Reverse Mountain part 1
*With the Chitauri invasion behind them, the Straw Hat Pirates begin their journey towards the open ocean. Where the island the One Piece is said to be hidden in. They sail on their ship, the Going Merry, through a storm. Luffy and Morbius sit on the bow of the ship, watching the light of a lighthouse along the shore of where they’re sailing.*
Luffy: Are we gonna get to the ocean yet?
Morbius: I don’t know. We’ve been mainly staying in the East Blue and mostly following water currents through the United States up to this point. Except for those times we flew on a plane or jet. So we’d be traveling and navigating by different means. Although, Nami is our navigator so she would know these maps better than I do. It's not exactly my area of expertise. I'm just getting by what she told me.
Luffy: Yeah, you’re… what do you do again?
Morbius: I’m a scientist. I provide scientific expertise whenever it’s needed.
Luffy: So… you’re a doctor?
Morbius: Not a medical one.
Luffy: Oh. Do you play any instruments? Cause we really could use a musician.
Morbius: Only one I know how to play is the ukulele.
Luffy: One of those small guitars with 3 strings?
Morbius: Yeah. Though there was a time I tried to learn how to play the sitar.
*Nami joins in on the conversation.*
Nami: You went to college? But you're so young.
Morbius: Well being a child prodigy allowed me to go places outside the normal curriculum of education. Went to a special school Where geniuses go in to hone their skills. Plus it allowed me to get my job without having to worry how long i'd live.
Luffy: Oh, no!
Morbius: What is it?!
Luffy: The light’s gone out!
Nami: It’s a lighthouse, guys. The light goes off sometimes.
Luffy: This is bad, the light that’s guiding us is gone!
Morbius: No! This is really bad! We’re gonna get lost!
Nami: That’s why you brought me along. Trust me, I know what to do.
Luffy: Wow, you’re impressive.
Nami: Of course. Now will you guys get down from there?
Luffy: No way! You’re not getting my special seat!
Nami: Who said I wanted it! Besides, Morbius is sitting in it too?
Morbius: Actually, I’m getting off. The waves are getting too violent for me.
*He quickly gets off the bow.*
Nami: Hhmm…
Morbius: Something wrong, Nami?
Nami: I think we need to have a meeting.
*Everyone gathers in the cabin. Nami places a map on the table.*
Nami: Take a look. I’m familiar with the rumors, and these drawings confirm it! As unimaginable as it may seem, the entrance to the open sea is a mountain!
Luffy: A mountain?
Nami: That’s right. When I first saw this chart, I couldn’t believe it but look here. That lighthouse we saw was definitely pointing to Reverse Mountain on the Red Line.
Morbius: I didn’t know the Red Line had something like that.
Zoro: So what, do we crash into it?
Sanji: You gotta be kidding.
Nami: The mountain appears to be ridden with small canals so we might have to go up and over it.
Usopp: Canals? You can’t be serious!
Luffy: Oh! Sounds like fun!
Zoro: What are you talking about? Even if there are canals or whatever, a ship can climb up a mountain.
Nami: Well, the map says otherwise!
Sanji: That’s right! And if Nami thinks something can be done, then it can! Got that?
Zoro: Yeah, but remember that map was stolen from Buggy. So can we trust it?
Morbius: That is a good point, he could've possibly been tainted it… but after the week I had I'd believe anything.
Zoro: Why do we have to go through the entrance anyway? Can’t we just sail south and go in from there?
Luffy: No way!
Nami: He’s right. There’s a good reason for that.
Luffy: It feels wrong if we don’t go through the entrance!
Nami: That’s not it!
Morbius: Well, what is it then?
Usopp: Hey. How weird. The storm’s all gone all of the sudden.
Sanji: Yeah, it’s calm.
Nami: What? That’s impossible. We’re supposed to ride the storm right up to the entrance.
*They all go outside.*
Morbius: Hey, you’re right. It is calm all of the sudden.
Luffy: The weather’s all nice.
Nami: Aaaaaahhhh! No! We’re screwed! We’ve entered the Calm Belt!
Usopp: The Clam Belt?
Luffy: What’s that?
Morbius: Some kind of restaurant or something?
Nami: Calm Belt! A part of the sea where nothing moves a muscle
Luffy: So there’s mussels and clams?!
Morbius: It’s a seafood buffet!
Nami: No!
*The ship shakes.*
Luffy: What was that? An earthquake?
