"Hahahaha!"
A powerful, youthful laugh boomed like thunder over the city. A monster was running amok through the bustling metropolis.
If all he was doing was running, that would be harmless. But what if that monster was over thirty meters tall? Then, simply running could trigger an unprecedented disaster.
The hardened ground cracked with every step, and sturdy houses were instantly pulverized. Nothing could stop his advance. He left a trail of utter destruction in his wake.
"This is the terror of the Giant race," Roa said, sitting cross-legged on Loki's helmet, his chin resting on his hand with a look of interest. The strength and speed of a Giant were far beyond what ordinary humans could achieve. When a full-grown Giant entered a human city, the scene instantly shifted to a kaiju movie. Every move brought total devastation.
This was even more true for a monster-level Giant like Loki.
"Of course! The Giants of Elbaf are the strongest race in the world!" Loki roared with laughter. As he spoke, he smashed a high-rise building in half. The building collapsed, bricks flew everywhere, and screams echoed.
Honestly, it felt a little like the Armored Titan kicking down a wall. But Loki wasn't Reiner; he wasn't just here to kick down a wall. This playful child was deliberately smashing the tallest and most luxurious buildings. No structure could stop him. Everything Loki set his eyes on was instantly reduced to dust.
What a mischievous boy.
Still, some tried to stop him.
"You monster! Die!" A squad of soldiers on the street roared, aiming their guns at Loki. Due to his enormous size, they didn't even need to aim. They just pulled the triggers without hesitation.
A storm of bullets pelted Loki's stomach.
But he just laughed. "Is that supposed to tickle me?" Loki casually grabbed a piece of a shattered roof and hurled it at the soldiers. A loud crash later, dust swallowed everything. The tough bodies of the ancient Giant race were impenetrable to bullets.
"Oh! That place is so pretty!" Loki's eyes suddenly lit up, stopping on a magnificent cluster of buildings in the city center. It was the nation's Royal palace. "Hehe, smashing that's going to be so much fun!"
At the same time, inside the palace, the well-dressed King's face was pale. "Has the Calamity Roa finally come?" he muttered in despair. His eyes were sunken and bloodshot, a clear sign of severe psychological distress. Ever since the events of that day, he hadn't had a single peaceful night's sleep. As the monsters began to truly carve up the New World, he was plagued by nightmares. The Sword of Damocles hung over his head, making him anxious and constantly on edge.
Now that the monster had finally arrived, he felt a sense of relief. But why was it a Giant? How were the Calamity Company and the Giant race connected? Could it be... a terrifying thought emerged in his mind. This sea was not far from Elbaf.
But then he sighed. What did it matter? His country was finished. It was all over. He just wondered if Roa would accept his surrender.
BOOM! The sound of a colossal footstep shattered the ground.
BOOM! The roar of the other foot stepping forward, kicking a house to smithereens.
BOOM! The explosion of cannonballs from the palace walls as they struck Loki's chest.
"Hahahaha," laughed Loki.
"Impressive," Roa said in admiration from Loki's head.
Neither bullets nor cannon fire could harm Loki. His body was far too tough. Unless someone used an extremely sharp attack like Roa had used on him before, he was basically unstoppable. Roa had come along to keep an eye on him, but he still underestimated him.
Loki barreled forward, unbothered by the cannon fire from the palace walls. His speed didn't drop at all.
"Monster! A monster!" The soldiers on the walls were on the verge of a breakdown. How could a monster like this exist? No matter what they did, their attacks had no effect! They could only watch helplessly as the Giant approached.
Then, "Heh!" Loki laughed, leaping into the air and delivering a knee strike.
CRASH!
The thick palace walls shattered instantly. They didn't even last a second before a huge hole was blasted through them. Just as a speed bump can't stop a hundred-ton truck, that wall couldn't slow Loki down at all.
After passing through the wall, Loki charged into the palace like a joyous animal. Destruction and devastation, fear and despair, began to unfold.
"Giant! You've gone far enough!" A shadowy figure suddenly leaped from a rooftop toward Loki.
Loki, who was having the time of his life, was caught off guard. A sword slash landed on his chest, making him stumble back a few steps. Blood welled up from a shallow wound.
"Ow! That hurt! You're gonna die!" Loki cried out, clutching his wound with one hand while pulling the spiked club from his back with the other. He savagely swung it at the man.
"Oh?" Roa looked at the man with interest. He was a young man in armor holding a knight's sword. He was gritting his teeth as he looked up at them. He must be the head of the knights, Roa thought. He had some strength and could use Haki.
But the man had no time to speak. Loki's club was already swinging down. The man was fast, leaping away to avoid the strike. The iron club slammed into the ground, shattering it instantly, sending a wave of cracks across the earth like a ripple.
Such terrifying power! The man's pupils shrank at the sight. But there was no time to hesitate! He imbued his sword with a black coating and thrust it at Loki.
