"Pchoo…"
The little Snowball Beast was being rua-ed into a dizzy mess, its fluffy fur puffed up in all directions.
Once it regained its senses, it affectionately nuzzled against Shano's cheek, clearly enjoying it and wanting more.
But just then, the little creature suddenly perked up its ears in alert. With a squeak, it rolled into Shano's arms and tightly clung to his collar.
"Big bro! What's that fluffy thing in your hands?!"
Nami's excited scream came from the cabin. The next second, the orange-haired girl rushed up to the deck, her eyes sparkling with pink hearts:
"Let me hold it! Come on, come on, quick, let me hold it!!"
Before Shano could react, she was already lunging forward, hands outstretched.
"Chuu!"
Terrified, the Snowball Beast trembled in his arms. With nowhere to escape, it could only turn and let out a puff of icy breath—
Crack crack crack!
Nami's outstretched hand was instantly frozen into an ice sculpture.
"It fell from the sky. Out of nowhere, and just decided I was its master."
Shano lifted the little rice ball creature and smiled as he reassured it, "It's okay, don't be scared. She's my sister—she's family."
Fell from the sky?
Nami believed it without question and gasped in wonder:
"The Grand Line really is magical… Bro, you're so lucky! Dang it, if I had stayed on deck just a little longer, maybe I would've been picked as the master!"
As for the frozen arm… she clearly didn't care. With a quick shake, whoosh! flames burst from her arm, instantly melting the frost into droplets.
Now it was the Snowball Beast's turn to stare wide-eyed.
It tilted its head, peering curiously at Nami's arm from side to side, utterly baffled about where those flames had come from.
Shano couldn't help laughing and gave the soft rice ball a good rub. The texture was great… Hmm, might as well call it Mochi from now on?
That name would work for its early evolution stages. Once it evolved into Angewomon, he could always change it later.
As for the icy breath just now—
It must've been the Ice-type skill, "Diamond Dust," right?
Shano didn't pay it much mind.
Unlike Silver, the Snowball Beast was a Digimon, and its attributes and skills would change constantly through evolution.
There was no need to stress about early-stage abilities. What he was really looking forward to was it reaching its final form.
By then, Angewomon would float high in the sky like a divine figure, bow in hand, firing arrows of light…
Tsk. That kind of divine aura—just thinking about it was thrilling.
—Alright then. The ship's sniper? It's settled. It'll be you, Snowball Beast!
Smack!
Shano gave his chosen sniper a firm pat.
The little thing, unaware that its master had just placed a heavy destiny upon its soft little body, was still curiously observing Nami. After a moment of hesitation, it allowed her to pick it up.
"Whoa, so soft!"
Nami beamed as she played with the Snowball Beast.
"Hey, Nami, didn't I tell you to take breakfast to Nojiko? Why are you back so fast?" Shano asked, puzzled.
Without looking up, Nami stayed immersed in fluff: "Why bother? She's already done training! Look—" She gestured toward the cabin, "There she is!"
Shano turned to look—and sure enough.
Nojiko walked over, humming a cheerful tune and balancing a tray of breakfast. Her hair was still damp with sweat, but her face was glowing with uncontainable joy. The moment she saw Shano, her eyes curved like crescent moons.
"Bro!"
"You mastered Haki?" Shano asked without needing to guess, seeing how overjoyed she looked.
"Mhm! I've got both Armament Coating and Hardening down! Look!"
Nojiko raised her fists excitedly. Buzz! A dark black sheen instantly spread across both arms, like they'd been cast in ink.
"Nice strength."
Shano reached out and pinched her arm. It felt hard as iron, surprising him a bit. He nodded in approval, "At this rate, the title of 'Black Arm' might be yours soon."
"Hehe, still a long way off," Nojiko replied modestly, though her grin almost reached her ears. She let out a long breath, her shoulders finally relaxed:
"But… at least now I won't be dragging the crew down!"
A month ago, back at Loguetown, during the fight with the four Marine Vice Admirals, she had clearly been the weakest. It had bugged her ever since.
But if it were the current her—hmph—she was confident she'd dominate that same Vice Admiral now!
"Huh?"
As she sat down for breakfast, her eyes landed on the Snowball Beast—and she was instantly captivated too.
Just then, the rest of the crew came out carrying their breakfast, gathering on the deck and forming a curious circle.
The Snowball Beast, realizing these were all its master's companions, wasn't shy and played happily with everyone.
