Regions and Travel

The Blues

The Blues are four oceans that cover much of the world: North Blue, East Blue, South Blue and West Blue. They are divided by the Grand Line and Red Line, and are dotted with islands that can be easily navigated to using conventional navigation methods. In contrast to the hazardous Grand Line, the Blues are relatively peaceful. The islands in the Blues are rarely dangerous, the seas are calm and individuals of notable strength are rare.

• Any character may start in the blues.
  
• Characters within the blues have unlimited freedom of travel. This means that a character may choose to visit any island within the Blues from any other island in the Blues, regardless of which Blue the island is found in.
  

Rules of The Grand Line

The Grand Line is the stretch of ocean that divides the Blues into four with the Red Line. It acts as the equator of the world and is split into two parts; from the Reverse Mountain to Red Line is known as Paradise, beyond the Red Line to the back of Reverse Mountain is referred to as the New World.

Grand Line Entry

There are no SD-level restrictions on when a character may enter the Grand Line. A character who has started in the Blues may choose to only do one Storyline there before heading to the Grand Line, or they may choose to stay for an indefinite period of time and never enter the Grand Line at all. Earning Beli and Fame is far easier in the Grand Line, in exchange for bearing the harsher conditions and stronger opponents.

The Reverse Mountain connects the Blues and the Grand Line, and is the preferred method of entry for almost all who wish to travel there. However, Reverse Mountain Storylines are not required. A character in the Blues wishing to enter the Grand Line may opt to travel via the friendly Mountain Mole, and simply begin their next Storyline on one of the starting point islands of the Grand Line. The Reverse Mountain is counted as part of the Blues in regards to Beli earnings.

It is also possible for a starter character to start their adventure at the start of the Grand Line. (Those that elect to start in the grand line are stuck there as there is currently no way back from paradise to the Blues unless you are a marine. It should also be noted that Starting characters cannot afford Grand line worthy ships and can't freely travel from their starting island)

Grand Line Travel

Unlike the Blues, travel in the Grand Line is very difficult and highly dangerous. In fact, it is impossible to traverse the stormy seas of Paradise with just the small starter ship that all characters get for free. In order to progress in the Grand Line, a character must be traveling on a ship bought by them or someone in their crew that is at least Salmon Class. If, at the end of a Storyline on an island other than the first island a character visited in the Grand Line, they are found to not be traveling by ship capable of Grand Line travel, they will be charged 7,500,000 Beli for the use of the SS Jalopy. This cost will be charged for every Storyline on a new island for which a character does not have a proper ship, as rent for the use of the SS Jalopy. It is not a one-time payment in order to purchase the SS Jalopy for future use.

SS Jalopy:

The Five Routes

Navigation in the Grand Line does not follow the more conventional methods that would be used in the Blues. Due to the unique magnetic fields in the Grand Line, a Log Pose is required to travel to the next island in that Route. Log Poses do not have a cost, and any character may be in the possession of one. There are five routes in the Grand Line, each with different islands numbered 1 to 7 found along the way.

For the following rules, "Crew" refers to a group of characters traveling together and participating in the same Storylines. It does not include allies of a character who do not travel with that character.

• Any one of the first islands in the five routes may be chosen for a character to start their journey on: Roiyaru, Cactus Island, Foolshout Island, Fireworks Island, and Ice-been.
  
• Crews must only progress forward one island at a time. Travel can be done between Storylines, but a character must complete a Storyline on an island before they can start a Storyline on the next. Progression may be forwards along the same route or diagonally to the next island number on an adjacent route. Routes are lined up in order from 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5, meaning a crew on Route 4 could jump to Route 3 or 5, but not Routes 2 or 1.
  
• Once a Storyline on an island in a route has been completed, all islands of the same number are unlocked for visiting. This means that completing a Storyline on any of the starting islands of the Grand Line unlocks all of the other starting islands for visiting. Completing the second island on any route unlocks all of the second islands for visiting, and so on. This process is known as Progressive Route Freedom.
  
• A crew may also travel backward along their route in order to revisit islands they have previously visited or travel to islands they have unlocked through progressive route freedom. This is not limited to moving one island at a time, and it is possible to immediately return to the furthest island in that route that a crew has reached.
  
• All crews also have the ability to skip only one island on their routes if they wish to, though they may not skip the starting island or the final island on the route. An island skipped in this way will still grant Route Freedom for that island number.
  
