The sky above the Grand Line had cleared, but the sea below remained unpredictable.
The Going Merry cut through the waves as if drawn forward by fate itself.
Vivi leaned over the railing, watching the clouds shift.
"This island wasn't marked on any standard map," she said.
Nami nodded from the helm. "That's the Grand Line for you. Islands appear and vanish in weird magnetic fields."
Usopp adjusted his goggles. "We're not about to run into another mountain, right?!"
Zoro leaned on the mast. "We're due for something weird."
Luffy grinned. "I hope it's monsters!"
Rex stood near the front, arms crossed. Quiet.
But not grim.
He could feel it again.
The pull of something old ahead.
Not dangerous yet—but waiting.
[…Island signal confirmed. Magnetic field stabilized. Life forms detected: oversized fauna. Metal echo: minimal.]
"Land ahead," Nami called.
And then they saw it.
Dense jungle. Towering trees. Roars in the distance. The sky above thick with birds the size of small ships.
Little Garden.
Upon Arrival
The Going Merry was quickly moored in the calm of a mangrove-lined bay. Sunlight pierced the thick canopy in spears of gold, and the ground trembled now and then with distant steps.
Luffy immediately leapt off the ship.
"ADVENTURE!!!"
Usopp followed cautiously. "L-Luffy wait! This place is cursed, I can feel it!"
Zoro stepped down calmly. "This is nothing."
Sanji dusted his jacket. "I'll look for food. Something that doesn't eat back."
Nami pointed a warning finger. "Stay within range! This island isn't normal!"
Vivi looked uneasy. "Something about this place… feels frozen in time."
Rex crouched near the tree line, his fingers brushing the soil.
The air was rich. Humid. Ancient.
[…Estimated dominant predators: multi-ton. Echo patterns consistent with dinosaur vocal frequencies. Additional seismic patterns suggest movement in pair. Bipeds. Tall. Repeating rhythm.]
"They're not alone," Rex muttered.
And then it came.
A deafening roar.
Followed by another.
From opposite ends of the island.
The ground shook.
Birds exploded from the trees.
And through the foliage, two massive shapes emerged—giants.
One wore a horned helmet and swung a massive axe. The other, shirtless and wide, carried a club that could crush buildings.
"ARE THOSE—GIANTS?!" Usopp screamed.
"They're massive…" Vivi whispered.
"They're… fighting?" Nami gasped.
"They're having a duel," Rex said. "And it's not the first one."
Zoro stepped beside him. "How can you tell?"
Rex pointed at the deep scars in the earth, the craters, the crushed trees.
"They've done this for years."
Elsewhere on the Island – In the Shadows
In a small clearing, two figures emerged from the jungle—dressed in Baroque Works robes.
Mr. 3.
And Miss Goldenweek.
Mr. 3 adjusted his glasses with a smug smirk.
"There she is… Princess Vivi. They walked right into our trap."
Miss Goldenweek dipped a brush into her paint tray. "You're going to use the candle?"
"Of course," Mr. 3 said. "I'm an artist, after all. And today's masterpiece? Royal execution."
Back at the Clearing – Late Afternoon
The Straw Hat crew had begun to set up camp. Meat roasted. Supplies were organized.
Luffy and Usopp had already befriended the two giants, Dorry and Brogy, and were sharing barrels of dinosaur meat.
Zoro kept watch near the fire.
Vivi and Nami sat together, reviewing their journey.
And Rex?
He stood alone in the trees—silent, but not disconnected.
Then—
He moved.
Fast.
A breath later, a crashing sound echoed from the camp's edge.
Zoro jumped up.
"What was that?!"
Rex returned through the brush, dragging a writhing, wax-covered figure by the collar.
He dropped him at the fire.
Mr. 5's former partner — a Baroque scout.
"Just one," Rex said. "The others are close. They're preparing something… artistic."
Nami's eyes narrowed. "Mr. 3."
Vivi stood, teeth clenched. "We're not safe here."
"We were never safe," Rex replied.
Then looked toward the thickest part of the jungle.
"They're using the giants."
"What do you mean?" Zoro asked.
"They want the giants to fight… until one falls. The explosion will be the signal. Then they'll trap us all with wax."
Luffy stood, serious now.
"Nope," he said. "I like those giants. I'm not letting anyone cheat them."
"Neither am I," Rex said, stepping forward.
Zoro grinned. "Finally."
Nami sighed. "Boys…"
Deeper in the Jungle – That Night
Mr. 3 stood tall, surrounded by giant candles.
"I now pronounce you statues."
Dorry lay collapsed nearby, injured from a sabotage explosion.
Vivi, Nami, and Usopp stood trapped—slowly being turned to wax.
"Your crew won't reach you in time," Mr. 3 gloated. "Art waits for no one."
Then—
A crash of trees.
And Rex appeared.
Fast.
Dead silent.
One moment he was in the shadows.
The next—his fist shattered the wax dome like glass.
Mr. 3 spun. "You again?!"
Rex was already mid-step.
A spin kick took out the candle tower.
Wax flew.
Mr. 3 launched streams of molten wax like spears—
But Rex weaved through them like mist, stepping on the wax midair and launching into a forward dash that slammed a knee into Mr. 3's ribs.
"GAGHH—!!"
Miss Goldenweek shrieked as Rex landed beside her, one hand grabbing her brush before she could paint.
"Sit down," he said softly.
And she did.
Hard.
The wax began to melt.
The spell was broken.
Afterward
Dorry and Brogy stood tall, roaring in triumph.
The Straw Hats regrouped.
And Vivi looked at Rex, breathless.
"You saved us again."
He shrugged. "You're part of the crew."
Nami smirked. "Look at you, softening up."
He gave a sideways glance. "Only when someone's watching."
Luffy grinned. "Next island!!"
Sanji served the last of the roasted meat. "Dinner first."
Zoro leaned against a tree. "Then war."
And as the fire crackled, Rex looked to the stars above the prehistoric canopy.
This world was wild.
Unpredictable.
Deadly.
But it was starting to feel like home.