE EVEN HAVE TO ENTER DIRECTLY THROUGH THE ENTRANCE ANYWAYS? COULDN'T WE JUST HEAD DIRECTLY SOUTH AND STILL ENTER?" Nami yells back, "NO WE CAN'T! THAT'S RIGHT, AND THERE'S A PERFECTLY GOOD REASON FOR THAT." Luffy punches his palm enthusiastically and says, "IT'S SO MUCH COOLER TO GO IN USING THE REAL ENTRANCE!" Nami angrily punches Luffy on the top of his head, shouting, "THAT'S NOT THE REASON!" Suddenly, Usopp looks out the window and notices a change in the weather. "WAIT, WHA? GUYS! THE STORM SUDDENLY STOPPED!" Sanji looks out as well and agrees, "HEY YOU'RE RIGHT." Nami looks shocked and confused, "WHAT? THAT CAN'T BE... THAT STORM SHOULD HAVE DIRECTLY LED US TO THE ENTRANCE..." Outside, the Going Merry is shown sailing on perfectly calm waters under a clear sky. A voice says, "WOW, SUCH A NICE DAY! I WONDER WHAT HAPPENED TO THE STORM? HAHA HAHA!"

Nami's face is shown in a close-up, looking absolutely terrified and sweating profusely. She realizes the danger they are in and says, "OH NO! WE'VE ENTERED CALM BELT...!" A wide shot shows the Going Merry sitting in completely still water, while a massive, dark storm rages in the distance. Someone asks, "CALM BELT? WHAT'S THAT?" Another voice notes, "HEY, LOOK. EVEN THOUGH THE STORM'S STILL GOING ON OVER THERE, IT'S PERFECTLY CALM OVER HERE..." Nami frantically yells at the crew, "THIS IS NO TIME TO BE JUST STANDING ABOUT! GO GRAB THE OARS AND START ROWING AS FAST AS YOU CAN! WE HAVE TO RETURN BACK TO THE STORM IMMEDIATELY!" Sanji happily complies, "AS YOU WISH, NAMI! <3" Usopp is confused by her panic, "WHAT'RE YOU GETTING SO WORKED UP ABOUT? AND YOU KNOW THIS IS A SAIL SHIP, NOT A ROWBOAT, RIGHT?" Zoro asks, "WHY WOULD WE EVEN WANT TO GO BACK INTO THE STORM?" Nami screams at them, "JUST SHUT UP AND DO AS I SAY!"

Zoro argues, "BUT THE WEATHER'S SO NICE HERE..." Nami yells at him, "FINE, THEN I'LL GIVE YOU YOUR EXPLANATION! RIGHT NOW, WE'VE DRIFTED SOUTH EXACTLY AS YOU SUGGESTED DOING!" Zoro realizes, "OH, SO WE'RE IN GRAND LINE NOW?" Nami, looking exasperated with sharp teeth, yells, "IF IT WERE THAT EASY, ANYBODY COULD JUST COME TO GRAND LINE WHENEVER THEY WANTED!" She then explains seriously, "LISTEN! THE GRAND LINE IS SURROUNDED BY TWO OCEAN BELTS. AND THOSE TWO WINDLESS BELTS KNOWN AS THE CALM BELT ARE EXACTLY WHERE WE'RE STUCK IN RIGHT NOW!" A diagram shows the Grand Line sandwiched between two Calm Belts. Zoro, sitting casually on the deck, says, "CALM, EH? SURE SEEMS THAT WAY WITH NO WIND AND ALL". Usopp asks, "SO? WHAT'S YOUR POINT?" Nami starts to say, "THE POINT IS THAT..." Suddenly, the ship violently shakes with a loud rumble. Luffy, Usopp, and Sanji lose their balance and stumble. "AHH! IS THIS AN EARTHQUAKE? BUT WE'RE OUT IN THE OPEN SEAS!"

A massive two-page spread reveals the source of the disturbance. The Going Merry is completely surrounded by gigantic, terrifying Sea Kings that have emerged from the calm water. The monsters are incredibly huge, dwarfing the tiny ship. They have various bizarre and intimidating appearances, including one that looks like a giant frog, another like a massive striped eel, and others with strange, monstrous features. The crew is entirely at the mercy of these colossal beasts.

Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, and Sanji are shown in close-up panels, their faces frozen in absolute terror and shock as they stare up at the massive Sea Kings. They stammer collectively, "HOLY... SH..." Nami is on her hands and knees on the deck, crying in despair. She explains the horrifying reality of their situation, "THIS PLACE IS A DEN... FOR SEA KINGS... The big ones, especially..." The giant frog-like Sea King looks down at the tiny ship with a curious expression, water dripping from its massive body.

Sanji and Zoro are frantically rowing the ship with large oars, sweating profusely. Sanji yells, "A.. ALRIGHT... AS SOON AS THIS THING DIVES BACK DOWN INTO THE SEA, START ROWING YOUR ARMS OFF, GOT IT!?" Zoro replies, "AYE AYE!" The giant frog Sea King suddenly inhales and sneezes with a massive "CHOO!" The incredible gust of wind from the sneeze blows the Going Merry away violently. The crew screams as they are thrown around the deck, "WHA-AAAA-AAA!? AGHH! A GIANT FROG IS JUMPING THIS WAY! DON'T GET THROWN OVERBOARD!" Usopp loses his grip and falls off the ship. "USOPP JUST FELL! USOOOO-OOPPPP! AGHH-HHHH!"

