The impact was overwhelming, a strike of sheer force.
The punch slammed into Kashi's abdomen, his eyes nearly bulging from the sheer pressure, and his body uncontrollably flew backward, crashing heavily against the wall.
"Boom!"
"Kashi!"
Oimo stared in disbelief at his fallen comrade. He had never seen a human capable of something like this before.
They were warriors of the former Giant Pirate Crew, after all.
"The giants really are tough," Zian remarked calmly.
That punch hadn't knocked Kashi unconscious immediately. The resilience of the giants was undeniably formidable.
"Cough, cough..."
Blood dripped from Kashi's mouth, and his face was twisted with pain and frustration. The opponent's strength was terrifying, nearly knocking him out with a single blow.
For a moment, he had thought he was facing the two leaders of the Giant Pirate Crew.
"Clang!"
At that moment, the inner island gates slowly opened, clearly the work of those Zian had commanded to operate them.
"What?!"
Oimo looked at the gates in disbelief. How had they opened?
They had the intruder cornered, and no one else had breached the island. So why were the gates open?
"You… it's you, isn't it!" Oimo shouted angrily.
If they failed to guard the gates, their agreement with the World Government would be meaningless. How could they save their leaders then?
"Yes, it's me."
"Then you can die!" Oimo swung his massive club at Zian, determined to take him down.
But with that slow swing, there was no way it could reach Zian.
"Alright, now lie down quietly," Zian said, delivering a punch to Oimo's abdomen, sending him flying beside Kashi.
"Damn it..." Kashi gritted his teeth, glaring at Zian. If not for this meddler, they wouldn't be in this situation.
At that moment, the rumble of a Jetman approached from behind. Coco La, the old lady, was piloting the Jetman straight for the gates.
Zian glanced back. Could such speed be stopped in time?
Coco La had warned him: the Jetman's mechanisms were unique. Once it was engaged, halting it was no simple task. A failure to stop could result in casualties, and that would be awkward.
"Looks like I can't just knock you two out," Zian said, glancing at Kashi and Oimo. "Perfect, you two can serve as additional strength."
"Look into my eyes."
Instinctively, Oimo and Kashi met Zian's gaze, their bodies trembling as though resisting something.
But soon, they stopped struggling, their expressions shifting to shock.
"Leader Dorry… is that you?!"
"Brogy, is it really you?!"
The two struggled to stand, unable to believe their eyes. The leaders they had idolized were alive and standing right before them.
This gave Zian two crucial insights.
First, the effectiveness of his illusion jutsu might depend on the target's willpower. He would need to test whether their giant physiology played a role.
Second, these two giants seemed to know the leaders from Little Garden. In other words, they could be considered allies.
He almost knocked out his own people.
"Leaders, why are you here?" Kashi asked. "Weren't you imprisoned in the underwater great prison?!"
The remaining marines froze. What was happening? Where were Dorry and Brogy appearing from? Was this the ninja doing something?
"No, it's that guy," a marine muttered. "It's… a Devil Fruit… no, ninja ability."
Though unsure of what had happened, instinct told him something was wrong.
"Hey, Oimo!"
"Kashi!"
"What are you doing? Attack him already!"
Hearing this, Kashi glared coldly at the marines below. "You want us to strike our leader?!"
"Weren't you saying our leaders were locked in the underwater great prison?"
"Yes. We, the former warriors of the Giant Pirate Crew, promised to guard this gate for a hundred years. But why are our leaders here?" Oimo growled.
"If you've been lying from the start, we'll show you the strength of Elbaf!"
"Impossible… we're not lying. It's that enemy who tricked you," the marine stammered.
"They are not Dorry and Brogy they are that enemy!"
Oimo blinked at Zian and swung his massive club.
"You lie! That is clearly our leader!"
"Damn marines, I'll kill you all!" Kashi roared.
Within moments, the two giants cleared all remaining marines from their path and turned to Zian.
"Leaders, why are you here?" they demanded.
"We'll discuss that later," Zian replied, pointing at the approaching Jetman. "First, stop this."
"Remember, don't harm the sea train. There are allies inside."
Oimo looked at the speeding Jetman and patted his chest. "Leave it to me!"
"Kashi, join me!"
The two giants stepped forward, crouched, and extended their hands as if to grasp something.
"Clang!"
"Boom!"
Using their immense strength, they halted the sea train in its tracks.
The Jetman caused some injuries to their hands, leaving cuts and scrapes, but they ignored the pain.
Once the train stopped, Oimo laughed heartily. "Leader Dorry, I did well, right?"
"I used more strength than you, Oimo!" Kashi retorted, smiling.
He then turned to Zian. "Leader Brogy, the train is stopped. What's next?"
Zian didn't answer, instead focusing on the people emerging from the train car.
Thanks to the giants, the Jetman stopped perfectly, but the sudden inertia still left everyone slightly dizzy.
"What just happened?" Nami held her head in confusion.
"I thought I heard someone say Brogy's name," Usopp adjusted his mask and glanced around.
Then he noticed the enormous figures looming above.
"Giants…?!"
In that moment, the silhouettes of the two giants expanded in Usopp's eyes, overwhelming him with their sheer size.