The Calm Belt

OThe spralwas ing, cluttered due toce, stacks of newspapers were piled up next to old cigars ,,and half-finished coffee cups. The walls were covered in maps, bounties pinned alongside urgent headlines. Amid the chaos, a tall, birdlike figure lounged on an oversized chair, his sharp talons resting on the desk.

"Boss, we got a call."

The figure, "Big News" Morgans, didn't move immediately. He lazily stretched his albatross-like wings, adjusting his glasses.

"Unless it's world-shaking, I don't care." His beak clacked shut, disinterested.

The assistant gulped. "It's about the Fire King."

His small avian eyes snapped open, glinting with curiosity. "Hoh?"

The assistant nodded quickly. "The kid from East Blue. He just recruited another woman—one with monstrous Armament Haki. She took down a Logia user with a single punch."

Morgans sat up, suddenly very interested. He grabbed the newspaper from his desk, flipping to a recent bounty update. Fire King Jacob – 55,000,000 Berries.

"An East Blue pirate worth looking at... and he's collecting powerful women?"

The assistant continued. "Not just any women. Rumor has it that all his crew were attractive females."

Morgans tapped his talons against the desk, thinking. A rookie building a harem of dangerous women, fighting Logia users, and freely soaring through the skies like some mythical creature?

This had potential.

"Keep tabs on him," Morgans finally said. "If he makes another big move, I want an exclusive."

The assistant nodded rapidly before hurrying away.

Morgans leaned back again, smirking. "Let's see how far the Fire King will fly..."

***

Captain Smoker sat at his desk in a smoky office, his jaw clenched in irritation as a Marine medic pressed a cold cloth against his swollen face. His usual cigar lay unlit on the desk, broken in half from his earlier frustration.

"Damn it," Smoker growled, wincing as the medic applied an antiseptic. His mind replayed the blazing blue figure that had humiliated him, the monstrous woman who punched him through a building.

He reached for his Den Den Mushi, its snail eyes drooping lazily as he dialed.

After a few moments, a rough voice answered.

"This is Rear Admiral Comil."

Smoker got straight to the point. "I'm requesting permission to leave Loguetown and personally hunt down Fire King."

There was a pause. Then, a sigh.

"Denied."

Smoker's eye twitched. "Whyy?!"

Comil's voice was calm but firm. "Captain Smoker, Fire King Jacob is a thief, not a pirate. His bounty is high, yes, but tell me—what crimes has he actually committed against civilians or Marines?"

Smoker gritted his teeth. "He burned down entire pirate fleets, stole from known criminals, assaulted Marines—including me!"

Comil chuckled. "And yet, he's done more to clean up East Blue than most of our stationed officers. You want to go after a man actively wiping out pirate threats?"

Smoker scowled. "He's too dangerous to ignore. His power level is ridiculous, and now he's recruiting people like that horned woman—who took me out in one hit!"

Comil leaned back on his end of the line, thoughtful.

"Smoker, listen to yourself. You lost to his new recruit; what makes you believe you will win against him?"

Smoker slammed his fist on the desk.

"That's not the damn point! He's growing stronger, and if we let him run unchecked, we could look at a real problem when he gets powerful."

Comil sighed again. "I understand your frustration, but our resources are better spent elsewhere. Fire King is unpredictable, but he's not an immediate threat."

Smoker ran a hand through his white hair, still fuming.

"Fine. But if he becomes too powerful, don't say I didn't warn you."

Comil chuckled. "Duly noted."

The Den Den Mushi clicked off, leaving Smoker alone with his frustration.

He exhaled heavily, smoke curling from his lips.

"Damn it. Fire King… I'll deal with you sooner or later."

***

A gentle breeze swept through the quiet graveyard on the outskirts of Syrup Village. The afternoon sun cast long shadows over the carefully maintained tombstones. Kaya knelt before two graves, her fingers gently brushing against the carved names of her parents. Just a few steps away lay another marker—Merry's resting place.

Her soft brown eyes were filled with sorrow as she spoke softly.

"Mother, Father… Merry… I've changed a lot since you left. And so has Usopp."

She hesitated, gripping the hem of her dress.

"No… He's not even Usopp anymore. He calls himself Jacob. He's stronger now, fearless… but…"

She swallowed hard.

"He keeps bringing in more women. He doesn't even notice how I feel anymore."

A faint crunch of footsteps made her turn.

Jacob stood a few feet behind her, his expression unreadable. He had approached quietly, arms on the side, his usual confident posture softened.

For a long moment, neither spoke. The breeze ruffled Kaya's hair, and Jacob finally stepped forward.

"I… didn't mean to hurt you, Kaya."

She lowered her head.

"Then why does it feel like you are?"

Jacob exhaled, rubbing the back of his head. How could he possibly explain? He had been reincarnated on an isolated island. Driven by the necessity of growth, he agreed to Kuina, Nami, and Carina's proposals to recruit only female crew into their alliances. But how could he tell her that?

Instead, he crouched beside her, looking at the graves.

"I'm still me, Kaya. Even if I've changed… you're still important to me."

She looked at him, eyes searching for something real.

"Then why do I feel like I'm being left behind?"

Jacob didn't have an answer. Instead, he reached out, his warm hand resting over hers.

"I don't want to lose you, Kaya."

Her breath hitched, but she didn't pull away.

For now, that was enough.

***

The dining room of their fortified house was filled with the soft murmurs of the gathered women. Jacob sat at the center, his arms on the table as he scanned the room. Every woman present had proven themselves in some way—some as fighters, others as strategists or supports. Reiju and Yamato were here too, though they had yet to formally join.

Alvida and Desire were imprisoned.

Jacob leaned forward, his expression serious.

"I'm leaving for the Grand Line soon."

The room fell silent.

