“The paddle wheels are completely jammed! The ship can’t move!”
The steering wheels around the outside of the ship that supplied its propulsion had been completely bound by the vines Hajrudin had created. Layer upon layer of densely packed roots locked the bearings in place, leaving the World Government warship paralyzed on the sea.
“We can’t cut through them! These things are too tough!”
The shipwrights took up heavy axes and hacked at the roots Hajrudin had released, but their toughness was terrifying. Neither axes nor blades had much effect against them. After struggling for quite some time, they finally managed to sever a single root.
But these plants were constantly multiplying. In the time it took them to cut one root, two more had already grown.
“Set them on fire! Burn all these things away!”
“Idiot! Are you trying to burn the ship down with them? We’re at sea, where are we supposed to go without the ship?”
As he spoke, he pulled up one of the roots and slashed at it several times with all his strength.
“See that? They’re fresh plants. Without kindling, they’re hard to ignite. And if you use too much fire, the ship will burn along with them. If we can’t move, then so be it. Once this battle is over, we’ll have plenty of time to deal with them slowly—”
Boom!
The moment he finished speaking, a chain explosion rang out. The ship’s ammunition storehouse had been struck by cannon fire, and the blast instantly swept through the entire compartment. The World Government member who had raised the flag no longer seemed likely to live long enough to see the war end.
What they did not know was that it had not been enemy fire, but friendly fire.
“Fire! Take down that strange giant too! Devil Fruit users can’t swim, sink that huge b*stard into the sea!”
Hajrudin’s actions had undoubtedly threatened the safety of every nearby ship. In their eyes, sacrificing one vessel to protect the entire fleet was unquestionably worthwhile.
In an instant, the surrounding heavy cannons concentrated their fire, intending to eliminate the giant who had led the breakthrough. But this was a war. They had a massive fleet, and Hajrudin had companions of his own.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Several thick steel cables flew through the air, their enormous spearheads embedding themselves directly into the decks. The other Giants had also reached the battlefield. Relying on brute strength, they pulled with all their might, causing the smaller ships to jolt violently and preventing the gunners aboard from taking aim.
The larger warships were less affected, but the Giants charged forward through the cannon fire regardless.
Crack!
A sharp axe cleaved into a mast, and the thick mast crashed to the deck.
“Hajrudin! You charged ahead too quickly!”
“Digagaga! Gerd, you’re the ones who are too slow! Warriors of Elbaf can’t fall behind!”
Boom!
Hajrudin wielded the war hammer formed from hardened plants in his hand, possessing both the flexibility of vines and the hardness of metal. His transformed body was far stronger than his fists had ever been before.
With their masts damaged and paddle wheels destroyed, the nearby ships gradually lost all propulsion. Under Hajrudin’s ability and the iron chains carried by the others, they were linked together into a massive chain of connected ships, creating a battlefield where the Giants could unleash their strength freely.
The connected ships were certainly vulnerable to fire, but when the ships belonged to the enemy, that did not matter. Even if they burned, the Giants would lose nothing.
“Gabababa! Youngsters these days really are something else. A Devil Fruit user, huh? Devil Fruit users among Giants are far too rare!”
Brogy likewise charged forward while swinging his enormous axe, his eyes filled with pride.
“Dorry, I boarded before you! I win this time!”
Boom!
“I destroyed a ship before you did. That makes us even.”
Dorry swung his greatsword and looked toward the World Government warship. Its fluttering cross-shaped flag had already fallen to the deck and was now being trampled beneath his foot.
This was where Giants were truly terrifying. In battles between the very strongest, their combat power might seem somewhat insignificant, but on a chaotic battlefield like this, each of them was a peerless weapon of mass destruction. A single Giant was enough to tear through the enemy’s defensive line.
Identical iron chains were thrown from behind the other Giants and connected with those cast by Hajrudin and his group. This was already a common method Giants used to board ships, so coordinating their movements was not difficult.
“Gegyagyagyagya! What outstanding juniors. But when did you join the Giant Warrior Pirates?”
“Senior Dorry, Senior Brogy, my goal is to revive the Giant Warrior Pirates and become their new captain.”
Hajrudin made no attempt to conceal his ambition, openly declaring it before Dorry and Brogy. Yet neither of them became angry. Instead, they laughed happily.
“Then you’ll have to work hard. If you aren’t strong enough, you won’t be able to lead the Giant Warrior Pirates. Once this war is over, let us see just how strong you are.”
“Nothing would please me more!”
The Giant Warrior Pirates were a legendary crew in Elbaf. In an environment where pirate culture flourished, they were admired by countless Giants, and Dorry and Brogy were their idols.
But while some worshiped them, others despised them. On a ship on the opposite side, several enormous figures approached.
“Stop!”
A massive katana swung in from the side. Dorry raised his weapon and blocked the strike, but a spear thrust toward him from another direction. Several Giants dressed in Marine uniforms had arrived.
“Have you forgotten the agreement from back then?! Are you trying to drag Elbaf into the flames of war as well?!”
“Gegyagyagyagya! This is merely our personal action. We’re wanted pirates, after all. It has nothing to do with Elbaf.”
There were Giants among pirates, and there were likewise Giants among the Marines. These Giant Vice Admirals were members who had accompanied the World Government on this operation. They disliked the chaos caused by pirates but loved battle, so they had ultimately joined the Marines.
The leader of the Giants was John Giant, the Marines’ first Giant Vice Admiral. Back then, Carmel and the World Government had staged a performance together, releasing captured Giant pirates and thereby earning Elbaf’s goodwill.
From then on, Giants began appearing within the Marines, and John Giant was the first.
After serving in the Marines for many years, he had long since grown accustomed to obeying the World Government’s arrangements.
“Warriors of Elbaf should not degrade themselves into becoming pirates! Fighting for justice is what a warrior should do!”
“There is no need for more words. You defend your justice, while we follow our own wills. If you wish to persuade us, then do it in the way of the Giants!”
Dorry and Brogy did not debate with him. Instead, they straightforwardly swung their weapons and attacked.
Conflicts also arose among Giants. If neither side could persuade the other, they would hold a fair duel. As long as one killed or defeated the opponent, the victor would be proven right.
Back then, Dorry and Brogy had begun arguing over which of them had caught the larger prey because of an innocent question from a child. In the end, they started a duel that lasted for a hundred years.
With the Giant Vice Admirals joining the battle, the destruction the Giants inflicted upon the fleet was brought under control, but it was not completely eliminated. Hajrudin, who possessed a divine blessing, was now the one breaking the deadlock.
“Vice Admiral Lacroix!”
Not long after the melee between the Giants began, one Giant Vice Admiral crashed heavily to the ground. A massive scar stretched across his chest, left behind by Oars during the Summit War.
At the time, Lacroix had nearly been cleaved in two by Oars. It had taken him two years of recuperation just to recover, but now his face had caved inward from Hajrudin’s attack.
During the past few minutes, Hajrudin and Lacroix had engaged in the purest warrior’s duel in the style of Elbaf—trading blows head-on.
However, Lacroix could neither break through Ferrothorn’s formidable defenses nor withstand Hajrudin’s attacks.
“I’ll be taking your stamina.”
Giga Drain activated, and Hajrudin plundered a large amount of stamina from his opponent’s body. Giants had a peculiar mindset and an obsession with battle, so Hajrudin had not used this move during their fight.
Only after the battle did he drain his opponent’s stamina as though claiming spoils of war, allowing himself to enter the next battle in peak condition.
Meanwhile, the officers of the Red Hair Pirates had also become locked in battle with Garling’s subordinates.
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