Chapter 107
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The second deck of the sea restaurant, initially used for storage, had been transformed into Meowth's workshop after a simple renovation.
Occasional sounds of electrical zapping and explosions echoed from inside, accompanied by plumes of black smoke, causing Zyhark some concern about whether the single-mast sailboat, gifted by the carpenter of Windmill Village, could withstand such abuse.
Indeed, the Endless Dream seemed far more fragile compared to Meowth, who had survived numerous blasts unscathed.
Fortunately, the ship had Aqua, whose excellent craftsmanship could perfectly repair any damage caused by explosions and even add exquisite carvings. In these matters, Aqua, typically known for causing trouble, played a reassuring role.
As a reward, Zyhark retrieved a bottle of high-quality sake from a hidden cabinet under the restaurant's counter, previously purchased in Loguetown.
"Is this that superbly delicious special sake?!" Aqua, dressed in a pure white work uniform and holding a small wooden hammer, lit up at the sight of the premium bottle.
After her disbelief came endless joy and excitement.
"Wuwuwu, Zyhark-sama, I had no idea, no idea you would consider my feelings so thoughtfully!"
"You truly deserve to be the high priest of the Church of Axis, from now on, you shall hold a sacred status as high as the Water Goddess herself!"
Aqua was moved to tears, clutching the sake to her chest and rubbing her cheek affectionately against the smooth bottle, a blissful smile on her face.
Although she hadn't regretted spending two million Berries on an egg, every time she thought about her beloved sake turning to bubbles, she felt a strong sense of injustice.
She even had grand plans to sneak into the kitchen every night for a big drink.
Little did she expect Zyhark, usually so stingy, to actually buy her sake!
"...You're ungrateful," Zyhark commented, his mouth twitching slightly.
For some reason, being put on a pedestal alongside the Water Goddess by Aqua herself felt oddly like an insult!
Unable to wait, Aqua popped the cork and took a deep sniff at the bottle's neck, displaying a look of utter intoxication before contentedly resealing it.
This was no prank but genuinely top-grade sake.
"Then, Zyhark-sama, I'm going to clean the toilet now~"
With the sake in hand, Aqua, usually too lazy to bother, suddenly found herself full of energy.
This unexpected enthusiasm pleasantly surprised Zyhark.
If a bottle or two of fine sake could motivate this goddess to work actively, then it was definitely a profitable exchange!
Half an hour later, Aqua, now dressed in a goddess-style mini skirt, lay sprawled on the sofa, munching on fried chicken and sipping cola, occasionally sucking the cumin powder off her fingers...
With her actions, Aqua successfully shattered Zyhark's beautiful dream: the positive buff from a bottle of fine sake lasted only a miserably short half hour.
After a satisfying meal, with nothing better to do, Aqua went back to caring for the gigantic egg housed in a birdcage, offering it leftover chicken bones as if asking if it wanted to gnaw on them.
After previously treating the egg like a plant by watering it, she now regarded it as a dog that would wag its tail for bones.
Zyhark shook his head at her antics: one truly needed an incredibly unique neural circuit to match Aqua's brain!
Little one, hang in there! Stay strong until the day you break out of your shell!
He silently cheered for the creature inside the massive egg.
Meanwhile, King, sitting in a corner of the restaurant wearing a casual T-shirt, was deep in thought, his brows furrowed.
His stern expression combined with his fierce face exuded an intense aura.
"Thirty kilograms is my limit for ten seconds, is that all I can handle?"
Indeed, the source of King's great distress was merely the thirty-kilogram dumbbell resting on the floor.
Despite the obvious improvement from his training—he initially struggled even with twenty kilograms—King was not satisfied with the pace.
After learning about the Grand Line from newspapers, the region known as the pirate graveyard, he felt a constant urgency not to fall behind.
Although Zyhark mentioned that Meowth's robots could significantly enhance his combat ability, King, having never operated such devices, had little confidence.
After all, he was just a man good at video games!
With this thought, King's gaze hardened. He stood up, reached for the dumbbell on the floor, and embarked on a new path of training amidst the sounds of explosions from Meowth's robot research.
Loguetown is the closest town in the East Blue to the Grand Line, frequented only by daring pirates and navy personnel on missions. Thus, after half a day's sailing, they encountered no legitimate tourists or merchant ships.
As for pirates seeking free meals, they had become a rare species—by now, who hadn't heard of the fearsome reputation of the sea restaurant, the Endless Dream?
With time on his hands, Zyhark decided to practice his sword skills with the Sandai Kitetsu and Yubashiri, honing his two types of Haki in preparation for entering the Grand Line.
Time slipped away in this rare tranquility.
Three days later, as the Endless Dream navigated through the stormy waters unscathed, a massive red cliff that reached into the clouds appeared before them.
This was the Red Line, the supercontinent that divides the sea into four parts along with the Grand Line.
Standing on the second deck, Zyhark and his crew let the cold sea breeze mixed with fine rain wash over their faces.
"There, that's Reverse Mountain, the only passage into the Grand Line, formed by four upward currents that merge at the peak before cascading down into the Grand Line," Zyhark explained, following the East Blue sea chart to a unique gap at the base of the Red Line.
The upward currents created channels that rushed towards the peak, merging with currents from the other seas before plummeting down into the Grand Line.
"Aqua, King, and Meowth, are you ready?" Zyhark asked, turning to his crew.
"Of course! I'm really looking forward to it, the most exciting part of the pirate world!"
Aqua's blue eyes sparkled with intelligence and her smile was radiant. After this period of adventure and camaraderie, not only did she lack the urge to return to the divine realm, but she was also eager to experience more interesting and adorable things with Zyhark, including fine wines.
So, conquering that sea was naturally the next step!
"The treasures there must be unimaginable, Meow!" Meowth's eyes gleamed with greed and a desire to become even more powerful.
"Uh-huh."
Compared to Aqua and Meowth's expressive faces, King, with his arms crossed, just nodded quietly.
His face seemed to scorn and disdain the Grand Line, but his rapidly beating heart revealed his anxiety, although he maintained a façade of calm.
But even in fear, King stood tall and confident, determined to follow through with his decisions as a man.
Looking at his somewhat unconventional crew, Zyhark took a deep breath and gazed towards Reverse Mountain.
"Let's go then!"
"To the Grand Line!"
(End of Chapter)