CHAPTER 82: CHAPTER 82: HOSTILITY? WHY SHOULD I CARE ABOUT WHAT OTHERS THINK? I DO WHAT I WANT!

The Grand Line, Paradise.

Will and his crew set sail once more.

But it wasn’t long before they experienced the unpredictable whims of the Grand Line’s weather.

At first, the sky was relatively clear. Then, out of nowhere, heavy snow began to fall.

Aside from Will, the other three quickly donned thick winter coats to ward off the cold.

But before the snowfall even stopped, the sky roared with several bolts of thunder.

Nami, her breath visible in the chilly air, looked up with slightly flushed cheeks, her eyes wide with astonishment. "The weather in the Grand Line really is completely chaotic," she said. "The climate and seasons here shift without any rhyme or reason. It’s almost impossible to believe."

Even with her innate ability to sense weather changes, she couldn’t find any pattern in this madness.

Karina, too, stared up at the falling snowflakes, her expression so stunned she could barely speak.

Will stood at the bow, watching the snow drift down, his thoughts drifting back to the snowy days he’d seen near the Bridge Kingdom. Unlike the East Blue, the Grand Line’s weather was anything but predictable. This snow could stop at any moment.

Vivi, now bundled in a coat Nami had lent her, had let her high ponytail down, her hair cascading over her shoulders. Seeing Will and the others marveling at the sky, she couldn’t help but speak up. "You guys are underestimating the Grand Line a bit too much, don’t you think?" she said. "It’s been snowing for a while now, and no one’s at the helm. Are you sure that’s okay?"

"Huh?" Nami blinked, caught off guard. Then, as if realizing something, she quickly checked the Log Pose. Her face paled. "How is this possible? The course has veered off completely!"

She hurriedly pulled out an Eternal Pose to compare, then dashed to the helm to adjust the ship’s heading.

Karina frowned, puzzled. "Nami just checked the course before the snow started, and the sea’s been calm. How could we suddenly go off track?"

Vivi’s lips curled into a slight smirk. "That’s because you got played by the currents here," she said bluntly. Turning to Nami, she added with a curious tone, "By the way, are you really a navigator? How do you not know something this basic?"

"Ugh!" Nami’s forehead twitched with irritation, a vein pulsing visibly. She wanted to snap back, but she couldn’t—Vivi was right. It was her mistake. So, she just fumed silently.

Will, standing nearby, spoke up in a cool, steady voice. "Enough. If you know what’s going on, just spit it out."

Vivi immediately toned down her teasing, realizing she’d pushed far enough. "You’re probably not used to the Grand Line yet," she said seriously. "The sea here is like this. The wind, the sky, the currents, the clouds, the light—none of them can be trusted completely. The only thing that never changes is the direction shown by the Log Pose. I’m sure you’ve figured that out by now. So, when you’re sailing here, you can’t just rely on your navigation skills. You have to keep an eye on the Log Pose at all times."

Nami’s eyes flickered as she took this in, mentally noting to never let her guard down again.

After a pause, Vivi mustered her courage and turned to Will, her tone tentative. "Um... Will-san," she began, "are you really set on going to Alabasta to pick a fight with one of the Seven Warlords, Sir Crocodile? I’ve heard that a lot of people there call him a ’national hero.’"

"National hero?" Will’s expression didn’t shift, his voice calm but dismissive. "So what? What’s that got to do with me? Does it change the fact that I’m going to fight him?"

"Uh..." Vivi froze, caught off guard by his bluntness. She pressed further. "But aren’t you worried that the people there might turn hostile toward you because of it?"

"Hostile?" Will shot her a sidelong glance, his tone dripping with disdain. "Why should I care what they think? I do what I want! If I had to worry about everyone’s opinions, I might as well do nothing at all!"

"Huh?" Vivi’s eyes widened, stunned by how straightforward his response was.

His words gave her a clear sense of his personality. No wonder he was a pirate with a 650 million Berry bounty from the World Government. She’d initially thought that, since he’d freed so many slaves, he might not be as ruthless as his reputation suggested. She’d even considered revealing her true identity to ask for his help. But now, seeing how he acted purely on his own desires without a care for others’ opinions, she quickly abandoned that idea.

At the same time, she began to worry. If he went after Crocodile, what kind of impact would that have on her kingdom and its people?

Meanwhile, on the Grand Line, at Whiskey Peak...

"What did you just say?!" Mr. 8, Igaram, of the Baroque Works agency, shouted in alarm. He stepped forward, his face pale, after hearing the drenched Mr. 9’s report.

"You said Vivi—Miss Wednesday—went with you to Twin Cape on a mission, and then you suddenly lost consciousness? When you woke up, Miss Wednesday was gone?!"

In his panic, Igaram nearly let Vivi’s real name slip.

Mr. 9, who had barely made it back after swimming through the sea, nodded frantically as the towering, grim-faced Mr. 8 loomed over him. "It’s true! I don’t know how I passed out, but I’m guessing it has something to do with that old lighthouse keeper!"

Igaram, his mind in chaos, didn’t waste another second. He turned and sprinted toward the shore, intent on sailing to Twin Cape to get answers.

Back with Will’s crew, their journey remained a fantastical ordeal.

As they sailed on, the weather continued to defy belief.

The snow abruptly gave way to spring-like warmth, a gentle breeze brushing their faces, bringing a moment of comfort. Nami and the others began shedding their coats, ready to switch to lighter clothing.

But then, a thick fog rolled in, and a massive iceberg drifted by, plunging the temperature back down. They scrambled to put their coats back on.

No sooner had the iceberg passed than a massive wave crashed over the ship from behind, soaking their clothes and leaving Nami and the others shivering.

They then endured scorching sun, howling winds at night, and sudden hailstorms. Only after this relentless barrage did the weather finally begin to settle.

By now, only Will remained on deck, unfazed by the wind and rain. Nami, Karina, and Vivi had retreated to the cabin, thoroughly worn out by the Grand Line’s relentless weather.

--

Support me & read more advance & fast update Chapter on my patreon:

pat reon .com/yuuwand