Elbaf, Ida's Tavern.
The smooth surface of a tall mirror placed near the bar suddenly rippled like water. Then, a heavy boot stepped out from it, followed by the young, strong, and towering figure of the Flame Emperor.
Ida, the female giant wiping massive wooden glasses behind the bar, paused her hands slightly. She asked with a clear hint of nervous surprise, "York... what brings you here today?"
"Long time no see, Ida." York first greeted her with a polite smile, then asked casually, "I'm looking for Harald. Is he currently in Elbaf?"
A distinct trace of unnaturalness appeared on the female giant's face, her eyes darting away.
"Well... Harald, he's currently gone on an expedition."
"An expedition?"
York instantly noticed something was off from Ida's stiff reaction and micro-expressions, but he didn't say much to press her. He just nodded lightly.
"I understand. I'll come back tomorrow."
The next day.
York once again came to Elbaf through the Mirro-World connection. However, the result was the exact same as yesterday: Harald was still supposedly on an expedition and hadn't returned.
"When exactly is he expected to return?" York asked, his tone slightly cooler.
"I... I don't know." Ida shook her head slightly, avoiding his gaze. "This time, Harald didn't tell me his specific expedition plans, so I really don't know his schedule."
York nodded gently, his eyes unreadable, and left again.
Afterward.
The third day, the fourth day, the fifth day... York arrived precisely as scheduled, but just like the first two days, he was completely unable to see Harald.
Until the seventh day.
Harald's young son, Loki, who had been secretly, haughtily observing York's daily visits from behind a barrel, suddenly called out to York just as the Emperor was once again preparing to step back into the mirror.
"Hey! York! My stinky old man isn't on an expedition! He went to the Holy Land Mary Geoise!!"
York paused his step, smiling faintly without turning his head. "Thank you for the reminder, little prince, but I actually already guessed that."
Then he turned his head to look gently at the tense Ida.
"Ida, please don't worry. I just want to officially meet Harald and have a good, long talk with my old friend. I won't do anything to harm him."
With that chilling promise, York returned to the Mirro-World without any further hesitation.
Ida watched the mirror surface quickly smooth out like ripples on a pond. Instinctively, she wanted to reach out and shatter or cover the mirror, but she fearfully pulled her hand back just as she was about to grasp it.
"Hmph! What a useless, cowardly old woman!"
Loki stood nearby, mercilessly complaining about his mother's fear. Hajrudin, who was playing with him, immediately expressed his fierce displeasure.
"Damn you, Loki! Don't you dare insult my Mama!!"
"I insulted her because it's true! So what?!!"
"You bastard!!"
The two Giant Race children immediately started a brutal, physical fight without another word. Ida watched this chaotic scene helplessly and had to physically step in to break up the fight.
As a result... the arrogant Loki didn't hold back his massive strength, and one stray, heavy punch gave Ida a painful black eye on the spot.
Seeing this, Hajrudin immediately went all out in a blood rage. "Damn Loki! I'll kill you!!"
However, Loki's innate strength was not something the young Hajrudin could challenge. Loki perfectly, genetically inherited the pure bloodline of the Ancient Giant Race, making his raw physical potential no less impressive than a young Harald's.
In the end, Loki completely, brutally defeated Hajrudin and left the tavern triumphantly with the cruel smile of a victor.
Although Ida got a black eye from her own son, Loki didn't attack her again apart from that 'accidental' punch. Watching Loki's arrogant departing back, she could only sigh faintly, her heart heavy, and resolve to continue to try and soften Loki's dark nature with love.
Time flew by quickly. A few days passed in a tense blink, and Harald finally returned to Elbaf.
The huge, solitary ship docked at the rocky edge of the island, and Harald's absolute first action upon landing was to rush to reunite with his wife and son.
Ida stood at the massive tavern entrance, watching Harald approach from a distance. Tears began welling up in her large eyes uncontrollably. She covered her mouth and nose with her hands, letting out a choked, desperate sob filled with profound heartache.
"Harald... your horns..."