Except for one thing that had everyone clicking their tongues in amusement—
It only let girls touch it. When Zeff and Smoker tried to poke it with their fingers, it just gave them a disdainful grunt and turned away, leaving both men awkwardly frozen.
Besides its master, it clearly had no interest in interacting with males.
"Looks like it's a girl."
Nami chuckled, pinching the Snowball Beast's cheeks, "But I wonder what she'll look like when she grows up? Maybe she'll just become a bigger, supersized Mochi like Silver?"
Growl!
Silver, who was basking in the sun nearby, let out a discontented growl and flicked its majestic mane.
What a joke!
He had been a round, chubby ball as a cub, sure—but now he was a majestic Silver Wolf King. How could you call that "scaled-up mochi"?!
Then, with a pouty glare, he secretly glanced at Shano.
Shano didn't catch the look. Watching the lively scene on deck, he chuckled and shook his head. Then, lifting his coffee cup, he quietly retreated to the back of the ship, leaving the front to the others.
As he sipped his coffee in peace, he resumed browsing the remaining items in the system store.
[Dark Magician Girl Summon Card]
Type: Consumable
Price: 3000 Points
Description: An original card from Yugi Muto's deck in Yu-Gi-Oh!. Use it to summon an illusion of Dark Magician Girl for 24 hours. The illusion is fully controllable but cannot cause physical damage in non-duel worlds.
Seller Note: Despair, foolish boy! Your precious rare card is gone! —P.S. Accept it.
This seller… was he Pegasus reborn?
Shano shook his head and passed.
He was a card game fan, but he was also a practical man.
If it were just a few hundred points, he might've bought it for nostalgia's sake. But 3000 points?
Too overpriced. Forget it.
[Senzu Beans from Korin]
Type: Consumable
Price: 3000 Points
Description: The magical beans from Dragon Ball, grown by Korin on Korin Tower. This pack contains two beans. One bean keeps you full for ten days and can instantly restore physical energy and bring your body back to peak condition.
Seller Note: None. Seller has gone dark.
Senzu Beans!
Shano's eyes lit up, and he added it to his cart without hesitation.
Now this was value.
Compared to the card, the usefulness of Senzu Beans—especially in battle—was on a whole different level.
As long as there's one breath left in you, a Senzu Bean could pull you back from death's door.
And there were two of them.
Worth every point. A must-buy!
The final, tenth item was lackluster. Shano skipped it entirely.
In the end, he only bought two things—but both were exactly what he wanted.
Total cost: 7000 points.
Remaining: 37,000.
"Pretty big spending this round."
He closed the system panel and finished his coffee in one go.
"But whatever. I'll replenish them soon enough."
Blue Ogre Dorry. Red Ogre Brogy.
Those two legendary giants from a hundred years ago…
Their island—Little Garden—was just up ahead.
Three Days Later
"Guys, look! An island!"
Nojiko's excited shout came from the crow's nest, startling several birds from the mast.
The sleepy Snowball Beast jerked upright from atop Silver's head, its round body springing up as it scanned the surroundings cautiously.
"We finally made it?!"
With the creaking of doors swinging open, the whole crew poured out excitedly onto the deck. The quiet ship instantly buzzed with activity.
Ten whole days—drifting endlessly at sea.
Even someone as calm as Kuina had started daydreaming after her meditation sessions, staring blankly at the endless ocean. Let alone more energetic folks like Nami.
Now, everyone huddled at the bow like a bunch of kids spotting a candy shop.
And there it was—
A lush island, thick with green forest, came into view on the horizon.
"This is Little Garden?"
While marking the island's position on the map, Nami turned her head and asked curiously,
"Hey, Grandpa Zeff, are there really two super huge giants living on it?"
"Hmph. Didn't I say? This route's mostly avoided because of those Sea King rumors, so I never actually saw it myself," Zeff chuckled.
"But this time, I'll make up for it and explore it together with all of you."
Everyone laughed and nodded.
Giants?
No problem.
With Captain Shano at the helm—so reliable, so strong—what island wouldn't they dare to enter?
Even if it were the gates of hell, they'd march in right behind him!
...
Soon, the Curtainfall docked along the shore.
The sweltering atmosphere of a tropical rainforest hit them in the face, and the temperature shot up rapidly.
"What the heck is this weather…" Nami complained, tying her orange hair into a high ponytail and fanning herself nonstop. "How can any island be this hot?!"
