"Kabababa!"
Brogy, his face bruised and swollen, raised his barrel of ale.
"Human! You're truly formidable!"
"That's right! Egegege!"
Dorry, equally covered in wounds, laughed as he lifted his own barrel.
"It's been many years since Brogy and I were so thoroughly defeated!"
Just moments ago, Red Ogre Brogy and Blue Ogre Dorry had joined forces once more—only to suffer another crushing defeat at the hands of Storm.
This time, Storm hadn't relied on the abilities of the Clay-Clay Fruit to summon endless "Sword-Shield Giants."
He had simply used his fists, his Haki—
And the hundredfold amplification of the More-More Fruit…
To effortlessly overpower the two elite giants fighting in unison.
Now, having regained consciousness, Red Ogre Brogy and Blue Ogre Dorry were utterly convinced of Storm's strength.
"Calling me 'human' this and 'human' that…"
Storm chuckled, shaking his head. He grabbed a nearby barrel and raised it in a toast to the two giants.
"My name is Vongola Storm."
"Brogy/Dorry!"
The two giants introduced themselves in unison.
Several barrels clashed together, filling the air with laughter and boisterous cheer.
"Brogy, Dorry."
Storm stood up and extended a solemn invitation to the two giants.
"I know you were the captains of the Giant Warrior Pirates over a hundred years ago.
"But now, the Giant Warrior Pirates have been disbanded for a century.
"How about joining my crew?"
Though Storm was still using Crocodile's ship at the moment…
That didn't stop him from recruiting these two elite giants.
Truth be told, Brogy and Dorry's combat prowess was exceptional.
With six-star strength, they could at least be considered second-tier figures in the grand scheme of the seas.
Not to mention, behind Brogy and Dorry stood Elbaf—the "Strongest Country in the World!"
"Kabababa! Storm, I deeply respect a warrior like you."
Brogy laughed heartily—but declined Storm's offer.
"However, my duel with Dorry isn't over yet. I'm not ready to leave Little Garden."
"Same here, egegege!"
Dorry roared with laughter as well.
"I won't leave this island until I defeat Brogy."
Though Brogy and Dorry had been fighting on Little Garden for a hundred years…
Giants had extraordinarily long lifespans, averaging over three hundred years.
At "just" a hundred and fifty years old, Red Ogre Brogy and Blue Ogre Dorry were still in their prime by giant standards.
Moreover, in the eyes of giants, "battle" held sacred significance.
Without external interference, it wouldn't be strange if Brogy and Dorry continued their clashes on Little Garden for another century.
Given that, their outright refusal of Storm's invitation wasn't hard to understand.
"What a shame."
Storm shook his head.
He genuinely admired the giants' combat abilities.
Unfortunately, the recruitment had failed…
That said, even though Storm hadn't succeeded in recruiting them, he had no intention of letting these two giants remain on Little Garden.
The past century had already proven what would happen if they stayed.
Red Ogre Brogy and Blue Ogre Dorry were giants of equal strength! Even if they fought for another hundred years, neither could defeat the other. Rather than letting these two elite warriors waste their lives in Paradise, it would be better for them to shine in the latter half of the New World.
Storm knew exactly how to deal with straightforward giants. He spoke bluntly:
"Brogy, Dorry, do you still care about the Giant Warrior Pirates?"
Faced with Storm's sudden question, Brogy and Dorry were momentarily confused.
"Of course! How could we not care?"
"We're the captains of the Giant Warrior Pirates!"
The two giants responded in unison.
Storm continued his questioning.
"Then do you two know the current state of the Giant Warrior Pirates?"
Brogy and Dorry shook their heads together.
Having been isolated on Little Garden for a hundred years, they had no means of receiving outside information.
How could they know that the Giant Warrior Pirates had already become history?
"By chance, I've learned quite a bit about the Giant Warrior Pirates," Storm said calmly.
"A hundred years ago, the two captains of the Giant Warrior Pirates—that is, you two—mysteriously disappeared.
"Afterwards, the remnants of the crew, having lost their captains, were rounded up by the Marines.
"The Marines at that time decided to publicly execute the remaining members of the Giant Warrior Pirates! Using the blood of giant pirates as a warning to the world."
Hearing this, Brogy and Dorry couldn't stay seated.
"Marines! Damn Marines! Damn government!"
"How dare they?! Kashi! Aoyimo! Rydeen!..."
It was true that the giant race valued honor in battle. But they also deeply cared about the lives of their kin and comrades!
"Calm down! Brogy! Dorry!"
Storm activated his Clay-Clay Fruit powers, swiftly stopping the two giants who were about to charge toward the sea.
