Chapter 265

The Golden Merry sailed smoothly away from the Tottoland waters, cutting through the ocean with ease as it continued its journey. The Straw Hat Pirates had overcome another powerful foe in Big Mom and left Whole Cake Island behind, their sights set on the unknown adventures ahead.

If they were to follow the events of the original timeline, their next stop would have been the mysterious island of Zou. However, Logan knew that the world they now inhabited was not bound by the same constraints. With Momonosuke not yet born, Luffy had no reason to head to Zou, but Logan had other plans.

Within the depths of Zou's ancient Whale Tree, Logan knew there was a Road Poneglyph—an essential piece of the puzzle that would lead to the legendary One Piece. This was not a detour they could afford to miss. With the plot already altered, Logan decided it was time to adjust the course manually.

As the crew went about their usual routines, practicing their fighting techniques and enjoying a hearty meal, Logan suddenly appeared above the deck, surveying the sea with an intense gaze.

Holding the God-Killing Star in his hand, his sharp eyes scanned the horizon as his Observation Haki spread out like a web, reaching across the sea for miles. After a week of searching, he finally found what he had been looking for.

"Guess what Logan and I discovered today?" Usopp asked excitedly during dinner, his voice bubbling with enthusiasm.

"An island full of treasure?" Nami replied, her eyes lighting up with greed.

"A paradise full of beautiful women!" Sanji's eyes turned into hearts as his imagination ran wild.

"Two sword masters fighting on top of a mountain?" Zoro mused, his hand instinctively resting on his sword hilt.

"Meat!" Luffy shouted, his mind entirely focused on food as always.

The lively banter at the dinner table filled the air with laughter, each Straw Hat giving their best guess, though none came close to the truth.

"Has my brother always been this... lewd?" Reiju asked, her face slightly flushed as she glanced at Sanji, whose daydreams had taken over again.

"Hmm..." Nami nodded with a grin, and the rest of the crew chuckled in agreement.

But Logan, ever the opportunist, couldn't help himself. "Sanji's not usually like this..."

Everyone turned their attention to Logan, waiting for him to finish his sentence. Reiju, relieved by his words, sighed quietly, glad that her brother wasn't always so outrageous.

"He's usually worse than this," Logan added with a sly grin.

Reiju's relief vanished instantly, her face freezing in disbelief as the rest of the table burst out in laughter.

"Hmm..." She covered her face with her hands, clearly embarrassed by the turn of the conversation. The crew couldn't stop laughing, the teasing hitting just the right note.

"Usopp, what did you actually see?" Luffy asked, his curiosity piqued. Usopp's earlier excitement had grabbed his attention, and now he wanted to know more.

With dramatic flair, Usopp crossed his arms and stood up. "I saw a giant elephant walking through the sea!"

The crew fell silent for a moment before they erupted into more laughter.

"An elephant walking in the sea?" Nami raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical.

"A giant creature standing tall between the heavens and the sea!" Usopp continued with enthusiasm, not backing down. "Its legs rise from the ocean, and its body reaches into the clouds!"

Laughter broke out once more. Even the ever-serious Zoro cracked a smile.

"Usopp, you're lying again!" Nami scolded, trying to catch her breath from laughing so hard.

"Why don't you just say it's flying in the clouds?" Zoro quipped.

"Hey, hey, hey! I'm not lying!" Usopp protested. "Logan saw it too!"

All eyes turned to Logan, who nodded in confirmation. "Yes, Usopp's right. There's a giant elephant out there."

The crew's laughter stopped abruptly, replaced by wide-eyed disbelief.

"Nani!?" Chopper exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with awe. "There are creatures that big!? That's amazing!"

"Can it really be that big...?" Zoro muttered to himself, still trying to process the idea.

Luffy, ever the adventurer, pumped his fists into the air. "Awesome! Let's go find it! Maybe there's a whole island on its back!"

But before he could get too excited, Nami's fist came crashing down on his head, knocking him face-first into his food. "Idiot! That thing could crush us and our ship with one step!"

Reiju, who had been quietly observing the conversation, spoke up. "You must be talking about Zou."

Everyone turned to Reiju, their curiosity piqued once more.

"What's Zou?" Luffy asked, his eyes wide with excitement.

"It sounds like a place name," Zoro remarked, still intrigued.

Reiju nodded. "It is. In the New World, there's a massive elephant that constantly roams the ocean. Its size is unimaginable, so much so that an entire island has formed on its back. That island is called Zou—the Moving Island."

The room fell silent as the crew absorbed this information.

"Wow! Let's go to Zou!" Luffy shouted, his excitement renewed. He was practically bouncing in his seat at the thought of such an adventure.

But Nami slammed his head into his plate again. "Calm down! That thing could destroy us in an instant if we get too close!"

Reiju smiled. "Actually, the elephant doesn't attack others. It just wanders, but the inhabitants on its back, the Mink Tribe, are very protective of their land. They won't hesitate to attack any humans that approach."

"See! I told you it's too dangerous!" Nami said, her voice filled with exasperation.

Logan, however, stood up and spoke. "No, we have to go."

Everyone turned to him, surprised.

"Why do we have to go?" Nami asked, her voice softening as she took Logan's arm.

Logan's expression was serious. "I learned from someone in Big Mom's crew that there's a Road Poneglyph on Zou. If Luffy wants to become the Pirate King, we need to find it."

Robin's eyes lit up at the mention of a Poneglyph. "A Road Poneglyph…"

Hearing that, Nami sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Alright, fine… I guess we don't have a choice."