The Going Merry sailed towards the distant navigation light.
"Oh no, this is bad! The light went out!"
Usopp looked at the light that suddenly extinguished in the distance and cried out in a panic.
"Lighthouses also use lights; it's not strange for them to go out. That's why we need a navigator, isn't it?"
Luen looked at Nami and smiled.
"That's right! Don't worry, I remember the location!"
Hearing Luen's praise, Nami said haughtily.
"As expected of you, Nami!"
Luffy and the others gave her a thumbs-up.
Luen dotingly looked at the slightly proud Nami.
"But it's really troubling, if this continues, it will be just like the legends!"
Nami muttered, holding the Grand Line chart she had taken from Buggy.
"What?"
Luffy was curious.
"Let's go inside the cabin."
Nami said.
"Clap!"
Inside the cabin, Nami slammed the chart onto the table.
"The entrance to the Grand Line is a mountain!"
Nami pointed at the chart.
"What?!"
Except for Luen, Luffy and the others showed shocked expressions.
"Yes, although I don't really believe it either, look at the chart, the navigation light is indeed standing on the Red Line, on Reverse Mountain."
Nami said.
"What?! Are we going to crash into a mountain?!"
Usopp yelled.
"No, isn't there a canal here?"
Zoro pointed at a towering river on the Red Line on the chart.
"Canal? Don't joke around, even if there's a canal, a ship can't climb a mountain."
"Tell us, Luen."
Usopp's forehead broke out in cold sweat as he looked at the most knowledgeable Luen.
"No, Nami is right."
Luen smiled.
"Eh?!"
Usopp was greatly startled.
"I, I have a sickness where I'll die if I climb a mountain."
Usopp said painfully. "Don't worry, that place is also called Reverse Mountain. As long as you rely on the ocean current, you can enter the '940' entrance, then climb to the peak, and finally flow down to enter the Grand Line."
Luen pointed at the chart and smiled.
"I see! It relies on the ocean current!"
Nami, with her excellent navigation talent, immediately understood and said in surprise.
Zoro and the others also smiled.
"As expected of Luen! He's truly knowledgeable!"
"However, the currents there are very strong. If we don't successfully enter that entrance, we'll truly crash into the Red Line. I heard that more than half of the pirates who want to go to the Grand Line are lost before even entering."
Luen looked at everyone, feeling mischievous, and showed a wicked expression.
"!!!"
Usopp trembled all over, terrified.
Sanji and Zoro's mouths also twitched.
Nami grabbed Luen's arm, her small face pale.
Facing the terrifying power of nature, even Sanji and Zoro felt their hearts pound.
"But you don't need to worry, my ability can prevent this from happening."
Luen laughed, looking at the terrified crowd.
The Smoke-Smoke Fruit's ability allows him to freely turn smoke into a solid for attack, or transform it into a smoke element for entanglement and capture.
Although they were in the ocean current, he could still slightly change the navigation route with his ability.
At least, entering the entrance to the Grand Line was no problem, unlike the perilous original story.
"Why didn't you say so sooner!"
Sanji, Zoro, and Usopp couldn't hold back and loudly complained.
"Hahaha, sorry, sorry, your expressions were too funny."
Luen laughed heartily.
"Seriously, don't scare me, Luen."
Nami leaned on Luen's shoulder, wrinkling her nose cutely.
"I almost said that if it didn't work, we shouldn't enter through the entrance and just bypass it from the south."
Zoro sighed in relief and smiled.
On the chart, the southern direction also allowed entry into the Grand Line.
"That's not possible."
Nami retorted.
"That's right! Nami said it well!" Luffy immediately agreed.
Nami felt a little relieved that Luffy, that idiot, actually had some brains.
"We have to go through the entrance! That's what feels good!"
Luffy pointed at Zoro and shouted.
"You idiot! That's not the reason!"
Nami transformed into her fanged image.
She was disappointed, thinking Luffy had improved.
"Hahaha."
Luen laughed heartily, looking at the lively Luffy.
"Huh? What's wrong? The storm suddenly stopped."
Usopp looked out the window, puzzled.
"It's so quiet, it was just raging with wind and rain a moment ago."
Sanji also said.
"Really? What great weather!"
Luffy opened the cabin door, grinning.
"We can still see the storm over there, but there's no wind at all here."
Zoro looked at the distant storm clouds.
"No, it can't be! We should be able to enter the entrance with the current!"
Seeing the good weather, Nami, as the navigator, turned pale.
"What's wrong?"
Seeing Nami's unusual behavior, everyone except Luen immediately became curious.
"This is the Calm Belt, isn't it?"
Luen walked out of the cabin, feeling the completely windless air. Even all the sails of the Going Merry were completely still, and the corners of his mouth curled slightly.
"Calm Belt?"
Luffy and the others were immediately confused.
