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Chapter 204 - Chapter 204: I'm Just the Captain of the Third Division

Chital's fury had reached its peak.

As a general of the Elbaf Giant Kingdom, he could not—would not—stand by while foreign invaders planted their flags on Elbaf's sacred ground. Not only did this so-called "Hell Pirates" group build a city, they dared challenge Elbaf's strength and pride.

He wanted to see for himself—was this so-called New World overlord truly as powerful as the rumors claimed?

Or was it all hot air?

With a thunderous roar, Chital raised his enormous battle axe high, its gleaming edge catching the sunlight. This wasn't just any weapon—it was Kratos' Axe of War, the second most revered weapon in all of Elbaf.

Forged by Elbaf's greatest blacksmiths across 9,981 painstaking years, the axe's haft was made from the hardened trunk of a War God Tree, and the blade was forged with powdered Gungnir Sacred Steel—salvaged from the legendary Spear of Elbaf itself.

The axe was named in honor of the mythic hero Kratos, a fearsome warrior said to have slaughtered super-giant Sea Kings like they were chickens, and who once felled the mythical Netamia Nolida, a sky elephant said to reach 30,000 meters in height.

The axe wasn't just a weapon.

It was a statement.

And now, with that very axe in hand, Chital charged like a berserker—his enormous figure crashing toward Whitebeard Newgate, intent on smashing the so-called "dwarf" standing before him.

But Newgate didn't flinch.

In fact, his eyes gleamed red with excitement.

His arms inflated with muscle like bellows filling with wind. In one hand, his alloy naginata darkened into a pitch-black hue as Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki surged through it. White sparks of energy danced around the blade, crackling with the violent tremors of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.

He stepped forward with a booming stomp—shattering the earth beneath him—and swung his naginata in a great arc, aiming directly for the charging Chital.

He wasn't dodging. He wasn't even trying to deflect.

He was meeting the strongest general of Elbaf head-on.

"Hahahahaha!! I've never seen Newgate go all out before!" Golden Lion Shiki exclaimed, clenching his fists with anticipation. His cigar wobbled between his grinning teeth.

This was the power of Whitebeard at full force.

Even Shiki—known for his own overwhelming might—couldn't help but acknowledge that a gap still existed between him and Newgate. He made a mental note to train even harder after this battle.

BOOM!!!

Kratos' Axe of War met Newgate's naginata with a cataclysmic collision. But upon closer inspection… the weapons hadn't even touched.

Their auras had.

The clash between Conqueror's Haki and Ryou-infused Armament Haki sent out waves of force so dense they split the air. The earth cracked. Wind exploded outward in concentric shockwaves, toppling elite giant warriors left and right.

From atop Giant Soldier City's walls, even Rocky and the others stood frozen in awe. The sheer pressure was suffocating. This—this was no ordinary duel. This was a clash between apex predators.

And he thought he had a shot at becoming King of the Giants? The idea now seemed laughable. If Chital—the strongest general—was only one rung below King Odin, then the King's power must be beyond imagination.

"AAAHHHH!!!"

Both warriors roared, neither willing to yield. Their weapons sparked again—this time releasing a blinding white flash followed by a thunderous explosion.

When the dust settled, both men were pushed back—Newgate by twenty meters, Chital by fifty.

Chital staggered, panting. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

"You… you possess both Conqueror's Haki and a Devil Fruit power?!" he gasped.

His lungs burned. The Tremor-Tremor Fruit's shockwaves had bypassed his Armament Haki and rattled his insides. Even his reinforced organs hadn't withstood it.

Worse, this man wielded Advanced Conqueror's Haki Entanglement—the stuff of legends. Chital could count on one hand the warriors in Elbaf who had ever mastered that technique.

To think… a subordinate of the Hell Pirates could do it.

If someone told Chital this man was the captain of the Hell Pirates, he'd have believed it without question.

Newgate glanced at his own weapon.

Even with full Haki reinforcement, the edge of his naginata had chipped slightly. The sheer hardness of Kratos' Axe had cut through his defenses.

He turned his gaze back to Chital's axe—still gleaming, still unmarred.

"That weapon of yours… is extraordinary," Newgate muttered, a rare compliment slipping through his lips.

But to Chital, the words stung like a slap.

What's that supposed to mean?

Did this pirate think Chital's power only came from the axe? That without it, he'd be helpless?

And more importantly—was he eyeing it?

"You bastard… are you trying to steal my weapon?!" Chital bellowed. "Kratos' Axe of War is the pride of Elbaf! No pirate has the right to even look at it!!"

His rage burned hotter.

"To think… someone this strong is just a second-in-command…"

Whitebeard grinned wide, casually resting his chipped naginata over his shoulder.

"Gurarara~ Second-in-command? Nah. I'm just the captain of the third division."

Chital froze.

"…Third?" he echoed.

"Yup," Newgate said, laughing. "Our captain's still up there on the wall."

He jerked his chin toward Brook, who stood calmly atop the city, cape fluttering, as if none of this concerned him.

Chital's jaw dropped.

This level of strength… and he wasn't even the second-in-command?

Just a division captain?

Then how strong was the vice-captain?

How strong was the captain himself?

------------------

Chital stood motionless, his expression dark and unreadable.

As the strongest general of the Elbaf Giant Kingdom, second only to King Odin himself, he had always believed there were few in the world who could stand toe-to-toe with him. And yet, here he was—pushed back by a single strike from the third division captain of the Hell Pirates.