The towering King Harald looked up at his forehead upon hearing this and smiled nonchalantly, as if it were a trivial matter.
"It's just some insignificant, physical price, Ida. The main thing is that our path to eternal peace for Elbaf has finally been successfully paved!"
Previously, to show his absolute sincerity to the World Government and as a gesture of apology for the sins of the Giants, Harald had shaved off all his majestic, long black hair. But even then, although he was bald, a pair of large, imposing horns—the absolute physical symbol of the Ancient Giant Race bloodline—still remained proudly on both sides of his forehead.
But now, the place where Harald's majestic horns used to be was completely empty. Only large, thick white medical bandages wrapped tightly around his skull in a cross pattern remained. Faintly, dark crimson bloodstains seeping through the fresh bandages could still be seen.
Harald smiled warmly and stepped forward, deeply embracing the weeping Ida, and began to softly recount his experiences from the journey.
Rewind to a few days ago.
Harald, completely alone and unarmed, piloted a small ship suitable for a giant's size and arrived directly at the fortified bay of Marineford.
As a legendary Giant Race King from Elbaf, his current geopolitical status was heavily hostile to the Marines. So, the moment his ship was spotted, the Marineford coastal guards instinctively panicked and prepared to open fire on him with their heavy cannons.
However, Harald did not retaliate or raise his weapons, allowing scattered, warning cannonballs to explode harmlessly around him. He ultimately landed on the stone embankment of Marineford island entirely peacefully, raising his empty hands.
Then he shouted loudly, his voice booming like thunder, "Marine High Command! And all World Government High Officials present!!"
The deafening shout of the Ancient Giant almost physically echoed throughout all of Marineford, rattling the windows. Fleet Admiral Kong and Admiral Sengoku, who were deeply discussing a military meeting in the highest office, were all stunned by the sudden, overwhelming voice.
Immediately after, Harald, standing tall on the island's embankment under the aiming guns of ten thousand Marines, slowly raised his hands. He grabbed his two massive, ancestral horns with both hands and pulled violently.
With a crisp, sickening SNAP, the two massive horns—the very physical representation of his pride and the bloodline of the Ancient Giant Race—were forcibly, brutally broken off by his own hands.
Crimson blood flowed freely from the jagged fractures on his skull, blinding him. Harald gasped heavily for air, enduring the agonizing pain, and spoke, his voice carrying across the silent plaza:
"Please allow me to physically atone for the bloody mistakes of a thousand years!!"
"I want to completely wash away the unforgivable sins committed by the Giant Race until now!!"
"From today onward, I swear the children of Elbaf will absolutely not harm anyone!!"
"We will peacefully coexist with humans! I will personally prove my absolute vow of peace with my life!!"
"Give me a chance to atone!! Even if I must become a lowly slave to the Celestial Dragons, I am willing!!"
Harald's desperate, bloody shout echoed throughout Marineford. Fleet Admiral Kong, who had initially not intended to show up to face a pirate king, personally walked out of the massive headquarters' gates.
He looked up at Harald, whose head was bleeding profusely, holding his own severed horns in his hands, and Kong felt genuine, profound admiration for this King of the Giant Race. This was a true King of Giants with a desperate, bleeding heart for peace!
Kong observed the giant's unwavering eyes for a moment, then said in a deep, respectful voice, "King Harald. Our Marine forces have received your absolute sincerity. On behalf of Marineford and Absolute Justice, I acknowledge your vow of peace!"
"However, for the World Government officials to accept this... I need you to come with me personally to the top. Is King Harald willing to come?"
Harald nodded heavily, blood dripping from his chin. "I couldn't ask for more!!"
Afterward, Harald, under Fleet Admiral Kong's direct escort, went up the Red Line to the Holy Land Mary Geoise to formally meet with the highest authorities—the Gorosei (who were now the Four Elders after Shepherd Ju Peter's death).
No one outside that room knew what Harald and the Four Elders discussed specifically in the Room of Authority in Mary Geoise. But judging by the relieved smile on his scarred face upon leaving, Harald's ultimate goal of securing safety for his people was clearly achieved, and he hadn't truly become a bottom-tier, branded slave.
