In the early morning, the bright sunlight illuminated Elbaf as the giants yawned and stepped out of their homes, ready to embrace a new day.
"Woooooo—"
Just as the giants finished breakfast and were pondering what to do, the deep, resounding blast of a horn echoed throughout Elbaf.
"The War Horn?"
The giants froze.
The horn was only blown in Elbaf when a major event occurred—the last time it had sounded was during the war against Big Mom!
"What's happening?"
"Is this some prank by the kids?"
"It must be Kroun!"
The giants tossed out wild guesses, showing no sense of urgency. Elbaf had known peace for so long that even the adults had forgotten the taste of war.
Until a booming voice rang out from the village center.
"All citizens of Elbaf, listen well!"
The giants looked around and soon spotted Amplifying Transponder Snails everywhere—someone had connected to their communication system.
The Den Den Mushi spoke in a deep voice.
"My name is Groudon Gud—the 'tiny human Pirate' you all speak of!"
"It was I who sounded the War Horn. At this very moment, I sit upon the throne of Ovietos Castle, holding the key to Loki's liberation!"
"From here, I will depart the throne and march straight down the Tree Road to West Village Harbor, then proceed to the Underworld to free Loki!"
Free Loki?
The giants finally realized this was no joke. Panic set in—if Loki were released, Elbaf would surely be destroyed.
Gurd's cold voice rang out once more.
"Elders, warriors, women, children."
"Now, under the solemn witness of the God of Elbaf, I declare a sacred duel of honor against the entire Giant race!"
"Your opponent is me alone!"
"If even a drop of warrior's blood still flows through your veins, if you retain even a shred of Elbaf's warrior pride—then raise your weapons and stand in my way!"
"Until Loki is freed, I will not stop!"
A declaration of war against Elbaf!
After a brief silence, the giants' faces twisted in shock.
"Wha—?!!"
"What in the world is going on?!"
"Who is this Gurd guy?"
Most giants had never seen Gurd before and were utterly baffled.
But they knew one thing—a human Pirate intended to free Loki and had declared war on all of Elbaf's giants!
Unbelievable!
"That damn bastard!"
Hajrudin's veins bulged with fury. Ignoring his comrades' attempts to stop him, he grabbed his axe and charged toward the royal castle.
He had to stop him!
The giants finally snapped out of their daze, their emotions spiraling out of control. Whether it was Loki's impending release or the enemy's declaration of war, both spelled catastrophe for Elbaf.
"Brothers of the former Giant Warrior Pirates, arm yourselves!"
"The enemy has formally challenged us to battle!"
"This fires up my blood!"
"Ooooh! I'm ready to fight!"
Many giants raised their weapons and roared, calling upon their old comrades as they eagerly marched toward the castle.
Decades had passed—they had nearly forgotten the thrill of battle!
And now, the enemy had shown them the utmost respect. Under the gaze of the God of Elbaf, they would fight with everything they had!
This was a war for honor!
At the Walrus Academy, the giant children were in a panic.
"Principal Kiba! Teacher Saul!"
"We all heard it!"
The principal, who resembled a walrus, stood beside the former Giant Vice Admiral Saul with an extremely grave expression.
The walrus-like principal donned his battle armor from his days as a member of the Giant Warrior Pirates and hefted his massive hammer. "Saul, I never expected humans to challenge us according to Elbaf's traditions. Ouch, my aching back hurts so much!"
"It is indeed shocking. Even we can't stay out of this now!" Saul clenched his fists together.
"Teacher! Teacher!" The children huddled together, trembling in fear. "Do... do we have to fight too?"
"Students, I'm sorry for frightening you." Saul spoke gently. "Follow Teacher Ange to the ships at the harbor for safety. Remember, stay away from the town."
Elbaf was likely to descend into the flames of war soon, and the children needed to be evacuated to safety beyond the battlefield.
Meanwhile, inside the castle...
Gurd set down the Den Den Mushi and slowly rose from the throne, his cold gaze fixed on the old man who had been watching him all night. "Old man, if you want to stop me, now's your last chance."
"What a troublesome situation. After all, I'm not a citizen of Elbaf." The bespectacled old man waved his hand, signaling he had no intention of intervening.
The opponent had even invoked the God of Elbaf. If he tried to interfere, the giants—who revered warriors and combat—would be the first to oppose him. Though the giants had embraced peace, many traditionalists, especially former members of the Giant Warrior Pirates, still opposed King Harald.
He had considered stopping Gurd and had been monitoring him, but the open declaration of war left him no justifiable reason to intervene. Moreover, part of him wanted the giants, lost in their decades-long dream of peace, to awaken to reality.
After all, the world was cruel!
With only four years left until the final war—a conflict that would engulf the entire world—even Elbaf wouldn't be spared.
"Hahaha! Kid Gurd, I'm glad to have met you!" The old man laughed heartily as he stood. "Let me introduce myself properly. I am Scopper Gaban, the Preacher of Love!"
"..."
Gurd's pupils contracted slightly.
So it was him!
A former member of the Roger Pirates, the right-hand man of Pirate King Roger, a monster on par with the "Dark King" Rayleigh—the "Mountain Eater" Gaban!
Gurd gave a slight nod and strode away.
The castle gates had been thrown open, and two giant guards rushed inside, quickly spotting Gurd.
"How dare a Pirate sneak into the castle and cause such chaos!"
"Don't think we'll let you get away with this!"
The two guards roared in fury, swinging their massive poleaxes down at Gurd.
Gurd tilted his head slightly, his gaze sharpening.
The ground beside him writhed, and two enormous stone spikes erupted, piercing the giants' abdomens like lightning and pinning them to the wall.
"AAARGH!!!"
Their agonized screams echoed through the castle.
By the time Gurd stepped through the main gate, Hajrudin had already arrived at the base of the steps, panting heavily as he gripped his great axe.
Hearing the screams from inside, Hajrudin's eyes burned with rage as he bellowed, "Why are you doing this?!"
"Why?"
Gurd's gaze was as cold as a blade.
He had always sought the power of the giants. Before arriving in Elbaf, he had been filled with anticipation, hoping to recruit fierce warriors from their ranks.
Yet reality had disappointed him.
There's nothing wrong with pursuing peace; he too enjoyed a peaceful life. But what disappointed him most about Elbaf was that the giants had completely abandoned their martial prowess.
This behavior, tantamount to idiocy, had played out countless times—both in this world and in his homeland.
At last, he understood why Prince Loki harbored such hatred for the giants, even to the point of wanting to slaughter them all.
If the world were to learn the truth about Elbaf, it wouldn't be long before this nation was engulfed in endless war.
The giants would be reduced to slaves, their resources plundered, and in the end, Elbaf—stripped of its glory—would face utter ruin.
But this did not align with h
is expectations.
Thus, he intended to give Elbaf one final chance. If the giants still clung to their false peace...
Then let them be utterly destroyed!
"Hajrudin, I'll ask you one more time."
Gurd's gaze was calm as he spoke.
"Are you afraid of Loki?"