Third division... not even the second or first?

If this Newgate wasn't even their vice-captain, then what kind of monsters filled the rest of this crew?

He had once fought the second-in-command of the Ice Demon Pirates and even challenged high-ranking commanders from the Diger Pirates. With Kratos' Axe of War in hand, he could suppress most of them. His pride wasn't unfounded.

Even King Odin himself could battle Diger for days, armed with the legendary Spear of Elbaf. Within Elbaf's territory, no pirate crew had ever gained the upper hand.

The Giant Kingdom was the world's strongest nation. It didn't need to leave its shores or sail under the banner of piracy. Why chase power when power had already been forged through the blood of centuries?

Elbaf didn't need to rob or conquer. It was no barren snowfield like the Ice Kingdom, or drought-ridden desert like Alabasta. Elbaf was richer than even the prehistoric Little Garden—a vast, fertile island steeped in ancient battlefields and overgrown with colossal beasts and sacred forests.

If any village, like Giant Soldier Village, sent out pirates, it was often because they lacked the resources and prestige of Titan King City.

But true giants—those who remained—had no reason to leave.

After the great war 800 years ago, the Giant King of that era had reached a secret agreement with the newly formed World Government. The sacred Spear of Elbaf was never to leave Elbaf's soil again, for fear of invoking retaliation from the Ancient Weapon Uranus.

Thus, Elbaf adopted a national policy of isolation and population recovery. They sought not power, but preservation—to once again reach the glorious population of over 100,000 giants they held during the blank century.

But even now, after eight centuries, they numbered only in the tens of thousands.

Elbaf may have avoided becoming a pirate nation, but it had never bent the knee to the World Government either. It refused to pay Heavenly Tribute, refused to allow Navy branches on its land, and yet... it remained standing.

Not because of diplomacy.

Because of fear.

Because of strength.

---

From the moment their weapons clashed, Chital and Whitebeard Newgate had both measured each other's strength.

Chital wasn't afraid to die in battle—it was the way of Elbaf. But the realization hit him hard: he could only match the Hell Pirates' third or fourth strongest member. They outclassed him, and this wasn't even a full battle. Worse, the rest of the enemy's forces were all here… while he stood alone, without King Odin or the other top warriors.

This mission was supposed to be simple… just an arrest.

And now he had stumbled into a confrontation with the most dominant pirate crew in the New World.

If left unchecked, the Hell Pirates would tighten their grip on Giant Soldier Village. Elbaf's authority would fade. It would be a matter of time before this foothold became a fortress.

"You're strong," Chital admitted, panting. "But if you don't withdraw from Elbaf, it will be all-out war. We'll fight you to the death!"

His gaze turned sharp.

"Our King Odin does not fear any pirate. We have more than a dozen giant vice admirals in the Navy. If need be, we'll unite with the World Government and wipe your pirate crew off the map!"

It was bravado—but not entirely empty.

Elbaf's warriors were no joke.

Chital waved to his troops. His giants regrouped, battered but not broken, and prepared to retreat. They would return to Titan King City, raise the army, and come back in force.

This time… it would be war.

---

"Yohohoho~ I've said it repeatedly, haven't I?" Brook's voice rang out from the city walls. "I came here to cooperate, not fight. Let's all calm down, shall we?"

He smiled.

And in the next instant—lightning flashed, and two golden streaks tore through the air.

Suddenly, Chital's retreat path was blocked.

From above, descending like war gods, stood Redfield and Golden Lion Shiki.

Chital's heart skipped a beat. Cold sweat gathered at his brow.

These two… have Conqueror's Haki too?!

The aura coming off them was oppressive—another pair of monsters, just like the last. Were they the captains of the first and second division?

How many of these monsters did the Hell Pirates bring?!

Shiki grinned wildly. "Hahaha! I couldn't let Newgate have all the fun!"

Without waiting for permission or backup, the Golden Lion charged in.

His twin blades—Oto and Kogarashu—flared with Conqueror's Haki and Ryou, leaving streaks of red lightning as he blitzed forward. The very air ripped around him as he closed in on Chital.

"Come on then, Elbaf's strongest general! Let's dance!"

Chital's eyes widened again.

Another user of Advanced Conqueror's Haki?!

He had no time to process it.

With a guttural roar, he hoisted Kratos' Axe of War and brought it down with a mighty swing, splitting the ground as it collided with Shiki's twin blades.

BOOM!!!

The shockwave exploded outward. The giant warriors around them were thrown off their feet again—tossed around like ragdolls by the sheer force of the clash.

These poor elites hadn't even managed to enter the fight. All they'd done so far was eat dust from the battlefield.

"Very strong!" Shiki barked, his eyes blazing. "But let's see how you handle this!"

"Imperial Scroll: Handshi!"

From the earth behind Shiki, two enormous stone hands erupted, slamming downward toward Chital like divine palms crushing a mortal.

"Senkiriya!"

Golden slashes rained down in a fan-shaped pattern, targeting the stone palms, causing them to detonate midair and kick up massive clouds of smoke.

Rocky and the giants inside Giant Soldier City stared in disbelief.

Did Shiki just defeat General Chital… that fast?

Dust billowed, concealing the outcome.

On the city walls, Brook watched with a neutral expression. "Tch. Flashy. All that smoke, but no real damage. Those mud palms aren't as dangerous as his earth-spike artillery."

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