Chapter 71 Calm Belt

Seeing this, all the Navy soldiers cheered in victory! The Straw Hat crew was doomed! No matter how strong they were, in the face of a battleship, they had no choice but to bow down.

"This is bad! We won't make it in time!" Nami shouted in panic. No matter how fast they moved, there was no way the Merry could outrun a battleship. In front of such a massive vessel, the Merry trembled like a helpless kitten.

"We're out of options!" Sanji, prepared to go down fighting, was ready to bring the battleship down with them. If they lost their ship, he'd take the Navy's warship as compensation.

"Gomu Gomu no Balloon!" Luffy shouted, inhaling deeply as his body inflated, positioning himself across the ship to absorb the battleship's impact using his rubber body.

However, the force of the battleship was immense, especially with Nelson steering it directly toward them. The impact was strong enough to sink a small island.

Boom!

Luffy's body compressed under the overwhelming force, being pushed tighter and tighter.

"Luffy!" Usopp yelled out, his voice filled with concern.

"Hah!" Sanji's eyes narrowed as he prepared to step in. Even though Luffy was a rubber man, there was a limit. If this kept up, he might be crushed completely!

"Hey, Nelson, you big jerk! We're over here! Come after us!" Abis's voice suddenly echoed across the water. She had separated herself and Dragon Grandpa from the Merry, drifting away on the open sea.

"They're after me. Everyone, I can't keep dragging you down!" Abis declared firmly, as she and Dragon Grandpa floated farther and farther away.

"Abis!" Nami screamed, watching her drift out of reach.

"No! The Millennium Dragon!" Erik, who had been fighting Zoro, spotted Dragon Grandpa floating away. He immediately abandoned his fight with Zoro, steering his speedboat after them. His goal had always been the Millennium Dragon—nothing else mattered.

"The Elixir of Immortality!" Nelson's eyes gleamed as he saw the dragon. He quickly forgot about the Straw Hats and ordered the pursuit of the Millennium Dragon instead.

"Yes, sir!" The command was absolute. The entire fleet, including the fifty ships and the battleship, immediately shifted direction, chasing after the Millennium Dragon. Not even the fight with Moonlight could compare to the value of immortality.

"Their target is Abis! We need to protect her!" Zoro shouted as he regrouped with Sanji and the others, watching Abis drift away.

"Right!" Usopp quickly adjusted the Merry's course to chase after her.

A grand spectacle unfolded across the vast ocean. Abis and the Millennium Dragon floated away, with Erik speeding after them on his boat, followed by Nelson's battleship and fifty other Navy ships, moving like a tidal wave. The Merry did its best to keep up, Nami's navigational skills keeping them in the race, though they couldn't outpace the Navy.

"This is what it's come to?" Moonlight thought as he watched the scene unfold, surprised by Abis's decision. He quickly resumed his technique, Dragon Splitter, moving swiftly across the sea with his sword.

Moonlight's speed rivaled that of the battleship, but then his eyes widened as he spotted something in the distance.

"What's that…?" he muttered, his expression changing.

At the same time, the Navy captain's face paled as he shouted, "Stop! Everyone, halt immediately! Admiral, we've entered the Calm Belt!"

"What?! The Calm Belt?" Panic spread quickly among the sailors.

"Stop the ship! Now!" The entire fleet scrambled to halt.

Even Nelson furrowed his brow and ordered the battleship to stop. He wasn't foolish enough to challenge the sea monsters that ruled these waters. Even with ten battleships, it wouldn't be enough to protect them from the Sea Kings.

The sea belonged to them—the true rulers of the ocean.

"This is bad… it's the Calm Belt!" Nami's face turned pale as well. She knew exactly what they had wandered into—the graveyard of sailors.

"What's the Calm Belt?" Luffy, Usopp, Sanji, and Zoro asked in unison.

Even Erik, far ahead, slowed down, his expression serious. No one was foolish enough to push forward recklessly here.

"The Calm Belt is an area with no wind and no ocean currents. It's a place where everything is still. Ships rely on wind and currents to move, so once inside the Calm Belt, they're stuck forever. But worse than that…" Nami explained, her voice trembling.

"The Calm Belt is home to the Sea Kings. In these waters, dozens of Sea Kings gather, but that's just an estimate. There could be hundreds—maybe even thousands!"

"What?!" The entire crew froze in shock.

The Sea Kings were monstrous creatures of the deep, each one a terrifying force of nature. Facing even one was bad enough. But hundreds? Thousands? That was suicide.

"I don't care about Sea Kings or the Calm Belt. Abis is our friend, and we have to help her. Usopp, full speed ahead!" Luffy ordered, his determination unwavering as he watched Abis drift further into the Calm Belt.

"Got it!" Usopp followed the order without hesitation.

Nami nodded as well. Even if it was dangerous, they couldn't abandon their friend. Sanji and Zoro both nodded, fully prepared to face whatever lay ahead.

"Ahh… Ahh… Ahh…" Moonlight, still in his combined sword form, raced across the sea, moving ever closer to the Calm Belt.

"We've entered the Calm Belt, but leave this to me. I'll bring Abis back!" Moonlight shouted as he sped forward.

"Moonlight, we're counting on you!" Luffy called back.

"Understood, Captain!" Moonlight replied, disappearing from sight in an instant.

"The Calm Belt is the graveyard of sailors. Whether you're Navy or pirate, it's the same. None of us can handle the Sea Kings. Luffy, you can't swim, and even though Sanji and Zoro are strong, they're no match for the Sea Kings. Usopp's a trickster, and I have no strength to fight. Moonlight is the only one who can save Abis now," Nami murmured.

"Even though I hate to admit it, Nami's right. Only Moonlight can pull this off," Sanji and Zoro reluctantly agreed.

"Why am I the trickster?! I'm pure-hearted!" Usopp wailed, tears streaming down his face.

"Moonlight…" Luffy whispered, his eyes fixed on the horizon. He understood the dangers of the ocean all too well, especially here in the Calm Belt.

"Are they really entering the Calm Belt?" Nelson muttered, his brow furrowed as he watched the distant sea.

Should he continue? Or should he retreat?

Who could possibly stand against the Sea Kings?

No one.