"Elder Jarul!"
As they looked at Jarul, whose body had been pierced with a massive hole and whose ten fingers had all been ground away, every giant present, as well as Shanks and the others, widened their eyes in alarm, worry flashing across their faces.
Behind them, Dorry and Brogy hurriedly found Hajrudin and asked urgently,
"Hajrudin! Do you still have any of that miraculous medicine!? Hurry and take it out! If this goes on, Elder Jarul will die!"
"I do, I do~"
Hajrudin quickly pulled a small bottle specially made for giants from the pouch at his waist. It could be removed by sticking it to a finger, and opened with a specific posture, avoiding the inconvenience caused by Super Potion bottles being too small for giants to use properly.
A little design like this was hardly worth mentioning for the current Straw Hat Pirates, who were overflowing with talent.
Dorry and Brogy carefully took the small bottle from Hajrudin's finger, then immediately prepared to run toward the battlefield.
But just then, from the center of the battlefield, a massive shockwave suddenly erupted, forcing even the two giants to stop in their tracks.
Clang!!!
The indestructible barrier greatsword once again collided with Gryphon in Shanks's hand, erupting with a terrifying momentum.
Bartolomeo's expression was grim as he glared at Shanks with an unfriendly look.
"Hey! Red Hair, what's the meaning of this!?"
Bartolomeo controlled the barrier demon and faced off against Shanks. However, without the propulsion and special effects brought by Pokémon moves, his raw strength and control in every aspect were simply no match for Shanks.
Yet even though he had the advantage in strength, Shanks quickly explained,
"Don't misunderstand! We concede this battle! There's no need to continue!"
"Is that so!?"
Bartolomeo shifted his gaze and asked Jarul, who stood behind Shanks.
Jarul lowered his heavy gaze to his hands, now bereft of fingers, then let out a sorrowful sigh.
"Yes. We concede."
"..."
Bartolomeo fell silent for a moment. Then a white light flashed across his body as he withdrew from his Pokémon-ization.
At the same time, the barrier giant formed through Pokémon-ization also dissipated.
After canceling his combat stance, Bartolomeo glanced at Jarul, then directly took three bottles of Super Potion out of his clothes and threw them to Shanks.
"This is that medicine that can rapidly heal injuries. Hurry up and have that old giant drink it!"
"As for the fingers, there's no need to worry about that either. Once Elbaf submits to the Straw Hat Pirates, you can go straight to the Scientific Research Corps and have his severed limbs regenerated. They could even directly turn them into mechanical fingers capable of storing weapons… When the time comes, just have them put the bill under my name~"
Bartolomeo spoke casually, as though none of it was a big deal.
After witnessing the many miracle-like feats performed by the Straw Hats, both Shanks and Jarul immediately lit up with joy.
Though Jarul had acted to display Elbaf's fearlessness and valor, and though he was already nearing the end of his natural lifespan, if there was a choice, who would truly wish to live as a cripple?
"In that case… thank you."
Jarul did not stand on ceremony with Bartolomeo. After all, he had already made up his mind to join under the Straw Hats' banner.
With Shanks's help, he quickly drank the three bottles of Super Potion.
A miraculous scene occurred.
The injury in Jarul's chest, which had originally been pierced through by the barrier demon, rapidly healed. In the blink of an eye, it had returned completely to normal.
Touching the chest that had been in unbearable pain just moments ago, aside from the damp blood still soaking into his clothes, he could no longer find even the slightest trace of injury.
After personally experiencing the powerful effects of the Super Potion, Jarul even began to wonder if he had fallen under some strange illusion just now, and had never actually been wounded at all.
The only proof that he had indeed been badly beaten by Bartolomeo might be his two hands, now missing all their fingers.
Soon, the fully recovered Jarul returned to the giants' formation together with Shanks.
After yet another defeat, the morale of the entire giant race became exceptionally low.
Who could have imagined that the pride they had carried for so long would fall in such a manner—and that it would all be witnessed by people across the world through those cameras?
If possible, they truly wanted to smash every single lens filming their expressions right now, so that Elbaf's miserable state would not be revealed to the outside world.
However, it was already too late.
Especially after Jarul, the last giant warrior, was defeated, it was equivalent to announcing the giants' complete loss.
