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Kingdom of Elbaf, the land of giants.
"Is this really Elbaf? It's unbelievable," Yamato exclaimed in amazement, looking at the enormous island before them with its giant tree that seemed to reach the heavens.
"Is this where the strongest race in the world lives?"
Even Hancock was somewhat speechless. Though there wasn't much difference from their high-altitude view, once they landed, they could truly feel the "massive" scale of this country.
The island was surrounded by mountains, with volcanic ash piled high into the clouds. Visibility was very low with almost no sunshine, and the air was filled with a sulfur-like smell.
In this environment, the houses in the surrounding villages were stacked like hills, built in an ancient style that created a striking visual contrast for Yamato and the others who were accustomed to the modern aesthetic of the Sky Kingdom.
"I wonder how many villages like this exist in Elbaf. It looks like there are at least dozens of giants living here. It's hard to imagine how many powerful giant warriors there must be in the entire kingdom," Nami remarked with amazement, though her hands never stopped drawing the nautical chart.
Giants were a force not to be underestimated.
Whether it was the fact that giant warriors could directly become Marine officers, or Charlotte Linlin's desire for Elbaf's giants, it was enough to explain the strategic significance of having an army of giant warriors.
Especially in war, they were an almost unstoppable force.
Just imagine conservatively: thousands of armed giant troops, each standing at least 20 to 30 meters tall—they could easily achieve the power to destroy entire nations.
Though Alex himself was already powerful enough to devastate the world, such a formidable force was indeed sufficient to change the balance of power on the seas, particularly in terms of warfare. That was why he had planted such a long-term connection in advance with the former prince of the giant clan and current king, Loki.
"They're coming," Robin said quietly beside him.
As her words fell, the ground suddenly trembled, and large clouds of dust rose from the giant village ahead.
"Dereshishishi! Robin!!"
The leader, Jaguar D. Saul, ran toward Alex and the others after landing, while vigorously waving his enormous hands.
Behind him came the village giants led by Mountain Beard, all greeting them warmly.
"It seems you've established quite a relationship here, Miss Robin," Nami couldn't help but observe.
"Perhaps it's partly because of me, but it's more due to the friendly relationship between the Sky Kingdom and Elbaf, and the fact that Lord Alex defeated Charlotte Linlin."
This was indeed the case. Except for Saul, who focused his attention on Robin, the rest of the village giants immediately directed their greetings toward Alex.
When they noticed that the village elder who was over three hundred years old behaved this way, the rest of the giants, including Saul, quickly reacted and hurried to pay their respects to Alex.
Since the purpose of Alex's journey here wasn't to visit them, after exchanging a few words, he left Robin to stay with them while he led the others toward the deep central area of the kingdom.
Watching them leave, Saul couldn't help but murmur: "That's Robin's current boss? He truly is the strongest king in the world. Just facing him, there's a pressure like staring into an abyss."
Mountain Beard nodded deeply upon hearing these words. As one of the oldest warriors in the world, he had to admit they had never encountered such a presence before. Even the few human women accompanying Alex seemed to possess considerable strength.
Thinking of this, Mountain Beard couldn't help but look toward the depths of the kingdom. Although it was just speculation, their former prince had somehow managed to break free from the control of the elders and become king. He always felt this had much to do with the Sky Kingdom.
Especially considering the various secret trades that had recently begun between the Sky Kingdom and Elbaf. His experience of more than 300 years told him that King Loki might be planning something with that powerful king.
Turning his head to see Robin chatting happily with the other giants, he could only hope that whatever was happening would be beneficial for Elbaf and their village.
Using his abilities to make the women float and fly alongside him, Alex was explaining to Yamato and the others about his history with Loki.
After all, Alex hadn't previously explained this arrangement to them.
Many years ago, the king of the giants had died, and all important tasks and powers were governed by the Council of Elders, with the nominal leader being the son of the previous king—Loki.
However, because of his relatively young age, and with the elders claiming he was still in a "learning" stage, Loki had not gained any real authority. In general, he was merely a figurehead.
Would this "learning" last for a lifetime, until death? No one knew.
So in order to escape their control and regain real power, Loki refused to accept his fate. He placed his ambition on the one free choice he had: selecting a princess.
Around that time, Alex had defeated Charlotte Linlin and established himself as ruler of the Sky Kingdom.
When introduced to Elbaf, Loki learned about him.
Additionally, Alex had deliberately shown him that among Charlotte Linlin's "thousands of charming" daughters, Lola was the one she favored.
Love at first sight, coupled with the desire to gain the Sky Kingdom's support and overthrow the Council of Elders, became Loki's goal.
And Alex, understanding the situation, naturally didn't want to repeat the scenario from the original timeline where Lola, dissatisfied with an arranged marriage, simply ran away.
Therefore, with Pudding's mind-manipulation abilities, and directly overriding Lola's wishes, Alex and Loki achieved their mutual goals.
Alex used the Sky Kingdom's hidden power to help Loki grow in strength, eliminate the elders, and reclaim the true power of the king. In exchange, Loki agreed to provide Alex with all of Elbaf's might when needed.
Now, it was time for Loki to fulfill this condition!