Chapter 366: A New Destination

Chapter 366: Chapter 366: A New Destination

Chapter 366: A New Destination

Axel left the room and headed straight back toward the dining area.

Anyone could tell he was in a bad mood.

After the display of power outside and the suffocating pressure that had briefly spread through Baratie, no one was eager to approach him.

The silence lasted until Robin spoke.

"Something unpleasant happened?"

Axel glanced at her.

There was caution beneath her smile.

He understood why.

Robin had spent most of her life in the Underworld, surrounded by betrayal and people who treated trust as a weakness. Becoming a companion did not mean those habits would disappear overnight.

Axel let some of the darkness leave his expression.

"Just had a conversation with someone I don’t like."

Robin smiled lightly.

"Then I assume the conversation didn’t go well."

"Not particularly."

Axel sighed.

"He’s the kind of person who makes you want to cut him down on sight."

He looked toward the others.

"Chopper. Robin. Wapol."

"We’re leaving."

Whatever Tesoro intended to do, Axel could only prepare.

And the best preparation was to continue with his original plans rather than let Tesoro dictate his movements.

Then his gaze shifted toward Sanji.

Sanji noticed.

After seeing what Axel had done to the Krieg Pirates, he was no longer under any illusion that he could casually kick the white-haired glutton around if things went wrong.

Still, he met Axel’s gaze.

"Are you coming with me?" Axel asked.

Sanji answered immediately.

"No."

He lit another cigarette.

"The old man is irritating, but I’m staying here."

There was another reason he did not say aloud.

Zeff had saved his life.

Sanji had never forgotten the sacrifice that had made his survival possible.

Axel looked at him.

"What if I can take you to the All Blue?"

The room went quiet.

Several chefs froze.

Even Zeff stepped forward.

"The All Blue?"

He stared at Axel.

"You’re saying it actually exists?"

The legendary sea.

A place said to contain fish and ingredients from the East Blue, West Blue, North Blue, and South Blue all in one place.

Every chef had heard the story.

Almost none believed it.

The Red Line and Grand Line divided the world too completely for such a sea to sound possible.

"It exists," Axel said.

Sanji scoffed.

"You expect me to believe that?"

He waved one hand dismissively.

"Save stories like that for children."

"The All Blue is just a legend."

Zeff looked at him.

"Sanji."

Sanji turned.

"Go with him."

His cigarette nearly fell from his mouth.

"What?"

The voice was too familiar for him to misunderstand.

Sanji’s expression immediately sharpened.

"Old man, what the hell are you saying?"

He stepped toward Zeff.

"Don’t decide things for me!"

"I never said I was leaving!"

Zeff kept his face stern.

Inside, the decision hurt far more than he allowed anyone to see.

Sanji had grown up at Baratie.

To Zeff, he was family.

But Zeff had also heard enough over the years to know what Sanji truly wanted.

The boy dreamed of the sea beyond the East Blue.

Of adventure.

Of finding the All Blue.

Zeff could not let guilt become the chain that kept him there forever.

"You don’t owe me your life."

Sanji went still.

Zeff continued,

"Don’t abandon your dream because of what happened between us."

His voice softened slightly.

"Go."

"And if you find the All Blue..."

He looked directly at Sanji.

"Then you’ll have found my dream too."

Sanji’s expression shifted.

"Old man..."

Before the moment could become too emotional, Axel interrupted.

He had already raided part of the kitchen and was chewing on a handful of snacks.

"Sanji."

Sanji turned toward him irritably.

Axel spoke with his mouth half full.

"You’re making this sound much worse than it is."

"Sailing is pretty relaxing."

Sanji frowned.

"For example, whenever we reach a new island, there are shops."

Axel continued casually.

"Restaurants."

"Hot springs."

"Beaches."

Sanji’s eyebrow twitched.

"And naturally..."

Axel glanced toward him.

"Beautiful women."

Sanji’s imagination immediately ran out of control.

His body started trembling.

He pinched his nose to stop the beginnings of a nosebleed.

Several Baratie chefs looked away in embarrassment.

Axel leaned closer and whispered something into Sanji’s ear.

Sanji froze.

His last trace of resistance vanished.

