Chapter 112: East Blue's Oarsman, Franky

Strolling through the forest, Rowan felt utterly at ease—far more relaxed than Luffy ever was in the story. Unlike Luffy, who was almost oblivious to danger due to his simple nature, Rowan’s strength had grown to such an extent that he could afford to disregard any threats altogether.

The verdant forest floor was blanketed with lush moss, and occasionally, massive skeletal remains appeared. Yet, Rowan paid them no mind; on the Floating Isle, he had encountered even larger bones, so these were hardly surprising.

After casually surveying the forest a few times, Rowan’s interest in the island itself began to wane. He had initially been curious about the dinosaurs in the Little Garden, as he had never seen such creatures firsthand on Blue Star. But having witnessed so many strange beings in this world, dinosaurs now seemed rather ordinary to him.

Shifting his attention away from the island, he began searching for the two giants. Rowan’s visit to the Little Garden had only two purposes: to store magnetic energy for the Magnet Drum Kingdom and to find Don Krieg and Broggy in order to learn Wano-style swordsmanship.

As Rowan ventured deeper into the forest, his warship slowly approached the shore. By Pengleis’ orders, it anchored in place. Following Rowan’s instructions, Pengleis remained aboard to guard against any unforeseen events.

Meanwhile, Zoro led a squad of elite marines, following Nami as they stepped onto the island. To store magnetic energy, they had to be on the island itself.

Casting a glance at the yawning Zoro beside her and the meticulously disciplined marines behind, Nami sighed in resignation. She had looked forward to a two-person excursion with Rowan, but he had dashed off alone, leaving her here with these stiff soldiers. It was utterly dull.

She hoped the magnetic energy would store swiftly, so she could return to the ship and read in peace. Otherwise, spending too much time with these folks might just rub off on her.

“Hey, Nami, how much longer until the magnetic energy is fully stored here?” Zoro suddenly asked, turning back.

“What are you planning?” Nami replied wearily.

“I’m thinking of challenging those dinosaurs to see how strong they really are,” Zoro said enthusiastically. He had always fought humans before and had never faced off against beasts like dinosaurs. Now that the opportunity presented itself, he was eager to test his sword against them.

Nami was speechless. Could these men think of nothing but fighting?

Both Rowan and Zoro, when it came to the Little Garden—a place frozen in the age of dinosaurs—were single-mindedly focused on combat. Though Rowan hadn’t said so outright, his eagerness to fly onto the island before even docking suggested the same.

“Alright then, once the magnetic energy is stored, before Rowan returns, you can take a few men and wander around as you please,” Nami sighed, rubbing her temples.

“But really, how long will it take to store the magnetic energy here? I don’t see any progress at all since we landed,” she added, eyeing the data gauge on her arm, which showed no change—storage seemed painfully slow.

Zoro peeked at the gauge, puzzled. Didn’t it move? Why did Nami say there was no change?

He quickly lost interest. Rather than worry about things that didn’t concern him, he would take advantage of this time to refine his swordsmanship and strive to become the greatest swordsman.

Come to think of it, if Rowan hadn’t told him to protect Nami, he might still be lying on the ship, drinking sake.

Each with their own thoughts, Zoro and Nami pressed deeper into the forest. Nami reasoned that perhaps near the island’s edge, the magnetic storage was slow, but it might pick up speed closer to the center.

Suddenly, a terrifying roar echoed from deep within the forest, growing louder by the second.

At the fierce sound, everyone’s faces changed instantly, alert and tense. Especially Zoro, who immediately shed his sleepy demeanor, his expression serious as he stared toward the source of the roar, hand tightening around his sword’s hilt.

“Stay alert and protect yourself,” Zoro said in a low voice, knowing Nami had some combat skills.

Though eager to fight the dinosaurs, he could not afford any carelessness—these creatures’ strength was still unknown.

“I-I got it,” Nami replied, swallowing hard, her face pale as she fixed her gaze on the same direction.

She wasn’t terribly afraid, but the tension of those around her was contagious.

“They’re coming,” Zoro’s eyes sharpened. As the ground trembled beneath the approaching din, he swiftly drew his third-generation Onikiri and charged forward.

With elite marines fully armed guarding Nami, and her own formidable skills, he was not overly worried about her safety.

As long as his battle with the enemy didn’t occur near them, they would be safe.

Breaking through towering trees, Zoro’s mind suddenly felt overwhelmed. What was this? Who—or what—was that massive being?

Ahead, a dozen enormous dinosaurs thundered wildly—a ferocious Tyrannosaurus and fearsome horned Triceratops among them. But these ancient rulers weren’t charging at them; they were fleeing.

Behind them, a giant taller than the tallest trees chased relentlessly.

“Forget it. If those dinosaurs reach Nami, they’ll definitely hurt someone,” Zoro thought, steel returning to his gaze as he surged toward the stampede.

“One Sword Style...” he shouted as he vanished from the dinosaurs’ front and appeared behind them, sheathing Onikiri slowly.

“Lion’s Requiem!”

The moment Onikiri was fully sheathed, the dinosaurs’ footsteps abruptly slowed. They staggered, blood pouring out, then collapsed one by one.

“Next, it’s your turn!” Zoro drew three swords simultaneously, fixing his piercing gaze on the giant.

He was certain his swift strike against the dinosaurs had caught the giant’s attention.

Whether foe or friend now depended on the giant’s choice.

“Oh? A human swordsman, huh? This island hasn’t had visitors for a long time. Care to come visit me?” the giant bent down, laughing heartily upon seeing Zoro.

“No ill intent?” Zoro asked cautiously after studying the long-bearded giant for a long moment, slowly sheathing his sword.

“Are you asking if I’m human or giant? Ha ha ha,” the giant chuckled. “I am Don Krieg, the strongest warrior from Elbaf.”