The moment news of the Celestial Dragon's death reached Marine Headquarters, the first thought that swept through the Navy was—
Has Magnus lost his mind!?
It wasn't strange that Magnus wanted to liberate slaves on Sabaody. They knew him too well: whenever he passed through, he would crush the slavers.
But killing a Celestial Dragon?
Fleet Admiral Kong himself was dumbstruck. Ever since Magnus's appearance in Impel Down, he had prepared to dispatch Admirals in pursuit.
But deep down, Kong knew the truth.
If Magnus chose not to fight to the death, even two Admirals wouldn't be able to pin him down. Three, four—it didn't matter. If Magnus decided to run, nobody could catch him.
The same was true of many Admirals who specialized in hand-to-hand combat.
If they ran fast enough, even stronger foes couldn't stop them.
Strength didn't guarantee speed—but speed guaranteed escape.
"Sphinx…?"
The only place that could force Magnus into a desperate stand was Sphinx.
But Magnus wasn't foolish. If he couldn't defend it, would he even try? Of course not.
In truth, Sphinx's strategic value was lower than Elbaf. At least Elbaf had giants as allies.
Sphinx only had civilians.
Civilians who had already agreed to become a World Government member nation.
By rights, the Navy should be the one defending Sphinx, not Magnus.
But in practice—if the Navy alone couldn't stop him, then what about the World Government?
If two Admirals weren't enough, what about ten?
"What exactly are you aiming for, Magnus?"
Kong muttered in his office.
—
On Sabaody, the Navy had wasted no time. Two Admirals and over a dozen battleships had already been dispatched.
The sheer scale rivaled the war at Sphinx.
"Hey, did you hear? This operation's target is White Wolf Magnus!"
"No way—that's the monster even Admirals can't handle!"
"Shut it! This time, our leader is the strongest of the current Admirals. He's not like Admiral Kong or Admiral Rona!"
"Watch your tongue! But… you're not wrong. Kong and Rona together couldn't capture him. If it had been Admiral Ortega Siwen, Magnus would've been taken down already!"
"..."
Kong's face darkened at the recruits' "whispering," but he couldn't deny the truth.
Among the current Admirals, Ortega Siwen was the strongest.
Since the battle at Elbaf, Kong had sparred with him several times, and every time ended in Kong's defeat.
Rona excelled in swordsmanship.
Ortega Siwen, like Kong, was a pure martial artist—no Devil Fruit, only body and Haki, honed to perfection.
In fact, Kong suspected that of all the Navy's top fighters, only Ortega Siwen could stand toe-to-toe with Magnus.
"That damned old man, always stirring trouble."
Beside him, a tall man near sixty with thick black hair and a toothpick in his mouth grumbled.
"Shouldn't he have retired by now?"
Before becoming Admiral, Ortega Siwen had crossed fists with Magnus too. In fact, every Admiral of the past few generations had.
Magnus had simply lived too long.
Admirals came and went, retiring in turn—yet Magnus remained.
"Some say Magnus has Pure Gold."
"Kong, you don't actually believe that nonsense?" Ortega Siwen rolled his eyes.
"Pure Gold is said to halt aging, not reverse it. I've seen the photos. That old wolf looks younger now than you."
Still, a glint of hunger flashed in his eyes.
"Even if I'm still at my peak, who knows about the years ahead? If something truly could restore youth, every old monster in the Government would fight for it."
The sea birthed new pirates every generation.
And the Navy birthed new Admirals in kind.
Roughly every twenty years, two or three would rise to the top. Their peak lasted about that long.
But some—like Kong, like Portman Nissen, the current Chief of Staff—retained Admiral-level strength into their seventies.
If youth could be restored—
The number of Admirals might double overnight.
"Speculation," Kong said flatly. He was only forty, still rising. He couldn't yet grasp the desire of older men clinging to their fading prime.
"Found him."
Though both were martial artists, Ortega's Observation Haki was sharper than Kong's.
But his next words made Kong tense.
