Zou

Zou is an island located on the back of a massive 1000 year old elephant named Zunisha that roams the New World. It is known as a "Phantom Island" due to Log Poses being unable to point to it. It is home to the Mink Tribe and where the Heart Pirates crew members currently reside after waiting there for their captain.

Zou is the third island visited by the Straw Hats in the New World and it is the primary setting of the Zou Arc.

Layout
Zunisha is a massive living elephant that has been around for 1000 years, as a result it cannot be tracked by a Log or Eternal Pose. It shows slight damage due to time as its ear is torn and its body is slightly ragged. Its legs are very tall, making it difficult to get on the island.

The ground on Zou is made up of Zunisha's rippled skin, which makes it difficult to traverse. It was shown to impede Sanji's group after they had arrived and were on the run from Kaido's subordinates, and once Luffy's group arrived, they noticed similar inconvenience with the paths of elephant skin. It also has countless strange trees growing from it with round-shaped formations of leaves that resemble scales.

Twice a day, Zunisha will spout sea water from his trunk, which results in a large blast deemed an "eruption rain" (噴火雨) pouring down from above that can wash away those on its back if they don't take cover. The water raised by him also brings about sea creatures to the surface and the water is later purified for drinking through aqueducts.

Zunisha's back makes up Zou, where the Mokomo Dukedom, in which the Mink Tribe dwell. It is a country with ancient-looking buildings and a place known as the Whale Forest that features a unique tree in the shape of a whale. The entirety of the back is encircled by a large wall, with a gate located near Zunisha's tail.

Whale Forest
The Whale Forest (くじらの森) is located near the nape of Zunisha's neck. In the center of the forest, there is a giant tree with a trunk stylized into a baleen whale bending upwards. In the whale's tail section there is a secret room where a red Poneglyph is located under the Kozuki Family crest. When Jack attacked Zou, Raizo was hidden and bound there to keep his whereabouts a secret from the pirate.

The forest is protected by the mink Guardians (侠客団 (ガーディアンズ)) who will attack any invaders.

Guardians Residential District
The Guardians Residential District is located right at the base of the giant whale-shaped tree at the center of the Whale Forest. This area contains several wooden houses and buildings where Nekomamushi and the rest of the Guardians live. This place also sustained some damage during the battle between the minks and Jack, but the Guardians still live there despite that.

This place is confirmed to have at least a restaurant, a saloon and a hotel.

Kurau City
Kurau City (クラウ都) is a city located at the edge of the Whale Forest and at the approximate center of Zunisha's back. The city has been specially designed to accommodate Eruption Rain, with multiple drains and aqueducts. It has been heavily damaged, due to Jack's invasion. He also placed several whipping posts in the middle of the streets, where he tortured the natives during his interrogations. After Jack's invasion, the city was abandoned, with most of the citizens taking shelter at the Rightflank Fortress.

Rightrump Forest
Rightrump Forest (右尻 (ウシリー) の森) is the forest located right on Zunisha's right rump.

Deep, Dark Swamp
Deep, Dark Swamp is the swamp located on Zunisha's hindquarters; if one head straight down the path from Rightrump Forest, they will find this place, and if one turns right from here, they can reach the Rightflank Forest.

Rightflank Forest
Rightflank Forest (右腹 (ウバラ) の森) is the forest located on Zunisha's right flank (or belly).

Rightflank Fortress
The Rightflank Fortress (右腹 (ウバラ) の砦) is located within the Rightflank Forest and is the residence of many minks, particularly after Jack's invasion. According to Wanda, the fortress is a residential area where the ancestors of the Mink Tribe used to live.

Past
Zou has been home to the Mink Tribe for around 1000 years.

The samurai Kin'emon, Momonosuke, Kanjuro, and Raizo were headed to Zou, but they were shipwrecked on the way there.

After arriving at Dressrosa, Trafalgar Law gave Nami a Vivre Card. He told her it led to Zou and encouraged her to use it if something happened. After Sanji's brief clash with Doflamingo, the Straw Hats on board the Thousand Sunny set their course for Zou, in order to keep Momonosuke and Caesar out of Doflamingo's hands while the remaining members finished their business on Dressrosa.

Seven days before their arrival, Jack and the Beasts Pirates came to Zou looking for Raizo. The minks lied to the pirates that they had no knowledge of Raizo in order to keep him safe, the two groups fought for five days. However, Jack won the battle by incapacitating the minks with Koro, and left a day later to rescue Doflamingo. Sanji and the Sunny group arrived at Zou the same day, docking at Zunisha's leg. When they arrived at the top, they ran into one of the Beasts Pirates, Sheepshead, who was chasing a mink. They drove the Beasts Pirates away, cleared the gas, and cured all the minks.

Zou Arc
The Big Mom Pirates later arrived at Zou due to overhearing the Straw Hat Pirates talk about it and since Pekoms, a mink, was from there. Pekoms and Capone Bege arrived on the island with the goals of capturing both Caesar Clown and Sanji, with the latter being needed for Big Mom's tea party. Pekoms agreed to fail to capture Sanji out of gratitude toward the Straw Hats, but Bege shot him in anger. Bege then captured the Straw Hats and Caesar. Sanji managed to free his crewmates and threatened to kill Caesar if Bege did not leave now. Due to this and Nekomamushi's arrival, Bege left with Sanji and Caesar.

Two days later, Luffy and the others arrived and climbed to the top of the elephant. They reunited with their crew and visited all of the minks, learning of Jack's attack and Sanji's predicament. The next day, Kin'emon and Kanjuro arrived on Zou. The Straw Hats attempted to prevent the minks from seeing them, but they were unsuccessful. However, the minks revealed their alliance with the Kozuki Family of Wano Country and took the Straw Hats to see Raizo.

That day, Jack and his men returned to Zou, with Jack planning to bring it down by killing Zunisha itself..

Trivia

 * The island may be based on the Sanatani (Hindu) myth of the world residing on the backs of four elephants.
 * Zō is the Japanese word for "Elephant".

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