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"S-SUGEEE! This—This is a warrior's oath!" Usopp stared wide-eyed, watching Dorry and Brogy solemnly pledge their loyalty.
Nami and Vivi's eyes sparkled.
"The Oath of Giants..." Robin murmured, her eyes reflecting a deep emotion. Her dearest childhood friend, Saul, had been a Giant.
The God of Elbaf—their faith was more important than life itself to every Giant there.
Swearing an oath in their God's name meant these two powerful Giants would truly come to Rowen's aid whenever he needed them, no matter where on the seas he might be.
To earn such a commitment from Giants... this man was truly remarkable.
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"Hey. Rowen, You guys are here too!" Luffy, who had been visiting Dorry's camp, ran over upon seeing the commotion.
"GEGYAGYA, So you're all together, Then you must be pirates too!" Dorry laughed heartily upon seeing they knew each other.
"That's right," Rowen confirmed with a smile.
"GABABABA, We used to be pirates too—Time flies... it's already been a hundred years... Dorry, why did we start dueling here again anyway?" Hearing the word 'pirates' stirred memories in Brogy, and he looked towards Dorry thoughtfully.
"Yeah... why was it again?" Dorry rubbed his chin.
"Rowen, Look! See whose prey is bigger—" Just then, Zoro and Sanji burst out from the jungle, each dragging a massive dinosaur carcass.
"Giants?" Zoro and Sanji stopped dead in their tracks upon seeing Dorry and Brogy.
"Probably the same reason as these two—arguing over whose catch is bigger," Rowen laughed, gesturing towards Zoro and Sanji.
"Surely two Giant uncles wouldn't be as childish as them," Vivi commented with a smile.
"That's it! I remember now. It was because of these skeletons—These were our prey!" Dorry and Brogy suddenly exclaimed, giant eyes widening as they slapped their heads.
"Hey. Dorry, Look at this skeleton—Even without the meat, my prey's skeleton is still bigger than yours!"
"What nonsense are you talking, Brogy? Mine is clearly bigger!"
Dorry and Brogy started arguing loudly again.
The seemingly innocuous question from a little girl centuries ago—wondering whose hunt was bigger—had sparked their hundred-year duel. The two colossal skeletons that almost spanned the island were the remnants of their catches from that day.
"They really..." Vivi exclaimed, clutching her head with a cute, sharp-toothed expression.
"Hahaha, As men of the sea, how could they admit their catch was smaller than someone else's?" Rowen roared with laughter. As an avid fisherman back on Earth, Rowen deeply understood this competitive spirit.
Dorry and Brogy's hundred-year argument hadn't yielded a result then, and their current debate quickly fizzled out too. After agreeing to continue their competition later, they turned back to Rowen.
"We truly don't know how to thank you. You even helped us remember why we started fighting!" Brogy and Dorry laughed heartily.
Although for Elbaf warriors, the battle itself ultimately became about honor, eclipsing the original reason, remembering why they had dueled for a century still brought them immense joy.
"Actually... there is one thing—" Rowen stated, looking seriously at Dorry and Brogy.
"Really? What is it? We'll definitely do our best!" Dorry and Brogy instantly brightened, eager to help. For warriors of Elbaf, repaying debts of gratitude was ingrained in their very being.
Having received so much help from Rowen, yet only being able to offer a future promise, felt insufficient. Now that Rowen needed something, Dorry and Brogy were practically itching for action.
"I need... your strength," Rowen stated directly, without any pretense.
Towards warriors who valued honor above all, making excuses felt wrong.
Protecting the sanctity of their duel earlier was genuine; wanting their physique Traits now was also genuine. Rowen needed this power. He looked openly at Brogy and Dorry.
"Our strength? Of course, no problem! If you need it, we'd brave fire and water for you!" Dorry and Brogy declared simultaneously, pounding their chests.
"It's easier to explain using my ability," Rowen said, raising his hand towards the two giants.
Gurgle! Gurgle!
A wall of white wax instantly materialized before them.
"Mr. 3's Wax-Wax Fruit ability?" Mr. 1 and Miss Doublefinger, still restrained by smoke, stared incredulously. That was undeniably the power of the now-deceased Mr. 3!
"I can take the power of others—Devil Fruit abilities, physique, everything. And I can wield multiple Devil Fruit powers simultaneously," Rowen stated frankly, looking at Dorry and Brogy.
