Chapter 383: Crossing the Frozen Divide

Sword aura flashed like lightning, slicing through the iceberg in the blink of an eye and leaving a deep, clear scar in its wake.

A thunderous rumble followed as the massive iceberg slowly split in two, revealing the island hidden behind it. The scene was nothing short of a miracle, leaving everyone in awe.

“Johnny, Yosaku, drop the sails!”

Nami’s voice rang sharp and clear through the sea breeze as she fired off commands.

“Gin, steer us through, fast!”

There was a hint of tension in her voice, but more than that, she sounded firm and decisive.

Nami’s worry wasn’t without reason. It was almost dusk, and the crew was preparing to rest for the night, so the sails had already been packed away. No one expected an iceberg this size to suddenly block their path.

But now, there was no time to hesitate. They had to move, and fast, to avoid danger.

Everyone sprang into action, each taking up their tasks and following Nami’s instructions smoothly and swiftly.

Nami even made her way to Gin’s side, giving orders on the spot to make sure the ship would pass safely and quickly through these treacherous waters.

With the sails dropped and the ship picking up speed, they made it through the crack in the ice just in time.

As both halves of the iceberg crashed down, a wave of frigid air burst forth like a wild beast unleashed, spreading in an instant.

Caught in the rush of cold, Luffy and Usopp, already shivering, had their faces dusted with white frost. It was as if Mother Nature herself had carved a layer of ice onto their cheeks.

“Ginger tea, coming through! It’ll warm you up!” Sanji’s voice sounded unusually comforting in the chilly wind. He’d seen this coming and had already slipped back to the kitchen, brewing up a batch of ginger tea for everyone.

Luffy and Usopp perked up at once, hurrying straight to Sanji and grabbing steaming bowls of ginger tea, gulping them down without a second thought.

“Ah, I feel alive again!” Their voices brimmed with gratitude and new energy.

“Whoa, I’m actually not cold anymore!”

To their delight, the biting chill was completely gone.

“Ahahaha!”

The two of them grabbed each other’s hands and spun around, dancing circles with laughter echoing through the icy wind. It was like they’d forgotten about the massive iceberg entirely.

Truth be told, with their stamina, the cold shouldn’t have bothered them at all. This was just their playful spirit taking over. They were soaking in this rare moment of joy, almost forgetting the harsh chill around them.

Sanji didn’t bother with their antics. Instead, he handed ginger tea to everyone else, making sure nobody missed out on its warmth.

Only Nami, watching the two spinning and dancing, felt a throbbing vein pop up on her forehead.

She’d known this was coming, but even so, seeing Luffy and Usopp goof off while everyone else worked left her more than a little annoyed.

As soon as the ship cleared the iceberg’s shadow, Nami flashed right over to Luffy and Usopp. With two loud whacks, each of their heads sprouted a big, throbbing bump.

“Seriously? Couldn’t you have helped out instead?” Nami sighed, shaking her fist in frustration.

She could have guessed it would go this way, but watching Luffy and Usopp having so much fun still got under her skin.

Everyone else was pulling their weight while those two clowned around. Who could blame Nami for getting ticked off?

“Hey, guys, look! The next island’s just up ahead!”

After his ginger tea, Usopp was back at the lookout. The moment he reached the top, he spotted an island faintly visible in the distance. This time, he swore he wasn’t wrong.

“What? The next island already? That must be the mysterious Little Garden!”

Nami dashed to the highest spot on the ship, grabbed her telescope off her chest and peered intently at the distant island.

She didn’t actually have much information on this mysterious ‘Little Garden.’

All she knew was what little the records said: this island still held traces of ancient life, almost like a prehistoric sanctuary.

Rumor had it, there were still primordial creatures living there, relics of a lost era that made people all the more curious about it.

But honestly, there was so little known about the place that Nami couldn’t make any sure calls.

Nami, seasoned as she was, knew from experience that any strange island—especially one rumored to have prehistoric monsters—was bound to spell trouble sooner or later.

“Let’s steer closer and wait until morning to look around.”

It was pitch-dark now, definitely not the right time to set foot on an unknown island.

Gin, ever dependable, steered the ship swiftly toward Little Garden.

If this were the original story, two giants would be waiting here. But things had changed so much that the place was now unrecognizable.

A pirate crew was stationed there now—the Shrouding Sky Pirates. That name alone meant Karl’s grand design was reaching its climax. The ultimate showdown was about to begin.

And these would be the first real formidable foes Luffy and his friends had faced: Karl’s thirty-fourth son, Ye Fan, just seventeen and newly out at sea.

Back when Karl started laying plans across the whole sea, he’d begun naming his later children after his favorite heroes and side characters from novels he liked best.

Who knows if those names carried some magic with them, but his kids all developed powers uncannily similar to the ones in the originals.

Take Luffy’s new opponent, Ye Fan, for instance. He’d awakened his own mysterious martial art, and every punch seemed to shake people mentally.

Anyone lacking true strength or courage couldn’t even stand in Ye Fan’s presence.

It was hard to say if Luffy could handle him, but Luffy was always the main character, Mr. Destiny himself. If anyone could pull off a miracle comeback, it was Luffy.

“Ye Fan, they’ve arrived.”

Pound’s voice drifted between treetops as his shadowy form darted like a ghost, leaping from branch to branch.

They’d known all along their mission was to face off against the Straw Hat Pirates.

This was Karl’s well-laid plan. He’d never hidden the truth from them, so everyone understood exactly what they were here to do.

Their job was to force the Straw Hats to grow faster, to become something even greater.

“So they’ve finally come? Took them long enough. Let’s see if they’re really worth the wait.”

Ye Fan spoke from where he lay on the grass, excitement and anticipation coloring his voice.

He opened his eyes, and golden irises sparkled with an enigmatic, almost otherworldly light, as if they could see through everything.

When he turned seventeen, Ye Fan had accidentally awakened a hidden trait in his Titan bloodline—the concentration of his bloodline was among the highest in the entire family.

He propped himself up with one hand, his sharp good looks calm but burning with resolve. In his eyes you could see he was more than ready for the challenge ahead.

“If that’s the way it is, let’s wait until they get here.” Ye Fan’s tone brimmed with confidence and hope. He knew this battle would drive both him and Luffy to new heights—and finally let him show his strength.

They were all set, waiting for the Straw Hat Pirates to arrive.