...
"…"
Harald was truly stunned.
In those eyes burning with rage, a flicker of almost imperceptible bewilderment passed through.
He had imagined countless scenarios of confronting Elbaph's enemy: furious roars, a fight to the death, or the other party's brazen and unreasonable denial…
After all, Charlotte Linlin was known to the outside world as a temperamental "female monster" capable of wiping out nations on a whim.
In Harald's subconscious, he had long equated her with "arrogance," almost convinced she would never openly admit to that old blood debt.
Yet now, hovering atop the thundercloud, her massive body leaning slightly forward, speaking those dry but clear words of "I'm sorry"…
It left the towering rage he had built up over so long with nowhere to vent.
It was like a fully charged punch slamming into empty air.
"Linlin…"
This low murmur did not come from Harald, but from the other side of the battlefield— Streusen, who was locked in combat with Marine soldiers.
He parried a slash with his long sword, yet his peripheral vision never left the woman he had accompanied earliest…
Seeing her finally bow her head to the Giant King, a profoundly complex emotion crossed Streusen's face, usually marked by shrewd calculation.
Back in Elbaph, that little girl who, driven mad by extreme hunger, had destroyed everything.
Some debts must eventually be repaid—even if decades late.
"Hey! Linlin! You know that Giant King? What the hell is this all about?!"
Golden Lion Shiki hurled a floating boulder at Sengoku, then twisted his head and roared, his tone filled with unconcealed curiosity and confusion.
It wasn't just him—many officers from the Roger Pirates and Rocks Pirates, even some Marine soldiers still fighting, couldn't help turning their gazes toward this abrupt apology scene.
In their minds—and in the perception of the entire world—although Charlotte Linlin had a gigantic build, she was not of giant descent.
How could she have such a deep entanglement with Elbaph, with Giant King Harald, one that would make her publicly bow her head and apologize?
Bewilderment and suspicion were written across many faces.
The truth behind Elder Jorul's fall had always been regarded by Elbaph as an unhealing internal wound, never proactively shared with the outside world—so naturally, outsiders knew nothing of it.
"You…"
Harald's massive throat rolled once. The volcanic rage that had been building like an eruption lost its momentum in the face of such direct contrition.
If Big Mom had quibbled or denied it, he could have raised his sword without hesitation.
If she had tried to flee, he could have pursued relentlessly.
But this heavy, clear "I'm sorry" coming straight at him acted like an invisible barrier, suddenly halting the torrent of grief and fury in his chest.
"I know you are the king of Elbaph…"
Big Mom's voice remained somewhat complicated, but her words grew much clearer—as though once she opened her mouth, the memories suppressed for so many years came pouring out.
"The people of Elbaph… back then, everyone was so kind to me. Hajrudin, Gerd… and so many, many friends… I remember them all."
Big Mom was not entirely heartless.
That brief yet warm time in Elbaph, the innocent yet sincere kindness of the giant children, had been one of the rare bright spots in her childhood.
And precisely because of that, the tragedy caused by the outbreak of her "eating disorder" became the deepest, most untouchable nightmare in her heart.
A scar that burned day and night…
Hearing his eldest son's name—"Hajrudin"—spoken from Linlin's mouth, the sharp ice in Harald's eyes melted for an imperceptible instant.
He had heard from his son and other clansmen who witnessed the tragedy.
That little girl named Linlin, though occasionally clumsy when normal, had a pure smile, tried her best to help, and shared her food.
Her "evil" did not stem from malice, but from losing control during a terrifying "illness."
His gaze swept across the increasingly chaotic and intense battlefield below. Roger and Rocks were jointly attacking Saint Saturn; Marines and pirates were locked in fierce combat.
Without the light curtain's influence, God Valley had already become a seething furnace.
Harald knew full well that if he killed Big Mom here over personal vendetta, the entire situation would spiral completely out of control.
"Sigh…"
In the end, a heavy, mountain-like sigh escaped from the Giant King's chest.
He slowly lowered the enormous long sword resting on his shoulder and thrust it into the ground beside him with a dull boom.
Yet the frost on his face and the weight in his eyes did not dissipate because of it.
"Charlotte Linlin…"
Harald's voice returned to a suppressed calm—yet heavier than any roar.
"Even if it was not your intention, Elder Jorul's death and the pain Elbaph endured were ultimately caused by you.
I cannot represent all the people of Elbaph in forgiving you. This scar will remain forever."
Harald was not abandoning pursuit—he was choosing another path.
Killing her now might bring momentary satisfaction, but it could trigger a chain of catastrophes.
