Rocks VS Haierdin

The latter half of the bonfire party saw the atmosphere reach its peak.

An intern from the White Wolf Pirates versus Haierdin, the eldest son of Giant King Harald!

Upon hearing this, the giants immediately became excited.

"Go, Haierdin, don't disgrace our Giant race, don't lose to that shorty!"

"Haierdin is King Harald's son, how could he possibly lose?"

"Haierdin, take him down!"

"..."

A large group of giants cheering for Haierdin made the twenty-year-old giant boy nervously grip the short sword in his hand, unable to help but swallow.

"Tch, the old man just loves to give me trouble."

Compared to Haierdin, Rocks, already an adult, was much calmer.

Although Rocks was also twenty years old, humans were considered adults at eighteen, while the giants were still children until they reached fifty.

If Rocks were to challenge an adult giant, he would never agree. He wasn't an idiot. He'd at least wait until he had mastered the Haki that Magnus spoke of.

However, fighting a giant child who hadn't reached adulthood was another matter entirely.

"If I win, he'll teach me 'Rokushiki'?"

Thinking of Magnus's promise just now, Rocks immediately became serious.

Win and learn Rokushiki.

Lose and he'd not only have to scrub the floor on the ship but also clean the toilets...

He absolutely couldn't lose!

"Harald, what are you doing?"

Atop a vast and magnificent castle, built on a large tree by the cliff edge of the giant village, a bald, tall giant was using a monocular telescope to stealthily peek at the scene in the village.

Hearing the voice behind him, the giant quickly put away the telescope.

"Ahem, I was just surveying the people's sentiments."

"It's Haierdin, isn't it."

Behind the giant, a giantess with wavy long hair rolled her eyes at him.

"I heard the captain of the White Wolf Pirates is here again?"

"Mm, but Magnus is different from ordinary pirates. He doesn't have that many ambitions."

Recalling the first time he met Magnus ten years ago, Giant King Harald mused slightly. Seeing his wife's worried expression, he let out a hearty laugh.

"Haha, don't worry. Even if he really intends to do something, at his age, he's no match for me."

The one hundred and fifty-year-old Giant King was in his prime, while the seventy-year-old Magnus was already old. The lifespan of humans was truly too short compared to giants.

"The times are changing. The departure of Doruy and Brogy might be an opportunity. Compared to plunder, normal trade with other countries is the correct direction for development."

Harald looked at Haierdin, who had already begun fighting Rocks in the distance, and then at his wife's visibly swollen belly.

"For our child."

"We must leave them a peaceful and stable future."

The giant village.

"Kill!"

Haierdin shouted, swinging his wooden sword forcefully at Rocks.

Thump!

The wooden sword struck the ground, creating a spiderweb-like crack.

A drop of cold sweat trickled down Rocks' forehead.

"Monster!"

He was just a child, yet his strength was astonishing. If his reaction speed hadn't been fast enough, Rocks suspected he would have been taken down in the first exchange.

"Go, Haierdin!"

"To your right, the shorty is to your right!"

"Look quickly, he's at your feet!"

"..."

It was a classic case of the emperor not being anxious, but the eunuchs were. Haierdin hadn't even started to get flustered, but the giants watching from the sidelines were getting impatient.

Among them was even the old giant Yoruru.

"All of you, shut up!"

Holding a massive club that was over ten meters long, a giant swung it down. Yaruru shouted loudly, "Haierdin is a warrior of our Giant race! What we need to do is believe in him!"

Despite saying that, Yaruru's gaze towards Haierdin held a hint of worry.

Because Rocks was too cautious.

Although it seemed like Haierdin's attacks narrowly missed Rocks every time, Rocks's expression suggested he was merely conserving stamina.

Due to Haierdin's massive size, even as a child of the Giant race, he was three times taller than Rocks, not to mention his build.

In a head-on collision, Rocks would undoubtedly lose.

However, Rocks didn't give Haierdin any opportunity for a direct confrontation.

"Phew, that was close."

After dodging another of Haierdin's attacks, Rocks felt his still considerable stamina and a slight curve formed on his lips.

If it were two months ago, even if he could dodge Haierdin's attacks, his stamina would have been completely depleted after such prolonged evasion.

But under Magnus's hellish training, his stamina had increased severalfold, making this level of combat no longer a challenge.

"However, winning is still a bit troublesome."

While evading Haierdin's attacks, Rocks pondered his strategy.

Haierdin consistently employed the Giants' formulaic fighting style: slashing, sweeping, and chopping with his sword, and blocking enemy attacks with his shield.

Relying on their size advantage, the Giants could easily handle opponents whose speed and strength were not fast or powerful enough.

The most important thing was speed!

Just as Rocks was racking his brain on how to bypass Haierdin's defensive attacks to hit him, he suddenly heard Magnus's voice.

"Hey, Rocks, remember when I threw you into the sea a few days ago?"

"Hm?"

A memory surfaced of Magnus throwing him into the sea a week prior, tying his hands, and dragging him behind the ship with a rope.

Rocks's fists hardened.

"Opening!"

Seeing Rocks distracted, Haierdin's eyes lit up, and he forcefully swung his wooden sword at Rocks.

Bang!

Accompanied by thick dust, a familiar sensation made Haierdin realize he hadn't hit Rocks. He habitually retracted his sword and raised his heavy shield in front of him.

In reality, Haierdin had come very close to hitting Rocks.

If he had dropped his sword and smashed his entire shield down, Rocks, who had dodged his previous attacks by rolling, would have certainly met his defeat.

But it was this minuscule difference.

"I understand now."

While being dragged by the ship, to keep up with its speed, Rocks had to constantly tread water, swimming to stay afloat and avoid drowning.

But Magnus's training method wasn't aimed at improving his swimming speed.

It was—

"Soru!"

An afterimage broke through the dust, stomping the ground dozens of times in an instant. The sudden burst of speed startled even Rocks himself.

But if he hadn't even reacted, Haierdin certainly wouldn't have.

In the blink of an eye.

Haierdin saw Rocks pass through his sword and shield blockade, appearing on his shoulder. Simultaneously, a short sword was placed at his neck.

Without Haki, the defensive capabilities of the Giant race were not much different from ordinary people.

In that instant, Haierdin understood.

He had lost.