Chapter 352: Daily Life – The Giant Elephant in the Thick Fog

Koala initially wanted to go with him, but before she could say anything, Sabo had already run off.

"Ugh, that guy is always like this," Koala complained, "Seriously, can't he let people finish their sentences?"

Following the directions given by the middle-aged man, Sabo reached Foosha Village within ten minutes.

With the villagers' guidance, he soon found himself in front of Makino's tavern. Without hesitation, he pushed the door open and walked inside.

Makino was polishing a glass. When she saw the unfamiliar face, she didn't seem surprised at all. After all, it wasn't unusual for outsiders to visit Foosha Village. She smiled and said, "Welcome! What would you like to drink?"

Sabo walked up to the bar and asked directly, "Ma'am, I'm here to ask about someone. Do you know Takumi?"

Makino's hand paused briefly, and she looked at Sabo with a hint of surprise. "Takumi used to be a regular at my tavern. Why are you looking for him?"

"Don't misunderstand, I'm not here to cause trouble," Sabo quickly explained when he noticed Makino's wary expression. "I know Takumi too. I'm just here to ask about his sister."

"Sister?" Makino was surprised. "Takumi has a sister? He never mentioned that."

"I heard he was shipwrecked and washed ashore here. Did he ever tell you anything about his family?"

"No, he didn't." Makino shook her head. "Takumi was a bit of an odd kid. He didn't like to interact with others much and preferred to be alone. He never mentioned his family to anyone. We don't know where he came from, who his family is, or if he has a sister. Actually, he didn't stay in Foosha Village for long—only about half a month before he left. I don't know where he went after that or whom he met. Maybe during that time, he was looking for his family. It's possible that he really does have a sister."

"Alright, I see." After a moment of silence, Sabo politely thanked her. "Thank you. I'll be leaving now."

He turned to leave, but just as he was about to step out, Makino rested her chin on her hand and looked at his back with a hint of nostalgia. "You really do look alike."

Sabo stopped in his tracks and glanced back at her, puzzled. "Look alike? Are you talking about me?"

Makino smiled gently. "Yes, you look a bit like a kid I used to know. Unfortunately, he died a few years ago."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Sabo said with some regret. "The dead can't come back to life. The living must keep moving forward."

"It's alright. It's all in the past now. Oh, by the way, if you ever see Takumi again, please pass along my regards. My name is Makino."

"Of course. I'll be sure to do that. Goodbye."

With that, Sabo left Makino's tavern.

As soon as he stepped outside, the bright sunlight momentarily blinded him. He instinctively squinted, and as his vision gradually returned, he suddenly saw two small, blurry figures standing in front of him.

"Sabo!"

"Sabo~"

Two childish voices rang out from nowhere, making Sabo pause in a daze.

"Who's there?" Sabo frowned slightly, trying to get a clearer look at who was calling him. But by the time his vision fully adjusted, those two small figures had already disappeared.

Meanwhile, on the ship.

Takumi was lounging on a deck chair, napping under the sun when he suddenly sneezed.

Kaku immediately poked his head out of the cabin and asked, "Captain, shall I get you a blanket?"

"No need." Takumi waved his hand lazily, then turned over and continued sleeping.

Kaku chuckled, shook his head, and decided to take out a thin blanket anyway. He gently draped it over Takumi and picked up the pet egg nearby to bring it back into the cabin.

Enel, who had been dozing on the lookout tower, was startled awake by Takumi's sneeze. Yawning, he lazily glanced at Kaku's actions, especially when he saw him holding the pet egg. Enel couldn't help but remark, "It's just a stupid egg. Why are you so worried about it? Leaving it out a bit longer won't hurt. What, afraid it'll melt in the sun?"

"That's exactly why you're not allowed to take care of it," Kaku shot back, giving Enel a disdainful glance. "If you're so bored, why don't you help with some of the ship's work?"

"Which eye of yours sees me being bored?" Enel retorted just as disdainfully. "I'm busy navigating the ship. Go do your own work."

"You lazy bum," Kaku muttered, unwilling to waste more words on him. Carrying the pet egg, he headed straight into the cabin.

Due to the White Dragon Current, the ship had been pushed off course after emerging from the sea. What should have been a half-month journey to Zou would now take at least a month and a half at their current leisurely pace.

Since they had plenty of time, Takumi wasn't in a hurry. He decided to take things slowly and enjoy the journey.

After nearly two months of leisurely sailing, the shadow of a colossal creature shrouded in thick fog appeared before them.

"Huh? What's that?" Enel exclaimed in surprise, staring at the massive, indistinct form in the distance.

Kaku took out a telescope and observed for a moment. "Judging by its size, it looks like… an elephant?"

"An elephant?" Enel blinked in disbelief before chuckling. "Are you joking? There's no way such a massive elephant exists. You must be seeing things."

"No, it really is an elephant." Kaku handed the telescope to Enel. "See for yourself if you don't believe me."

Unconvinced, Enel took the telescope and peered into the fog. When he caught sight of the giant creature and realized it truly was an elephant, he was stunned. "What the hell?! Seriously? How can there be an elephant this huge? And it's moving…"

Kaku turned to Takumi and saw him gazing at the giant elephant's back. "Captain, don't tell me you plan to go up there."

Takumi responded calmly, "Yeah."

Kaku pressed on. "Is there something up there?"

Enel tossed the telescope back to Kaku and said lazily, "There are people up there."

"You can detect that from this distance?" Kaku asked in surprise.

Enel smirked proudly. "Of course. My Observation Haki isn't for show. You could train your whole life and never reach my level. It's pure talent—accept your fate."

Kaku: "…"

"And yet you needed a telescope to confirm it was an elephant?" Kaku sneered. "If your Observation Haki is that amazing, why couldn't you figure that out earlier?"

"Hmph, I've just never seen an elephant this size before," Enel scoffed. "I did hear its voice earlier, but I wasn't sure what it was. Judging by the sound, it's quite old and weak."

Ignoring Enel's boasting, Kaku returned his gaze to Takumi. Thinking about the places they'd been to before, he asked, "Captain, was this our destination from the start?"

Takumi nodded. "Yes. Zou."

"Zou?" Kaku was taken aback. After pondering for a moment, his eyes lit up with realization. "Ah, I remember now! Zou is where the Mink Tribe lives, right?"

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