Nami couldn't see anything.
No help for it—standing on tiptoe, she was still not even 170 centimeters tall. She was simply too short.
"Ugh... huh?" Smoker finally "regained consciousness" with a groggy look, staring blankly around. "Was that an earthquake?"
"No, it's not an earthquake—it's a volcanic eruption!"
Dorry stood up laughing heartily, tossing one of the saber-toothed dinosaurs into his mouth and crunching it down with a few bites. He shoved the other one toward the group.
"Eat up, everyone! I'll be right back!"
A serious look flashed in his eyes as he put on his helmet and pulled up the giant sword—at least ten meters long—beside him.
Only then did everyone realize—
—The volcano on this island erupted regularly as a signal, indicating the time for Dorry's duel with the other giant he'd casually mentioned before.
They all watched as Dorry hefted his massive sword and strode northward with thundering steps, exchanging glances with each other.
"Bro, let's go check it out too!" Nami immediately suggested. More than her curiosity about the taste of dinosaur meat, she was drawn to the clash between giants.
The others also looked over with eager eyes.
After all, this kind of high-level battle wasn't something one could see every day.
"Let's go then," Shano smiled and nodded.
Everyone followed Dorry's path, passing through the thick primeval jungle. Dinosaurs scattered in panic, and the trees swayed violently from the gusts of wind generated by the giant's steps.
Soon, they arrived at a clearing on the northern side.
In front of a giant skeletal structure stood another bearded giant, as burly as Dorry, already waiting in full battle stance.
This one was noticeably bulkier than Dorry, with a round face and large nostrils, a horned helmet, a giant axe in one hand and a round shield in the other. His muscular frame was covered with scars from past battles.
"Brogy!!"
Dorry shouted, raising his greatsword high. "You've recovered your strength, haven't you? Today we'll settle this for real!"
"Gahaha! Just what I wanted!"
Brogy laughed thunderously in reply.
BOOM!
The two giants clashed instantly.
The impact of sword and axe sent shockwaves that uprooted nearby trees. The ground trembled, forcing the onlookers to retreat dozens of meters just to stay on their feet.
"Whoa, whoa, this isn't right..."
Nami looked up at the two giants fighting like wild beasts, cold sweat dripping down her forehead.
When Dorry had previously laughed and mentioned his regular duels with another giant on the island, she had thought it was just friendly sparring.
She hadn't imagined it would be this brutal and savage.
Every strike targeted vital points, blood flying everywhere, as if they bore deep hatred for each other—fighting to the death.
"Why?!"
Unable to stand it any longer, she shouted, "Mister! Aren't you two friends?! Why are you fighting like this? Friends shouldn't hurt each other like this!"
"Friends?"
Dorry grinned and blocked an overhead strike with his sword. "Before the honor of Elbaf..."
"To go all out is the greatest respect for friendship!"
Brogy also laughed loudly. "As for the reason behind our duel—"
"We forgot a long time ago!"
BOOM!
The two giants roared and clashed again.
Aside from Nami, who was frightened and uneasy, everyone else gradually widened their eyes, completely captivated.
These legendary giants from Elbaf—each clash was violently powerful. Their impressive battle techniques paired with overwhelming visual impact made everyone's blood boil with excitement.
Shano watched just as intently.
But his perspective was different from that of his crew.
He noticed the sheer destructive force each of their blows produced, far beyond human capability. The word "strength" was embodied in its purest form in these two.
Even with his own powerful physique, he couldn't directly withstand them head-on indefinitely...
Shano rubbed his chin, and a vague idea began to form in his mind.
…
No one knew how long the battle raged.
CLANG—!!!
With a deafening roar, both weapons flew from their hands and landed deep in the ground far away.
In the battlefield shrouded in volcanic ash, the two mountainous bodies finally collapsed, utterly exhausted.
"Keh keh keh keh! That felt good!"
Dorry knelt on one knee, laughing so hard that nearby leaves trembled, completely ignoring the blood gushing from his chest like a waterfall.
Brogy lay sprawled on the ground, horned helmet askew, also laughing heartily. "Seventy thousand and sixty-three matches! And still a draw!"
"Seriously..."
"At this rate, when will we ever return to Elbaf Village!"
