[If we hit 1000 PS before the end of this week, I will drop 5 extra bonus chapters.]
Bonus for 200 PS, next bonus at 400 PS :)
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"My employer, how should we deal with this guy?"
Caelan pointed at Mr. 9.
Since Vivi had now become a valuable client, the decision regarding the insignificant Mr. 9 was left to her.
"He is my companion after all, and he has always taken good care of me."
Vivi looked hesitant. She had gotten along well with Mr. 9 and didn't want to kill him so easily.
Angel… Miss Wednesday, you are truly an angel!
Mr. 9 looked at Vivi with tears of gratitude streaming down his face. He was overwhelmed with emotion.
"Rough him up a bit so he cannot report back for at least seven days."
Vivi turned her back to Mr. 9, frowning as she made her decision.
In order not to jeopardize her great mission of saving her country, she had no choice but to make this decision.
"I understand."
Caelan nodded. This kind of small matter was easy to handle.
In fact, it didn't really matter whether they let Mr. 9 go or not, because Crocodile had already learned Vivi's true identity.
The information Vivi had discovered about Crocodile was simply bait, intended for Nico Robin to fish out their enemies.
"Will you hate me for this?"
Caelan walked up to Mr. 9 and looked down at him.
Mr. 9's tearful eyes widened as he shook his head frantically.
Hate Caelan? How could he possibly dare!
Caelan nodded in satisfaction, then....
Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!
"Ahhh!"
The pain was unbearable. Mr. 9's eyes overflowed with hot tears as his face contorted into a grimace of agony, twisted by intense suffering.
"Don't be a pirate again. It will only get you killed."
Caelan spoke calmly, as if offering a simple piece of advice.
"I will never be a pirate again!"
Mr. 9 sobbed, nodding desperately, his eyes full of tears.
Being a pirate was far too dangerous. He just wanted to be a good person now!
Mr. 9 felt that it would take a lifetime to heal the trauma he suffered in just half a day.
Caelan nodded with satisfaction. Another lost lamb saved. His merits were immeasurable.
He placed Mr. 9 along with some food onto the small boat they had come in, and the Wind Rider gradually sailed away.
…
"Let's head to Whiskey Peak first. I need to meet with my captain of the guard."
"After that, we'll go to Alabasta to save my country."
Vivi's captain of the guard was still undercover at Whiskey Peak. She had to rendezvous with Igaram first.
"By the way, do you have a Log Pose ready?"
Vivi turned to Nami and asked.
This was the first test for any newcomer entering the Grand Line. Without a Log Pose, it was easy to lose one's way and eventually die at sea.
"Because some islands in the Grand Line contain massive mineral deposits, the magnetic fields along the route are completely disordered."
"In this situation, only a Log Pose unaffected by the magnetic field can be trusted."
Vivi patiently explained to Nami.
Most newcomers to the Grand Line didn't understand this. She had seen many of them fail.
Nami pulled out an ordinary compass, but it was already spinning wildly under the influence of the magnetic field, completely useless.
"Caelan, do we have a Log Pose?"
Nami looked at Caelan, questioning.
She was from the East Blue and didn't know much about this.
But Nami was not disappointed. As expected, Caelan was well prepared.
"Don't worry, I have it."
Caelan answered calmly and tossed two Log Poses to Nami.
These were left behind by the Arlong Pirates—one ordinary Log Pose, and one Eternal Pose pointing to the Sabaody Archipelago.
The Log Pose was their preparation for traveling the Grand Line, while the Eternal Pose was their way home.
"There's no scale, only the island's magnetic field to guide the direction. This is incredible."
Nami stared at the Log Pose in her hand.
It was completely different from an ordinary compass. This was a brand-new world to her.
"The Log Pose needs to be set at Twin Cape, and once you choose a route, you can't change it afterward."
"Also, each time you reach an island, the Log Pose needs to recharge from the magnetic field, and the recharge time can range from one day to one year."
With Vivi's guidance, Nami quickly learned how to use the Log Pose and set their first route toward Whiskey Peak.
"Then our next destination is Whiskey Peak. Let's go!"
With a clear goal in mind, Nami felt energized.
Following the Log Pose's guidance, the Wind Rider sailed toward Whiskey Peak.
At first, the sky was clear and the sea was calm.
But as soon as they left Twin Cape completely, the weather changed dramatically.
Thick fog covered the sea, and extreme weather like strong winds, heavy rain, and snow appeared one after another.
"Turn around, we're off course!"
The worst part for Nami was that, after not checking the Log Pose for a while, the ship's direction had almost reversed.
"The sea here is like this. Both the weather and wind direction are unpredictable and unreliable."
"Only the Log Pose's guidance remains steady. It's the navigator's only true lifeline."
Vivi was unsurprised.
Every journey here involved going off course more than once.
Sweating nervously, Nami quickly issued commands to correct their course.
"Trim the sail to the wind, catch the breeze from starboard, rudder 15 degrees to port to avoid the iceberg, open the jib and adjust the angle constantly…"
Fortunately, the mistake was caught in time. With Nami's quick and precise orders, the Wind Rider soon returned to the correct route.
"There are challenges everywhere here. A single mistake means failure. So this is the Grand Line…"
Nami lowered her head and muttered to herself.
All of her previous navigation knowledge had been overturned on these seas.
The skills she had been so proud of seemed powerless here.
The series of setbacks left her feeling a little frustrated.
Standing on deck, Caelan was enjoying the wonders of nature when he noticed Nami's low spirits.
"Have confidence. You can handle this."
Caelan gently patted Nami's head, giving her the encouragement she needed as a navigator.
With her talent, these difficulties were nothing.
It was just that, as a newcomer to the Grand Line, she had been caught off guard.
"You did a really good job. You're the most talented navigator I've ever met!"
Tashigi gave Nami a big thumbs-up, full of genuine admiration.
This wasn't just empty comfort. She truly felt Nami's talent.
Even when facing extreme weather, her instincts and leadership were outstanding.
Compared to the navigators on Navy warships, she was even more impressive.
"Yes, when it comes to navigation talent, I'd call you the strongest!"
Vivi also praised Nami sincerely. The only thing she lacked was time and experience.
Hearing the encouragement from the three of them, Nami's eyes lit up again.
Fighting against the sea… that's the fun of being a navigator!
She would follow Caelan and conquer these seas.
Ignited with passion, Nami resumed command. Neither heavy rain nor snow could stop the Wind Rider's advance.
"It's an island!"
Nami exhaled a breath of relief, her mood lifting.
"What a huge cactus!"
Tashigi marveled at the cactus-like island ahead.
"We made it safely. This is Whiskey Peak!"
Vivi smiled as well.
Every successful voyage across the Grand Line was something to celebrate.
Looking at the island ahead, Caelan smiled.
There would definitely be some interesting people waiting on this island.
(To be continued.)
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