The sound of waves crashing against the shore came in relentless layers, mingled with the distant cries of seagulls.
Oro woke up groggily in an enormous wooden bed.
How embarrassing. Though that hammer strike did look pretty cool.
He rubbed his head;his scalp still throbbed faintly.
After taking down that CP agent, he'd gotten a little carried away and hadn't even noticed the house collapsing around him.
That roof beam was ridiculously thick—wider than Linlin herself. Good thing she was there, or I'd have been buried alive.
Oro got up, opened the equally massive cabin door, and stepped out onto the deck.
He wasn't surprised to be on a ship. Giants were never stingy with their kindness toward children. After Carmel was reduced to paste by Linlin, they certainly wouldn't have left a group of children stranded in the wilderness.
What to do with them back in Elbaf… that was a matter for the two elder giants, "Mountain Beard" Jarul and "Waterfall Beard" Jorul, to decide.
"Oro-nii! You're awake!"
On the broad deck, Gerd, who was wiping down the ship's rail, brightened immediately upon seeing him.
Oro glanced around, picked up a spare rag from a bucket, and went to help her clean the gunwale.
"Gerd is as energetic as ever. Where are Linlin and the others?"
"Linlin volunteered to go below deck to help the uncles clean up, saying it was to apologize for burning the village houses during the solstice festival. The uncles all accepted. After that, the other children insisted on going down to help too, so they all went."
"I see. Linlin really is more thoughtful now." Oro smiled. That was a good sign.
As Gerd watched his smile, her own cheeks flushed slightly, and she unconsciously paused in her work.
"What's wrong, Gerd? Is there something on my face?" Oro touched his cheek. Was there still blood from the fight?
"N-no, it's nothing!" Gerd snapped back to reality, stammering a little. She quickly changed the subject. "Oro-nii! Linlin secretly gave me two things after we boarded, saying she was afraid she'd lose them sleeping in the cabin with the others."
She leaned in conspiratorially, lowering her voice. "They're two fruits… She said she found one in the ruins of Lamb House. It looked similar to the patterned one you once showed her, so she kept it."
Oro understood. "Alright. Keep them safe for now. We'll talk once we're off the ship."
"Okay.Oh, and when we arrived, Linlin was already waiting for us in front of the ruins with all the children, holding you. But she wouldn't say what happened—she just cried and begged the men to save you, and only stopped after they said you'd be fine. She really cares about you."
"Yes. I know." Oro nodded gently.
As the ship cut through the waves, the familiar, towering pillars of Elbaf gradually sharpened on the horizon.
Once the ship docked and they set foot on Elbaf's soil once more—Oro after over a month—the children were settled properly. Oro, Linlin, and Galz were then summoned by the two elders.
After Oro gave a selective account of events, Jarul and Jorul did not scold them. Instead, they praised Oro and Linlin for protecting the other children in the crisis.
"Oro, your wisdom and strength surpass your years. This is not a question, but a recognition." Jarul's voice was as deep and steady as his waterfall-like beard. "Elbaf acknowledges your deed."
"But the disappearance of Carmel and that World Government agent means the trouble isn't over. They will trace this back to you eventually."
"I understand,Elder Jorul." Oro replied calmly. "I will bear the consequences."
Jarul's bell-like eyes fixed on Oro. After a long moment, he spoke, his voice a low rumble. "Bear them? Reckless! With your current strength, you are utterly unprepared to face the shadow of the World Government. The warriors of Elbaf do not fear challenge, but we will not watch a young life thrown away needlessly. Until you truly possess the power to navigate these vast seas, Elbaf will be your sanctuary."
It was the giants' most solemn and sincere promise. Oro thanked them with equal gravity.
Finally, after Oro and Galz assured the elders that Linlin's berserk episodes were under control, the meeting concluded.
Leaving the docks, the three headed straight for the stone house in Elbaf's Sunlit Upper Layer that Oro's adoptive father, Tarrol, had left him.
Once the door was securely locked, Gerd carefully retrieved a cloth bundle from her tunic. Inside lay two spiral-patterned Devil Fruits—the Soul-Soul Fruit and the Cook-Cook Fruit.
Linlin's eyes instantly sparkled, a line of drool nearly escaping her lips. "Can we eat them now? I've been wanting to try for so long!"
Oro swiftly picked up the skull-patterned Soul-Soul Fruit, preventing the girl from popping it straight into her mouth.
"You can't just eat these,Linlin. Trust me, this thing and others like it taste unbelievably awful!"
"Ew! Then I don't want it!" Upon hearing "tastes bad," Linlin shook her head like a rattle-drum.
"Listen, both of you. These are called 'Devil Fruits'." Oro's expression turned serious and instructive as he held up a fruit in each hand. "The name means exactly what it sounds like—a fruit that contains a demon's power. Every Devil Fruit in this world is unique. Just one bite grants you its power."
"Oro-nii, you got your powers from eating one of these?" Galz listened intently, while Linlin watched with curiosity.
"That's right however , power always comes with a price. First, these things taste horrible. When I was an infant, my parents and I were shipwrecked before I could even open my eyes. My mother did everything she could to get me onto the rocks of Elbaf. I was stuck in a crevice, battered by sea winds for a full day and night before old Tarrol found me. If not for the Devil Fruit my father had tucked into my swaddling clothes, I would have starved long before then."
"The Gold-Gold Fruit. So I really do know just how terrible they taste."
"Waaaah…" x2
"Huh?They're bad enough to make you cry, but you don't actually have to cry."
Oro was puzzled to see genuine tears rolling down both Linlin and Gerd's faces.
"It's not about the fruit… Oro… when you were little… your parents…" Gerd kept wiping her eyes, her voice breaking, unable to form a complete sentence.
Linlin immediately burst into loud sobs. "Oro! You had it so hard! Waaah…!"
"Alright, alright. What's past is past. Precisely because we can't change it, we should cherish the present even more, right? So, no more tears."
Seeing them both nod and try to compose themselves, Oro offered a gentle smile.
"Now,let's continue…"
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