"Guardian of the Oath."
"Bearer of Honor."
"An unwavering sense of justice and boundless devotion."
These titles, bestowed upon Shanks by King Ymir of Elbaf, came as a mild surprise to Wright. While unexpected, they weren't entirely shocking.
Undoubtedly, Shanks had done Elbaf an enormous favor—enough to earn not just such high praise, but the allegiance of powerful allies.
Wright had no interest in the exact details of what Shanks had done, but those descriptions stirred an image in his mind... no, not a man—a god.
Azeroth. The Titan Keepers. Beings of colossal might—giants, in essence.
And among them, the "Lord of Order," Tyr—was he not eerily similar to Shanks?
A severed arm. A champion upholding the honor of the creators. A guardian of sacred oaths. One who would sacrifice himself to preserve the sanctity of the Order's temple…
"Tch, am I giving that bastard Shanks too much credit?"
Wright muttered under his breath, though his voice wasn't lost on Shanks. The red-haired Yonko gave him a puzzled glance, clearly having no idea what kind of comparison Wright was cooking up in his mind.
"Huh?"
At that moment, Wright, Shanks, and King Ymir were touring Elbaf's military training grounds, watching the giant warriors in action.
There was no denying it—Elbaf's giant warriors were among the strongest in the world in terms of raw physical ability.
However, in the world of peak individual strength, not a single top-tier powerhouse had ever come from the giants.
Even King Ymir himself, ruler of Elbaf, was—by Wright's keen sense—still a tier below the Admirals of the Navy.
The Giants possessed devastating power and fearsome might in groups. Yet when it came to one-on-one battles against the world's strongest, their advantages faded quickly.
Their immense size made them unparalleled weapons of war in open conflict, but the absence of elite combatants meant they could be called the strongest kingdom—but not a top-tier global power.
"What do you think, Fleet Admiral Wright?"
King Ymir spoke with pride as he gestured toward the sparring warriors, his voice booming like thunder across the training ground.
"That young one fighting off two warriors by himself—that's my son, Prince Loki!"
"Loki is 62 this year. In giant years, that's still considered young, but it's also when one's strength begins to truly manifest. Dorry and Brogy had already been leading the Giant Warrior Pirates across the seas by the time they were his age…"
"But…" Ymir's voice faltered awkwardly.
Shanks, catching the hesitation, smoothly stepped in to fill the silence with a laugh.
"But since Prince Loki's royalty, he's not allowed to sail as a pirate, right?"
"Still, he was thrilled when Dorry and Brogy returned. After all, he grew up on tales of their exploits—now he finally has the chance to learn from them directly. He's asked them to become his Sensei and teach him the art of battle."
Wright smirked. So even warriors like Dorry and Brogy—who were only a little stronger than Marine Vice Admirals—were already considered rare elites in Elbaf.
Though they lacked the Navy's scientific training regimens, they had something the Vice Admirals didn't—Elbaf's secret techniques.
"Tch! That brat! If he really wants to become the strongest giant, he should train under me!"
King Ymir grumbled under his breath. Still, it wasn't entirely unreasonable for Loki to seek mentorship from Dorry and Brogy, even if they were notably weaker than the king.
Though their bounties had only reached 100 million berries a century ago, they had fought each other without pause for a hundred years. Compared to Ymir—who had spent that century in Elbaf without a single worthy opponent—their battle experience was vast.
Even so, if King Ymir were to fight seriously, he could easily defeat the duo with brute force alone.
"Elbaf's secret techniques may be powerful, but only a few giants are talented enough to master them."
As Fleet Admiral and one of the world's strongest, Wright could see it immediately.
"None of these warriors seem to use Haki... but the Navy's giant Vice Admirals do. Granted, they're not great at it… Could this be a racial limitation?"
Dorry and Brogy, despite their level, didn't even use Haki. Their weapons, worn down by centuries of battle, shattered the moment they clashed with Hakoku Sovereignty.
Elder Jorul's sword had once been snapped in two—by a five-year-old Big Mom.
In contrast, the famed samurai Ryuma from Wano's past had wielded Shusui, a black blade that remained pristine after centuries of use—still ranked among the 21 Great Grade swords.
With their massive potential and long lifespans, the giants should have been able to forge many black blades, if only they could master Armament Haki to reinforce their weapons.
"So the truth is... the giants are physical prodigies. They're born with brute strength but lack the aptitude—or patience—for the kinds of disciplined training required to awaken Armament Haki."
"Even the Navy's giant Vice Admirals only use rudimentary Haki. Against Logia-types, sure, it helps... but beyond that? They're just not built for it."
"Elbaf's secret arts rely entirely on sheer force. Take that young warrior Hajrudin—in the main timeline, he could withstand tens of thousands of tons of pressure to unleash the Gungnir!"
"The giants have maximized their natural advantage: pure, unrelenting strength."
"Still… Big Mom… that monster surpasses even the giants in raw power. Combine that with Elbaf's techniques, and her destructive force is beyond terrifying."
Noticing Wright deep in thought, Shanks seemed to understand what was on his mind.
"You figured it out, didn't you?"
"Elbaf treasures strength above all. They live by it. Worship it. So more refined combat techniques are... less important to them."
"It's a cultural trait. But even so, Elbaf has rightfully earned the title of the Strongest Kingdom."
Wright nodded solemnly. While the giants lacked top-tier fighters, their average military strength was nothing short of staggering.
"A trained giant warrior is at least on par with a Vice Admiral. Against most enemies, a battalion of such fighters would be... absolute despair."
Later, the three leaders—Wright, Shanks, and King Ymir—convened in private.
The tour had ended. Now came the real proposal.
"So… Shanks, King Ymir—would you be interested in joining an organization I've personally founded?"
Wright's voice was steady, resolute.
"It's called Dawn's Watch—and it's more than just the Navy. It's my preparation for the true peace of this world."
"Dawn's Watch…"
Shanks echoed the name slowly, eyes narrowing as he studied the man before him—an old friend, though they'd rarely met.
"So this is the secret you've been hiding all along, Wright."
"I take it we're not the only allies you've invited?"
"Correct. Some have joined as entire nations. But for the giants, I only ask for a single legion—to serve as a final trump card in the last war."
Wright reaffirmed his stance, his tone carrying both clarity and promise.
"You don't need to fight Big Mom. Not you, Shanks. Not the giants, either. Our true goal—the Final War—that's where our alliance matters most."
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