"But before that, I have something else in mind. Nami and I are heading to a place called Sky Island."

That drew confused expressions from most of the crew. Nojiko furrowed her brows, Kaya tilted her head, and Kuina narrowed her eyes.

"Sky… Island?" Kaya echoed.

"You mean a floating island?" Nojiko added skeptically.

Reiju adjusted her gloves.

"It's not just a myth." She leaned forward, eyes gleaming with knowledge. "There are recorded accounts of islands in the sky, sustained by a mysterious substance called 'pyrobloin.' However, reaching them is nearly impossible."

Jacob nodded, smirking slightly.

"Not for us." He pulled out the Eternal Pose for Jaya and put it on the table.

Nami, who sat beside him, also showed hers, fit snuggly on her left wrist.

"Getting there won't be an issue with my cloud fruit and Jacob's flight."

Before anyone else could react, Yamato shot up from her seat, grinning wildly.

"A mysterious island in the sky?! That's so Oden-like! I'm coming!"

Jacob chuckled, expecting her reaction.

"I figured you'd say that."

Nojiko exhaled, crossing her arms.

"You really don't know how to take things slow, do you?"

Jacob shrugged.

"Where's the fun in that?"

Kaya clenched her fists.

"I want to go too."

The room turned to her.

Jacob studied her expression—it wasn't just determination but frustration.

"You've barely started training," he said carefully. "Sky Island is going to be dangerous, and we don't know what to expect."

Kaya's lips pressed together.

"And? I ate Revitalize-Revitalize Fruit. I can heal anything, even my own body. But why am I always left behind!"

Before Jacob could reply, Reiju interjected.

"There's another interesting fact about Jaya."

The room went silent as she continued.

"Jaya is connected to a legend—the City of Gold."

Carina's eyes immediately sparkled.

"City. Of. Gold?"

Reiju nodded.

"Yes, if the stories are true, then Jaya was once part of a civilization with unimaginable wealth."

Carina stood up immediately.

"I'm going."

Kuina, who had been listening quietly, exhaled sharply.

"I want to go too. I need to experience the Grand Line firsthand."

Jacob rubbed his temples.

"I need someone to stay behind. Alvida is still locked up. As for Desire, I was planning on taking her along; her devil fruit power might come in handy."

Reiju raised a hand.

"I'll stay."

Nojiko sighed and leaned back in her chair.

"I'll stay, too. Someone needs to keep things in order."

Jacob glanced at them, considering everything.

"Alright, then. The ones going are me, Nami, Yamato, Kaya, Carina, Kuina, and Desire." He paused, then smirked. "Time to prove that Sky Island is real."

***

Nami worked tirelessly, shaping her cloud into a solid mass, while Nojiko crafted a sturdy wooden cabin atop it, reinforcing it for stability.

Jacob stood nearby, watching the construction. Reiju crossed her arms beside him.

"Why the sudden interest in Sky Island?" she asked, her piercing gaze analyzing him.

Jacob kept his expression neutral. "If Sky Island is real, I want Nami to study it."

Reiju raised an eyebrow. "That's it?"

Jacob smirked slightly. "I think she can learn how to make a permanent cloud settlement for us. Imagine traveling the world without a ship, without needing to dock anywhere. It'll save us a lot of berries and trouble, too, and it'll give us an advantage over others."

Reiju exhaled, shaking her head. "A floating base… interesting."

Meanwhile, Yamato grinned.

"I'm flying with Jacob!" she declared, stretching her arms.

Jacob sighed. "Figures."

***

Jacob flew past the Calm Belt, his blue flames streaking across the sky as he carried Yamato. The Grand Line stretched before them, vast and unpredictable.

A sudden, violent storm erupted from nowhere.

a Thick black clouds rolled in. Wind howled. Rain poured. The sheer force of nature threatened to rip them apart.

"Hah! This is the Grand Line!" Yamato cackled. "Unpredictable and wild! Just like me!"

Jacob gritted his teeth as his fire wavered. The rain didn't extinguish it entirely, but it weakened his control. His usual smooth flight turned erratic, forcing him to compensate.

"Damn it," Jacob muttered. "I need to adjust."

Lightning crackled overhead. He fought against the storm, trying to stabilize his flames, forcing his fire to adapt rather than resist.

Yamato pounded his back, laughing madly.

"This is fun! Struggle more, Jacob! Maybe then you'll be worthy of being my rival!"

"Can you just shut your mouth!?" Jacob shot back, dodging a stray bolt of lightning.

"Shut up and focus!" Yamato retorted.

***

Nami gritted her teeth, controlling her cloud construct as it carried her and her friends over the Calm Belt. The sheer vastness of the motionless sea below was both beautiful and terrifying.

"So this is the Calm Belt…" Nami whispered in awe.

Then, without warning—a massive shadow moved beneath the surface.

A colossal Sea King suddenly leaped from the depths, its gaping mouth aimed at them!

"KYAAAA!!" Kaya screamed.

Carina and Desire, still awkward around each other, clung together in terror, their faces pale.

"Grand Line is scary!!" Carina wailed.

Nami's heart pounded. She could feel the air shift as the massive jaws closed in.

"No way! This is my cloud!" Nami panicked, pouring more willpower into her cloud, forcing it to ascend rapidly.

The cloud surged upward just as the Sea King snapped its jaws shut, barely missing them!

But the chaos wasn't over.

A blue streak blasted past them at supersonic speed, shaking their cloud platform, with familiar cackle echoed in the sky.

"Hahahaha! That was close! I thought you'd be eaten for sure!" Yamato's voice rang out.

Kuina, the only one unfazed, stood at the edge of the cloud, hand on her sword, eyes gleaming.

"If that thing attacks again, I'll cut it down."

Nami let out a deep breath. "I swear, this place is insane!"