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Little Garden Center
Boom!
With one final strike, Dorry and Brogy each slammed their shields into the other's face.
"The seventy-one thousand three hundred and twentieth battle..." Dorry muttered, his strength fading as his eyes rolled back.
"And still, a draw!" Brogy added, equally exhausted.
Boom!
In the next instant, both giants collapsed onto their backs simultaneously.
"Kababababa!"
"Gyagagagaga!"
Even as they lay on the ground, Dorry and Brogy burst into their trademark hearty laughter.
"Hey, Brogy, I met some interesting youngsters today. One of them gave me the feeling that he might be stronger than me," Dorry said, staring up at the sky.
"Oh? I'd like to meet this young man who could make you feel that way. But I also met two young girls—one looked like an angel. She couldn't stop mentioning someone named Ace. He must be important to her, right?" Brogy laughed in response.
"Ace?! That's the name of the young man I met," Dorry said, surprised.
"Really? That explains why that angelic girl cares about him so much. Kababababa!"
As the two giants were enjoying their conversation, a voice interrupted them.
"The two uncles seem to be having a great time chatting."
Both Dorry and Brogy looked down.
"Yo," Ace greeted with a smile, raising his hand.
Behind him, Kaya blushed, covering her face. Uncle Brogy's voice had been so loud that everyone nearby had heard it.
"Gyagagagaga!"
"This is the young man I was telling you about, Brogy. What do you think?" Dorry laughed, struggling to sit up.
"Oh? So you're Ace, huh? Just being near you feels intense. No wonder Kaya cares about you so much. Kababababa!" Brogy sat up cross-legged and joined in the laughter.
"Uncle Brogy!" Kaya shouted, her face bright red.
"Uncles, how about we have a banquet together? I still have some good wine," Ace suggested, glancing fondly at Kaya before turning back to the giants with a laugh.
"Wine?! Dorry, let's call a truce for now. Come on, let's drink!" Brogy shouted excitedly.
"Of course! If there's wine, there's a banquet! Gyagagagaga!" Dorry's eyes lit up at the mention of wine, a favorite of the warriors of Elbaf. They hadn't tasted wine in ages, and the mere thought of it filled them with joy.
To express their gratitude, Dorry and Brogy went out to hunt the fattest dinosaur they could find, as thanks for Ace's gift of wine. The atmosphere of the banquet grew livelier with each cheer and laugh.
During the feast, Brogy pointed curiously at the Devil Fruits in Nami's backpack. Kaya began recounting everything that had happened earlier.
"So... you're saying someone tried to rig my fight with Dorry using underhanded tricks?" Brogy's eyes widened.
Dorry stopped eating, and the smile faded from his face.
"Yes, they wanted to use the Wax-Wax Fruit's powers to capture you, Uncle Brogy, after you won. They were after your 100 million Beli bounty," Kaya explained.
Dorry and Brogy exchanged serious glances. Then, standing tall, they saluted Ace in the traditional Elbaf warrior style.
"Thank you!"
Nami, Vivi, Kaya, Nojiko, and Tashigi stood frozen, watching the two giants salute Ace with solemn respect.
"Thank you for protecting our honor," Brogy and Dorry said, their expressions serious.
Although the giants were known for using their fists to solve most problems, they had no doubts about Kaya's words. She was too kind-hearted to deceive them.
"No need to thank me," Ace replied, smiling up at them. "I wasn't trying to save you. But no one should interfere with a battle fought for honor, right?"
Ace laughed lightly, and the two giants blinked before joining him in laughter.
"Kababababa!"
"Gyagagagaga!"
"Ha ha ha ha!"
The three of them laughed heartily, their voices booming across the clearing.
"What a respectable young man. Yes, a fight for honor should never be disturbed. For us Elbaf warriors, honor is more precious than life itself," Dorry said solemnly.
"Is there anything we can do to repay you? You've done us a great service, and as Elbaf warriors, we must repay our debts," Brogy added, equally serious.
"Repay me?" Ace smiled, pointing to the giants' massive weapons.
"Your weapons look like they've reached their limit. Even if you continue fighting for another hundred years, you still won't be able to settle the score with broken blades."
