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Stop it, Bro~ (42)
🕑 Added 2022-10-17 15:37:11 +0000 UTCTitle: Pickled Pride (1)
Pinky was a large beast. Sure, trees in the forest were quite the grand sight but Pinky with her neck fully extended was longer. Outside of her shell, Pinky's neck easily measured 14 meters, and sitting on top of her, Brody got a full view of the Island. Sure, Pinky never really stretched her neck out that much since it's one of her very few weaknesses but then again, Pinky only wanted to further stretch her neck as she stared at a pack of dinosaurs who boasted similarly long necks.
Dark green scales, spiked neck, and overall looking like distant cousins of the All-Meat Sea King from the Uglier Gene Pool.
"Isn't that a group of Brachiosaurus?" Reiju hummed as she flew next to Brody. Pinky just wouldn't let anyone else sit on top of her head aside from Brody.
As if understanding something, Reiju looked down and called out, "Hold on to something tight!"
Her warning was accepted rather quickly since Reiju was never the one to raise false alarms while Brody grinned, "Let's go! We need all kinds of meat, Pinky!"
*Grrrr*
Pinky's red eyes glowed in aggression as she stared at the long-necked beasts mimicking her and still defying to look away. She began to move slowly but her pace picked up soon enough. She wasn't just the quickest in the sea. As her turtle limbs would rotate, her tortoise limbs also had a slightly greater range of motion sideways which allowed her to propel her body a bit more with each step.
Suddenly, Pinky bit sideways and pulled up while shaking her head as her jaws continued to sink into the screeching dinosaur's body with terrifying but short claws. Everyone saw Pinky biting its head and flinging the rest of its body away.
"A... tyrannosaurus..." Vivi gaped as she saw the body flying quite a few meters away like a rag doll.
Meanwhile, Nami hurried into the hut.
"What's going on?" Nojiko questioned as Nami had a terrible expression, "I... I remember something. Wait, I'll get the book I took from Crocus-san!"
Meanwhile, the group of brachiosaurus finally realized the threat Pinky boasted. While notoriously herbivores in nature, the beasts had to carve their way through blood and corpses to survive this long! This is just the primal world of the strong dining on the weak.
Not the least bit fearful, the group moved. They could only hope to match Pinky's speed but they outnumbered her well enough.
Hanging around the edge, Tashigi, Alvida, and Vivi couldn't help but marvel at the sight of the clash of these reptilian titans while Igaram couldn't help but fear for Vivi's safety yet the man kept his tongue in check. There was no way the two would have reached Baroque works if one kept on fussing for the other.
With massive roars, Pinky and one of the brachiosaurus bit onto each other's neck while another one headbutted Pinky and charged at her, causing everyone on her shell to hold onto something. Within the hut, as the books fell off of their shelves, Nami finally spotted the journal she was looking for and read through it.
— Little Garden.
A miraculous Island that still preserves its heritage from ancient times. Its Rich Vegetation is a sight to behold and its beast and trees are too grand to be defined by this pen of mine. But...—
As Pinky fought tooth and nail, finally dropping some of her blood that failed to rouse any sea beast since she was on land, Brody's eyes still widened alongside Reiju. They were already near one of the two mountain ranges aside from the volcanic mountains on the Islands and from there, they saw something emerge.
Tall and dignified. Armored. Titanic. And Armed with a sword and a shield.
Others couldn't see it at the moment given the fact that their immediate vision was covered by trees but they would soon. Unlike the pack of beasts she fought, Pinky was far more intelligent even if stubborn but she, too, couldn't help but loosen her jaws somewhat as yet another one of these beasts fell. Aside from the tallest Brachiosaurus, every other one began to turn around with fright clear in their eyes.
Within the hut, as things calmed down temporarily, Nami read with her expression turning paler by the second.
