Chapter 23

Time, accompanied by a young and beautiful girl, seemed to pass by with much enjoyment.

Two days later, Arthur spotted a small island ahead. Checking the compass, he confirmed that they had reached their destination.

"Do you think those two giants will harm us? I've heard that Elbaf isn't allied with the World Government," Jessica, eager yet apprehensive, inquired.

"No, don't worry. Even if they do, we can defend ourselves," Arthur assured her. His Observation Haki had already detected two powerful auras ahead.

Jessica scoffed disdainfully. She couldn't believe that Arthur, who seemed like a pampered king, would suggest fighting.

In the two days they'd spent together, Arthur had been reticent about his own strength unless directly asked. Consequently, Jessica assumed that Abi, despite his handsome appearance, was weak.

Soon, they reached the shore. Rather than docking directly, Arthur navigated the boat around the coastline until he found a river mouth leading inland. He steered the boat inside.

Once anchored, instead of immediately seeking out the giants, Arthur gazed curiously at the island. Little Garden boasted a prehistoric climate, home to numerous dinosaurs.

As a fan of Jurassic Park in his previous life, Arthur couldn't help but feel intrigued by the prospect of encountering dinosaurs.

But instead of dinosaurs, Arthur and Jessica found themselves surrounded by other animals as they prepared to disembark.

As they were about to step ashore, Arthur sensed the approach of two giants.

Soon enough, two colossal figures emerged from the dense forest.

Arthur's eyes widened in surprise at the sight, while Jessica, beside him, was even more excited but cautious, wary of causing any unintended offense.

"What! It's actually a boat," the yellow-haired giant exclaimed, sounding somewhat disappointed.

The other, with a long beard and black hair, also expressed regret but asked politely, "Do you have any wine on the boat? Could you spare some for us?"

Jessica covered her mouth in astonishment, studying the two giants carefully and murmuring with excitement.

"Of course." Arthur had anticipated encountering the giants, so the wine he had brought was intended for them.

"That's great. Oh, by the way, I'm Dorry, and he's Brogy. We're from Elbaf," the long-bearded, black-haired giant introduced himself, gesturing to the yellow-haired giant.

Arthur nodded and introduced himself, "Hello, my name is Arthur, and I'm from Sky Island. This is..."

Before Arthur could finish speaking, Jessica promptly interjected, "Allow me to introduce myself!" With noble courtesy, she stated, "My name is Jessica, from the Kingdom of Narnia."

Arthur smiled helplessly at Jessica's assertiveness, noting her lack of fear in that moment. As she appeared livelier, he turned and entered the cabin, retrieving a dozen barrels of spirits.

Observing the quantity of wine brought out, the two giants scratched their heads in slight embarrassment before eagerly indulging themselves. The wooden barrels, measuring one meter in height and fifty centimeters in diameter, seemed like small cups in their massive hands, easily drained in one or two gulps.

"Mmm~ This is excellent wine! Thank you, brother!" Brogy smacked his lips and reached for another barrel.

"Indeed!" Dorry nodded in agreement, also reaching for another barrel. "Why don't we sit over there? Although it's not the best setting, it would be rude to stay here after accepting your hospitality. We'll treat you to some dinosaur barbecue!"

With a glance at the remaining wine, Dorry felt a bit embarrassed.

"Bring the wine along," Arthur smiled, his intentions clear.

"Then... I apologize!" Brogy grinned and took half of the wine, while Dorry took the other half. They then lifted Arthur and the excited Jessica onto their shoulders and proceeded to their resting spot.

As they feasted on hearty dinosaur meat, Arthur conversed with the giants, learning more about Elbaf.

"Are you not an angel? Why don't you have wings? I saw angels over a hundred years ago, and they all had wings," Dorry, curious as he bit into the dinosaur meat, asked Arthur.

"I keep my wings hidden beneath my clothes. Angels are rare and I prefer not to draw too much attention," Arthur explained, though in truth, he was simply too embarrassed to reveal his adorable wings.

"Oh, I see," Dongli and Broki nodded in understanding, while Jessica suddenly realized the truth. She had sensed something was off before, and now it all made sense—Arthur, who should have had wings, didn't.

In that moment, Jessica, filled with curiosity, secretly resolved to find an opportunity to catch a glimpse of Arthur's wings.

After a satisfying meal and ample wine, with the last drop of wine drained and the last morsel of meat consumed, the volcano at the island's center suddenly erupted. The two giants offered some explanation before engaging in a bout of combat in the open space before the volcano.

The sheer force of their clash deeply impressed Jessica, who felt she would be no match against such powerful beings.

Meanwhile, Arthur watched the battle with a hint of disappointment. Though the giants' strength surpassed his own, he found their reliance on brute force somewhat lacking.

Soon enough, the two giants, panting heavily, returned after their bout.

Following their return, the giants recounted in detail the events of a hundred years ago to Arthur, who was already familiar with the story. Meanwhile, Jessica, full of energy and charm, was thoroughly engrossed in their animated conversation.