Boom!
Thalrik leapt from his land dragon, his massive long-handled axe slamming into the ground. The impact carved a small crater, cracks spiderwebbing outward, the axe's blade gleaming with a chilling light.
"Humans! Elbaf will never tolerate outsiders trespassing on our land!"
Thalrik's roar echoed as twenty elite Giant warriors, flanked by two Giant scouts, raised their weapons—swords, spears, and axes—in a battle-ready formation, aiming straight for the Giant Fortress!
Giants don't back down. In the original One Piece War of the Summit, Giant vice admirals led the charge against Whitebeard, only to be swept aside by the Emperor. Their fearless, reckless spirit shone through, and these warriors were no different!
"General Thalrik, I came here with a heart for cooperation. But it seems you need to cool off a bit. Let's have my crew spar with you to set the mood!"
Brook grinned, giving a nod to Whitebeard Newgate to step forward and take on Elbaf's mightiest general in a proper brawl.
After all, negotiations require a show of strength. Weaklings don't get a seat at the table—they grovel on their knees!
"Gurarara! Let's see what Elbaf's top general's got!"
Thud! Whitebeard Newgate vaulted off the Giant Fortress's wall, his landing shaking the earth and leaving a deep pit. Gripping an ordinary alloy naginata, he smashed it into the ground, sending cracks radiating outward and whipping up a gust of air. The ground trembled under his might.
A blatant challenge!
Even Thalrik, a towering Giant, felt a flicker of awe at this human's savage aura. Did this crew really have such a formidable subordinate?
At 22.22 meters, Elbaf's General Thalrik loomed over the 6.66-meter Whitebeard Newgate. Yet Newgate's presence was overwhelming, forcing the elite Giant warriors to step back twice under the weight of his aura!
"Who are you?"
Thalrik sensed these weren't ordinary foes. Their attire ruled out Navy or World Government ties. They had to be major players from the New World—big-time pirates!
Even so, Elbaf feared no pirate crew. In their homeland, Giants reigned supreme. With King Harald wielding the divine Spear of Elbaf, even monsters like the Ice Witch or Vesper would flee Elbaf's wrath!
"New World overlord, under the Hell Pirates' banner—Edward Newgate!"
Whitebeard's voice boomed, his fighting spirit blazing. His eyes locked on Thalrik's massive axe—a fine weapon. It was high time he upgraded his own.
Even the sturdy alloy naginata, crafted by Vegapunk for Newgate, was starting to buckle under the relentless power of his Quake-Quake Fruit.
Newgate had been itching for a new weapon for a while. Brook was scouring the world for the finest metals—Mortomas, the Umi Family, and other underground networks were all on the hunt!
Brook had even floated a wild idea: head to Wano, steal Kozuki Sukiyaki's Ame no Habakiri, the Shimotsuki Clan's Enma and Wado Ichimonji, and Ringo's black blade Shusui, then melt them down to forge Newgate a new naginata!
The sheer audacity of destroying four Supreme Grade swords stunned even Newgate. How could he bear to ruin such treasures for his own blade?
Still, Newgate had visited Wano once, meeting Shimotsuki Kozaburo in his prime—a genius swordsmith who'd crafted Enma and Wado Ichimonji, two of the 21 Supreme Grade blades. Kozaburo's two-year-old son, Kōshirō, showed promise as a future swordsman. Both Newgate and Brook had their eyes on the kid, but he was too young for now.
Newgate also learned through Brook that Kozuki Sukiyaki, under the alias Tenguyama Hitetsu, had forged Ame no Habakiri—a rare talent indeed.
With rare materials, Newgate wouldn't lack for skilled smiths. A new blade might even rival the Supreme Grade swords right out of the forge!
But then Brook caught wind of Elbaf's legendary Gungnir Steel, the strongest metal known. His focus shifted, and the crew became obsessed with securing it to craft a new legendary blade!
...
"New World overlord? You're that upstart crew that's been shaking things up?"
Thalrik's brow furrowed. Elbaf's news traveled slowly, but word of the Hell Pirates' rise over the past few years had reached even them. To think this new powerhouse had already set its sights on Elbaf—brazen beyond belief!
Now that he knew his enemy, Thalrik realized this was no small matter. Taking on an overlord crew would require King Harald's intervention.
On his own, driving out a crew of this caliber was a tall order.
He glanced up at the fortress wall, at the human who'd ordered this pint-sized Giant to fight. Could that be Brook, the Hell Pirates' captain? Who else could command such a beast?
Thalrik's heart sank, his frown deepening.
This overlord-level crew had invaded Elbaf's Giant Village, quietly building a fortress. Even a thick-skulled Giant like him could guess Brook's intentions with his toes!
"You Hell Pirates are making a move on Elbaf?!"
Thalrik glared at Brook atop the fortress, his anger flaring like a volcano. He might dream of becoming Elbaf's king, but that was an internal matter. Foreign invaders? He and King Harald would fight to the death to stop them!
"I told you, we're here to cooperate!"
Brook's grin didn't waver. Sure, building the Giant Fortress without permission bent a few rules, but his goal was simple: corner Elbaf's trade market.
Monopolize their Treasure Tree Adam and Gungnir Steel, and maybe recruit a few Giant warriors as "security personnel" for his crew. Perfect!
"Your actions ain't exactly above board! You humans and your sneaky schemes!"
Thalrik seethed at Brook's unauthorized fortress. This was a direct violation of Elbaf's sovereignty!
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+400 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg