The salty sea breeze swept across the deck, carrying away some of the heat, and with it, the last group of crewmen who had chosen to leave.
Sammy leaned against the railing in silence, watching the small boat carrying his former companions drift farther and farther away.
Eventually, it became nothing more than a tiny black speck against the distant island.
Hans hurried over with the navigation log in hand.
Its pages were packed with names and islands, recording every crewman who had decided to return home.
“Boss, that was the last group.
Everyone who wanted to go home has been safely dropped off.”
“Good.”
Sammy nodded, though his gaze remained fixed on the horizon.
“Next, we head straight for Echo Harp Island for our final resupply.”
He finally turned away from the sea.
“After that…”
A faint smile appeared on his face.
“Our destination is the Grand Line!”
“Yes, Boss!”
Echo Harp Island.
Just like its poetic name suggested, it was the final port in the West Blue before reaching Reverse Mountain, a place where sailors could still hear the lingering echoes of home before ambition and dreams carried them into the unknown.
There, the Jellyfish Pirates would complete their final preparations.
Weapons.
Food.
Fresh water.
Medicine.
Everything they might need.
And once that was done, there would be no more hesitation.
They would charge straight toward that legendary sea—a place where countless dreams were born…and just as many pirates found their graves.
THE GRAND LINE!
But this unusual half-month voyage, spent sailing from island to island to return former crewmates home, had begun with a decision that had shaken the entire ship.
…
…
Half a month earlier.
“What?!
The Grand Line?!”
“Did I hear that right?!
You mean…the Pirate Graveyard?!”
“The Grand Line?!
I heard people over there can sink a Marine warship with ONE PUNCH!”
“That’s nothing!
I heard the seawater there is sweet, icebergs appear in the middle of summer, and the weather is so insane that normal navigation doesn’t even work!”
“And don’t forget the Sea Kings!
Compared to those monsters, the sea beasts in the West Blue are basically harmless puppies!”
The moment Sammy announced his decision to the entire crew, it was as though someone had dropped a bomb into calm waters.
The deck exploded with noise.
Fear.
Excitement.
Disbelief.
Arguments erupted everywhere.
“That’s right.”
Sammy stood before the assembled crew, his gaze moving across faces both familiar and new.
“I’ve already discussed it with the officers.”
The murmuring gradually quieted.
“Our next destination is Reverse Mountain.”
He paused.
“And after we cross it…”
Sammy’s voice became firm.
“…we enter the Grand Line.”
He deliberately gave them a few moments to absorb the news.
“I know what all of you are thinking.”
His steady voice cut through the growing commotion.
“The Grand Line is called the Pirate Graveyard for a reason.”
He looked across the crowd.
“The sea, the weather, the magnetic fields, almost every natural law there is completely different from what we’re used to in the Four Blues.”
Some of the younger sailors swallowed nervously.
“And powerful people are everywhere.”
Sammy continued.
“Pirates worth tens of millions of Berries are nothing unusual there.
There are even monsters with bounties exceeding a hundred million.”
His expression turned serious.
“For us, entering that sea will be a genuine fight for survival.”
Sammy could see the emotions spreading across the faces before him.
Panic.
Hesitation.
Uneasiness.
Doubt.
Excitement.
Fear.
All of it was perfectly understandable.
Facing the unknown was never easy.
Especially when the unknown had a reputation for swallowing entire pirate crews without leaving a trace.
Sammy suddenly raised his voice, making sure every single person on the deck could hear him.
“I’m giving all of you a choice!”
The crew fell silent.
“If you don’t want to go, or if you have a reason you absolutely must stay behind, then step forward now!”
Sammy placed a hand against his chest.
“I, Ribera Sammy, swear right here that I will not force anyone to come with me!”
His gaze hardened.
“And I will NEVER consider choosing to leave an act of betrayal!”
Several crewmen stared at him in surprise.
“There’s nothing shameful about being afraid to go.”
Sammy’s voice softened slightly.
“Everyone has something they want to protect.”
“Your life.”
“Your parents.”
“Your wife.”
“Your children.”
“Whatever it is…”
He nodded.
“I respect your choice.”
Sammy swept his gaze across the entire crew.
“Anyone who doesn’t want to enter the Grand Line, take one step forward!”
No one moved at first.
“I’ll personally make sure you’re safely returned to the island you came from.”
He continued.
“And just like always, anyone leaving the crew will receive severance pay, which is enough money to settle down and begin a new chapter of your life.”
Sammy raised his voice again.
