Jarul stood to the side without speaking, his head nodding as if he were dozing off.
Loki also did not continue speaking.
He wasn't stupid.
Even though his mother abandoned him at birth, and his tribesmen despised him since childhood…
But…
Only Loki himself knew that he wanted to become the Giant King, a Giant King recognized and feared by all.
Even if it meant kicking off a war of the era, he was willing!
By that time, even if no one recognized him, it wouldn't matter.
Loki had already prepared two plans.
If, in the future, no matter what he did, he couldn't gain recognition, then he would make everyone fear him!
Fear himself, fear his hammer!
He is Loki!
Standing behind Bazel, his right hand gripped the hammer's handle, ready to attack at Bazel's command.
"Straighten my back, Barahaha…" Harald suddenly covered his face and laughed.
The laughter grew louder and louder, so loud that the dozing soldiers at the door peeked in to look.
"You really are an interesting human! You're the first human who dared to tell me to straighten my back and be a giant!"
Boom!!
Conqueror's Haki far surpassing Bazel's suddenly erupted as Harald stood up.
At that moment, Bazel felt as if he saw a giant supporting the heavens and the earth appear before his eyes.
A majestic aura blurred his vision, the face distorting and contorting like a demon's, cackling wildly.
"Now, Bazel, do you still want me to chat with you in this state?"
"Of course! Clashing with the strong is the most interesting thing in life!!"
Bazel's eyes widened, his own Conqueror's Haki bursting forth.
Though not as vast and overbearing as Harald's, its unyielding tenacity was particularly striking.
Their Haki collided.
Harald's expression shifted from relaxed to grave.
'This human's Haki...'
'It's getting stronger!!!'
'Just by clashing will with someone stronger, he can grow continuously in adversity?!'
'Such talent is unheard of!'
Instinctively clenching his fist, Harald understood he might need to stretch his body for the first time in a long while.
The clash of Conqueror's Haki had reached a muddy stage where neither could gain ground.
At this point, whoever faltered would inevitably have their spirit shadowed.
Only by charging forward relentlessly can one continue to grow stronger!
Harald saw this, and he believed the human pirate saw it too.
Sure enough!
After another half-minute stalemate, the moment the candlelight flickered in the wind, both chose to strike simultaneously!
Bazel, instantly activating his Gear 3's deification, threw a punch.
It collided mid-air with the Giant King's massive fist.
The study's windows shattered instantly. The huge commotion drew all the soldiers guarding the castle towards the study.
"Your Majesty!!"
"Harald-sama!"
"An assassin is attacking the King! All hands, assemble!!!"
After the punch, Bazel gritted his teeth, refusing to retreat, his right arm trembling slightly.
He had lost.
If Harald hadn't pulled his punch at the last moment, he would have been sent flying.
Bazel swore that if anyone ever dared to say Whitebeard or Shiki were the world's strongest again, he would definitely recommend they come challenge the current Giant King, Harald!
Before this ancient giant who had trained his body to its peak, any Devil Fruit's ability was probably an illusion.
If one punch doesn't kill, then use two punches!
And Harald's greatest strength didn't seem to be his fists, but his swordsmanship.
Bazel couldn't imagine how strong this Giant King would be if he picked up a greatsword.
"Barahahaha~ You're strong, Bazel. But the current you isn't qualified to fight me yet."
The politician's smile vanished from Harald's face, replaced by the rough hearty nature unique to giants.
He walked out from behind the desk and sat on the floor, turning to look at the soldiers about to charge in.
"Do I look like I need guards!?"
"Who do you think I am?! I am Harald!!"
"Y-Yes, Sir!!"
The soldiers, terrified, hurriedly stood at attention, not daring to step into the study.
"Good, get out. Close the door. Your work is done for today!"
After shooing away the dutiful soldiers, Harald brought out the wine bowls he had prepared earlier.
Three large, one small.
They were placed before Jarul, Loki, and Bazel respectively.
He then slapped open the wine jar. Wine with faint red streaks poured into the bowls, splashing slightly.
"Bottoms up!"
Bazel, not to be outdone, picked up his wine bowl and downed the amount of liquor equivalent to half his body size in one go.
A line of fire slid down from his mouth, a burning sensation as if scalding his heart quickly spreading throughout his body.
Seeing this, Harald's eyes lit up, and he refilled Bazel's bowl.
Loki, watching from the side, gulped and stealthily tried to taste the royal fine wine, but Bazel shot him a sidelong glance.
"You're not an adult yet, you can't drink. Give me the wine."
