Exploring Little Garden

Hello everyone! I hope you've been having a good May, and I hope this chapter will make it better. Things have become a little more hectic that usual as we're now entering flu season wehre I'm from. I've already had to take two family members to the doctor in one week, and I haven't been enjoying the chilly mornings.

Anyway! It's time to finally come back, I have startd on a lot of my new projects that I hope to share with you all, so don't forget to follow me on Tumblr for updates. Speaking of, the new schedule post for the rest of May and June will be up on my tumblr blog too.

Just type in my name if you want to find it. Or check out this link:

https://www.tumblr.com/blog/katsura369

Hope you enjoy this chapter!

The jungle was a labyrinth of towering trees and dense foliage, with the canopy blocking most of the sunlight. The air was thick with humidity and the sounds of birds and insects filled the air, along with the string of rumbling and quaking earth. That was because there were volcanoes on this island that they weren't able to see from the distance.

Sakura had only noticed it when she took a quick aerial view, one leap from a high tree just to overlook the area before diving into a canopy.

The vegetation was the most unique and unusual that Sakura had seen. She could identify a few species of plant, but they were growing far outside their regular expectation. Others she couldn't even depict. While she might not be a botanist, she had a wide range of knowledge on how to create medicine and poisons. There was just something very off about this jungle, no rather the entire island. That feeling just sat with her.

Because of her initial quest, Sakura was going on foot through the mass of soft earth and foliage. She wanted herbs, but even with the jungle so alive and vibrant with the color she wasn't able to place so many things. In a territory that should've given a sense of nostalgia was like a stranger.

Fruits were abundant though and she didn't miss any chance she could to gather some. Sanji had said they were low on supplies. And it seemed that he and Zoro were only interested in hunting games, so she would scavenge to occupy herself.

'Somehow I feel like a squirrel,'

The thought occurred while Sakura was coming down from another tree. She was trying to move into the thicket of the jungle. It was in the deeper areas she would usually be able to find the herbs for medicinal purposes. It was hard to decipher them against these odd strands of nature but Sakura was certain she would find them. If she could find fruit she should be able to find medical herbs.

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The air was becoming damper the further she ventured, taking careful note of the plant's characteristics. Sakura kept observing her surroundings, careful not to let her mind wander further than her steps. And she would spot a few animals. But was quick to note that they didn't look quite right. There was a rougher, more jagged appearance to these creatures. A few were bigger than they should've been.

Like the tiger that followed them along the shoreline. Sakura remembered how its teeth were long, extending far from its mouth. That wasn't normal. And even here she had seen insects and birds bigger than they should be, arranged in ways she'd never seen in textbooks or reality.

'What is this place?'

There were just too many unusual factors, aside from the large animals, Sakura had been hearing constant rumbling and the ground would shake. She had seen volcanoes on this island and they seemed partially active but as long as she wasn't inhaling ash it should still be safe for all of them on the island. The amount of vegetation and animals were indicating that this island was standing well for a long time.

Even so, it was hard for Sakura to find any medicinal plants. She had to explore for over an hour before she came across her first medical herb. As she recognized its orange petals and stem, this was known for reducing body temperature and was especially useful to prevent blood loss.

She checked the moss on trees and examined as many plants as she could, few she could recognize after closer inspection but it was like looking at new versions of the species.

In the end, she had enough herbs for common cold medicine, headaches, and salve for wounds. The rest of her bag was filled to the brim with fruits.

When continuing further, it was like walking into quicksand with the way the soil grew soft in the area she had entered, the humidity was greater and the air tasted of moss. It was a breeding ground for mushrooms. Different kinds sprouting along the soft stumps of trees.

She inspected for ones that would have medicinal properties.

"This one, not this one," She was also swatting bugs away, digging her arms further into a tree stump on the ground where she spotted some valuable herbs.

'Why do all the best herbs have to be found in the most disgusting of places?' She pulled her arm out with a hand full of the plant but caught something on her arm. A few somethings crawling on her arms and biting her. At the sting, she swatted them off her.

"What the hell!?" Sakura's skin crawled at the insects that she immediately chased off. Shaking as she got up. "Bleh!"

There were some stinging sensations along her arms and she saw some blotches where the insects had bitten her. The red heavily contrasted her complexion, irritating her.

Well, this was a jungle, and getting bitten was unavoidable.

