Atop the Elephant's Back

Thick white sea fog clung to the surface of the sea, Void was quietly moored beside the giant elephant's mountain-like legs.

This colossal elephant, which has been roaming the vast ocean for thousands of years, has limbs that resemble towering pillars that pierce the sky and reach the boundless sea of clouds, with its top seemingly endless.

Lin Yuan stood at the bow of the boat, holding a water glass lightly in his hand, his gaze fixed on the towering elephant leg.

"Ginny, where exactly is the Poneglyph Stone located?"

The Den Den Mushi crackled with the sound of Ginny checking her notes, "A clearing in the woods east of Elephant Back. The west side is the Mink Tribe's settlement; the two places are quite far apart. Only a few patrols pass through on weekdays, so security isn't very tight."

What about naval movements?

"The advance scout ship has already returned to report, and a large number of warships are on their way. Those five masked men from the Holy Knights must have received the news as well. My Glint-Glint Fruit is hidden by the dense forest, so I can't see the whole elephant's back."

Lin Yuan put down his water glass.

"Moria, Inazuma, you stay behind and guard the ship."

Gecko Moria's face instantly fell. "W-why me of all people?"

"You're afraid of heights. This elephant's back is several thousand meters above sea level. Your legs will go weak up there, and you'll need someone to help you walk."

Moria opened his mouth, but ultimately had nothing to say in rebuttal, and shrunk away dejectedly to the side. Inazuma toyed with the scissors in his hand, remaining silent.

"Kuma, you stay too."

Kuma remained expressionless and nodded slightly.

Lin Yuan raised his hand, his fingertips lightly tracing a line above the deck, and a shimmering white spatial portal suddenly opened. At the other end of the portal was a woodland covered with moss and ancient trees with gnarled roots, leading directly to the back of the giant elephant.

"They're gone."

Kaido, carrying his Spiked Club, strode into the gate, laughing loudly, "Oh ho ho! I've finally set foot here!"

Their feet landed on the thick moss, as soft as walking on a fine velvet carpet. Bullet followed closely behind, flexing his wrists. Ash and Huijin walked side by side. Lin Yuan was the last to slip through the portal, which closed silently behind him.

The ground beneath our feet was already the back of the Zou giant elephant.

Towering ancient trees blocked out the sun, and thick vines intertwined and entwined. Dappled sunlight pierced through the layers of canopy, casting mottled shadows in the forest. The fragrance of grass and trees mingled with the damp scent of earth, filling the air, and the calls of birds and animals could be heard from afar.

The Den Den Mushi rang again, and Ginny's voice came through at just the right moment. "The stone tablet is to the northeast, about two kilometers away as the crow flies. Just follow the forest straight ahead. Two signs of life detected ahead—two Mink Tribe patrolmen, a cat and a dog, not very big. Be careful."

Kaido stepped on a dry twig, snapping it with a crisp crack. "Mink Tribe? Never seen them before."

You'll see him soon.

The group had traveled less than 500 meters when two figures suddenly burst out of the bushes.

Leading the group was a feline Mink Tribe, pure white, with a lithe physique like an upright snow leopard. Its golden vertical pupils were fixed on the group, its fur stood on end, sharp claws were exposed, and gleaming claws protruded from its paw pads.

"Humans, this is not a place for you."

Kaido looked down at the small figure in front of him. "You guys?"

"That's enough to deal with you!"

The feline Mink Tribe suddenly arched its body, its sharp claws carving deep gashes in the ground, and its figure transformed into a white blur as it launched a sudden attack. Its speed was extreme—although Bullet's Observation Haki caught its trajectory, Bullet didn't dodge at all.

"Sizzle--"

Three deep, bloody gashes appeared on Bullet's arm, with beads of blood seeping out.

Bullet glanced down at the wound, a smirk playing on his lips. "Pretty sharp claws."

"You've got thick skin too." The Mink Tribe retreated, creating distance, and resumed its fighting stance. "Next, I'll scratch your face."

Bullet cracked his wrists. "Come on, let's practice."