Dorry and Brogy stared at their worn weapons, their expressions growing complicated.
"You're right. Our strength is nearly equal, so even if we keep fighting, there may never be a clear winner..." Dorry admitted. But then he suddenly burst out laughing. "But even if the weapons break, we still have our fists! We could keep fighting for another hundred years! Gyagagagaga!"
"Dorry's right! Kababababa!" Brogy echoed, laughing proudly like a true Elbaf warrior.
Ace smiled. "I have an idea. As you continue to fight, you're bound to age, and eventually, you might die of old age without ever finishing your battle. That would be a waste for warriors like you."
The giants paused, listening intently.
"Why don't you both team up and fight me while your weapons are still intact? If I win, you can use the time to think of ways to grow stronger. Then, once you're ready, you can challenge me again in an honorable fight."
Ace stood, his gaze sharp as he looked at the giants.
Boom!
Suddenly, Ace's Conqueror's Haki burst forth, causing the clouds in the sky to ripple and part.
"Conqueror's Haki?!"
Dorry and Brogy gasped in shock as purple-black lightning crackled through the air. Despite Ace's much smaller size, they could feel the overwhelming pressure emanating from him, their breath momentarily caught in their throats.
Kababababa!
Gyagagagaga!
Dorry and Brogy laughed, looking at each other.
"To think we'd feel this much pressure just from him releasing his Conqueror's Haki!" Dorry exclaimed.
"Who would have thought we'd meet someone with Conqueror's Haki here on this island? You're right. Our fate may indeed be to grow old and die here. It would be a pity for warriors like us," Brogy agreed, laughing heartily.
"Pardon our rudeness, but we still don't know your full name," Dorry said seriously.
"Portgas D. Ace," Ace replied.
"We, the warriors of Elbaf, Dorry and Brogy, challenge you—Portgas D. Ace, wielder of Conqueror's Haki!" The giants stood solemnly, their voices booming with pride.
They didn't say anything about accepting the challenge.
Facing a king, they still showed consideration. Even as proud warriors of Elbaf, a challenge must be issued in the proper manner. And what they were challenging now... was a king.
"Ace!"
Nami, Kaya, Vivi, and Nojiko were shocked by the sudden turn of events. Tashigi, too, stood stunned, speechless.
"Ace... Uncle Brogy..." Kaya started, wanting to say something, but Nojiko gently stopped her.
"Didn't Ace say it? A battle of honor must not be interrupted, and..." Nojiko paused and then smiled, "Ace, after all, is our destined captain. He'll surely win."
Kaya, Nami, Vivi, and even Tashigi stared at Nojiko in surprise.
"W-well, I'm not part of your crew yet," Vivi murmured, her face turning slightly red.
"Ara? Did I say Ace is your destined captain?" Nojiko asked, giving Vivi a playful smile, her eyes gleaming with amusement.
"Wah..." Vivi covered her face in embarrassment, hiding behind Nami as if she had been struck by lightning.
Tashigi's face flushed too, thinking, Why did I imagine myself in the same position just now...?
"Hahahaha!"
Ace's laughter rang out, cutting through the tension. "I, Portgas D. Ace, accept the challenge from the Elbaf warriors, Dorry and Brogy!"
As Ace laughed, his Conqueror's Haki intensified, sending the sky rolling with dark clouds. The trees around them began to crack under the pressure. Countless prehistoric creatures on the island fled towards the edges, sensing a force far more terrifying than the two giants.
"What a man of Haki! Gyagagagaga!"
"Kababababa!"
Dorry and Brogy roared with excitement, their laughter booming. For every Elbaf warrior, the greatest wish was to challenge a truly powerful opponent.
"Hey, Dorry, we only get one chance against this man," Brogy said, grinning widely.
"Yeah, I feel it. If our attack fails, we're dead," Dorry agreed, his teeth bared in a fierce smile.
"Ace! This is our strongest attack!"
"Let's go!" the two giants growled low, their voices filled with intensity.
Their muscular arms bulged, gripping their swords and axes, already worn and on the verge of breaking. Yet now, their weapons were coated with a glowing layer of red and green energy.
The Red Ogre, Brogy, and the Blue Ogre, Dorry—about to unleash their strongest attack!
