NOVEL NEXT Ch48- Calm Belt
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Coby was pulled onto the ship with a thud, landing next to a visibly relieved Nami. Without hesitation, Nami enveloped Coby in a tight hug and planted a kiss on his lips, her voice trembling slightly, "I was so worried." Coby, still grinning from the adrenaline rush, patted her back reassuringly, "Sorry, guys. That guy was troublesome."
The rest of the crew gathered on the deck, their expressions varying from relief to exasperation. Luffy's laughter filled the air, carefree as ever, while Zoro simply nodded. Usopp was animatedly recounting the entire ordeal to a bemused Sanji, who was shaking his head, already walking away to fetch something to mark the occasion.
Rain continued to pour down in full force, the sound of it against the Going Merry almost deafening. Sanji returned with a barrel of sake. One by one, they approached the barrel to make their vows, a traditional sailing ceremony they'd come to cherish.
Sanji was the first to step up, his foot hitting the top of the barrel with a resounding thud. "I am going to find All Blue!" he declared, his dream shining in his eyes.
Zoro followed. "I am going to be the world's Greatest Swordsman!" he proclaimed, his voice carrying the weight of his ambition.
Usopp, filled with fear and excitement, went next. "I am going to be a brave warrior of the sea!" he announced, his usual bravado tinged with genuine determination.
Nami, her eyes reflecting the vast expanse of the ocean she sought to map, was next. "I am going to draw the map of the world!" she said.
Luffy and Coby exchanged smirks, a silent communication between two friends who'd shared countless adventures and understood each other's spirits. "I will become the King of Pirates!" Luffy declared, his voice filled with the boundless optimism and courage that defined him.
Coby followed, placing his foot against the barrel with a mischievous glint in his eye. "And I will forever fight, adventure, and fool around!" His words were light.
Nami, standing close to Coby, pinched his waist at his declaration. The others laughed, the sound mixing with the rain and the creaks of the ship to create a symphony of their life at sea.
Together, as a crew united by dreams and the vast ocean that lay before them, they shouted, "Grand Line, here we come!" Their voices were full of excitement, fear, anticipation, and the unbreakable bond that held them together.
In one fluid motion, they all hit their soles against the barrel, smashing it to signify the beginning of their journey towards the Grand Line, a place where dreams and dangers coexisted, where the very essence of adventure awaited them.
With the light of the Guidance Lighthouse illuminating their path, they sailed towards Reverse Mountain, the entrance of the Grand Line. The Going Merry cut through the waves steadily, her figurehead leading the way. Luffy's excited voice suddenly cut through the sound of the rain. "Lights gone out! Lights gone out!" he called out from his perch atop the figurehead.
Nami, having just gone inside to wear a raincoat, came back with a sigh. "Calm down," she reassured him, the steadiness of her voice contrasting with the weather's chaos. "That is a lighthouse. Lights go out from time to time, but I am here for that reason, right? Trust me, I know what I am doing." Her confidence was evident.
Luffy, still seated on the figurehead, looked at her with admiration. "You are amazing, you know," he said.
Nami responded with a playful huff, "Now can you come down?"
But Luffy, protective of his special spot, refused. "No way I am giving my special spot to you."
"Who wants your spot? This worries me," Nami rebuked, her focus remaining on navigating the treacherous path ahead.
Inside the cabin, the rest of the crew gathered around Nami as she opened the map to the Grand Line. "The map says the entrance to the Grand Line is up a mountain," she explained, pointing to a specific spot on the chart.
"A mountain?" Usopp exclaimed, the idea clearly unsettling him.
Nami nodded, "Yes. When I saw the chart, I saw it climbs up to Reverse Mountain. There is a canal here."
"Don't be ridiculous, canal or no canal, a ship cannot climb a mountain," Usopp argued, his voice full of disbelief.
Sanji, leaning against the wall, cigarette in hand, chimed in, "But that's what the map says."
Zoro expressed his doubts. "You stole that map from Buggy, right? Can we trust it?"
Meanwhile, Luffy was the most excited, his eyes shining with the thrill of the unknown. "We are climbing up a mountain! Yippie! Must be a mysterious mountain!"
Coby, who had been quietly observing the exchange, chuckled, breaking his silence. "Guys, the chart is true. The entrance to the Grand Line is Reverse Mountain. The sea climbs the mountain from four seas and descends to the Grand Line. It's been this way for hundreds of years."
Nami beamed, her earlier confidence validated. "So it is true!"
Zoro, looking at the map with a critical eye, asked, "Why do we have to go through the entrance anyway? Can't we sail to the south and go in from there?"
Luffy stood up, his usual playful demeanor replaced by absolute seriousness. "NO WAY!" he denied emphatically.
Nami nodded in agreement, surprised by Luffy's knowledge. "He's right. There is a reason for that."
Luffy, nodding along, added, "It would feel all wrong if we didn't go through the entrance."
Coby chuckled at Luffy's simple yet heartfelt reasoning. Nami, however, was not amused and punched Luffy. "That's not it," she said, her tone suggesting there was more to the story than just feelings.
Before she could explain further, Usopp interrupted with a curious observation. "Hey. How weird. The storm is gone all of a sudden." Sanji nodded in agreement, "Yeah, it's calm."
Coby's expression shifted suddenly to one of concern. "Uh oh." Nami, following his gaze, looked outside, then back at him, her face mirroring his worry. "This is impossible, unless..." Coby muttered, "Shit! We are in the Calm Belt!"
They rushed out to the deck. Luffy, confused by the sudden commotion, asked, "What is the Calm Belt?" Usopp pointed out the stark difference in weather, "Hey, the storm is still fierce over there, but there is nothing over here. Not even a breeze."
Coby didn't waste a moment. "Cut the crap and hit the paddles! WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE RIGHT NOW!" His urgency was palpable, and Nami was about to echo his command when he filled the sails with as much wind as he could muster using his newly acquired power. It was nowhere close to Dragon's, but it was their only chance.
"Why? The weather is great here," Zoro commented lazily. Nami snapped back, her voice full of fear and frustration, "Just listen to him, damn it!" She added, looking around, "Just like Zoro said, the ship must have drifted to the South."
Zoro surveyed their surroundings. "So, is this the Grand Line?" Coby let out a snort of disbelief, "You think it's that easy? There are two seas that sandwich the Grand Line, known as the Calm Belt. On the Calm Belt, there is no wind, current, or wave."
Zoro remained unfazed, "So? What of it." But at that moment, the ship was suddenly lifted from the sea. Around them, tens of giant creatures appeared, with the Merry standing on top of one of their noses.
The terror etched on the crew's faces was palpable, their wide eyes filled with a chilling dread that seemed to freeze them in place. Usopp's trembling hands clutched at the railing, his face a mask of sheer horror. Sanji's normally composed demeanor crumbled, and his heart raced as he watched the monstrous Giant Sea Kings rise from the depths of the Calm Belt.
Zoro's usual steely resolve faltered, and for once, he appeared vulnerable, his grip on his swords tightening involuntarily. Even Luffy, the fearless captain, felt a shiver crawl down his spine as he beheld the colossal creatures. Even he couldn't deny the overwhelming fear that threatened to consume them all.
But amidst the chaos and panic, Coby stood calm, thinking what to do. Nami, her face drained of color, clung desperately to Coby, seeking solace and safety in his steadfast presence, as if he alone could shield her from the impending doom. "The Calm Belt is the nest of Sea Kings. GIANT ONES!" Coby announced as he ceased using the wind. He calmly walked to the kitchen and took a bag of pepper.
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