Sailing the vast ocean was, in truth, an incredibly monotonous affair. As far as the eye could see, there was only an endless expanse of blue seawater, occasionally blending with the equally boundless sky.
After seven days of sailing, Sephiroth's initial dislike for the Grand Line's changing weather gradually faded, unconsciously transforming into a kind of 'small surprise' that added a touch of variety to his monotonous daily routine. Of course, there were also times when 'big surprises' occurred that could threaten their lives.
For instance, the colossal Sea Kings that would suddenly emerge from the depths, or continuous layers of 'rogue waves' that crashed relentlessly against the ship. Each time, it felt like a narrow escape from death! If not for Sandersonia's navigating prowess and Marigold's skillful steering, Sephiroth felt this ship would surely not have escaped those two 'big surprises.'
The Grand Line... Sephiroth gradually began to understand why people called it by this name. Unpredictable weather, extraordinary races and islands, endless adventures—all coalesced into a grand outline brimming with mystery and peril.
A gentle sea breeze brushed against Hancock's beautiful face, causing a few strands of her black hair to sway in the wind. The young girl sat on the small deck stairs inside the ship's hull, quietly observing the boy standing beneath the mast, constantly swinging his sword. In her eyes, a strange emotion flickered occasionally, a feeling she didn't recognize. She only knew that just by looking at the boy, she would feel immeasurable happiness in her heart.
"Sephiroth, why do you train so hard?"
Hearing this, the young man's sword-swinging movements paused for a moment, but in less than three seconds, he resumed swinging the sword in his hand forcefully.
"Because I want to become stronger... strong enough to protect the things I cherish... And I want to take revenge on a certain person! For this, absolute power is required!"
After this moment of recollection, Sephiroth finally remembered. The pirate ship that attacked the passenger ship he was on during the storm, the horned skull flag hanging above it, the Pirate group it belonged to... the Beasts Pirates! This was the Pirate group created by Kaido of the Beasts.
According to Sephiroth's estimation, at this time, Kaido should have already killed the foolish Kozuki Oden and turned Wano Country into his base. Although the pattern of the Four Emperors dividing the sea hadn't fully formed, undoubtedly, Kaido had already become one of the strongest Pirates in the second half of the Grand Line, in the New World!
The path the boy embarked on for revenge seemed long and winding. A true man's revenge is never too late, even after ten years! If that doesn't work, I'll wait another nineteen years... Wait until Monkey D. Luffy defeats Kaido, then I'll go to Wano Country to take his head and deliver two more blows to Kaido!
Thinking this, the breath Sephiroth held in his heart almost escaped, and he even wanted to start being lazy! NO! NO! In this world, weakness was the original sin. Without absolute power, whatever you possessed, it would be easily taken. Moreover, I told myself I would take revenge on the Beasts Pirates, and I definitely have to kill the fat guy, Queen. I must do what I say!
As the boy's resolve to become stronger was reaffirmed, dispelling doubts, his sword-swinging movements also became sharper.
Hancock was unaware of the boy's emotional shifts, but she somehow wanted to help the boy. "Sephiroth, do you bear a grudge against someone?"
"The Beasts Pirates, they killed my father..." The boy's voice was remarkably calm, yet it contained a hint of deeply suppressed killing intent.
"Oh!" Hancock nodded, asking no further, but simply memorizing the name of this Pirate group in her mind. She didn't know why she cared so much about the boy's words. Could it be that she just wanted to repay the boy for carefully looking after her for three days when she was sick?
From the mast, Sandersonia, holding a telescope in her hand, suddenly shouted to the three below when she saw a giant city that looked like a fountain in the distance: "Great! Water Seven, the Water City, we're finally here!"
Due to the Grand Line's incredibly chaotic magnetic fields, it was impossible to use a compass for ordinary navigation. Therefore, sailing the Grand Line required relying on Log Poses and Eternal Poses to locate islands. A Log Pose could remember the magnetic field of a specific island, and its pointer would point to the next island, whereas an Eternal Pose would always point towards a specific island.
Merchants involved in sea trade, or Marines, or Pirates, generally used Eternal Poses for short-distance sea voyages to quickly reach a specific island, thereby shortening sailing time. Of course, there were also certain islands that could not be reached or found with a Log Pose. These islands could only be guided by an Eternal Pose, such as special islands like Laugh Tale, Punk Hazard...
On this fast sailing ship, besides a Log Pose, there were only five Eternal Poses: Jaya Island, Sabaody Archipelago, Water Seven, Etol Island, and St. Popura Island. Among them, Water Seven was the closest island to Amazon Lily, and it was where Sephiroth's home was.
Water Seven was the city with the most advanced shipbuilding industry in the world. Even the ancient battleship 'Pluton' from eight hundred years ago was built by shipwrights on the island. In addition to being world-renowned for its shipbuilding industry, Water Seven was also unparalleled in the world for its hydraulic engineering construction and development. Intersecting waterways permeated the entire city.
However, it was worth noting that the sea train construction project connecting Water Seven to its surrounding islands had only just begun now. At this time, Franky was still a rebellious teenager, researching offensive weapons every day. Water Seven's future mayor, and president of the Galley-La Company, Iceberg, was still an ordinary shipwright. Currently, both were still apprentices at Tom's Workers, working for Tom, the legendary shipwright, to make a living.
After re-sheathing his sword, Sephiroth saw Marigold seemingly wanting to steer their ship directly into the port to dock, and he immediately spoke to stop her: "Don't take this ship into the port. Let's circle around to the right side. There's a place called the Abandoned Ship Island there."
"This ship isn't a pirate ship, there's no skull flag on it, so it should be okay to sail into the port and dock, right?" Hancock asked with a puzzled expression.
Hearing this, Sephiroth gently shook his head and reached out to stroke the crown of the black-haired girl's head. Boa Hancock's soft and beautiful hair felt incredibly comfortable to the touch, making him reluctant to let go. The young girl didn't feel any dislike towards the man's affectionate gesture, instead, she felt a hint of joy and pleasure she had never experienced before.
"Our ship may not be a Pirate ship, but have you ever thought that since those slave traders had an Eternal Pose for Water Seven, it's also very normal for them to have associated forces in this place, right?"
"I see." Hearing the boy's explanation, Hancock immediately understood and nodded, grasping the reasoning behind it. The four of them had taken everyone on the slave ship and seized the vessel. If they were discovered by people from related forces, they would definitely invite a lot of trouble and danger.
Instantly, Marigold turned the helm, sending the fast sailing ship circling around the island's edge, heading towards the Abandoned Ship Island...
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