After an unknown amount of time, Ain woke from her coma. What came into her eyes was the slightly haggard figure of Teacher Zephyr. The figure that had always been as majestic as a mountain and protected them from wind and rain suddenly looked a little hunched over for some reason.
"Where are the enemies?" Ain sat up and glanced around. There was almost no trace of its original appearance here. The originally dense forests and vegetation had been destroyed in the previous battle. The two ability users in the opposing pirate group were simply walking bombs, blowing up all the vegetation within their sight. And this was the main reason why Binz lost to the opponent. In addition, many huge pits could be seen around. Unlike the deep pits formed by the explosion, these were left by Zephyr in the previous battle.
"Failed!" Zephyr's voice reached Ain's ears.
"Did they escape?" Ain clenched her fists, her eyes full of unwillingness. It's all because she's too weak! It must be because she was too weak. After being defeated by the enemy, Teacher Zephyr was afraid to act rashly and let the enemy escape.
"He didn't run away," Zephyr stated. "After defeating us, he spared our lives and left with honor."
"What!?" Ain's heart trembled, and she turned to look at her teacher.
"I never thought that there would be a day when I would be let go by pirates." As he spoke, Zephyr smiled lightly, and it was hard to tell what expression was on his face. Pirates! It has destroyed countless families. Zephyr's mind flashed through his wife and children. It was such a long time ago that even their appearances seem a little blurry. Now, when I think back on it, I can only think of the heart-wrenching pain I felt at that time.
He had killed his beloved student. What happened three years ago is still vivid in his mind, and Zephyr can even recall the appearance of every student who was killed. However, after completely defeating him, he spared his and others' lives.
Maybe I should enjoy my retirement?
"Teacher Zephyr…" Zephyr sat on a piece of gravel, staring at the sun slowly setting in the sky. Ain and Binz stood behind him with complicated looks in their eyes.
"General Zephyr!" In the distance, a group of Navy soldiers was running towards Zephyr. "We were kicked off the warship!"
"Pirates have seized our warship."
"And there are giants!"
"Contact the Navy Headquarters!" Ain turned around and gave orders to the Marines, not letting them disturb her teacher anymore.
A New Alliance and a Powerful Farewell
"So reliable, Law!" Rhodes patted Law on the shoulder. Not only did he protect the Polaris, but he also snatched a warship from the Navy. He was indeed a man of brains.
"Hmph~" Law snorted, the corners of his mouth slightly raised.
"Let's go!" The Polaris slowly sailed out of the inland river and into the sea.
"Uncle Brogy, Uncle Dorry, can you two do this?" Looking at the warship docked at the coast and the two giant uncles on it, Rhodes asked loudly. The captured warship was given by Rhodes to Dorry and Brogy. Their routes were different. The two giant uncles planned to return directly to Elbaf, while Rhodes and his crew were going to continue sailing on the Grand Line.
"Ga ba ba ba, we are the captains of the Giant Pirates!" After eating a lot of food on the boat, the two giant uncles recovered a lot of strength. After hearing Rhodes's question, Brogy spoke to Rhodes in a loud voice. "Thank you, Rhodes! When you arrive in the New World, you must come to Elbaf as a guest. We will treat you well!"
Dorry stroked his long beard and said happily to Rhodes, "I will go!"
"Also, I'm sorry!" Brogy suddenly spoke up, raising his great axe high. "I originally promised you that I would give you our weapons, but I'm afraid that's no longer possible." Dorry also drew out his sword. "These two weapons have been with us for more than a hundred years, and they are almost reaching the end of their usefulness." He added, "I'm afraid I can only endure this one last time!"
As the two were talking, the calm sea surface was suddenly stirred violently by an invisible force. Huge waves piled up one after another, as if the heartbeat of the sea was accelerating, stirring up thousands of ripples, and the Polaris rose and fell in the waves. Soon after, a huge golden fish emerged. Its body slowly rose with the waves of the sea. Its huge body was almost like an island, and the scales on its body were a circle larger than those of the Polaris. Even the whale Laboon was probably less than one-tenth of its size.
"What kind of monster is this!" Bepo exclaimed as he looked at the huge, strange fish rising from the sea. "You must be kidding, with this body type!" Nia's pupils contracted slightly, and she stared at the strange fish in front of her. "Sure enough, if it were just me, I wouldn't be able to leave this island at all!" Minina opened her mouth slightly as she looked at the gigantic goldfish in front of her.
"Island-Eating Goldfish!" Dorry spoke out the name of this strange fish word by word. "This guy ate up all the small islands around it, and most of the adventurers who passed by this island before also went into his stomach."
"My friends, let me show you our Elbaf's most powerful gun!" Dorry and Brogy raised their weapons high at the same time, squatted slightly, and assumed the same swinging posture. Veins suddenly appeared on the arms holding the weapons, and momentum and strength condensed rapidly.
"That is——" On the Polaris, Rhodes looked at Dorry and Brogy on the warship not far away. "What a strong momentum!" Just by posing, the two of them exuded an extremely strong aura.
"The Spear of Elbaf——" The huge goldfish in front of him raised its body high, and its open mouth was like an abyss, as if it wanted to swallow everything. The next moment, an extremely terrifying shock wave came from the warship. The air was suddenly vibrated by the shock wave, making a piercing roar. The shock wave, carrying a terrifying momentum, instantly penetrated the goldfish's body.
"This is…" Rhodes's eyes lit up as he watched them perform their special moves.
"Hegemony!!!" The weapons in Dorry and Brogy's hands broke with a loud bang. It was the unique skill of the giants. It was to use a special posture and weapons to instantly burst out a strong shock wave with all the strength, momentum, and Haki of the whole body. Its power was enough to penetrate mountains and split the sea.
"This is our last gift!"
"Ga ba ba ba, next time you come to Elbaf, I'll give you new weapons!"
"No, this is enough!" As soon as Rhodes finished speaking, Law immediately understood what he meant and directly activated the ability of his Devil Fruit to transfer the broken weapon to the Polaris.
"Too big!" The broken weapons alone took up nearly half of the deck.
"Our Polaris also needs to be expanded," Gray rubbed his chin. As the number of crew members on board increased, there were almost not enough rooms on the Polar Tang. Not to mention that the food consumption on board had greatly increased, and storage would also take up a large part of it.
"Good-bye, then!" On the Polaris, everyone waved goodbye to the warship not far away.
"Ga ba ba ba, we'll be waiting for you in the New World!" Brogy and Dorry stood on the warship and laughed loudly at the Polar Tang as it went away.
|======|
Zephyr's disciples, Ain and Binz, awaken to find their teacher defeated but alive, left behind by Rhodes out of an unspoken respect. Zephyr reflects on the surprising mercy the pirates show, a stark contrast to his past tragedies. Meanwhile, the Rhodes Pirates celebrate their success in acquiring a Navy warship, which Rhodes gifts to Brogy and Dorroy for their return to Elbaf. Before parting ways, the giants demonstrate their ultimate technique, "Hegemony," to defeat a massive Island-Eating Goldfish, leaving Rhodes with broken weapons as a final, powerful memento. The crew on the Polar Tang reflects on the need for upgrades to accommodate their growing numbers and shared resources.
With the Rhodes Pirates now truly setting sail from Little Garden, what challenges and adventures await them further into the Grand Line? How will the giants' "Hegemony" technique influence Rhodes's fighting style and understanding of Haki? And with their ranks growing, how will the Polar Tang be upgraded to suit their expanding needs?