Chapter 66 - 66: Setting Sail Again: Destination, Boin Archipelago

Words : 1439 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

Boin Archipelago. Located in the first half of the Grand Line, this strange island chain is made up of nine enormous floating landmasses. From above, they resemble blooming flowers drifting across the sea. But they are not islands in the traditional sense. In truth, each one is a colossal carnivorous plant, classified scientifically as a Baron of the Belly. These monstrous flora are so massive, so intricate in their biological mimicry, that they have become indistinguishable from landmasses, lush, deceptive, and very much alive. The Boin Archipelago is home to a bizarre ecosystem found nowhere else in the world. Here, plants bear strange fruits that defy logic—no preparation required, they produce ready-to-eat food: meats, noodles, cakes… even ice cream. Yet the food here is more than just miraculous. It's unnaturally energizing. A single pound of meat from Boin contains five times the caloric energy of its ordinary counterpart. But there's a catch. The more one eats, the hungrier they become. The food here doesn't satisfy, it awakens an unquenchable appetite. Even without mastering the art of Life Return, anyone who steps foot on this archipelago will find themselves devouring endlessly… never digesting, never feeling full. And when they grow heavy, sluggish, and slow from overindulgence… That's when the Baron of the Belly reveals its true, predatory nature. The day Yoriichi Tsugikuni returned from West Blue to Marine Headquarters, Zephyr personally brought him to meet the current Fleet Admiral Steelbone Kong. Kong didn't speak much. Just a few words: "You've got talent," "Do your best," and "The future belongs to the young." Not nearly as fearsome as Yoriichi had imagined. Yet when the meeting ended, Kong kept Zephyr behind for a private discussion. When Zephyr finally emerged from the office, his expression was stormy, like a brewing squall. But by the time he reached Yoriichi, the darkness had vanished. His face betrayed nothing. From then on, Yoriichi returned to living at Zephyr's home. He didn't leave the house for days. Instead, he shut himself inside the dojo, refining his Haki, sharpening his swordsmanship. To be honest, though, such basic training had already lost its edge for someone like him. During this secluded period, he received several visits from Rosinante, the adopted son of Admiral Sengoku and Yoriichi's next-door neighbor. Rosinante had only come to hang out with someone his age. Unfortunately, every time he walked through the door, he was pulled into training. Or rather dragged into hell. After two straight days of sparring with Yoriichi, Rosinante finally panicked. He had no choice but to face a bitter truth: no matter how hard he worked, even a hundred years of training wouldn't let him catch up to Yoriichi Tsugikuni. And so, Rosinante surrendered. He stopped picking up the bamboo sword, no matter how many times Yoriichi urged him to. Faced with such a stubborn slacker, Yoriichi could only sigh. He didn't push him further. Everyone chooses their own path. And everyone must face the consequences of those choices. Perhaps someday, Rosinante would look back on this decision with regret. Three days after Yoriichi's return Before dawn had broken, Zephyr roused him from sleep. With only a few changes of clothes and his sword, Zephyr rushed him to the Navy's main harbor. It was late October. The chill of deep autumn had settled over Marineford, and thick fog blanketed the base like a ghostly shroud. Yoriichi stood at the edge of the dock, gazing silently at the dog-headed warship as it raised anchor. Something felt… off. Such a sudden departure, at such an odd hour… His instincts whispered of hidden currents beneath the surface. "Yoriichi, board the ship!" "Here—take this Den Den Mushi. Use it to report in, even if there's nothing urgent." "Boin Archipelago is no paradise. Stay alert." "If anything feels strange, physically or mentally, call me immediately. I'll send someone." Zephyr's arm draped around his shoulders as he issued these grave instructions. Yoriichi looked up at his teacher's unusually serious face and nodded solemnly. "I understand, Teacher Zephyr." "I'll be careful." Zephyr gave his student a heavy pat on the shoulder. "This training… may last a while." "Don't ever let your guard down. On the Boin Archipelago, even a single mistake can be fatal." "I'll send someone to evaluate your progress each month. When I believe you're ready, strong enough—I'll come bring you back personally." "Yoriichi… don't let me down." With that, Zephyr withdrew his hand and pointed toward the ship. Yoriichi nodded silently. Then, with a graceful leap, he launched himself into the air using Geppo(Moonwalk) and landed lightly aboard the warship. As soon as Yoriichi landed, Garp gave the order to set sail. The great warship slowly departed, its silhouette fading into the mist. Zephyr remained still, watching until the vessel vanished over the horizon. Only then did the solemnity on his face ease slightly, replaced by the ghost of a smile. "So… you really went through with it, Zephyr." A deep voice sounded behind him. A tall, powerfully built man stepped out of the fog—Fleet Admiral Kong. "With a monster like Yoriichi… if we nurture him right, he could become one of the Navy's greatest assets." "Then why send him away now when he's only just begun to develop a sense of belonging?" Zephyr didn't turn around. His eyes remained on the empty sea. He chuckled. "Only the sea can forge the strongest Marines." "You know it. I know it. And Garp knows it too." "So why chain a prodigy to a desk at headquarters?" "As for belonging…" Zephyr finally looked back, eyes glinting with resolve. "That boy has his own sense of justice. That's more than enough." He turned and began walking back toward Marineford. As he passed by Kong, he paused, looked up, and smiled like a boy skipping class. "If I've disobeyed orders, Admiral, feel free to punish me." "I'll take it." With that, Zephyr strode into the mist. The cape on his back, emblazoned with the word Justice, fluttered behind him like a banner in the wind. "…Punish you, huh?" Kong muttered, a gruff smile tugging at his lips. "Every last one of you is a headache." Zephyr. Garp. Too many times, they acted on their own. But they were irreplaceable. Even years later, when Zephyr eventually turned his back on the Navy and tried to destroy the world itself, Headquarters still hesitated. And Garp, he protected the Pirate King's son, raised a revolutionary for a son of his own, and a grandson who would one day become a Yonko. Yet no one dared strip him of his rank. Even now, he commanded the elite SWORD unit. That was Garp. That was the Navy's Iron Fist. Aboard the dog-headed warship, Yoriichi stood at the rear deck, staring back toward the fading harbor. He said nothing for a long time. He could feel it in his bones. Zephyr was hiding something from him. Something important. Something about him. For the first time in a long while, Yoriichi felt a pang of unease—not for himself, but for his teacher. "Oi, brat. Take this." Garp appeared behind him without a sound, tossing something over. Yoriichi caught it reflexively. It was a small booklet. He opened it—A Devil Fruit Encyclopedia. "Don't just go eating whatever you find once we get there," Garp grunted. "Place is crawling with weird stuff." Then, after a pause: "Don't worry about Zephyr. He'll be fine." "Didn't think I'd see the day… A kid like you catching Steelbone Kong's attention more than once." "That man's got his eye on you." Yoriichi's fingers tightened slightly around the booklet. He'd already guessed it. Zephyr didn't send him away on a whim. If he hadn't left now, he might not have been allowed to leave at all. "Train hard, Yoriichi. Don't waste Zephyr's hopes." "Heh heh heh… If the time comes, I'll introduce you to the real monsters of this world!" ********* Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 200, 400 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch! For advance chapters, please do visit and consider joining me on Patreon, it really helps me out and I'd love to have you along for the journey! p(a)treon.com/Lnee *remove () to open it

Chapter 66 - 66: Setting Sail Again: Destination, Boin Archipelago

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