• Characters may choose to skip forward any number of islands in order to join up with another character who is further along in the Grand Line.
  
• Crews are allowed to replace a maximum of three destinations with Custom Islands, though these cannot be the starting island or the final island of the route. Once Complete Route Freedom is achieved, crews can visit as many custom Islands as they please among the Five Routes.
  
• Any number of islands may be replaced by Calm Belt islands or Sky Islands.
  
• Crews that have completed a Storyline on the final island of a route may choose to enter the Sea Train Zone.
  
• Characters that have completed a storyline on at least one island of every number, from 1 to 7 in any of the Five Routes, achieve Complete Route Freedom. This allows crews to travel around the entirety of the Five Routes as if they were the Four Blues, meaning they are able to visit locations they were previously unable to. Islands Skipped by the one free skip available to each character are counted in Route Freedom, so only six island visits are actually required.
  
• Route Freedom applies to individual characters, not total islands visited by a crew. In other words, if a character has not gone one island at a time in their travel through the routes, or has not gone back to ensure that any gaps were filled, they do not have Complete Route Freedom.
  
• The Route Freedom that a character has achieved is linked directly to that character, and not the character slot, and is lost when the character is fully scooped. Full scoops also reset Route Freedom progression on that character slot, though the scooped character can progress from the same spot as the character they were scooped from.
  

The Sea Train Zone

Access to the Sea Train Zone is granted by completing a Storyline on the 7th island of any of the Five Routes. This area is made up of five islands all connected by the Sea Train network, a series of railways over the water that connects the islands in the area. These are San Faldo, Pucci, Water 7, St. Poplar and Couture Island. Characters are able to travel freely between these islands and must complete a Storyline on at least one in order to progress to the Florian Triangle.

Florian Triangle

Entering the Florian Triangle requires a character in the crew to have completed a Storyline in the Sea Train Zone. This stretch of ocean is covered in a deep mist, meaning even the most skilled navigators will be unable to guide their crews with complete confidence.

The Florian Triangle is a free-roaming area, much like the Blues and the Sea Train Zone. However, its islands are extremely hazardous, even when compared to the rest of the Grand Line.

Crews that complete at least one Storyline within the Florian Triangle can move on to the Paradise Edge.

End of Paradise

The Paradise Edge is a free-roaming area, like the Four Blues and holds a number of highly important islands. Those characters that reach this area will do so with large reputations and have a greater involvement in global affairs. The strongest NPCs in the world frequent this location, making it a dangerous yet exciting place to travel.

Remember that the end of Paradise is just the beginning.

Island Hopping

Because the Grand Line can be a rather linear area for some characters and many crews will inevitably fall apart, characters have a method available to them to get to another character or crew called Island Hopping. For 2,000,000 per an island, a character can move in any direction as long as there is a character at the final destination that they will then proceed to RP with. Island Hopping may not be used to progress through the Grand Line and may only be used to catch up to a character's new crew. If the character or crew can utilize backtracking when catching up to their new RP partner(s), those islands are not included in the cost.

Calm Belt

The Calm Belts flank the Grand Line; these areas never have ocean currents or winds blowing and are the breeding grounds of the Sea Kings. They are a dangerous area of ocean that may only be accessed if a crew has a feasible means of traversing them, such as ships with engines. Without some form of the hull that protects against Sea Kings, such as seastone hulling, only the strongest crews are capable of entering due to the threat they present. The capability of a crew to travel in the Calm Belt is decided by the Staff, who also decide whether they encounter trouble or not.

Sea Kings are gigantic, ferocious sea-serpents, sometimes the size of a fishing boat and sometimes the size of an island. They have an average of 75 in each stat and a hide as tough as iron, though the exact specifications vary based on species. As such, unless a crew is capable of fending off groups of these creatures, travel in the Calm Belt is not advised. Much like any other SL, those found to be ignoring the difficulty of the Calm Belt will not be ignored.

Sky Islands

Legends speak of islands that float not on a sea of water, but of clouds. These are the Sky Islands, a collection of islands found hundreds of feet above the surface of the ocean. There are numerous methods of accessing these islands from sea level, such as the violent Knock-Up Stream or the far more accessible Heavens Gate, a river of clouds that occasionally descends to the seas below. Crews can move freely between the Sky Islands via the Milky Road, and return to the Grand Line at any time. A character may only purchase the Weathermancy trait after visiting a Sky Island.

