Elbaf, West Village.
Before the ruins of Orsto Castle, perched atop a towering tree on a cliff in Yangjie West Village, several enormous figures sat together, the leader being none other than Elder Yaruru of the Giant Kingdom.
The once magnificent castle is now nothing but ruins, its walls covered with moss and vines, the traces of time having completely swallowed the building.
The wind whistled through the ruins, as if telling the story of the patricide that had broken out here, or mourning the hundreds of giant warriors who were killed in that war.
Elder Yaruru looked around, his aged face weathered by time, yet his cloudy eyes remained sharp. Beside him were several core members of the Giant Warrior Pirates, each a top warrior of Elbaf.
"How is the situation?" Yaruru asked, her voice low.
A giant warrior wearing a horned helmet stepped forward. "Elder, all the naval trainees have landed on the island. However, so far, they haven't shown any unusual behavior."
"What's the meaning?"
"Well..." The giant warrior scratched his head, "They seem to be on a trip. A few brats ran off to the library, where Sauron met them. Leading them was Nico Robin, the only survivor of Ohara and once wanted by the World Government as the Child of the Devil. Also, three brats are currently at the West Village cliffs, having a very pleasant chat with Gaban."
Another giant added, "There's another group that seems to have gotten lost; they should be heading towards the Hunter Village now. The leader is a green-haired boy who confidently declared he'd lead them back to the right direction. But he's been leading the group through the woods for ages, getting further and further astray. The trainees following behind are practically going crazy, arguing incessantly the whole way."
"Huh?" Yaruru was taken aback. "You have no sense of direction?"
"Most likely," the giant warrior said, suppressing a laugh. "I heard someone call him ' Moss Head,' and someone even said they wanted to throw him into the underworld to feed the monsters."
Upon hearing this, the giants sitting around couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Yaruru waved his hand, his expression turning serious again. "Where's the Navy Marshal? What's he up to?"
"Not yet." The giant warrior's smile faded. "However, judging from his reaction after landing on the island, he's probably like the Knights of God who came before—most likely for Loki!"
Yaruru narrowed his eyes. "I can understand that the World Government needs Loki as an ally, after all, the World Government has wanted the Giant Kingdom to be under their control and command for years! However, the Navy Marshal has Sweet Commander under his command, he probably doesn't really need Loki!"
Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent.
Indeed, the Navy now boasts the largest and most prestigious roster in its history. Not only has the number of Admiral increased, but there are so many Vice Admiral Rear Admiral and rear admirals that they can't keep up with the promotions. Many who have served the Navy and originally possessed the strength of Vice Admiral Rear Admiral or rear admirals have been relegated to Commodore rank of commodore and colonel due to the sheer number of talented individuals. With such a powerful roster, Loki, the cursed prince of the Giant Kingdom, seems somewhat insignificant!
After a brief silence, a burly giant warrior spoke up, "Even if he came for Loki, he will return empty-handed. Loki even rejected the Knights of God, why would he agree to the Navy?"
"It's different." Another giant shook his head. " The Knights of God are backed by those old guys from the Holy Land, so it's normal for Loki to look down on them. But this time, it's the Navy Marshal himself. According to the intelligence I have, the real strength of this young Navy Marshal isn't his power to force the Holy Land to compromise during the coup, but rather his unparalleled personal charisma. Everyone in the Marine Headquarters is captivated by his charisma and is completely devoted to him."
"Yes, according to the intelligence I've recently gathered, not only is the Marine Headquarters completely devoted to him, but even the former Shichibukai members he recruited, whether it's Crocodile or Doflamingo, all take his orders as their primary code of conduct."
"Times have truly changed." Another giant sighed, his expression grave. "Perhaps even before the Sun God is born, the world will undergo a radical transformation!"
"Things have changed dramatically now. I visited a country two months ago where not only has it been upgraded to a national city, but the policies implemented have also received absolute support from the people. They even composed a folk song, roughly saying that the navy has brought them not only light but also warmth!"
Yaruru didn't reply, silently raising her head to look into the distance.
Through the gaps in the trees, he could see training ships and warships moored along the shore. The naval flags fluttering on the ships danced in the sea breeze, their white emblems, symbols of justice, shining brightly in the sunlight.
"Elder," the giant warrior wearing a horned helmet hesitated, "If... I mean if, the Navy Marshal and Loki go to war, how should we respond?"
The air froze instantly upon hearing this.
All the giants' eyes were on Yaruru, awaiting his decision.
Yaruru was silent for a moment, then sighed deeply, "Let's wait and see! Don't start a war lightly unless absolutely necessary. If we initiate a war, the Giant Kingdom will face not only the naval trainees currently landing in Elbaf, but also the wrath of the Navy Marshal and the strongest force in the history of the navy."
The giants sitting in the circle looked at each other in bewilderment.
Yaruru glanced around, his tone becoming more serious. "Who among you is confident that you can protect Elbaf with this lineup?"
No one spoke; the giants remained silent.
Just then, a young giant warrior rushed over, panting, "Elder! Something terrible has happened! The Navy Marshal has made a move!"
He's heading towards the underworld!
"What?!"
All the giants changed color simultaneously.
"Elder, should we stop him?"
"Stop them?" Yaruru smiled wryly. "Can you even stop them?"
The giants fell silent once again. The memory of Akira wiping out Hachinosu Island with a single blow was still fresh in their minds. They had no confidence that they could stop this powerful and domineering Navy Marshal!
As everyone remained silent, the wind blew across the ruins, stirring up clouds of dust.
Auerstau Castle cast a huge shadow in the setting sun, like a lurking beast, silently watching the approaching storm.
On the other side, in the hunter village.
Zoro stood in a completely unfamiliar forest, arms crossed, a confident smile on his face.
"Follow me, you can't go wrong."
Behind him, Sanji, Sabo, Ace, Hawkins, Law, and the Vinsmoke siblings all had faces as black as the bottom of a pot.
" Moss Head!" Sanji gritted his teeth. "Say it again, where are we now?"
"The Hunter Village, huh?" Zoro said matter-of-factly.
Sabo sighed, "Take a closer look. Have we been here before? And try to remember, how many times have we been here?"
"Is there a difference?" Zoro blinked.
"Of course!" Ace exploded, "You terrible navigator! We've gone around in circles three times!"
Hawkins, expressionless, drew a tarot card. "So, knowing that the probability of getting lost with Zoro was 100%, why did you still choose to let him lead the way? That's a question worth considering!"
Reiju covered her mouth and laughed, " Zoro- kun, why don't you just hand over command to someone else?"
"No way!" Zoro declared firmly, "Without me, this crew will fall apart!"
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