Chapter 122

"The reverse mountain is up ahead, captain," I heard Elly shout, and I smiled as I made my way out of the captain's cabin, immediately noticing the great red mountain range that towered over everything in sight.

"The stream on the reverse mountain should be fast enough," Laffite said from behind the black pearl' wheel. "I'll deactivate the jet belt for now to avoid any accident," he added, and I nodded at him as he went on to fiddle with the Dials near him.

It didn't take us long to ride the currents of the reverse mountain under Laffite's expert steering skills, quickly reaching the center of the mountain with multiple pathways in front of us.

"Hurry up and take us to the grand line, Laffite," I exclaimed with a smile and an expression that was full of anticipation and eagerness. "We've wasted enough time in the blues," I added, and Laffite quickly obliged, steering the black pearl into the grand line's exist.

I smiled as I felt the wind hitting my face as we began our descent towards the grand line via the reverse stream, feeling a rush of excitement. Though I've experienced similar feelings before when we crossed to north blue from west blue, and then some when we used the knock-up stream, this feeling will never get old.

We all had smiles on their faces as we took the final step to reaching the grand line, except for Law, who had a look of grim determination while gazing ahead, but that didn't last long. A dumbfounded expression quickly replaced his frown as one of the barrels on the black pearl's deck exploded, revealing a polar bear mink that promptly began puking on the deck.

"What the hell are you doing here, Bepo?" Law asked with a frown as he made his way towards the polar bear. "Hey, law," Bepo replied with a blue expression on his face as he held his stomach.

"Don't hey me, what are you doing here?" Law asked again with a frown while massaging his forehead. "I got inside the wrong barrel...?" Bepo replied calmly, but he seemed to be asking a question rather than answering one.

I looked at the scowling Law and the panicking Bepo with a smile as the ship still rushed through the reverse stream without stopping. I had already known about Bepo sneaking into the ship, but I didn't really mind having him on my black pearl, so I didn't stop him.

I had seen him rummaging around the barrels when he thought that no one was watching before we left Swallow island. I didn't think much of it then, but it all made sense when I didn't see him with the people who came to bid us farewell when we left.

"I thought I told you, you aren't ready for the grand line," Law said with a sigh. "Don't let everyone's cheerful attitudes fool you," he added while pointing at

"Everyone on this ship is stronger than you, and they are all prepared to die at any time despite their strength," he concluded as he walked towards the polar bear, giving him a chop on his furry head.

"Well, he's already here, so getting angry won't solve anything," I said with a smile as I walked towards the duo. "Unless you want to send him swimming back to Swallow island," I added with narrowed eyes as I turned to look at Bepo, causing him to shiver in nervousness.

"That's always an option, you know," I remarked, putting on a toothy smile that promised pain as I kept looking at Bepo. "Stop bullying Bepo, captain," Elly said with a pout as she stood between the polar bear and me.

"Look at him! He could faint from fright after looking at your scary face at any second now," she said as she began putting patting Bepo's head. "I'm sorry I got so frightened," Bepo began profusely, apologizing while repeatedly bowing his head in front of Elly.

"Rehaha, there's no point in quarreling about this matter any longer," I laughed while shaking my head. "The grand line's entrance is already in front of us, and there's a battle waiting for us," I added, and everyone smiled as they began to prepare themselves for the fight, except for Bepo, who had no idea what was going on, of course.

It didn't take us long to reach the exit of the waterway, and we were a dozen or so warships received us at the entrance of the grand line, all of them promptly firing their cannons at the black pearl.

"Cloud Wall," Laffite exclaimed, quickly jumping in front of the ship and creating a gigantic cloud wall that absorbed the incoming cannon rounds.

"Cloud wall, release," Laffite exclaimed again with a smirk, changing the pressure of the clouds and shooting the cannonballs his clouds absorbed right back at their owners. Still, his attack didn't have great accuracy, but it still did a number on the ship thanks to the ungodly amount of Cannon rounds.

"Everyone get to work. Let's hurry up and crush these losers so we can get on with our lives," I said with a smile as I watched several portals appear in front of one of the ships, absorbing the cannonballs Laffite shot back.

"There's a guy with a dangerous devil fruit with them, so be careful," I instructed as I flew into the air, heading straight for the ship with the portals.

The bounty hunters didn't intend to let me pass through without any trouble, quickly firing bullets along with other assorted projectiles in my direction. I merely grinned as I phased through everything, not looking away from my target for a single second.

I reached the ship and promptly drew Triton, initiating the fight with a gigantic Dread Tide slash that charged towards the bounty hunters' ship, intending to swallow it whole.

"Mirror portal!" a man dressed in heavy black clothing that covered his entire body, including his face, exclaimed as he gestured weirdly with his hand, creating a gigantic portal that swallowed my attack.

Still, that wasn't the end as my attack came out of the portal, heading straight back towards me. "Interesting," I said as I charged towards my own strike in the air, deflecting it away towards another ship and quickly resuming my charge towards my target.

The man in heavy clothing stilled for a second at how easily I managed to deflect his counter-attack, but he shook his head and opened several portals near him, throwing several objects into them.

I didn't flinch for even a second as several portals appeared near me, shooting their contents at me as I activated my phasing ability, harmlessly passing through.

"If that's all you have, then you might as do yourself a favor and fall over a sword or something before I reach you," I said while looking the portal man in what I assumed was his eyes.

-0-

Third person's point of view:

Marine ford, inside the fleet admiral's office.

A marine soldier hastily made his way inside the office, saluting as he waited for Sengoku to give him permission to report.

"Report, marine," the fleet admiral said in a calm tone as he dropped the papers he had on the desk in front of him. "Sir, the bounty hunter fleet near the twin capes is engaged with another pirate ship as we speak," the soldier reported with a straight back, talking calmly and quickly.

"Hmm? What pirate crew are they fighting this time?" Sengoku asked with a frown, wondering why his subordinates brought such a matter to his attention.

"They are fighting the silver hand pirates, sir," the marine soldier replied, and the Sengoku frowned with a thought full expression, which sent the soldier the wrong message. "They are a pirate crew that originated from west blue, but they disappeared a while ago and reappeared in north blue," the soldier quickly explained.

"What are your orders, sir?" the soldier asked after a second of silence. "We have several marine ships under the command of several captains and commodores near that area," the soldier explained, waiting for a reply.

"There's no need for us to do anything," Sengoku replied with a shake of his head. "This particular group of bounty hunters has a bad reputation, and regardless of who won or lost in that battle will be a good thing," Sengoku added as he picked his paperwork, diving right back into it.

"Let them take each other out and inform me of the result when it's over," the fleet admiral concluded, not bothering to raise his eyes from the paperwork in his hand as the soldier saluted and promptly left to relay the orders.