ONE PIECE: WORTHLESS PROGRESSION

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As Toshi and Troy made their way back to the ship, Troy shot Toshi a sideways glance, his lips curling into a smirk.

"Fighting whales, getting yourself half-killed... You know, most people just take a nap when they're bored," Troy said, shaking his head.

Toshi grinned, though the effort tugged at his sore ribs. "What can I say? I like to keep things interesting."

"Interesting? You mean stupid," Troy quipped. "You're lucky that old man even bothered to patch you up. If it were me, I'd have left you for the whale."

"Good thing it wasn't up to you then," Toshi shot back, rubbing the back of his neck. 

"Uh-huh," Troy muttered, rolling his eyes as they stepped onto the dock.

The ship loomed ahead, its sails half-unfurled as the crew moved quickly to sail off. Dragon was at the helm, his broad shoulders casting a long shadow over the deck. His eyes immediately found the pair approaching, and Toshi could almost feel the weight of his disapproval before he even spoke.

Before Toshi could say another word, Dragon's voice cut through the air from the helm. "You're late."

Toshi threw up his hands, already defensive. "It's not my fault this time! I was busy not dying...you know, saving myself from becoming whale chow."

Dragon's sharp eyes scanned him, lingering briefly on the bandages. "And yet you're still late," he said flatly, then turned to the crew without missing a beat. "Raise the anchor. Unfurl the sails. We're leaving."

Troy glanced between Dragon and Toshi, raising an eyebrow. "Wait, what's the rush? We just got here."

Dragon stepped down from the helm. "With the death of Roger, the Grand Line is swarming. Crews we've never seen before are heading this way, and not all of them are friendly. It's best we're not here when they start pouring through the Twin Capes."

Toshi whistled low, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, that explains why you're in such a mood."

Troy frowned, leaning against the railing. "What's the big deal? We can handle them. "

Dragon fixed a hard look at Troy. "Trouble you know is manageable. Trouble you don't know is a risk we can't afford right now."

The ship creaked as the anchor was pulled up, the sails unfurling to catch the breeze. Toshi exhaled, his grip on the railing tightening as he stared at the shrinking shoreline.

"So… you're saying Roger kicks the bucket, and now everyone thinks they're pirate king material?" Toshi muttered.

"Something like that," Dragon replied, turning his gaze to the horizon. "And a lot of them don't care who they kill on the way."

As the ship sailed further from the shore, Toshi leaned against the railing, watching the waves churn beneath them. After a moment of silence, he turned to Dragon.

"So, now that we're officially in the Grand Line… what exactly are we going to be doing here?" he asked, his tone casual but laced with genuine curiosity. 

Dragon glanced over his shoulder. His expression remained unreadable as always, letting the question hang in the air for a few seconds before he finally spoke. "You'll see," Dragon said, walking away and ending the conversation right there.

Wasn't exactly answering his question was it..?

Toshi scratched his cheek, feeling a little unsatisfied but knowing better than to push it. He glanced over at Troy, who had been standing nearby, but was now walking off toward the rest of the crew.

Toshi sighed, leaning back against the railing again, watching the horizon ahead of them.

Then just below the surface of the water, a massive shadow swam alongside the ship, its sheer size dwarfing everything in its path.

Then in a sudden burst, the shadow emerged, breaking through the waves with a thunderous splash. A giant blue whale soared high into the air before crashing back into the ocean, sending a large wave of water rippling toward the ship.

The crew gasped, some gripping the railings tightly as the boat rocked under the force of the wave.

"WOOOOAAAAHHHH!!!" Troy shouted, his excitement bursting out as he ran to the edge of the ship, practically climbing the railing to get a better view. His eyes widened, taking in the sheer scale of the whale as it dove back beneath the surface.

Troy glanced over at Toshi, who stood a little further back, casually leaning on the railing, a soft smile spreading across his face.

"Wait a minute..." Troy squinted, pointing a finger. "Is that the whale you were fighting?"

Toshi chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, that's Laboon."

Troy stared at him, then back at the water, utterly shocked. "You fought that?!"

