Early the next morning, after saying goodbye to Bellemere and Genzo, the five of them flew straight to the Kingdom of Oikot.
As they traveled, Ryuen felt a strong sense that this journey through fire would unleash new power in his Phoenix Fruit.
They stopped briefly in the Kingdom of Oikot. Now, Nami and Nojiko understood that this place was once their home.
Back then, the country had suffered a brutal war, leaving it in ruins, and Bellemere had been gravely injured.
Of the Marines who were sent there, only Bellemere had survived, barely clinging to life. In her darkest moment, she came across Nojiko and a toddler Nami.
At that time, Nojiko was carrying Nami down a street filled with devastation. Bellemere asked if the child in her arms was her sister. Nojiko replied that she wasn't; Nami was simply another orphan of the war.
Hearing this and seeing them, Bellemere was heartbroken. She herself was severely wounded and might not make it.
At that moment, Nami looked up at Bellemere and suddenly laughed with a warmth like sunshine.
Hearing Nami's laugh, Bellemere burst into tears, saying, "You really have no regard for how others feel." Both she and Nojiko were moved to tears.
It was thanks to meeting those two children that Bellemere found the will to survive. She sailed a small boat across the rough seas and eventually made it back to Cocoyasi Village safely.
Genzo only began talking about this slowly after watching Nojiko and Nami grow up. He said that the bond between Nojiko, Nami, and Bellemere had long surpassed any ties of blood.
After a brief half-day stop in the kingdom of Oykot, they continued on, flying toward the Calm Belt.
"Ryuen, turn a little to the right. Yes, that's the way!" Nami directed Ryuen, making adjustments to keep them on course.
Before entering the Calm Belt, Nami could still use her weather sense to predict the right direction, but once they entered, her ability wouldn't work anymore.
So, before crossing into the Calm Belt, she needed to pinpoint the exact direction to find the volcanic island.
After over half an hour, the winds stopped, and the sea became completely calm. The only ripples were from the occasional appearance of Sea Kings breaking the surface.
"This is the legendary Calm Belt? The water is so still..." Nojiko gazed down at the tranquil sea, her eyes filled with curiosity and awe.
"But, why don't I see any Sea Kings? Isn't the Calm Belt supposed to be their home?" Kuina asked, frowning with confusion.
"Haha! They're all hiding underwater! Not all Sea Kings come to the surface, you know. Who knows, maybe we'll even get to taste some Sea King meat this time..." Ryuen shouted in excitement.
Although they were in the Calm Belt, the rushing wind still surrounded them as they flew high above, reminding them that this deceptively calm place hid unknown dangers.
Hearing they might finally taste Sea King meat, the four girls' eyes sparkled. Besides getting stronger, there was nothing that made them happier than good food! They had been wanting to try Sea King meat for a long time.
Ryuen kept a steady pace, flying over the sea with the four girls for about an hour until they finally saw an island with lava flowing out of it!
"That's the island!"
"We made it! Ryuen, head north. The other island I mentioned is just to the north!" Nami said excitedly.
"Got it!"
"On it!" Ryuen replied immediately.
They were thrilled to have finally reached their destination, especially since there were so many Sea Kings here!
Just moments ago, they had already seen many Sea Kings churning in the water below as they flew over.
A few minutes later, Ryuen spotted a lush island, not very large—about the same size as Bear Paw Island. The island was covered in thick vegetation, with trees growing tall and straight in the windless environment.
"Hold on tight; we're going down!" Ryuen called to the four girls.
"Alright~"
"We're holding on!"
"Whoo-hoo!"
The four girls held tightly to Ryuen as they descended, shouting with excitement.
After finding a flat spot along the shore, Ryuen landed with them. As soon as they touched down, they heard the roars of various animals echoing from the forest, and it sounded like some of them were pretty big!
But no one showed the slightest fear; instead, they looked eager, ready to spring into action.
"Hold on! It's still early. Let's set up camp first before diving into any adventures. Besides, our goal isn't the wild beasts in there!" Ryuen stopped the four girls from rushing out.
"Right! There are so many sea kings here; I can't wait to taste one!" Kuina drooled at the thought of sea king meat.
"But… how are we going to get them onto the shore? They're in the sea, and we don't have any way to deal with that," Daisy pouted.
"Hmm… I'm sure Ryuen has a way! Ryuen, tell us how we can get our hands on some sea king meat!" Nami looked expectantly at Ryuen.
The other three were also looking at him eagerly.
"Hmm… My plan is to use the blood of a small wild animal to lure them close to shore. Then I'll jump in and take it down!" Ryuen said fiercely.
"That sounds great!"
"Alright then, let's hurry up and set up camp first, then we'll put the plan into action!"
Nami opened a portal, pulling out all sorts of tools and supplies, while Kuina and Nojiko went to chop trees. They were determined to build a sturdy camp this time.
Everyone worked quickly, and within half an hour, they had finished building a camp made from logs! Ryuen even brought back a wild animal, kept the best parts for eating, and tossed the rest onto the beach.
Perhaps sensing no threat, a small sea king caught the scent of blood and rushed toward the shore without hesitation!
"Whoa... it's huge!"
"There it is! It's really massive!"
"The sea king's here, Ryuen! Go for it!"
"Watch this!"
"Flame Emperor: Meteor!"
Just as the sea king reached the shore, a giant flaming meteor crashed down from the sky, hitting it in an instant!
With a loud boom, the sea king struggled in the scorching flames for a moment before succumbing to them before it could retreat into the sea.
"Awesome!"
"We did it!"
"This is great! We're having sea king tonight!"
"I can't wait!"
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