Ayin and Nuomici were already panting from the heat. The two furry little creatures lay pitifully in the shade.
Especially the little Snowball Beast—drops of snow-like goo were dripping from its body like melting ice cream. One couldn't help but worry if it would turn into a puddle the moment it hit sunlight.
"You two stay behind," Shano said with a smile, patting the two furballs. "If anything unusual happens—"
"Pchoo!" Nuomici suddenly stood up straight, trying its best to look fierce. But due to the heat, it collapsed with a flop right back down.
"You don't need to worry, dummy!" Nami said with heartache. She quickly pulled out an electric fan. "We'll just have Ayin contact us if anything happens. It's got a sharp nose—can track us in no time."
The fan had been modified by Smoker—it held ice inside, so the wind it blew was pleasantly chilly. Ayin and Nuomici finally settled down comfortably.
The rest of the crew changed into cool summer outfits and stepped into the forest, walking on the soft humus-covered ground.
As they went deeper into the jungle, the environment became increasingly primal and wild.
The humid heat clung to their skin. Massive trees requiring ten people to encircle were tangled with vines, and ferns grew taller than a man. The sunlight filtered down through overlapping canopies, casting a dappled light on the forest floor.
Half-buried giant animal bones occasionally appeared beneath fallen leaves—clearly not from ordinary beasts.
This place seemed truly untouched by time—unchanged for hundreds of years, preserving its ancient, primeval appearance.
ROOOAARRR—!!!
A deafening roar split the forest, bringing instant silence.
Next came heavy "thud-thud-thud" footsteps that shook the ground. Tree crowns overhead trembled and rustled wildly.
Shhhlaa!
Two massive saber-toothed dinosaurs suddenly pushed their heads through the thick foliage, their amber eyes locked directly onto the group.
They opened their giant maws and growled greedily, thick saliva dripping into the underbrush with wet plops.
"Waaah!!"
The three girls instantly huddled together and screamed in exaggerated surprise. "It's a dinosaur!!!"
So dinosaurs… really did exist in this world?!
"Oi," Shano looked up lazily, giving the two behemoths a casual glance. "You're scaring my little sister. If you don't want to become dinner, don't do anything stupid."
Buzz!
A ripple-like wave of terrifying pressure emanated from Shano, freezing the air around them—leaves stopped rustling.
After locking eyes with that seemingly ordinary glance, the two saber-toothed beasts froze stiff, drenched in cold sweat.
They whimpered in panic, tucked their thick tails between their legs, and bolted in a mad scramble, vanishing into the jungle.
"…?"
Smoker, who had been preparing to act, was momentarily stunned. He slid his half-drawn jitte back into its sheath.
The captain just casually used a bit of Conqueror's Haki… and scared them off?
Such a handy ability—how enviable.
If only he could awaken Conqueror's Haki too.
Was that even possible?
Lighting a cigar, Smoker shook his head with a self-deprecating chuckle.
He was already thirty—probably too old to keep clinging to such wishful thinking.
But then again…
He used to be a Marine—a soldier who lived by strict orders. People like him were the least likely to awaken a "King's Disposition."
In the massive Marine Headquarters, full of powerful people, only Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Vice Admiral Garp had it.
But now, he'd left the Marines and was following that man, chasing his own path of justice across the seas again.
Maybe, when the fog of doubt in his heart had completely cleared…
Maybe that day would come.
The thought made him smile slightly.
"Oi, Smoker."
Shano's confused voice called out, "What are you spacing out for? Didn't notice it? Hurry and get that thing off your shoulder!"
…My shoulder?
Smoker, still holding the cigar, turned slowly.
He saw it.
A massive cockroach nearly 80 centimeters long was perched calmly on his right arm.
Its slick black shell gleamed with an oily shine. Its antennae twitched slightly.
When it noticed him looking, it tilted its head in response—and its wings twitched ominously, as if it were about to leap at his face.
"..."
The cigar dropped from his frozen lips.
Thud!
The once-feared White Hunter rolled his eyes back and collapsed straight backward into a pile of leaves.
———
"Oi, wake up! Wake up!"
A rough hand slapped his face.
It was cold. It was shaky.
But Smoker's eyelids only fluttered slightly—he still didn't wake.
"How did someone this cowardly ever become a Marine Captain?" Zeff sighed, slinging Smoker over his shoulder and following the others deeper into the forest.
It was just a cockroach, for crying out loud.