"There's trouble. He's not alone. Two others of great strength are with him."
—
Island 41, Sabaody.
After cutting through waves of marines, Magnus reached the dock where the Millennium Falcon was moored.
Rocks, Ripley, and the others had returned already, alongside ragged giants locked in battle with marines.
Among them, two figures stood out.
"Gyagyagyagya! While we were away, much has happened. But now we've returned. Any who would challenge Elbaf must face us first!"
A towering giant with a steel helm, long beard, and dark-blue cloak swung his blade, sending a Vice Admiral flying.
"Gababababa! You dared to cause trouble while we were gone? Now you'll taste the wrath of Elbaf's strongest!"
Another giant, clad in the same cloak, helmet with horns, his massive ax sweeping gusts that hurled marines aside.
They were the captains of the Giant Warrior Pirates—
Dorry and Brogy.
The very ones Jorul had longed to pit against Magnus.
Even without Rocks or Ripley, with these two present, the marines on Island 41 stood no chance.
From afar, Ripley in giant form spotted Magnus.
"Captain!"
Dorry and Brogy noticed him too.
"Gyagyagyagya! So you're Magnus? Not bad. Little Ripley said you protected Elbaf while we were gone."
"Gababa! But Dorry, didn't you say that if we met the man who stole little Ripley away, we'd make him pay?"
"Brogy, are you picking a fight?"
"Dorry, don't forget—our duel isn't finished!"
"..."
Forty years of fighting, still unresolved. If not for Harald summoning them, their duel would've continued forever.
They owed Magnus for Elbaf. But acknowledgment? That required proof.
"Dorry, Brogy—good. Then do me a favor. The Navy sent two Admirals. One of them struck at King Harald. I need you to hold him off. Can you?"
The two giants laughed.
"Of course!"
"Do you know who we are!?"
If Magnus would take one Admiral, then surely the two of them could handle the other.
"Not here."
Leaving Toki behind, Magnus rushed toward the incoming Admirals.
Admiral-level battles spanned too far. On fragile islands like Sabaody, one clash could sink them all.
Better to fight elsewhere.
"Move!"
"We follow!"
The giants strode after him, weapons in hand.
—
Boom!
The clash came swiftly. Magnus and the Admirals had already collided.
"Haha! Kong, so soon again? Has it been even two years?"
"A year and a half," Kong growled, fists colliding with Magnus in human form, Armament and Conqueror's Haki crackling, black-red lightning tearing skyward.
The roots of the Yarukiman Mangroves split like tofu under their blows.
"I'm stronger than before," Kong shouted.
"This time, I will capture you!"
"Haha! If you can—then try!"
White fur enveloped Magnus's body as he transformed.
The first punch had only been a test.
Magnus knew it well: Kong had indeed grown stronger.
But to him, half a year had passed since their last clash.
If Kong had gone from ninety points to ninety-one—
Then Magnus was already far beyond.
He hammered Kong down with a beast's fist, shattering the ground, rending thousand-meter cracks, nearly sinking the island.
But Magnus knew—an Admiral's hide was tough. That blow was nothing more than a scratch.
"Dorry, Brogy—he's yours!"
He didn't spare Kong another glance.
Before him stood the true challenge.
"Ortega Siwen. Didn't expect you to leave Mariejois."
"Circumstances forced it," Ortega answered lightly, chewing his toothpick, though his eyes burned.
"Old wolf, if I kill you, will I learn your secret of youth?"
"Haha. You're welcome to try."
Many wanted to know. Ortega was the first to ask outright—and to try taking it by force.
"Damn it!"
Kong clawed from the earth, battered but alive, glaring as Magnus squared off with Ortega.
He charged—
Only to see two twenty-meter giants looming, sword and ax raised together.
"Gyagyagyagya!"
"Gababa! Against him, neither of us alone may stand. But together—"
"Brogy, ready?"
"Dorry, of course!"
Their weapons fell as one.
"Hakoku!"
(End of Chapter)
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