Meanwhile, on the road leading toward Treasure Tree Adam—
"Wait, there's a giant imprisoned beneath the tree? And Shanks was the one who captured him?"
Uta looked astonished. She hadn't expected Elbaf to have such a complicated history.
"That's right! Shanks captured him and brought him back to Elbaf!"
"That bastard committed the terrible crime of murdering our former king. That's why he's locked up down there!"
"And Shanks became one of the Four Emperors after that!"
The surrounding giants eagerly took turns explaining what they knew, enthusiastically sharing what they believed to be the truth.
Cain listened quietly, though his attention gradually shifted toward Gaban and Jarul, who had remained suspiciously silent throughout the conversation.
The group was currently traveling deeper into the Underworld, and while everyone else was chatting away, those two wore expressions suggesting that the truth was considerably more complicated.
Cain glanced at Jarul.
"So, did that sword get stuck in your head around the same time?"
Jarul reached up and touched the hilt protruding from his forehead.
"I'm not entirely sure. When I woke up, it was already there."
"Damn. You must be ridiculously tough to survive something like that."
Cain studied the sword with genuine amazement.
"Actually, that reminds me of another guy who had a ship's wheel stuck in his head."
"You mean Shiki!"
Gaban immediately seized the opportunity to change the subject.
"I heard that bastard finally had the wheel removed."
"Yeah. I actually know the doctor who performed the surgery."
Cain glanced at Jarul again.
"Want me to arrange an appointment for you?"
"No need. It's been so many years that I've gotten used to it."
Jarul waved dismissively.
"How the hell do you get used to something like that?!"
Cain couldn't help raising his voice.
"You've got an enormous sword sticking out of your forehead! How do you even sleep at night?"
"Simple. I sleep on my side."
"Don't say that like it's perfectly normal!"
Cain stared at him incredulously.
"Doesn't that give you neck problems? You're getting on in years. You really shouldn't be putting yourself through this."
Despite his complaints, Cain had a fairly good idea of what might have happened.
Although the information available to him as a transmigrator only extended as far as Harald becoming a member of God's Knights, connecting those events with what he knew about Rocks allowed him to make some reasonable deductions.
He suspected that Jarul's refusal to remove the sword and his unwillingness to reveal the truth were connected to the same incident.
Since the old man clearly didn't want to discuss it, Cain decided not to press him.
…
As they approached the outer edge of the Underworld's central region, the weather suddenly deteriorated.
Violent winds swept across the landscape, carrying enormous waves of snow that reduced visibility to only a few dozen meters.
Jarul stopped.
His enormous body remained completely motionless despite the raging blizzard as he turned toward the group following behind him.
"All right. Everyone else stops here. Gaban and I will handle the rest of the journey."
He paused and looked at Cain.
"And Cain, of course."
After all, Cain was the reason Loki had been causing such an enormous disturbance in the first place.
Cain had no objections, and naturally, Uta intended to accompany him. She was currently holding Bella close to protect her from the freezing wind.
As for Gaban…
He had somehow managed to squeeze almost his entire body into Jarul's beard.
Only half his face and a crooked pair of sunglasses remained visible.
"Damn it. I should've worn something warmer. If this blasted wind messes up my back, I'm going to regret it."
Cain stared at the man practically nesting inside Jarul's facial hair.
His mouth twitched.
Even in weather like this, Gaban was still worrying about his back.
He really did live up to his reputation as the so-called missionary of love.
Apparently sensing Cain's judgmental stare, Gaban immediately shouted at him.
"Don't look at me like that! I'm not like you youngsters, running around with your ridiculously healthy bodies!"
"Seriously? With your strength, why would you care about a little cold?"
Cain looked thoroughly unimpressed.
"Of course I don't have to worry about it! I could roll around naked in this snowstorm if I wanted!"
Gaban sounded deeply offended.
"But that doesn't mean I shouldn't take precautions! You'll understand when you're older. Looking after your back is one of the most important things a man can do!"
Just then, Uta jumped over from the shoulders of another giant, carrying Bella in her arms.
She settled beside Cain and gently took his hand before resting her head against his neck.
