Rogue Town was merely a stepping stone Rin and his crew didn't linger long. After stocking up on essential supplies and visiting key landmarks like the execution platform of Pirate King Gol D. Roger, they prepared to depart.
Back on board.
Casa had returned earlier and was organizing their provisions.
Seeing Rin and Artoria step back aboard, he looked up. "Captain, shall we set sail now?"
"Of course," Rin replied with a confident grin. "I can't wait to enter the Grand Line."
"That's great." Casa's smile echoed his captain's excitement.
Artoria, silent but attentive as always, allowed a small smile to grace her face.
The trio shared a brief moment of laughter before shouting in unison, "Pandora Pirates, set sail!!"
———
To enter the Grand Line, they needed to cross the fabled Reverse Mountain.
It would take about a day to reach the mountain's base. During the voyage, Rin returned to his cabin to strategize his next moves.
Sitting at his desk, he picked up a pen and began mapping out his goals.
"First Enel," Rin muttered, jotting the name down in his notebook.
The Sky Island native Enel, or Eneru, wielded the Goro Goro no Mi, the Logia-type Thunder Fruit one of the most devastating Devil Fruits in existence. Were it not for Luffy's natural resistance as a rubber-man, Enel could have gone on to rival an admiral in destructive potential.
"Recruiting him before he ascends to Skypiea would be ideal," Rin mused.
Enel was ambitious and carried divine delusions, but persuasion might not be impossible especially if Rin could offer him a different path to 'godhood.'
Next, Rin wrote down "Little Garden."
"Little Garden is a prehistoric island on the Grand Line," he murmured. "A perfect place for training home to ancient dinosaurs and the legendary giants Dorry and Brogy, still dueling after a century. We'll grow stronger there."
With a serious expression, Rin meticulously planned the voyage.
In short get stronger and turn the world upside down.
Midway through his planning, Rin circled another destination in bright red ink: Enies Lobby Justice Island, the World Government's judicial stronghold.
———
Time passed quickly.
A day later, the Pandora Pirates reached the foot of Reverse Mountain.
Reverse Mountain, or Mount Reverse, marked the entrance to the Grand Line. Water from the East Blue, West Blue, North Blue, and South Blue flowed uphill toward its peak before cascading down into the Grand Line in a miraculous, impossible current an X-shaped crossroad of the seas.
"Incredible," Rin breathed as he gazed at the spectacle of rivers flowing upward.
Together, the trio began their ascent.
Though perilous, it wasn't beyond their skill. After hours of tense maneuvering, they crested the summit and descended into the Grand Line.
Upon entry, they encountered Laboon, the giant whale who slams into Reverse Mountain, waiting for the return of the Rumbar Pirates. Rin, aware of the story, refrained from getting involved and simply obtained a Log Pose from Crocus, the lighthouse keeper and former doctor of the Roger Pirates.
They set their next course: Little Garden.
But fate had other plans.
Three hours out from the lighthouse
Rin was lounging on deck when Casa shouted, "Captain! A Marine warship's been spotted approaching!"
Rin sprang to his feet and grabbed his binoculars, aiming toward the silhouette ahead.
Sure enough, a Navy vessel was headed their way.
Peering through the lens, Rin saw a striking woman with long pink hair, clad in a red suit and Navy coat, puffing on a lady's cigarette.
"Tina?!" Rin exclaimed.
He recognized her immediately Tina, a Marine who would later rise to Commodore status in the main storyline. But at this point in time, she was likely still a Lieutenant Commander at best.
Despite her rank, headquarters Marines far outclassed those of regional branches.
As the ship closed in, a voice rang out over the water.
"Pirates of the Pandora! I am Lieutenant Commander Tina of Marine Headquarters. Surrender immediately or face arrest!" she ordered.
Rin laughed, undeterred.
While he respected her power, she didn't pose a real threat to him not yet. If she were a Vice Admiral, that would be a different story. But as a Lieutenant Commander?
"Lieutenant Commander Tina, if you really think you can catch us by all means, try!" Rin shouted back.
"Arrogant pirate Tina is enraged!" she snapped, signaling her crew. "Open fire!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
With mechanical precision, the Marine soldiers launched three consecutive cannon blasts.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Casa reacted immediately, leaping into the air and slashing.
"Rankyaku!" he shouted.
Three compressed air blades shot out and sliced the cannonballs mid-flight.
Tina's eyes narrowed. "Close the gap prepare to board!"
"Aye!"
The Marine ship accelerated toward the Pandora.
Casa looked to Rin. "Captain, should we take them out or?"
"Retreat. We don't have time for distractions," Rin replied, though he grinned. "As tempting as it is to tease that sultry hardass Tina, let's not waste our ammo."
But, as always
Fate had other plans.
———
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