"U-Unbelievable! Such an ability exists?!" Dorry and Brogy exchanged shocked glances, horror dawning in their eyes.
Even having lived for centuries, they had never heard of such a power. Devil Fruits were treasures of the sea!
Even among Giants, powerful fruits were highly coveted.
But everyone knew—you could only eat one fruit!
Eating more meant certain death—Yet this man... could wield multiple abilities? And worse—he could steal everything from others?!
What a dangerous ability... What terrifying power—Even with their warrior hearts, Dorry and Brogy felt a chill of fear.
"T-This ability..." Robin stared wide-eyed at Rowen, equally stunned.
She already knew Rowen could use multiple Devil Fruit powers, having seen him use Mr. 5's and Miss Valentine's abilities during their voyage. That itself was incredible enough, leading her to guess he could steal fruit powers.
She also knew he defied the Devil Fruit curse, able to swim freely. She thought that was the limit of his mysterious abilities.
But now... his true power—was to steal everything from others?
This power was too frightening, too dangerous!
Yet, accompanying danger and terror—was mystery. Looking at Rowen, Robin's eyes shone brightly. This incredibly mysterious man... his claims about the True History seemed even more credible now.
Perhaps following Rowen—she truly could achieve her lifelong dream. And Robin now found herself increasingly interested—in unraveling Rowen's secrets.
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"So... I need your physical energy. I need to help that girl save her country. I know you are Innate Warriors; even losing this physical energy, as long as you are in your prime, you can quickly recover your strength," Rowen stated honestly, looking at Dorry and Brogy.
While his calculations suggested he could likely defeat Crocodile as he was now, acquiring the physical Traits of two Giants would provide an extra layer of security.
The 'Fortune' of an entire Warlord was at stake; Rowen refused to allow any chance of failure!
"You know quite a lot about us Elbaf warriors, GABABABA." Brogy laughed upon hearing Rowen's words.
"GEGYAGYA! That's right, We are born warriors. Though our bodies are overdrawn after a century of fighting, possessing only a fraction of our peak strength—with enough rest and sustenance, we can quickly return to our prime!" Dorry laughed as well.
Now they understood why Rowen wanted their physical energy—because even if he took it, they could recover relatively quickly.
"Rowen," Vivi murmured, deeply moved hearing Rowen's words. She was really fortunate to have met Rowen in her darkest hour.
"Alright! Our strength is yours to take—Our friend!" Dorry and Brogy declared solemnly after laughing, looking seriously at Rowen.
They greatly appreciated Rowen's honesty.
Warriors of Elbaf preferred straightforwardness.
Towards Rowen, who had shown them such great kindness, they would offer even their lives, let alone their physical strength.
"Wait! If you lose all your physical energy... doesn't that mean your future battles will be purely contests of will and honor? Since you'll both be much weaker than now... overcoming weakness, isn't that what makes a true warrior?" Usopp suddenly exclaimed, his eyes shining brightly.
"Hm?" Dorry and Brogy both turned towards Usopp.
"GABABABABA!"
"GEGYAGYAGYA!"
The next moment, both giants burst into thunderous laughter.
"He's right! We've competed over who's stronger, whose prey is bigger... but we've never competed over whose will is stronger after losing our strength!" Dorry and Brogy looked at each other, fighting spirit gleaming in their eyes.
"Dare to compete?" They roared simultaneously at each other.
"BRING IT ON!" They bellowed back, pressing their foreheads together.
"Come on, Rowen! Help us get rid of this cumbersome strength, We want to compete! See whose will is stronger!" Dorry and Brogy looked eagerly towards Rowen.
Rowen hadn't expected this turn of events. Can only say that Usopp, being naturally weak himself, had a unique perspective on such matters.
"Alright. But to take your power, I need—Hm?" Rowen started to explain the need for them to lose consciousness, but then noticed the 'Plunderable' status displayed on both Dorry's and Brogy's Traits. His eyes narrowed.
"What's wrong? Can't you take our strength?" Dorry and Brogy asked anxiously.
"No... I can do it right now," Rowen replied, looking at Dorry and Brogy with a surprised smile. This was the first time he'd encountered this situation.
"Plunder!" Rowen's eyes focused intensely.
Two streams of golden light, visible only to Rowen, flew from Brogy and Dorry's bodies, merging into Rowen.
"Gurgle! Gurgle!" Dorry and Brogy's bodies visibly shrank, their prominent muscles rapidly disappearing, leaving them somewhat weakened, sitting on the ground.
