Red Line Again

Check out my new novels! "Reincarnated as A's Heir!" (Naruto-Haku), "Reincarnated As Shiba Clan's Heir!" (Bleach-Gin), and "Reincarnated As Young King of Meteor City" (Meruem-HxH). Come on people! I need your help! Add them to your library!

--

With the fresh upgrades to the Bead Rider, Jack steered towards the direction pointed by the Log Pose. It was a curious thing - the needle pointed downward instead of a compass direction. It was the infamous Fishman Island, the unavoidable mid-stop of the Grand Line that segregated Paradise from the New World. However, Jack had another destination in mind before he would venture into that underwater realm - the Sabaody Archipelago.

Cradling both Aria and Robin in his lap, Jack guided the Bead Rider with a calm demeanor. The two girls sat wide-eyed, the excitement and curiosity brimming in their expressions. Aria, brave and spirited, kept her eyes fixated on the horizon, a tiny version of her father's determined gaze.

"Daddy," she piped, her voice filled with wonder, "is that the Red Line?"

Standing right behind them, Titi, Olvia, and Amelia watched as Jack's eyes flickered with acknowledgment. "Yes, Princess," he answered, a hint of warmth coloring his otherwise cool voice. "That's the Red Line. The biggest mountain range in the world."

Robin, imitating the conversation, let out a joyful "Red Line!" and clapped her small hands together. A ripple of amusement passed through the adults as Olvia gently ruffled her daughter's hair.

"Behemoth of nature," Titi murmured, her eyes wide as she took in the sight. The adventurer in her couldn't help but marvel at the monstrous natural wall stretching as far as their eyes could see. Amelia and Olvia shared a similar awe, their faces reflecting the spectacle they were witnessing.

The Bead Rider steadily approached the colossal mountain range, the newly installed mechanism humming steadily as it prepared for the daunting task ahead. The water around them shimmered with anticipation, mirroring the electric feel in the air.

"Daddy, is Red Line the same as the one we passed to enter Grand Line?" Aria asked, her gaze never leaving the towering mountain range. Her father's words sparked her curiosity, and she turned her bright eyes up to him, seeking further understanding.

Jack, who had been watching their approach to the Red Line, turned his gaze down to his daughter. His usually icy eyes softened when he looked at her, the curious light in her eyes making a fond smile pull at his lips. "Yes, Princess," he responded, wrapping an arm around her to pull her closer. "The Red Line we see here is the same as the one we passed to get into the Grand Line."

Aria's eyebrows furrowed in concentration as she tried to understand. "But...we travelled so far. How is it possible?" Her voice was filled with childlike confusion, but her determination to understand reflected her father's indomitable spirit.

Jack chuckled, the sound soft and barely audible over the hum of the Bead Rider. "The Red Line," he began, his voice steady as he sought the right words to explain, "is like a great belt that encircles the entire world. It runs from the North to the South Pole, splitting the ocean into two halves - East Blue and West Blue on one side, and North Blue and South Blue on the other. It intersects the Grand Line at two points, creating four seas in total."

Robin, in her toddler excitement, copied the last word, her voice echoing with joy. "Seas!" Her laughter spread across the deck, causing everyone to share in her delight.

Aria, lost in her father's explanation, nodded slowly, a look of realization lighting her eyes. "So, we're at another point of intersection now?" she asked, seeking confirmation.

"Yes," Jack affirmed, ruffling her hair fondly. "That's right, Princess."

The awe in Aria's eyes as she gazed at the towering mountain range was mirrored by every adult on the boat. Each person onboard, from Titi with her wanderlust-filled eyes to Ponis, a girl who'd only dreamt of this world, looked at the Red Line with a renewed sense of wonder.

The Red Line, a gargantuan wall that bore the weight of the world's oceans, stood as a testament to nature's unyielding power. It was a sight that compelled respect, its towering peaks casting an imposing shadow that could make anyone feel insignificant.

As the Bead Rider steadily moved closer, the looming challenge began to truly set in. However, there was no fear in the eyes of the people on board, only determination and a sense of purpose that echoed in their hearts. They had come this far, overcoming every hurdle the Grand Line had thrown their way, and they would conquer this one too.

Jack looked at the mountain and log pose one last time before he changed the route of the Bead Rider, "Before that, we will go to Sabaody Archipelago." His voice cut through the silence that had wrapped the vessel in anticipation.

"Sabaody Archipelago?" Aria echoed, her wide eyes looking up at her father. "What is that, Daddy?"

"It's a place," Jack began, choosing his words carefully, "that's very different from any island we've been to." He met his daughter's curious gaze. "It's like a forest growing out from the middle of the ocean. Each tree of the forest is like an island."

Aria tilted her head, her mind painting the picture her father described. "Trees in the ocean?" she asked, her eyebrows furrowing. "But how can trees grow in water?"

The grown-ups on board shared amused smiles. Amelia gently caressed Aria's hair, her eyes filled with fondness. "It's a special kind of tree, Aria," she chimed in, her voice light. "Think of them as giant mangroves that have learned to live with the sea."

The group watched as the spark of understanding lit up in Aria's eyes, her imagination now wrapping around the idea. Her gaze shifted back to her father, her thirst for knowledge unabated. "Why are we going there, Daddy?"

"It is the last island before the New World. It is one of the places I wanted to see," Jack answered, not looking down at his daughter. His gaze was fixed ahead, on the horizon, where a shimmering haze was the first hint of the distant archipelago. As he spoke, a glint sparked in his eyes - a glint that none of the others noticed, a spark promising a firestorm of bloodshed.

"Last island?" Aria repeated, the words resonating with a finality that made her gaze shift towards the haze. Her little mind grappled with the enormity of what her father had just shared.

It wasn't just the destination but the voyage that held value - a voyage that had shown her worlds beyond her wildest dreams. Every island they'd visited had presented them with countless stories, adding to the grand tale of their journey. Now, they were reaching the last page of that chapter, and her heart fluttered in anticipation.

"Yes, Princess," Jack confirmed, his calm voice barely audible over the steady hum of the Bead Rider. "The last one before we embark on the next stage of our journey."

----

Read 45(15 chapters for each novel) advanced chapters in my Patreon!

patreon.com/IWriteFanfic