"That's right! The Calm Belt! Quickly furl the sails and row the ship into the storm!"
Nami was very flustered.
"Why are you so panicked? This is a sailboat, why do we need to row?"
Luffy asked curiously.
"Yeah, why do we need to go back into the storm?"
Usopp also asked curiously.
"Don't ask! You guys, just do as I say!"
Nami immediately became anxious.
"It's rare to have such clear weather."
Zoro stretched leisurely.
"Luen! Quickly tell them! You know about the Calm Belt, you should know about that, right!"
Nami looked at Luen, her face utterly pale.
"I guess so. Just like you just said, our ship is drifting south."
Luen saw Nami was terribly scared and looked at Zoro, smiling.
"Huh? So, we've already entered the Grand Line?"
Zoro said cluelessly.
"Idiot! If it were that simple, anyone could go to the Grand Line!"
Nami once again transformed into her fanged image.
Aside from Luen, there was no one truly reliable on this ship!
"Listen carefully, the Grand Line is sandwiched between two narrow sea areas, which is this current sea area, the Calm Belt!"
As the name suggests, the Calm Belt means there is no wind at all."
Nami explained.
"So what?"
Zoro and the others still didn't understand.
"Because in addition to having no wind, there are also some very interesting things here."
Luen's mouth curved up as he looked at the sea.
Observation Haki captured the aura in the sea.
"Boom!"
The next moment, the sea surface exploded, and a giant creature emerged from the ocean, lifting the Going Merry directly.
"Wha-what happened?! An earthquake?!"
Usopp cried out in a panic.
"Idiot, how can there be an earthquake at sea?!"
Sanji cursed.
Immediately after, everyone except Luen was stunned.
Several terrifying behemoths appeared on the sea, and the Going Merry was on the head of one of them.
"!!!"
Sanji, Zoro, Luffy, and Usopp's eyes were bulging out.
"This is a Sea King's nest!! And giant ones at that!"
Nami was clinging to Luen, holding him tightly and refusing to let go, tears streaming down her face.
"Giant Sea Kings, huh? They must be very nutritious, Sanji, are you interested in catching one to cook?"
Luen looked at Sanji.
The Sea Kings of the Calm Belt were completely different from those in other places.
Their size was at least several hundred meters, and it was not uncommon for them to be over a thousand meters. Deepest in the sea, there were even bigger ones exceeding five thousand meters.
These Sea Kings were the true overlords of the ocean!
Luen still vividly remembered the taste of Moomoo, the Sea King Arlong raised. These super-giant Sea Kings should taste even better.
"No, don't say such things! These monsters are over a thousand meters long, aren't they?!"
Sanji's face turned green.
How could such a monster be cooked?!
"Luen, please, don't fight them."
Nami clung to Luen like a cute koala, lifting her pitifully pale face.
"Alright."
Seeing Nami's pitiful, pale face, Luen gently stroked her head to comfort her.
Indeed, there was no place on the Going Merry to store such behemoths.
However, someday, he definitely had to taste the giant Sea Kings of the Calm Belt.
Luen's mouth curved up.
Furthermore! This sea area also had other uses for Luen.
Swimming through this sea area, the increase in capacity for "Born for the Sea" (Super Gold) was many times stronger than in other sea areas!
To be chosen as a nest by Sea Kings, especially giant Sea Kings, meant that the energy of this sea was much stronger than other sea areas.
Poseidon, one of the three Ancient Weapons, could control these giant Sea Kings.
The sheer power of the sea energy in the nests where these giant Sea Kings lived was unimaginable.
Through the "Born for the Sea" (Super Gold) entry, Luen could clearly feel the immense sea energy in this area.
And how to cross the Calm Belt was also very simple.
Rayleigh once swam across the Calm Belt himself, astonishing the world.
He would have to ask Rayleigh later what kind of physical standard was needed to cross the Calm Belt.
Luen's mouth curved up.
"Phew!"
Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, and Luffy, seeing that Luen had been persuaded by Nami, immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
They looked at Nami with immense gratitude.
Fortunately, Luen listened to Nami; otherwise, if he fought such monsters, Luen, as a Logia-type Devil Fruit user with strong Haki, naturally wouldn't be afraid.
But they couldn't handle it!
"Listen up! Once this monster sinks, we'll row for our lives!"
Zoro, who had been unwilling to row just now, was now holding a huge oar with sweat pouring down his forehead, saying to Sanji and Luffy. "Understood!"
Luffy and Sanji nodded emphatically, also grabbing the Going Merry's huge oars.
Facing such a monster, over a thousand meters in size, even Luffy wasn't showing off.
"Hmph!"
And just then, the giant Sea King that had lifted the Going Merry let out a heavy sneeze.
The Going Merry was right at its nose...
"Ah!"
Luffy and the others screamed as they were thrown into the air.