"GABABABA!"
"GEGYAGYA!"
But Dorry and Brogy suddenly burst into laughter again.
"Incredible, I feel like I've returned to the embrace of the God of Elbaf!"
"When we were first born, didn't we also have no strength?!"
They laughed and laughed.
"I see... Worthy of being warriors of Elbaf." Rowen looked at the two giants, admiration shining in his eyes.
Rowen understood now why they didn't need to be unconscious for him to plunder their Traits. Normally, the plundering process induced extreme fear and horror as the target felt their power being stripped away.
This intense emotion interfered with the plundering.
Even if someone willingly agreed, overcoming that primal terror wasn't easy. But Dorry and Brogy—could overcome it.
They even viewed it as returning their strength to their God.
Truly—warriors of Elbaf...
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——
—[Fusing physique energy. Superhuman Demonic Physique (Apex Purple) Advancing! Trait Tier Up.]—
—[Promoted to: Superhuman Demonic Physique (Pale Gold)]—
—[Born of the Sea (Apex Gold) Trait activated! Armament Haki (Apex Purple) Advancing]—
—[Trait Tier Up. Promoted to: Armament Haki (Pale Gold)]—
—[Physique undergoes qualitative change. Manifested senses enhanced. Born of the Sea (Apex Gold) Trait activated Observation Haki (Deep Purple) Enhanced]—
—[Trait Tier Up. Promoted to: Observation Haki (Apex Purple)]—
——
A cascade of notifications appeared.
Observation Haki was the manifestation and extension of the user's five senses. When one's physique underwent a qualitative change, the senses naturally sharpened. Under the effect of the Born of the Sea Haki training cheat code, Observation Haki upgraded naturally alongside it!
Physique advanced! Haki advanced!
Rowen now possessed two Pale Gold tier combat Traits.
Riiip!
Rowen tore off his upper shirt.
"Rowen?" Vivi and Nami blushed, staring at Rowen's exposed upper body. The powerful, defined muscle lines captivated their attention.
"Armament—!" Rowen's eyes narrowed.
VMM! CLANG!
"Th-That's—" Zoro, Sanji, and Luffy stared wide-eyed.
Usopp gaped blankly at Rowen.
Vivi, Nami, and even Robin watched, somewhat stunned.
Rowen—his entire body—was now coated in Armament Haki, turning completely jet black, as if clad in a suit of super Armament Haki armor!
"Full Body Armament! Astonishing Armament Haki, Rowen." Dorry and Brogy, with their experienced eyes, exclaimed in awe.
On these seas, only peak users of Haki could achieve such a feat.
Rowen felt the current strength of his Armament Haki, a powerful curve touching his lips.
This feeling—was very good. Haki of this level, even in the New World, was comparable to high-ranking officers in an Emperor's crew. Within the Marines, only the true elite Vice Admirals possessed such mastery.
But the gains didn't stop there!
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—[Fusing physique energy from two different Giants! Fusion Technique Trait acquired! Hakoku Sovereignty (Deep Gold)!]—
Hakoku Sovereignty (Deep Gold): 'Spear of Elbaf! A combination attack requiring the concerted effort of two Giants—A Fusion Technique Trait formed by merging the physique energy of two different Giants, capable of unleashing an astonishing shockwave!'
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A Deep Gold tier—Skill Trait!
This technique's combat power reached the Yonko Commander threshold!
Spear of Elbaf—Hakoku Sovereignty!
An incredible crimson-black light flashed in Rowen's eyes.
BOOM!
Conqueror's Haki erupted outwards, luring the giant goldfish lurking off Little Garden's coast to the surface.
CLANG!
Rowen slammed his fists together.
Under the disbelieving gazes of Dorry and Brogy, he thrust his combined fists forward.
"HAKOKU SOVEREIGNTY———"
A terrifying shockwave exploded outwards!
The ground before Rowen instantly shattered! A deep trench tore across the land as the shockwave advanced, obliterating everything in its path.
Then—it slammed into the Giant goldfish slowly surfacing from the sea.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The shockwave instantly blasted clean through the massive goldfish, continuing onwards, carving a huge trench through the ocean itself.
Looking down from above, a terrifying scar now stretched from Rowen's position far out into the sea—as if a prehistoric giant had stabbed the very earth and ocean with a colossal spear.
Spear of Elbaf—Hakoku Sovereignty!
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