A refreshing wind whipped up the waves, washing over the pure white sand with distinct granules.
The center of the island was enclosed by long, narrow walls, with sparkling and crystal-clear light reflected on the pristine white surface.
"Huh? What's going on?"
Sakura's eyes snapped open to find herself embedded in the sand. The seawater-mixed sand around her continuously sapped her body heat.
Pushing herself up from the sand, Sakura got to her feet. Everything around her was a vast expanse of white… the seawater, the beach, the shrubs, the forest, the wild beasts, all pure white, as if all color had been stripped from the world.
"So white... Where is this? Where did everyone else go?"
Walking alone on the beach, Sakura tried calling their names, but the entire shore was deathly silent, save for the constant sound of crashing waves.
Her last memory was of Leviathan carrying her and the two Revolutionary Army's members across the ocean current. So why had she been dumped on this beach now?
"What a headache. Guess I'll have to explore further inland."
After searching back and forth along the beach several times and finding no trace of the others, Sakura began advancing into the island.
Past the beach lay the forest. Within the woods, monochromatically white and utterly tranquil, a large white wild boar noticed the girl's intrusion. Greed flashed in its eyes, it bared its sharp teeth, drool dripping from the corners of its mouth.
"Oh ho? Want to eat me?"
The rainbow glow of Observation Haki swirled within her emerald-green eyes. Sakura turned sideways, glancing at the boar from the corner of her eye.
Humm-!
The invisible wave of Conqueror's Haki rippled out, causing the already colorless world to stagnate further.
The beast, which had been standing tall, baring its large teeth, suddenly shuddered. It then retracted its claws and teeth, obediently and respectfully laying down before Sakura, submitting to her.
"Hehehe, you showed up at just the right time."
After looking over the large boar before her, a smile bloomed on Sakura's face.
Seeing the devilish smile on the girl's face, the large boar's eyes went blank, and it vigorously shook its head at her.
Moments later, the tranquil forest was suddenly broken by someone's cheerful shout.
"Woo-hoo, charge, Wild Boar No. 1! Hahahaha!"
Several giant trees were knocked down, tumbling in the wind. Amid the billowing dust, the pig-riding girl crashed through everything, a raging boar on a rampage.
The entire pristine forest fell into chaos due to this commotion. Creatures large and small began fleeing wildly due to the boar's rampage, ultimately awakening the overlord slumbering deep within the forest-!
Boom!!!
The earth suddenly shook, folding and rising like a rug.
As pure white soil and rocks churned, a massive outline raised its claw and slammed it down toward the source of the disturbance. Where the claw passed, a deep chasm split the barren ground.
Then, Sakura saw a blazing light chasing closely from behind, instantly engulfing everything around her.
"What?"
Sakura flipped off the boar, hoisted her mount, and tossed it outward. Meanwhile, she slammed both hands on the ground, causing a wall of frost to rise, forming a thick protective shell.
Another explosion roared, flames and firelight filling the entire forest.
Amid the soaring plume of black smoke, a figure burst through the curtain, flying backward with a long trail of residual ash.
Propelled by the impact, Sakura finally got a clear view of the colossal creature.
"A dragon?"
Sakura exclaimed in disbelief.
Before her stood a creature over a hundred meters tall, clad in pure white scales, with vertical crimson pupils, twin horns on its head, and a pair of wings on its back… a dragon.
"Is this the ability user who injured the Revolutionary Army's soldiers? No, the aura is different."
In Sakura's Observation Haki perception, the giant dragon before her didn't emit the unique wave of a Devil Fruit User.
Moreover, those fierce, crimson eyes radiating wildness showed not a hint of human intellect. From her senses, it seemed more like a wild beast than a human.
"This place is just too strange. How can even mythical creatures exist here!"
After tumbling several times mid-air, Sakura finally landed on the canopy of a large tree.
She channeled Chakra to the soles of her feet, wobbling slightly due to a slight delay in conduction. Fortunately, she increased her output in time and steadied herself again.
Roar!
Clearly, the dragon in the distance had no intention of letting Sakura, the instigator of the chaos, get away. It dug its limbs into the ground, lowered its head, and opened its massive maw. A dark, eerie light began gathering within its mouth once more.
"Hey, you greedy thing. I let you blow off steam with one shot, and you still want a second one?"
Sakura reached out and made a grasping motion in the air, slowly drawing out a massive Storm Sword.
Intense heat poured into the greatsword, boiling Chakra burned within her muscles, the monstrous strength of the Giant Royalty sang loudly… the legendary spear was ready to be unleashed!
"Ikoku Sovereignty!"
In that instant, a magnificent crimson light pillar shot into the sky!
The giant dragon was cleaved in two by the sword's radiance. Like a bubble vanishing into thin air, its wounded remnants were swallowed by flames, turning into charred remains that convulsed and twitched violently.
Its hundreds-of-meters-long body crashed to the ground, kicking up clouds of pure white dust that filled the entire forest.
Soon, Sakura saw two broken outlines within the rolling flames struggling to rise again. Mud-like filaments grew between them, reconnecting the pieces.
"An... undying monster?"
Sakura frowned, clearly recalling some unpleasant memories.
She raised her greatsword once more, this time injecting Haki into the blade. Black lightning began to crackle around it.
But suddenly, she felt a tug on the corner of her clothes. Sakura looked down to see a rabbit about half her height enter her field of view.
It wore a top hat and a monocle over one eye. Its pure white tailcoat fluttered in the wind.
Seeing Sakura's gaze, it tugged on her clothes again and pointed to a hole beside it.
"Huh? Are you inviting me in?"
Sakura curiously pointed at herself. The rabbit nodded, then took the lead and jumped into the hole.
She glanced conflictedly at the dragon charging toward her, its mouth filled with blazing light, then looked down at the rabbit hole at her feet.
With a light sigh, Sakura followed and dove into the rabbit hole.
With a pop like a soap bubble bursting, the entrance that was once in the pristine forest vanished without a trace.
The dragon's breath shot into empty space, leaving it roaring in futile rage.
On the other side, Sakura felt her vision blur.
Deep darkness swallowed her, and she fell, and fell, down through the pit.
She didn't know how much time had passed. It felt like passing through clouds, then light suddenly appeared again.
When the clouds dispersed, she reached the endpoint… a massive plaza.
The sky was still pure white. Wide roads floated in the void, and thick mist enveloped the entire world.
Fragments of buildings and giant chess pieces drifted around the edges of the plaza. These floating objects occasionally collided, sending out large plumes of smoke.
Many small, albino animals, standing upright like humans, hid within the ruins, watching her with wary eyes.
"Just what is this place? And what are you all?"
Sakura caught up to the guiding rabbit, cupped its belly with both hands, and lifted it into the air.
"Speaking of which, would you let me dissect you?"
A dangerous glint shone in the girl's emerald-green pupils, combining with her expression to make her seem extremely threatening.
Upon hearing this, the rabbit broke into a cold sweat and began struggling violently.
'High intelligence, and some understanding of human society's vocabulary and things... System, what do you think?'
Remembering her daily tasks, Sakura instinctively called out to the system. But her ears were met with silence, no system's notification sounded.
'System?'
After calling again and getting no response, Sakura's playful expression gradually turned serious.
"It seems... the one who's not quite right might be me!"
The girl's eyebrows raised slightly. After her exclamation, she fell silent.
She just thought.
In the silence, a voice filled with a sense of weathering and time spoke up, gentle, low, and brimming with patience.
"Please stop teasing this gentleman, great pirate who has come from afar."