The Going Merry crashes back into the violent, stormy waters, rain pouring down. The crew is sprawled out on the deck, panting and exhausted from the ordeal. Sanji says with relief, "OH THANK GOD... WE'RE BACK IN THE STORM NOW..." Nami asks, "NOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHY WE HAVE TO USE THE ENTRANCE?" Zoro, lying on his back, replies, "YEAH... UNDERSTOOD..." Nami suddenly has a realization, "AH, I GOT IT...!" Zoro asks, "WHAT?" Nami says, "WE REALLY ARE GOING TO CLIMB UP THE MOUNTAIN!" Usopp complains, "YOU STILL GOING ON ABOUT THAT?" A diagram shows the Red Line and the Grand Line, with currents from the four seas converging on Reverse Mountain. Nami explains her theory, "IT MUST BE DUE TO THE SEA CURRENTS. IF STRONG CURRENTS FROM EACH OF THE FOUR SEAS, WERE TO ALL HEAD TOWARDS THAT MOUNTAIN..."

Nami continues her explanation, "THEN THEY WOULD DRIVE THE WATER UP THE WATERWAY. AND AT THE VERY TOP, THE CURRENTS WILL MERGE AND COME OUT TO THE GRAND LINE! SINCE WE'RE ALREADY RIDING THE CURRENTS, ALL WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IS STEERING PROPERLY." A diagram illustrates the currents flowing up the mountain from the four seas and merging into the Grand Line. Nami adds a grim warning, "REVERSE MOUNTAIN IS A WINTER ISLAND SO THE CURRENTS THAT HIT ITS EDGE WILL TRAVEL DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA. SO IF WE FAIL TO ENTER THE WATERWAY, WE'LL CRASH AND GET DRAGGED DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA. GOT IT?" A diagram shows a ship crashing and sinking. Luffy laughs cluelessly, "SO BASICALLY, YOU'RE SAYING THAT IT'S A MAGIC MOUNTAIN, RIGHT?" Sanji swoons, "I SHOULDN'T HAVE EXPECTED YOU TO UNDERSTAND... NAMI, YOU'RE AMAZING! <3" Zoro says, "NEVER HEARD OF A SHIP GOING UP A MOUNTAIN BEFORE." Sanji replies, "I'VE HEARD A BIT." Zoro asks, "ABOUT THE MOUNTAIN?" Sanji clarifies, "NO BUT I'VE HEARD THINGS ABOUT GRAND LINE... SUPPOSEDLY, HALF OF THE PEOPLE DIE JUST TRYING TO GO IN. ENTERING IT IS NO EASY TASK."

Luffy stands at the front of the ship, pointing ahead into the storm and yelling excitedly, "I SEE THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN!" Usopp looks terrified, "WAIT! WHAT'S THAT HUGE SHADOW!?" Sanji adds, "IT'S HUGE!" A massive, imposing wall of rock looms out of the storm, stretching high into the sky, completely dwarfing the ship. Someone says in awe, "SO THAT'S THE RED LINE? I CAN'T EVEN SEE THE TOP BECAUSE OF THE CLOUDS!"

Luffy yells orders to the crew, "GET A GOOD GRIP OF THE RUDDER SO WE DON'T GET DRAGGED DOWN UNDER!" Sanji and Zoro are straining to hold the ship's rudder against the powerful current. They reply confidently, "JUST LEAVE IT TO US!" Nami looks on in awe, "AMAZING. I CAN'T BELIEVE IT..." The ship approaches the mountain, and a massive waterway is visible, with water literally flowing upwards. "THE OCEAN IS... REALLY GOING UP A MOUNTAIN... IT'S THE ENTRANCE TO THE WATERWAY!" Luffy suddenly panics, "WE'RE VEERING OFF COURSE! TURN A LITTLE TO THE RIGHT!" Usopp yells, "RIGHT!? TURN STARBOARD!" The ship is heading dangerously close to the stone gates of the waterway entrance.

The rudder suddenly snaps under the immense pressure of the current. Sanji and Zoro fall back as the wood splinters. "THE RUDDER JUST..." The ship is now hurtling uncontrollably towards the solid stone wall of the entrance. Usopp and Luffy look on in absolute horror, their eyes bulging. "WE'RE GONNA CRASH!" Luffy quickly acts, stretching his arms back and inhaling deeply. "GOMU GOMU... BALLOON!"

Luffy inflates his body into a massive balloon and positions himself between the ship's figurehead and the stone wall. The ship crashes into Luffy, bouncing off his inflated body with a loud "BOING" sound effect, saving the ship from being destroyed against the rocks. Nami cries tears of relief, "WE'RE SAVED!" As Luffy deflates and is thrown back towards the ship, Zoro reaches out his hand, yelling, "LUFFY! GRAB ONTO MY HAND!"

Zoro successfully grabs Luffy's hand, pulling him back onto the ship just in time. Someone shouts triumphantly, "WE DID IT!" The Going Merry is now sailing rapidly up the steep, rushing waterway of Reverse Mountain. The crew is scattered around the deck, holding on tightly as the ship ascends the incredible incline.

The ship reaches the very top of Reverse Mountain, bursting through the clouds into the sunlight. The crew cheers, "YAHOO!" Luffy looks around in amazement, "OHHH! WHOA..." The ship crests the peak and begins its descent down the other side. "NOW ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS GO DOWN!" Luffy sits on the sheep figurehead, looking forward with a huge grin. "I CAN SEE THE GRAND LINE UP AHEAD!"

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