Chapter 07: Battle Against the Giant

Chapter 07: Battle Against the Giant

The forest was alive with tension, its verdant canopy trembling under the weight of the impending battle. The sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting fragmented patterns on the ground below. Amid the faint rustling of the trees, the rhythmic sound of dripping blood echoed with an eerie calm.

A single drop of blood formed at the edge of the giant's wrist wound. It hung precariously, glistening under the light as it swelled in size. Then, it fell. Slowly, almost deliberately, the droplet descended, striking a massive iron bracelet around the giant's wrist.

Clang.

The bracelet, weakened by the earlier attack, cracked under the impact. Splinters of iron scattered as the force of the drop reverberated through the air. The blood slid off the shattered bracelet, trailing down its cold surface before landing on the forest floor, where it soaked into the mossy earth.

On the sidelines, Teach stood motionless, his dark eyes following the drop's descent. A bead of sweat slipped down his temple, mirroring the trajectory of the blood. His lips tightened as he glanced at the wound on the giant's wrist, a wound that should not have been possible.

"The power of this fruit," Teach thought, his brow furrowing. "It's beyond what I imagined. To reflect an attack of that magnitude… What are the limits of that ability, if any?"

The giant, Nindo, raised his colossal hand to examine the shallow cut. His crimson eyes narrowed as he muttered, "A scratch? I am Nindo, the Giant of Wars. Decades have passed since anyone dared to harm me… let alone succeed."

He lowered his gaze, focusing on the boy who stood unwavering before him. Meliodes' green eyes burned with intensity, his stance firm, one hand gripping the hilt of a small dagger. The forest breeze played with his golden hair, causing it to sway gently, adding an almost ethereal quality to his composed demeanor.

Nindo's scarlet hair, wild and untamed, rustled in the same breeze. He allowed himself a moment of admiration, the edges of his lips curling upward into a faint smirk. "Boy, you… reversed my attack, didn't you? There's no way a runt like you could hurt me otherwise. But if it's my own strength that harmed me… that, at least, makes sense. Tell me, do you truly think you can stand against me?"

Meliodes didn't answer immediately. Instead, he turned his head slightly toward Titch, who was watching with a mix of anxiety and intrigue. "What are our chances of winning this fight?" Meliodes asked, his voice steady despite the enormity of the foe before him.

Teach sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "If you can't reflect physical attacks… then our chances are zero."

Meliodes smirked faintly, rolling his shoulders as if loosening up for what was to come. "All because you don't have a Devil Fruit to back me up. Tell me, Teach, why haven't you gotten one after all these years?"

Teach's lips twisted into a wry grin, though his eyes betrayed a flicker of unease. "Because, unlike you, I'm not impatient, kid. I know where to place my bets."

"Exactly," Meliodes retorted with a knowing smile. "That's why you're stuck on this island with me, right?"

Teach scoffed, throwing his hands up in mock exasperation. "Not by choice! Why did Oyaji send me with you in the first place?"

Ignoring Teach's complaints, Meliodes shifted his focus back to the giant. "Your name is Nindo, isn't it?"

The giant lowered his axe to the ground with a thunderous thud, his massive hands clenching into fists. "It is. And yours, little warrior?"

With unwavering confidence, Meliodes locked eyes with Nindo. "I am Meliodes Yulion, of the Whitebeard Pirates. I've come here to claim the blade Lostvayne. If you stand in my way, I'll defeat you here and now."

A booming laugh erupted from Nindo, shaking the very trees around them. His red eyes gleamed with fiery excitement. "A brave child like you… I won't regret crushing you. You've made this old warrior eager for a fight!"

And then, he moved.

The earth trembled beneath Nindo's thunderous charge. Leaves and debris erupted into the air as if swept up by a passing train. His massive footsteps left craters in the forest floor, and the gale created by his motion sent branches whipping wildly.

Teach instinctively stepped back, his eyes wide. "He's… fast for something his size."

But Meliodes didn't flinch. He darted forward, his movements a stark contrast to the giant's brute force. Nimble as a deer, he leapt onto a low-hanging branch, using it as a springboard to propel himself higher into the trees. With precise agility, he bounded from limb to limb, the foliage shuddering in his wake.

Teach watched in stunned silence, the corners of his mouth twitching in a mix of awe and disbelief. "Are you seriously trying to take him head-on, kid?"

Nindo's booming voice shattered the air. "There's no use hiding in the trees!"

With a roar, the giant raised his fist, encased in a dark sheen of Armament Haki, and brought it down like a meteor. The impact was catastrophic.

CRACK!

The tree splintered under the force, sending shards of wood flying in all directions. The ground quaked, and a shockwave rippled through the forest, scattering leaves like confetti. Teach shielded his face as the wind tugged at his coat, muttering, "This guy… He's on a completely different level."

As the dust settled, Nindo pulled his fist from the crater he had created, examining the debris. "It seems I've turned your body to dust," he murmured.

A calm voice broke the silence. "You're thinking out loud again."

Nindo froze, his eyes slowly turning upward.

There, suspended mid-air, was Meliodes. The wind tousled his golden hair and the edges of his clothes, and fragments of shattered wood swirled around him like remnants of a storm. His green eyes were sharp, focused, as his small frame seemed to defy gravity itself.

His hand gripped the hilt of his dagger tightly, the blade drawn back.

Swoosh!

With a swift slash, Meliodes unleashed an invisible wave of cutting wind. It surged forward with unrelenting precision, grazing Nindo's cheek. Blood sprayed in an arc, the droplets catching the sunlight as they fell.

Nindo staggered slightly, his hand instinctively reaching for his face. His red eyes widened in disbelief. "Again? I've been wounded again? This boy… He fights like a master swordsman, despite his size and youth."

But then, the disbelief melted into a grin. The giant's eyes blazed with newfound excitement as he clenched his fist, now crackling with arcs of purple lightning. "That's it, boy! That's what I've been waiting for!"

The lightning spread across his body, a menacing glow illuminating the forest. "Let me show you what happens when you face the Giant of Wars at his best!"

Nindo leapt into the air with surprising speed for his size, his fist raised high. The lightning around him intensified, creating a blinding aura that lit up the forest like a violet sun.

"RAIMI RAIDEN!"

Titch froze, his breath caught in his throat as the glow reflected in his wide eyes. The forest seemed to hold its breath, every leaf and shadow bathed in purple light.

Meliodes, still mid-fall, felt the searing heat of the impending strike. The violet glow reflected in his determined green eyes, even as the force of the energy threatened to overwhelm him.

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