"If it's you, Fleet Admiral Wright... then I agree."
King Ymir paused, then spoke solemnly:
"I recognize your reputation and integrity, Fleet Admiral. But more importantly, I aligned myself with Shanks because I came to understand what the World Government truly is."
"Especially after you revealed the truth about the so-called 'Holy Mother'... no, about Carmel!"
Ymir let out a heavy sigh.
"It would have been wonderful if such a 'Mother' truly existed... Elbaf needs a bridge to connect with the world."
"As warriors, the giants of Elbaf need a reason acknowledged by all giants if they are to unite. Even as king, I cannot force their unity without that cause."
"And most importantly, if Shanks trusts you, then you are a friend of Elbaf! Fleet Admiral Wright, I hope you will become the 'Light of Hope' for our people!"
"Of course..."
Wright chuckled.
"The Dawn's Watch's lineup is far more impressive than you might imagine. Once you meet them, I think you'll be quite confident in our strength."
"As the Highlord of Dawn's Watch, I command four legion-level battle groups: 'Crest of the Sacred Fire', 'Wrath of Thunder', 'Song of the Azure Sky', and 'Fang of the Sea Beasts.' Some are still in formation, but they'll reach full combat strength soon."
"These names..."
Shanks narrowed his eyes. From the names of the four legions, he caught a few clues:
"Let's set aside the first one for now... but the other three..."
A sharp strategist himself, Shanks wasn't just relying on Ben Beckman for brains. He pieced it together:
Shichibukai... the 'Thunder God' Enel? Your kohai, the Float-Float Fruit user Kuina? And then...
Jinbe, the 'Knight of the Sea'? Could this even involve Fish-Man Island?!
Shanks drew in a sharp breath. Wright's smug, teasing expression confirmed everything. His eyes widened:
"You've gone all out, haven't you?!"
"Huh? What?"
King Ymir was a bit slower on the uptake. He didn't know Wright nearly as well as Shanks did.
"Those names do sound rather nice... so you're saying our Giant Tribe will also get its own battle unit name?"
"Naturally," Wright nodded, glancing at Shanks' missing left arm, lips curling into a grin.
"How about we call it... 'Silver Hand'?"
"That has a nice ring to it... but does it mean anything?"
"Well now... let me tell you a story."
Wright began to tell the tale of Tyr, the Titan Keeper of Order, to King Ymir and a visibly conflicted Shanks. As he finished, he couldn't help but burst out laughing:
"Well? Shanks, want a 'Hand of Tyr' prosthetic? I'm sure Dr. Vegapunk could build one! Hahahaha!"
"No thank you!"
Shanks twitched.
Was he making this up on the spot?!
It didn't sound like a made-up tale... and yet, he'd never heard of such legends in his homeland, even though he'd lived there for a whole year!
"I don't do well with cold, lifeless machines!"
"Hahahaha! A splendid tale! A divine warhammer that upholds law and order—excellent! Truly excellent!"
King Ymir was visibly thrilled:
"Fleet Admiral Wright, you're a truly fascinating man. I may just record this tale to commemorate Elbaf's gratitude toward Shanks!"
"Ah... maybe don't do that, Your Majesty."
Shanks quickly waved his hand:
"Let's just settle on the name and move on to other topics, shall we?"
"Hahaha! Shanks, that Sea King you fought was nowhere near enough! Look at Tyr—he faced beasts that devoured the skies and the land! You're still a moron!"
"Shut up, damn it, Wright!"
...
With the alliance between Elbaf and Yonko Shanks finalized, Wright returned to Marineford, letting out a long sigh of relief.
Gaining Elbaf's strength was an unexpected blessing. Regardless, with this new power in hand, they now had a real shot in the final battle.
Without Shanks acting as the bridge, opening the gates of Elbaf through Dorry and Brogy would've been the end of it. A true alliance would have been impossible.
Even with the truth about Carmel, it would have meant nothing.
Revealing Carmel's secret without Shanks at his side would've made him the enemy of all Elbaf. To speak ill of "Mother" was to challenge their very soul.
But now, that crisis was over.
Brrr-brrr-brrrr... kacha!
"Dr. Vegapunk! It's been a while—sounds like you've made another breakthrough?"
Wright answered the Den Den Mushi.
Whenever Dr. Vegapunk called personally, it always meant something big.
"Hahaha… Naturally, Fleet Admiral. The aerial fortress for the 'Song of the Azure Sky' legion has been completed!"
Dr. Vegapunk sounded extremely proud. Ever since Wright became Fleet Admiral, his support of the scientific division had been unparalleled. The newly promoted Admiral Fujitora also provided tremendous assistance.
With Kizaru stationed permanently in Mary Geoise and Fujitora overseeing science operations, Vegapunk's freedom had greatly increased. His collaboration with Judge and Dr. Tsukimi sparked innovation after innovation.
"That's incredible… already complete?"
Wright couldn't help but marvel.
This meant Kuina could become a one-woman army, a decisive force in battle.
Though Kuina's swordsmanship neared the peak of mastery, her Float-Float Fruit abilities were still far from awakening. But with the fortress, this shortcoming could be covered.
The Float-Float Fruit allows the user to make inanimate objects levitate and move them freely. The size of the object doesn't matter—even an island can be lifted.
Right now, Kuina could already lift an island.
But moving it required massive stamina, which she lacked. Floating it in place was the most energy-efficient option.
If she awakened the fruit's power, she'd reach the level of Golden Lion Shiki, manipulating land, sea, and sky at will. His power far surpassed mere levitation—it was large-scale battlefield control.
Kuina wasn't there yet. But the airborne fortress, roughly the size of two or three warships, could move with ease and double as a massive weapon.
"This is top-secret technology. I'll arrange for Kuina to begin testing it..."
Wright glanced at the Lightforged Beacon—another message had arrived.
"It's a busy day, Doctor. Thanks for everything. We've gained a new ally today... I'll fill you in next time we speak."
"Ah… that's wonderful news."
Vegapunk laughed. The more allies they had, the more it proved they were on the right path.
"Being Fleet Admiral must be exhausting—Sengoku praised your work ethic just the other day."
"Anyway, I'll let you get back to it. Soon... I'll have another surprise for you."
"Another surprise?"
Wright blinked. Vegapunk's surprises were never small things.
"Now I'm really looking forward to it!"
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Author's Notes: In World of Warcraft, Tyr, the Titan Keeper of Order, wielded the Silver Hand, which became the signature weapon of the Holy Paladin. Tyr himself was based on the Norse god of war and justice. In Norse myth, Tyr lost his left arm to the wolf Fenrir, son of Loki. In WoW, Tyr lost his arm to the progenitor dragon Galakrond.
The giants in One Piece, as confirmed by Oda himself, are inspired by Norse mythology and Viking culture—and Shanks' ship reflects this too. Given all that, this fanfic presents Shanks as a Tyr analog, and Elbaf as the final setting where the truth behind Big Mom's Soul-Soul Fruit will be revealed post-Wano. Time to see if this prediction hits the mark—haha!
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Note: This fanfic has been completely translated and is available on my Patreon.