"Kaido of the Beasts? Charlotte Linlin?"
By the time Hajrudin rasped out those two names, the giants at the port were already stumbling backward, crashing through trees in their panic.
"It's terrible! It's that monster Charlotte Linlin! She's actually come back to Elbaf!"
Strangely, the giants weren't most terrified of Kaido—who had knocked out Kilabee with a single finger—but of Linlin, whose graceful figure seemed utterly at ease.
This was because, decades ago, a five-year-old chubby Linlin had left the giants of Elbaf with nightmares.
Even the elder Jarul had declared that Linlin's body housed an unspeakably evil demon god.
"Mamamama~ Such a towering race, yet such cowards. How disappointing." Linlin strolled toward Hajrudin, parasol in hand, her long legs carrying her forward with a smile.
"Kaido, Caesar wants us to bring them back to form an invincible giant army. But looking at them, I don't hold much hope."
"Linlin! What are you doing here? Elbaf doesn't welcome you!" Hajrudin's Adam's apple bobbed as he suddenly shouted at her.
Linlin stepped forward and looked up at Hajrudin.
"Hajrudin, don't be so harsh. We were good friends when we were little, mamamamama. Didn't I just say my purpose? Our Beast God Pirates are going to form a giant army, inviting all the giants from Elbaf to come to Totto Land."
"Dont be ridiculous!"
Before Hajrudin could respond, a rough, angry shout came from behind him.
Hajrudin turned to see dozens of heavily armored giant warriors wielding massive weapons charging toward them like a stampede of ten thousand horses.
Though fewer than a hundred, their momentum was like an army of thousands, shaking the very ground beneath their feet!
Linlin's eyes lit up, and she quickly amended her words.
"Ah, I misspoke. Though giants are still a bunch of cowards, their sheer size alone makes them a formidable deterrent."
The armored giant warriors closed in, surrounding Kaido and Linlin, their massive weapons pointed at the two, their eyes burning with undisguised rage and killing intent.
The leader stood fourteen meters tall, wielding a sixteen-meter-long greatsword of unknown weight.
His face was covered in a thick beard, resembling Killer B's appearance.
This giant was none other than the captain of Elbaf Kingdom's royal guard—Killabi's older brother, Killaci.
Hajrudin glanced around and was shocked to see the other three members of his New Giant Warrior Pirates—Stansen, Rod, and Goldberg—also clad in heavy armor among the guards.
All three were members of the royal guard.
Killaci had the loudest voice and was the most imposing among the giant warriors.
He glared at Linlin and Kaido with bull-like eyes and roared.
"Listen! I don't care who you are—Kaido of the Beasts or Charlotte Linlin—Elbaf doesn't welcome you! We are the descendants of the Giant God Odin, and fear has no place in our hearts! If you dare threaten the Giant Kingdom, you will face the wrath of the world's strongest kingdom!"
"Pfft—!"
Kaido, who had just taken a swig from the large gourd hanging at his waist, choked on his drink and coughed violently at Killaci's speech.
Killaci's face twisted in fury.
He slammed his massive blade into the ground and bellowed at Kaido.
"You horned bastard! What are you laughing at? If you've got the guts, fight me one-on-one!"
After coughing for a while, Kaido finally straightened up, wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, and smirked.
"Fight me one-on-one? Holy shit, is your brain even ripe? Who gave you the courage?"
Hajrudin panicked.
Seeing that the royal guards were about to clash with Kaido, he rushed forward, spreading his arms to block Killaci's.
"What are you doing, Hajrudin?" Killaci's frowned.
"You can't fight him one-on-one, Killaci! They're former Emperors of the New World—their strength is beyond measure!" Hajrudin urged desperately.
"Get lost, you coward! You disgrace the Giant Warrior name, and you still dream of rebuilding the Giant Warrior Pirates?"
Killaci's shoved Hailing aside and swung his greatsword straight at Kaido's head!
Hajrudin's face paled.
Knowing he couldn't stop it now, he could only frantically wave to his familiar crewmates.
"Stansen, Rod, Goldberg, Gerd! Let's get out of here!"
The three heavily armored warriors, including Stansen, frowned in displeasure.
"Hajrudin, we are still members of the Royal Guard. Even if we weren't, as warriors of the Giant Tribe, we cannot retreat!"
"It's not retreat! We must find Loki. Only his power stands a chance against the invading enemy..."
Before Hajrudin could finish his words, the metallic screech of breaking metal echoed behind them, followed by the heavy splash of something massive being hurled into the sea.
"What? The captain was taken down in a single strike?" Stansen, the giant, paled in shock.
But the other armored giants didn't care about any of this.
Seeing their captain defeated, they roared in fury, their eyes turning red as they raised their heavy weapons and charged at Kaido with wild howls!
"Wororororo! Let's get straight to it, Linlin! None of that fancy nonsense—are the ropes ready, boys?"
Kaido even had time to take a swig of liquor before drawing the spiked club from his waist.
...
On the pirate ships docked at the harbor, excited crew members watched eagerly from the shore as the invincible Kaido knocked out giant after giant like bowling pins, sending their massive bodies flying into the sea like dumplings dropping into boiling water!
"Thunder Bagua!"
"Thunder Bagua!"
"Thunder Bagua!"
Kaido laughed heartily, casually wielding the pitch-black club with one hand while knocking back swigs of liquor from his gourd between swings, sending each charging giant warrior flying.
"This is exhilarating, wororororo!"
"Gerd! Snap out of it, let's go! We need to find Loki!"
Hajrudin grabbed Gerd's hand and sprinted toward the interior of the Elbaf Kingdom.
A heavily armored, obese giant warrior—holding a shield that seemed to have eaten a Devil Fruit, complete with a lolling tongue—was none other than the cook of the New Giant Warrior Pirates, Goldberg.
Goldberg hesitated, intimidated by Kaido's overwhelming power.
Then, his gaze fell on Linlin, standing idly by under her parasol, watching the spectacle.
His thick eyebrows twitched, and a vicious grin spread across his pudgy face.
"I'll just grab your companion first—let's see how cocky you are then!"
With that, Goldberg shook his massive frame, raised his shield, and lunged at Linlin, intending to smash her unconscious with a single blow.
BAM!