He cleared his throat and straightened his clothes.

"Well."

He tried very hard to look dignified.

"If you actually know something about the All Blue, I suppose traveling with you for a while wouldn’t be impossible."

Then he quickly added,

"Of course, the main reason is Miss Robin."

"Not you."

Axel nodded as though that settled everything.

Then he walked straight toward the kitchen.

The chefs stared after him.

None dared stop him over a few ingredients.

While Axel was busy collecting supplies, Zeff approached Sanji.

His eyes briefly moved toward Robin, who was sitting nearby.

Robin noticed.

She smiled knowingly, closed her book, and walked a short distance away.

Sanji frowned.

"Old man, why’d you scare Miss Robin away?"

Zeff ignored the complaint.

"The Grand Line is worse than you think."

Sanji quieted slightly.

Zeff had been there.

He knew.

"If the people on that ship don’t treat their companions like companions, leave."

Sanji took a drag from his cigarette.

Zeff continued,

"Strength doesn’t tell you what kind of person someone is."

"I don’t know Axel well enough to judge him."

"And that woman..."

His eyes shifted toward Robin.

"She’s dangerous in a different way."

Sanji immediately objected.

"Miss Robin is wonderful."

Zeff’s cheek twitched.

That was exactly what worried him.

Someone as experienced as Robin could probably manipulate Sanji while telling him directly that she was manipulating him.

Sanji would still volunteer.

He exhaled a ring of smoke and adopted what he apparently believed was a mature expression.

"As long as Miss Robin stays aboard, I’m staying too."

He pointed to himself.

"A man has a duty to protect beautiful women."

Zeff stared at him.

His earlier concern had already become reality.

"...Do what you want."

Then Zeff remembered something.

"What did that brat whisper to you?"

Sanji stiffened.

"Ahem."

He turned away.

"Nothing important."

"Just more of what he was already saying."

Zeff stared suspiciously.

Sanji refused to elaborate.

By then, Axel had finished gathering supplies.

He took away a large portion of Baratie’s ingredients.

Calling it theft would have been slightly unfair.

He left valuables of roughly equivalent worth behind.

He simply completed the transaction without bothering to ask Zeff first.

Not long afterward, the ship departed.

...

"Are you absolutely sure we’re going the right way?"

Sanji stood at the helm, increasingly irritated.

"Yes."

Axel lounged comfortably on a deck chair with a drink beside him.

"And if we aren’t?"

"Then the map is wrong."

Sanji’s eye twitched.

Axel continued confidently,

"Wrong scale."

"Incorrect heading."

"Surveying error."

"Something like that."

Sanji turned halfway around.

"What kind of answer is that?!"

He pointed toward Axel.

"You haven’t even taken out a sea chart since we left!"

"Where is it?"

Axel lazily raised one hand.

Then tapped his temple.

Sanji stared.

"You memorized it?"

Axel nodded.

Sanji’s expression became worse.

"And the direction?"

Axel tapped his temple again.

Sanji’s face darkened.

"You’re navigating entirely from memory?"

Axel looked offended.

"And calculations."

"I’m going to lose my mind."

Sanji slapped both hands against the wheel.

Nearly a week had passed since they left Baratie.

During that time, they had not seen a single island.

At first, Sanji had not worried.

They had plenty of ingredients and could resupply once they reached another island.

But after days of open ocean, he was beginning to suspect Axel had simply pointed at the horizon and called it navigation.

Sanji sighed.

"Have you ever heard of Sarpa salpa?"

Chopper, who had just stepped onto the deck carrying medicine, immediately became interested.

"What’s that?"

Robin answered without looking up from her book.

"A type of fish."

She turned a page.

"Eating it can cause hallucinations."

Axel looked at Sanji.

"Are you saying I’m hallucinating?"

"No."

Sanji rubbed his forehead.

"I’m saying I might be hallucinating for ever believing you."

Chopper nodded as though he had learned something important.

Then he walked over to Axel and began preparing to apply medicine.

Sanji quickly looked away.

He already knew Axel was male.

Unfortunately, knowing that did very little to make the sight less confusing.

"Miss Robin..."

Sanji muttered the name repeatedly under his breath.

"Miss Robin... Miss Robin..."

