Chapter 1: The Island of Rare Animals
The island stood silent before them.
Tall trees twisted toward the sky, their leaves so thick that sunlight barely touched the ground. Strange cries echoed from deep inside—low growls, sharp screeches, sounds that did not belong to normal animals.
Luffy stood at the edge of the beach, staring into the forest with wide eyes.
"Whoa…" he said softly. "This place feels alive."
Zoro narrowed his eyes, his hand resting near his swords. "Yeah. Something's watching us."
Nami crossed her arms, uneasy but curious. "This island is famous for rare animals. That alone makes it dangerous."
They walked slowly along the sand.
Then Luffy stopped.
"…Hey."
Half-buried near some rocks was an old wooden treasure box. The wood was cracked and faded, like it had been there for years.
Luffy stepped closer. "Is that a chest?"
Suddenly, the lid moved.
A man's head popped up from inside.
"GYAAAH!"
Nami screamed and jumped back. Zoro immediately reached for his sword.
"Wait!" the man shouted. "Don't cut me! I'm not a monster!"
Luffy crouched down, staring with excitement. "Whoa! A treasure box with a guy inside!"
"I'M STUCK!" the man yelled. "Help me out already!"
Zoro frowned. "You've got to be kidding me."
Nami looked him up and down. "Why are you inside a treasure box?"
The man sighed deeply. "Because this island hates me."
Luffy tilted his head. "Is there treasure here?"
The man froze.
"…Yes," he said slowly. "There is treasure on this island."
Nami's eyes instantly shined. Berries filled her thoughts.
"But," the man continued, his voice dropping, "deep inside the island… there is a monster."
The wind suddenly felt colder.
Luffy's face lit up. "A monster?"
He grinned wide. "I wanna see it. And I wanna get its meat!"
"All chop it," Zoro said calmly.
Nami didn't hesitate. "If there's treasure, I don't care."
The man's face twisted in fear.
"Nooooooooo!" he screamed. "How can you say that?! You don't get it! You stand no chance against that thing!"
He shook inside the box, his voice trembling.
"You really don't understand…" he said quietly.
"That monster isn't like the others."
He lowered his eyes.
"You don't get it… Let me tell you what happened here. Let me tell you why I would never go deep into this island again…"
Gaimon looked at the three of them.
His eyes moved left… then right… then toward the forest.
He slowly pulled his head deeper into the treasure box, as if hiding would protect him. His hands were shaking. His breath was uneven.
"D-don't laugh…" he said in a low voice. "I'm serious."
The wind rustled the trees. A distant cry echoed from deep inside the island.
Gaimon swallowed hard.
"It… it was fifteen years ago," he began. "Back when I was still trying to escape this box…"
His fingers tightened around the wood.
"I was searching for a way out… when I heard it."
He paused.
"A sound… so loud it made the ground shake."
Zoro stayed silent. Nami felt a chill run down her spine. Luffy didn't blink.
"I followed it," Gaimon continued, his voice trembling. "I shouldn't have… but I did."
He looked toward the forest again.
"The deeper I went, the darker it became. No light. No sky. Just… darkness. Thick darkness. Like it was alive."
His breathing grew faster.
"I looked around. Nothing. Just black. I couldn't even see my own hands."
He clenched his teeth.
"Then… I took one step forward."
His eyes widened in terror.
"And it opened."
Everyone froze.
"An eye," Gaimon whispered. "A single eye."
His voice cracked.
"It was huge… bigger than the sun. A deep blue iris… cold… watching me."
His hands began to shake violently.
"I didn't think. I didn't scream. I just ran."
He gasped for air.
"I ran faster than I ever had. Faster than my legs could handle."
Sweat dripped down his face.
"When I reached the shore… I turned around."
His voice dropped to almost nothing.
"And I could still see it."
Nami's breath caught.
"That eye… deep inside the island… inside a hole filled with water."
Gaimon clutched his green hair, pulling it hard.
"A massive creature… living beneath this island."
His whole body trembled.
"So don't go…" he begged. "Don't go any deeper."
His eyes were wide with fear.
"And don't ever make a sound."
The forest fell silent.
"If you do…" Gaimon whispered, "this entire island will be gone."
He looked at them, shaking.
"It will wake up… and it will swallow everything whole."
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To be continued