Boom! Boom! Boom!
The volcano on the island erupted violently. Hot magma, shrouded in thick, black smoke, shot toward the sky. The entire island trembled slightly.
As if it were a signal, the monsters living on the island—the dinosaurs from the primordial era—fled in panic, scattering in all directions. They were desperately trying to get away from the center of the island because the real monsters were about to appear.
With heavy footsteps, a dense forest was pushed aside by a giant hand. The immense force even snapped a large, lush tree in half. A round, mountain-sized monster strode toward the center of the island.
"Gabbabababa! Dorry! Are you ready?!"
"Jeejeejeejeej! Brogy! This time, we will finally decide the winner!"
From the forest on the other side, another equally massive but leaner figure also appeared with a loud laugh.
The moment their eyes met, the battle began! They gripped their round shields with their left hands and raised their weapons with their right. The collision was about to happen—
Swoosh!!
A whistling sound suddenly came from the sky.
"What?"
The two behemoths simultaneously looked up in surprise. In the sky, a monster much larger than them was falling. It was a giant goldfish, covered in wounds, as if it had been brutally slashed by countless immense swords.
"Island-eater?"
How could the two not recognize this monster that had been lurking off the island for over half a century? They had seen countless ships swallowed by this beast. But why was it flying over now?
"Gabbabababa! Dorry! It seems a formidable guest has arrived!"
"Jeejeejeejeej! I hope they brought some good booze!"
"Before that! Dorry!"
"Got it, Brogy!"
The two giants simultaneously raised their shields and charged toward the beast, which was falling like a meteor.
"Obstruct!" x2!
The two giants laughed as their small, round shields simultaneously struck the head of the giant monster, which was dozens of times their size. Despite the enormous difference in size, it was the giant sea monster that was sent flying. The several-hundred-meter-long goldfish flew high like a bouncing ball, leaving a long trail across the sky before crashing on one side of the island. The residual force alone pulverized an entire forest.
"Gabbabababa! Before our guests arrive! Dorry! Be defeated!"
"Jeejeejeejeej! That's what I was going to say!!"
Feeling no joy in knocking away the giant sea monster, the two warriors, who fought for honor, collided fiercely the next moment. The huge longsword and the giant battle axe clashed, and a thunderous roar echoed across the sea.
On the coast, Roa stood on a snail's head. Even without using his Observation Haki, he could hear the sound of the monsters fighting on the island just by listening.
"What are we waiting for! Faster! Faster! It's a rare sight to see a battle between the strong! Let's not miss it!"
And so, the massive snail fleet rumbled onto the coast, relentlessly crushing the forest.
"ROAR!!"
The imposing snail fleet terrified the dinosaurs living in the forest. These monsters, in the eyes of ordinary people, shrieked in panic and scattered.
"Oh, they're dinosaurs?"
Buggy exclaimed behind Roa. "They're much bigger than the small-time dinosaurs in Wano! Is this a prehistoric island?"
Dinosaurs?
Prehistoric island?
Enel was completely confused. He didn't recognize these creatures or understand what a prehistoric island was. The nine-year-old boy from a backwater village just looked around curiously. Everything in the Blue Sea was so new to him.
"Boss! Someone's fighting!"
Douglas Bullet, standing behind Roa, looked with burning eyes toward the depths of the island. "I sense two powerful auras!"
Dylan was slightly stunned. For even Bullet to call them powerful, was there a major figure hidden on this island, which wasn't far from the entrance to the Grand Line?
"They're more than just powerful!"
Roa smirked. "Let's go, let's pay a visit to some old-timers of the sea!"
Old-timers?
Dylan was surprised. In this sea, pirates were replaced very quickly. Those who could be called "old-timers" were usually notorious and well-known. But Dylan couldn't remember anyone else worthy of being called an "old-timer" by his Boss, whom he didn't already know about. Besides Roger and Redfield, shouldn't all the well-known pirate old-timers now be from the Rocks Pirates?
But soon, as the snail fleet moved forward, Dylan's questions were answered.
He could see them clearly now.
"Wha—What is that?!"
Moriah's eyes widened. "Giants?"
In the deepest part of the forest, there was a clearing made by human hands. On this wide clearing, which was too big for ordinary people, two behemoths over twenty meters tall were passionately hacking at each other. One held a longsword, and the other held a giant axe. The two immense weapons continuously clashed, creating sparks and a series of thunderous roars.
Giants?
Moriah had seen many people with strange, abnormally large physiques, like Kaido and Charlotte Linlin, and even he himself was like that, but this was the first time Moriah had seen a true Giant race member! They were so big!
"Giants?"
Enel was the most shocked. He had no idea that such a huge race existed in this world.
"No, wait! They're not just any Giants!"
After seeing their faces, Dylan couldn't help but exclaim. "They are the two captains of the Giant-Warrior Pirates, who made the world tremble seventy years ago, Blue Ogre Dorry and Red Ogre Brogy!"
"Giant-Warrior Pirates?"
Teach was also stunned. "So, they've been on this island all along for the seventy years they were missing?"
The Giant-Warrior Pirates were no simple pirate group. In that distant era seventy years ago, the Giants of Elbaf made the world understand the power they possessed. At that time, the Giant-Warrior Pirates rampaged across the seas, and Harald, who became king at a young age, also wreaked havoc on the sea. No one could stop their advance. Their overwhelming power left the world in awe of these "Advancing Giants."
But not long after that, Harald's personality changed drastically. The little troublemaker who caused destruction everywhere became a benevolent king. And the two captains of the Giant-Warrior Pirates also disappeared, and the pirate group that shook an era was disbanded.
