73: Chapter 73 Destroying a Naval Warship and Entering the Calm Belt"Listen up, pirate ships ahead!Stop immediately, or don't blame us for opening fire!" the colonel shouted through a megaphone at Luffy and his crew."What should we do, Luffy?Let's fight!" Zoro asked Luffy for his opinion.Luffy nonchalantly replied, "Then let's fight!" Usopp jumped in to object, "Wait a minute, you two!Why are you always like this?How are you going to deal with such a huge fleet?"
Zoro bluntly said, "Charge in!" Luffy chimed in, "They're just a bunch of weaklings anyway, let's just go for it!" Just as Usopp was vehemently objecting, Sanji helped Apis, who had fallen to the ground, to her feet and said with concern, "Apis, why don't you go into the cabin first?We'll take care of things here." Apis nodded in agreement, but as she was about to enter the cabin, she froze, looking at the seagulls standing on it.Sanji asked curiously, "What's wrong, Apis?"
"The wind's coming, a really strong one," Apis said truthfully.Nami sensed something too and quickly told Zoro to turn the sails south and Usopp and Sanji to turn the rudder fully to left.Although puzzled, everyone followed the instructions."Zoro, that's not south, that's east!Honestly, are you using all your navigation skills to name your attacks instead of your sails?" Kuina complained as she helped Zoro adjust the course.Luffy, meanwhile, glared at the fleet and summoned Phoenix Fire."My lord, what are your orders?" When Phoenix Fire emerged and saw Luffy, her eyes lit up at first, but she quickly became respectful.Luffy pointed at the fleet and said, "Sink those ships, leave no one alive." Phoenix Fire sensed Luffy's anger, nodded, and immediately charged towards the fleet."Report!A little girl engulfed in flames is rushing over from the Straw Hat crew's ship!" a soldier reported to the colonel.Before he finished speaking, Phoenix Fire was already above the fleet, coldly looking down at the Marines below.She slowly raised her hand, "Burning Phoenix Fire, cleanse all impurities, Phoenix Fire."
Phoenix Fire conjured countless fireballs and hurled them at the warship.The soldiers on board, panicked, watched as the barrage of fireballs rained down on them, and could only hastily jump overboard to escape.With a deafening roar, the once-mighty fleet vanished, leaving only wreckage and soldiers struggling in the water as proof of their existence.Phoenix Fire glanced at them disdainfully, then turned and returned to the Going Merry.The little girl, looking at Phoenix Fire, swallowed hard and said, "This is also one of Luffy's crewmates.Why did they suddenly appear out there?" After Luffy's brief explanation, the somewhat naive Apis slowly accepted the explanation of a shikigami.Suddenly, a strong wind swept across the sea, carrying the Going Merry away from the area, leaving behind a group of marines struggling in the water.Eric, clinging to a plank of wood, stared intently in the direction the Going Merry had gone, saying bitterly, "Remember this, Straw Hat Boy, I'll make you pay the price!"
On the Going Merry, just as Nami was wondering how Apis knew a strong wind was coming, Usopp exclaimed, "What's going on?Why aren't the sails moving?" Everyone looked up at the sails, and sure enough, just as Usopp had said, Nami's expression changed drastically."Oh no!We've entered the Calm Belt!"
"The calm zone?"
"It means this sea area has neither wind nor currents; the entire surface is absolutely calm.Pirate ships are sailing vessels powered by the wind, and once they sail here, they will lose power and become trapped, unable to move.Moreover, this area is home to a large number of colossal sea kings, making it a dangerous sea area that is almost impossible for pirates to navigate," Luffy said solemnly.