Chapter 263: Arrival at Zou
"Yiya yiya yo yo yo!"
The lanternfish's massive face first displayed urgency, followed by a burst of mental waves sent directly into Luo Han's mind.
Then its expression turned pitiful and aggrieved.
"What's it saying?" Aishi asked. She couldn't understand the mental message, but the change in the fish's expression told her it had definitely said something to Luo Han.
"Sigh…"
Luo Han sighed, somewhat annoyed. "This guy lost track of Zunesha."
"Wasn't Zunesha supposed to be massive—way bigger than the lanternfish?" Aishi asked, confused. How could you lose something that big?
"It's probably because of this sea area," Akatsuki said quietly. Her Observation Haki detected very few life forms—almost like a dead sea.
"Yeah."
Luo Han nodded. "The lanternfish said it lost track of Zunesha after entering this fog-covered region."
"So what do we do now?" Aishi pouted, frustrated. "We're not seriously going back empty-handed, are we?"
She was disappointed. They finally got to go on a vacation with Luo Han, and now nothing was going their way!
"No need for that."
Luo Han shook his head, then smiled slightly. "The lanternfish said it only arrived here late last night. That's when it lost track of Zunesha."
Luo Han explained, "Given Zunesha's speed, it shouldn't be too far. Let's split up and search."
"How should we divide?" Aishi asked.
"Four directions."
Luo Han casually pointed north, south, east, and west. "Aishi and I will take the Penguin and head this way. You three each pick a direction."
"When you find anything, use the rings to contact me."
"You all know how to use them, right?"
"We do!" Aishi said, touching the ring on her finger. She smiled, "Just focus on your name while looking at the ring, and we'll be able to talk to you through it."
This was one of the abilities Luo Han had developed over the past year.
By using the telekinetic coordinates embedded in the rings and the link to his spiritual world, Luo Han could pull ring-bearers into a mental communication space—similar to how the Akatsuki in Naruto projected themselves before the Gedo Statue.
Even more, those controlled by Bie Tianshen, like Sora and Stussy, could enter this space on their own without Luo Han's help—perfect for secret conversations between spies.
Thanks to Kyoka suigetsu , Luo Han could also talk directly to people in the real world via the spiritual link—without pulling them in—making it easier for everyone involved.
"Alright!" Akatsuki and Cole nodded together, indicating no issues.
"Let's go!" Luo Han said, grabbing Aishi and flying off in one direction.
Akatsuki , Aishi , and Cole each flew off in a different direction as well.
The lanternfish, meanwhile, obeyed Luo Han's instructions, found a quiet spot, and dozed off again—slowly sinking beneath the sea.
...
8,000 meters above sea level—
Luo Han and Aishi stood on the deck of the Penguin, overlooking the fog-covered sea below. The mist blanketed over a thousand kilometers, and reached up to 5,000 meters high!
No wonder Zunesha could hide inside it. Such a tall fog bank was incredibly rare.
"As I suspected—"
"It moves."
Luo Han narrowed his eyes. He and Aishi had been flying fast before climbing up to observe from above.
With Zunesha's size, it should've been easy to spot from this altitude—unless it never left the fog.
After observing for over an hour and seeing no trace of it, Luo Han theorized the mist was mobile, and Zunesha was hiding within it.
Now that he paid close attention, he could see it.
"But…"
Luo Han frowned. Was Zunesha avoiding them on purpose, sensing danger?
Or was this simply its natural migration route?
"Forget it."
After thinking for a moment, Luo Han let it go. He was only here for the Poneglyph, after all.
"How do we even search for it, Luo Han?" Aishi asked, looking down at the sea of fog below, uncertain where to begin.
"Let's follow the fog's movement," Luo Han replied. He piloted the Penguin forward, maintaining altitude while his spiritual sense scanned the area.
Given his speed and sensory reach, as long as Zunesha was beneath them, it wouldn't escape detection.
...
Before long—
Luo Han and Aishi reached the outermost edge of the fog bank's movement.
From the deck, Aishi stared down, but gave up quickly.
It was all mist. She couldn't see or hear a thing.
"Any luck?" she asked.
"Found it," Luo Han smiled. "Zunesha seems very sensitive to danger—it sensed us and stopped moving."
"Danger??"
Aishi blinked. "Are we the danger?"
They weren't threatening—just tourists! It's not like they were here to hurt it!
Aishi didn't get it.
"Me neither," Luo Han chuckled. Zunesha's odd reaction made him very curious.
He swore—even though he'd promised the lanternfish to get "revenge," he'd never planned to harm Zunesha.
But it was acting like Luo Han was some kind of threat. His spiritual senses picked up intense feelings of wariness.
"Call the others over," Aishi suggested.
"Got it."
Luo Han contacted Aishi and the others through the spiritual link, explained the situation via Kyoka suigetsu , and had them ascend to the skies ahead of the fog's path.
...
Zou Island.
Once Aishi and the others arrived, the Penguin pierced through the mist and descended toward the island below.
"So this is Zou Island…" Akatsuki muttered, gazing down from the ship's edge.
She had never seen such a massive creature before.
"My inherited memories don't include any mention of this giant elephant either."
"It's unbelievable," Aishi added, equally stunned. You had to see it in person to truly grasp nature's awe-inspiring scale.
What kind of creature was this?
"It's huge!" Even Cole had to admit it.
"Let's go down."
Luo Han smiled, piloting the Penguin toward the whale-shaped tree.
That's where the Poneglyph was.
"It's still so foggy…" Aishi peered downward, barely making out buildings and forests through the haze.
This wasn't the sunny, cheerful island she'd been hoping for.
"Leave it to me."
Luo Han smiled, and with a thought, unleashed his telekinesis.
Instantly—
The fog over hundreds of kilometers dispersed.
Zunesha's colossal body was revealed in full detail, clear as day before their eyes.
At the same time—
"Looks like the locals are already getting ready to welcome us," Luo Han said with a grin.
Moments later, the Penguin gently descended before the Whale Tree.
(END CHAPTER)
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