So, these two guys were still alive and well?
"The captains of the Giant-Warrior Pirates?"
Bullet's eyes were hot. "These two guys seem really strong!"
"So," Doflamingo asked with some curiosity, "why are they fighting here?" Although he didn't know much about the Giant-Warrior Pirates, it wasn't hard to tell from Dylan's words that the two of them were once companions.
"Who knows."
Roa feigned ignorance, speaking leisurely. "Just watch. A fight between Giants this powerful isn't a common sight."
Even among the Giants of Elbaf, Dorry and Brogy were considered very powerful. In the Egghead Island arc, they helped Luffy fight the Five Elders and didn't fall behind at all.
And so, everyone calmed down and seriously watched the duel between the two behemoths. Dorry and Brogy naturally noticed the arrival of Roa and his group. After all, the rumbling snail fleet made a bigger commotion than their own clash. It would be impossible not to notice unless you were blind or deaf. However, the two, who were in the heat of battle, had no intention of greeting their guests. They were completely immersed in the fight.
Their power was astonishing. Every clash of sword and axe created a gust of wind that swept across the entire island. Enel was even a little unsteady in the wind and was almost blown away.
"What incredible power!"
Dylan couldn't help but exclaim. "Even among the Giant race, this is quite exaggerated!"
"Hmph," Bullet scoffed. "The only good thing about them is their great strength."
Roa chuckled at that. The strength of these two Giants was indeed overwhelmingly powerful; otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to face the Five Elders in the future. However, for the benefits that came with their size, they also had to bear the flaws that came with it. They were too slow. Their movements seemed a bit sluggish compared to true top-tier fighters. Although it was only "a bit," in front of a real master, this was a fatal flaw.
However, Dorry and Brogy were truly evenly matched. Not a 5.0001 to 4.9999 match, but a perfect 50/50 with no gaps. Their strength was originally identical, and after seventy years of continuous clashes, their understanding of each other had become ingrained in their bones. This meant neither could break through the other's moves.
Even though their fight looked exciting, they couldn't actually hurt each other at all. It was just a flashy fight.
So,
"Gabbabababa! Let's stop here for today, Dorry!"
After another clash, Brogy, with his axe on his shoulder, laughed loudly.
"Jeejeejeejeej!"
Dorry laughed along with him. "You're right!" He turned his head and looked at the giant snails. "We have to properly welcome our guests!"
On top of the snails, Roa looked at the long-bearded Dorry, his expression a little strange. "Wait, someone in this world actually laughs like that?" Are you a Hall of Souls elder?
The two Giants both strode toward Roa and his group.
"Gabbabababa! Welcome! Guests from afar!" Brogy licked his lips. "I hate to ask, but little brother, did you bring any booze?!"
"Jeejeejeej! I can't even remember how many years it's been since I last had a drink!"
Dorry also chimed in. "The fight was exhilarating, but it would be too boring without good booze to go with it!"
"Booze?"
Roa smirked. "Of course, I have as much booze as you want."
"Oh!"
The two Giants' eyes lit up, and their Adam's apples bobbed up and down uncontrollably.
"Then, little brother—"
"You can drink as much as you want," Roa said with a smile. "But Dorry, Brogy, I hope you can agree to one condition for me."
"Speak!"
Dorry said heartily. "As long as it's something we can help with, it's not a problem!"
"That's great!"
Roa clapped his hands happily. "In that case, let's return to the New World together and go to Elbaf."
"What?"
The two Giants were both taken aback.
"You said, Elbaf?" Dorry looked at Roa, his tone finally showing a hint of hesitation. "You're going to Elbaf?"
"Not me, us," Roa said with a smile. "I'm going to Elbaf to have a very important talk with Harald, but I'm worried he won't accept, so I thought it would be better to bring a gift."
"The two captains of the Giant-Warrior Pirates, who haven't returned to Elbaf for seventy years, and Harald's childhood friends... could there be any more suitable people than you two?"
The smiles on the two Giants' faces finally disappeared. They looked at each other, then instinctively tightened their grips on their weapons. The look in their eyes was now extremely wary.
"Little brother, who exactly are you?"
"Roa, my name is Roa," Roa answered honestly. "You probably don't know yet, but the New World has changed a bit. The sea area where Elbaf is located now belongs to me."
"What did you say?" Brogy's tone was bewildered. What did he mean the sea area where Elbaf was located now belonged to him?
"You know how powerful your homeland, Elbaf, is. If I can't handle you Giants, I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep or eat in peace," Roa said with emotion. "Dorry, Brogy, I need your help!"
"So," Brogy's eyes had turned completely cold as he looked down at Roa, "little brother, are you planning to attack Elbaf?"
Roa thought for a moment. "If we can't come to an agreement, then I have no choice."
"That's why I said I need your help. Go and have a good chat with Harald for me."
"Solar Blade!"
The giant longsword and the equally giant battle axe, in the angry roars of the two Giants, came crashing down toward Roa.
"Whoa. I was being very sincere, you know." Roa looked up and said with some emotion. "How ungrateful."
Since that was the case, he would see the power of the old-timers who once dominated the sea in the era before the last.
"Ugh!"
Dorry and Brogy instantly froze. Two pitch-black giant arms appeared out of thin air and grabbed Dorry's and Brogy's sword and axe.
"What?!"
The Giants' faces changed drastically. This power! Their weapons couldn't move at all!
"I'll show you why you have to help me," Roa said with a smile. "What an exaggerated amount of power. I was already using my Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki very seriously."