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'I think that's enough,' She was up in the trees when she heard the howling from a distance. It was unlike any animal before and she couldn't identify it at all. But it was loud enough to shake her bones. At the time she just happened to be high enough to see the trees shifting most unusually.

With chakra on the soles of her feet, she rushed forward, running up along the trunk till she reached the top. The earthquakes were starting up as well, with the ground shaking. It seemed like the moment that the volcano erupted, the entire island became stirred.

At first, there was nothing but the jungles overhead and volcanoes along with the odd double mountains set opposite each side of the island. And then she saw it. The stumps of the leafless trees moved and twisted around to face her.

Sakura realized that she was not seeing a tree at all, she was looking at the graceful curving neck of a creature that was raising fifty feet into the air.

"What the…..?" A second head rose above the foliage, then a third and fourth. They started to move together and she realized that there were even more. There it made that low trumpeting sound again, that she had heard before. They were moving quickly through the forest, but still had grace like a cat cautious not to knock over any of the trees. Even when the earthquake grew heavy and the air was rattling.

Oversized animals were nothing new to Sakura, but these were something else. But she didn't know.

This was her first time seeing a dinosaur, the first time in every aspect. She hadn't been taught about these creatures at the academy, she didn't even know what she was looking at. Nor did she know that these animals were meant to be extinct.

The earth was still shaking but it wasn't consistent, Sakura couldn't tell when they were starting or stopping. But as the long neck creatures cleared away. She was able to see the movements out in the distance.

Leaping across the trees, she saw them fairly quickly and was once again in awe and shock. Now unfamiliar large animals were enough, but now she was seeing and hearing the sound of metal weapons clashing together, an axe and sword, and the ones holding them, stood taller than the long-necked creatures she had seen. Two men, dressed in hides, one hand holding a weapon, the other shields.

They stomped in the center of the island, which was completely clear but she could see a few trees scattered.

It was the first time Sakura had ever seen giants. They were glorious and loud and likely to attract the attention of the rest of her crew.

There was a thick mist of bloodlust in the air. Sakura watched the two, they were not holding back their strikes.

She watched as one of the giants raised his axe, and the other seemed to lose balance when he leaned too far back to avoid the strike, and she saw a gush of blood.

The taller giant fell and the ground shook when he collapsed.

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It was time to go.

Whatever else was roaming on this island, seemed to come out of the cracks after the giant's battle shook them. Sakura stayed in the trees for the most part, but she had to get back on the ground as the foliage was becoming too dense. She needed to cross through there to find her way back to the Going Merry.

There were a lot more reptile-like creatures on this island and Sakura admitted that Nami and Usopp were right to be cautious. She wanted to find her friends and hoped that Zoro and Sanji had settled their hunting contest and that Luffy, Vivi, and Karoo would be back from their adventures and back at the Going Merry.

It wasn't a smooth journey back though.

The reason Sakura realized that there were more dinosaurs on the island, was because she had encountered them as she came back.

Sakura ducks a low-hanging branch, before glancing over her shoulder at the three pursuers. These creatures were fast, with hind legs, lifting them high in the air, and short and slender forelimbs with sharp talons looking to rip into their prey. That excluded the razor-sharp teeth dripping saliva.

At first, it seemed to be one and then the others came out in a pack.

"This place is a nightmare,"

Of course non of these animals were able to keep up with her speed, adding chakra to her legs she was out of their sight within a blurring flash.

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'Now I know why this place is called Little Garden,' With giants, and abnormal animals, it all clicked into place. Despite the size, there were still inhabitants that towered over the island. She couldn't wait to tell Nami and Usopp.

Sakura looked over her arm and saw that a few welts were starting to form from the bites, "This just gets better and better,"

She saw the Going Merry, still standing well on the water's surface but it was quiet. Nami and Usopp must've been panicked by all the noise and likely went inside. They weren't willing to set foot on the island at all.

"Nami, Usopp, I'm back," Sakura hopped onto the deck expecting to hear some shuffling but it was quiet.

She called for them louder this time but again no response. So she checked around the Merry and when she was certain no one was outside, she explored the cabins but there was no sign of life.

'Did they get off this ship?' Why would they do that when they were so adamant to the point where they barely wanted to wait for the log pose to reset?