He already had another plan in mind: he wanted Big Mom to live, and in her own way, to confront this guilt.
He wanted her to personally go to Elbaph, to stand before Elder Jorul's grave, before all the harmed clansmen, and offer genuine repentance and atonement.
Death could sometimes be an escape—while the living's remorse and redemption might be the truest consolation for the departed.
"I know…"
Big Mom's shoulders seemed to slump slightly, but her eyes no longer evaded: "I never expected to be forgiven. I just… held this in for too long. Saying it out loud finally lightens the weight a little."
At this moment, Big Mom felt a sense of relief—like a portion of her shackles had been removed. Though the road ahead was still filled with endless guilt and potential hostility.
The personal grudge here was temporarily set aside, but God Valley's situation never allowed any private enmity room to breathe.
"You… have gone too far!!!"
Saint Saturn's roar—mingled with frenzied rage and something inhuman—exploded outward, instantly drowning out the clamor in other corners of the battlefield.
He had fully revealed his ox-demon form. His grotesque, massive body was covered in horrifying wounds, yet they were healing at a visible, frantic speed.
Roger's top-tier Haki-infused slashes and Rocks' all-devouring impacts had left bone-deep gashes on him!
But in the next instant, flesh wriggled and closed, as though he possessed inexhaustible vitality.
"Old geezer, your regeneration is pretty tough, huh!"
Roger shook his somewhat numb arm, sweat beading at his temple, yet his eyes burned with unprecedented sharpness: "Let's see just how many times you can heal!"
Before the words even finished, he and Rocks attacked in perfect sync once more. Blade light wove into a net of destruction, enveloping Saint Saturn completely.
The members of God's Knights were likewise pinned down by the core officers of both pirate crews, along with Garp, Sengoku, and the Marines' top fighters.
The entire battlefield had fallen into a frenzied, chaotic stalemate.
And right in the midst of this white-hot deadlock…
"BOOM!!!"
A resonant hum shook God Valley—not an explosion, but a far heavier, soul-shivering sense of arrival.
Four enormous, hideous figures radiating indescribable oppression and ominous aura appeared in the skies above God Valley, accompanied by black lightning that twisted space itself!
Their forms surpassed ordinary understanding of "living creatures"—they resembled alien gods stepped out from ancient myths or the deepest nightmares.
"Truly… quite the mess!"
Saint Mars (Itsumade), with his demon-bird-like wings, let out a sharp, icy voice. His golden vertical pupils swept across the scarred island.
"Today, on this island, any insect that knows too many secrets has no need to leave alive!"
Saint Warcury (Houki), his mountain-like body crouching slightly, tusks glinting coldly, rumbled like muffled thunder with murderous intent.
"Monkey D. Dragon of the Revolutionary Army, Rocks, Roger… all must be completely erased!"
Saint Nusjuro ( skeletal horse), his skull-like face showing no expression, emanated an aura of dead silence and chill.
"Otherwise, along with this island that bears memories that should not exist… let it all return to nothingness!"
Saint Shepherd Ju Peter (sandworm), his massive segmented body writhing slightly, spoke in a voice from the abyssal depths—indifferent and devouring.
The moment the four Elders descended, their wills connected with Saint Saturn through some unknown means.
The Five Elders—the supreme rulers of the World Government—had assembled here in their true, terrifying inhuman forms!
"Mon… monsters!!!"
"That's the Five Elders? How could they…"
"Mama! I wanna go home! I'm not fighting anymore!"
An unprecedented terror spread like plague.
Many Marine soldiers and pirates, upon witnessing these five beings beyond comprehension, had their mental defenses collapse completely. Forgetting they were enemies, they huddled together in terror, crying out in despair.
Absolute hierarchical suppression brought the most primal fear.
"Hey, Rocks…"
Roger wiped the sweat that had splashed onto his face, staring at those five apocalyptic figures. Even with his bold spirit, shock filled his eyes.
"My eyes aren't playing tricks, right? One after another… what the hell are these things?!"
"Tch…"
Rocks bared his teeth in a grin—not a smile, but the excitement and arrogance of facing an ultimate challenge.
"Finally crawled out, huh… the scum holed up at the top of Mary Geoise! That nauseating arrogance… exactly as I thought!"
Fear? Perhaps a little.
But what burned far stronger in Rocks was ignited battle intent and ambition.
With the Five Elders fully descended, the final act of God Valley opened amid unparalleled oppression and an atmosphere of imminent destruction.
Personal grudges and pirate rivalries now seemed utterly insignificant.
...