Chapter 9: Target! West Blue!
The moon casts a gentle glow, ushering in the morning light that dispels the darkness.
Adrian faces the dressing mirror, meticulously adjusting his shirt's collar and cuffs.
His outfit comprises a white dress shirt, a black tailcoat, a half-height top hat, and leather boots—delivered the previous night, it now serves as his 'work uniform' for the upcoming field mission. Working as a secret agent demands discretion, and even without overtly displaying the World Government's authority, one must uphold its reputation.
While not particularly luxurious, this work uniform stands as the finest attire Adrian has worn in the past two years.
He reaches out to tweak the hat's brim, a faint smile gracing his youthful face beneath. Paired with his slightly elongated eyes, there's a subtle yet proud air about him.
Perfect!
Adrian takes a last look at his modest room, his luggage already prepared. Without a trace of nostalgia, he turns away.
At the entrance, Dawson, also in a black suit, stands nonchalantly, observing the jungle beyond.
"Good morning, Dawson. The weather is nice today," Adrian greeted with a cheerful smile.
"Is it?" Dawson looked up at the sky and then lowered his head. "You seem a bit different today."
"Of course I'm different," Adrian grinned. "Today is the happiest I've been in the last two years."
'That's not what I meant...' Dawson silently thought. Today's Adrian gave off an unfamiliar vibe, something he hadn't sensed before, and it made him uneasy.
Dawson trusted his instincts. Although he felt his brain wasn't too smart, this beast-like intuition had always benefited him.
"I hope your good mood can last until the end of the mission!"
At this moment, just like a ghost appearing out of nowhere, Kumadori Yamanbako suddenly appeared, her voice still unpleasant.
"I got it, Instructor Yamanbako," Adrian responded with a narrowed smile, casually throwing a glance at the old woman.
[Based on your level and attributes, you have obtained the following information.]
[Kumadori Yamanbako] (Yellow Name)
[Level: LV45]
[Attributes: Strength 59, Agility 73, Stamina 48, Intelligence 7, Charm 9, Luck?]
[Abilities: [Six Forms], [Concealed Presence], [Intermediate Marksmanship], ?]
[Danger Level: Medium]
It's really unexpected... so weak!
Adrian's mood brightened even more. He had learned from Dawson yesterday that they would be accompanied by the Yamanbako on their mission. Although he didn't know if they would be together all the way. The weaker the Yamanbako was, the less resistance he would have to face, making his plan easier to execute.
Before setting out, the Witch instructed the two of them, "Remember to stick close to me later! Also, don't try to memorize the safe routes in the jungle; they change constantly!"
The old witch's tone carried a hint of warning, especially directed at Adrian. "Especially you, Adrian!"
"Don't worry, Instructor. I'm not someone who doesn't know the rules." Adrian replied calmly on the surface, but inwardly he chuckled. He wasn't planning to come back anyway, so why bother remembering the safe route? Well, who knows? Better be a bit more cautious, just in case.
Dawson and Adrian, guided by the Mountain Witch, silently traversed through the safe zone, danger zone, and lethal zone, reaching the outskirts of the dense forest without any hindrance.
As far as the eye could see, the azure sea sparkled with a golden radiance under the morning sunlight. Seagulls cried out as they soared high, releasing an irresistible charm that dazzled the senses.
This was... the taste of freedom!
Adrian involuntarily stopped in his tracks, his heart in his chest began to beat violently, contracting into a ball and then suddenly swelling, causing his body to tremble gently.
Dawson, standing nearby, had a similar expression.
"I knew it, every little devil sent out for field missions for the first time has this look when they see the sea," commented the old witch with a nonchalant tone. "Alright, there will be plenty of opportunities for you to sail on the sea in the future! Now, board the ship!"
"Yes, Instructor!" x2
Next to the winding coastline, a medium-sized wooden sailboat had been waiting here for quite some time. The immaculate sails bore the enormous emblem of the World Government.
During the boarding process, Adrian couldn't help but ask, "Instructor Yamanbako, I forgot to confirm with you earlier, is the destination for my and Dawson's mission indeed the West Blue?"
"Of course! Are you doubting your commanding officer?" Instructor witch replied somewhat impatiently.
"I dare not." Adrian said, "It's just that I'm a bit curious. Isn't this small island inside the Grand Line? How can we get to the West Blue? As far as I know, for people from the Four Seas to come to the Grand Line, unless they can fly, they have to pass through the Reverse Mountain, or else they have to cross the Calm Belt at great risk. Since it's so difficult for people from the Four Seas to come to the Grand Line, it must be equally difficult to return from the Grand Line, right?"
"Your talk too much, but you do read carefully. It seems I didn't pick the wrong person after all," said Yamanbako, raising an eyebrow. "Unfortunately, your approach still has some issues! Wanting to go to the West Blue doesn't mean you have to take the sea route."
"What do you mean?"
"Do you think we're using this ship to go directly to the West Blue?" leaning against the ship's railing, Yamanbako reached out and said. "Of course not! We're just using this ship to get to the Red Earth Continent (Red Line)!"
"We're not taking the sea route; we're going over the wall!"
"I see, so we're crossing the Red Earth Continent that spans the entire planet?" Adrian suddenly realized, this was indeed one of his blind spots.
But then his expression became somewhat strange.
"So, you're saying our first destination is the residence of the Celestial Dragons, the Holy Land, Mary Geoise?"
Yamanbako exclaimed, "Why do we need to go to Mary Geoise? We're not heading to the New World!"
(XD don't know what this is all about. Just go with the flow. Geography is a wack-o.)
Suddenly, Adrian realized something.
The way to cross the Red Line is not limited to just traversing through Marie Geoise.
The Red Line is a vast ring-like continent which wraps around the entire world, east of the North and West Blues and west of the South and East Blues.
To put it plainly, Marie Geoise is just the connecting point of "land" between Paradise and the New World. If you want to reach the New World from the first half of the Grand Line, unless you can fly, you have only two paths: crossing Marie Joie or going beneath to the Fish-Man Island.
Adrian and the group were currently heading to the West Blue. Naturally, they don't need to pass through Mary Geoise; all they have to do is find any piece of land on the Red Line that borders the West Blue and cross over from there.
The days of sailing on the ocean are long and leisurely. While the weather in the first half of the Grand Line is relatively harsh, it's not as unpredictable as the latter half in the New World, where the seas are notorious for their supernatural and ever-changing nature.
After more than ten days, Adrian and his group finally arrived at their destination—the little-known allied country beneath the Red Earth Continent, a distance unknown from Mary Geoise.
The time spent crossing the Red Earth Continent was even longer than maritime navigation. After a month of various twists and turns, Adrian finally laid eyes on their destination—the West Blue!