From this point onward, even if Shanks and the other two could truly defeat the fighters sent out by the Straw Hats, it would no longer change anything for Elbaf.
"I'll leave the battles after this to you, Shanks."
After returning to the giants' side, Jarul seemed to have lost all his strength. Even though the Super Potion had replenished his physical stamina, it still could not heal the damage done to his spirit.
"Understood."
Shanks, who could understand how Jarul and the others felt in this moment, nodded lightly. Then his gaze swept forward, landing directly on the Straw Hat formation as he murmured,
"Beckman, you'll take the lead."
"Me first?"
Benn Beckman sighed helplessly.
Clearly, after seeing the many complicated methods the Straw Hats possessed, he was not particularly eager to be the first one up.
But to his left was his own captain, and to his right was his captain's senior…
After counting it over, he, the vice-captain of an Emperor of the Sea's crew, was actually the lowest-ranking person here.
With no other choice, he scratched his head and gave a bitter laugh.
"I just hope the Straw Hat side will go a little easy on me for Luffy's sake."
The people of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet knew about the special relationship between the Red Hair Pirates and the Straw Hat Pirates.
That much could be seen from the fact that, whenever ships under the Straw Hats encountered pirate crews under Red Hair's banner on the seas, they would never attack, and would even take the initiative to befriend them. The Straw Hat higher-ups had definitely said something to the Straw Hat Grand Fleet.
However, judging from Bartolomeo's attitude toward Shanks just now, Benn Beckman did not think that friendship would be carried onto this battlefield.
"I just hope the Straw Hat side doesn't send out someone too strong and make my loss too embarrassing~"
Benn Beckman muttered inwardly.
But as the saying went, whatever one feared most would always come.
As Benn Beckman stepped out, a figure soon emerged from the Straw Hat camp that no one had expected.
A pair of long, slender, beautiful legs moved back and forth through the slits of a qipao, faintly visible and endlessly stirring the imagination.
Following the line of the qipao upward, one could see a pair of proud peaks beneath the smooth fabric, graceful and exquisite, swaying slightly with each step.
Looking further up, there was a perfect face so refined it seemed like a work of art.
In particular, her deep eyes, filled with disdain and disgust, carried an indescribable charm. Paired with her waterfall-like black hair and the slight lift of her chin, she could make countless men fall helplessly at her feet.
The one who had arrived was none other than the woman known as the most beautiful pirate in the world—the Pirate Empress, Boa Hancock!
She was also the only former member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea in the Straw Hat formation who held the same status as Moria.
"No way…"
Looking at Hancock, who walked before him on her long, fair legs, Benn Beckman could not help swallowing.
It was not that he had been captivated by Hancock's charm. Rather, he had seen the previous battle between Moria and Loki clearly with his Observation Haki.
Before Moria, Loki, who was strong enough to make all of Elbaf unable to resist him, had been completely helpless.
And Benn Beckman considered his own strength to be roughly on par with Loki's.
If Hancock also unleashed that kind of powerful method and strength later, wouldn't he lose terribly!?
At that point, the only thing he would have over Loki was…
Loki had fallen before a clawing, fanged demon, while he would be kicked to death by a pair of long, fair, beautiful legs.
"Are you ready to die, you pitiful worm?"
The moment Hancock arrived, she paid no mind whatsoever to Beckman's identity as the former vice-captain of an Emperor of the Sea's crew, directly berating him with contempt.
Yet as her heavenly voice rang out, the audience watching the livestream in front of every screen instantly erupted.
"My god! So this is the most beautiful female pirate!? She's way too gorgeous!"
"Ahhhhhh~ Are those really legs that can exist in this world!? They're too perfect!"
"Mom, I'm in love~"
"If I could spend my life with a woman like that, I'd be willing even if my second half of life was filled with beautiful women in both arms and endless luxuries!"
"You're trying to take everything, you bastard!"
"..."
"..."
After Hancock appeared, the entire world was drawn in by her beauty, and an earth-shaking discussion broke out.
There were even many nobles and kings who, after seeing Hancock's appearance, directly mobilized every resource at their disposal, determined to bring Hancock to their side no matter what method they had to use.
