When Charlotte Linlin arrived at the edge of Elbaf's Sunlit Realm, her pupils shrank at the sight before her.
At the center of the Rocky Plain, two figures of vastly different sizes were clashing.
It was none other than Rocks D. Xebec and Harald!
The battle between the two had long surpassed an ordinary spar; every move was not necessarily lethal, but Haki infusion was indispensable.
Violent slashes collided, producing shockwaves like physical storms that tore through the surrounding ground, sending snow and permafrost flying to reveal the black rock beneath.
The two forces of violence seemed intent on tearing apart the land of Elbaf, sweeping everything away. The giant's blade poured out fury, sweeping in all directions.
Finally, in a straightforward clash of brute force, both took a finishing blow from the other head-on!
Boom! Boom!
Rocks' saber, wreathed in dark red lightning, struck Harald's shoulder armor, erupting in blinding sparks. Meanwhile, Harald's mountain-like greatsword slammed solidly into Rocks' chest.
Both groaned simultaneously as the massive recoil sent them flying backward, plowing deep furrows into the ground before they could barely steady themselves.
At this moment, both were covered in wounds and breathing heavily. It was clear that this duel was not only evenly matched but had already cost both sides dearly.
Rocks wiped a trace of blood from the corner of his mouth. His eyes were filled with disbelief and a raging fire as he glared at Harald, his voice angry and hoarse:
"I never expected... Harald! You were actually incited by those World Government scumbags! To turn your blade against me!"
Harald leaned on his massive greatsword, his chest heaving, his eyes filled with pain and struggle:
"I... I hesitated too, Rocks! Is it really necessary... to kill my own friend just to accomplish what I want and change the future of Elbaf?"
"In the end, you still obediently listened to them!" Rocks roared, the pain of being betrayed by a close friend evident in his voice.
"You're being used by them! You bastard! What were their terms? Isn't it just their usual answer?!"
"They only see you Giant Race as a powerful military force, like domesticated beasts, to be incorporated into their ranks!"
"Tell me! Where has your pride as a warrior gone?! Where is the will you once had to break your chains?!"
As if poked in a sore spot, Harald roared back:
"Stop acting like you understand everything and judging me, Rocks! That history of violence and plunder, known as 'warriors,' is a heavy shackle for the Elbaf that is now struggling toward peace! It's the stumbling block preventing us from being accepted by the world!"
Scenes from his past voyages across the sea flashed before Harald's eyes: ruins left behind after giant attacks, and the indelible fear in the eyes of survivors.
In a flashback, an envoy from an ordinary human nation looked up at him and said with a complex tone:
"King Harald, we acknowledge that you are a benevolent monarch. But... I'm sorry, our country has been attacked by the Giant Race many times in the past. The trauma and terror left by that history cannot be easily erased."
Another voice added: "Those scars are still bleeding today. No one can ignore those marks; the pain lingers. Even now, those tragic memories still ring in our ears."
Harald looked at Rocks, his voice raspy with the heavy responsibility and helplessness of a giant king:
"—Listen, Rocks, no matter how foolish and arrogant the Celestial Dragons are, they ultimately... hold the 'keys' and the authority to let Elbaf truly enter the 'World Wheel' and gain recognition and peace. This is the path I must consider for my people as their king."
"Shut up... you coward!!" Tears welled in the corners of Rocks' eyes, not from physical pain, but from the immense grief and anger caused by his best friend's 'betrayal' and their diverging ideals.
He let out a heart-wrenching roar. His Haki boiled over once more as he swung a violent slash unlike any before. The dark red sword energy was like a torrent of destruction, knocking Harald back hundreds of meters!
Tears mixed with dust slid down Rocks' resolute cheeks. He gritted his teeth, his voice trembling with finality:
"Our negotiations... end here, in a total split! Harald! I, Rocks D. Xebec, will never invite you onto my ship again!!"
With those words, Rocks walked toward the gibeck without looking back, but Charlotte Linlin could clearly see the tears still streaming down his face.
Harald steadied himself and wiped the blood and sweat from his face. Watching his former best friend's departing back, the last trace of hesitation in his eyes turned into a king's resolve:
"I am the king of Elbaf! Rocks! A 'villain' like you is destined to be an enemy of the whole world and is destined to fail! I cannot... gamble the lives and futures of all my people on your mad dream of overturning the world!"
The dust gradually settled, leaving only a scarred landscape as a witness to this conflict of ideals and their final break.
Charlotte Linlin stood silently in place, her massive Dragon Wings already retracted. She watched as the gibeck became a black dot on the horizon before finally disappearing completely below the sea line.
She had heard every word of the dialogue between Rocks and Harald, filled with rage and sorrow. Their friendship had abruptly shattered due to reality.
She turned and walked toward Harald, who still stood there like a silent mountain.
The giant king's gaze remained fixed on the direction where the gibeck had disappeared, as if he could still see the ship carrying their old friendship and mad dreams.
"Harald, in the end, you still... chose this path." Charlotte Linlin's voice broke the silence, neither mocking nor agreeing, but rather a statement tinged with a bit of emotion.
Harald slowly withdrew his distant gaze, his massive palm unconsciously clenching into a fist and then relaxing:
"I... must be responsible for my people... Elbaf's future cannot be gambled on a... dream that is far too mad..."
His words were slow, each one seemingly squeezed out from the depths of his heart with difficulty.
Through her Observation Haki, Charlotte Linlin could feel a thick shroud of sadness and loneliness permeating the usually hearty and cheerful giant king.
It was the loneliness of one who had personally severed an important bond to carry the fate of an entire race forward.
She was silent for a moment before changing the subject to break the heavy atmosphere: "By the way, will this... matter between you two affect our previous deal?"
If it did... she wouldn't know what to do either; after all, this was the home of Ripley and Gerd.
Harald shook his head, suppressing his personal emotions and regaining his composure as the king of a race:
"No. A deal is a deal, one thing is separate from the other. Progress at the shipyard is normal; it's estimated that in ten days, all the ships will be completed and delivered. I..."
He paused, his voice carrying a hint of exhaustion, "I still have some tribal affairs to attend to, so I'll take my leave first."
With that, Harald turned around and walked alone toward the Royal Court with heavy steps.
Set against Elbaf's vast sky and wide earth, his tall and burly figure appeared exceptionally lonely and desolate, like an ancient mountain peak silently enduring the erosion of wind and snow.
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