Apis was in the kitchen, stuffing steamed buns into a burlap sack.
Hidden behind the doorway, Dazai Osamu watched quietly from the corner of his eye.
At the far end of the hallway, Monkey D.
Luffy slowly approached.
Dazai shifted to another hiding spot, continuing to observe from a distance.
Luffy entered the kitchen, and all sound ceased.
Moments later, Apis emerged carrying a heavy sack on her back and hurried away.
After waiting silently for a while, Dazai walked to the kitchen entrance.
There he found Luffy sprawled on the floor, with a meat bun thoughtfully placed on his face.
Dazai crouched down and pressed a finger against the damp ground.
His gaze followed the deep tracks left by someone dragging a heavy load, and he let out a sigh.
“So careless…” He reached into his coat, took out a slip of paper, and left it beside Luffy before heading off.
“Luffy!
Wake up!” Nami shook him awake.
“Huh?
What’s wrong, Nami?” Luffy rubbed his eyes.
“Dazai went after Apis.
We need to catch up with them.” She shoved the note in front of him.
On it was a crudely drawn arrow pointing toward a freshly disturbed dirt path.
Beneath it were the words: Apis’s secret.
A smiling face was doodled in the corner, followed by: P.S.
— Dazai Osamu The two of them immediately followed the trail.
Eventually, they arrived at a cave.
Just as they were about to step inside, Dazai stopped them.
“What…
is that?
Is it real?” Nami gasped as she stared at the enormous creature before her.
“A Millennial Dragon,” Dazai replied, stroking his chin as his expression darkened.
“Luffy!
Apis!
Is this really a Millennial Dragon?
That’s amazing!” Completely oblivious to the tense atmosphere, Luffy walked right out and asked excitedly.
“Don’t interrupt out of nowhere!” Nami cried, covering her face.
Watching the unexpected turn of events, Dazai merely shrugged and stepped out from the shadows.
“You were captured by the Marines because of the Millennial Dragon, weren’t you?” “Because of the legend that its bones grant eternal life…” His eyes grew cold.
The playful smile that usually never left his face vanished, replaced by an oppressive gloom.
“What a disgusting legend…
Eternal life…
spending forever trapped in this ugly world.” “No!
Don’t come any closer!” Apis spread her arms, shielding the enormous dragon with her tiny body.
“Dazai…” Nami looked at him worriedly.
“The World Government really is hypocritical.” Dazai sneered.
“Maybe the whole thing should just be destroyed…
don’t you think, Nami?” Nami’s voice snapped him out of it.
His usual carefree smile returned as though nothing had happened.
“Quit joking, Dazai.
It’s not like we could do something like that anyway…” Nami sighed in relief.
“So where are you from?
I see…
you want to go back home.” Luffy crouched in front of the dragon and casually started talking to it.
Apis, who had been trying desperately to pull him away, froze.
“Luffy…
Ryuji says he’d like to be your friend.
He thinks you’re a good person.” A bright grin spread across Luffy’s face.
Apis looked puzzled.
“Luffy, how did you know what Ryuji wanted?” “I just had a feeling.” “A feeling?!” “But isn’t that how you know too?” Luffy asked, confused.
“What’s the difference?” “N-No, I’m…” Apis shook her head.
“Wait…” Nami’s eyes lit up.
“Is it because of a Devil Fruit?” “That’s right.
I ate the Whisper-Whisper Fruit.
It lets me hear the thoughts of animals.” “So that’s how you knew the wind was coming back then,” Nami realized.
“Yeah.
One day, while I was in the garden, I heard a sad voice.
I followed it and found Ryuji.
He had no energy at all.” “He told me he’d become separated from his companions.
Ever since then, he’d been wandering alone, searching for the Lost Island where the Dragon’s Nest is located.” Apis recounted how she had first met the old dragon.
“The Lost Island…” Nami murmured.
“Didn’t Grandpa Gordan say it sank beneath the sea?” “He did.
But according to Ryuji, the island rises from the sea at certain times…
and it should be around now.” “But Ryuji is very old.
His memory isn’t what it used to be.
He can’t remember where the island is anymore, and he can’t even fly.” “But he really, really wants to go home.” “I wanted to help him, but I had no idea where the island was.
Legends alone weren’t enough to find it, so I went to ask the Marines stationed here…” She lowered her head.
“…but I asked the wrong people.
They were searching for dragon bones.” “Dragon bones?” Nami blinked.
“You mean the ones rumored to grant eternal life?” “And then they captured you because of that necklace…” Dazai added.
Apis nodded and tightly gripped the dragon fang necklace hanging around her neck.
“They kept questioning me about Ryuji because this necklace, which was made from one of his scales, exposed my connection to him.” “So that’s why you escaped during that storm…
That was way too reckless!” Nami said in disbelief.
“That’s why I couldn’t tell anyone in the village…
not even Grandpa Gordan.” Looking into Ryuji’s gentle eyes, Apis nodded firmly.
“But I really want to send him home.” “Ryuji told me that once he returns to the Dragon’s Nest, he’ll regain his strength.” “No matter how many years it takes…” “I’ll take Ryuji home!” “I swear I will!” “All right!” Luffy declared after a moment’s thought.
“I’ll help take him home!” “Luffy, there’s not even a map of the Lost Island!” Nami tried to reason with him.
“If Millennial Dragons exist,” Luffy replied confidently, “then the Lost Island has to exist too!” “The Lost Island…” Dazai fell into thought.
Before long, an idea began to form.
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