The Elbaf Winter Festival feast, which had lasted for several days, ended amid the lively atmosphere.
Next came the human New Year of the sea calendar.
The Giant Race do not celebrate the sea calendar New Year; the Winter Festival is their grandest annual celebration.
Besides, the sea calendar has only been established for 1,490 years—barely four or five generations to the giants.
They still keep the far older celestial calendar.
This year is 4080 of the celestial calendar.
[In an SBS, Oda officially set the timeline at celestial year 4131, sea year 1541.]
After spending the Winter Festival in Elbaf, Rocks couldn't be bothered to return to Paradise Island and simply celebrated the sea calendar New Year there.
With the new year's arrival, Fang Huo received a flood of transponder snail congratulations and fresh intel from Paradise Island.
News of the Rumbar Pirates—those music-loving pirates—being wiped out spread only in the back half of the Grand Line's Paradise section, gloated over by a few old enemies.
A pirate crew of that tier didn't even merit a line in the newspapers.
The underworld's intelligence networks couldn't be bothered to note the demise of a musical pirate band.
Thus Crocus at Twin Capes had no idea the Rumbar Pirates had perished.
He and the island whale Laboon still waited for the Rumbar Pirates to circle the globe and sail back to Twin Capes.
But Fang Huo had personally ordered the underworld's intelligence organizations to watch for any word on the Rumbar Pirates.
Such throw-away intel ultimately reached his desk.
Along with it came news of the small-time Roger Pirates.
The Roger Pirates now numbered barely a dozen; they had a little fame, nothing more.
That was only because Roger had awakened Conqueror's Haki, letting his name drift through the Grand Line's Paradise section.
Otherwise Brook and the Rumbar Pirates, already deep in the Paradise half, would never have heard of the rookie Roger Pirates.
"Within the Roger Pirates, only Roger himself has awakened Conqueror's Haki for now…"
Fang Huo listened to his subordinate's report, mulling when to seek out the Roger Pirates.
Should he wait until Rayleigh and Gaban both awaken Conqueror's Haki before poaching them?
Or snatch them over first and let Rayleigh and Gaban unlock Conqueror's Haki under his tutelage.
It was still New Year; Fang Huo decided not to tell Redfield about the Rumbar Pirates' annihilation just yet.
For Redfield, it would be another piece of terrible news.
Clan annihilation, idol group wiped out, homeland facing ruin—truly pitiable.
Redfield's Observation Haki was extraordinarily keen; he caught the fleeting sympathy in Fang Huo's eyes.
That made Redfield suspect bad news from Red Line Island.
"Has something happened on Red Line Island?"
As soon as Fang Huo set down the transponder snail, Redfield came over to ask.
"No."
"Enjoy the New Year. Days like these will only grow fewer."
Fang Huo spoke flatly; next New Year they would likely be in no mood to celebrate.
After all, the World Government usually surrounds its target islands months, even half a year, in advance, cutting off all contact and sealing entry.
Meanwhile CP Agents deal with the residents, turning them into common "rabbits."
Stronger islanders are shackled to keep the Celestial Dragons safe during the hunt, becoming higher-grade R-rabbits.
The most valuable or symbolically important slaves and powerhouses become SR-rabbits.
"…"
Redfield gave Fang Huo a long, dark look; those words only deepened his unease.
Things had been spelled out this plainly—how could he still celebrate this lousy New Year?
"Spit it out. I'm not that fragile."
Redfield kept his gaze on Fang Huo, face cold.
"Sigh… the Rumbar Pirates were wiped out to the last man."
Fang Huo met Redfield's stare, read the man's resolve, and slowly spoke.
"Brook… Captain Yorki…"
Redfield clenched both fists, shut his eyes, and drew a deep breath, feeling ever emptier inside.
Am I cursed to bring death to those close to me?
Heaven had granted him Innate Observation Haki, yet it kept taking his kin and idols.
If he could choose, he'd rather not have that gift.
"I understand."
Redfield walked off, giving Fang Huo a forlorn silhouette to lick his wounds alone.
"Why are geniuses born with such gifts fated to suffer so?"
"Is this some law of conservation—talent balanced by misfortune…"
Fang Huo realized that whether it was Loki with innate Conqueror's Haki, Charlotte Linlin with innate Armament Haki, or Redfield with Innate Observation Haki, each was dogged by tragedy: Loki cast into the underworld at birth, cursed and shunned, friendless; Charlotte Linlin abandoned by her parents at five, afflicted with hunger pangs, her body coveted by Sister Carmelo; Redfield's clan and idols ruined, his Innate Observation Haki isolating him, proud and world-weary.
From his recent research Fang Huo judged Charlotte Linlin's iron balloon body to be innate Armament Haki.
Hence her lifelong need to gorge, sustaining that mighty physique and Armament.
Innate Armament leans physical, while innate Conqueror's and Observation lean toward spirit and will.
"Perhaps this is the ancient adage: 'When Heaven is about to place a great burden on a man, it first torments his heart, exhausts his sinews, starves his body…'"
Fang Huo glanced at Redfield, then at Loki and Charlotte Linlin.
Redfield—tormented heart; Loki—exhausted sinews; Charlotte Linlin—starved body… He had gathered all three innate-Haki prodigies beside him.
Seems he was the one who controlled fate.
The Rocks Pirates spent the sea calendar New Year in Elbaf, then resumed brutal training.
Fang Huo was determined to master Conqueror's Haki Infusion under the pressure of the two monster powerhouses, Rocks and Harald.
Even Whitebeard Newgate, Golden Lion Shiki, and Charlotte Linlin coveted that mighty power.
Redfield, needless to say, desired it even more.
And as a non-Devil Fruit user with high Haki talent, longer training hours, and a heart set on revenge, his Haki growth shocked even Shiki.
Amid the netherworld's eternal permafrost and snow peaks, Fang Huo sealed away every Devil Fruit ability, grasped the seven star demon sword, and fought Harald using only the Three Types of Haki and swordsmanship.
Why Harald?
Because Rocks, though claiming he'd show no mercy to his first mate, great prophet, chief strategist, would never truly go for the kill.
Harald was different; he loathed pirates, especially the man who had obliterated Enies Lobby—Gu Yue Fang Huo.
His strikes were a notch more vicious than Rocks'.
More than once Fang Huo nearly died beneath a single slash from Harald.
Only such life-and-death crises let him grasp Conqueror's Haki Infusion faster.
If possible, he even wanted to exploit Harald's ruthless assaults to squeeze out his Devil Fruit's latent potential.
To see if Harald possessed the future Beast Kaido's "hundred-teachings" tutelage.
One slash with Haki Infusion, the next pushing Devil Fruit awakening…