On the east bank of Little Garden, near the river by the Going Merry.
You guys really don't cut it, do you?
Rainer smirked as he eyed the spoils lying on the ground—a triceratops and a tyrannosaurus, both hunted by Sanji and Zoro.
"Bastard! You cheated using your undead!"
"Forget the undead—you didn't even hunt on the island, did you?"
Zoro and Sanji grit their teeth, fuming.
"What did you just say?! How the hell is a Devil Fruit ability 'cheating'?! That's bullshit!" Rainer shot back, yelling with mock outrage.
"And for the record, that giant turtle was definitely caught on this island! Who says turtles can't come ashore?! I want my lawyer!"
"You blond bastard!"
"What'd you say, moss-head?!"
"I wasn't even talking to you, curly-brow!"
Zoro switched insults mid-sentence, barking: "Four-eyes bastard!"
BANG! BANG!
Their bickering was cut short by a thunderous crash. Everyone turned toward the sound—it was Dorry and Brogy.
"It's the giant uncles!"
"They came to see us off."
"Hey, uncles! Goodbye!" the crew shouted, waving up at the towering figures.
The giants crossed their arms and laughed heartily. "Gahahaha! Farewell, little ones!"
"No matter what happens, just keep moving straight ahead!"
"Straight ahead, huh? Got it! We will!" Luffy grinned, shouting back.
The crew boarded the Merry. Rainer summoned his undead to haul up the anchor and manage the sails.
The ship glided along the river, through lush forests and hanging vines, until it merged with the sea and left the island behind.
But they had barely traveled a few kilometers when the calm ocean suddenly churned. Waves rose, tossing a small skiff violently as a massive, terrifying shadow surfaced beneath them.
SPLASH!!
The water split apart as a colossal sea monster erupted from the depths. Its gaping maw was like a black abyss, seawater surging down into its endless throat.
"Waaah!! What is that monster?!" Nami collapsed on deck, shrieking in panic.
"We're gonna die! We're gonna die!!"
"I can't control the ship at all!"
The Merry was completely caught, sucked helplessly toward the gaping void.
It was the Island-Eater Goldfish, a legendary giant sea beast said to devour islands whole, its excrement forming new landmasses.
Its sheer size dwarfed everything—just watching its movements was enough to crush all hope. Even Zoro, usually calm and composed, clenched his jaw with a grim look.
One of its teeth alone was bigger than the Merry. Rainer couldn't help clicking his tongue.
Then he turned toward the giants. They were bracing themselves, their aura surging with terrifying power unlike anything before.
"So this is the giants' parting gift, huh? Guess I'll leave it to them," Rainer thought.
If he summoned Ao Oni and Aka Oni to fire their combined attack here, the recoil alone might destroy the Merry.
He relaxed his brow, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he faced the abyss unfazed.
"Everyone! Full speed ahead!!"
Luffy sat proudly atop the figurehead, shouting with unwavering trust in the giants.
"Full speed ahead, my ass! We're about to die!!"
The Merry drifted into the creature's massive jaws, light fading until everything was swallowed by darkness.
Then, two booming voices echoed, brimming with pride.
"The only one who can stop us—!!"
"—is the Great Serpent, drenched in blood!!"
"Now witness the strongest technique of the Giant Kingdom!"
The giants bent their knees, gripping sword and axe tight. Their stance was like batters winding up for the swing of a lifetime, their monstrous presence chilling to the bone.
They bellowed together:
"Spear of Elbaf!!"
"Hakoku!!!"
BOOM!!!!!!!!
A tempestuous gale exploded from behind Rainer, his golden hair whipping wildly in the blast.
Thunder roared, deafeningly loud, as darkness was torn apart. A blinding white light split the horizon, and a crushing wind blasted the Merry forward—
Straight ahead!
"The sea—!!"
"It's been cleaved in two!!!"
"I—I—holy shit!!!"
Everyone on board stood frozen, eyes wide, jaws unhinged in disbelief.
Rainer's mouth hung open as he cursed in astonishment, staring at the sea split down the middle.
Behind them, the two giants shrank into the distance, their shattered weapons crumbling into fragments.
"They unleashed that kind of power without even grazing the Merry…" Rainer thought, shaken. His understanding of Haki deepened once more. Maybe I've been too hard on Teacher Kai…
He remembered Kaido's furious roar, followed by the devastating blast of dragon's fire.
"…"
Back on the island, the giants dropped the broken hilts of their weapons and picked up their shields.
They stood in silence, gazing at the ship shrinking into the horizon, until the Merry became just a black speck.
Dorry's voice was faint, yet heavy with feeling. "One boy lost in his daydreams, another without a shred of ambition.
"A long time ago… I think people like that came to this island, too."
"Yeah… sounds familiar. Can't quite remember," Brogy replied simply.
"Gahahaha!!"
The two giants roared with laughter, their black cloaks flapping, shadows stretching long across the earth.
BOOM!
"The volcano's erupting, Dorry."
"Time for another duel, Brogy! Gahahaha!"
Their hundred-year battle did not end with broken weapons.
The sun sank into the sea, the stars wheeled overhead, and the crescent moon lit the night sky.
Out on the quiet ocean, however, the Merry was anything but silent.
"Go, Zoro! You've got this!"
"Sanji, you dropped the shampoo!!"
On deck, the crew gathered to cheer as Zoro and Sanji performed upside-down handstands against the cabin wall.
Both grit their teeth, eyes shut, veins bulging on their foreheads, visibly irritated at the jeers.
"Four-eyes bastard!!"
"I'll cut you down one of these days!!"
"Enough, enough," Rainer chuckled as he set down two wooden basins full of water beneath their heads.
Their earlier hunt had ended in a shouting match, so the crew voted to decide the winner. Since Zoro's and Sanji's catches were about even, they unanimously ruled that Rainer's undead didn't count as cheating—just so they could watch him join in the humiliation.
"Hahaha! Go, Zoro!!"
"Rainer and Sanji are always making fools of themselves. Never thought I'd see the stone-faced swordsman in the same boat!"
That last jab definitely seemed aimed at Zoro.
Grinning, Rainer squeezed shampoo onto their heads. "Alright, gentlemen—showtime."
Both groaned in frustration, balancing on one hand while frantically scrubbing their hair with the other, desperate to get it over with and sink into the nearest hole.
"Bwahahaha!"
"Quack-quack!!"
The others doubled over in laughter, while Rainer quietly snapped a picture and slipped away.
"Shame I don't have a social feed," he muttered, amused, before climbing down the stern and sprawling across a makeshift "bed" of stacked fishmen undead.
"Tonight won't be quiet, that's for sure," he sighed, deciding to skip the dorms for the night.
Sure enough, moments later, furious shouts rang out above.
"Bastard! Get out of here so I can cut you down!!"
"Four-eyes freak! I'll smash your damn glasses!!"
Rainer chuckled bitterly, lighting a cigarette. So now I've inherited Shinpachi's nickname, huh…