Zoro: A good trick since we’re at sea.
Morbius: Or maybe a Typhoon?
Nami: All of this chit chat isn’t going to get us outta here. Fold the sails and start paddling now! We have to get back on course!
Sanji: You can count on me!
Zoro: Don’t panic. And besides, this is a sailboat. Why do we need to paddle?
Morbius: Let the wind carry us.
Nami: Look, there’s no time to argue. Just shut up and do as I say!
Luffy: At least it’s nice and quiet here.
Nami: Ugh! Fine! If I need to explain it to you, I will! We ended up going too far south like Zoro suggested and now we’re stuck out here!
Zoro: Does that mean we’re in the open sea?
Nami: If we were in the open sea, you think I’d waste my time explaining this?!
*She shows them the map.*
Nami: Look, see these 2 green areas on the map? These areas, just as they’re labeled, are what’s called the Calm Belts. That’s where we are. Nobody knows why, but inside the Calm Belt, there’s no wind and no current. It’s a like a void where everything’s stagnate. Given that sailboats move by catching winds, this is more than a dangerous region, it can be fatal! Get it?!
Luffy: Nope. But it sounds like we’re in big trouble.
Nami: Good. You retained more than I thought you would.
Zoro: Well, that explains why we haven’t gotten a single gust of wind.
Morbius: I was wrong!?
Usopp: How are we gonna get out of this if our ship can’t move?
Luffy: Maybe the wind’ll start blowing again.
Nami: Winds never blows in the Calm Belt! And that’s not it. There’s another good reason that people call this area dangerous. It’s infested with-
*Suddenly, the ship starts shaking violently.*
Usopp: What was that?!
Morbius: I thought you said the water was always calm here?!
*Suddenly, the Going Merry is risen from the water and reaches the sky. As a giant sea king rises from the water. The ship atop its head. More begin to surface.*
Morbius: OH MY GOD.
Luffy: Sea kings!
Nami: The Calm Belt is also home to the sea kings. It’s their main place for breeding. They’re the biggest reason people can’t cross the Calm Belt.
Sanji: Any idea how we get out of this?
Zoro: Yes. Everybody, don’t move a muscle. We don’t wanna give them any to reason to stick around or eat us. Once they’re gone, we’ll paddle back. Got it?
Usopp: You call that a plan?!
Nami: Shut up!
*She silences him.*
Usopp: Sorry.
*The sea king with the Merry on its head suddenly sneezes, launching the ship in the air.*
Morbius: Hold on!
*A giant frog sea king leaps towards them.*
Luffy: A giant frog!
*Usopp falls overboard.*
Usopp: Aaaaaahhhhh!
Luffy: Usopp!
*Luffy stretches his arm and grabs him, bringing Usopp back into the ship and preventing him from getting eaten by the frog. The ship lands in the water.*
Morbius: You heard Nami! Paddle so we can get the hell out of here!
*After a long, fortuitous journey of paddling, the Straw Hats finally get back into the storm. Meaning they’re back on course. And they’re tired out.*
Morbius: That was the hardest I’ve ever paddled in my life… I thought one of those giant sea kings was gonna eat us any second…
Luffy: At least we just have to worry about this storm now…
Nami: Now do you see why we have to use the entrance?
*Usopp tries to steer the rudder, but the stick is stuck.*
Usopp: Uh, does this current seem unusually strong to anyone else?
Nami: Usopp, what did you just say?
Usopp: I asked if any of you noticed the strength of this current!
Nami: The current… that must be…
Luffy: What is it?
Nami: The canals do go up the mountain!
Zoro: Oh, come on. How could that possibly work?
Nami: Look right here! These green lines on the map represent canals or artificial waterways. If major currents from all four oceans flow towards this mountain, what do you think is gonna happen? The currents would force water up these canals, collide at the top, and flow straight back into the ocean. Now Reverse Mountain is a “Winter Island,” so it’s cold, right? That means any surface currents that don’t flow up the canal would be forced down as they cool. Anything riding those currents would be pulled down as well.
Morbius: Which means…
Nami: If we screw up and miss the entrance to the canal, the Going Merry will be carried straight into the Red Line’s rock face and likely be destroyed. Ship and crew would be sunk to the bottom of the sea. Understand?
Luffy: Yeah… Basically… it’s a mystery mountain!
