Two Piece: A One Piece Story

Chapter 44 (Little Garden Arc: Part 2)

The crew surveyed the unfamiliar jungle of Little Garden, anticipating something less menacing given its name.

"You'd think with a name like Little Garden, it'd be all cute," remarked Zoro.

"Yeah, like a land of ponies and rainbows," added Shiki, pondering, "Although, if it were like that, I'd be even more concerned."

"I've never seen trees like these before," Nami observed.

A noise interrupted them, causing Nami to jump behind Shiki in fear.

"It's just a regular bird," reassured Shiki.

"I don't know, it looks like a bird-lizard hybrid," Zoro observed.

Upon closer inspection, it did resemble a bird-lizard hybrid, prompting Nami, already on edge, to faint.

"Nami, wake up!" Shiki shook his friend, trying to rouse her.

An explosion jolted Nami awake.

"Does that sound like a normal jungle?" she exclaimed.

"Sounds more like the volcano erupted!" Usopp yelled.

"Let's stay calm, it's probably just a regular jungle; many islands have volcanoes," Zoro reasoned.

Suddenly, a roar echoed through the jungle.

"Is that a tiger?" Nami questioned.

The tiger, visibly wounded, collapsed nearby.

"So, Zoro..." Shiki started.

"Don't say anything," Zoro interrupted, shooting a glare at Shiki.

"What kind of monster could do that to a tiger?" Nami exclaimed, "This island isn't normal!"

"I suggest we don't set foot on the island," Usopp proposed.

"We should stay on the ship until the Log Pose sets, then leave," Nami suggested.

Meanwhile, Luffy quivered with excitement.

Shiki grinned, "I bet you're itching for an adventure, Luffy!"

"Wanna join us?" Luffy asked with a wide grin.

"Absolutely!" Shiki cheered.

"Sanji! Prepare a pirate lunch box for me!" Luffy ordered.

"And 20 dumplings for me!" added Shiki.

"Yeah, yeah," Sanji replied.

"Where do you think you're going?" Nami asked.

"On an adventure," Shiki declared. "Wanna come?"

Nami began to cry, thinking, "It's hopeless."

"Come on, Sanji!" Shiki called out.

"Can I come too?" asked Vivi.

"Yeah, sure!" said Luffy.

"Not you too," Nami muttered.

"If I just stay around here, I'll just brood; this way, I'm doing something," Vivi reasoned. "And besides, Carue will protect me."

Carue froze in place, clearly scared.

And so, the three humans and one duck ventured out.

"Wow, that princess is brave," Zoro remarked. "Unlike some people."

"Well, she did infiltrate a gang of crooks," Nami pointed out.

After a few minutes, the crew on the ship dwindled as Sanji and Zoro got into a fight over who could gather more food on the island.

Both Nami and Usopp sat down.

"You know, you're pretty cowardly," Nami said.

"I don't see you going," Usopp retorted.

"I'm a woman. I don't just put myself in dangerous situations for fun like you boys...well, except you, of course," Nami said.

"Hey, that's rude!" Usopp exclaimed, offended.

"Wait! I just remembered something," said Nami. "I read about this before."

"What do you mean?" asked Usopp.

"Little Garden," Nami clarified.

Meanwhile, with the explorers, the brothers managed to find something in the water.

"Cool squid," said Luffy.

"It looks like an armored one," said Shiki.

Vivi got in closer.

"That looks like an ammonite," she observed.

"Doesn't that mean armored squid?" Luffy and Shiki asked simultaneously.

But then the ground began to rumble.

"Look at the water," Shiki pointed, indicating the rippling surface.

That's when a strange, giant, long-necked creature emerged from the trees.

"What is that thing?" Luffy yelled.

"Is it a Sea King?" Shiki asked.

"No, it's a dinosaur!" Vivi exclaimed.

"A dinosaur?" Shiki and Luffy echoed.

"Yes," Vivi confirmed, beginning to explain about the islands of the Grand Line. "It's still in the dinosaur age. It's stuck in time."

Ignoring Vivi's explanation, Shiki thought, "Is this what I was worried about?"

Meanwhile, back on the Going Merry, Nami had a book on the island.

"Guys! It's bad!" she yelled, running to the deck.

"What's wrong?" asked Usopp.

"I know what this island is!" Nami exclaimed.

That's when a big figure began to move through the trees—it was a giant. Nami and Usopp were scared out of their minds.

"Do you have any ale?" asked the giant.

"I-I think so," said Usopp, scared.

"You do have ale?" asked the giant.

The giant then yelled as a dinosaur bit him on the ass.

"It's a dinosaur!" cried Nami.

After the giant, named Broggy, killed the dinosaur with a fearsome battle cry, he proudly invited the two humans as his guests. However...

Meanwhile, with Luffy's group, Luffy was still on the long-necked dinosaur.

"Luffy, get down!" yelled Vivi.

"You don't get him down like that," Shiki said.

"What do you mean?" asked Vivi.

"Hey, bro! I dare you to slide down that dinosaur while shouting 'Yabba Dabba Doo!'" yelled Shiki.

"Why 'Yabba Dabba Doo'?" asked Vivi, with a sweat drop.

"I don't know," Shiki admitted, not knowing why he wanted Luffy to say that himself.

"Okay!" yelled Luffy.

Before Luffy could attempt the dare, the dinosaur unexpectedly snatched him up.

"What the!" exclaimed Shiki, poised to confront the dinosaur.

Before he could react, a different giant intervened, swiftly severing the dinosaur's head. Luffy tumbled out of the neck and landed in the giant's hand.

"What is that?" Shiki blinked in astonishment.

"It's a giant... I've heard about them, but I've never seen one," Vivi explained, comforting Carue after he fainted at the sight of the giant.

Shiki stood there with a blank expression.

"Shiki, what's wrong?" Vivi inquired.

"Nothing," muttered Shiki, thinking, 'So I was worried for nothing; it's just a giant.'

Shiki realized he had nothing to worry about, at least for now. But who knows what the future holds, especially with Baroque Works on their trail...