The vast blue ocean rippled beneath Zunesha's steps, each movement sending layered waves rolling outward across the surface.The colossal shadow of the ancient elephant swallowed Gern's warship whole, as though an entire continent had risen from the sea and drifted before them.
Standing at the bow, Gern Reginald Sigmar lifted his gaze.
For the first time, genuine awe stirred in his chest.
Zunesha was simply too massive.So enormous that its movement was almost imperceptible—seemingly still, yet never truly motionless.
"So… this is Zunesha."Gern gazed upward at the towering colossus, its silhouette stretching endlessly into the clouds.
Its legs were like pillars holding up the sky itself. Each step churned the ocean into violent surges, while its ancient, weathered skin bore the marks of countless centuries—like history itself carved into flesh.
The sergeant stood beside him, equally shaken.
"H–He's really carrying a country on his back…?" he murmured, swallowing hard.
Gern nodded, eyes never leaving the vast form above."The Mink Tribe's homeland. Mokomo Dukedom—an isolated nation."
The Marines exchanged glances, torn between excitement at witnessing a legendary land and frustration at knowing they could never set foot upon it.
"Vice Admiral…" the sergeant hesitated before speaking."If there truly is a nation up there, then they aren't affiliated with the World Government. Isn't it dangerous for you to go alone?"
Gern chuckled softly and patted the man's shoulder.
"I'm just going to take a look."Then, with a faint smile:"If things turn dangerous, I'll withdraw immediately."
The sergeant opened his mouth to argue—but Gern had already turned away.
He stepped forward.
Pale vibrations shimmered beneath his feet as his body lifted smoothly into the air.
"Take the ship to the nearest Marine base," Gern said without looking back."Wait for my return."
"Yes, sir!"The sergeant snapped to attention and saluted.
Before anyone could speak again, Gern leapt forward.
A pale shockwave burst beneath his feet as he launched skyward, stepping across the air itself.Each movement left behind faint ripples of distortion, as if invisible steps had been carved into the sky.
From the deck below, the sergeant watched his figure shrink into the heavens and sighed.
"…All hands," he called out, turning sharply,"Change course. Head for the nearest Marine base!"
"But sir—shouldn't we wait for Vice Admiral Gern?" a young soldier asked.
"We can't," the sergeant replied grimly."This is the New World. If we stay here without him, we're nothing but sitting targets."
High Above the Sea
Gern continued his ascent, hundreds of meters above the ocean.
The higher he climbed, the more violent the wind became, yet his footing remained steady.Each step triggered a controlled burst of vibrational force, carrying him upward with unwavering momentum.
"This size…" he murmured."No wonder it's walked the seas for a thousand years."
As he drew closer, the scenery atop Zunesha's back came into focus.
Dense forests blanketed the land.Roads, buildings, and rising plumes of smoke hinted at everyday life continuing peacefully above the clouds.
A nation untouched—for now—by the coming droughts and disasters of the future.
"So this is Mokomo Dukedom…"
Gern narrowed his eyes and accelerated.
Just as he descended toward the surface—
A black blur exploded from the forest.
"What—?"
His pupils contracted as his Observation Haki flared.
The shape sharpened midair.
A rabbit-eared girl with white fur and pale blond hair flipped gracefully through the air. Her long ears fluttered behind her, and her snow-white tail traced a clean arc as she rebounded off the air itself—changing direction three times in midair.
She landed effortlessly atop a tree branch before him, pink eyes glinting with mischief.
"Heh. Hairless outsider," she said lightly."You've trespassed into Crescent Moon Village."
She tilted her head, bronze earring chiming softly as she toyed with a short blade etched with a carrot symbol.
"Trying to steal my carrots, are you?"
Gern blinked.
"…Carrot?"
At the name, her ears shot upright and her fur puffed out. With a sharp backflip, she leapt to a higher branch and glared down at him.
"Who's Carrot?! I'm Ripo—Ripo Hope! The rabbit who can jump to the moon!"
Three daggers flashed from her hand, embedding themselves precisely in the ground at Gern's feet.
"Come snooping around my carrot patch and even get my name wrong—next time won't be a warning!"
Gern raised an eyebrow, lips curling faintly.
"Interesting… seems the minks of Zou have more than one biter."
"Thief!" Ripo shouted, launching herself downward in a blur, dagger aimed straight for his throat.
Gern had already foreseen the strike.
He shifted slightly—just enough for the blade to skim past his collar.
Ripo didn't pause. Using the momentum of her miss, she rebounded instantly, legs snapping forward in a powerful double kick.
"Good speed," Gern remarked calmly.
He raised his hand. Pale vibration particles formed a translucent barrier.
Her kick struck it—
Boom!
A shockwave burst outward, hurling her backward.She flipped midair and landed neatly on another branch, only slightly rattled.
"Hmph! You're pretty tough!" she snapped, shaking out her leg, eyes blazing.
Gern didn't pursue. Instead, he studied her with interest.
"At this point in time… Nekomamushi and Inuarashi should be sailing with Oden aboard Whitebeard's ship. Roger hasn't arrived yet either…"
He murmured thoughtfully.
"That means Mokomo is still in its untouched phase… unbound, unclaimed. A land guided by instinct and loyalty alone."
He paused.
"And the Mink Tribe's loyalty… is absolute."
(After all—when their nation was destroyed, not a single one betrayed Raizo.)
Ripo tilted her head, clearly not understanding his muttering, then snapped back into a fighting stance.
"Quit saying weird stuff! Come on!"
Gern smiled and raised a hand.
"I'm not here to fight, Ripo Hope."
"Huh?"She skidded to a halt mid-step, ears lifting.
"…You came looking for me?"