Uninvited Guests

"Roar!!!"

Just as Lina's warning fell, a giant dinosaur rushed out from behind Brogy and bit his butt.

Even Nami and Usopp couldn't help but cry out in concern.

"Hey, old man!"

"Are you okay!"

However, Brogy was still grinning. He turned his head, swung his axe, and casually severed the dinosaur's head. Then he laughed:

"Gahahahaha, just in time, I have food too! I'll treat you to a meal. Do you have any alcohol?"

"W-we do have some."

Lina was stunned, not just by the man's strength.

More than that, Brogy possessed a heroic aura that he hadn't seen in anyone else since coming here, except for Luffy.

"You're full of spirit, old man," Lina said with a smile.

"Gahahahaha, I'm a warrior of Elbaf!" Brogy roared, banging his axe against the shield hanging from his waist.

Lina enjoyed interacting with people like him; it was easy and straightforward. "We'll treat you to drinks, old man," he said with a smile.

"Huh?" Nami had let down some of her guard, but she wasn't at the point of making friends with someone she'd just met.

Usopp, on the other hand, inexplicably grew bolder. He mustered his courage and tremblingly asked, "O-old man, are you one of the legendary Giants?"

"Ah, that's right! You know about us."

"I've seen them in storybooks, I just didn't expect them to be real."

Usopp's voice gradually became more fluent, a hint of excitement on his face. "Legend says Giants are unrestrained and wild. They're the warriors I admire most!"

"In that case, let's go back to the ship and get some alcohol, Nami, Usopp."

Lina led the two back to the Merry, and they brought out several large barrels of alcohol.

Lina hadn't bought this much back in Loguetown. Zoro had managed to get two good swords for free by chance, so he saved all the money Lina gave him and bought alcohol instead.

"Let's leave these few barrels for that drunkard. We're leaving."

After leaving three barrels of alcohol, Lina and the others followed Brogy back to his stronghold deep in the forest.

Not long after the Straw Hat crew landed, Little Garden welcomed two uninvited guests.

"Damn it! We grabbed the wrong people," a dark-skinned man with an afro grumbled. "Looks like we have to make a trip to this godforsaken place after all."

"Hahahaha, no need to be so angry, Mr. 5," Miss. Valentine, with short blonde hair and a hip-skirt, chuckled softly. "They're just a few pirates with bounties under thirty million. We'll finish them quickly and be back."

In the primeval forest, Mr. 5 wore a black coat, while the woman in the hip-skirt behind him held an umbrella behind her back, her hips swaying as she kept pace.

Soon, the two strolled leisurely into a white candle-shaped house. They walked straight in, and someone was already waiting inside.

"Mr. 3, you're really taking it easy."

"Yo, isn't this the duo who failed their mission?" the man with a braid shaped like the number '3' on his head asked leisurely, taking a sip of coffee. "It's my break time now. We can talk about work after I finish this coffee."

If Lina were present, he would have marveled at such a relaxed demeanor, seeing it as a sign of 'potential Admiral.'

Mr. 5 remained silent, quietly waiting until the other man finished his coffee. Only then did Mr. 3 speak calmly.

"I'm already aware of the mission details. However, the current problem isn't the Straw Hat crew." Mr. 3 pulled out a wanted poster from his pocket, which bore the faces of two Giants. "The Straw Hat Kid and his crew, with bounties no higher than thirty million, have already made contact with Blue Ogre Dorry and Red Ogre Brogy. That's the real trouble."

"A bounty over a hundred million!!" the woman in the hip-skirt exclaimed, slamming her hands on the table.

Mr. 5's brow furrowed as well.

Only Mr. 3, the candle-man, remained unfazed. He slowly spoke even more astonishing words, "This wanted poster was issued a hundred years ago."

Inside the room constructed of white wax, the atmosphere fell silent for a moment. Mr. 5's furrowed brow finally relaxed.

"They aren't planning on staying forever, are they? Can't we just wait until they leave before making our move?"

"That's precisely the problem."

Mr. 3 stood up, leaning on his chair, and said to the afro-headed man, "The magnetic field of Little Garden requires a Log Pose a year to fully charge and point to the next island."

The candle-man paused and then added, "I have two Eternal Poses. I'll try to lure them into the forest and kill them later. If they don't pursue, I'll start a fight and then pretend to be defeated, leaving behind the Eternal Poses."

"I understand what you mean."

Mr. 3's lips curved upwards. "As long as those two Giants aren't involved, it'll be much easier. Shall we set up an ambush in the forest?"

"Whatever you want. I can handle the Straw Hat crew myself."

"Tch! Such an arrogant guy."

The afro-headed man scoffed and left with the woman in the hip-skirt.

The scene shifts to Lina's side, in the center of Little Garden island.

Here lie two enormous skeletons, sparsely covered with moss and weeds, clearly having rested here for a very long time.

Beneath the giant bones, Brogy grinned, a large barrel of sake in his hand treated like a cup, draining half of it in a single gulp.

Lina and his two companions followed him here. Brogy roasted the dinosaur meat they hunted during their meeting for them, and they, in turn, offered fine wine in return.

As they ate and chatted, Usopp listened to Brogy's tales of adventures, becoming incredibly excited.

"Gahahaha! It's been so long since I've had a drink, this is truly exhilarating!"

"Hahaha, as long as you're happy, old man."

Lina raised his cup and took a hearty swig. "This way, I won't feel too embarrassed to ask for your help later."

"Gahaha, no problem. Tell me what it is, and if I can help a friend, I'll do my best naturally."

"Then I thank you in advance, old man."

Lina didn't beat around the bush. Dealing with a straightforward person like Brogy, being direct was the best approach. Beating around the bush would only be counterproductive.

He simply introduced his abilities to Brogy and explained his request to harvest his body.

"Gahahaha, such a small matter, why would you need to be embarrassed? You don't even need me to do anything."

Brogy grinned, swallowed half the barrel of sake in one gulp, and offered his hand to Lina. "Just go ahead!"

"Then I won't be polite, old man." Lina directly summoned a blue flame from his hand and placed it on Brogy's hand. Soon, the flame spread bit by bit along the giant arm.

Nami and Usopp watched with anticipation. They knew and had witnessed Lina's abilities. If he could create such a powerful undead, their ship's combat strength would immediately increase significantly.

"Oho? Your flame is quite interesting. It's not hot at all, gahahaha!"

However, contrary to Brogy's laughter, Lina's expression was grim.

"Harvest failed."

Lina frowned as he looked at Brogy's massive physique. He could harvest the strength of those stronger than him, but there was a limit, and they couldn't exceed it by too much.

Yet, his current physical condition was already extraordinary. Although he was still far inferior to Brogy, it should have been barely enough.

Why did he still feel like something was lacking? Thinking this, Lina immediately withdrew the blue flame.

"What's wrong, young Lina?"

"Ah, no, it's nothing. I'll try again."

He prepared to enter his transformation state and try again. As long as he could gain the attribute bonuses of the undead in his hand, it should work.