An Oni in God's Valley

As the Koa Pirates restarted their journey, the crew resumed their adventures. The very first island they reached was Drum Island, which was always covered in snow. On Drum Island, they met many doctors. Koa wanted to invite one of them to join his ship, but unfortunately, no one was willing to leave Drum Island and become a pirate.

However, their visit wasn't fruitless—they managed to discover several exotic plants that could be used not only for medicine but also for cooking. Joichiro found a rare mushroom that was not only incredibly healthy but also produced a rich, flavorful stew when boiled for over a day. The stew even helped the body recover faster from fatigue, making it a valuable resource for their future travels.

The next island on their journey was Arabasta, but they didn't set foot on it. There was no real need, as they had little interest in a desert kingdom with nothing but sand. While staying on the shores, however, they encountered a group of Kung Fu Dugongs who lived nearby. True to their tradition, the dugongs challenged them to a fight, but they were easily defeated, even without the crew using Devil Fruits or their full strength.

Nearly all of the dugongs asked to join the Koa Pirates, as it was their custom to follow anyone who defeated them. Koa, however, decided to take only one. He told them to fight each other to determine who among them was the strongest. It served both as entertainment and as a way to ensure that the one chosen could at least survive and protect itself in the harsh conditions of the New World.

The one who won was a Kung Fu Dugong with a larger build than the others, but also much faster and far more skilled in martial arts. When the dugong emerged victorious, it raised its fist toward the sky in triumph, signaling that it was the strongest. This made Koa, Kuzan, Greenbull, and Joichiro smile slightly, especially Greenbull, who had originally suggested they take all of the Kung Fu Dugongs because he thought they were cute.

As the winning dugong boarded the ship, it looked back at the others, who stood silently, visibly disappointed that they hadn't been chosen. The winner gave a respectful nod, a silent farewell filled with the unspoken honor of a warrior. The others responded with similar gestures, acknowledging the dugong's victory. Though none of them could speak, their parting was filled with dignity and mutual respect.

With the Log Pose reset and pointing in a new direction, the Koa Pirates set sail once more. Minutes later, the shoreline faded from view, and the newly recruited dugong turned to face Koa.

"Do you have a name?" Koa asked, half-expecting no reply—but to his surprise, the dugong shook its head, indicating that it did not.

The crew immediately began brainstorming names.

"What about Raphael?" Joichiro suggested.

The dugong shook its head. Not a fan.

"Super Awesome Ninja Dugong?" Greenbull proposed, his voice full of enthusiasm.

The dugong turned away, clearly offended by the suggestion, making it obvious that Greenbull had no talent for naming.

"How about Verde—since you've got a bit of green on you?" Kuzan offered thoughtfully.

The dugong paused to consider, but eventually shook its head again.

Name after name was tossed around until finally, Koa gave a casual suggestion.

"What about Urf?"

The dugong paused, thinking carefully. Then, slowly, it nodded.

And so, the newest member of the Koa Pirates was named Urf the Kung Fu Dugong.

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Now, we see the crew sailing steadily across the Grand Line, their next destination set: Jaya Island. Koa had a clear goal in mind—he wanted to find the blueprints of the Ark Maxim, and more importantly, gather Jet Dials to be used as a propulsion system for his future ship. His dream was to create the fastest ship the world of One Piece had ever seen, and with the legendary shipwright Tom's craftsmanship, he believed it was possible.

Having met Tom during his time sailing with Gol D. Roger, Koa had once made a pact with the shipwright—a promise to build him a ship when the time was right. Now, with his crew growing stronger and his ambitions rising, Koa was ready to cash in that promise. The thought of finally having a custom ship tailored for his towering size and strength filled him with anticipation as Jaya came into view on the horizon.

As the silhouette of the island grew clearer, Koa gave an order with a grin.

"Greenbull, summon more propellers. Let's speed this up."

Greenbull nodded, placing his hand on the ship's surface and causing thick wooden propellers to sprout from the stern. With a surge of speed, the ship cut through the waves, closing the final distance to Jaya.

Upon landing, the Log Pose began to reset, confirming that the island was part of the normal Grand Line route. As the crew disembarked to explore, Joichiro, Kuzan, and Greenbull went off to browse the shops and back alleys in search of rare items, food ingredients, and weapon supplies.

Koa, on the other hand, headed straight toward the shores of the island. He expected to find Mont Blanc Cricket, believing the famed descendant of Norland had already taken up residence there. But as he wandered through the coastal area, he quickly realized something was off—there was no sign of Cricket's trademark home, no diving equipment, and no trace of the Saruyama Alliance.

Then it hit him—Cricket didn't move to Jaya until about 12 years before the post-timeskip. Koa clicked his tongue in frustration, realizing that he had come too early in the timeline.

"Hmph… must've gotten my years mixed up."

Still, he knew how to get to the Skypiea without the help of Cricket; he just wanted to bring Cricket with him, but since it was too early, he would just let the Straw Hats pirates make his dream come true, a shame since it would be great to invite Cricket to his crew. 

With a deep breath and a determined grin, Koa turned back toward the dense jungle.

"Let's see what else this island has to offer."