The sky was a clear, brilliant blue, streaked with wisps of thin white clouds. A refreshing breeze swept by, carrying a few red maple leaves slowly downward.
The Going Merry was anchored off the coast at the edge of the archipelago. Lina and the others began exploring one of the mysterious islands that had fallen from the sky.
It was a desolate ruin, with scattered marble statues, pillars, and altars, all broken and overgrown with moss.
The group walked along a vine-covered stone path, with fiery red maple woods on either side.
Bzzzz—
A huge hornet suddenly shot out of the woods beside them. Its eyes glowed red, its sharp stinger gleamed like a sword, and several pairs of transparent wings beat furiously as it charged at them.
"Are these the things that attacked the East Blue? If so, then defeating the Golden Lion should put an end to the trouble in the East Blue."
Crack!
Zoro's expression darkened. He flicked his thumb against the hilt, drew his sword, and strode forward. In an instant, he swung, sending a green slash spiraling through the air.
Clang—!
As the sword rang out, a gash suddenly appeared across the hornet's body. Its fuzz scattered through the air as it crashed to the ground and slid past them.
Looking at the enormous hornet on the ground, Chopper furrowed his brow. They'd only been on the island a short while, yet they'd already been attacked by several unusually powerful beasts.
"All the animals here seem to have evolved into ferocious beasts. They're not only strong, but also violent and vicious."
There were all kinds of ferocious beasts in this world, but an entire island full of them was clearly abnormal.
Even animals that were usually gentle had become incredibly vicious.
"It was probably all