Jaguar D. Saul's booming shout drew every eye to him, the air along the Giant Warrior Village coast growing heavy with tension.
Brook and his four top fighters locked their gazes on King Harald, the Elbaf king feeling the weight of their stares bearing down on him.
"Forget him," Harald barked. "He's just a young punk brainwashed by the Marines. I've got no beef with the Hell Pirates. Let's get those weapons loaded and move out before the Marines show up and complicate things!"
Harald's only goal was to wrap up his arms deal and get out. If the Marines arrived, he wasn't sure whether he'd have to join them against the Hell Pirates or not—a mess he'd rather avoid.
"King Harald, didn't you say you'd teach these cocky Hell Pirates a lesson?"
Saul's voice rang out again, chilling the atmosphere further. Harald inwardly cursed the giant Marine.
Can't you see how strong they are? You're a giant first, a Marine second—why are you screwing over your own kind?
"Yohohoho! King Harald, sounds like you've got a problem with us. Wanna throw down, do you?"
Brook recognized the orange-haired Saul, the man who'd saved Nico Robin and even swayed Admiral Aokiji to spare the eight-year-old girl. A member of the D clan, Saul had his own unyielding sense of "justice," even defying the Marines for his beliefs. Every D clan member clung to their convictions, ready to sacrifice everything for them.
Harald snorted. "Yeah, I don't like you lot one bit. But today, I'm not in the mood to fight. What, I can't even buy your gear without a hassle?"
He laid it all bare, dropping the pretense. Both sides knew the game—sometimes you play dumb to save face and avoid a pointless brawl. A real fight would mean heavy losses and little gain.
"King Harald, you're a straight shooter!" Brook laughed. "But you're not planning to use my weapons against me, are you? Let's settle this after we deal with the Marines, then we'll talk business!"
With a hearty chuckle, Brook signaled Golden Lion Shiki. The Hell Giant Fortress began to rise, floating high into the sky.
Thanks to sniper Silva's Glare-Glare Fruit, no Marine ship could sneak up on them. His eagle-eyed vision ensured they'd never be caught off guard.
As the Hell Pirates' fortress vanished into the clouds, Harald's expression flickered between frustration and uncertainty. What kind of retaliation would Brook cook up next time?
And by pulling out so decisively, the Hell Pirates didn't even give him a chance to pit them against the Marines. So much for that plan.
Harald shot a glare at Saul. If the big-mouthed giant hadn't spoken up, he might've stalled the deal long enough for the Marines to arrive.
...
Moments after the Hell Giant Fortress drifted away, a Marine fleet appeared on the horizon—too late. Led by two admirals, they sailed into Elbaf only to find no trace of the Hell Pirates.
Admirals Devo and Aokiba cursed their luck. The Hell Pirates' mobility and vigilance were unmatched, leaving the Marines grasping at shadows.
But their mission wasn't just to chase pirates. They had a secondary goal: cozy up to Elbaf and maybe even convince the giants to join the World Government as an allied nation. That way, the Marines could keep recruiting giant warriors.
This was the first time so many high-ranking Marine officers had set foot in the Giant Kingdom of Elbaf.
Harald wasn't thrilled about the Hell Pirates, but he wanted even less to do with the World Government and Marines. Elbaf sat deep in the New World, a pirate's paradise. Aligning with the government would paint a target on their backs for every pirate crew out there—not a smart move.
Unless the giants were willing to abandon their massive island and relocate to World Government territory—an impossible ask—Harald wasn't biting.
His real plan was to summon the Marines, let them clash with the Hell Pirates, and hope for a three-way stalemate. But Brook, that slippery bastard, didn't play by the rules. He didn't fight, didn't even show his face, and now Harald's scheme was in tatters.
The Marines, now stuck in Elbaf, weren't sure what to do next.
Harald grudgingly hosted Admirals Devo and Aokiba at the Giant Warrior Village site, with no intention of bringing them to the capital, King City.
"King Harald, we've come all this way to support Elbaf, answering the call of your giant officers and with the utmost concern from the Five Elders and the Fleet Admiral!" Aokiba said, tearing into a roasted beast leg with gusto. "We hope you'll reconsider joining the World Government as an allied nation. You'd get a seat at the World Conference and exemption from the Heavenly Tribute!"
He didn't miss a beat, pushing his secondary mission.
Harald scoffed. "Admiral, Elbaf's surrounded by New World pirates. If we join your alliance, we'd be every pirate's punching bag. Can your Navy protect us round-the-clock? If you two admirals set up camp here permanently, we might have something to talk about. Otherwise, don't waste our time!"
He didn't mince words. If the World Government wanted the giants to fight for them, they'd need to commit serious firepower—like two admirals stationed in Elbaf.
Aokiba faltered. "Well…"
The World Government would never station two admirals in the volatile back half of the New World. It was too risky.
Devo chimed in. "King Harald, what about Little Garden? It's an ancient island on the Grand Line—perfect for resettling the giants!"
Harald's eyes narrowed.
"You think I'm an idiot? Little Garden can barely support a few hundred giants. You expect me to ditch all of Elbaf for that speck of land?"
His opinion of the admirals plummeted. Their ideas were worse than Brook's antics! At this rate, he'd rather strike a deal with the Hell Pirates to secure Elbaf's safety in the New World.
The admirals failed to sway Harald and settled for setting up a temporary base in the Giant Warrior Village, keeping an eye on whatever Brook was scheming.
Harald, not wanting to burn bridges entirely, had John Jax select a dozen young giants with a passion for justice to join the Marines, including his own son, John Giant.
This was Elbaf's quota for the next few decades—giants don't reach adulthood until sixty, so they couldn't churn out new recruits every year.
Devo and Aokiba, left with little else from their grand expedition, accepted the "payment" of a handful of giant recruits.
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+400 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg