"Has the message been sent out?"
"It is confirmed that the White Wolf Pirates appeared in Karakum ten days ago. Their current whereabouts are temporarily unknown. We recommend maintaining vigilance."
"Hmph, White Wolf, we will make sure he never returns!"
Three CP0 members wearing white suits and strange masks stood at the edge of Elbaf's coast, holding small Den Den Mushi for communication.
This was where Silas had landed a year ago.
Now, the tavern by the coast had collapsed into ruins. Marine officers of various ranks sat scattered in groups of two or three, some still wrapped in bandages.
Besides them, there were many giants bound by thick chains lying on the ground, wearing explosive collars around their necks.
The giants looked at the Marine officers standing before them like ants with angry, unwilling eyes, unable to understand why the Marines had attacked them.
"If you want to blame someone, blame yourselves for mixing with the White Wolf Pirates."
Kicking the giant in front of him, a Marine Rear Admiral spat on the ground.
"A bunch of scum who only know how to bully the weak!"
When many people heard of Elbaf, they first thought of its reputation, but they would not consider how Elbaf's reputation for strength actually spread.
The answer was pirates!
Because many giants who became pirates caused havoc in the New World. The slightly stronger ones were great pirates, and in Elbaf, there were said to be thousands more such giants.
Thus, the title of strongest nation spread like wildfire.
People feared Elbaf's giants but could do nothing about them.
Until forty years ago, Mother Carmel had asked the Marines to release the troublemaking giants, thus earning the giants' friendship and becoming a bridge of communication between humans and giants.
Combined with the disappearance of the Giant Warrior Pirates, the strongest giant pirate crew, giants going to sea to cause trouble gradually decreased.
Human-giant relations thus improved.
So regarding the invasion of Elbaf, there were many opposing voices within the Marines, but the hawks simply insisted that the giants were colluding with the White Wolf Pirates, leaving the doves helpless.
Not to mention the invasion of Elbaf was an order from the World Government's highest authority, the Five Elders.
Regardless, the results were gratifying.
The giants were completely unprepared for the World Government assembling large numbers of Marines and CP0 high-ranking officials to conduct decapitation strikes against them.
In one day, Elbaf's royal castle fell, Giant King Harald was captured, and other royal guards with ancient giant bloodlines were routed.
The World Government had seized all of Elbaf's Underworld and Heaven.
The only place they had not conquered was Midgard, where large numbers of ordinary giants lived, where the Adam Tree's branches were intricately interwoven, leaving the Marines and CP0 temporarily at a loss.
Half a month had now passed since the Marines invaded Elbaf.
The success of the decapitation operation left the remaining ordinary giants with no ability to resist against two Admiral-level fighters.
Current Marine Admiral Rona.
Current Marine Vice Admiral Kong.
After other Marines and CP0 blocked the giant guards, the two joined forces and finally spent a day subduing Giant King Harald.
After this battle, half of Elbaf's Heaven had collapsed.
"Hah, give up. Silas will not come."
With bandages around her shoulder, Rona's injuries were not very serious. After all, it was a righteous two-on-one fight. How could Giant King Harald, an ordinary Admiral-level fighter, possibly defeat both her and Kong?
She had just used too much force, causing old wounds from her previous fight with Silas to flare up.
"You are not him. How do you know he will not come back?"
The current Giant King looked incredibly miserable. Not only were both horns on his head cut off, but one leg had been completely severed by Rona.
Rona had not lied.
Her swordsmanship was perfect for dealing with large opponents like Giant King Harald.
Kong, on the other hand, if Kong had fought the Giant King one-on-one, it would be hard to say who would win or lose.
But even with his body maimed, Giant King Harald still wore a smile. He had not submitted.
"I will not submit!"
"My people are the same!"
Harald longed for peace, hoping the giant race would abandon their pirate past, embrace civilization, and welcome better development.
But his expectations were definitely not like this.
Being invaded.
Being enslaved.
Rona remained silent. Capturing Giant King Harald had already completed half of their operation plan. Without the Giant King and those powerful guards, the remaining giants posed no threat.
She had overheard CP conversations with her Observation Haki.
After dealing with the White Wolf Pirates, this island would be rented to slave traders, letting them actively capture giants hiding throughout Midgard while they reaped the benefits.
Of course, Giant King Harald's willing surrender would definitely be best.
After all, this operation had not been without losses.
To counter the Giant King's guard unit, two elite Vice Admirals had died in battle on the Marine side, with three severely injured and permanently disabled, forced to retire upon return.
CP0 had lost one senior intelligence officer.
And their harvest was capturing Giant King Harald, routing the ten-man royal guard, and suppressing resistance organizations in various villages.
Just the giants they had captured now exceeded fifty, with most being powerful giants.
However, some were still unsatisfied with this.
"Admiral Rona, with your strength, you could quickly eliminate those giants making their last stand. Our results would be much greater than now."
CP0's highest action commander, Grindelwald Hoin.
In position equivalent to a Marine Admiral, with strength only slightly inferior to theirs.
If Rona were to evaluate, Grindelwald Hoin's strength was roughly equivalent to Silas at his peak from over ten years ago.
Of course, current Silas was much stronger than he was over ten years ago.
Rona had no good feelings toward this person.
Because selling out Elbaf and hiring slave traders for the job was his idea.
"Shut up, Grindelwald."
Rona's face showed disgust.
"I will not attack people who have lost the ability to resist."
"Alright, alright."
Sensing Rona's killing intent, the man in the white suit and mask raised his hands in surrender.
"Then, Admiral Rona, do you think White Wolf Silas will come?"
"No!"
Rona stated decisively.
"Why?"
Grindelwald asked curiously.
"He will not come to his death!"
Only by staying alive could one gain more. Dead meant having nothing.
Knowing it was a trap, Rona did not think Silas would still step into it.
"Seems that way."
Grindelwald nodded. Although he had also fought Silas several times, the frequency was definitely not as much as Rona's.
Rona should understand Silas better than he did.
Suddenly, Grindelwald saw Rona's expression change slightly. After a while, his Observation Haki also detected an astonishing presence approaching from the horizon.
Grindelwald's face broke into a smile.
"Looks like this time, Admiral Rona, you guessed wrong."