Meanwhile, Nami and the others had moved far from the battlefield.
Vivi and Tashigi were perched in the trees, watching anxiously.
"Is this... the giants' strongest fusion technique, Hakoku?" Ace murmured, sensing the immense power building before him. A grin spread across his face as his own Haki surged.
"Interesting! I'll need to take this seriously."
Ace crossed his arms, his body suddenly engulfed in a spiraling inferno.
Whoosh! Boom!
The intense flames twisted like whirlpools, completely enveloping Ace's figure. The heat was so overwhelming that it distorted the air itself.
"Logia Devil Fruit?! What terrifying power," Brogy and Dorry muttered, marveling at the heat emanating from Ace's flames.
"Alright, let's go for it, Dorry!"
"Oh yeah, Brogy!"
Dorry's eyes glowed blue, while Brogy's eyes shone red. The two giants raised their swords and axes high, crossing them in the air.
"Hakoku!!!"
A terrifying shockwave erupted, like a volcanic explosion. At that moment, the already dilapidated weapons shattered into pieces.
"Great Flame Ring—!!!" Ace roared as the flames around him surged higher, his purple-black eyes flickering with a fiery red hue.
Ace's pupils turned deep purple, and with a mighty punch, his right fist blazed with fire. The monstrous flames merged with the roaring purple-black lightning swirling in the sky.
With all the violent energy focused on his fist, the surrounding atmosphere cracked under the strain.
"Sea Inferno!!!"
Boom!!!
The sea of violent flames, crackling with purple-black lightning, surged forward like a fiery ocean, crashing down upon the land.
With a single punch, Ace sent the endless flames plummeting toward the earth!
Boom!
The enormous sea of fire collided with the giants' shockwave.
The force was so powerful that the entire island trembled. Creatures roared in fear, sensing the destruction around them.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Under Dorry and Brogy's horrified gazes, the shockwave of their Hakoku technique began to wail and crumble.
"Hakoku…was burned?!" Dorry cried in disbelief.
"Is this the legendary power?!" Brogy exclaimed as he watched the purple-black lightning swim through the sea of fire.
Boom!
In the next instant, their Hakoku shockwave collapsed entirely. The sea of fire engulfed both giants as they stared, stunned, unable to react.
Whoosh!
After what felt like an eternity, the flames slowly began to fade. When the smoke cleared, Dorry and Brogy lay motionless on the ground, their bodies covered in horrific burns.
——
In Ace's mind, a message appeared:
"Your understanding is heaven-defying. You've learned an improved skill in response to Hakoku—Hakoku (modified)!"
"Your understanding is exceptional. You have comprehended the methods for strength training (modified)!"
But Ace paid no attention to these new powers. Instead, he called out.
"Kaya!"
Whoosh!
With a gust of wind, Kaya appeared beside Ace, panting lightly after using Soru multiple times.
"Give them treatment," Ace said, gesturing to the fallen giants. His Realm of Comprehension enveloped Kaya as she got to work.
At this point, Dorry and Brogy were hanging on by the last threads of life. Only their extraordinary giant vitality kept them breathing. Kaya's healing abilities alone wouldn't be enough to save them.
But Ace hadn't held back in his attack. In a battle of honor like this, against warriors who valued pride above life itself, holding back would have been an insult.
To Elbaf warriors, honor was more important than life.
"Cure!" Kaya knelt beside the giants, using her Healing Fruit power. Instantly, a warm energy enveloped the fallen warriors.
Bzzz! Pi!
The burnt flesh began to fall away, replaced by fresh, healthy skin. Their damaged internal organs also began to heal rapidly, thanks to the combined power of the Healing Fruit and Ace's Realm of Comprehension.
Nami, Vivi, Nojiko, Tashigi, and the others quietly approached from a distance. Seeing that Ace was unharmed, they breathed a sigh of relief and watched as Kaya worked to save the giants.
Whoosh!
Even with Ace's assistance, it took Kaya a full hour to finish the treatment. She wiped the sweat from her brow and gave Ace a sweet smile.
"Ace, it's done."
!!!
In the next moment, Dorry and Brogy slowly opened their eyes.