“There is NOTHING shameful about choosing to go home!”
A few men lowered their heads.
“So think carefully!”
Sammy’s expression became deadly serious.
“Once we cross Reverse Mountain, turning back will be almost impossible!”
He pointed toward the distant sea.
“The moment we enter the Grand Line…”
His voice echoed across the deck.
“…we’re walking down a road with no return!”
The crew erupted.
Whispers became arguments.
Friends grabbed one another by the shoulders.
Some urged their companions to stay.
Others insisted that this was the opportunity they had been waiting for their entire lives.
For several minutes, no decision came easily.
Then…
One man stepped forward.
His head was lowered.
Another followed.
Then another.
Several crewmen finally gritted their teeth and separated themselves from the crowd.
“Paul!”
A sailor with a mohawk stared at one of them in disbelief.
“You bastard!”
He pushed through the crowd.
“Didn’t we promise we’d become men who would conquer the seas together?!”
His voice cracked with anger.
“Did you forget the oath we made?!”
The man named Paul didn’t turn around.
His fists were clenched so tightly that his fingernails dug into his palms.
When he finally spoke, his voice was thick with emotion.
“…I’m sorry.”
That was all he could say.
Sammy watched quietly.
He didn’t mock them.
He didn’t look disappointed.
He simply turned toward those who had stepped forward.
“All right.”
He pointed toward Hans.
“Go register your names and hometowns with Hans.”
The men looked at him.
“When it’s time for you to disembark, come see me for your severance pay.”
Sammy nodded firmly.
“I keep my word.”
Then he looked back toward the remaining crew.
“Anyone else?”
Another wave of uneasiness passed through the crowd.
After a while, more men stepped forward.
One.
Two.
Five.
Eventually, more than a dozen sailors silently left the main group, most with their heads lowered. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
Among them was a lean, muscular man wearing a blue bandana.
The moment Aldo saw him, his expression changed.
“Thorne!”
His rough voice carried disbelief, disappointment, and anger all at once.
He marched toward the man.
“Even YOU are leaving?!”
Aldo stared straight at him.
“You’re one of the squad leaders I had the highest hopes for!”
Thorne slowly lifted his head.
His face was filled with guilt and inner conflict.
He couldn’t even bring himself to meet Aldo’s eyes.
“I’m sorry, Brother Aldo…”
His voice was low.
“Back in my village…I still have a home.”
Aldo’s anger faltered slightly.
“My mother is still there.”
Thorne swallowed.
“And my wife…”
His voice trembled.
“…and my daughter.”
He clenched his fists.
“They’re waiting for me to come home.”
His eyes reddened.
“If I go to the Grand Line…”
Thorne took a shaky breath.
“I’m afraid…”
He struggled to finish the sentence.
“I’m afraid I’ll never see them again.”
Aldo grabbed him by the shoulders.
“Think carefully, Thorne!”
His voice was almost a roar.
“You already have a bounty of EIGHT HUNDRED THOUSAND BERRIES on your head!”
Thorne lifted one hand and gently touched the worn blue bandana tied around his head.
For a moment, tenderness appeared in his eyes.
Then it hardened into determination.
“Brother Aldo, my bounty isn’t that high.”
He gave a faint smile.
“Any bounty hunter willing to chase someone worth only eight hundred thousand probably isn’t strong enough to scare me.
I can deal with people like that myself.”
Then his expression became serious again.
“But the Grand Line…”
He shook his head.
“That’s a road with no return.”
“My wife and daughter are still waiting for me back home.”
His voice became hoarse.
“I can’t gamble with that.”
Aldo stared at him.
“I’m not brave enough to bet the rest of their lives on the chance that I might survive.”
“But-”
“That’s enough, Aldo.”
Sammy stepped in before Aldo could continue trying to persuade him.
He walked up to Thorne and gently patted him on the shoulder.
There was no anger in Sammy’s eyes.
No disappointment.
Only understanding and respect.
“Everyone has their own path.”
Sammy looked at Thorne.
“There’s no reason to force someone down a road they don’t want to take.”
His hand remained on the man’s shoulder.
“If your family is waiting for you…”
Sammy smiled faintly.
“…then that’s already the best reason in the world to go home.”
Thorne lowered his head.
“Captain…”
Sammy turned toward everyone who had chosen to leave.
“All of you who have decided to go home, register with Hans.”
He looked across their faces one by one.
“I said I would give you a choice, and I meant it.”
His voice was firm.
“As long as I’m still standing…”
“Every one of you will make it home safely.”
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