Chapter 48 - Mysterious Island 2.

[Chapter Size: 2754 Words.]

Third Person POV

On a island, East Blue.

...

...

Somewhere in the sea, East Blue.

On a small island, with only a dozen kilometers in length, characterized by dense vegetation seemingly uninhabitable by humans, a medium-sized marine boat approached the coast. As it cut through the beach, the vessel sprayed sand in all directions, and, upon completing its trajectory, it stopped, dropping a plank onto the beach. Nine individuals, each with unique characteristics, and two animals promptly disembarked.

Luffy dismissed the concern of securing the ship at that moment, after all, it was a deserted island. He left the vessel anchored on the coast and, along with his eclectic crew, prepared to explore the mysteries of the unknown island.

"The island isn't that impressive..." Zoro spoke, seeing that the place was only comprised of forests.

"Let's explore. According to the map, there's a ruin on the site with the entrance that this key fits. So, I want us to split up to find these ruins. Now that everyone has vivre cards from everyone, we can meet up later. If you find what we're looking for, come to me. Even if you don't find anything, we'll regroup as well." Luffy said, and the crew split into three groups right after that, using a set of sticks that Luffy brought.

Those who drew a stick from the pot would identify its color when pulling it out. Shirahoshi and Nami, known for their tendency to fear, expressed immediate joy when they realized that their sticks matched Luffy's, who was accompanied by Megalo, his faithful shark partner.

The team was divided into three distinct groups: Luffy, Nami, Shirahoshi, and Megalo would head to the center of the island, while Yamato, Usopp, Chouchou, and Reiju would explore the west coast. In turn, Zoro, Kuina, Jhonny, and Yosaku would take charge of the east coast.

"Zoro, where are you going?! We're going in the opposite direction!" Luffy heard Kuina shout at Zoro in the distance and couldn't help but laugh at the situation as he led his group.

"Come on, treasures are always found at the heart of the island!" Nami declared confidently and full of enthusiasm.

"Luffy-Sama, are the forests on the surface always like this?" Shirahoshi approached Luffy and clung to his back as she asked.

"It's relative, princess. It depends on the region's climate. In this sea, forests like these are common. In other places, vegetation and flora can change completely depending on the local atmosphere. However, I believe the inhabitants of this island might be a bit different from what you've seen. Considering the traces left by wildlife around, I wouldn't be surprised if we encounter some giant beasts here." Luffy explained, observing the tracks around that were much more devastating than those left by common animals.

"GIANT BEASTS?! SHARKY!" His group was startled by these words.

"What are you saying, Megalo? You're a giant too..." Luffy scoffed at the clueless shark, not fully understanding what he was saying but understanding the shark's exaggerated reaction.

"Sharky..."

"But Luffy, are we going to be okay?!" Nami commented, still a bit scared.

"It's fine... I'll punch anything that comes our way!" Luffy said confidently, earning a relieved look from his companions.

So, they continued to walk calmly toward the center of the island, following the trails left by the giant animals. Luffy wasn't too concerned; after all, they were in East Blue, a sea known for its less powerful threats, and the beasts should reflect that.

On the other side of the forest, Kuina led her group on the east side.

"Sister Kuina..." Yosaku nervously said as they walked through the forest.

"What is it?!" Kuina asked, raising an eyebrow.

"About brother Zoro..." He hesitated.

"What happened to Zoro?" Kuina asked suspiciously.

"He disappeared..." Jhonny answered for his partner, equally nervous.

Kuina looked back and realized that only the trio remained at that moment.

"Zoro... that damn moss head... He managed to get lost on his own!" Kuina shouted frustrated with her friend, who seemed not to have abandoned his old bad habits.

Back in the center of the forest.

"Sharky!" Megalo seemed happy as he devoured some fruits found along the way until he drifted away from the group and bumped his head into some strange fur without realizing it.

"Sharky...? Sharky!!!"

Luffy walked with bored eyes, Nami by his side searched for any signs of valuable objects along the way, while Shirahoshi still hung on his back, arms wrapped around Luffy's neck, wagging her tail and admiring the surroundings.

"Sharky!!" Suddenly, the whole trio turned to a shout from Megalo coming from one side of the woods.

"Megalo? Hm?! What a stench!" Nami complained as soon as she smelled the shark, putting her hand on her nose the next moment, just like all the companions.

"Megalo! What happened to you, why do you smell so bad!" Shirahoshi couldn't help but worry about her friend.

"Sharky Sharky Sharky!!" Megalo spoke anxiously while pointing to the forest path he came from.

"A strange beast?!" Shirahoshi said horrified.

*Footprint**Footprint**Footprint**Footprint*

Everyone turned to the noise of heavy footsteps approaching with each moment. The expression of horror showed on everyone's face when they saw the 5-meter beast with black and white fur emerge from behind the trees; even Luffy had his confident face shaken by this beast at that moment.

"..."

"..."

"..."

A few moments later.

"Keep running!" Nami shouted, desperate.

"Luffy-Sama, it's catching up to us, hurry!" Shirahoshi cried.

