"God?"
"Worororo!"
Arrogant laughter resounded through the Upper Yard as Kaido slowly walked forward, his weapon, the Hassaikai, resting on his shoulder.
"Someone with such a weak aura dares to call themselves a god?"
"Then wouldn't someone like me be the Creator God?!"
Conqueror's Haki suddenly erupted!
The soldiers of the God's Guards rolled their eyes white and immediately fell unconscious.
Gan Fall, who was deliberately spared, didn't even dare to breathe heavily. He could feel a gaze, like that of a natural predator, locked onto him.
"Look into my eyes and tell me, why do you dare call yourself a god?!"
"Kaido-san~"
Bazel took a step to the right, interrupting Kaido's continued release of Conqueror's Haki.
"The title of 'God' is just what they use here. You can think of it as a certain position."
"After all, this place is ten thousand meters above the sea, it wouldn't be strange to be considered heaven."
"Where there's heaven, there are gods. Isn't that normal?"
"What you say does make sense." Kaido put away his spiked club; he had no desire to attack someone so weak.
"Let's go, Bazel. Arber and the others are waiting for us on Sabaody Archipelago! That's not a safe place."
Walking past Gan Fall, Kaido's gaze didn't linger on this 'god' at all.
"I told you, you would regret the decision you made."
As they passed by each other, Bazel stopped, glancing at Gan Fall out of the corner of his eye.
"When we, the Beasts Pirates, set foot here again, you will understand what we, the Beasts, can offer the people of Sky Island… freedom and benefits beyond your wildest imagination."
"And you, God Gan Fall, you will receive no special treatment. This is the price you pay for rejecting me back then."
"Cherish what little time you have left as a god. In a few years, the title of 'god' will no longer exist in this place."
"Toki, Enel, let's go."
…
January 1493 of Sea Circle Calendar.
New World, Elbaf Island, Warland Kingdom.
Western Village.
"Kabababa~~ I'm back! Come out and greet the greatest warrior of the Giant Tribe!"
Brogy put away the Sunstone, and then, together with Dorry, stepped into the Western Village where they had grown up.
"Gyagagaga, and me, Dorry! We're back!"
Their shouts woke the giants in the village.
"Oh!! It's Captains Dorry and Brogy!"
"Long time no see, Captains! Have your duel finally ended?"
"Yeah, yeah, it's been decades since we last saw you, right? Who won this time?"
Dorry put an arm on Brogy's shoulder, his face full of unwillingness, "Damn it! Brogy actually won this time. He is the strongest Giant Warrior now!"
"So that's how it is! Great Warrior Brogy has become the strongest giant!!"
The village giants began to cheer and celebrate.
"We must have a feast! Quickly, inform everyone that Dorry and Brogy have decided the outcome! We're going to have a super feast that lasts three days and three nights!"
"I'll go prepare the ingredients!"
"Then I'll go to Brewers Village to buy some super fine alcohol!"
"..."
Brogy patted Dorry, and the two set off towards Aurust Castle, located on the cliff at the edge of Western Village.
"Let's go see Harald. We'll definitely come to the feast later."
…
Aurust Castle.
Without any knocking or announcement, Dorry and Brogy pushed open the main door and headed towards the study they remembered.
"Harald, we're back~ You better come out and greet your brothers!"
"That's right, gyagagaga! We've brought back super great news this time!"
Kicking the study door open, a tall figure sitting in the darkness slowly opened his eyes.
The clouds blocking the sunlight happened to be blown away by the wind, illuminating the giant king's tall stature.
"Long time no see, my two brothers."
"Harald, you..."
Dorry, who had been about to crack a joke, suddenly froze, then rushed furiously to the desk, pointing at Harald's face.
Anger was written all over his expression.
"Bastard! Who dared to hurt you? Tell us, Harald, why is your horn gone!?"
"How dare they bully the king of our Giant Tribe? Unforgivable!!"
"I will definitely kill them all!!!"
"Wait, Dorry, and you too, Brogy. I broke the horn off myself."
Harald invited the two to sit down. He got up, about to pour tea, but then remembered the preferences of the two brothers he had grown up with.
He switched the tea to two barrels of ale.
"It's been 80 years since we last met..."
"Time really has passed so long. During your absence, I lost many things, but I also came to understand many things."
"My beloved Ida died. Estrid went mad because of Loki and died not long after."
Dorry and Brogy drank their ale in silence. They knew Harald was not the kind of man who needed comfort from others.
This man had a spine of steel that no one could break, he would absolutely not fall easily because of such things.
"If only you had been here when Hajrudin was born, perhaps you would have supported my wedding with Ida. That way, I wouldn't have had to marry Estrid later."
After venting some grievances, Harald smiled wryly and shook his head.
He knew his childhood friends would never comfort him, and what he needed wasn't comfort, but quiet listeners.
"As for my horn, it was a symbol of the Ancient Giant Bloodline. The reason I broke it off is because I didn't want people from the outside world to recall that turbulent era of war anymore. Endless plunder cannot bring peace."
"Ida taught me many things: trade, peace, wisdom... Only when they advance together can the Giant Tribe have a brighter future."
"You've returned at just the right time. With you here, I have someone to discuss some decisions with, and won't have to struggle alone like I do now."
"Harald…"
Dorry put down his ale barrel and began to recount the details of his and Brogy's duel this time.
"...We lost. We lost to those two humans."
"They showed me the vastness of the sea, but at the same time, they made Brogy and me feel ashamed."
"Loki is absolutely not some cursed prince, he should become the greatest warrior of the Giant Tribe!"
Harald was stunned. He hadn't expected his long-lost friends to say such things...
"The ancient traditions are due to be shattered."
Brogy took over the conversation, slamming his ale barrel heavily onto the table.
"Those two humans asked us to tell you: they said if the Giant Tribe doesn't dare to train Prince Loki, they do."
"If the Giant Tribe doesn't want the cursed Loki, they do. If Loki is willing to join the Beasts Pirates, they will make him an All-Star, a top executive."
Harald's jaw dropped wider and wider, "Hey, hey, do you two know what you're saying?!"
"If the elders in the tribe find out, you'll be cursed to no end!"
"Let them curse! We don't care. Because we've already decided to join the Beasts Pirates!"
Brogy picked up his ale barrel and took a large gulp.
"Kabababa, this is the price losers have to pay, Harald. We won't stay here long. Once the Beasts Pirates return to the New World, we'll set sail immediately."
"Wait!!"
The glass door leading to the balcony from the study suddenly opened, and Loki, blindfolded, walked into the room.
"I'm going too! I want to see just how bold those humans are. I'm the monster who cursed his own mother to death!"
"If they're really not afraid, what's a few decades of sailing with them to me?!"
"Shut up, Loki!"
Harald's face darkened, "How many times do I have to tell you? You did not curse your mother to death! She died for other reasons!"
"The disasters that have befallen the Giant Tribe these years are just natural disasters! The story about you cursing the village is just nonsense spouted by the village elders!"
"Is that so?" Loki said with a careless grin, "It doesn't matter. I'm tired of hearing that kind of talk all these years anyway. I want to set sail!"
"Back then, that human named Rocks D. Xebec said I was too young and refused my request to join the Rocks Pirates."
"Now I've grown up. My leaving would be good for all of Elbaf, wouldn't it?!"
"I want to become a man like Rocks! You can't stop me, Harald!!"
Loki tore off the white cloth blindfolding his eyes, revealing vertical, crimson pupils like a demon's, his smile ferocious.
Dorry and Brogy's expressions changed slightly when they saw those pupils, but they did not say things like 'it really is a curse'.
"My departure will only solidify your reign, dear father!!"
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