Unfortunately, Loki was faster. Or rather, the man wasn't fast enough.
"Die!"
Just like swatting a fly, Loki's left hand, which had been covering his wound, shot out and slapped the man.
CRUNCH!
A clear sound of something shattering. It wasn't just the armor, but the man's body. The powerful blow turned him into a bloody mess and sent him flying into the distance.
"Jon!" A cry of grief came from below. Roa looked down and saw a man wearing a crown. Hmm? He looked a lot like the knight. Father and son?
"That's enough! Calamity Roa!" The King's face was contorted with grief. "What do you want?"
"Nothing much," Roa replied casually. "I just wanted to show the people in this sea what happens if they refuse me."
The King was stunned. When did I refuse him? So, this was just to make an example? Just because of that?
"You're the boss, right?" Loki said with a mischievous grin, reaching for the King.
"Don't use too much force, Loki. He's still useful," Roa cautioned.
A while later, the giant snails stopped in the ruined center of the city.
"This is insane!" Bege stood on a snail's head, looking around with a dry mouth. "He almost destroyed a whole city by himself in such a short amount of time?" The entire city was a chaotic mess, filled with groans of despair. It had completely fallen apart.
"Ze hahahaha! To Loki, this city must have been no different than a giant Lego set, right?" Teach laughed, but his smile was a little stiff. The Calamity Company was getting more and more ridiculous. At this rate, who could possibly stop Roa? What if by the time that special Devil Fruit appeared, Roa had already conquered the world, making it completely useless?
In the sky, Dylan landed, returning to his human form as he touched down. "Boss, all the photos have been taken."
"Good," Roa said, nodding with satisfaction. "This should serve as a warning to the other nations in this region."
"But that's a shame, isn't it?" Loki said, using his finger to poke at the King, who was hanging from a tattered palace dome like a toy. "I'm not done playing yet!"
"You're a playful child," Roa said, sounding wise. "These nations and their people are valuable assets to the Company. We can't waste them."
"Isn't this the real waste?" Loki snorted. "What good are these weaklings?"
A waste? Dorry, standing silently in the background, twitched his mouth.
"Don't worry, there's plenty more for you to play with," Roa said, pacifying Loki as he turned to the two giants in the background. "Dorry, Brogy! The Giant warriors should start moving."
"Three hundred Giant warriors will be split into thirty squads. They'll follow my Calamity Army to take over the other nations in this sea."
Take over? Brogy's eyelid twitched. Was Roa so sure that no one would dare resist once the news about this nation was published? Well, a team of ten Giant warriors would be unstoppable to most nations on the sea.
"Okay," the two mercenaries nodded.
"As for the two of you, you'll be coming with us," Roa said with a grin. "The other islands and nations don't matter. But there is one nation that's special."
"Special? How special?" Loki's interest was piqued. "Is there a really strong guy there?"
"That's right!" Roa said with a smile. "There's a super monster there."
Although he didn't think a fight would happen, Dorry and Brogy would certainly add to his presence. He couldn't afford to lose face.
"Oh!" Loki's eyes lit up. "I can't wait! Leave that guy to me!"
"You?" Roa looked him up and down. "You're not even close. Your most important task right now is to learn Haki."
Even though Loki was only eleven or twelve in human years, his incredibly tough physique gave him the foundation to learn Haki. Roa himself had started learning Haki around the same age.
Speaking of learning Haki, "Dylan, he's your responsibility."
"Yes, Boss." Dylan gave a respectful nod. "Leave it to me." He was the Calamity Company's top trainer. He'd taught Haki to Bullet, King, and Moriah. He'd even taught Roa himself.
"What?" Loki exploded. He looked at Dylan with a face full of displeasure. "Who is this weakling? Is he really qualified to teach me?"
"How arrogant," King, with his head of white hair, chuckled.
"Hmph," Bullet sneered in agreement. Even they respected Dylan. Not just because he was the Company's major-domo and second-in-command, but also because his strength was second only to the two of them among all the executives.
"Is that so," Roa said, nodding slightly. "Dylan, show him."
"Yes, Boss." Without hesitation, Dylan stepped forward and stood before Loki. Looking up at the mountain of a Giant, Dylan's face was expressionless. "Whether I'm qualified to teach you or not is something you'll have to experience for yourself."
"Then die!" Loki didn't hesitate, swinging his club down at Dylan with full force, intending to smash him to death.
The massive club slammed into the ground, its immense power instantly pulverizing the earth within a hundred-meter radius. A web of cracks spread out before shattering into more fragments, sending rocks flying everywhere.
"This power?" A nearby Doflamingo watched, his scalp tingling. If he had taken that hit, he'd be dead ten times over. Even hiding behind a rock wouldn't have saved him from the force of the impact.
Glad I never messed with this guy!
But... "He dodged?"
Loki unhappily turned his head to the side. Dylan had casually avoided his attack and was standing there calmly.
