With the Dressrosa trip finally over, the Gale set sail once more. Only then did Leno realize that Monet and Baby 5 still weren't familiar with everyone on board.
Under the group's curious stares, Leno braced himself and introduced them properly.
The main issue was that their order of joining the crew had been… different. They had been claimed by Leno before officially boarding.
Once the girls understood what had happened, they accepted the two newcomers without much fuss.
There was no helping it. Their captain was a shameless flirt who left affection scattered everywhere he went.
After throwing a welcome banquet for the two of them, the crew finally shifted their focus back to navigation.
They had already discussed which route to take next. In the New World, the Log Pose could be unreliable at times.
If they followed the Log Pose, it would eventually lead them to an island called Lodestar. But that wasn't the final island.
That was precisely why Roger had sailed the Grand Line a second time—after gathering the Poneglyphs, he ultimately reached Laugh Tale.
Since their goal as adventurers was to circle the world, the final island was something they had to see at least once.
With that settled, the problem became simple. At Leno's suggestion, they decided to head to Zou first and obtain the Road Poneglyph there.
Guided by the Vivre Card provided by Doflamingo, the crew sailed toward that mysterious island.
At the mention of Zou, everyone remembered Leno's earlier story—the colossal elephant over ten thousand meters tall.
Just thinking about seeing a nation that lived on an elephant's back filled them with excitement. Their eyes sparkled with anticipation.
Chopper, meanwhile, seemed to be thinking about something else entirely. His eyes shone brightly as well.
He hurried over to Leno and asked eagerly, "Leno, that furry kingdom you mentioned before… are they really all talking animals?"
"Hm?" Leno raised a brow, the corners of his lips curling upward as he looked at Chopper with a meaningful gaze. "Of course it's real. What's the matter?"
After a brief pause, he suddenly seemed to realize something and grinned mischievously.
"Ohhhh…"
"Don't tell me you're missing some little doe?"
"?!! …Th-That's nonsense! I'm not! I didn't! Don't talk rubbish!"
Chopper's face flushed bright red as he flailed his arms in frantic denial.
What a grave injustice! He was just curious about a country filled with beings like himself.
Of course… if—just maybe—he happened to meet someone he liked… that wouldn't be so bad either.
A moment later, snapping out of his pleasant daydream, Chopper realized everyone was smiling at him.
Only then did he understand—he'd been completely played by Leno.
His face turned even redder with anger as he bared his teeth and pounced at Leno, shouting furiously:
"You bastard, Leno! I'll fight you!!!"
"Hahahaha!" Leno dodged effortlessly while patting his chest in grand assurance. "Don't worry, Chopper! When we get to Zou, I'll make sure you get a little deer girl—guaranteed!"
"Ahhhh! You idiot! Stop saying that!"
Chopper darted around wildly, but he just couldn't catch Leno. He was so furious he nearly transformed to go all out, only to be stopped in time by Nojiko and the others.
After shooting Leno reproachful looks, they quickly moved to calm the humiliated and enraged Chopper.
Watching his chest heave violently, the girls were speechless. The poor little guy looked like he was about to explode.
Once the brief commotion passed, the crew returned to cruising mode, each busying themselves with their tasks.
Leno personally showed Monet and Baby 5 around the ship so they could adapt to life aboard as soon as possible.
Baby 5 was easy enough. As long as no triggering keywords were mentioned, she remained cheerful and curious about everything.
Monet, on the other hand, was quieter. Perhaps she understood her position; she followed beside Leno calmly, almost like a secretary.
After observing the two carefully, Leno understood.
If they were to truly become part of this team, there was no shortcut.
Only time could do that.
…
"Th-This is way too big! Oh my god…"
"It really is an elephant!"
"It's alive? It's still moving?"
"Of course it's alive! We've been adjusting our course for days, haven't we?!"
"..."
Through the mist, the crew stared at the colossal figure looming before them, utterly stunned.
They had heard about it before, but without a concrete sense of scale. Only now, seeing it with their own eyes, did they grasp its towering magnificence.
Their ship was nothing more than an ant before this giant.
With every casual shift of its pillar-like legs, the surrounding sea churned violently, waves surging and crashing.
Even Leno was shaken. Standing before the massive elephant, he truly felt how small he was.
At the same time, he couldn't help but wonder where Jack had gotten the courage to try to kill something like this.
Just this one elephant alone—Leno estimated that even for him, slaying it would be unimaginably difficult.
Yamato carried her Kanabo to the bow, gazing up at the giant beast and sighing in admiration.
"With something this big… I wonder how long it's lived."
"Oh, that's a good question." Robin paused her sketching, letting out a soft laugh before speaking matter-of-factly. "You can ask our great captain. I'm sure he knows."
"…" Feeling the sudden wave of gazes converge on him, Leno shot Robin an annoyed look and spread his hands helplessly. "I only know the general idea. That thing's been around for over a thousand years."
"…A thousand years?!!!"
The crew gasped in unison, their shock renewed.
Their eyes returned to the elephant. This was a true monster.
To have lived for more than a millennium—it was beyond belief.
"That makes sense," Robin murmured, tapping her pencil lightly against her chin. "Only through the accumulation of endless time could it grow to such a size."
Then she turned to Leno with a teasing smile. "Captain, you truly are knowledgeable—even about something like this. Impressive."
"That's right. Our captain knows the heavens above and the earth below—a peerless figure indeed," Reiju added, licking her red lips as she praised him with mock seriousness. Her eyes sparkled with amusement.
Chopper, Carmen, and the others—who had no idea what was going on—looked at Leno with pure admiration, as if he were an all-knowing god.
"So amazing! As expected of Leno!"
"A peerless figure! So cool!"
"..."
Leno secretly shot a glare at those two scheming women. To think they'd dare tease their own captain.
He quietly noted them down in his mental ledger. Just wait until later… heh.
…
…