Harald briefly recounted his harrowing experiences to Ida, who listened patiently, feeling her heart shatter for Harald's physical and spiritual sacrifice.
After a tender, quiet moment between the couple, Ida finally, nervously brought up York's repeated visits.
"York, huh..." Harald frowned slightly, his hand instinctively touching his bandaged forehead.
In fact, from the very moment he made that desperate decision to submit, he knew York would eventually come to see him. Just like his old rival Rocks D. Xebec back then; if Rocks were still alive, he would absolutely not understand Harald's current, submissive actions and would definitely come to see him, perhaps even directly attacking him in a rage for throwing away his pride.
Harald let out a long, heavy sigh.
"York and his crew have the Miru Miru no Mi, which can instantly connect to all mirrors worldwide. There's absolutely no hiding from him; we'll meet sooner or later."
Harald stood up. "Go tell him that I've returned. And I am ready to meet him."
Ida's expression tightened slightly upon hearing this, her eyes fixed fearfully on the fresh, bloody wound on Harald's forehead. "Harald, your injury..."
"It's nothing, Ida." Harald gave his wife a reassuring, brave smile. "Didn't you say York just wanted to meet me and talk? We are old friends. We won't fight."
Despite his comforting words, Ida still felt an overwhelming sense of dread. But unable to resist her King's insistence, she still pulled out her special Den Den Mushi and dialed Stussy's direct line.
A few minutes later.
York arrived at Elbaf through the massive mirror on the bar counter.
The surrounding environment and tavern furnishings were almost permanently etched into his mind from his frequent, frustrating visits recently. Therefore, the very moment he passed through the mirror, he instantly noticed Harald, who was sitting at a massive table.
York's pupils suddenly contracted to pinpricks.
Because the moment he saw Harald, he simultaneously noticed his bald head and the thick, bloody bandages wrapped around where his horns used to be.
York's breathing instantly grew heavy, the temperature in the room spiking.
He asked in a deep, dangerously low voice, "Harald. Who the hell injured you like this?!"
"Myself."
These three simple, quiet words caused York's rising, murderous anger toward an unknown enemy to be largely extinguished, as if doused with freezing cold water.
However, what followed a millisecond later was a raging, apocalyptic wildfire of fury—the extreme opposite reaction.
York clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles popped like gunshots. He stepped forward, his aura suffocating, and said in a terrifyingly deep voice, "You actively surrendered to the World Government?! Have you completely forgotten what I once told you about their nature?!"
Facing York's aggressive, overbearing questioning, Harald—even if he initially lacked some confidence in his own choice—couldn't help but become defensive and firm in his attitude as a King.
"I didn't surrender to be their dog, York! I merely chose a more peaceful path for my people! To exchange the peace and happiness of all of Elbaf for my own personal sacrifice!!"
Harald stood up, his massive frame towering over the room. "As for what you said about their tyranny... I absolutely understand the principle, of course! But your ideals have absolutely no ground to be realized in reality against their numbers!!"
Harald's stubbornness, combined with York's heavily accumulated anger from not seeing Harald for days and his profound, crushing disappointment that a legend like Harald had submissively surrendered to the Gorosei, erupted simultaneously.
"IMU CAN'T BEAT ME ANYMORE!!" York roared like an enraged, demonic beast, his voice shaking the foundation of the island.
"Her absolute most excellent spokesperson, the Head of CP0, has already become my woman!!"
York stepped closer, his eyes burning with white fire. "Now! You tell me!! You've backed down from the fight for freedom?!"
"HARALD!!!"
The earth-shattering roar, accompanied by a vast, apocalyptic wave of Supreme King (Haoshoku) Haki, directly and violently ripped off the entire heavy wooden roof of the tavern.
Massive wine bottles and barrels inside the tavern simultaneously shattered into dust. The thick stone walls and giant furniture splintered and flew in all directions due to the sheer, terrifying physical pressure of the Haki unleashed by the Emperor.
