Chapter 111: The Little Garden

Ultimately, with the ship doctor’s repeated assurances, Luo Lan decided to give it a try. Although he was not a doctor himself, he could not bear to stand by and watch someone die right in front of him. This man was merely a civilian, a victim of Salon Island, not a pirate or a gangster; as long as the man still had a breath left in him, Luo Lan could not remain indifferent.

Once Luo Lan issued the orders, a cheer erupted throughout the ship, including among the survivors from Salon Island. The marines then enthusiastically steered the vessel toward a different route. While they lacked a permanent log pose for the Drum Island route, Nami’s exceptional navigational skills allowed them to determine their position using the Salon Island permanent log pose. It might not have been one hundred percent accurate, but the margin of error would be minimal. Furthermore, their goal was not the Kingdom of Drum, but the island on that route closest to them: the Primeval Island, also known as Little Garden.

Luo Lan still had some memories of this place. In the past, the difficulty of sailing between the islands of the Grand Line meant there was little interaction between them. Consequently, each island developed its own distinct civilization—some highly advanced, while others remained exactly as they had been for thousands or even tens of thousands of years. The chaotic climate of the Grand Line made all sorts of things possible, from the snowy kingdom of Drum Island and the desert kingdom of Alabasta to Little Garden, which remained stuck in the age of dinosaurs.

It was called "Little Garden" because not only were there dinosaurs, but all sorts of creatures were gargantuan, as if it were a garden for giants. In the original story, Luffy and his crew encountered two giants from the Giant Warrior Pirates here and clashed with Mr. 3. In the end, Brogy the Red Ogre and Dorry the Blue Ogre joined forces to use a technique called "Elbaf: Spear," slaying a giant goldfish and seeing Luffy off. That was one of the many tall tales Usopp had told that actually came true.

Luo Lan was quite interested in their destination. While Dorry and Brogy were pirates, he was deeply intrigued by the "Elbaf: Spear" technique mastered by their race. If he could earn their friendship, perhaps he could learn that move. Ever since he ate his Devil Fruit five years ago, Luo Lan was destined never to be a pure swordsman, much like his teacher, Shiki. Therefore, he was highly interested in any powerful moves or abilities. Whether it was swordsmanship, martial arts, or exclusive skills like the "Spear," as long as it could make him stronger and someone was willing to teach him, he would learn it.

If it weren't for Johnny’s situation, he might not have thought of this, as there were giants in the Marine Headquarters as well. Even if Dorry and Brogy refused to teach him, he could always return to headquarters to learn from the giants there. However, if he had a choice, he preferred to learn from Dorry and Brogy, as these two had already made a name for themselves on the Grand Line a hundred years ago. Compared to the giants at headquarters, these two were clearly stronger and possessed a more profound understanding of the Elbaf techniques.

Under the efforts of Nami and the other navigators, half a month flashed by, and they finally spotted the silhouette of an island in the vast sea. Using the log pose from Salon Island and the calculations from their voyage, Nami realized that this was indeed Luo Lan’s target: Little Garden. With excitement, Nami went straight to the deck to find Luo Lan. "Luo Lan, Luo Lan, look! After our calculations and corrections, that island is most likely Little Garden." As she spoke, she handed the telescope to Luo Lan, pointing excitedly at the looming island in the distance.

"Little Garden?" Luo Lan felt a surge of anticipation and took the telescope to look. Sure enough, among the lush, primeval forests, there were numerous dinosaurs with enormous bodies and long necks. If nothing went wrong, this was indeed Little Garden.

Putting the telescope away, Luo Lan smiled and patted Nami’s short hair. "Nami, it is truly my good fortune to have a navigator like you. Without a log pose or a permanent pointer, you managed to find the island I wanted using only the charts and the Salon Island log pose. You truly are the navigational genius I chose."

Nami blushed instantly at Luo Lan’s sudden show of affection. As steam seemed to rise from her hair, she snatched back the telescope and retreated to the wheelhouse with her maps. If this had happened in the past, she wouldn't have been so shy, but ever since she decided to entrust everything to Luo Lan, she found herself becoming easily embarrassed. Though she knew clearly that Luo Lan meant nothing by the gesture, she couldn't help but let her mind wander. After all, the "three major illusions of life" applied to girls just as well.

Nami knew full well that Luo Lan was thick-skinned when it came to romance, so she didn't overthink it. Hiding outside the door, she took a few deep breaths to calm herself before entering the wheelhouse to order the marines to steer the warship toward the island. She had read about this island in books—it was said to be an island preserved from the age of dinosaurs—so she was quite looking forward to it. Dinosaurs! The apex predators that lived on this planet hundreds of millions of years ago—wasn't it a stroke of luck to be able to see them alive?

If this were in the past, she would have had no interest in such behemoths because they were simply too dangerous. But with Luo Lan by her side, she felt that she wouldn't even be afraid if the Four Emperors, whom the marines were always talking about, appeared.

"Are we finally here?" Luo Lan looked at the growing island and smiled slightly. Although he had lived in this world for ten years, this was the longest he had ever spent on a ship, and he was starting to feel quite seasick. Day after day, there was nothing but the sea; he hadn't seen a patch of land for ages.

Before the warship even docked, Luo Lan gave orders to Pungeles and Zoro, then leaped into the air. Using the Geppo he had been gradually mastering, he bounded toward the island. Once he touched ground, he looked at the lush, primeval forest and felt a sense of nostalgia, reminiscent of his first time training in the forests on the floating islands. Only, compared to those, this place felt more ancient and less vicious. Even the apex dinosaurs living here were nowhere near as ferocious as the beasts on the floating islands.