The two giants, who had already been forced back to the edge of the island, exchanged looks the moment they heard Don's words.
Shock filled their eyes.
Just where had this man come from?
There was no need to continue the fight—both of them now clearly understood the gulf between their strength and his.
"Are you… Rocks? Or Roger?"
Dorry's thunderous voice rumbled, his eyes fixed warily on Don, who floated in the air.
"Hmm?"
Don blinked in surprise. It wasn't strange that the giants knew those names—they were, after all, the emperors of two great eras on the seas.
"Long ago, travelers who came here spoke of them," Brogy muttered, his tone low and deep. "They said those two were the mightiest humans on the ocean."
"That was ages ago," Don replied lightly. "Even Roger's been dead for over ten years."
These two had spent centuries dueling here—their news of the outside world hopelessly outdated.
After all, not long after Roger's death, Crocodile had arrived in Alabasta, set his sights on the two giants, and begun secretly capturing pirates nearby.
That likely explained why no one else had come to Little Garden since.
"I thought you might've been one of them," Dorry admitted, scratching his head.
Brogy's deep voice rumbled like distant thunder. "You really mean to test yourself against our combined strike? That's not something a human can survive."
But when Don didn't deny it, only smiled confidently, Brogy's hesitation faded.
"Come on, then. That's exactly why I'm here," Don said, grinning. "Don't worry—I won't die."
He could lock his HP!
Besides, Don doubted even this attack could trigger his [Indomitable Will] passive.
The giants exchanged a glance once more—then both nodded.
"Geh-heh-heh-heh! If you insist on seeing it for yourself, then we'll oblige you!"
Dorry burst into laughter—a booming, eerie laugh that made Don's expression twist with mild discomfort.
"Gababababa! This is the pride of Elbaf—the secret technique of our people! Elbaf's Spear! It is our glory!" Brogy roared, laughing to the sky.
"If I wanted to learn it," Don suddenly asked, "would it be possible?"
The giants froze mid-laugh. Their grins stiffened.
"This technique… can only be wielded by Giants!" they said in unison.
"I see," Don murmured. "Then let me test it first!"
With that, he turned, floating back toward the seaside cliffs before landing lightly on the ground.
The two giants watched him, their expressions growing solemn.
"We'll ask one last time," Dorry said gravely. "Are you certain you want to try and take our Elbaf's Spear head-on?"
"Bring it on."
Don tightened his grip around his blade, his gaze unwavering.
Far out at sea, a pirate ship was already sailing away from the island. Onboard, Galdino and the others looked back toward the shore—toward Don and the two towering figures—and felt a cold dread creeping up their spines.
High above, Issho and Robin stood on their floating ship, eyes locked in the same direction.
"He'll be fine, right?" Robin said, concern evident in her voice. "Don did block an Admiral's attack before…"
"As his comrade," Issho replied calmly, "you must trust him. He may be young, but I can sense it—he never acts without confidence."
His Observation Haki easily picked up Robin's unease.
She nodded quietly, though worry still flickered in her eyes.
At the shore
A strange aura began to radiate from the two giants.
That energy coiled and surged along their massive weapons.
Don's eyes narrowed.
Conqueror's Haki?
No… not quite. It wasn't the same.
Some kind of special energy…?
His gaze sharpened as he watched every motion they made.
The air trembled. Power rippled outward as the red and blue auras entwined, glowing vividly around their weapons.
Even the giants themselves were filled with anticipation.
Could this human truly withstand their ultimate strike?
Buzz
Don's arm darkened with Armament Haki, the energy flowing steadily into his blade.
However strong this coming attack was, his life wasn't in danger.
But what he wanted—was to block it completely.
"AAAHHHH!!!"
The two giants roared as one, swinging their weapons down with the force of twin avalanches.
"Hakai!" (Elbaf's Spear!)
The air itself split.
"A slashing shockwave," Don realized instantly. As a swordsman, he could read the attack's nature in a glance.
The twin strikes collided midair—merging into one enormous, circular blast of pure force.
The shockwave tore a deep scar across the ground as it hurtled toward Don.
He widened his eyes, stepping forward with his left foot
And raised En high.
The moment the impact reached him, he swung.
Steel met energy.
BOOM!
The shockwave slammed into his blade, raw power pressing down like the weight of a mountain.
His feet slid backward through the dirt. Don clenched his jaw and brought his left hand to the hilt, gripping tight.
His Armament-coated sword shuddered violently against the titanic pressure
Then split it apart.
A blinding flash tore across the island.
Behind Don, the ocean heaved. Two massive ravines carved through the sea's surface, stretching all the way to the horizon.
Waves exploded upward on both sides, surging hundreds of meters into the air.
"Ruuun!"
Galdino and the others screamed, staring at the sight—at the cleaved ocean and the rising tsunami—and sprinted desperately to escape.
Up above, Issho and Robin were both tense, their gazes locked on the battlefield below.
Dorry and Brogy's eyes widened, staring at the clearing dust.
As the smoke drifted away, Don stood firm—both hands on his sword.
The ground behind him was gouged with long skid marks, but he hadn't been blown away.
He exhaled sharply, white vapor spilling from his lips.
"That's got some bite to it," Don muttered with a grin.
[HP: 79%]
Even blocking with his sword, the collision had drained nearly a fifth of his health in an instant.
Purely in terms of destructive power, this was beyond anything Aokiji or Kizaru had unleashed.
Of course, they hadn't been fighting him seriously at the time—holding back their true strength.
"He actually blocked it!"
Dorry's jaw dropped as he stared at Don sheathing his blade.
"Incredible," Brogy said in awe. "Has humanity really grown this strong? A century ago, not a single man alive could've taken that blow head-on."
Don shook his head slightly. "I didn't block it completely. Didn't you see? The shockwave split apart."
If he'd truly blocked it, the energy wouldn't have divided.
His strike had simply cut the shockwave in two.
Still, the outcome was more than enough to satisfy him.
And more importantly—this strange, hybrid technique that resembled a slash yet wasn't one—it intrigued him deeply.
However, such an attack clearly demanded monstrous physical strength.
That was something the Giants possessed by nature.
Even Big Mom and Kaidou, who had mastered this move, had inhuman physiques.
And their weapons—Napoleon, the massive sword, and Kaidou's colossal kanabō—were far larger than normal.
Maybe if my body grows strong enough, Don thought, I could replicate it too.
When they had released that energy, it had reminded him faintly of Conqueror's Haki infusion.
END OF CHAPTER
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