"Ah, finally, someone has arrived…" A voice drifted up from beneath the narrow gap beneath a massive slab of rock.
Robin could tell at once, the voice was young, belonging to someone probably not far into adulthood. She attempted to use her Hana Hana no Mi powers to bloom an eye beneath the rock's edge, but the light was too dim to make out anything clearly.
Liam swept his eyes over the clearing. Scattered debris, splintered wood, cracked branches, jagged stones, and deep gouges carved into the earth. In short, this place bore all the marks of a recent clash.
"O poor soul pinned beneath the boulder, what's your name?" Liam asked with a relaxed air.
The voice from beneath the stone grumbled impatiently, having clearly missed the question. "Oi, what are you just standing around for? Hurry up and get this blasted rock off me!"
Liam squatted beside the rock, rapping his knuckles on it thoughtfully. "So… someone overpowered you and smashed this boulder down on you? Sounds like I'd be sticking my nose into another pirate's business. Not really my style."
"What duel?! Are you daft?!"The voice roared, slightly muffled by layers of stone. "Some brute-faced monster jumped me outta nowhere and hurled this boulder! How was I supposed to block that?!"
"Now, now… no need for name-calling," Liam said calmly, glancing around the rubble. "Hmm… maybe I'll find another boulder or two to really complete the look. Maybe stack 'em for good measure."
"I apologize! I was wrong, okay?!"
Only then did Liam tap on the rock again, lowering his head toward the voice. "So… what's next?"
"Enough chit-chat! Get this damned stone off me!"
"Hmm?"
"...Please save me."
With a casual motion, Liam's clawed gauntlet plunged into the stone with a sharp clang, shattering the surface with a rush of rubble and dust.
"Hua La La, "
Dust exploded outward as fragments flew.
Then, before the watching eyes of Robin and the stunned Koala, Liam reached down and, using only one hand, heaved the massive, multi-ton rock aside like it was no heavier than a sack of grain.
In this world, power is often measured by one simple standard: scale.
Colossal strength.
Gigantic presence.
Legends speak of warriors who could lift sea kings, hoist mountains, and split oceans.
The Giant Race of Elbaf has long been the living symbol of raw might. Even Big Mom, one of the Four Emperors, believed that with Elbaf's warriors at her side, she could dominate the seas. As a child, she had felled Giants with a single punch.
And now, Liam, tall, broad-shouldered, and wrapped in quiet intensity, had effortlessly lifted a boulder the size of a small hill. Koala could only stare, jaw slack.
Even the voice beneath the rock fell into stunned silence.
The man beneath had only called for help, expecting someone to fetch tools, ropes, anything to budge the stone. But this stranger? He'd just grabbed the thing with one hand.
Liam tossed the boulder aside. With a deafening boom, it crashed and rolled across the clearing, leaving a deep trench in its wake.
Robin peered downward.
Where the rock had rested, there was now a small pit. And in that pit lay a young man with flowing golden hair, clad in finely tailored noble garments. His attire, white and embroidered with filigree, was the sort one might see at a royal ball rather than a battlefield. Most eye-catching of all was the slender, gem-encrusted sword across his body.
Robin's eyes narrowed slightly. She knew that type of blade well, a thin, elegant weapon favored in West Blue, often referred to simply as a Western sword.
It reminded her of the blade carried by Red-Haired Shanks, who also wielded a sword of similar design.
Despite the dirt and disheveled hair, the golden-haired young man retained a strange sense of nobility. He quickly snatched up his sword, clambered from the pit, and straightened himself before Liam and the others, though he seemed entirely unaware of the shadowy black armor silently hovering beside Liam.
Then, in one flourish, the young man somehow produced a rose and bit it between his teeth. Sweeping a hand through his golden locks, he gave a gallant wink.
"Fair lady, I am Cavendish," He declared, dramatically brushing dust from his attire. "But if you wish… You may call me the White Horse Prince!"
He struck a pose fit for the stage.
"Cheer, swoon, and shower me in gratitude, for I have allowed you the honor of saving me! In return, I grant you this: the privilege of kissing the back of my hand."