"Yep," Toshi answered plainly, resting his chin on his palms as he leaned against the railing. His gaze shifted lazily to the lighthouse in the distance, where he could just barely make out Crocus standing there, a small silhouette against the horizon, watching them sail off.

"You're crazy, you know that?" Troy said, breaking the moment. He shook his head, still squinting at the water as if Laboon might come back up. "Why'd you even fight it in the first place? A friggin' whale?"

Toshi didn't answer, his eyes fixed on the shrinking lighthouse.

Troy let out a long, exasperated sigh, realizing Toshi wasn't even listening. "Whatever, weirdo…" he muttered, turning on his heel and walking off, throwing his hands in the air as if to wash his hands of the conversation.

Toshi stayed put, the faintest grin playing on his lips. "See you around, Laboon!" he shouted over the ocean. Then, cupping his hands around his mouth, he screamed, "DON'T FORGET MY PROMISE!"

As if in response, Laboon came up from beneath the waves once more, soaring into the sky...

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Watching them sail off from the cliff of the Twin Capes, standing beside the lighthouse, was Crocus. His eyes lingered on the horizon where the ship had disappeared, a bittersweet smile tugging at his lips.

"...Another one chasing their dreams..."Crocus said softly, his voice barely louder than the breeze.. "You've got that fire... just like him."

He turned toward the small house by the lighthouse, his sandals scraping against the rocky ground. At the door, he paused, glancing back at the ocean. His hand rested on the weathered doorframe, and for a moment, his expression wavered.

"Don't let it burn you out, kid," he said under his breath. "Dreams like that... they can take everything from you. But if you hold on—" His voice caught slightly, and he swallowed hard before finishing, "If you hold on, it's worth it."

He stepped inside, the door creaking as it swung open. Moving to a small shelf by the wall, he grabbed a dusty bottle and held it for a moment, staring at the label.

With a quiet pop, he uncorked the bottle and poured himself a drink. Taking his glass, Crocus settled by the window, his gaze fixed on the ocean that seemed to stretch on forever.

"He's just like you...." he said, his voice quieter now, almost as if speaking to himself. A tear slipped down his cheek, unbidden, as he chuckled softly. "Ain't he....Roger...?"

He raised his glass slightly in a silent toast. Then, with a slow sip, he let the warmth of the drink spread on the tip of his tongue.

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The Grand Line was nothing like what Toshi had imagined. Sure, he knew it was supposed to be unpredictable...people had warned him about that. Reverse Mountain alone was proof that the place didn't play by any normal rules.

But this? This was beyond anything he'd prepared for.

The first day, they sailed through a full-blown snowstorm. Toshi had barely thawed out by the time the weather flipped into what could only be described as a furnace. Scorching heat, not a cloud in sight, and the deck was so hot he was pretty sure he could've fried an egg on it...if they had any eggs.

The second day? Same nonsense, just the opposite. Morning kicked off with heat that made him want to jump overboard, and by afternoon, they were stuck in another snowstorm. He'd barely kept track of which layers to take off or put back on.

The third day was a rain storm. And the fourth day? It was déjà vu—snow, heat, and misery on repeat.

But the fifth day, the chaos was nothing short of a wild experience. 

Rain pelted down like a thousand tiny needles, soaking the deck as Toshi skidded across the slippery wood, gripping a loose rope for dear life. "Sogeki! Tie that down before it flies off!" he shouted, his voice barely cutting through the howling wind.

Sogeki, half-drunk but surprisingly agile, stumbled toward the swinging sail, wrestling it into place. "We're gonna need a bigger drink after this!" he barked, yanking the rope with all his might.

"Stop yelling and help me with the rudder!" Troy's voice came from the stern. He had both hands locked on the wheel, fighting the ship's jerking as waves battered its sides.

Toshi bolted toward Troy, running up the flight of stairs. The crew members scrambled to secure barrels, patch sails, and bail water as the sea threw everything it had at them.

"It's snowing now!" someone yelled from the crow's nest. Sure enough, the rain abruptly turned into thick, icy flakes, layering the deck in a slick sheet of snow.