Ida and the giant children, who had already wisely hidden far away on a hill under Harald's prior arrangement, watched the tavern explode from a distance, trembling all over. Even the exceptionally talented, arrogant Loki felt his hairs stand on end in sheer terror, feeling exactly as if an enraged, ancient fierce beast had just descended upon Elbaf.
"YORK!!"
That York would get angry and violently unleash Haki was entirely within Harald's expectation. But what he hadn't logically expected was that York's Haki had become so unfathomably, monstrously powerful in such a short time!
Harald was first physically lifted from his massive stool by the sudden, kinetic Haki impact. He then uncontrollably retreated several heavy steps, cracking the floorboards, before finally gritting his teeth and violently unleashing his own golden Conqueror's Haki in defense.
BOOM!!
The physical friction and immense spiritual pressure between their clashing Haki domains erupted in a deafening, thunderous roar that split the clouds above Elbaf.
Harald watched his fully unleashed Haki domain struggle to even momentarily contend with York's crimson aura, and he gritted his teeth in deep, physical frustration.
"York!!" Harald roared over the storm of Haki. "Your personal, monstrous strength is just your personal strength!!"
"You can perfectly protect your own hidden territory, but can you protect the entirety of Elbaf as well from a Buster Call?!"
York noticed Harald physically struggling and sweating under his crushing Haki domain. He clearly noticed the fresh wound on Harald's forehead beginning to rapidly seep dark blood due to the extreme atmospheric pressure, but York had absolutely no intention of easing the pressure. Instead, his eyes glowed brighter, and he unleashed even more powerful, suffocating Conqueror's Haki.
BOOM!!
Massive, jagged arcs of black-and-red lightning began to violently, erratically spread in all directions from York's body.
The Haki lightning plowed through the solid earth, leaving deep, scorched ravines. It struck massive, ancient rocks, and boulders weighing tens of tons instantly exploded into countless fine fragments. It grazed the surrounding vegetation, and the giant, fragile grass and ancient trees were instantly annihilated into ash.
The highly materialized, physical destruction of York's Haki forcibly, violently compressed Harald's golden Haki domain to only a few pathetic meters around his massive body.
"YORK!!" Harald's breathing became heavy and labored under the crushing gravity. He spoke again, desperate to be understood. "I actually had absolutely no choice!!"
"Rocks took all of you—a group of the absolute world's top, unparalleled powerhouses! And your entire, invincible army was completely wiped out by the Marines and Roger in a single day!!"
"Even if you, Whitebeard, Kaido, Linlin, and Stussy all miraculously escaped with your lives... everyone else died!!"
"ONE DAY!!" Harald roared, tears of frustration in his eyes. "JUST ONE DAY!!"
"My personal strength is absolutely on par with what Rocks was! But Elbaf's other giant combatants aren't anywhere near as monstrously strong as you freaks!!"
"Rocks and you couldn't even hold out for a single day against their full might!!"
"How long do you honestly think I and the people of Elbaf can last if they decide to erase us?!!"
Harald roared hoarsely, completely unleashing all the terrifying anxiety and dread he had suppressed for years after reading the news of the God Valley Incident.
"The World Government's true, hidden power is absolutely not something our Giant Race alone can contend with in an open war!!"
"You, York, you are an absolute anomaly. You are remarkable. You've even taken the King of the World's top spokesperson into your harem. But besides you! Can you logically guarantee that everyone else under your command will survive once the World Government truly unleashes its ancient war machines?!"
"Or rather... does anyone else currently under your command even have the physical qualifications to participate in your apocalyptic war with the World Government without dying instantly?!"
With each desperate roar and shout of logic, Harald's defensive Haki unknowingly climbed a small notch, fighting back against the pressure.
York narrowed his eyes, deliberately, intentionally weakening the crushing intensity of his released Haki slightly to let Harald breathe.
"It seems you truly have absolutely no conceptual grasp of my current strength, Harald," York said, his voice cold and chillingly calm amidst the storm.
York slowly drew his sword. "Perhaps, between us... it should be exactly like how it was between Rocks and you back then. We need a good fight!"