Before the training ship had even lowered its anchor and was still a hundred meters from the coast of Elbaf, Luffy couldn't contain himself any longer.
" Elbaf! Here I come!"
With a loud roar, completely ignoring the angry curses from Ace, Zoro, and Sanji behind him, he stretched out his hands and swiftly grabbed Usopp and Chopper beside him.
" Luffy! What are you doing...?"
"Nani?"
Before Chopper could react, and before Usopp could finish speaking, a powerful elastic force came from beneath their feet.
The next second.
"Wow..."
"Help me--"
Amidst two piercing screams that seemed to tear through the sky, Usopp and Chopper, carried under Luffy's Luffy, shot straight toward the opposite shore like cannonballs.
The wind rushed into his mouth, Usopp's tears and snot instantly turned into two white lines. He felt like his heart was about to jump out of his throat, while Chopper was so frightened that his hooves kicked wildly in the air.
"Boom!"
The three men crashed heavily onto the shore, raising clouds of dust.
As the dust settled, Luffy, his Luffy a mess, excitedly climbed out of the crater, raising his arms high. "Adventure King! I'm going to be it!"
Beneath him, Usopp and Chopper were foaming at the mouth and seeing stars.
On the deck, everyone watching this scene twitched at the corners of their mouths.
Akira merely glanced at it and did not stop him.
Seeing this, the other interns couldn't wait to show off their skills and head to the island one after another.
When they finally set foot on this land, everyone truly understood the meaning of the word "huge".
Every blade of grass underfoot was taller than a person, soft and yielding underfoot. The trees in the distance resembled mountain ranges, piercing the clouds. An ancient and desolate atmosphere permeated the air, as if every breath was a dialogue with history.
"Is this the legendary Elbaf?" Nico Robin adjusted her sunglasses, her eyes gleaming with the unique brilliance of a scholar. "It's truly enormous!"
Nami, Koala, Nojiko, and Perona instinctively huddled around Robin. On this vast land, Robin's composure gave them a great sense of security.
" Robin, let's team up with you!" Nami suggested.
"Of course, it's my honor." Robin smiled, but then his tone suddenly shifted, a hint of sinister glint in his voice. "But everyone, please don't wander off, or you'll fall into the underworld."
"The underworld?!" Nami's eyes widened in shock. "What underworld? Robin, don't scare me!"
Robin explained in a serious tone, " Elbaf is located on a giant tree called the ' Adam Tree.' The top of the tree is the heavenly realm, the place where the people of the Giant Kingdom live is called the Yang Realm, which is the middle section of the tree, while the base of the tree is called the Underworld. Legend has it that if someone accidentally falls into the Underworld, they will be dragged in by the demons there and become their food."
After she finished speaking, she gave a meaningful smile.
Nami instantly got goosebumps and hugged her arms, backing away repeatedly. "Stop talking, stop talking!"
Just then, a spoilsport voice broke in.
"What are you all standing there for? Follow me!"
"As long as you follow me, you don't have to worry about getting lost, or falling into some underworld."
Zoro walked over unnoticed, his hand on the hilt of his sword, looking completely confident.
No sooner had he finished speaking than three angry roars erupted simultaneously from different directions.
"You Moss Head, that's enough!" Sanji almost blew smoke out of his mouth.
"It's not enough that you've already caused trouble for us, you also want to cause trouble for Nami and the others?" Sabo said with a dark expression.
"Shut up, you directionally challenged idiot!" Ace retorted bluntly.
Zoro's forehead veins bulged and instantly turned red. He turned to the three and roared, "Idiots! When did I ever harm you? Back in Sabaody Archipelago, wasn't it me who led you out of that forest?"
Upon hearing this, Ace, Sabo, and Sanji looked at him as if he were a hopeless idiot.
Ace, too lazy to waste words with him, looked directly at Nami and the others, shrugged, and said, "Do you believe he's not directionally challenged, or do you believe I'm the Navy Marshal?"
The girls shook their heads in unison without hesitation, then, like startled deer, darted behind Akira, exclaiming in unison, "We only believe in the Lord Marshal!"
Akira ignored the noisy group of interns.
After looking around, he slowly closed his eyes.
Immediately afterwards, an invisible Observation Haki spread out, instantly covering the entire city of Elbaf.
The bustling villages of the mortal realm, the ethereal clouds of the celestial realm, and the dark, desolate underworld beneath the roots of the precious tree.
Soon, the Observation Haki pierced through the layers of massive tree roots, precisely locking onto a huge figure bound by Seastone Handcuffs, shackles, and several chains.
Meanwhile, in the underworld.
It was dark and damp here, with only a faint ray of light filtering through the gaps in the tree roots.
A towering figure, over sixty meters tall, sat amidst the ruins, bound by countless chains thicker than ship anchors.
He wore a wide-brimmed helmet, his eyes were wrapped in thick bandages, and he exuded an evil aura that made the surrounding air seem to want to avoid him, causing the space to become unusually quiet.
Bound by enormous chains, with his hands and feet shackled in Seastone Handcuffs, is none other than Loki, the prince of the Giant Kingdom, who is imprisoned here.
He was imprisoned at the base of the Adam Tree after killing his father and seizing the Devil Fruit. He calls himself the " Sun God " and possesses the physique of the Ancient Giant Tribe due to atavism. He is known as the "Cursed Prince" and "the shame of Elbaf ".
"Splash--"
Loki jerked his head up, the massive chains binding him clanging with a piercing metallic sound.
He "looked" towards the direction of the Sun Realm, a ferocious grin spreading across his face, a huge tongue hanging down from his mouth, saliva dripping silently onto the ground.
"Heh heh... it seems a very important person has arrived in Elbaf."
Loki paused slightly, then his expression suddenly shifted, as if he were conversing with some unseen being. He grinned bloodthirstyly and said, " Pompom, Elbaf needs me. You alone cannot stop this man!"
A moment of silence fell over the air.
Immediately afterwards, an old voice rang in his ear.
"As you said, a truly remarkable figure has indeed arrived... the Marshal of the Marine Headquarters! He led the training ships to destroy Hachinosu Island and has now landed in Elbaf."
" Navy Marshal?" Loki's eyes flashed with a sharp light. "Is it that Sengoku guy?"
"No." Pompom's voice came again, "The current Navy Marshal Akira. Six months after you were imprisoned in the Underworld, Akira, then Marine Vice Admiral, suddenly launched a coup, not only successfully ascending to the position of Fleet Marshal, but also signing the Mary Geoise Treaty with the Holy Land. He is the most powerful person in the world today."
Upon hearing this, Loki grinned, letting his enormous tongue dangle out, and sneered, "So, he's also here to extend an olive branch to me?"
" Navy Marshal rose to power through a military coup?"
"I'm kind of looking forward to meeting him! Hehehe~"
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