Zoro, who was planning to keep napping, suddenly overheard Sandy saying he was about to give Luffy a new hairstyle.
His curiosity instantly kicked in. After all, Sandy's clean, four-six parted look did look pretty good.
Zoro rubbed his chin. Hmm… maybe I should grow mine out too? A new style could look cool…
Then he froze.
Wait a minute.
He imagined his moss-green hair growing long. Wouldn't I look like I was wearing a green hat?
A strange, uncomfortable chill ran down his spine.
For some reason, he felt a deep, mocking malice from somewhere out in the universe.
With a sigh, he decided against it. "Nah. Forget it." And with that, Zoro flopped back down and went straight to sleep.
Meanwhile, Sandy was eyeing Luffy carefully—up, down, left, right—his mind running through potential ideas.
After a long pause, he asked, "Are you really sure you don't want the slicked-back style?"
Luffy shook his head. "Nope! When I slick my hair back, I can't see the strands around my eyes, and it doesn't feel… flowy. I want something more flowy!"
Sandy nodded seriously. "Flowy, huh? Easy enough."
He opened the [pheromone system] and bought a bottle of high-hold hair gel and a battery-powered hairdryer.
Originally, Sandy was thinking of giving Luffy a bold, spiky "sweat-between-the-brows" look. But if Luffy wanted something with motion, something breezy—he could handle that.
He combed Luffy's hair, applied gel, trimmed the sides a bit, and used the dryer to make the top fluffy and bouncy.
Finally, he created a clean middle part so both eyes peeked out under soft strands.
Sandy spun Luffy around and handed him a mirror.
Luffy's jaw dropped.
"Sugoi! So handsome!" His eyes sparkled with excitement.
Sandy covered his face. "Oh no… I messed up."
He groaned. "Luffy, I told you—if you could just not talk, you'd actually look charming! But the moment you open your mouth, the whole image crashes! That's on me… I should've factored in your personality."
Luffy grinned, totally unbothered. "Don't worry about the details! I like it!"
Then he darted off to show everyone his new look.
Sanji had just stepped out of his room when he froze mid-step.
That hairstyle… that handsome hairstyle…
Sanji's heart ached. Damn it, I want that too!
But then he remembered his damn curly eyebrow. His one eternal flaw. Tears welled up in his heart as he forced a smile and lit a cigarette.
Beautiful women will never understand my pain…
Usopp ran a hand through his own curly hair and sighed deeply. "Forget it, I'll never win in the hair department."
Vivi's eyes widened when she saw Luffy. "Luffy! You look… actually kind of handsome!"
"Ahahaha!" Luffy beamed proudly. "Sandy did it for me! Pretty great, right?"
Sanji muttered under his breath, "Sandy was right… this hairstyle doesn't match your temperament at all."
Usopp smirked. "Jealous, huh?"
Sanji's face twitched. "What did you say, long-nose? Want me to rearrange that face of yours?"
Usopp pointed dramatically. "Zoro! He's threatening me again!"
Zoro cracked one eye open. "Then fight him yourself."
Before the argument could continue, a dark shadow loomed in the distance.
Nami immediately noticed. "Everyone! We're almost at Little Garden! Get ready!"
"Ohhh!" Everyone straightened up instantly.
Soon, the Going Merry sailed through the misty streams surrounding Little Garden. The air was cool and heavy with mystery.
Luffy's eyes sparkled. "Doesn't this feel like an adventure?!"
"ROAR!"
A deep growl suddenly echoed through the jungle. Everyone turned toward the sound.
"Wha—why the hell is there a tiger here?!"
Sandy blinked in surprise. He'd only ever seen tigers in photos and videos back in his old world—never in real life.
His excitement flared instantly, "Luffy! Let's tame it and make it our mount!"
"Mount?!" Nami and Vivi shouted together.
Usopp grabbed Sandy's face and pointed at the beast. "Look closely! That thing's huge! How are you going to make that a mount?!"
Sandy frowned. "What do you mean? We ride on its back. What else?"
Luffy's grin widened. "Then it's decided!"
But before he could finish, a massive shadow swooped over them.
Everyone looked up—
"Holy crap! Is that… a Pteranodon?!"
Sandy's eyes lit up. "There are dinosaurs here?! But… that one seems to think we're lunch!"
Before anyone could react, Sandy leapt up, hand slicing through the air like a blade, and grabbed the Pteranodon by its neck. He slammed it down onto the deck, shaking the entire ship.
Usopp screamed, "Sandy! Stop! You'll sink the ship!"
Nami and Vivi clung to each other in terror. "We want to go home!"
The tiger froze at the sight of the fallen dinosaur—and promptly bolted into the forest.
Luffy pouted. "Sandy! You're too reckless! I wanted to ride it first!"
Sandy rolled his eyes.
"Fine. Next time, you can fight the dinosaur." Then he turned to Sanji. "Alright, Chef, show off your skills."
Sanji blinked. "Nani?! Wait—you're not saying we're eating this thing, right?!"
Sandy grinned. "If you're that brave, don't eat later. But if you do… don't you dare complain!"
Sanji sighed. "Damn you… alright then. Let's cook it."
Soon, the smell of roasting meat filled the air.
Even though he'd never cooked dinosaur before, Sanji's skill turned it into a masterpiece—golden, tender, and mouthwateringly fragrant.
Sandy took a bite. "Not bad at all."
Meanwhile, Luffy was devouring his plate like a starving beast.
"No one's fighting you for it!" Sandy said. "Eat like a normal person!"
Usopp growled, "Luffy! You're eating mine again!"
Luffy mumbled through a full mouth, "Soo good!"
Zoro took a swig of wine, chewing lazily. "Didn't think dinosaur meat would taste this good."
Sanji smiled proudly. "Eat as much as you like—there's plenty more…"
Then, like the gentleman he was, Sanji carefully plated the best cuts and placed them in front of Nami and Vivi. "Miss Nami, Princess Vivi, this is the finest portion. Please, enjoy."
Luffy immediately leaned over. "Me too!"
Sanji kicked him without hesitation. "Not for you, dumbass!"
Everyone laughed—unaware that the rich aroma of the feast was already drawing attention from the jungle.
Zoro paused mid-bite, his eyes narrowing. "Do you guys hear something?"
Sandy nodded slowly. "Yeah… something powerful is coming. Judging by the aura—it's strong."
"Nani?!"
Everyone froze as the jungle trembled.
Something big was about to appear…