Deuce craned his neck upward, straining his eyes against the thick morning fog, but couldn't make out the details of what Jerry was seeing through the mist.
"Elephant legs?" he asked uncertainly. "What do you mean, elephant legs?"
"Oh!" Skull's eyes suddenly lit up with recognition. "An elephant? Could this possibly be the legendary Zou?"
"Zou?" Carina looked between them with obvious confusion. "What's that supposed to be?"
"Boss, according to the intelligence I've gathered," Skull explained with obvious excitement, "Zou is said to be a moving island carried on the back of a giant elephant that has lived for over a thousand years. It's one of the most mysterious places in the entire world!"
The explanation made Deuce's eyes practically sparkle with inspiration. "There's really such a magical thing in this world? My creative inspiration is about to explode!"
"Even more interesting," Skull continued, clearly enjoying his role as the crew's information specialist, "the elephant's back is home to the Mink Tribe—a civilization that's existed in complete isolation for centuries."
"Mink Tribe?" Carina asked, her curiosity growing despite herself.
"You can think of them as various furry animals that evolved into humanoid form," Skull explained. "They're said to be incredibly diverse—cats, dogs, rabbits, all sorts of species living together in harmony."
"What?" Deuce grabbed his notebook immediately, his right hand moving so quickly it was almost a blur as he began scribbling notes. "This is incredible! A society of evolved animals living on a thousand-year-old elephant? The anthropological implications alone..."
Skull nodded, pleased to see his information being so well received, but his expression grew more serious as he continued. "However, there are rumors that the Mink Tribe harbors deep suspicion toward humans. Because they're so isolated from the outside world, they're considered an extremely rare species on the black market. Slavers and collectors pay enormous sums for captured Minks."
"Isolated from the world?" Carina's eyes suddenly took on a familiar gleam that her crewmates were beginning to recognize. "Then they must have accumulated all sorts of treasures over the centuries!"
"Whether they have treasure or not, I honestly don't know," Skull replied with a shrug.
"Well then, I definitely want to go check it out!" Carina declared with obvious enthusiasm.
As the discussion grew more animated around him, Jerry found himself studying the massive form of Zunesha through the gradually clearing fog. The ancient elephant was truly a sight to behold—each leg was easily the size of a small mountain, and the creature's sheer scale defied comprehension. This was a living being that had walked the oceans for over a millennium, carrying an entire civilization on its back.
"Since we're already here," Jerry said finally, "why don't we pay them a visit?"
"Wait, Boss Jerry," Skull interjected with obvious concern, "the Mink Tribe's fighting capabilities are supposed to be quite formidable. And given their isolation and the way humans have treated them, they might be automatically hostile to outsiders."
Jerry waved dismissively. "It should be fine as long as we don't go looking for trouble. Besides, everyone seems interested in seeing this place for themselves."
He didn't consider it a major problem. Any civilization sophisticated enough to maintain a functioning society for centuries would certainly be capable of communication, regardless of their isolation. More importantly, he vaguely remembered that Zou had ancient ties to Wano Country through some kind of historical alliance.
The Mink Tribe's supposed hostility toward humans was probably more about self-preservation than genuine hatred. After centuries of dealing with slavers and collectors, caution would be a natural survival mechanism.
"Let's go!" Deuce exclaimed, having finished his initial note-taking. "Jerry, I really want to see this incredible world with my own eyes. The idea that there are giant elephants that have lived for a thousand years... it's beyond anything I could have imagined!"
Jerry glanced around at his crew and their temporary guest. Seeing no real objections to the plan, he made his decision.
"Alright then, let's head up there and find somewhere to make landfall."
"Wait," Carina said, looking around the ship with obvious confusion, "how exactly are we supposed to get up there? That elephant has to be hundreds of meters tall!"
She noticed that Deuce and Skull had already begun securing themselves to the ship with ropes, moving with the practiced efficiency of people who had experienced Jerry's unconventional travel methods before. Even Kotatsu had positioned himself near Jerry's feet, clearly knowing what was coming.
Jerry gave her his characteristic confident grin, the corner of his mouth curling upward in that way that usually meant he was about to do something impressive and slightly terrifying.
"Hey, you'll find out soon enough," he said cheerfully.
"What do you mean I'll find out—WHOA!"
The ship suddenly lurched upward as Jerry extended his water manipulation abilities into the ocean beneath them. With precise control that had been honed through countless battles and training sessions, he created a massive pillar of seawater that began lifting their ship toward the sky.
The sensation was unlike anything Carina had ever experienced. The deck tilted slightly as they rose, and the sudden acceleration pressed her downward with invisible force. She found herself sitting heavily on the wooden planks, unable to move as if her body had suddenly become much heavier.
"What is this?!" she screamed as they rocketed upward through the morning air.
Jerry's delighted laughter echoed across the ascending ship as they climbed higher and higher above the ocean's surface. The massive form of Zunesha grew larger and more detailed as they approached, revealing the incredible scope of the ancient elephant's body. Its skin was thick and weathered, marked by countless years of ocean travel, and its movements were slow but incredibly powerful.
"Everyone hold on!" Jerry called out as they neared the elephant's back. "Landing coming up!"