Seeing the two about to clash, Lin Yuan raised his hand to stop Bullet.

"Lead the way. We're here to see your chieftain."

The golden eyes of the feline Mink Tribe were filled with wariness. "What do you want with the chieftain?"

"Let's talk business."

What do you want to talk about?

"That's not your place to ask. Just say Lin Yuan has something to discuss with him on Hachinosu."

The feline Mink Tribe's ears twitched slightly, and after a moment's consideration, it said in a deep voice, "Wait."

He leaped into the dense forest and disappeared. Not long after, he returned with an even more robust canine Mink Tribe. The large gray dog had drooping ears and an unlit wooden pipe in its mouth, carefully scrutinizing Lin Yuan and his group.

"Come with me. The chieftain wishes to see you."

Whale Forest.

It's not a real whale, it's a rock. A huge white rock, shaped like a whale, stands in the middle of the forest. The rock face is covered with ancient vines and is engraved with dense ancient characters. After thousands of years of wind and rain erosion, many of the characters have long been blurred and difficult to decipher.

An elderly chieftain of the canine Mink Tribe sat atop a massive rock at the entrance. His white fur had turned yellowish, his eyes were cloudy, and his back was slightly hunched. He leaned on an ancient wooden staff. Surrounding him were several strong-looking Mink Tribe warriors, both cat and canine, each with taut fur, sharp eyes, and undisguised hostility.

"Humans, what are you doing in Zou?" The old chieftain's voice was hoarse and deep.

"Find the Poneglyph," Lin Yuan said.

The old chieftain coughed a few times and slowly shook his head. "The Poneglyph of Zou was left behind by Joy Boy. The Mink Tribe has guarded it for eight hundred years, never letting outsiders see it."

"I know."

"You knew it, so why did you come?"

"I understand, which makes me even more eager to see it."

The old patriarch stared intently at Lin Yuan with his cloudy eyes, remaining silent for a long time. "For eight hundred years, countless pirates, marines, and even agents of the World Government have come looking for this stone tablet. Not one has succeeded."

Just because they can't do it doesn't mean I can't.

The old patriarch stared at him for a long time. "The main naval force is already on its way. The Holy Knights are also here. They're here to capture my people and seize the stone tablet. Are you here too?"

"No."

Why should I believe you?

Lin Yuan looked at him. "You have no choice. The Navy is here, the Holy Knights are here, and if we join them, you can't stop them. You can only choose one side."

The Mink Tribe warriors beside the old chieftain stepped forward in unison, their claws outstretched, exuding a murderous aura.

Seeing Kaido raised his hand, took the Spiked Club from his shoulder, and slammed it heavily on the ground.

"Thump--"

The ground trembled slightly, sending moss fragments flying. "What, you want to fight?"

Lin Yuan raised his hand to stop Kaido.

"Fine, if you won't let us see, let's go."

Kaido was taken aback. "Let's go?"

"Walk."

Lin Yuan turned and strode back the way he came. Kaido looked puzzled, but still followed, carrying his Iron Club. Bullet, King, and Huijin followed closely behind.

The gray-haired dog asked in a low voice, "Chief, are they really just leaving like that?"

The old clan chief remained silent.

Lin Yuan and his group did not go far. After walking about two hundred meters, he stopped behind a giant tree.

"Ginny, where exactly is the stone tablet located in Whale Forest?"

"The clearing in the forest is right in the middle. It's 300 meters away as the crow flies. But the path is blocked by giant trees, rocks, and sentry posts; you can't go straight through."

"No need to go straight in."

Kaido leaned closer. "What are you going to do?"

"Extreme inscription."

How to make the rubbing?

"Watching"

Lin Yuan crouched down, placing his palm on the moss. His Spatial Perception quietly spread out, precisely locking onto the depths of the Whale Forest. There was a weak point in the spatial perception next to the stone tablet.

He raised his hand and opened a tiny door, no bigger than the palm of his hand. There was no energy fluctuation, no sound, not even a movement of air. The other end of the door was half a meter in front of the Poneglyph stone tablet.