— But to them, this island, the giant beasts and trees... may as well be their backyard. The dangers of this island are nothing more than pests for them. Their Little Garden.—
The inscription drawn on the next page made Nami's lips part in horror as she hurriedly rushed out, "Everyone! This island is—"
Her words were caught in her throat, just like others, she looked up to find a giant sword descending upon Pinky's neck when a significantly tiny figure shot out just after something 'invisible' collided with the blade as Brody's furious roar echoed while he was already in front of the titan of a man that towered above 20 meters in height as he wore an indigo cape and a helmet that went past his eyes.
"Don't mess with my crew, you bearded cunt!"
Nami and everyone else's expressions grew pale. Even Alvida was no different this time.
They were done for!
*Grrroough*
Pinky growled in tandem as the giant grew silent while still holding his sword.
"Crew?" A deep voice echoed as his long beard of his shifted slightly. They watched the giant grin in a brutal manner.
"Gegyagyagyagya!" A loud peal of laughter filled the forest!
---
"It's me... I'm surprised you reached Little Garden so quickly."
Within a ship, next to a snail den-den mushi was a pair of arms, eyes, and lips without any individual to be seen. Once the den den mushi was done speaking, the lips chuckled softly and replied, "It would have been a task to reach the island so quickly with just a ship. But Banchi's speed was alright and he needed little rest to pull the ship as Devil Back Pirates would stop during the night."
"Mr. 3 will arrive in two days... stay out of reach until then. I don't want Devil Back Pirates or Nefertari Vivi to be a problem. It is Mr. 3's mission to see to that... And... I've been contacted by a certain someone. Vinsmoke Reiju must be captured alive."
The lips parted for a moment and then issued a sigh, "How mean Mr. 0. I don't have the strength to capture someone like that if she goes all out."
"Mr. 3 has been provided with the necessary equipment and information. I'd reckon part of the reason for his delayed journey is him preparing enough things for the Devil Back Pirates. If you require anything, speak now."
"Yes... send the Journal of Little Garden by Mr. 3's hands. I feel like reading it again."
The voice from the other side of the Den Den Mushi grew silent and the individual finally scoffed, "Fine."
---
"Gegyagyagyagyagya! Pinky, huh! You're really a warrior in your own right!"
Pinky ate through the cooked dinosaur without even registering the giant's words as the crew sat around a large campfire next to the mountain with too many openings. Through one of the openings, they even observed a huge pile of animal bones. All of them held chunks of cooked meat as they watched the giant in front of them with awe visible on their faces.
Dorry, as the giant called himself, was a long-bearded man with a muscular stature well above 20 meters as he wore an indigo cape on his back and a fur-lined grey waist cover that held the buckle for his sword. His gaze fell on Brody as he spoke, "For a human, you sure are strong. Still, you'll be surprised about the other one. I suppose you'll meet him soon enough. That brat has crazy perception."
Chowing down on his lunch, Brody scowled, "For a human? I could beat your ass!"
"Brody!" Others couldn't help but look terrified once again. Not because of the monster in front of them but due to the other one who wouldn't rest until he's challenged even a blade of grass that looks at him the wrong way!
"Beat me?" Dorry grinned, "That sword slash was just 1% of my power. No, even lower!"
"My kick was even lower than 0.001%!" Brody grinned but fearing the worst, Vivi spoke up, "Dorry-san... truth be told, we're in a hurry. Can you tell us how long it would take us to reset the log pose?"
"Oh?" Dorry turned his attention from Brody and looked at Vivi, "A regular log pose takes one year to reset in Little Garden. We've had visitors before but none of them ever left the Island alive." He shrugged as others blinked.
"That's a nice challenge," Brody hummed, quite pleased at what he heard.
"1- 1 year?" Igaram stuttered, his gaze almost defeated after he heard this as he simply had no way of questioning the rules of the log pose and he didn't consider Dorry lying because he had no reason to do so.
"Anyway, visitors, do you have some alcohol?" Dorry looked at Brody who nodded eagerly, "Lots of it!" But just when Dorry believed the honest-looking and easygoing Brody would give it easily, the 'boy' grinned, "Beat me if you even want a drop of it!"
"It's... It's hopeless... we're all going to die..." Nami whimpered, "Dorry will kill Brody... and no one could protect us. Ah! Reiju-san! Take me and fly away!"