Dorry chuckled again. "Hey, Brogy, these kind human friends brought some fine wine. Want to try it?"
"Fine wine?!"
Brogy's eyes lit up. "Where? Gimme! Just hearing that makes me drool!"
"Here, catch!"
The two giants clinked their shoulders together, now sitting closely and drinking merrily. They even invited everyone to join in, as if the life-or-death battle just now had never happened.
Nami opened her mouth, then simply sighed and held her forehead.
—She probably would never understand the mindset of these giants.
"Mr. Dorry."
Shano suddenly spoke up, his voice clear across the now-quiet battlefield. "I'd like to ask you and Mr. Brogy for a favor. Would that be okay?"
The giants stopped talking. Dorry tilted his head, his bronze helmet creaking, "Oh?"
"Well, it's like this."
Shano grinned slightly. The best way to interact with giants was to be direct and honest.
"You remember Observation Haki, right? Among all the types of Haki, it's the only one I haven't mastered. I'd like to ask you two to help me grasp it."
"Observation Haki, huh?"
Dorry's eyes lit up. "No problem. Brogy and I mastered that long ago, along with Armament Haki. But..."
His voice trailed off as he scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed.
"Uh... Brogy, how did we actually use that again?"
"I think... I think we learned it while fighting some big, fat Navy guy who could turn into light..." Brogy muttered in confusion. "We used to be good at it, but after a hundred years without using it... hmm, how did we learn it again...?"
The giants of Elbaf prided themselves on their immense strength and innate combat prowess.
These two legendary warriors were no exception.
Haki was mainly used to deal with those odd Devil Fruit users. Normally, they didn't even bother.
Now, a hundred years later—
They could still use it instinctively, but to recall how they learned it? That was a tall order...
The mood turned slightly awkward.
The two giants looked at each other, then lowered their heads in defeat.
—Friends had brought good wine, and yet they couldn't even help with such a small request. What a disgrace to Elbaf warriors.
"You've misunderstood."
Shano shook his head. "I'm not asking you to teach me the theory behind Observation Haki. I've got a rough idea already. What I'm missing is an opportunity."
"An opportunity to be pushed to my limit, to the point where even my hair senses the presence of death. That kind of pressure forces the body to evolve stronger reflexes. Do you get what I mean?"
"Since setting out to sea, no one's been able to push me that far. That's why I haven't awakened Observation Haki yet."
He looked seriously at the giants. "But you two... give me hope that this opportunity may finally arrive."
"Got it."
Dorry grinned. "Keh keh keh, Little Shano, you want us to go all-out on you like we did just now?"
"What a bold request!" Brogy's eyes gleamed. "But I must admit, you've earned the right to ask it!"
Their warrior's instincts told them—Shano wasn't bluffing.
Despite his youth, every gesture and breath he took radiated the presence of a true powerhouse.
—He was strong, and he knew it.
"Gahaha!"
Brogy laughed. "That's a request we can handle—and we'd be happy to! But Dorry, looks like we'll need to suspend our duels for a few days."
"No problem. For a friend, that's a worthy trade."
Dorry glanced at the sky. "But it's getting dark. Brogy and I are exhausted. We won't be able to fight properly until we rest. Let's wait until morning to begin your training."
"Of course, that's only right."
Shano nodded, then turned and laughed.
"Zeff, Uncle—bring out all the booze from the ship! Tonight, we're throwing a party! No one sleeps sober!"
"Yay, party!!!"
Cheers rang out around them.
It wasn't just a celebration of meeting the two giants—it was a celebration of their captain finally finding a path forward past his bottleneck.
…
Night fell, and bonfires blazed brightly on the clearing surrounded by giant bones.
And at that same moment—
Far across the seas.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
The lights in the Fleet Admiral's office still shone late into the night.
Outside, the waning moon was half-hidden by clouds, casting mottled shadows over the white fortress walls.
Inside, Sengoku removed his glasses and rubbed his tired temples.
A mountain of documents lay on the desk, heavy under the lamplight.
At the top was a fraying white report labeled "Battle Situation of the South Sea Sorbet Kingdom."
"Forget it, this can wait till later," Sengoku muttered. "What about the Fallmen Pirates? Still no word?"