Lin Yuan stretched out his right hand, his arm passing through the spatial portal, and appeared out of thin air in front of the cold stone tablet. He took out the thin rubbing paper specially made by Ginny, pasted it on the surface of the tablet, and quickly rubbed it with a charcoal pencil.

Once, twice, three times.

His movements were fluid and effortless. In less than three minutes, the ancient characters on the entire stone tablet were completely copied. He folded the rubbing paper, put it into his pocket, withdrew his arm, and the miniature door quietly disappeared.

"Nailed it."

Kaido's eyes widened. "That's it?"

"Ya ha ha"

Kaido was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Oh ho ho! You bastard, really..."

"Let's go. Back to the ship."

Entrance to the Whale Forest.

The old patriarch remained seated on the boulder. A moment later, the gray-haired dog clan members returned, panting heavily and looking flustered.

"Chief! The stone tablet—the stone tablet has been rubbed!"

The old patriarch's cloudy pupils suddenly contracted. "When?"

"I don't know! There are still fragments of rubbings left at the scene; the material is unusual, it's not from our tribe. It must have been done by that group of people!"

The gray-haired dog's ears perked up. "Should we chase them or not?"

The old clan chief raised his hand.

"No need to chase after them."

"Why?"

"The opponent has Spatial Ability User; we can't catch up."

The gray-haired dogs were filled with resentment, but they had no choice but to stop.

The old chieftain looked up at the distant sea, towards the direction of the Void. He remained silent for a long time, then said in a low voice, "For eight hundred years, those who came to Zou looking for the stone tablet have come to rob, cheat, or steal. He is the first—he didn't harm my people, didn't burn my forests, he only made rubbings of the inscription. Let them be."

He slowly rose, leaning on his wooden cane, and turned to walk deeper into the forest.

On the deck of the Void.

Ginny's voice came through the Den Den Mushi, carrying a hint of "I just finished translating and you're already back": "Lin Yuan, the translation of the rubbing is finished."

"Hmm, what's recorded on it?"

"It's not the Road Poneglyphs. It's just Poneglyph. It records Joy Boy's agreement with Fish-Man Island — Joy Boy left a red Road Poneglyphs on the seabed near Fish-Man Island. The real Road Poneglyphs is on Fish-Man Island."

Kaido leaned against the ship's railing. "So Zou's trip was for nothing?"

"It wasn't a wasted trip. At least I know where to go next."

Lin Yuan stood at the bow of the ship, holding a water glass. "Fish-Man Island. Ten thousand meters underwater."

Ginny paused, then continued, "We need a coated ship to go down. We'll go to Sabaody Archipelago for coating first, then dive. Sabaody Archipelago is right under the World Government's nose, and the Marine Headquarters is nearby. Keep a low profile. Don't cause trouble."

"Knew."

Ginny's voice suddenly became urgent. "Lin Yuan! Ten tracked warships are approaching from the eastern sea—the kind that can run on land. There are five very strong auras on board, masked men from the Holy Knights!"

Kaido took the Iron Club off his shoulder. "They're after us?"

"They're not chasing you. Their target is Zou —to capture the Mink Tribe and steal the stone tablet."

Lin Yuan looked in the direction of the elephant's back. "Let's go our own way. Let them fight."

"You're not helping the Mink Tribe?"

"I already helped them. There was no fight when they were making rubbings of the inscription; I was helping them."

Kaido slung the Iron Club back over his shoulder. "Alright... let's go."

Ginny was silent for a moment. "... Fine. You decide."

With its sails fully unfurled and the Sea Wind Dial churning at full speed, the Void Ship sped away from the area like an arrow released from a bow.

At the edge of the dense forest on the elephant's back, sporadic gunshots and sounds of fighting could be faintly heard.

Kaido walked over carrying a large piece of roasted meat. "Aren't you going to turn around and look?"

"I won't look."

"What if the Mink Tribe can't win?"

"If they can't beat them, that's their problem."

(End of Chapter 89)