Robin chuckled softly, amusement sparkling in her eyes.
"I already have a White Horse Prince," She replied.
Cavendish was stunned.
'Why wasn't she falling for me? My undeniable charm…?'
Just as that thought bloomed in his head, a large hand suddenly came down with a loud "Smack!", striking his handsome face squarely.
Liam grabbed him by the head and unceremoniously tossed him back into the pit.
"I'm the one who saved your pampered hide. If you don't know how to show proper thanks, then lie back down where I found you."
Seeing Liam glance around, as if looking for another boulder to drop, Cavendish frantically waved both hands. "No! I was wrong, okay?!"
Koala burst out laughing, only to quickly lower her gaze and press her lips together when Liam looked over.
Eventually, Cavendish got the hint and muttered his thanks like a scolded child.
Then came the self-introduction…
He launched into a grand, theatrical speech about being the noble son of the White Horse House, the magnificent and peerless Prince Your Highness, the bane of maidens' hearts across the kingdom, causing young ladies to swoon, lose sleep, and write poems in his honor…
"Eleven years old?" Liam sized him up. He was nearly 1.7 meters tall. "You're seriously eleven?"
"I accept your jealousy and admiration," Cavendish replied with a haughty toss of his golden locks and an upturned chin.
Liam, without hesitation, picked him up again and dropped him right back into the pit.
"Oi! Why am I back down here again?!" Cavendish flailed, half-buried in the dirt.
"Oh, I must've zoned out for a moment," Liam said, rubbing his temple like he'd been bewitched. "You're just so irritating, I couldn't resist the urge to bury you again. If I don't, I might do something worse… like tear you apart."
"Too far! You are going way too far!" Cavendish shouted up from the pit. "Being re-buried is already horrifying enough! That's more than enough, thanks!"
"No need to be so formal."
"Who's being formal?! Shouldn't you be apologizing to me?!"
Liam looked down, curious. "So… you were in a duel with some terrifying beast and ended up flattened by a rock?"
"What do you mean 'heard'?! That was your own wild guess!" Cavendish shouted again, flailing indignantly.
"Then why are you still lying in the pit?" Liam asked, one brow raised.
"You think I want to be in here?!"
With puffed cheeks and stormy eyes, Cavendish rolled out of the hole, brushed off his fancy coat, and shook the dirt from his glittering sword.
Koala, still clutching Robin's leg, was snickering nonstop. In her eyes, this golden-haired big brother was just plain ridiculous.
Cavendish, of course, mistook her laughter for bashful admiration. 'She's clearly smitten. My charm truly knows no bounds…'
"So, Prince of White Horses," Liam asked with folded arms, "What're you doing wandering this island like a lost pup?"
According to Liam's memory, they were somewhere within a strange island cluster, what looked like a massive magnetic whirlpool in the center (the main island), surrounded by smaller swirling isles like satellites. They were currently on one of the outer magnetic isles.
Cavendish huffed, tossed back his hair, and gave a sharp whistle. He waited a beat, then muttered in growing irritation, "Where did Farulu run off to, HEY! What are you doing?!"
He'd realized Liam was lifting him again, clearly about to toss him back into the pit. He panicked and blurted, "There was a rumor, alright?! About a monster living on this island! I came here to… to…"
Liam paused mid-toss and gently set the boy down.
Cavendish averted his gaze, pouting. "...To make friends with it."
"Ah, I see," Liam said, patting him on the shoulder. "You figured your irresistible charm would tame the beast, huh? So you could ride it back into town and impress everyone."
"…"
Robin blinked. Could there really be someone as self-absorbed as Boa Hancock out there?
"…" Cavendish stood frozen, mouth open, eyes wide. 'How did he read my thoughts?!'
"…" Robin facepalmed. 'There really is someone like that.'
Liam sighed and pointed toward the treeline. "Your horse has arrived."
"Huh?"
Just then, a soft series of "Squeak squeak, " came from the nearby woods, the sound of an anxious animal searching for its master.
(End of Chapter)
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