"Too slow," Dylan said coolly. "To a master of Observation Haki, your attacks are no different from a child's game." He was much faster than that knight from before.
"I'll smash you to death!" Loki grew even more enraged, swinging the giant club again. In an instant, the nearby ruins were even more utterly destroyed. The ground shattered, and rocks flew. He was like a monster bent on destroying everything in his sight.
Yet... "Still too slow." Dylan calmly dodged every one of Loki's attacks.
At the same time, Dylan couldn't help but marvel at the immense power of Prince Loki. Purely in terms of physical strength, he was completely above him! If he could master his two Haki types, he would directly surpass Dylan.
"Damn it! Stop running! Come on, stand still!" Loki grew more and more furious, but it was just a tantrum. He couldn't even touch him!
Then, "As you wish." Dylan stopped dodging and shot straight toward Loki's swinging club.
"Hahahaha! Then die!" Loki's enraged expression was replaced by a crazed grin as he swung his club with all his might, determined to turn Dylan into pulp.
But in the face of this merciless blow, Dylan just calmly threw a punch.
BZZT!
A roaring shockwave from his fist slammed heavily into Loki's club.
"What?!" Loki's face instantly changed. A torrent of power slammed into his club, forcing his body to stagger back, until he fell on his backside in a heap.
"Well?" Dylan landed lightly, looking calm and composed. "Am I qualified to teach you now?"
Loki stared at him blankly. He was one thing, but was even this guy going to show him up?
"You! What! WHAT NONSENSE!" Loki roared, leaping to his feet, his club raised once more. "Who do you think I am!"
Amidst his roar, an invisible force suddenly spread out. Enel, who was watching silently, felt as if his head had been hit with a hammer.
"That's... Conqueror's Haki!" Bege, also feeling a little lightheaded, yelled out. "This kid has it too!"
Roa grinned. It would have been weird if he didn't. Now, the Company had four Conqueror's Haki users. Say, Teach, do you even have Conqueror's Haki?
Bullet nodded slightly. Good, at least he's not a useless one like Doflamingo, who wastes his Conqueror's Haki.
King, meanwhile, felt a little wistful. Another Conqueror's Haki user. Why didn't he have it? Was his spirit not strong enough?
But... "Your Conqueror's Haki is useless here."
Dylan moved like a phantom, avoiding Loki's club, and then leaped up, his right hand pressed against Loki's chest.
"What—WAAAAH!" Loki shrieked, his body sent flying again, crashing hard into the ground.
"It hurts!" As soon as he landed, Loki clutched his chest and yelled. There was a little blood on his lips.
What a tough bastard, Dylan thought, marveling. My flowing Armament Haki combined with an Eight Impact Fist shockwave still couldn't seriously injure him?
Roa's smile grew even wider. Loki was truly a natural-born monster. Eight years ago, the little boy Loki could send a Marine Vice Admiral flying with one hit. Now, after eight years, it was no exaggeration to say that his close-quarters combat strength was at the level of the Calamities. On paper, he was even stronger than the Mythical Zoan-wielding Teach and the Haki-using Moriah! Of course, that was just on paper. Without Haki, he was no match for Teach's Hellfire or Moriah's Shadows.
And even more unfortunate for him, his opponent was Dylan. Even as he aged, Dylan's Haki had grown even more monstrous, nearing the level of internal destruction with Armament Haki! At this point, Dylan was a true Three Calamities-level executive of the Calamity Company!
"So, Loki, have you had enough?" Roa asked with interest.
The lively Loki got up, clutching his chest. He looked at Dylan unhappily and then, "Hmph!" he grunted. "Just barely."
"Then, Dylan, he's all yours now," Roa said with a smile.
"Yes, Boss!" Dylan nodded seriously. Loki was a natural monster no less powerful than Bullet or King. He was determined to train this boy into a powerful asset for the Boss!
Well, he already had a right and left arm, so maybe a left leg then.
"Alright, it's time to go," Roa said, stretching. Before leaving, he glanced at the king hanging there, barely conscious. "I'm leaving you alive for a reason. You know what to do, right?"
"..." The king, covered in wounds, couldn't say a word. He could only nod slowly, with great difficulty.
"Good! Then this island is mine!" Roa said. Even though Loki destroyed it, a mosquito's leg is still meat, after all.
"Set sail! Target: Sphinx!" He had to clean up the cancerous growth hidden in this sea first. Oh, and he couldn't forget to submit a report to the New World Times.
The grand fleet then split up. One large snail paired with a longboat, and the small squads headed toward the other nations in the region. The main fleet, with the executives, was headed for Sphinx.
The next day, the New World Times newspaper was delivered across the New World, showing everyone the ruined state of the Pride Kingdom.
And so, people finally knew:
"Roa has made his move!"
"Wait! Are those Giants?! Roa has Giants with him!"
"Could it be... could it be! He's acquired the power of the Giants?!"