Axel lifted his drink.

"I’m hungry."

Sanji slowly turned.

A vein appeared on his forehead.

"Are you treating me like a servant?"

Axel considered the question.

Sanji’s irritation increased.

"You made me steer this ship all week!"

"And now you want me to cook too?"

He pointed toward the wheel.

"Who’s supposed to steer while I’m in the kitchen?"

Chopper glanced at him.

Then at Axel.

He seemed about to say something.

He decided not to.

Robin kept reading.

Wapol lay nearby, stretching along the deck in boredom.

Axel answered casually.

"You don’t actually need to steer."

Sanji stared.

"What?"

"My ability can control the ship’s direction."

Axel took another sip.

"The wheel isn’t necessary."

Silence.

Sanji looked at the wheel.

Then at Axel.

Then back at the wheel.

"You mean..."

His voice became frighteningly calm.

"I’ve been standing here steering for days for no reason?"

"Pretty much."

Axel shrugged.

Sanji’s forehead twitched violently.

"You bastard!"

He raised one leg.

"I’M GOING TO KICK YOU OFF THE SHIP!"

Robin finally spoke.

"Mr. Sanji?"

Sanji froze instantly.

She looked up from her book.

"Would you mind preparing something to eat?"

Robin smiled.

"I think a good meal would be lovely right now."

Sanji transformed.

"Yes, Miss Robin!"

He spun toward the kitchen, eyes practically turning into hearts.

"I would gladly dedicate my entire existence to your meals!"

Axel watched him leave.

Then looked at Chopper.

"That was easy."

Chopper nodded.

Very easy.

The voyage continued.

Fortunately for Sanji’s remaining sanity, the chart Axel had memorized was accurate.

Eventually, the towering Red Line appeared ahead.

And cutting directly up its impossible slope was a roaring current.

Reverse Mountain.

Water flowed upward along the mountain itself, defying what common sense said should be possible.

It was one of the two main routes linking the four Blues with the Grand Line.

For most travelers, there were only two ways into that dangerous sea.

The first was crossing the Calm Belt.

Almost no sane sailor chose that route.

The Calm Belt was filled with enormous Sea Kings, and there was virtually no wind or natural current to help ordinary ships escape.

Even someone strong enough to kill a Sea King could still die if the creature destroyed the ship beneath them.

The second route was Reverse Mountain.

Five waterways cut through the mountain.

Four currents rose from the East Blue, West Blue, North Blue, and South Blue, forced upward by immense pressure.

Those currents met near the summit.

From there, a single channel descended into the Grand Line.

Axel did not actually need to use Reverse Mountain.

Between his own abilities and Big Shark, crossing the Calm Belt was entirely possible.

But Reverse Mountain was not the true destination.

Twin Cape was.

Axel stood near the bow, staring at the rising current ahead.

At the base of the Grand Line side of Reverse Mountain lived a lighthouse keeper.

Crocus.

And Crocus had once served as the ship doctor of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger.

With the conflict Tesoro had described beginning to spread across the world, Axel had no intention of rushing straight into it.

He had something more important to deal with first.

His body.

Chopper had already made the situation clear.

Fighting again in his current condition was dangerous.

If Axel wanted any control over what happened next, he needed to recover.

He did not know exactly how skilled Crocus was compared with Kureha.

But the man had treated Laboon’s enormous body, even creating passages and medical access points within the whale.

More importantly, he had sailed with Roger and helped extend the life of a man suffering from an incurable disease long enough to complete his final voyage.

That alone made Crocus worth finding.

Axel looked toward the current climbing Reverse Mountain.

Their next destination was waiting on the other side.

....

? QUICK NOTE FOR MY READERS

I’ve been working on a small side project outside of writing called THE ANCHOR, a Roblox social game for the community.

The beta is opening soon, and I’ll be doing some special community events and rewards for readers who want to join.

There’s also a way for participating readers to earn access to some of my Patreon benefits through the game.

I won’t put all the details here, but if you’re curious, check my Patreon/community pages for the full announcement.

Story updates here will continue normally.

Thanks for reading, and maybe I’ll see some of you in THE ANCHOR. ?

[[email protected]/FanficLord03].