One Piece: The Calm Belt, Explained

One part of One Piece is set on one side of the Grand Line, and the following part takes place on the other side. In fact, in One Piece, we follow the Straw Hat Pirates as they travel through the Grand Line until they reach the New World.

Besides the Grand Line and the Red Line, two places that even those who don’t watch or read the series have probably heard of, another important place in the geography of One Piece is the Calm Belt — a place, if we can call it that, where the sea is usually calm. But while calm seas may seem like a good thing, it is not exactly safe to be in the Calm Belt.

Related

One Piece: Elbaf’s Next Ruler, Explained

With King Harald dead, fans have been debating who is going to be the next king of Elbaf after the arc comes to an end!

The Calm Belt and The Grand Line

Where Is The Calm Belt in One Piece?

The Calm Belt consists of the areas surrounding the Grand Line. But what exactly is the Grand Line? Well, it is an ocean route that enfolds the entire world in One Piece, in a “horizontal line”. Of course, given that the planet is spherical, “horizontal” depends on your perspective, but the Grand Lline is usually represented in a similar fashion to “latitude lines” on world maps.

The Red Line crosses the Grand Line, splitting it in two. If the Grand Line is usually depicted as a horizontal/latitudinal line, the Red Line is a vertical/meridional continent that encircles the entire planet (it’s like a big ring of land, but mostly inhabited).

One side of the Grand Line is called Paradise, and it is where the first part of the series takes place. The other side is the New World, which is the setting of the second (and current) part of the story. Only the Roger Pirates have been able to fully sail across the Grand Line so far, and the Grand Line is mostly considered “impenetrable,” but Luffy and his crew are trying to do it.

The Dangers of the Calm Belt in One Piece

The Calm Belt could also be called “The Calm Lines” as it comprises two areas, one to the north and one to the south of the Grand Line. It has this name because these two areas are calm — meaning there are no winds, no currents and no waves, so it would be a somewhat safe place to sail in self-propelled ships (as there won’t be any major problems related to the ocean currents). At the same time, it is a dangerous place for those sailing on non-self-propelled ships.

However, even self-propelled ships would want to avoid the Calm Belt as it is the home to many Sea Kings, turning any voyage in these waters into a risky one. The Calm Belt may be their nest, but it could also be that the lack of winds turns it into a perfect habitat for these monsters. There are also some dangerous islands in the Calm Belt, including:

Many fans speculate that the Calm Belt was based on the horse latitudes (or Calms of Cancer and Calms of Capricorn), high-pressure areas surrounding the Equator Line where the wind is usually calm. There are many theories about the origins of this name, and one of them is that the becalmed waters made the trips longer, compromising water supplies, and, centuries ago, Spanish ships transporting horses would throw dying or dead horses overboard (they would die due to water shortages).

Why Is The Calm Belt Calm?

While this may seem like a sarcastic question, there are no explanations so far as to how the Calm Belt was formed. If it is based on horse latitudes, then the explanation should be similar to the one in real life, with the area being an Intertropical Convergence Zone. However, some fans theorize that there may be Devil Fruits related to this calmness, and that there may be someone making the Belt calm.