The Grand Line
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The Grand Line is a fictional location in the anime and manga known as One Piece.
The Grand Line is the ocean current that follows an imaginary line that runs east to west across the middle of the world and perpendicular to the Red Line. In effect, it's the equator in the world of One Piece. The Red Line is a vast continent that circles the globe from north to south and functions as a Prime Meridian. These two Lines divide the two oceans of the world into four seas or Blues: North Blue, East Blue, West Blue, and South Blue. This stretch of ocean is said to be the most dangerous place in the world, and is sometimes referred to as the Pirates' Graveyard because of this reputation.
To the north and the south of the Grand Line are regions known as Calm Belts. These Calm Belts are the One Piece world's equivalent of the Tropics as the weather in these regions remains much the same throughout the year. As a result of the static weather patterns in the Belts, it is difficult to navigate through them, not only because of the lack of wind or ocean currents, but also because the fair weather attracts large creatures who are dangerous to all but the most formidable of pirates or Marines. The Belts are known as the Breeding Ground of Monsters for this reason.
From what we know as of yet, the Grand Line can only be accessed without passing through the Calm Belt at two points on the Red Line: Reverse Mountain and the Holy Land of Mariejoa. The first is where the four major currents of the Blues merge together to form the Grand Line while the second is the site of the World Government.
The Grand Line, though large and very dangerous, attracts pirates from all across the world, who seek fame and fortune. Many of these pirates are the strongest in the entire world, and are so dangerous that even the World Government is hard pressed to deal with them. The Grand Line is also home to some of the most dangerous natural predators in the world. To make matters worse, the weather in the Grand Line is harsh and unpredictable, and normal compasses do not work.
The weather is unusual on the Grand Line as there are essentially sixteen separate seasons. Islands on the Grand Line fall into four basic categories (Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall) due to local currents; these islands also have their own separate seasons. Winter on a Summer Island is different than Winter on a Winter Island. This may reflect the various climates of the Blues where the currents that form the Grand Line originate. This combination of climates makes the weather on the Grand Line very volatile and dangerous.
Compasses do not work on the Grand Line thanks to the nature of its magnetic fields; there are seven magnetic fields that diverge at Reverse Mountain and travel east before merging again somewhere.