"What the hell?!" Toshi exclaimed, nearly losing his footing as he reached Troy. Together, they fought the wheel, forcing it back on course.

"Just hold it steady!" Troy growled through gritted teeth.

Steady wasn't in the Grand Line's vocabulary. The snow melted as quickly as it came, replaced by a blazing sun that seemed to ignite the air itself. Steam rose from the deck and into the air.

"Buckets! We need water on those sails, or they'll catch fire!" Dragon's commanding voice came through the chaos as he barked orders from the bow.

Toshi ran back down to the deck, joining the crew in dousing the sails with water. His arms ached, his clothes clung to his body, and he could barely breathe in the heat.

Then, as if the sea had a cruel sense of humor, the sky darkened again. A torrential downpour followed, flooding the deck in seconds.

"Are we cursed?!" Toshi shouted, shoving the bucket aside as he tried to keep his balance.

The storm worsened, the wind screaming in their ears. Waves taller than the ship threatened to capsize them, but the crew held their ground, fighting every second to keep the ship afloat.

Finally, after what felt like hours, the storm began to calm. The rain slowed, the waves calmed, and the wind softened to a whisper. Toshi collapsed against the railing, panting as he looked out over the sea.

"Is it over?" Sogeki asked, his voice hoarse, as if the storm had wrung it dry.

The ship groaned beneath them, battered but still afloat. The crew dared to breathe for a moment, wiping rain and sweat from their faces.

A scream from the crow's nest shattered the fragile calm. "ICEBERG! DEAD AHEAD!"

Every head whipped forward, and there it was...a massive iceberg. It loomed like a frozen wall of doom, and they were barreling straight toward it.

"WE'RE GONNA DIE!" someone yelled, sending the deck into instant chaos.

Crew members scrambled in all directions, trying to grab ropes, adjust sails, or pull the wheel to steer away. But the icy winds fought against them, locking the ship's path.

Toshi stumbled toward the mast, gripping it tightly as his heart hammered in his chest. "We're gonna crash!"

"Everyone, CALM DOWN!" Ragnar's voice boomed, silencing the panic for a brief moment.

Dragon stepped forward, his eyes locked on the iceberg. He raised his hand, the air around him seeming to ripple. "Get ready."

"Get ready?!" Troy shouted from the wheel. "We're about to become popsicles!"

Dragon ignored him. The air around him shifted, rippling with power as he thrust his hand forward.

*WHOOOSSHH* *WHOOOSSSH*

A powerful gust of wind exploded from Dragon, surging toward the iceberg. The force was so strong it pushed the sails back and created a barrier against the massive wall of ice.

The ship groaned and creaked under the strain as the winds fought against the iceberg's towering mass. Slowly, agonizingly, the vessel began to tilt to the side, just barely shifting away from a head-on collision. The ice scraped against the hull with a bone-chilling screech, showering the deck in icy shards.

Toshi's jaw dropped as he clung to the mast. "What... how is he doing that?"

Toshi hadn't realized it before, but now he did. He had always chalked it up to his "aura," but now he knew for certain that wasn't the case. He thought back to Reverse Mountain, to the moment he had steered the ship back on course. At the time, he'd been too focused on staying alive to notice.

Even now, another memory came back to him...the arena, where Dragon had saved him. Did Dragon have some sort of special ability?

The ship finally broke free, leaving the iceberg behind. The crew collapsed against the rails and masts, panting and shaking.

Dragon lowered his hand, the air around him calming. He turned toward the crew, his expression unreadable. "This isn't the worst the Grand Line has to offer. Be ready for more."

Toshi slid down the mast, his legs shaky. "What the hell was that? How did he do that?"

Dragon's voice cut through their murmurs. "Get the sails fixed. We'll hit more than icebergs if we're not ready."

Toshi watched as the crew scrambled, yet he couldn't take his eyes off Dragon, still processing what he'd just seen.

"That guy," Toshi muttered to himself, "is something else."

TO BE CONTINUED.

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