Nami: No, that’s not my point at all. Anyways, since we’re positioned on this current, we shouldn’t run into any problems getting to the summit of Reverse Mountain. Only thing that would hurt us now is if something went wrong with the rudder.
Sanji: Nami, you’re a genius!
Zoro: Call me a skeptic, but ships do not climb mountains.
Sanji: Well, I’ve heard a few stories.
Luffy: Stories about the mystery mountain?
Sanji: No. What I have heard is that more than half of the people who try to make it to the Open Sea die before they even get there. Whatever we find, it isn’t going to be easy.
*The Straw Hats continue following the current through the storm.*
Nami: Sanji, could you get the sail?
Sanji: Anything for you Nami! Luffy! Help me!
*Luffy and Sanji raise the mainsail.*
Luffy: Got it!
*While on the mast, Luffy catches a glimpse of Reverse Mountain as they get closer.*
Luffy: Hey! I can see the mystery mountain!
Morbius: That’s insanely huge!
Morbius: It’s a mountain, genius.
Nami: Whoa, the entrance to the Open Sea.
Luffy: Oh, wow! Awesome! It’s bigger than I thought!
Usopp: I can’t see the top! It’s taller than the clouds!
*As everyone is amazed by the sight, the ship begins to get sucked further in.*
Luffy: We’re getting sucked in! Hold the rudder steady!
Morbius: You heard the man, get to it!
Usopp and Sanji: We’re on it!
*They run to the rudder stick.*
Luffy: Nami! Where’s that entrance you were talking about?! If we keep this heading, we’re gonna crash into the rocks!
Nami: There’s a crack in that cliff. That must be it.
Usopp: Nami! Give us a direction!
Nami: Keep bearing straight ahead!
Usopp: You can’t be serious!
Nami: Trust me!
*Luffy swings down to the deck.*
Luffy: Have we made it? Is that the canal entrance?
Nami: More than likely!
Morbius: Oh my god, you were right!
Zoro: I gotta be dreaming! It’s impossible… The ocean really is flowing up the mountain!
*They all look at the canal leading up to the top of the mountain.*
Nami: We have to make our way through those water gates just right. Or we’ll crash into the Red Line and be smashed to pieces!
*The Merry begins to drift off course and straight towards the face of the mountain.*
Luffy: We’re drifting off course! Gotta go more to the right! Right!
Usopp: The right?! Move it starboard!
Morbius: Just veer is back into the direction of the canal or we’ll die!
*Usopp and Sanji try to move the rudder.*
Usopp: Come on, now! Put your back into it!
*But they both push too hard and end up breaking the rudder stick.*
All: The rudder!
Morbius: We’re gonna die!
*Luffy quickly hands his hat to Zoro.*
Luffy: Gum gum balloon!
*He then jumps out of the ship and inflates himself like a balloon to prevent the Going Merry from crashing into the gate.*
Zoro: Luffy! Grab ahold!
*Luffy stretches his arm and grabs onto Zoro’s hand, allowing him to get back on the ship. Usopp and Sanji have a victory dance.*
Usopp and Sanji: We made it!
*The Going Merry begins following the canal up the mountain.*
Morbius: We made it through!
Nami: Now it’s just a straight shot to the summit!
*Luffy tries to pull his head out of the heck after crashing his head through it when he landed back on the ship.*
Luffy: I wanna see it! Hold on! I’m coming!
*Luffy manages to pull his head out.*
Luffy: I’m free! Wow! Great view!
Morbius: Damn right it is! I've never seen such-
*The ship keeps ascending further and further into the sky as it keeps climbing towards the summit.*
Luffy: Whoa! Look how high we are! We’re in the clouds! This is insane!
Morbius: Hold onto your butts…
*It then passes through the cloud barrier.*
Morbius: Now you can unhold them.
Luffy: We’re not in the clouds, we’re above them!
Nami: It’s amazing! We’ve done it! We’ve reached the summit!
*The Merry then reaches the summit of Reverse Mountain.*
Luffy: Whoo! Hahahahaha!
*It then flows down one of the canals leading to the Open Sea.*
Zoro: To be the world’s greatest swordsman…
Sanji: To find the All Blue…
Nami: To draw a map of the entire world…
Usopp: To become a brave warrior of the sea…!
Morbius: To save my people…
Luffy: Wow! I can see it! This is the greatest sea in the whole world! Somewhere out there the One Piece is waiting, and we’re gonna find it! Let’s go!