Chapter 23

entrance to the grandline, reverse mountain

The wind was howling, roaring its dominance to the world while whipping and forming the rain to its d.e.s.i.r.e, until finally it reached the ocean, which just like the rain buckled under the might of the storm that was sweeping over loguetown and the entrance to reverse mountain as if to warn any tresspasser that all who wished to enter the grandline had to cross through the first line of defense first. And so Azul did. Standing at the row of his little ship with a savage grin on his face he couldn't help but roar in laughter at the fun he was having, comparing and wrestling with the might the oceans currents threw his way, smacking against the steering wheel, all the while being pelted by the rain and slashed by the winds.

After half an hour of continuous battle that had flushed Azul with a rush of adrenalin, which he had dearly missed for all the years since his master passed away and besides the strongest of this world could inspire, compared to the absolute might mother nature could unleash over all that resided in this world.

And so Azul steered his ship up reverse mountain, fully immersed in the breathtaking view that revealed itself to him. 'Finally, the grandline!' Azul thought and let his laughter be heard all the way down to the twins headland, where an old man had just finished taking care of the wounds of a gigantic whale that had promptly dove down, going to hunt for food. Hearing the laughter the old man couldn't help himself but remember how he himself had laughted when he entered the grandline for the first time with his old crew so so many years ago. Truly, it felt like a past lifetime by now. How old he had gotten over the years...

Sometimes he wondered if there still was something else to life but he doubted it if he was honest with himself.

After exiting his thoughts the old man went into his lighthouse and grabbed himself a beer, since he had been working for hours now and it wouldn't be long anymore before his visitors would arrive at his little entrance to the grandline.

But, to his surprise, what greeted him was not a galley, full of adventure seeking youths, how he had so often now seen it happen in the last few months. No, it was a tiny ship, probably not even made for long distance sailing with a lone man, young, judging by the missing hair in his face, standing at the row, a satisfied smile on his face. What a madman! Entering the grandline on such a tiny ship. What had to possess someone like that! Either he was stupid or he just didn't care at all. A small chuckle of amus.e.m.e.nt slipped his lips. Oh how long it had been since he had met someone possessed by this rare kind of madness. And how he had missed it...

"Welcome to the grandline, young man. You now have taken your first steps into the sailors graveyard!" Crocus, the guardian of the twins cape spoke to his visitor with a grin on his face.

"Thanks, it truly was a spectacular view from up the mountain and I honestly can't wait to see what else there is on this ocean hahahaha" Azul said with an excited laugh slipping through his teeth in pure, untarnished joy for what awaited him in the years to come.

"My name is Crocus, and I am the guardian of the twins cape. And who might you be young sailor?"

The lighthouse keeper asked, while grabbing another beer from the fridge and handing it to the young man, who promptly snapped the lid away with the flick of his finger, before throwing his head back and after taking a few long gulps, with satisfaction at the coolness of the beer, burped uneffected by his actions, which in turn earned him some laughter from Crocus, to which Azul only replied with a smile.

"My name is Azul. It is nice to meet you Crocus, and thank you for this delicious beer." Azul answered while saluting the keeper.

"Would you like to join me for dinner young man? I am curious to know what kind of person washed up on my shore, this late in the year, no less. How about it?" Crocus said while not waiting for Azul to reply before beginning to throw some fish onto the grill that was standing next to his lighthouse, even though it was still raining like mad, but none of the two seemed to give a damn about that.

"Sure! Thanks a bunch Crocus, I'm starving..." Azul replied, steering his tiny ship onto the shore and tying it to a rock, before jumping onto the shore himself and walking over to Crocus and sitting down before the wall of the lighthouse, while gazing out at the grandline, crossing his feet under him in a relaxed fashion.

"So tell me young sailor, what brings you to the grandline? Thirst for power? Treasures? Adventure maybe? Or a combination of all of those?" Crocus asked, meanwhile from time to time turning the fish on the grill around, and glancing at Azul, awaiting his answer which didn't take long to form.

"Besides it being apart of my training? Well, I promised someone something, many years ago. And I intend to keep this promise, even if it kills me..." Azul answered with a serene smile adorning his face, which was dropping wet from the rain. Of course he could just let it evaporate on his body, but it was part of the ritus when entering the grandline in Azuls opinion and he didn't really care about getting wet anyways.

"Hmm, I see. And may I ask what that promise contains? Maybe I can give you some advise when it comes to sailing the grandline. You know, I once traveled these oceans myself." Crocus asked while taking a bite from a well cooked fish, and giving another one to Azul, who promptly started to munch down on it.

"*munch* To set the world on fire hahaha" Azul replied, not really minding the grin that formed on Crocuses face, if in humor or another emotion all together, Azul didn't know and neither did he really care.

"I see. I wish you the best of luck with that Azul... Do you have everything for your journey than? Without a log pose you won't reach far on this ocean."

"Ye, I got everything I need, but thanks for asking Crocus" Azul replied while lifting his left arm, onto which a logpose was tied, just like a wristwatch.

"Anyways, I think I should get going now. It was nice of you to treat me to this delicious food. God knows I can't get something good tasting together in the kitchen for the hell of it..." Azul chuckled to himself in selfmirth. Over the years he had come to accept that he would never be a great cook, and surprisingly it didn't really phase him any longer. After all there were darker fates out there.

"You are most welcome young man. Good fortunes for your jouney, and maybe we'll see each other again one day" Crocus said while taking another swing of his bottle, just as Azul stood up, untowed his ship, and jumping on top, after which he waved back towards Crocus and taking course for the first island in the grandline.