By the third day, the weather had cleared. Not a cloud in the sky, the horizon stretched sharp and crisp beneath the blazing sun. And on that distant line, the silhouette of an island came into view—the island known in legend as Little Garden.
"So that's the infamous Little Garden? What a lush, green island," Dimitri murmured at the bow, peering through his telescope at the dense forests ahead.
"Little Garden? That's such a weird name," Oliver muttered, brow furrowed.
Curious, Arlan stepped up with a teacup in hand. "Hey, hey... why is it called that? Some kind of story behind it?"
"No idea," Dimitri shook his head. But then his tone shifted, laced with intrigue. "But rumor has it the island is home to giants."
Oliver and Arlan exchanged puzzled looks. "Like, the kind that are tens of meters tall? You serious?"
Dimitri gave a noncommittal shrug. "That's what the rumors say."
"Do creatures like that really exist?" Arlan asked in disbelief.
"If they do, how many slashes would I need to bring one down?" Oliver flexed an empty hand and pantomimed a swing.
Step. Step. Step. Step...
"How ignorant," came a voice from the stairwell, accompanied by the clack of leather shoes. Shirtless, Aeridar strode up to the deck with the swagger of someone who clearly knew too much. "The Marines have Vice Admirals who are giants. If Fish-Men have ten times the strength of a human, then giants? They've got dozens of times more."
"Tch. There he goes again, pretending he knows everything," Arlan scoffed, arms crossed.
Aeridar stopped and blinked at Oliver. "Do I?"
"Quit making that creepy face!" Arlan barked, rubbing his twitching temple and cracking his knuckles.
"It was a joke! Was that punch really necessary?" Aeridar whimpered, crouching down and clutching the bump forming on his head.
While the group bickered, the Chris neared Little Garden.
From a distance, the island was a lush green blur—up close, it remained a jungle of towering trees. The ship followed a river cutting into the island's interior, the trees growing larger the deeper they went. Some reached several dozen meters tall, forming a canopy so thick it swallowed the sunlight. Strange and unfamiliar plants sprouted all around.
Beastly roars echoed from deep within—some familiar, likely lions or tigers. Others, less so... perhaps creatures from a more ancient time.
"Hey, Dimitri, find a place to anchor. We're going exploring," Aeridar clapped a hand on Dimitri's shoulder.
"And maybe track down those giants," Oliver chimed in.
Before long, they found a bend in the river suitable for docking. They dropped anchor, furled the sails, and tied the ropes haphazardly around a massive tree trunk before disembarking.
"Clear the brush," Arlan instructed the crew after a quick scan of the area. "We'll set up a temporary camp here."
"This island's no joke," Aeridar warned, face uncharacteristically serious. "Anyone who's not an officer—don't wander. It's too dangerous. If you're heading out, go in a group of at least twenty. Otherwise, stay in camp. That's an order."
Gorbo looked around suspiciously, muttering under his breath. "Dangerous? Doesn't look that bad..."
The ground shook. Birds burst from the trees in chaotic flocks. A massive head emerged from the jungle, jaws wide and menacing. Brown, beastlike eyes locked onto the group at the riverbank. And then the rest of its hulking body lumbered out.
Everyone stared at it.
Big eyes met bigger eyes.
"This... this has to be a dream!"
"I'm seeing things, right?!"
"That's a... a dinosaur? They're real?!"
"A Tyrannosaurus Rex!" Aeridar gasped, tilting his head in awe at the towering beast before them. "It's the first time I've seen one up close. I've always wanted to touch one!"
Truthfully, Aeridar had been fascinated by dinosaurs as a kid. He'd watched Jurassic Park a hundred times, collected plastic dinosaur figures—though he ended up dismantling most of them out of curiosity.
The T-Rex lunged suddenly, snapping its massive jaws toward the nearest person.
The sound was like a hammer hitting thick hide. A jet-black foot slammed into the creature's face, its skull visibly caving in under the impact.
The sheer force sent the monster flying back several meters before it crashed to the ground, skidding through trees and brush, crushing everything in its path. It didn't get back up. Half its skull was caved in—crushed, gory, lifeless.
Aeridar dusted off his pants with a grimace. "...Guess we're eating dino tonight."
He was the closest when the T-Rex attacked. He'd been admiring the creature, thinking about touching it—when it suddenly lunged. Instinct kicked in. One Armament Haki-imbued kick later... it was dead.
He turned to the others, expression dark. "You see that? This place is not safe. Who wants to come with me?"
"Ah! Captain—I'll go clear more brush."
"I'll help with the camp."
"I'll start setting up the tents!"
"I'll gather firewood!"
In an instant, aside from Arlan and the others, the rest of the crew all seemed to suddenly discover how busy they were. Not a single one volunteered to explore deeper.
"You guys coming with me?" Aeridar asked.
"I'll stay back and keep these guys in line," Gorbo replied, heading back to the Chris. "And prep lunch and dinner while I'm at it. Bring back more of that for meat."
"We'll pass!" Millie and Mina both waved frantically. They were strong enough to hold their own against pirates or Marines, sure—but against dinosaurs with armor-thick hides? That was a hard no. Who knew what even worse monsters might lurk deeper in the jungle?
"OK." Oliver casually stepped into the forest.
"No complaints here," Arlan added, cracking his knuckles.
And so, Aeridar, Arlan, Oliver, and one more set off into the wilds of Little Garden.
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