Loki's mouth twitched. He wanted to resist, but seeing Bazel's eyes narrow further, he could only reluctantly push the wine bowl away.
Witnessing this, Harald and Jarul's jaws dropped.
"Hey, hey, Jarul, what's going on here? Am I still dreaming!?"
"Is my son really such an obedient kid?!"
Jarul was dumbfounded, muttering, "I... I must be dreaming too…"
It wasn't until Loki stood up, went to the kitchen, and brought back orange juice that Harald finally snapped out of it.
"Loki, that… if you're not feeling well, you can tell... tell me. I'll have a doctor treat you."
"Not necessary. I just suddenly don't feel like drinking alcohol."
Loki said with a straight face, sucking hard on the sweet orange juice through a straw.
"Alcohol only numbs my battle nerves."
Hearing this, Harald slapped himself across the face, then downed several cups of wine in succession.
"What the hell, what the hell… my son actually saying such things…"
After the brief farce, Harald looked at Bazel, the appreciation and admiration in his eyes nearly overflowing.
To be able to turn Loki into a well-behaved kid, Bazel was the first person on the seas to do so.
Even Rocks back in the day hadn't managed that.
"Bazel, Dorry and the others have told me a lot about you."
"During their time in Elbaf, they often bought the latest newspapers from nearby seas and told me everything happening in the outside world."
"But I want to hear your views and your plans personally."
Bazel took another sip of wine, pondered for a moment, and then laid out the prepared spiel in one go.
"I want to establish a trade center in Wano Country, which is not far from Elbaf."
"Using Wano Country as an intermediary zone and core, we will create a new ecosystem where all races can live equally."
"As long as we can solve the problem of Island Clouds, everything else will fall into place."
Getting down to business, Harald nodded slightly, "It's good that you have confidence, but I need to see capital and sincerity."
"The Giants indeed needs the opportunity you speak of, but I don't want Giants to be inferior."
"There is no such thing as inferiority."
Bazel took out a Den Den Mushi and dialed a number right in front of Harald.
"Bazel?"
Toki's voice came through the Den Den Mushi.
"Toki, have Tom, Gancho, and Rampo get ready. I'm sending Loki to pick them up."
"The Giant King wants to see them."
"Understood."
Kacha-…
The Den Den Mushi hung up. Without waiting for Bazel's instruction, Loki stood up, walked to the balcony, flipped over the railing, and jumped straight down.
During the half-hour wait, Bazel drank while briefly explaining his plan to Harald.
This included the businesses the Giants could engage in.
"Construction workers? Sea King meat products business?"
Harald scratched his head, "Personally, I don't oppose tribesmen willing to do these jobs. After all, a very famous Galleila once appeared in our Giants' history."
"Those predecessors were not only warriors but also shipwrights."
"It's normal for giants to have to give something if they want respect outside."
Bazel took over.
"Relying on plunder will only make your reputation worse. But you need to grasp a very important 'degree'."
"That is, how to retaliate after being bullied without alerting other races."
'Degree?'
Harald fell into thought.
"What you want to do is nothing more than make the Giants more reasonable and better."
"The first time the Giants appears in the human world's trade system, they will definitely be bullied and even morally blackmailed."
"At that time, you only need to guarantee one thing to achieve the 'degree' I mentioned."
"That is justification."
"The moral high ground will allow you to accomplish many things smoothly. Paired with reasonable strength, even the nobles of those kingdoms will treat you politely."
Harald looked utterly confused, but Jarul beside him showed a thoughtful expression.
"Harald…"
Jarul smoothed the beard on his chin, "I roughly understand what Bazel means, but I also have a question. Bazel, if we are bullied by nobles of human kingdoms and fight back, but are branded as pirates by the World Government, what should we do?"
"World Government?"
Bazel showed a meaningful smile, "Why would you care about them?"
Jarul and Harald were stunned.
"The trade system starting from Wano Country, its core is our Beasts Pirates."
"What does being wanted by the World Government have to do with you?"
"Would our Beasts pirates capture you Giants for bounty money?"
"As long as the giants' reputation for integrity and heartiness gets out there, that's enough. The world is big, and there will always be bold humans willing to do business with you."
"What we need to do is to repres…"
"Bazel, the moment we heard we could meet the Giant King, we came immediately! Tahahaha!"
The moment the fishman's hearty laughter rang out, Bazel's lips moved.
Immediately after…
Jarul and Harald's expressions changed drastically, as if they had heard something incredible.
Cold sweat even soaked through the clothes on their backs.
"…Hey, hey, Bazel, your guts are even bigger than a Giant's!!"