"White Gale!"
Luen's eyes narrowed, and he activated his Smoke-Smoke Fruit ability.
His arms transformed into several wisps of smoke, grabbing Luffy and the others.
Nami was enveloped in Luen's smoke and placed next to him.
"White Mantle!"
Luen shouted, and smoke supported the bottom of the Going Merry, allowing it to gently land on the sea.
Luen, who was not cursed by the sea, could still use his abilities in the ocean.
"Whoa! Luen, that frog is pouncing on us!"
Before they could catch their breath, Nami saw a frog-like Sea King pouncing towards the Going Merry, its eyes filled with rage.
"Get lost."
"Bang!"
Holding Nami, terrifying red-black energy intensely flashed in Luen's eyes.
"Woosh!"
Cold sweat covered the entire body of the frog Sea King, and it whimpered before diving to the bottom of the sea.
"Luen! Amazing!!!"
Luffy opened his mouth wide, letting out a heartfelt roar.
He felt like he had seen this scene before!
It was just like when Shanks saved him!
So, what Shanks used back then was Conqueror's Haki!
"Is this the time to be talking?! Hurry and row!"
Zoro and Sanji grabbed the oars and rowed frantically.
Luffy finally snapped out of his daze and also rowed furiously.
Under their frantic rowing, the Going Merry finally returned to the storm.
Although they were in the storm, Zoro and the others felt incredibly relieved, collapsing on the deck and gasping for breath.
"Now you know why we have to go through the entrance, right?!"
Nami, still shaken, hugged Luen and shouted at Zoro and the others, who had been boasting earlier.
Nami's legs were still weak.
"That was interesting. Next time, let's go swimming in the Calm Belt."
Luen held Nami's soft, boneless body and laughed heartily at Zoro and the others collapsed on the deck.
"Don't joke around!"
Zoro and Sanji transformed into their fanged expressions.
Is that really a place where one can go swimming?!
"Luen, didn't you eat a Devil Fruit? Can you still swim?"
Luffy looked up, blinking.
"I'm special. Even with Devil Fruit abilities, I can still swim." Luen's mouth curved up.
"Eh?! Amazing!"
Luffy's eyes widened.
Luffy thought he wouldn't be the only landlubber on the ship anymore.
Luffy looked at Luen with immense envy.
Being a pirate unable to swim was a regret Luffy had carried since eating the Devil Fruit.
"I'm not joking. Swimming through the Calm Belt will greatly benefit your Haki training and future Haki enhancement."
Luen smiled as he looked at Zoro and Sanji.
Although they didn't have the "Born for the Sea" entry, conquering the Calm Belt, with its countless giant Sea Kings, would greatly enhance their mental strength.
Even if they didn't have the "Born for the Sea" entry like Luen, which directly boosted Haki, it would still greatly benefit their future Haki training and strength enhancement.
And the reason why one could be called the Pirate King by conquering the entire Grand Line also lay here.
Conquering nature would also increase mental strength, thereby enhancing Haki!
This was also one of the reasons why it was harder for Devil Fruit users to improve their Haki than for strong individuals who hadn't eaten a Devil Fruit.
Because they couldn't swim, they naturally couldn't physically go into the sea to conquer nature.
Furthermore, during voyages in the Grand Line, being a landlubber made it easier to experience fear and panic in the face of the harsh sea environment, affecting the improvement of mental strength and thereby increasing the difficulty of enhancing Haki.
But by conquering the most terrifying forces of nature, the entire Grand Line, the captain of a pirate crew that conquers the Grand Line would possess Haki that surpassed all others in the sea!
However, for others, this process of enhancing Haki through conquering nature still required training and combat to ultimately improve Haki.
But for Luen, who possessed the "Born for the Sea" Haki training cheat, he could directly improve it.
Zoro and Sanji immediately looked conflicted upon hearing this.
They truly wanted to learn Haki.
But swimming across that monster-infested sea area...
Zoro and Sanji shivered.
They decided to wait until they were stronger.
"How about it, Usopp? If you cross it, you'll truly become a Warrior of the Sea."
Luen patted Usopp, whose face had turned green from fear, and laughed heartily.
"I, I'll, I'll train a bit more first."
Usopp's legs were trembling.
"Hahaha."
Seeing Usopp's reaction, Luen laughed.
Luen was just being mischievous; the others hadn't even awakened Haki yet.
Even Luen himself needed more training now.
Then, Luen pointed ahead.
"Soon, you should be able to see it, Reverse Mountain."
Luen's mouth curved up.
Soon, with Nami's navigation, a huge, boundless mountain, obscured by clouds, appeared before Luen and the others.
"Look, I see it!"
Luffy shouted.
"It's so big!"
Usopp's mouth hung open.
"That current is really climbing the mountain!"
Nami exclaimed, clutching Luen's arm.
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