God Valley Incident · V

The sea churned.

The gale seemed to have been forcibly torn apart by some colossal entity. Waves that had yet to crest were forced apart the instant they neared the ships, shattering into scattered sprays of chaotic white foam.

The speeding Rocks Pirates fleet was suddenly swallowed by a massive shadow that blotted out the sky.

That was not a storm cloud.

—It was a ship.

No, a ship as vast as a mountain.

The Giant Tribe's fleet stretched across the route like an entire moving continent.

Its bows towered like city walls, and its decks were broad enough for Giants to march in formation. Enormous oars rose and fell slowly, churning the sea; every downward stroke sent up waves nearly catastrophic in scale.

Before such a presence, the Rocks Pirates' ships truly looked as tiny as chips of wood floating on the sea, liable to be crushed at any moment.

At the prow, a Giant clad in heavy armor slowly stepped forward.

It was Harald.

Behind him, Giant guards stood in a straight line, their shields and spears gleaming coldly beneath the sun.

Standing at the edge of the bow, Harald looked down upon the pirate ships as though inspecting prey.

His voice boomed out, rolling across the sea like thunder. "Rocks!"

That shout even drowned out the wind and waves.

"I have been ordered to stop a pirate crew obsessed with women."

As soon as he spoke, the Giant fleet slowly advanced. Its massive shadows completely covered Rocks's ships, blotting out most of the sunlight.

Harald's gaze was hard and restrained, but his tone made no attempt to hide its threat. "As long as we are willing to risk our lives—"

"Sinking your little ship would be effortless."

The next moment, the Rocks Pirates' deck erupted.

"Hey, hey,