The World Economic Journal & Special Events

World Economic threads are unique, staff-narrated Storylines with a larger impact on the world in comparison to other Storylines. Characters joining an WEJ may do so from anywhere in the Grand Line, regardless of where the WEJ is actually located, to effectively teleport there for the duration of the Storyline. The character returns to their normal route afterward. The island on which the WEJ took place is included in Route Freedom calculations as though it were a replacement island for what would have otherwise been their next numbered island.

Special Events follow the same guidelines as WEJ Storylines at a base, but due to their inherently special nature, they may have additional regulations or lack of thereof.

The New World

The second half of the Grand Line is known as the New World. In comparison, the first half is but a paradise and was named accordingly. The New World is far more dangerous than Paradise, both in regards to travel and the people who dwell there. It is the home of the Yonkou who claim multiple islands as their own territory. 20 years prior to current events World Government influence was ousted from these seas entirely after a five-year war. The World Government and Marines have started to claw back territory in the last few years but the New World remains a lawless region of the world.

New World Entry

There are no SD-level restrictions on when a character may enter the New World. Any character can start or scoop into the New World and begin their journey on the first row of islands.

A character who is at the end of paradise must take one of the routes into the New World to access it.

There are four routes of entry into the New World. All are dangerous, for there is no perfectly safe route leading to the fabled New World.

• Crews may pass through Fishman Island, located deep beneath the Red Line. Because most are not submersible, ships usually undergo a process whereby they are coated with Yarukiman Resin that will encase the ship in a bubble to allow it to travel underwater. This type of coating can only be done on Sabaody Archipelago. With this method, a Storyline must be completed on Sabaody Archipelago and then Fishman Island before continuing to the New World. This route is accessible to all factions.
  
• The Red Line Rapids is a winding labyrinth of churning waterways that pierce miles upon miles of rock through the Red Line. Navigating through them is extremely tricky and unexpected dangers require a sturdy ship to survive the ordeal. To enter the New World with this method, a crew requires at least a Grade III ship with a material superior to Basic Wood/Common Metal and a Storyline to be completed in the Red Line Rapids before continuing to the New World. This route is accessible to all factions.
  
• The Righteous Path is a wide river located on top of the Red Line, it can be reached by a series of heavily fortified canal lifts that gradually elevate ships up the slopes of the Red Line. To enter the New World with this method, a crew requires Fleet Admiral Clearance and a Storyline must be completed at Mariejois before continuing to the New World. This route is accessible to Marines and lawful characters traveling with a Marine who has clearance. Fleet Admiral Clearance is gained by visiting Marineford or automatically issued upon obtaining 100+ Commendations.
  
• The Way of the Brave is a special tunnel through the Red Line dedicated to Bounty Hunters who stand against criminals. This route takes character past Magnus, the mecca of BHs and home of the Storm Crow guild. To enter the New World with this method, a crew requires Rising Star status and a Storyline must be completed at Magnus before continuing to the New World. This route is accessible to Bounty Hunters and lawful characters traveling with Bounty Hunters. Rising Star status is gained by visiting Brave Outpost or automatically gained upon obtaining 100+ Threat.
  

The New World Map

Spoiler:

Unlike Paradise, the New World is comprised of a series of island tiles which make up multiple rows. In order to progress in the New World, a character must be traveling on a ship bought by them or someone in their crew that is at least Tuna Class, and characters found to be without ships will need to pay to be ferried by the SS Jalopy.

• Any of the three starting islands in the New World may be chosen upon entering the New World. These are Papalapa, Raijin & Mystoria islands.
  
• Progress through the New World is made by completing a Storyline on an island in a tile and then moving one tile in any direction; forwards, backward, sideways or diagonally.
  
• Progressive Route Freedom in the New World Routes works in the same way as the Paradise Routes, meaning crews can freely backtrack to islands they have visited already but the two are separate and do not affect each other.
  
• Each islands tile has a main island and a unique sea. Some tiles also have one or many smaller islands. A tile is named after its main island which may also influence the sea around it. Some of these seas can be especially hazardous to navigate and should be factored into any topics taking place in the tile.
  
• Some tiles are owned by a particular faction. This means the main islands of the tile is ruled by that faction, though smaller islands within the same tile may not be. The current color key is -
  • Dark Blue - World Government Territory
  • Red - Dracula Territory
  • Gray - Techna Queen Territory
  • Sky Blue - Zeus Territory
  • Green - Aztec Territory
  Non-colored tiles are considered Neutral Territory.
  