"The Giant Warrior Pirates weren't actually all executed. Your crew members were later sent back to Elbaf.
"However... about fifty years ago, two giants, concerned about their captains' whereabouts, set out to sea again.
"Then, these two giants were captured once more by the World Government.
"The World Government made a deal with them. Those two giants are now guarding the gates of Enies Lobby for their captains.
"If I remember correctly, their names were 'Kashi' and 'Aoyimo.'"
After Storm finished recounting the fate of the Giant Warrior Pirates, Brogy and Dorry sat heavily on the ground, their expressions grave.
"Kashi... Aoyimo..."
"As captains, we've truly failed in our duties..."
Brogy and Dorry's eyes quickly reddened, followed by loud, wailing sobs.
The highly emotional reaction of the two giants left Crocodile, who had been listening to the revelations below, utterly bewildered.
Huh? Why are they crying now?
Brogy and Dorry's tears fell like a torrential downpour, each teardrop as large as a washbasin.
Crocodile, who feared water, found this "localized rainstorm" utterly terrifying. His scalp tingled as he quickly dodged to the side.
Storm casually raised a ceramic umbrella, incidentally shielding Robin from the "falling tears" as well.
Brogy and Dorry wept for a long while before finally calming down.
The two red-eyed giants stared intently at Storm.
The sheer visual pressure made Robin instinctively shrink behind Storm for cover.
Brogy and Dorry spoke in unison.
"Storm, you mentioned having a ship just now, right?"
"Could you give us a ride? We want to head straight to that damned... what was it called? Enies Lobby!"
Their duel between Brogy and Dorry could wait for another time.
But Kashi and Aoyimo must no longer remain slaves to the World Government!...
In the end, Red Ogre Brogy and Blue Ogre Dorry boarded Storm's ship—
Well, technically it was Crocodile's Baroque Gustaph.
The Baroque Gustaph slowly sailed away from Little Garden's waters, charting course toward Alabasta.
Inside the cabin.
Crocodile cracked open a window slightly, peering through the gap at the two giants crowding the deck.
"White Dragon, was everything you just said true?"
"Old Croc, if you're doubting whether I deceived Brogy and Dorry, you can rest easy."
Storm lounged casually on a clay sofa nearby, his expression relaxed.
"Just send someone to Enies Lobby to confirm whether two giants are guarding its gates."
"I know there are two giant guards at Enies Lobby!"
Crocodile withdrew his gaze from the window, turning toward Storm.
"But I never imagined they'd be members of the Giant Warrior Pirates..."
"The implications behind the Giant Warrior Pirates run far deeper than you think."
Storm shook his head with a flippant smirk.
"The World Government didn't execute the remnants of the Giant Warrior Pirates back then—they specifically sent them back to Elbaf.
"Ever wonder why?"
Crocodile froze, realizing he'd overlooked this detail.
But Old Croc's intellect was sharp enough.
"The World Government did it deliberately?"
Crocodile narrowed his eyes, quickly piecing things together.
"Their target... is Elbaf? That so-called 'Strongest Country in the World'?"
Storm responded with a noncommittal smile.
Watching this, Crocodile grumbled inwardly.
This bastard White Dragon knows way too many secrets!
"You know I don't have the bandwidth to escort two giants to Enies Lobby right now."
Storm changed the subject, cutting straight to the point.
"Brogy and Dorry will definitely go to Enies Lobby. The rest is up to you.
"No problem, Old Croc?"
Crocodile nodded silently.
He too wanted to recruit those two captains of the Giant Warrior Pirates.
But until now, he'd found no opportunity to demonstrate his worth...
Now, the chance had finally arrived!
Crocodile walked to a corner of the cabin, opened a safe, and retrieved a dossier.
"Here's what you wanted!"
He tossed the dossier to Storm.
The latter caught it effortlessly and unfurled it.
"Intel on the Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea—'Lizard King' Hanafuda? You're something else, Old Croc!"
Storm never intended to waste much time in Alabasta.
Among the Royal Seven Warlords in Paradise, he wanted to meet each one whenever the opportunity arose...
Now Crocodile had voluntarily handed over Hanafuda's intelligence dossier.
What perfect timing—just what he needed! Just as Storm was about to flip through the documents in his hands...
Crocodile's private Den Den Mushi suddenly rang with an incomin
g call.
Storm looked up at Old Croc.
The latter remained expressionless as he answered the call.
The Den Den Mushi mimicked the image of a bald head.
An aged, imperious voice echoed through the cabin.
"Sand Crocodile, so you're not dead yet?"
"Five Elders!"
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