"Nami-swaan! Sakura-chan, I'm back!" Sakura came out of the kitchen when Sanji called. He was standing near the ship, but it wasn't on land. Beneath his feet was a huge animal, it had the same hind legs and talons as the animal that chased her but it was ten times larger.

"Um, Sanji…."

His eyes lit up when he saw Sakura, he waved at her with his arms.

"That's quite a catch," Although Sakura wasn't sure how edible that thing was going to be. It looked like a top predator, or at least it used to be until they came to this island.

Sanji grinned, "Yeah, and old moss heads not here yet, but there's no way he could've pulled off a hunt this big," He jumped on the deck and called out for Namie, excited to show off his catch. "Did Luffy and Vivi-chan come back yet?"

"No, and it looks like Nami and Usopp left the ship too,"

"They really left the ship?" Sanji was more than convinced they wouldn't do anything of the short. "Wait, weren't you here with them Sakura-chan?"

"No, I was with trying to gather some medicinal plants and fruits when I saw these giant lizards and was chased-

He was in front of her instantaneously, hands on her shoulders, checking for any signs of injury. "Are you alright?! You didn't get hurt? Were you scared? I saw some of those animals and they were pretty vicious-

"I'm okay, I'm okay Sanji," But then he saw the welts on her arms and rushed to get a cold towel. He lightly dabbed the area but Sakura wasn't bothered by them.

"It's just some bug bites,"

"Marring your skin," Sanji left the towel on her arm. "Want me to cook you up something? I'm sure you're hungry. How about being the first to try some of my hunt?"

Sakura laughed, holding up her hands, "I'm okay for now, we can eat once we get the others back here. I'm sure Luffy will be mad if we had this without him. And I'm worried about Nami and Usopp, I didn't think they were going to go out into the jungle by themselves. There's a lot of predators around here,"

Sanji stomped his foot glaring at the boards as if he was imagining Usopp's head, "I can't believe that idiot Usopp let you go off alone into the jungle, and now he's dragged Nami out there with him too!"

"I can take care of myself," He didn't know the extent of that statement, but Sakura was certain she might have to explain that soon.

"But there are giant lizards running around here!" Sanji exclaimed and then his expression dropped, "Ah, Nami's out there, and Vivi!"

The chef started running around like a panicked animal, and Sakura had to grab his arm to stop him. "Let's go look for them, I'm sure they wouldn't go too far,"

Unfortunately from the direction Sakura had come from to the Going Merry and from where Sanji had dragged in his dinosaur prey. Neither had seen the giant footprints in the shadows of the jungle.

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"We should split up,"

Sanji was immediately in front of Sakura, shaking his head while keeping her shoulders. "No, no, no, no, no, what if something horrible happens to me Sakura-chan?! I can't let that happen!"

"But we have a better chance of finding them sooner and we'll cover more ground this way," Sakura tried to reason. But Sanji was always adamant when it came to protecting the girls and Sakura noticed this very early. At first, she assumed he was only like that with Nami, but then he came to her and Vivi and she realized it was just a trait.

"I can handle myself well enough Sanji, I'm actually-

Sanji interrupted before Sakura could reveal her capabilities, "It's too dangerous and I don't want to lose sight of you too!"

Sakura hadn't even gotten the chance to tell Sanji about the giant she had seen. They were already split, with Usopp and Nami, Vivi, Karoo and Luffy, and Zoro. She wanted to find them and bring them back before anyone had any unfortunate encounters. Most of them could handle this but Sakura didn't know what they would do about the giant lizards.

"I'm going to look for them, Sakura-chan stay on the ship and wait-

Sanji felt her presence vanish, and when he turned around it was confirmed that Sakura was somehow out of sight quicker than a blink.

"Oh no!"

That's all folks!

So like I said there's been a bit more work going on my end, with new projects you can look forward to seeing soon. For updates, including the story schedule for May and June, just going to my Tumblr, but here's the current chapters available and upcoming posts for the 30th May.

MEMBERS NOW: (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/lKatsura369/membership)

-Kunoichi amongst Heroes chapter 44, 45, 46

-Kunoichi amongst Pirates chapter 12, 13, 14

-Through the Looking Glass chapter 13

-Through the SpyGlass chapter 1 , 2

Public Posts 30 May

-Kunoichi amongst Heroes chapter 44

-Kunoichi amongst Pirates chapter 12