Pirate: It’s not a phantom beast, it’s a phantom god!

Chapter 326 On the scientific research ship

The Calm Belt is a geographical concept referring to two narrow strips of sea that run between the Grand Line and the four seas, resembling a ribbon.

In essence, it is part of the world... but for the people living on this planet, it is more like a physical barrier.

Not to mention that in this era when sailboats were the main mode of transportation and ocean voyages relied solely on wind power, 'no wind' meant isolation from civilization and a death trap where one could only fend for oneself...

The sheer number of sea monsters inhabiting the Calm Belt alone would be enough to extinguish any spark of seafaring.

Aside from forces like the Amazon Lily and the Flying Pirates with special abilities, the only way to truly achieve smooth navigation in the Calm Belt is to wait several decades until a genius in the world invents a technique to embed Seastone in the bottom of a ship to simulate seawater.

In short, the visible red earth continent and the invisible doldrums are like two insurmountable chasms, forcibly dividing the oceans that should have been a unified whole on this planet into four large parts, making it difficult for their customs and cultures to communicate with each other.

……

"Teacher, are you sure this is the direction?"

On a medium-sized sailboat, a middle-aged man wearing a cowboy hat and round-framed glasses, with a somewhat plump build, looked at the oddly shaped compass in his hand and spoke skeptically.

"Yes, it can't be wrong!"

"Based on the clues recorded on those ruins and ancient sites, the island should be located in this sea area."

The person who answered him was an elderly man who was over fifty years old... Although the old man's hair was already gray, he did not show any signs of old age.

Despite wearing a stylish jacket and having muscular shoulders, he still gives off a sharp, young vibe.

However, what is even more eye-catching is the old man's hairstyle—a tuft of hair sticking up high at the back of his head, combined with the outward-expanding semi-circular hair on both sides and the equally swollen beard on his chin, making his whole head look like an upside-down clover.

Even behind the old man, the mainsail of the ship was painted with the large letters 'CLOVER'.

Of course, these people are not some lowly pirates like the 'Clover' Pirates... They are actually a group of scholars from 'Ohara'.

"Phew~Phew~Senior brother, don't worry."

"I heard that the teacher traveled all over the country when he was young and has a lot of experience. How could he be wrong?"

The middle-aged scholar's junior, a greenhorn, was working hard on the pedals, panting as he powered the modified research vessel, which had been fitted with an additional pair of paddle wheels.

"But this time it's in the Calm Belt~ Can we really find that place with this compass that our senior brother made by hand?"

Bang~ Bang~
The middle-aged scholar tapped the rough compass in his hand, a hint of doubt still lingering in his eyes.
"Hmph! Since you don't trust the compass that the teacher and I made, then you go down and pedal the wheels!"

“Junior brother has been stepping on it for so long, it’s your turn now.”

Boom!
A tall man came from the stern, snatched the compass from the middle-aged scholar's hand, and then kicked him in front of the young scholar.

"Eh... Ouch~"

"Senior brother, what are you doing?"

The middle-aged man, who had been suddenly kicked, lost his balance and rolled several times on the deck.

Fortunately, he was thick-skinned and had a thick layer of fat as a cushion, so he wasn't really hurt... However, his comical actions still made everyone on the ship burst into laughter.

"Hahaha!"
"Serves you right for questioning the doctor!"

"Dr. Clover was a renowned practical scholar in his youth, having fought alongside the Navy with cannons and clashed with pirates with swords... He's seen more storms than you've read books, so you should follow him and learn from him!"

"Huh? The teacher actually had a conflict with the Navy?"

The younger student, still pedaling, exclaimed in surprise.

He had only been a student of Dr. Clover for a year and was not yet familiar with his teacher's past "glorious deeds," having only occasionally heard stories of him fighting pirates in various places. "Of course, Dr. Clover was known as the number one troublemaker in academia when he was young—he even spent ten years in the World Government's prisons, but he's become much more restrained now that he's older..."

A scholar who looked to be in his forties and had a small mustache recalled.

"Huh... such a thing exists? I've never heard of it before~"

The younger student was quite surprised to hear this. He never expected that his teacher was so fierce when he was young. He was practically an outlaw.

"Humph!"

"It's not something to be proud of. If those guys from the World Government hadn't been keeping it a secret, would I be traveling all over the world like this?"

"You three also need to be wary of the World Government guys. Don't always obediently report your whereabouts to them."

"Huh? Why?" *3
Dr. Clover's three students asked in unison, puzzled.

After all, according to the laws of the World Government, conducting research without a report is considered illegal and can result in imprisonment.

"For your own safety."

"Back then, your senior brother boarded an official research ship after reporting his whereabouts, but he was hijacked by pirates as soon as he left the port, and his fate is still unknown..."

The old scholar, named Clover, crossed his arms and plopped down at the very front of the deck, staring intently at the sea in front of him.

He gets furious every time this matter is brought up.

Based on his early experience dealing with pirates, these guys generally weren't interested in research ships—targets that weren't very profitable and were likely to cause trouble—unless someone was offering a price behind the scenes.

[What did those guys in the World Government do in the past that they can't even face their own history?]
Over the years, as more and more archaeological evidence has been collected and the 'historical texts' carved on stones have been deciphered, a vague conjecture has gradually taken shape in his mind...

"By the way, where's Olivia? I haven't seen her."

After a moment of contemplation, Dr. Clover looked up and suddenly realized that someone seemed to be missing from the ship.

"She was at the stern, observing the effects of the animal-repelling powder."

Dr. Clover's student—the tall scholar—answered.

"After all, it's still in the experimental stage, and we don't know how effective it will be on those sea kings. We need to keep an eye on it at all times."

As he spoke, the tall scholar glanced at his well-off junior brother, who was still rubbing his buttocks.

"That's true, but you should send a few more people over to keep an eye on things."

"I remember Olivia already has a child, right?"

"Yes, that child should be almost two years old. I heard from her that he is currently being fostered by relatives."

"Sigh~ She's only two years old... To be honest, I don't approve of her participating in this archaeological expedition."

"After all, we're going deep into the Calm Belt. What will happen to the child if something happens to her?"

Dr. Clover's voice sounded somewhat helpless.

Crossing the dangerous windless zone to find a strange island never before set foot on—this kind of risky adventure would have made him think twice even when he was young, and it was really not suitable for someone who had just become a mother to participate in… but the other party insisted.

But as a scholar, Dr. Clover, putting herself in others' shoes, knew that trying to persuade the other party to give up would probably be futile.

Just as I was thinking this, a woman's voice came from the stern of the boat.

(End of this chapter)