"You... want to fight me? Why?"
Harald had a look of confusion on his face as he watched Carlo step out from the group and challenge him to a duel.
Golden Lion let out a strange, cackling laugh. "See? What did I tell you? I knew this brat wouldn't be able to resist challenging Harald. Who would've thought he'd be even more impatient than I expected?"
Rocks felt a headache coming on and barked out, "Hey! Carlo! Didn't I tell you not to cause trouble? Did you even listen to a word I said? I came here to talk business with Harald, not for you to mess around."
He wanted to stop them.
But at this moment, Carlo wasn't listening to anything.
If he had met an ordinary Giant Race warrior this time, it would have been one thing.
But this was Harald.
Even in the entire history of the Giant Race, he was one of the few truly powerful giant warriors.
He was the Giant King who had awakened the bloodline of the ancient Giant War God, standing over fifty meters tall—comparable to an Ogre—and possessing strength dozens of times greater than an ordinary giant!
He was a super-powerhouse that even Rocks admitted could hold his own against him!
Before coming to Elbaf, Carlo had already been looking forward to this meeting and challenge.
He had a very strong premonition that his Physique attribute, which had been stuck for a long time, would likely make a breakthrough here in Elbaf with Harald.
Because in terms of physical strength, the body of the Giant King before him was likely the most powerful body in the world!
Without exception!
Only a body like this could exert an instinctive suppression on his own Physique, making his body crave the same progress.
It was for this reason that when Rocks mentioned coming to Elbaf, Carlo took the initiative to replace Stussy and come along.
And after actually meeting him, Harald certainly did not disappoint.
At this moment, standing face-to-face with the Giant King, Carlo could feel a terrifying pressure radiating from Harald even before they had actually traded blows.
It was different from Rocks's ambitious Haki.
The sense of pressure from Harald was entirely based on his terrifying physical body.
Standing over fifty meters tall with two horns on his head, his Physique was like a mountain and his muscles like dragons; with every movement, he stirred the air, a body that seemed to twist the very void!
This was a supreme level of muscle that even top-tier Mythical Zoan users could not reach!
Harald was clearly not a Devil Fruit Power user.
Yet, in Carlo's perception, he had a fleeting illusion.
That the Harald before him was that Titan God from the Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan: Titan Form!
This intense physical pressure made his heart pound, his blood boil, and his fighting spirit burn, making him... crave battle!
Therefore, no matter how much Rocks tried to persuade him from behind, even as Rocks showed signs of getting angry, Carlo did not turn around. He just stood before Harald, looking up at the Giant King with anticipation.
The Giant Race was a natural warrior race.
Harald, being the King of the Giant Race, was no exception.
He had always been extremely sensitive to things like fighting spirit and killing intent.
There was no need for Carlo to say anything more; after just a moment of eye contact, Harald seemed to completely understand Carlo's meaning.
He hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded.
"Alright, I think I understand what you mean. Challenger Carlo, you really are as keen on challenging other powerhouses as the newspapers say."
"Although this is only our first meeting, the fact that Rocks brought you here shows that he trusts you very much."
"In that case, I will fight you, but only for a sparring match that stops when a point is made. After all, as the King of Elbaf, I have more to consider."
"If you agree, we will have this battle on the Underworld Land. If you don't agree..."
To his surprise, before he could finish, Carlo excitedly flickered away, shooting back toward the Frozen Earth of the Underworld they had come from.
"I agree! I'll wait for you over there!"
"Uh... how impatient, like a child who hasn't grown up." Watching Carlo's rapidly receding figure, Harald smiled with emotion, then turned to the treehouse tavern behind him and picked up a twenty-meter-long, wide double-edged greatsword leaning against the wooden wall.
He patted the dust off the blade and looked down at Rocks with a smile. "Even though I'm just fighting your subordinate, out of respect for my opponent, I still have to give it my all. Rocks, you don't mind, do you?"
Rocks curled his lip. "Do whatever you want. I'd prefer it if you hit him harder—best if you can keep the kid in bed for a few months so we can have some peace for a while."
Harald was stunned for a moment, then threw his head back and laughed. He took large strides, each one covering over ten meters, heading toward Carlo with great speed.
"Gurarara, let's go have a look too. If necessary, we'll step in to stop the fight. After all, both sides are acquaintances; we shouldn't let things get out of hand." Whitebeard took a bite of some slightly cold roasted meat and turned to follow.
Rocks and Golden Lion naturally followed as well.
"Heavenly King Carlo wants to challenge my father?" Rocky's eyes lit up as he held the newspaper, and he quickly ran after them.
Harald's stride was too large.
By the time Whitebeard and the others arrived, the battle between Carlo and Harald had already begun.
The impatient Carlo, seeing Harald arrive, had launched an attack without a word.
He didn't use Haki or his Devil Fruit Power; he simply gripped the heavy heavenly dragon halberd, shattered the frozen earth beneath him in two steps, and shot into the sky like a cannonball, slashing the halberd toward Harald's face!
In an instant!
Within his powerful Physique, which was close to nine stars, his muscular strength exploded completely.
Millions of tons of immense force concentrated on the falling strike, causing the blade of the heavenly dragon halberd to slice through the atmosphere the moment it swung down. Even without being imbued with Haki, it shot out a shocking air blade over a hundred meters long.
Harald saw this, and a sharp light glinted in his eyes.
"Good power! Carlo, your physical body is unimaginably strong. Even compared to us Giants, you're likely no less capable—perhaps even... stronger!"
He swung his twenty-meter-long giant arm, and the wide greatsword in his hand brought a sudden blast of wild wind as it swept toward Carlo.
Harald's movements were without any flair; they looked clumsy, rough, and direct.
But the power that erupted from this sword strike was earth-shattering!
As that seemingly heavy and massive right arm swung, thick tendons like dragons or pythons bulged and twisted, as if countless steel bars were coiled and bundled together, instantly bursting with boundless force.
With one slash, it felt as though the entire world before Carlo was being cleaved apart!
The moment the sixty-ton heavenly dragon halberd collided with the nameless greatsword in mid-air, before the ear-piercing explosion could even erupt, Carlo was sent flying, man and halberd together, by Harald's sword strike.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Clouds of snowy-white airwaves exploded behind Carlo.
His body was like a cannonball breaking through the air, smashing through multiple sonic booms as he crashed diagonally toward the frozen earth behind him.