The Going Merry cut through the lingering sea fog, and as the view ahead suddenly opened up, a heavy, ancient presence rushed toward them.
It wasn't the salty scent of an ordinary island's sea breeze, but a primal stench mixed with rotting leaves, damp earth, and the unmistakable odor of massive creatures.
Even the air felt thicker than elsewhere. With every breath, their lungs seemed to sink under an invisible weight.
"So this is… Little Garden?"
With a loud splash, the anchor dropped, and the Going Merry slowly came to a stop by the shore.
Ronan stood at the bow, his sharp gaze sweeping across the island that bore the name "Little Garden"—despite being absurdly huge.
What greeted them was a suffocating sea of green.
The trees were as thick as sky-supporting pillars, their crowns towering into the clouds as if they meant to pierce the heavens themselves.
Along the shoreline, the ferns' leaves were broader than the Merry's deck.
In this colossal kingdom of plants, the Going Merry looked like a toy model that had wandered into a land of giants.
"As expected of a prehistoric island… truly a land of exceptional feng shui."
Ronan took a deep breath, even feeling the abundant energy drifting through the air.
To a martial artist, this place was practically a natural treasure vault.
"Plants don't grow this large unless the land's energy is extraordinarily rich. Even the oxygen concentration here far exceeds the outside world."
"If one were to train in seclusion here, the results would come twice as fast with half the effort."
"Tch."
Nami crossed her arms. Even though she was stunned by the scenery, she still couldn't resist taking a jab at Ronan.
"You say that like you really know this place. It's everyone's first time here, you know."
"Haha, just hearsay," Ronan laughed heartily, offering no further explanation.
Luffy clung to the sheep-headed figurehead, his eyes wide like bronze bells, sparkling with the pure excitement that only adventure could bring.
"We're finally here! This is Little Garden! So awesome—!"
"Hey, hey… who came up with that name, anyway?"
Zoro rested a hand on his sword hilt, tilting his head back to take in the forest that blotted out the sky, a thrilled grin tugging at his lips.
"With a scale like this, what part of it is 'little'? This is a monster's nest."
"It doesn't look cute at all…"
Nami swallowed hard, instinctively stepping back.
"This is clearly some kind of forbidden land… a savage jungle!"
Usopp's legs were already shaking. He raised his slingshot and waved it nervously at the air, his voice trembling.
"A-Are there monsters here?!"
"Like man-eating plants, or three-headed wolves…"
"Monsters?"
Ronan smiled faintly, tapping the deck lightly with his ebony staff.
"Given the towering trees and such abundant vegetation, to maintain ecological balance…"
"There must be enormous herbivores—and predators even larger that hunt them."
"AHH?!" Nami and Usopp screamed in unison.
Just then, Luffy suddenly turned around and shouted toward the galley.
"Sanji—!! Bento!!"
Sanji stepped out of the kitchen, frying pan still in hand, blinking in confusion.
"Huh? Bento? We just docked. We haven't even decided whether to go ashore yet."
"We are going ashore!"
Luffy threw his arms up excitedly. "This is adventure! I'm going exploring!!"
He took a deep sniff, his nose twitching.
"Shishishi… I can smell it. That's the scent of adventure!"
"Wait! Where do you think you're going?! This place obviously looks dangerous!"
Nami screamed in despair, trying to stop their hopeless captain.
But Ronan laughed as well, his eyes gleaming.
"Nami, don't stop him. For us, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
He turned to Zoro and Sanji, his tone growing more serious.
"Zoro, Sanji—you've both felt it, haven't you? Ever since your body-hardening training reached the third stage, ordinary food hasn't been able to satisfy your body's energy demands."
Zoro and Sanji exchanged a glance and nodded.
It was true. Lately, their bodies felt like bottomless pits. No matter how much ordinary sea beast meat they ate, that lingering hunger never fully went away.
"With vegetation this dense, there are bound to be extremely old medicinal herbs—maybe even true spirit medicines."
Ronan gestured toward the dark forest.
"And beasts raised in an environment like this will have incredibly vigorous blood and vitality."
"We need to hunt powerful predators and harvest their essence and marrow. Our medicinal bath supplies are running low—this place is perfect for restocking."
"I see." Zoro's eyes lit up as his hand rubbed the hilt of Wado Ichimonji.
"So the stronger the beasts here are, the more beneficial they'll be for our training, right?"
"Exactly."
Sanji exhaled a smoke ring and adjusted his tie elegantly.
"Besides, the ship's food supplies are almost gone—thanks to Luffy. Since this is a prehistoric island, there should be plenty of rare ingredients we've never seen before."
"I'll go hunt a few big ones. While I'm at it, I'll cook a beauty-enhancing feast for Nami-swan and Vivi-chan."
Watching these three battle maniacs whose minds were full of "hunting," "training," and "ingredients," Nami and Usopp clung to each other, trembling.
"H-Hey… what do you people think this terrifying place is?!"
At that moment, Vivi—who had been silent—spoke up softly.
"Um… could I go with you?"
"Huh?" Nami turned to her in surprise. "Vivi? You too?!"
Luffy didn't mind at all. He grinned.
"Sure! Sure!"
Vivi lowered her head, her voice subdued.
"If I just stay here… staring at the sea, I'm afraid I'll start overthinking things."
"Then it's decided. Let's move out."
...
A short while later, everyone was ready.
Sanji's special "pirate bento" gave off an irresistible meaty aroma, stuffed into a massive backpack on Luffy's back.
Ronan carried his ebony staff, Zoro wore three swords at his waist, Sanji walked with hands in his pockets, and Vivi rode atop Karoo.
The group marched boldly onto the land of Little Garden.
The moment they entered the jungle, the light dimmed instantly.
Towering canopies blotted out the sky, with only stray beams of sunlight piercing through the leaves like blades, scattering across the moss-covered ground.
Strange bird calls echoed all around, mixed with the distant roars of unknown creatures.
"Whoa… this mushroom's taller than me!" Luffy marveled at a brilliantly colored giant mushroom by the path.
"Don't eat random things, Luffy."
Ronan casually plucked a leaf the size of a banana fan, crushed it in his hand, and sniffed it.
"This is a classic tropical rainforest. Hot, humid, and full of miasma. The more vivid something looks, the more likely it's poisonous."
"Ronan, look at that," Zoro suddenly stopped, pointing at a massive tree ahead.
Several claw marks, half a meter deep, were carved into its trunk.
Each gouge was enormous—one scratch alone was longer than Zoro himself.
"Looks like our luck's good."
Ronan stepped forward, running his hand along the rough claw marks, sensing the lingering ferocity within.
"These are reptilian claw marks—and from something gigantic."
"Judging by the depth and force… its physical strength is terrifying."
"That thing's bone marrow will definitely be top-tier."
BOOOOM——!!
The instant Ronan finished speaking, a deafening roar thundered from deep within the jungle.
It was the sound of a volcanic eruption.
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