"Sharky!" Exclaimed while crying too.

"Megalo, you stink!" Luffy complained.

In the forest, on an open path, a tattooed man ran quickly, holding a girl with orange hair with one arm around her waist and a shark with the other arm, while a mermaid was hanging on his neck, clinging tightly.

"Faster, faster!" Nami yelled, with tear-filled eyes, covering her nose due to the smell trapped in Megalo.

As they ran, a giant beast chased them. It wasn't a common animal; it was a massive skunk!

The beast chasing them was an imposing giant skunk. Its long black and white fur added a touch of ferocity to its figure, contrasting with its massive structure. The incredibly muscular hind legs propelled the animal with surprising agility, while the front legs were armed with sharp claws, ready to attack.

Every move of the skunk emanated a sense of wild power, and its eyes, intensely focused on the fleeing group, revealed a fierce determination. The sound of its heavy footsteps echoed through the forest, creating an atmosphere of tension and urgency.

But what terrified them the most wasn't the imposing figure of the beast, but the nauseating odor it exuded. The smell, a mixture of wild aroma, damp earth, and the essence of the skunk itself, enveloped the air with an almost unbearable intensity. Each breath became a challenge in the face of the stench spreading rapidly through the atmosphere.

As they desperately fled, the group's consciousness was constantly invaded by Megalo's pungent odor, and no one wanted to be in that state, making the situation even more comical. Nami, Shirahoshi, and even the contaminated Megalo, who normally swam in the depths of the ocean, couldn't bear the overwhelming odor impregnating their nostrils.

Luffy and the group ran to escape the beast, as no one wanted to confront it. The animal pursued them angrily, as Megalo had awakened it from its sleep in a clearing.

"Bu... hahahahahhahahaha!" Luffy burst into laughter as he continued to run. The situation, for him, was simply hilarious. Although he was fully confident that he could defeat the beast, he preferred to avoid the confrontation to avoid being impregnated with the peculiar smell of the skunk. Thus, he chose to accompany his companions in the frenzied run, keeping a safe distance from the smelly creature.

The skunk's speed was remarkable, and if it were any other human, it would have surely caught up with them by now. However, Luffy, with his superhuman strength, managed to stay ahead of the animal, seizing the opportunity to test the limits of his agility and dexterity. In his mind, he pondered the possibility of using his fruit powers to increase speed even more, but decided to challenge the natural abilities of his body at that moment.

Having fun with his companions' desperation, Luffy skillfully managed the situation, taking advantage of the frenzied run to enhance his physical abilities. The only exception was Megalo, whose stench had become an uncomfortable quirk next to the Straw Hat Captain.

"Well, that was fun. Now, let's get out of here. Hold on tight!" Luffy announced, and immediately transformed, his wings sprouting between his back. Shirahoshi, who clung to him firmly, was lifted as he leaned, and in the next instant, began to fly upwards, through the treetops.

"AHHH!!"

"AHHHH!"

"SHARKY!"

The trio couldn't contain their surprise at the sudden flight.

"You could fly all along! Why didn't you do that before?" Nami complained immediately upon realizing Luffy's ability.

"It was fun, wasn't it? HAHAHAHA," Luffy responded, laughing without caring about the companions' reactions.

"Hehehehe, now that we're here, it seemed fun! Mr. skunk is quite frustrated..." Shirahoshi began to laugh too.

*ROARRR!* The skunk seemed visibly frustrated in the forest, watching its prey disappear among the trees and then fly into the sky.

"Well... I can't say it wasn't funny to escape like that, but it scared me!" Nami spoke grumpily but soon opened a smile.

"Sharky..." Megalo was the only one not excited or having fun, as he still stank.

"Well, let's fly a bit. It's hard to find a place with dense vegetation, but if there's a river, I can find it." Luffy said as he flew over the center of the island.

As soon as Luffy saw an opening in the trees due to a stream in the forest, he went towards it with his companions.

Meanwhile, Zoro was walking calmly through the forests.

"Hm?! Where is everyone?" Zoro finally asked, realizing he was alone, looking around, searching for his companions who were with him until a moment ago.

"They got lost, I'm not surprised..." Zoro grumbled.

"Well, let's find them," he said again, following the path to try to find his friends again.

Zoro continued to walk until he came across some strange structures.

"What a strange place..." Zoro commented to himself, looking at a pillar with a strangely shaped hole and a door just behind it.

"I guess they're not around here... Well, anyway, let's keep going..." Zoro said without caring much about the door and continued to search for his friends who, in his mind, got lost in the forest.

On the west side, Usopp and Chouchou were standing, looking at the scene in front of them.

*Boom*

*Boom*

*Boom*

*Boom*

*Boom*

"Hm? Is it over already?" Yamato asked, putting her Kanabo on her shoulder and looking at the scene in front of her.

"It seems so," Reiju said, kicking her last opponent.

In front of them, there was a pile of bodies with giant beasts knocked out, one on top of the other.

"Au..." Chouchou emitted a small sound, seeing this scene.

