A rabbit with rainbow-colored fur burst out of the bushes.
Before anyone could react—
A faster black-and-yellow shadow leapt from the side.
Bang!
Ardo's spiked club struck first, smashing the shadow into the ground.
When everyone looked closer, they saw it was a sleek leopard.
But something about it was wrong.
Strange patterns covered its fur, and clusters of grayish-white coral-shaped mushrooms grew from its shoulders and back, trembling faintly with its weak breathing.
Ardo scratched his head and poked the unconscious leopard with his club.
"…A leopard with mushrooms growing on it?"
"…Can we even eat this thing?"
The nearby sailors exchanged uneasy looks.
"What if we get diarrhea…"
"What if… after eating it, mushrooms start growing on us too?"
Sami crouched beside the animal and carefully examined the fungi.
"They might be parasitic."
"Parasitic?!"
"Yes."
"In nature, some special plants can invade an animal's body and use its tissues as nutrients."
"They can even affect—or control—the host's nervous system."
"They manipulate the host's behavior, possibly to move it somewhere more suitable for spreading spores."
"These mushrooms growing on the animals here… might be that kind of parasite."
"The animal's brain and behavior might not be fully under its own control anymore."
"W-What?!"
Several sailors instantly stepped back.
"If we eat it… will we get infected too?"
"Will we turn into… mushroom people?!"
"This island is cursed! How can anyone live here?!"
Just as everyone was shivering from the thought—
Ardo suddenly froze.
Then he slowly turned around.
Even more horrifying—
A bright red spotted mushroom had appeared on top of his head.
"I… have also been infected…"
"Now… I will… infect you…"
"AAAAAH!!"
Then—
Ardo burst out laughing.
"HAHAHAHA!"
He pulled the mushroom off his head—it had clearly just been picked from a nearby tree.
"You idiots actually believed that?!"
"With guts this small, you still dare sail the Grand Line?!"
The sailors groaned in frustration.
"Damn it, Ardo! You nearly scared us to death!"
"Captain, you're all in on this prank, aren't you?!"
"This island is creepy enough already!"
Just then—
A hesitant voice came from behind a huge glowing blue mushroom nearby.
"Um… excuse me…"
"Are you… merchants from the guild who come to buy mushrooms every year?"
A middle-aged man cautiously peeked out.
He wore simple linen clothes and had a healthy complexion.
Most striking of all—
A red-and-white mushroom sat on top of his head.
"MUSHROOM PERSON!!"
"IT'S REAL!!"
Several sailors who had just been frightened immediately drew their weapons.
Swords and gun barrels pointed at the man.
"W-Whoa!"
He panicked and waved his hands quickly.
"Don't panic! It's just decoration!"
He hurriedly removed the mushroom hat, revealing ordinary black hair.
"I'm not a mushroom!"
The crew exhaled in relief and lowered their weapons.
"What kind of place is this… people walk around wearing mushrooms?"
The man wiped sweat from his forehead and curiously looked at the group of unusual visitors.
"Where are you from?"
"This year's merchant guild seems to have arrived earlier than usual."
"And… you don't look like the usual merchants."
"We're travelers passing through to resupply," Sami said calmly.
"You're a local?"
"Yes."
"I live in Mushroom Village up ahead."
"You don't seem like bad people…"
"Come with me. Our village chief knows a lot—he'll probably want to meet you."
Mushroom Village
Led by the man, Sami and his group passed through forests filled with bizarre mushrooms.
Eventually they arrived at a village near the island's center.
The houses were carved directly into the thick stems of giant mushrooms.
The man explained:
"These are Columna Giant Mushrooms."
"Their flesh is tough like wood, waterproof and insect-resistant."
"They stop growing after reaching a certain age."
"So they're perfect natural building materials."
The group was brought to the largest mushroom house in the village center.
An elderly man with white hair and a kind face greeted them.
"Welcome to Mushroom Village, travelers."
"I'm the village chief."
"You can call me Old Mushroom Head."
The old man poured tea for them.
The amber liquid gave off a fragrance somewhere between truffle and herbs.
"This tea is made from dried fragrant tea mushrooms."
"It clears the mind and drives away the dampness from the sea."
"Please try it."
Sami took a sip.
The flavor was rich and refreshing, sending a cool sensation straight to his head.
"Excellent tea."
"Village Chief, we're actually here to ask about a place."
"High West."
"Have you heard of it?"
The old man paused slightly while holding his cup.
"High West…"
"That name feels both familiar… and distant."
He looked at Sami with a complicated expression.
"You intend to go to Sky Island, don't you?"
Sami noticed the subtle warning in the chief's tone.
"You seem to be advising against it."
The old man sighed.
"Take my advice."
"Don't go."
"Why?"
He set down the teacup and began recounting the island's history.
"According to records passed down in our village…"
"About three hundred years ago, Drumcap Island was far more prosperous."
"Because of our location along the route to High West, we became a major supply station."
"At that time, many merchant ships stopped here to resupply before heading to High West to trade with the Sky Islanders."
"The success rate wasn't high—maybe two or three ships out of ten returned safely."
"But the profits were enormous."
"So merchant guilds kept trying."
The old man's tone turned somber.
"But around three hundred years ago… things changed."
"Fewer and fewer merchants were willing to attempt the trip."
"Eventually the route was abandoned."
"Decades ago, no merchants came here asking about High West anymore."
He took a sip of the now-lukewarm tea.
"The last merchants who returned brought terrible news."
"There was war on Sky Island."
"A massive war that had already lasted for hundreds of years."
"Because of the war, the Sky Islands became extremely hostile to outsiders."
"Ships from the Blue Sea—like those from the Grand Line—were no longer seen as traders."
"They were treated as spies or enemies by both sides."
"Many were attacked without warning."
"The merchant guilds suffered heavy losses."
"Almost none returned."
"The risk eventually outweighed the profit."
"And so…"
"The route disappeared."
"High West faded into legend."
The old chief looked at Sami seriously.
"You must be adventurers chasing the rumor of Sky Island."
"But listen to my advice."
"Turn back."
"Going there now isn't adventure."
"It's suicide."
Sami nodded quietly.
The timeline matched what he remembered—
The centuries-long war between the Shandians and the Sky Islanders over Upper Yard.
Just then—
Several crew members returned excitedly with baskets.
"Captain!"
"Everything here is incredibly cheap!"
"Look—hundreds of berries for this whole basket of mushrooms!"
"And these healing mushrooms—the villagers say crushed paste helps wounds heal faster!"
The old chief chuckled.
"Mushrooms are the one thing we have plenty of."
"They grow everywhere."
"Two months from now the mushroom season begins. Prices will be even lower."
"Some merchant guilds still come to buy them."
"Other than them, the visitors we see most often are pirates."
"Adventurers like you asking about High West are rare…"
Before he could finish—
The door burst open.
"Village Chief! Something's wrong!"
Several young villagers rushed in holding muskets.
"We found a pirate ship on the western beach!"
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