As they reached the appropriate height, Jerry demonstrated the fine control that made his water manipulation so formidable. He separated a portion of the rising current and directed it toward a flat area on Zunesha's back, quickly excavating a temporary pond large enough to accommodate their ship.
With gentle precision that contrasted sharply with their dramatic ascent, Jerry guided the ship into the newly created water feature and allowed the ocean current to flow back down to the sea below.
"Ow, my poor back," Skull groaned as the ship settled into its improvised harbor. He had shifted position during the ride and managed to wrench something in his spine.
"My butt is completely numb!" Carina complained loudly, rubbing her posterior with both hands. "I can't feel anything back there!"
"How was that?" Jerry asked with obvious pride in his technique. "I deliberately slowed down the ascent and tried to keep everything as smooth and stable as possible."
"Boss Jerry, I'm fine," Skull assured him after working out the kink in his back. "Nothing serious."
Deuce, who had weathered the journey without any obvious discomfort, checked on Skull to confirm he was indeed okay. "Jerry's right," he agreed. "Aside from the initial takeoff and the landing, the ride was remarkably steady."
But Carina wasn't about to let the opportunity for drama pass her by. She continued rubbing her backside while glaring accusingly at Jerry.
"Hey! My butt feels like it got cooked! You're not getting away with this without paying me a hundred million berries in compensation!"
"A hundred million?" Jerry raised an eyebrow at the ridiculous demand. "You're really reaching for the stars there."
"Besides," he added with a mischievous grin, "I was doing you a favor. Everyone knows that girls who smile too much get more wrinkles, so I wanted to give you fewer reasons to laugh."
He gave her a dismissive look, clearly recognizing her attempt at extortion for what it was. Carina huffed indignantly but didn't push the issue further.
Instead, she turned her attention to their surroundings, taking in their first glimpse of the legendary Zou. Under the bright moonlight, they could see that the area around them looked surprisingly similar to a normal forest island. Ancient trees stretched toward the sky, their leaves rustling in the gentle breeze that swept across the elephant's back.
But in the distance, at the forest's edge, they could make out the distinctive silhouette of high city walls. Regularly spaced lights dotted the fortifications, illuminating the surrounding terrain and suggesting a well-organized defensive system.
"It really does look like a proper island," Deuce observed with fascination. "The scale of this place is incredible."
"Come on," Jerry said, gesturing toward the distant lights. "Let's go take a look around."
The four humans and one lynx disembarked from their ship, choosing a path that would take them along the base of the city wall toward what appeared to be the main entrance. The ground beneath their feet felt solid and stable, despite the fact that they were walking on the back of a living creature.
As they approached the fortifications, the details became clearer. The walls were impressive constructions of fitted stone, rising high enough to provide excellent defensive positions for the guards they could see patrolling the ramparts. A tall gate dominated the section of wall they were approaching, with watchtowers flanking the entrance.
Several figures moved along the elevated walkways above the gate, their silhouettes suggesting the animal-like characteristics Skull had described. The guards had clearly noticed their approach and were tracking their movement with obvious interest.
Rather than try to approach stealthily or find an alternative entrance, Jerry led his group directly toward the closed gate in full view of the sentries. There was no point in acting suspicious when they had no hostile intentions.
"Hey up there!" Jerry called out cheerfully, waving at the guards above. "Can you hear us? We're here as tourists and would really appreciate it if you could help us with the door!"
The guards on the wall began talking among themselves in low voices before one of them—a cat-like figure who appeared to be their leader—stepped forward to address the unexpected visitors below.
"Who are you people?" the guard called down. "Are you from the outer seas?"
Jerry felt encouraged that communication was indeed possible. The guard's tone was cautious but not immediately hostile.
"That's right!" Jerry replied. "We're travelers who would like to visit your country, look around a bit, and then be on our way."
"Wait here," the cat-like leader instructed after conferring briefly with his friends.
Jerry noticed the guard's gaze lingering on Skull, whose skeleton-themed clothing and accessories probably made quite an impression, as well as on Kotatsu, who was clearly not a normal house cat. After a moment's consideration, the leader turned to relay instructions to one of his subordinates, who promptly disappeared from view—presumably to report their arrival to higher authorities.
"Thank you for your help," Jerry called up. "We'll wait right here."
As the group settled in to wait for a response, they began discussing their situation in lower voices.
"This really is a civilized country, Boss," Skull observed with obvious relief. "They're handling this exactly like any other nation would when strangers arrive at their borders."
"I noticed that some of the guards appear to be felines," Deuce added thoughtfully. "I wonder if their behavior patterns are similar to regular cats?"
"They might be," Skull replied with a mischievous grin. "What do you think, Deuce? Want to try approaching them with a cat toy or some catnip?"
"You can test that theory yourself and just tell me the results," Deuce replied dryly.
"Hey," Carina interjected, "this place really does look like a normal country. Could there actually be valuable treasures here?"
"Even if there are treasures," Jerry pointed out with amusement, "they're probably things that appeal to animals—dried fish, comfortable sleeping spots, that sort of thing."
"Oh," Carina's face fell slightly. "That's... actually a good point."
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