"It seems we are useless, Chouchou..." Usopp said regretfully, realizing that he only had his rifle in his hand to show off because he didn't even use it while the girls were beating and kicking the enemy beasts they encountered along the way.

"How boring, we found nothing but beasts on the way..." Yamato said in a monotonous tone.

"I think we better go back to find the others. There's nothing here besides wildlife..." Reiju said as she lit a cigarette.

After that, the group decided to find Luffy using his captain's vivre card, which pointed that he was in the middle of the forest.

Meanwhile, in another place.

"That's strange, I'm sure they came this way..." Zoro muttered.

Some time later, Zoro came across his companions while exploring the path through the forest.

"Hm?! You guys?" Zoro expressed surprise, his eyes widening as he recognized the familiar faces.

"Zoro!" Usopp exclaimed, his jaw dropping slightly, surprised to find Zoro alone in this part of the forest. Yamato, Reiju, Usopp, and Chouchou looked at him with expressions of disbelief.

"You're asking if it's us who got lost!?" Usopp shouted with a comical face, widening his eyes and making an exaggerated grimace.

"We're in the west part, it's you who got lost here..." Reiju said calmly, releasing a cloud of smoke from her cigarette, with a disapproving look.

"We're in the west?!" Zoro was surprised by this, his eyes showing disbelief, as he was sure he was in the East.

"Where are the others?" Yamato asked, noticing that he was alone.

"They got lost, so I'm looking for them..." Declared the swordsman.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

Meanwhile, in another location...

"HAHAHAHAHAHA. You still stink, Megalo!" Luffy laughed loudly, displaying a mischievous look that made it clear he was having fun at the poor shark's expense.

In front of him, Shirahoshi desperately tried to scrub Megalo with soap and sponge, items hastily acquired by Luffy at a nearby store to help them.

"Don't laugh, Luffy-Sama, he's hurt." Shirahoshi lamented, her soapy hands indicating how serious the situation was for her friend.

"Sharky..." Megalo whimpered, clearly embarrassed by the odor he had acquired from the skunk.

"What a disgusting creature... I can't believe they exist..." Shirahoshi complained tearfully, while trying to clean her friend from the horrible smell.

"Luffy! There's nothing here!" Nami appeared next to Luffy, who watched the mermaid try to rid her shark of the unwanted fragrance. The navigator, with a disgusted expression, had explored the surroundings in search of any clues but without success.

"So, it's not in the center of the island. I hope the others have better luck..." Luffy commented, unaware that perhaps he could resolve this doubt more quickly than he thought.

"I hope they at least find something useful out there!" Nami grumbled, still unhappy with the smell.

In the middle of the dense forest, where the sun's rays could barely penetrate through the treetops, a sharp bark cut through the silence. Luffy's ears suddenly sharpened instantly, capturing the peculiar sound echoing among the trees.

"Au!" The bark came from somewhere nearby, resonating like a unique melody in the quietness of the deserted island. Luffy's eyes lit up with curiosity as he tried to determine the exact direction of the sound.

"Sharky!" Megalo, the shark, reacted immediately, recognizing Chouchou's familiar bark.

"Chouchou has already found them!" Yamato's voice echoed through the trees, bringing a touch of excitement to the silent atmosphere.

"It seems they've arrived here." Luffy smiled, his face expressing contentment as he moved toward the sound. His senses were sharp, and the expectation of an imminent reunion hung in the air.

It didn't take long for the two groups to reunite. The quartet, composed of Zoro, Yamato, Usopp, and Reiju, along with the faithful Chouchou, was surprised to find Shirahoshi by the small stream, dedicated to scrubbing Megalo, whose odor still lingered.

"What a horrible smell here..." Yamato complained immediately.

"What the hell were you...?" Usopp began to ask before being interrupted by Nami.

"Why are you coming from the West with Zoro?" Nami questioned, sharing Luffy's confusion.

"We're as lost as you seem to be." Yamato replied, rubbing the back of his head with a perplexed expression.

Meanwhile, Luffy muttered to himself, "Why am I surprised...?" He figured out what had happened and, at the same time, wondered about the whereabouts of Kuina, Jhonny, and Yosaku.

A distant echo was heard in the forest, a macabre symphony composed of the distressing laments of Kuina, Jhonny, and Yosaku. Away from the laughter and discoveries of the main group, a dark scene unfolded among the dense trees.

"Owowowowowowow!"

"Owowowowowowow!"

"Owowowowowowow!"

"Owowowowowowow!"

"Owowowowowowow!"

"Owowowowowowow!"

Trapped and bound, the trio was at the mercy of a group of cannibals. The atmosphere was permeated with strange chants, resonating like a dark ritual as the natives circled around them. In plain sight, a boiling pot awaited, indicating the nefarious fate that awaited them.

A sense of despair hung in the air, enveloping Kuina and her companions. Vivid memories of the surprise attack still haunted their minds as they faced the dreadful prospect of an inescapable fate at the hands of these primitive people. The collective thought echoed like a sinister sigh: "We're going to die!"

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