This effect did not come only from Hancock's naturally stunning beauty and matchless charm. More importantly, after she loaded her Pokémon template and her level continued to rise, the power of her Love-Love Fruit had also undergone explosive growth.
Previously, since she had not entered battle, Hancock had intentionally restrained herself, preventing her beauty from becoming too overwhelming.
But now that she was about to fight, she naturally would no longer limit the power of the Love-Love Fruit.
A powerful spiritual influence instantly spread across the entire battlefield, causing every living being present to become entranced.
And this was only the beginning!
Hancock's current Love-Love Fruit ability could even work like Uta's Sing-Sing Fruit, spiritually contaminating anyone who could observe her appearance through any means, causing them to fall completely under the spell of her beauty.
At this moment, only those truly powerful in spirit could withstand Hancock's Devil Fruit ability.
On the Straw Hat side, because everyone's mental power had increased to some extent as their levels rose, things were not too chaotic.
But on the giants' side, those muscle-brained fellows now had pink hearts filling their eyes. One after another, they raised their arms high, cheering and applauding Hancock's beauty.
It could be predicted that if Benn Beckman dared to attack Hancock and inflict any injury on her later, then for the next period of time, he would be subjected to endless pursuit both online and offline.
"This really is… a disaster I never asked for~!"
With his exceptionally sharp intellect, Benn Beckman seemed to have already imagined what awaited him next. He immediately rubbed his temples in pain.
Right now, he would rather face any of the troublesome fighters the Straw Hats had sent out earlier than become Hancock's opponent.
In response to Hancock's question, Benn Beckman said nothing. He merely silently took out his weapon, a flintlock rifle that had never once fired in the anime.
His intelligent brain told him that, at a time like this, no matter what he said, he would only be creating trouble for his future self.
So he had already decided that, from beginning to end, he would act like a mute in this battle. He would fight, leave immediately afterward, and regardless of victory or defeat, minimize his presence as much as possible.
Seeing Beckman act this way, Hancock's eyes suddenly flashed with a strange gleam. She was surprised that he was not only unaffected by her Devil Fruit ability, but had even made the most correct choice.
However, since that was the case…
Hancock slowly raised her head. Her expression suddenly became as still as an ancient well, calm yet carrying an innate majesty that inspired awe without anger.
Boom!!!!!!!
The next instant, a terrifying aura suddenly erupted from Hancock's body, sweeping toward Beckman and the giants behind him.
The powerful momentum was like a tangible sea wave, like a mighty hurricane. Wherever it passed, the earth cracked and the air froze.
The entire space seemed to be occupied by this powerful presence. Fierce lightning tore through the void, spreading irregularly across the entire field.
"This is!?"
Beckman was abruptly shocked, staring at Hancock in disbelief.
Conqueror's Haki of this level was something he had only ever witnessed from his own captain.
But…
Beckman swallowed hard.
Their captain's Conqueror's Haki was the strongest he had ever seen in the world today!
Even Kaido and Big Mom, who were also Emperors of the Sea, did not dare compete with their captain in Conqueror's Haki.
Perhaps Whitebeard in his youth could have fought Shanks to a standstill, but in his old age, his display of Conqueror's Haki was not even as strong as Kaido's.
"Hey, hey, hey~ Isn't this joke going a little too far!?"
The corner of Beckman's mouth twitched. He was so shocked that he did not know what to say.
As everyone knew, apart from requiring a specific potential, Conqueror's Haki was more so the product of combining physical strength and spiritual power.
A strong person might not necessarily possess powerful Conqueror's Haki.
But someone who possessed powerful Conqueror's Haki was definitely a strong person!
That was an unchanging rule of the pirate world.
If Hancock could unleash Conqueror's Haki that was not inferior to Shanks's at all, didn't that mean her strength was also on par with Shanks's!?
Did she possess top-tier Emperor-level combat power!?
Then what the hell was he supposed to fight!?
The muzzle of the flintlock rifle Beckman had just raised suddenly tilted downward.
Just resisting the impact of this Haki was already making his mind waver. And he was supposed to fight on top of that?
Wasn't this just messing with him?
No one had expected that just a single burst of Haki would instantly wipe away all of Beckman's will to fight.
(End of Chapter)