• Unlike in Paradise, New World Islands may not be skipped.
  
• Custom Islands may be used to progress on tiles which are Neutral territory though this can only be done twice.
  
• Unclaimed Islands are treated the same as Custom Islands upon the first visit, being islands created by the player with a few preset quirks to the island mentioned in the island description topic. For further details on Unclaimed Islands, read the Territory in the New World section below.
  
• Sky Island or Calm Belt Islands cannot replace New World Islands.
  
• Characters may return to Paradise whenever they wish and are not required to complete New World entry requirements again if they wish to re-enter.
  

Territory in the New World

As the only region of the seas not under the complete control of the World Government, the New World is the place where anyone can stake a claim on territory so long as they are willing to defend it. Whilst the main islands of tiles will have established Kingdoms or be too large for a small crew to conquer, the New World has many smaller islands which can be claimed with more ease which are known as Unclaimed Islands.

• Unclaimed Islands may be claimed by a crew (a crew requires a minimum of 2 characters) after a Storyline focused on winning ownership of the land whether by offering protection, diplomacy, finance, raw force or other means.
  
• Most Unclaimed Islands are a blank canvas having only one or two existing quirks of the tile that must be respected. Otherwise, the crew visiting the island is allowed to customize the territory to give it more identity before making a claim. This may include but is not limited to having towns and people, having unique terrains or unusual concepts, being populated by strange creatures, having abandoned castles or bases etc. If the island is not claimed by the visiting crew, then the Unclaimed Island will return to being a blank canvas once they move on. The island concept they visited will be treated as any other Custom Island.
  
• Once an island has been claimed, it will replace the Unclaimed island as a player made island.
  
• Newly claimed territory has a 2 month grace period before it may be contested.
  
• A crew can only claim territory once every 2 months. This means a crew cannot split into multiple parts and simultaneously claim multiple small islands.
  
• Any small island territory can be contested after the grace period is over as if they were an unclaimed territory. However, the current owner will be able to enter the SL and defend what they own. The island will have a 2 month grace period after the contest succeeds or fails.
  
• Claimed territory may be gifted to major factions (ie Pirates to Yonkou, Marines to WG) though players cannot gift territory to each other.
  
• Territory is lost when a crew disbands or merges with another crew. In the case of a merge, the merged party may choose which crew's territory is kept.
  

Main islands of tiles require considerably more planning and effort to take over and the following;

• A crew must own all small islands within the tile (if any).
  
• Journalist IC conditions which vary between islands must be met.
  
• If not Neutral, the faction in charge of the tile must be defeated within the tile. Factions with some influence will also need to be prevented from intervening.
  
• At least one storyline with staff involvement must be completed.
  
• Newly claimed tiles have a longer grace period of 4 months, though a crew can also not claim territory for another 6 months.
  

Factions, Kingdoms, and the Underworld.

When a group of characters enters the New World, they will be representing their crew and treated as a mini-faction. To make it easier for the Staff to track and plan interaction, it is recommended that crews already have a page in the Crew Talk section. When a thread is completed, the impacts of character actions will be taken into account by the Staff and a crew may see their relations with other non-player factions improve or worsen.

Relations between factions are tracked on a scale of 0 to 100, with 0 being mortal enemies and 100 being close allies. Most faction relationships start off at 50, apart from the following;

• Pirates Crews with any Bounty -35 Penalty with all WG Factions.
  
• Marines -35 Penalty with all Yonkou factions.
  
• Bounty Hunters with threat -25 Penalty with all Yonkou factions.
  

Positive relations lead to benefits. Kingdoms grants gifts of beli or military aid to defend territory. Underworld traders may grant discounts of their special goods or provide valuable information to help a character's aims. Conversely, having negative relations can cause specific factions to hunt down your crew personally or hire someone else to do it for them.

The aim of this mechanic is to make the New World (and by extension OPNW) feel more responsive to player actions and help progress the individual stories of all characters and crews.

The Hidden Island of Raftel

Raftel exists on OPNW though is obviously not listed on the map! Only a handful of individuals on the forum know the secret to find the legendary islands and they are barred from pursuing the treasure on any characters. As crews progress in the New World, hints and clues to help find it will be dropped as rewards. The first is that there are 8 islands in the New World which are especially important in locating Raftel. Happy hunting!