"There. Now Cain won't feel cold either."
"I'm not particularly cold to begin with, but thanks."
Cain smiled and wrapped an arm around her.
Then he shot Gaban a distinctly smug look.
"I think I understand your teachings now, Senior."
He deliberately lowered his voice.
"I'm sure Uta and I will have a very happy future together!"
Gaban's eyes practically bulged out of his head.
His entire face turned bright red.
"YOU BASTARD! THAT IS NOT WHAT I WAS TEACHING YOU!"
He pointed accusingly.
"You really are just as annoying as Rayleigh!"
Gaban had been sincerely trying to pass down his hard-earned wisdom about protecting one's back, only to suddenly remember something extremely important.
The brat standing in front of him was the very criminal who had swooped in and carried off little Uta, whom all of them older men had carefully watched grow up.
And now Cain had the nerve to flaunt their relationship directly in front of him.
Absolutely shameless!
Jarul could only sigh as Gaban continued ranting.
…
When the group finally entered the deepest reaches of the Underworld, they had barely stopped moving before Conqueror's Haki surged toward them from every direction.
The pressure flooded through the area like an endless tide, crushing down on every inch of space without the slightest restraint.
"That guy really doesn't hold back with his Conqueror's Haki."
Cain's expression became slightly more serious.
"Well, he's a natural-born conqueror."
Gaban folded his arms.
Although clearly irritated by Loki's behavior, he patiently explained,
"The bastard figured out Conqueror's Coating entirely on his own without anyone teaching him."
"He doesn't even know that something called 'Conqueror's Haki' exists."
Cain's lips curled upward.
"Then let's quiet him down for a moment."
His gaze sharpened.
A bolt of Conqueror's Haki shot directly into the darkness like black-red lightning.
Deep beneath Treasure Tree Adam, Loki suddenly stiffened.
The bolt wrapped around him with extraordinary precision, and his enormous body jerked backward beyond his control.
THUD!
The back of his head slammed against Adam's rough trunk.
Then again.
THUD!
And again.
"What the hell?! What's happening?!"
Loki clenched his teeth and desperately released his own Conqueror's Haki in resistance.
The repeated impacts echoed through the vast emptiness of the Underworld for quite some time before finally stopping.
Heavy breathing came from the darkness.
"Hah… hah…"
Then Loki's voice emerged again, filled with barely suppressed excitement.
"They're here!"
His attention locked onto the approaching figures.
"Let me see what kind of monster that enormous guy really is!"
A silhouette gradually emerged through the darkness.
Loki stared.
Then visibly deflated.
"…Why is it just you, old man?"
The moment he realized the first person approaching was Jarul, the anticipation in Loki's eyes dropped considerably.
Then his attention shifted toward Cain, who was standing on Jarul's hand.
Loki immediately recognized the source of the Conqueror's Haki that had just slammed his head against the tree.
His voice dropped.
"So you're the huge guy who was fighting earlier?"
He looked Cain over.
"Didn't expect you to be this tiny."
Nobody answered him.
Uta was too busy staring upward at Loki's absurdly enormous frame with obvious fascination.
"So that's Loki?"
Her eyes widened.
"He's way bigger than the rest of you."
Jarul patiently explained,
"He carries Ancient Giant blood. Naturally, his body is much larger."
"He's roughly three times our size."
"HEY!"
Loki's shout reverberated through the tree roots.
"STOP IGNORING ME!"
"What am I, some monkey chained up here for tourists to stare at?!"
"No, no."
Cain quickly waved both hands.
"We've already met a monkey."
Naturally, he meant Luffy.
Then Cain tilted his head curiously.
"Actually, I've been wondering about something."
"I heard you've been chained here for six years."
Loki frowned.
Cain continued with complete sincerity.
"How do you go to the bathroom?"
It was something he'd genuinely wondered about for quite a while.
Loki had already been irritated by being treated like some animal on display.
Cain's completely unexpected question struck exactly where it hurt most.
Loki's entire face instantly turned bright red.
The chains around his body rattled violently as he struggled in embarrassment and rage.
"NONE OF YOUR DAMN BUSINESS!"