Loki remained silent for a long time, while Joy Boy deactivated his gigantification ability and returned to his normal state.
Joy Boy quietly observed Loki. He understood that for someone as restless as Loki to react this way meant his words had taken effect. No matter how small the impact, a seed had at least been planted in Loki's heart.
In the distance, a group of giants held onto members of the Mink Tribe as they floated on the sea, watching Loki and Joy Boy with various expressions.
After a moment of stillness, Loki lifted his head to meet Joy Boy's gaze and spoke slowly:
"I don't need anyone's acceptance, least of all from you, false Sun God."
Joy Boy raised an eyebrow at the remark but chose not to react.
Loki, observing Joy Boy's restraint, suddenly grinned and said,
"But a god's promise is unbreakable. Since I agreed to help you attack Mary Geoise, I will do just that. So, spare me the speeches. Whether you are truly the Sun God or not, we will settle that after our battle with the Celestial Dragons."
With that, Loki turned and flew toward the other giants.
Dorry and Brogy immediately assumed battle stances upon Loki's approach, but their large movements caused some of the Minks on their shoulders to tumble into the sea.
Seeing this, Loki let out a scoff and said,
"As much as I hate to admit it, you are my kin. Could you at least try not to act like a disorderly mob?"
Dorry glared with wide eyes and roared angrily,
"You killed your own father! How can you even speak of kinship? Someone like you only cares about himself!"
Loki shook his head dismissively and replied flatly,
"I really wonder how much of that big head of yours is actually brain. Probably less than a fingernail."
"You!!!"
Dorry's veins bulged with rage as he sent a powerful haki-infused punch toward Loki. Loki countered with his Sun Disc, blocking the attack effortlessly.
"Not bad. Your raw strength is at least respectable."
Whoosh!
Joy Boy suddenly appeared between them, pressing down on his straw hat while keeping his head lowered. He said,
"That's enough, Dorry. There's no need to waste energy over mere words. If you can't even tolerate this, what will happen when you face the Celestial Dragons? Will you let them make you so angry that you lose your ability to fight?"
Joy Boy spoke seriously. Even with over 800 years of experience, he had been repeatedly infuriated by Carl, nearly losing his composure and falling into Carl's traps out of sheer rage.
Pedro immediately chimed in,
"That's right, Dorry. Our true enemies are the Celestial Dragons. We can't afford to lose our focus now."
Dorry took a few deep breaths before turning his head away in frustration and saying,
"Then he should watch his mouth! I don't want to hear another word from him!"
Loki crossed his arms, unfazed, and said indifferently,
"Don't worry, I was never interested in talking to you."
Joy Boy, now floating midair with his hands behind his head, grinned and said,
"Alright, let's all calm down. With a great battle ahead, how about we throw a feast first?"
...
Mary Geoise – Figarland Family Training Hall
The training hall was empty today. That was, until a vortex of darkness suddenly appeared. Its edges fractured, unleashing terrifying dark energy that shattered space itself, leaving jagged black cracks in the air.
Carl's figure flickered between these cracks, emerging from the darkness before all signs of the anomaly vanished in an instant.
"Phew..."
Exhaling deeply, Carl sat cross-legged on the ground, sweat beading his forehead.
He had spent an entire day within the Dark-Dark Fruit's void, letting the purest and most violent darkness surge through his body.
Opening his robe, Carl looked down at his chest, where a pulsating sphere of dark energy flickered in sync with his heartbeat.
With a single thought, he clenched his fist, sending a surge of darkness through his limbs. The cursed blade, Muramasa, detached from his hand and floated in the air, orbiting around him.
Carl grasped Muramasa, glancing around at the ruined training hall before shaking his head with a chuckle.
"Looks like this place will need some serious repairs."
With that, he willed his dark energy back into his body. Muramasa returned to its dormant state, fusing into his hand once more.
Straightening his long black robe, Carl's form seemed to drift as he approached the door.
Without touching it, he phased effortlessly through the two massive Sea-Prism Stone doors and stepped outside.
The evening sky was darkening. Lucia had been waiting outside for some time. Seeing Carl, she immediately stepped forward and asked softly,
"Young Master, has your training ended? Would you like something to eat?"
Carl smiled and nodded before taking Lucia's hand.
"Let's go back. Call Shirahoshi as well."
...
After returning to the palace, it wasn't long before Shirahoshi was brought in by Lucia's attendants.
However, the palace entrance was still too small for her, requiring her to crawl to get inside.
Shirahoshi, having visited before, knew the routine. Just as she was about to squeeze through, Carl stepped outside.
Upon seeing him, Shirahoshi blinked her large eyes and greeted him sweetly,
"Carl-sama!"
Carl smiled slightly at her and said,
"We haven't found the Mini-Mini Fruit yet, so you'll have to wait a little longer, Shirahoshi."
"That's okay, Carl-sama! I just have to put in a little extra effort when entering... Heave-ho..."
Carl waved his hand and said,
"Shirahoshi, straighten up for a moment."
"Huh? But, Carl-sama, I might break the—"
Without answering, Carl walked over to the palace gate and lightly ran his fingers across the doorframe. Then, he turned to Shirahoshi with a smile.
"Don't worry. Stand up. These walls can't stop you anymore."
Trusting Carl completely, Shirahoshi cautiously pushed herself upright until her head reached the top of the doorframe.
To her surprise, there was no impact. Her head passed through the palace entrance as if it were an illusion.
Shirahoshi wobbled her head curiously, feeling nothing above her. Then, she fully straightened up, effortlessly gliding inside the palace.
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+160 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg