Uninvited Guest

"ROAR!!!"

Just as Reiner's warning fell, a giant dinosaur charged from behind Broggy, biting him right on the backside.

Even Nami and Usopp couldn't help but cry out in worry when they saw it.

"Hey, old man!"

"Are you alright?!"

However, Broggy merely chuckled, turned, and with a swift axe stroke, severed the dinosaur's head. Then he laughed, "Ga ha ha ha, well, now we have food. I'll treat you to a meal. Do you have any alcohol?"

"Uh, actually, we do have some."

Reiner was genuinely shocked, and not just by Broggy's strength.

More so, it was the courageous aura emanating from Broggy. In all his time here, aside from Luffy, he hadn't seen it in anyone else.

"You've got quite the spirit, old man," Reiner said, smiling.

"Ga ha ha ha, I am a warrior of Elbaf!" Broggy roared with laughter, tapping the shield hanging at his waist with his axe.

Reiner liked being around people like him; it was easy and refreshing. He openly chuckled, "Let us treat you to a drink, old man."

"Huh?" While Nami had let her guard down a little, she wasn't ready to make friends with someone she'd just met.

Usopp, on the other hand, inexplicably grew bolder. He mustered his courage and shakily asked, "O-old man, are you the legendary giant race?"

"Ah, that's right. So you know about us."

"I've read about them in tall tales, but I never imagined they were real."

Usopp's voice gradually became more fluid, a hint of excitement on his face. "Legends say giants are free-spirited and uninhibited. They're the kind of warriors I admire most!"

"In that case, let's head back to the ship for drinks, Nami, Usopp."

Reiner led the two back to the Going Merry and brought out several large wooden barrels of alcohol.

Back in Loguetown, Reiner hadn't bought this much. Zoro had coincidentally gotten two good swords for free, so he'd saved the money Reiner gave him and bought nothing but alcohol.

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

After leaving three barrels of alcohol, Reiner and the others followed Broggy back to his base deep in the forest.

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

"Damn it! We caught the wrong person!" A dark-skinned man with an afro angrily cursed. "Now we have to come all the way to this godforsaken place."

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

In the primeval forest, Mr.5 wore a black overcoat, while the woman in the hip-hugging skirt behind him held an umbrella with both hands behind her back, her hips swaying as she followed closely.

Soon, the two leisurely strolled into a white wax house, walking straight in, where someone was already waiting.

"Mr.3, you're looking quite relaxed."

"Oh, isn't it the failed mission duo?" The man with a '3' braided into his hair casually took a sip of coffee and said indifferently, "It's my break time. We can talk about work after I finish this coffee."

Such an easygoing demeanor, if Reiner had been there, he would surely have marveled at his 'potential as a vice-captain.'

Mr.5 didn't speak, waiting silently until the other man finished his coffee before hearing Mr.3 speak calmly.

"I'm aware of the mission, but the current problem isn't the Straw Hat Crew." Mr.3 pulled out a bounty poster from his pocket, showing the faces of two giants, and continued, "The Straw Hat kid and his crew, whose bounties are no more than thirty million, have already encountered Blue Ogre Dorry and Red Ogre Brogy. That's the biggest problem."

"A bounty over one hundred million?!" The woman in the hip-hugging skirt slapped her hands on the table with a bang, gasping.

Mr.5 also frowned deeply.

Only the candle man, Mr.3, remained unperturbed, slowly speaking even more astonishing words, "This bounty poster, it was issued a hundred years ago."

Inside the room constructed of white wax, the atmosphere was quiet for a moment before Mr.5's tightly furrowed brows finally relaxed.

"They're not staying forever, are they? Can't we just wait until they leave to make our move?"

"That's the problem."

Mr.3 stood up from his chair and said to the afro-haired man, "Due to Little Garden's magnetic field, the Log Pose needs a year to fully record 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. If they don't pursue, I'll just initiate combat, then pretend to be defeated and leave an Eternal Pose behind."

"I understand what you mean."

Mr.3's lips curled upwards. "As long as we don't involve those two giants, it'll be much easier. Should we ambush them in the forest?"

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

"Tch! Arrogant bastard."

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

The scene shifts to Reiner's location, in the center of Little Garden Island.

Here lay two colossal skeletons, sparsely covered with moss and weeds, clearly having endured a long time in this place.

Below the massive white bones, Broggy grinned, a large barrel of wine in his hand looking like a mere cup, half of it gone in a single gulp.

Reiner and the two others had followed him here. Broggy had cooked the dinosaur meat he'd hunted when they first met, and in return, they'd offered him fine wine.

As they ate and chatted, Usopp listened to Broggy's old adventure stories, absolutely thrilled.

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

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

Reiner raised his cup and took a deep drink. "This way, I won't feel awkward asking for your help later."

"Ga ha ha, it's fine, tell me what you need. Of course, I'll do my best to help a friend."

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

Reiner didn't beat around the bush. When dealing with someone as forthright as Broggy, being direct was the best approach; being indirect would only backfire.

He briefly explained his ability to Broggy and his request to collect a sample from his body.

"Ga ha ha ha, for such a small thing, there's no need to feel embarrassed, I don't even need to do anything."

Broggy chuckled, gulping down half the barrel of wine. He extended his hand to Reiner. "Go ahead!"

"Then I won't be polite, old man." Reiner directly conjured Azure Flame from his hand and placed it on Broggy's hand. Soon, the flame began to spread little by little up his massive arm.

Nami and Usopp also watched with anticipation. They knew and had witnessed Reiner's abilities. If he could create such powerful Undead, the crew's combat strength would increase significantly.

"Oh ho? Your flame is interesting, it's not hot at all, ga ha ha ha!"

However, contrary to Broggy's hearty laughter, Reiner's expression was grim.

"Collection failed."

Reiner frowned, looking at Broggy's enormous body. He could collect from individuals stronger than himself, but there was a limit to how much stronger they could be.

Yet, his physical attributes were already extraordinary, and while still considerably weaker than Broggy, it should have been just enough.

Why did it still feel like it wasn't quite enough? Thinking this, Reiner immediately retracted the Azure Flame.

"What's wrong, Reiner, kid?"

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

He prepared to enter his transformed state and try again. As long as he could gain the stat boosts from the Undead he had, it should be enough.