Lipri was only joking.
In her eyes, Mongge was already so old. How could he possibly train like the rest of them?
Who knew that Mongge would actually jump down from her.
"Isn't it just training?"
Mongge gritted his teeth and smiled at Lipri and Rocks.
"Since the crew are all working out, I have to lead by example as their captain!"
So Lipri and Rocks watched as Mongge took off his clothes, bared his upper body, and hoisted a boulder several times bigger than he was.
His thin frame was covered in scars. His muscles didn't look particularly impressive, yet they were surprisingly firm. When he tensed them, he looked almost like a statue.
Even Mongge himself was a little surprised. When had his body gotten into such good shape?
Just a month ago, he'd still had a beer belly!
But now, apart from looking a little old, his body was in no worse shape than a young man's.
Even Rocks, standing nearby, looked himself over and realized that he had less muscle than Mongge.
How could he stand for that?
If Mongge was training with weights, then so was he!
Seeing Rocks pick up a boulder of his own, Mongge couldn't help laughing.
"Pwahahaha! Kid, check what you're capable of before you try. With a rock that big on your back, you'll barely be able to walk."
"Shut up!"
Seeing Rocks flush as he tried to jog with the boulder on his back, Mongge didn't stop him.
If you won't listen to your elders, you'll learn the hard way.
The three of them carried their respective weights and, amid their playful bickering, made their slow but determined way toward the Giant Village.
Giant Village.
"What? That bastard Mongge is back again!?"
An elderly giant with a beard that trailed to the ground like a waterfall roared so loudly it shook the air. "This time, I'm going to kill the brat! How dare he deceive my great-great-granddaughter!"
"Bwakakaka, forget it. You're no match for him now. We'll have to leave it to Dorry and Brogy. We're old, after all."
The other giant beside him was just as old, and he laughed as he spoke.
"Besides, Lipri hasn't run away, has she?"
"Hmph! Lipri is supposed to join the Giant Soldier Pirates. Once Dorry and Brogy get back, I'll have them take her out on an adventure!"
The Giant Tribe and Mongge's White Wolf Pirates had become acquainted through fighting. When the White Wolf Pirates first landed on Elbaf ten years ago, they got into a brawl with giants from several villages.
In the end, only King Harald's intervention put a stop to the dispute.
The Giant Tribe was powerful.
But not every giant was strong.
At least, while the Giant Tribe's two greatest warriors—the captains of the Giant Soldier Pirates, Dorry and Brogy—were away, the only one who could be called a powerhouse was King Harald.
King Harald was powerful, but he didn't care for war. Rather than fighting, he preferred peaceful relations with other nations.
So, once he learned that the White Wolf Pirates weren't evil pirates invading Elbaf, he chose to make peace with them and welcome them as guests.
The Giant Tribe revered the strong.
Naturally, they held Mongge in high regard, since he had fought King Harald to a draw.
The two captains of the Giant Soldier Pirates, Dorry and Brogy, had been missing for thirty years. To the younger generation of giants, they were legends who existed only in stories.
But Mongge was a Great Pirate who was alive and well.
As a result, the White Wolf Pirates were hugely popular with the children.
This infuriated many giants who had once served in the Giant Soldier Pirates.
They couldn't wait for the White Wolf Pirates to hurry up and leave.
"What's Mongge here for this time? Didn't he just leave not long ago?" asked the elderly giant whose beard was as thick as a blanket.
He had been the one defending Mongge just now.
"Lord Aruru, ten years have passed."
A giant beside him explained, "Ten years is a long time for the little people from the outside. And Captain Mongge is getting on in years. Maybe he's planning to retire here in Elbaf. He and Sister Carmelo know each other, don't they?"
"Isn't it only been ten years? By the way, how long have Dorry and Brogy been gone? Why haven't they come back yet?"
The giant with the waterfall beard snorted, displeased.
Their king didn't like fighting, and Dorry and Brogy were away. There was no one in Elbaf who could beat Mongge now.
"If only I were a hundred years younger!"
The old giant swung his longsword hard, then a sharp crack rang out.
"M-my back!"
"Bwakakaka, Yoruru, I told you not to go throwing your weight around at your age. Lipri will complain again when she gets back."
Aruru laughed heartily.
He wasn't actually worried about Mongge's arrival. After all, Mongge was a strong man they recognized. The Giant Tribe might be insular, but they weren't ignorant of the outside world. If the White Wolf Pirates were truly a band of vicious pirates, they never would have been welcomed as guests.
"Everyone, get ready to welcome our old friend!"
"By the way, Lipri went to the Underworld, didn't she?"
Aruru suddenly remembered something and asked. The Giant Tribe had Den Den Mushi that connected the Sunny Realm and the Underworld. The reason they knew Mongge was coming was that Mado had sent them word.
"I think so. Mado said Lipri would be coming back with Captain Mongge and the others."
"What!?"
Yoruru was being helped toward the house by two other giants. Hearing what the giant said, he immediately widened his eyes.
"Mongge! I'm going to kill that guy!"
The Giant Village descended into chaos once more.
Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the village.
A house much smaller than the towering buildings around it stood there.
An elderly woman in a black nun's habit puffed on a cigarette, feeling her eyelid twitch again and again.
"Damn it, I've got a bad feeling!"
The old nun paced back and forth in her room. Before she could figure out why, a child's scream came from outside.
"Mother, help me!"
A little girl from the Giant Tribe was being chased by another girl of equally towering size. Several normal-sized children were nearby.
"Lingling's going to kill me!"
Hearing the little giant girl's cry, the old nun gave up thinking and went outside. "Linlin, stop fooling around. We need to get dinner ready!"
"Dinner?"
At the old nun's words, the chubby little girl in a pink dress behind them lit up and hurried over to her.
"What are we having today? Is there cake?"
"No cake today, but your Uncle Kashi went hunting and shared plenty of meat with us. We can have meat stew with carrots."
"Yay!"
The children around them cheered. Looking at them, the old nun's face softened with a kindly smile.
But just as the old nun was about to prepare dinner for the children,
a voice suddenly rang out from nearby.
"Pwahahaha! Carmelo, you're still the same as ever. But compared to ten years ago, you've gotten older. Now you're a proper old lady! Hahaha!"
That voice?
Though they hadn't seen each other in a long time, the moment she heard it, Sister Carmelo felt her blood pressure shoot up.
"Mongge? Why hasn't the Navy caught you and locked you up in Impel Down yet, you bastard?"
"Haha, the Navy can't catch me!"
Mongge casually tossed aside the boulder he'd been carrying and flashed a crooked smile.
"It's been a long time. I hope you haven't done anything to disappoint me."
"Mother!"
Before you continue