Nami hugged Reiju as Nojiko looked betrayed, "Hey! I became a Pirate to look after you!"
Sticking her tongue out, Nami retorted, "Don't think of yourself too just, you greedy bitch! You just had to thirst after Brody and then even kidnap me... and now... I'm going to die. Single, penniless, and still a maiden..."
"Yeah, I took care of the last bit," Brody chuckled, "At least, you have one less regret."
Nami blushed in anger and embarrassment as Alvida looked around, "It could actually work out, captain. One year of wild training... heh, and we can let loose. You know what that means, don't you~?" She winked as Brody shrugged, "Of course, I do. But... do we have to stay for a year? I mean, if Vivi wants to, we can."
"No!" Vivi clenched her fist as she digested the news before looking toward Dorry, "Dorry-san, is there no way to leave this island?"
"Well, we have an Eternal Log Pose to Elbaf..." Dorry sighed.
"We?" Reiju noted.
"Elbaf?" Nami looked up, too.
Dorry nodded and picked his sword to point at the somewhat similar, hollow mountain on the other side of the island, "We're the Proud Giants of Elbaf and there lives another Giant... Brogy. The two of us have been in a battle for more than a hundred years. The one who wins will return to Elbaf!"
Others looked shocked as Dorry laughed, "Hundred years is nothing to us, Giants, Gegyagyagyagya! I'll introduce you to Brogy after we fight—"
"How cruel! Just what kind of reason can cause an unending battle for hundred years?!" Vivi blurted out with a frown as she glared at Dorry, "In these hundred years, couldn't you make peace and travel to your home together?!"
Dorry grew silent and then looked down at Vivi. Realizing the impunity of her situation, she grew a bit scared but still kept her fist clenched and her gaze staunch to not look away from the frightening glare of the Giant.
"Idiot!"
Brody appeared in front of Vivi and knocked her head with his fist as she yelped in pain, causing Igaram to jump into action when a mace suddenly stopped right in front of his face, the end of which was held by a smirking Alvida who still held onto her lunch with her other hand.
As Vivi looked up angrily, she was forced to bite back her words as Brody berated her for the first time with a scowl she had never seen on his face, "Stop looking down on other's dreams! If you've got a problem, challenge it instead! Beat it till the world see your way!"
She grew silent with tears unconsciously building up due to the pain as a swollen bump soon adorned the back of her head.
"Gegya! Now, now, don't be so hard on the little girl. What's your name?" Dorry questioned as Vivi lowered her head, "It's... Vivi..."
"Well, Vivi... us Giants have a lifespan greater than many other races. Some live for material, some for power, and some for their dreams... but we Giants live and die for honor. I... don't even remember why I'm fighting Brogy even after so many years. All I remember is that I bet my honor on the line. Since our flesh will eventually rot, since I am destined to die the moment I was born— I live for my honor. And the day I die, it shall not dirty the name of Elbaf."
*Boom*
As Dorry finished speaking, one of the larger volcanic mountains erupted slightly and Brody suddenly felt his heart shudder.
It was nowhere close to the gut-twisting feeling he still felt, not from Dorry this one, but still, Dorry grew somber. There was a dignified glint in his gaze as he stood up and picked up his shield and finally... Brody felt the strange sensation he felt when he met Yujiro and Crocus.
That ethereal feeling continued to tease him.
"The eruption from that mountain is the cue where I and Brogy battle. Well, I suppose, I will introduce you to him, too."
As Dorry began to move, Brody suddenly jumped up high in the sky and saw another Giant finally sitting up from the other hollow mountain and then picking up a giant axe and a shield before rushing towards Dorry with a wide grin framed by a somewhat fanned out blonde beard and his head covered by a Viking helmet instead.
"You guys! Climb the mountain! You don't want to miss this at all!"
Brody called out as even Pinky stretched her neck just the bare minimum to watch the battle begin.
***
Alternate Title: Nami— Maidenless
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A/N: I'm going with both the giants having haki.
