Steel Bone Aether rubbed his throbbing temples, his tone laced with a hint of irritability and inherent prejudice: "The Giant Race... Hmph, those big guys, I heard that when they sleep, they just toss and turn at will,"
He gestured with his hand, "And the people next to them could easily be crushed into meat patties!"
"There is indeed such a saying among the common folk," Tsuru added calmly.
Aether continued, "And if you accidentally provoke them, you won't even know how you died!"
He concluded, "Do you really think we humans can coexist peacefully with guys of that size and temperament?"
Garp picked his ear, interrupting him bluntly: "Hey, old man Aether! Isn't this just you rambling on by yourself?!"
"But, aren't those Giant Race warriors who have already joined our Marine doing quite well?!"
Sengoku nodded, his expression softening slightly: "Giant King Harald is indeed an honest and visionary monarch. He longs to change Elbaf's long history of belligerence and is committed to integrating the Giant Race into the world.
Through his persistent persuasion, some young giants have chosen to join the Marine, which has indeed greatly alleviated the pressure of our current shortage of mid-level combat power."
Tsuru's brows remained tightly locked: "However, there are rumors circulating now that Harald may have secretly accepted recruitment from Rocks.
If this rumor is true... then, even if we Marines join forces with the World Government, it is hard to say whether we will be able to stop Rocks' ambition in the future."
"I know the severity of the problem!" Aether irritably scratched his hair, which looked like the character "Mountain,"
"This is a real headache~~ A dilemma! But those giants with violent temperaments and who are difficult to communicate with, as recorded in history, do indeed exist!"
Garp slammed his hand on the table, making the teacups jump, and suggested loudly: "Since you want their power but are worried about being unable to control them, then just make Elbaf an Affiliated Nation! Give them legal status and constraints!"
Aether sighed helplessly and spread his hands: "Garp! If I had the authority to make that decision, would I need to be this worried?! This requires the approval of the highest levels of the World Government!"
Upon hearing this, Garp was so angry that he stepped forward, grabbed the edge of Aether's desk with both hands, almost shoving his face in front of Aether, and roared exasperatedly:
"What on earth are those five old guys doing~~!! Can't they even decide such a simple thing?!"
...
Elbaf, the homeland of the Giant Race, outer sea.
Saint Freya broke through the mist and arrived in this sea area inhabited by giants.
Charlotte Linlin stood at the bow, her long pink hair flying in the sea breeze. Looking at the heaven-reaching giant tree in front of her, she curled her lips into a wanton arc, and pink Conqueror's Haki erupted from her body, sweeping toward the middle level of the giant tree!
"Hey! Harald! This lady is here! Hurry up and welcome me!"
This was not a provocation, but a unique way of "knocking on the door" between the strong.
Just at the moment when Charlotte Linlin's Conqueror's Haki was about to touch the border of Elbaf—
"Hum—!"
Another surge of Conqueror's Haki, equally powerful and carrying an ancient and heavy aura, suddenly erupted from Elbaf!
The two powerful surges of Conqueror's Haki collided fiercely in mid-air!
Crack—!
The sky shattered, and the clouds were forcibly torn open, creating a huge crack across the sky, revealing the deep blue sky behind it!
"It's you again, Linlin!" A loud voice, tinged with a bit of helplessness and annoyance, came from above. It was none other than Giant King Harald,
"You've really learned bad habits from that bastard Rocks! You are a great beauty! Can't you be a bit more gentle in your actions?"
Although Harald's tone carried reproach, a seven-colored rainbow bridge, responding to his voice, extended from above and laid itself steadily in front of the Saint Freya.
"Hmph, stop the nonsense! Open the door!" Charlotte Linlin retracted her Haki.
Saint Freya slowly drove onto the rainbow bridge, climbing toward the Country on the Tree.
Mia, on the ship, held the railing, looking at the sea surface getting further and further away below, as well as the flowing rainbows around her, and couldn't help but exclaim:
"No matter how many times I ride it, seeing this scene feels like breaking into a myth. It's truly magical!"
"Of course!" Gerd puffed out her chest proudly, her eyes flashing with love and pride for her homeland,
"This is the kingdom of us giants—Elbaf! The most powerful country in the world!"
Not long after, the scene before their eyes suddenly opened up.
A vast expanse of tree-land appeared before everyone's eyes, with towering stone palaces and lofty ancient trees in the distance. The air was filled with the scent of vegetation and rock—this was the Sunny Realm of Elbaf.
Giant King Harald, who was much taller and more robust than ordinary giants, had long been waiting at the end of the rainbow bridge.
He watched Charlotte Linlin and her group jump down from the ship, a sincere yet slightly headache-ridden smile on his face:
"It's all because of you and Rocks, you two guys, constantly 'knocking on the door' with Conqueror's Haki. It's made me afraid to easily leave Elbaf for expeditions now! I'm afraid that when I return, my home will have been demolished by you!"
Charlotte Linlin rolled her eyes at him and retorted bluntly: "Give it a rest, Harald. If I didn't know you were in Elbaf, This lady wouldn't bother saying hello in this way. I have an 'inside contact' in Elbaf, you know!"
As she said this, she triumphantly gestured toward Ripley and Gerd behind her.
"King Harald." Ripley and Gerd stepped forward and respectfully saluted this king of the Giant Race.
"It's Ripley and Gerd, welcome home!" Harald's attitude toward them was significantly gentler compared to Charlotte Linlin, and he nodded with a smile in response.
It was only then that Charlotte Linlin noticed how different Harald was from before: "Hey, Harald, what's going on with your head?"
Harald used to be unkempt, but his thick hair still had a wild charm, making him look like a strong, handsome young man.
But now, his shiny bald head could practically reflect light in the sun of the Sunny Realm. Paired with his majestic appearance, it added a sense of maturity and steadiness out of nowhere, making Charlotte Linlin feel like he had instantly become one of the "older generation" compared to her.
Although, considering the long lifespan of the Giant Race, he certainly was.
"Ah~ this..." Harald rubbed his smooth back of the head somewhat uncomfortably, a look of embarrassment appearing on his face,
"I attacked the Marine before, and this is me shaving my head to atone for my sins and show my determination. After all, you know that I want Elbaf to become a member of the Affiliated Nations."
Charlotte Linlin looked at him like this and couldn't help but sigh:
"Sigh~ Harald, if you keep compromising and showing weakness like this, Elbaf will run into trouble sooner or later. The water in the World Government is very deep."
------------------------
I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right now but who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/SolyuraMT
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"