"Oh my gosh, we finally made it out!"
As the Explosion Black Cat Maria burst out of the Calm Belt and into the waters of the Grand Line, fierce sea winds instantly swept across the previously windless ocean, and the waves below grew rough.
Yet less than a hundred meters away, there was still neither wind nor waves, with barely even a ripple on the sea.
"What incredible climatic and geographical phenomena..." Hua Mei Meow rested her paws on the rail and gazed back at the Calm Belt they had just left. "No matter how many times I see it, it still seems unbelievable, meow."
Ai Haibara Meow also joined the conversation for once. "This completely defies the laws of nature, doesn't it? Are you sure there aren't any Elder Dragons here that can control ocean currents, meow?"
"Who knows? Anyway, neither the Admiral nor the legends here have mentioned anything like that." Hua Mei Meow shrugged and smiled as she stroked Ai Haibara Meow's head. "But that's exactly what makes our adventure more interesting, isn't it, meow?"
Under the sway of Hua Mei Meow's big-sister presence, Ai Haibara Meow was no longer as aloof as usual. Instead, she narrowed her eyes contentedly and unconsciously rubbed her head against Hua Mei Meow's paw.
Normally, Xie Wen would have been terribly envious at the sight, but right now...
"Big Brother Xie Wen, are you okay, meow?"
Klee Meow crouched beside Xie Wen, nudging his head with her little paw in concern.
The instant they left the Calm Belt, Xie Wen had flopped facedown at the stern, striking the Tekkadan commander's classic pose. If "Hope's Flower" had started playing in the background now, it would have suited the scene even better.
"Don't... don't you ever stop..." Xie Wen continued cosplaying the commander.