Back when he drifted on the seas with a rat-infested kitchen, he'd killed enough of them to build a mountain.
Was this really any different?
On his back, Smoker's eyes remained tightly shut. His mouth twitched slightly.
He wished he could just never wake up.
What a humiliation. Even the girls had only screamed. Meanwhile, he had fainted—right after thinking about how he might awaken Conqueror's Haki…
BOOM!!!
Another thunderous noise rocked the entire island—far louder than the last. The forest quaked, and the ground trembled as if from an earthquake.
"Oooh! Oooh! Oooh!"
Nami's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Another dinosaur?! What is it this time? A T-Rex? A Brontosaurus? Or maybe—"
"It's not a dinosaur, little lady."
A warm but thunderous voice echoed from above.
A massive shadow loomed, blotting out the sun. Everyone instinctively looked up—and saw a gigantic face peering down at them, its long beard hanging down, eyes beneath a helmet smiling kindly.
"T-That's…" Nami's eyes widened in shock.
"G-G-Giant!" Nojiko stammered.
"A real giant!!" Kuina shrieked.
"Heh heh heh! Thanks a lot, everyone!"
The giant raised his left hand—gripping two struggling saber-toothed dinosaurs by the neck like misbehaving kittens.
"These two bastards were sneaky—hiding deep in the woods. But then they ran into me while fleeing in panic!"
He laughed heartily, shaking the trees with his booming voice. With a swift swing of his sword, he lopped off both their heads.
"There! Now we've got meat. And I'm a great cook—how about a barbeque? Oh, do you guys have any booze? Nothing better than meat with fine drink!"
"We sure do," Shano grinned at the giant's cheerful tone and shouted back, "Oi! Kuina! Go with Uncle Zeff and grab more liquor from the ship!"
"Aye, Captain!" Kuina responded quickly. But before leaving, she couldn't resist asking:
"Hey, mister… are you really one of those legendary giants from Elbaf?"
"Oh! How interesting—you know the name of our village? No one's mentioned that in years!"
The giant was surprised, then burst out laughing.
"That's right! I'm Dorry of Elbaf. Folks used to call me the Blue Ogre. I have to say—you guys really surprised me. If I recall, the last time anyone visited this island was a couple years ago!"
...
At the heart of Little Garden.
To the north and south, two massive white skeletons lay across the landscape, partially moss-covered—dead for what seemed like ages.
Under the southern bones, a bonfire crackled merrily.
Dorry sat cross-legged, skillfully preparing the dinosaurs' entrails and skewering the meat on iron spits thick as tree trunks before roasting them.
Fat sizzled and dripped. The scent of roasting meat drifted upward with the smoke.
Shano and the others sat around the fire. After chatting with Dorry earlier, everyone had gotten comfortable with him.
Giants from Elbaf weren't known for being cunning. Dorry was the bold, hearty type—very easy to get along with.
"Wow, that's good booze! Strong and smooth!"
Dorry emptied a barrel in one gulp and smacked his lips. "Strangely familiar taste too… Oh! It's like the stuff we had on our ship. But this one's richer—more flavorful."
"Really?" Zeff blinked. "I brought that from the East Blue. Found it on a particularly massive ship… could it have been yours?"
Despite Zeff's burly, middle-aged look, calling Dorry "big brother" somehow felt completely natural. If anything, it felt like Zeff was taking advantage.
After all, they'd learned something astonishing—
This cheerful Blue Ogre Dorry had once been the captain of the Giant Warrior Pirates—declared an enemy of the World Government nearly a century ago.
His bounty? A staggering 100 million Berries.
It might not sound like much, but that was a hundred years ago.
Totally different economy.
Shano, more than anyone, understood how significant that number was.
If he remembered right, six years from now in the timeline, Dorry and Brogy would return to the seas—and the government would immediately raise their bounties to 1.8 billion Berries!
Higher than most Yonko commanders.
"My ship, huh?"
Dorry scratched his head in confusion. "Must be a coincidence. Back then, my buddies took the ship straight back to Elbaf. No reason they'd go to the East Blue."
He didn't seem to mind, so no one pushed further.
Dorry kept carefully seasoning the meat—wanting to honor the generosity of these kind humans with his best cooking.
BOOM!!!
Suddenly, another quake shook the island.
Everyone except Dorry staggered, nearly falling.
"Now what?!"
Nami yelled in frustration, scanning the area. "What's with this island?! It keeps shaking every five minutes! Can't we just eat in peace?!"