In the end, Silas chose to have both medicine and meat!
Medicine could accelerate wound healing, and meat could restore stamina. For Zoan Devil Fruit users, recovering stamina meant accelerating their own wound healing speed.
While Silas ate, Ripley chattered on about everything that had happened over the past year. For Silas it had been just an instant, but Ripley and the others had genuinely experienced a full year.
"At the beginning, the Marines and CP organization did launch several offensives targeting us, but we giants had stockpiled quite a bit of food underground. Once we hid completely, even Marine Admirals could not find us."
"Later, when those Marines really could not do anything about us, they started extensively logging the Adam Trees. This made Grandpa Yolulu and Grandpa Yalulu curse furiously. Many giants wanted to counterattack and fight the Marines to the death, but they were all stopped by His Majesty Harald."
"So for the first month, we all hid underground training."
What happened afterward was continuously harassing the Marines and CP organization personnel, finally forcing them to withdraw from Elbaf early.
"When I fought those Marine Vice Admirals, I awakened Observation Haki. Those ordinary Marine Vice Admirals are no longer my match."
"Rocks also awakened Observation Haki half a year ago. His strength keeps growing. I feel like I can barely beat him anymore."
"Newgate is much more obedient than Rocks. He still has not learned all the Six Powers, but his Haki talent is even stronger than Rocks's. He learned Observation Haki just a few days ago too."
"Everyone has gotten stronger."
While eating, Silas listened and felt something was off. Turning his head, he saw Ripley sniffling with tears pattering down.
"Captain, I missed you so much!"
Though only a year had passed, for giants whose lifespans were several times that of humans, it was really just a blink of an eye.
But Ripley had been thinking about Silas.
During every night of longing, time seemed to stretch endlessly.
Ten years ago, it was just admiration.
Ten years later, Ripley discovered her mindset gradually changing bit by bit.
If she were still a giant, though she would worship Silas, this feeling would at least not deteriorate.
But Silas had given her a Mini-Mini Fruit.
Many say you should not meet someone too amazing when you are young, or you will never forget them for life.
Silas represented Ripley's yearning for the sea.
He embodied Ripley's imagination and longing for the sea, representing her unwillingness to spend her life mediocrely in the giant kingdom.
She chose to go to sea.
Silas took her to sea.
Then, when her homeland faced crisis, Silas did not make excuses.
He stepped forward.
From that moment, Ripley's feelings for Silas completely transformed.
"There, there, do not cry."
Silas reached out and rubbed Ripley's head.
"I prefer how you look when you are smiling."
"Hehe!"
Hearing Silas's words, Ripley smiled through her tears.
"Who told Captain to disappear for a whole year?"
"Could not help it. Three of the World Government's top fighters. Even I could not escape by myself."
Silas shrugged, then his shoulder ached.
"Captain, are you alright?"
"I am fine, just a small injury."
Silas winced. Kong's punch had been delivered with full deadly force. If he had not defended with Armament Haki in time, that punch could have directly shattered his heart.
"Since I am back, we can put the original plan on the agenda."
"Captain, you mean going to Wano Country?"
"Exactly."
Silas looked at Kozuki Toki, who had been standing aside since earlier, and smiled. "If not for Miss Kozuki Toki this time, even if I did not die, I would have shed a layer of skin. We should repay this kindness..."
But before Silas could finish, Kozuki Toki interrupted.
"Actually, there is no need to be so hasty!"
Seeing Silas's surprised gaze, Kozuki Toki wanted to find a hole to crawl into but still stammered, "I originally wanted to go to Wano Country fifty years in the future, so it does not matter if we delay a bit. There is still a long time until fifty years from now."
Though she had not brought the prophecy to the future Wano Country, during the journey to Wano Country, she had inadvertently saved another country.
When Silas fainted, Kozuki Toki experienced how giants treated their lifesaver, making her both flattered and happy.
Was her reason for traveling through time not to save innocent people?
So these past two days, while alternating with Ripley to care for Silas, she had listened to Elbaf's giants tell stories.
She had almost forgotten her original purpose.
Now hearing Silas say he would take her to Wano Country, Kozuki Toki's first reaction was reluctance, suddenly feeling that going to Wano Country did not seem so urgent.
Kozuki Toki somewhat envied Ripley.
Because Ripley did not need to struggle with staying or leaving like she did. Even though Elbaf was currently in ruins waiting for revival, Ripley had no intention of staying.
"Building the country is something for the giants remaining on this island to do. I am a White Wolf Pirates crew member. Of course I should stay by the Captain's side!"
She had already fought to protect Elbaf for a year. Now that Elbaf was safe, no one could stop her from doing what she wanted!
"If Miss Kozuki Toki is not in a hurry, then I would like to return to Sphinx once. Having disappeared for a year, I should at least show my face."
Though he was certain the Marines would not casually trouble Sphinx, pirates were different. Bold newcomers wanting to challenge veteran pirates' positions were everywhere in the New World.
Roya and Lily might not be able to hold down the fort.
"I have no problem with that!"
Hearing Silas's words, Kozuki Toki immediately showed joy.
But coming to her senses, Kozuki Toki felt she might have seemed too happy.
Will Mr. Silas think I am frivolous?
On these seas, admiring the strong was every living being's instinct.
This instinct did not distinguish between male and female.
Having witnessed Silas fight the World Government's strong fighters, even searching her memory, Kozuki Toki could not find a second existence stronger than Silas.
Those legendary strong fighters might be able to battle Silas.
But she did not know those strong fighters.
This led Kozuki Toki to even have a thought:
"Staying by Mr. Silas's side like this seems pretty good too. There are still over fifty years until the prophecy occurs. Even without time travel, when the prophecy happens, I should still be alive, right?"
Setting aside Kozuki Toki's thoughts for now, for men of the sea, as long as they had not decided to stay on an island forever, their journey would continue indefinitely.
Elbaf's story concluded here.
After a year of time travel, counting the previous time, the new ship Silas had commissioned from giant shipwrights was finally completed.