Sami gestured for his officers to wait where they were.
Then he straightened his collar and walked alone toward the two mountain-like figures.
"What a world-shaking battle!"
"To witness the duel between the legendary warriors—the Blue Ogre Dorry and the Red Ogre Brogy, the heroic giants of the Giant Warrior Pirates—is truly our greatest honor!"
"Hmm?"
Dorry propped himself up on one thick arm and rose to one knee.
His enormous shadow instantly engulfed Sami.
"Eh? Tiny human… you know us?"
Brogy also sat up.
"So we have visitors after all, Dorry."
"Of course!"
"The two captains of the Giant Warrior Pirates, mighty warriors who wield giant weapons—I've heard stories about you since I was a child!"
"I never expected to meet you in person today!"
"Gahahaha…!"
Dorry burst into laughter, clearly pleased by the compliment.
"So even after all these years, our names still echo across the seas!"
Brogy grinned as well, but then rubbed his dry lips.
His massive throat rolled as he looked at Sami with bright eyes.
"Hey, little one."
"I have a question."
"Do you… have any alcohol?"
"Of course!"
"What kind of pirates sail the seas without good liquor?"
"Oh?! Is that so!"
Brogy's eyes lit up.
"Then we shall host you, guests!"
"Share some of your alcohol with us!"
Sami turned and waved energetically toward the officers watching nervously in the distance.
"Aldo! Isaac!"
"Stop standing around!"
"Go back to the ship and bring all the rum!"
"Bring everyone here too!"
"We're throwing a feast!"
"Gahahaha—! What a bold little human!"
"Gahahaha… so all of you came from the West Blue?"
Dorry laughed heartily, slapping his knee.
"That's right."
Sami tore off a huge chunk of roasted dinosaur meat and bit into it.
"We spent six years preparing before entering the Grand Line."
At that moment Aldo couldn't resist boasting.
"Exactly!"
"We spent six years conquering the West Blue!"
"Our captain's bounty reached 69 million Berries!"
"Sixty-nine million, huh?"
"Not bad at all."
Brogy laughed.
"The meat's ready. Eat as much as you want!"
He placed a massive slab of sizzling roasted meat onto a giant banana leaf and pushed it toward them.
But aside from Sami and the officers—
The rest of the crew froze.
The meat alone was larger than their bodies.
And the giants' fingers looked like they could crush them casually.
No one dared move.
So terrifying…
Is this the power of giants?
Just standing beside them makes my legs weak…
Captain Sami and the officers are already drinking and eating with them?!
No wonder he's our captain…
"Don't be shy!"
"The dinosaur meat is delicious!"
Brogy casually pinched a barrel of rum between two fingers like a tiny wine cup and poured it into his mouth.
"Ah! The flavor is great!"
"Just a bit small!"
"Gahahaha!"
Sami watched the scene thoughtfully.
Then he casually turned toward Dorry.
"By the way…"
"You two have been here for a long time."
"Have you ever seen the Rumbar Pirates?"
"Rumbar Pirates?"
Dorry stroked his beard, tilting his massive head as he thought.
"No memory of them."
"Why? Are they your enemies?"
"No."
Sami waved his hand lightly.
"I was simply asked to look for them."
Then he began telling the story—
About the Rumbar Pirates, and the island whale Laboon who still waited patiently at Reverse Mountain.
Of course, Sami knew the truth.
The Rumbar Pirates' remains were drifting in the Florian Triangle.
But right now—
He needed a perfect excuse.
An excuse to wander around the first half of the Grand Line for a while.
That way, he could avoid the upcoming disaster at God Valley.
As captain he could decide the course of the ship.
But the crew still needed a goal.
Something to believe in.
Searching for the Rumbar Pirates was perfect.
It made him look honorable and loyal to promises.
And it gave the crew a reason to follow him.
"A loyal island whale like that…"
Brogy's rough laughter carried a hint of admiration.
"That's moving."
"Gahahaha…"
"So tell us!"
"What interesting things have happened on the seas lately?"
"We've been here far too long."
"We hardly hear news from the outside world anymore."
At that moment Feiqi asked a question while glancing around the giant-flattened clearing.
"Speaking of which…"
"Have you really been here for a long time?"
"Yeah," Isaac added.
"Why have you two been fighting here all this time?"
Dorry and Brogy looked at each other.
Their huge faces showed the same heroic expression.
"In Elbaf, land of giants, there is a rule."
"If villagers have a dispute and neither side will yield…"
"We accept the judgment of the God of Elbaf!"
"The God of Elbaf's judgment?"
Aldo asked curiously.
"What does that mean?"
"The God of Elbaf always protects the one who is right."
"He allows the correct warrior to survive."
"So," Brogy said, gesturing toward the island battlefield,
"This island is our arena!"
"The one who is right will win the battle and live!"
"What?!" Marcus' narrow eyes widened in disbelief.
"Then… what were you two fighting about?"
"What was it?"
Dorry scratched his helmet.
Then burst into laughter.
"Gahahaha… I forgot!"
"What about you, Brogy?"
Brogy slapped his belly and laughed just as loudly.
"I forgot too!"
"Gahahahaha—!"
"WHAT?!" the crew shouted in shock.
"You fought for decades over something you don't even remember?!"
But Aldo looked completely different.
His fists clenched tightly.
His eyes burned with passion.
"No… I understand!"
"This is what a true man is!"
"A man must hold onto something he believes in!"
"And for that belief—even his life means nothing!"
"Because sometimes belief weighs more than life itself!"
"They've fought for decades for a conviction buried deep in their hearts—even if they forgot what started it!"
"That's what a true warrior is!"
Sami slowly stood up.
He walked toward the campfire.
The flickering flames cast shifting light across his face.
He looked around at the stunned, confused, and excited faces of the crew.
Then spoke calmly.
"Aldo is right."
"Seeing Dorry and Brogy made me think about something."
"About us."
"We fought our way from the West Blue all the way here."
"We live with our heads hanging from our belts."
"We abandoned families."
"We left our homes."
"We said goodbye to friends."
"We sacrificed so much."
"So tell me—"
"What exactly are we doing all this for?"
His gaze swept across every single crew member.
"Is it just for the next meal?"
"For the next bottle of rum?"
"For the next pile of Berries after a raid?"
"If that's all we want…"
"Then how are we any different from ants that spend their entire lives crawling in circles?"
His voice rose.
"Dorry and Brogy have taught me something!"
"A person must know what they truly believe in!"
"Not something forced on you by others."
"But something born from your soul."
"A goal you'd gladly burn your life for!"
He pointed toward the crew.
"So think carefully!"
"What do you want?"
"Do you want to earn a hundred million Berries and return home to build the grandest house in your village?"
"Do you want your name to echo across the Grand Line so the Jellyfish Pirates' flag terrifies everyone?"
"Do you want to become the world's greatest swordsman?"
"The strongest gunslinger?"
"To earn respect with pure strength?"
"Or do you want to explore every corner of this mysterious sea and draw a legendary map?"
"Your goal can be big or small."
"That doesn't matter."
"But you must have one."
"You must know why you picked up your weapon."
"And why you stand here today."
"When you truly understand what you want…"
"You'll gain endless motivation."
"You'll sharpen your skills on your own."
"And when despair comes…"
"You'll unleash power you never imagined you had."
"So find it!"
"Grab hold of it!"
"And like a warrior—use every drop of your life and blood to achieve it!"
"Then one day, when we look back on our lives…"
"We'll laugh just like Dorry and Brogy!"
"And say—"
"Damn it…"
"My life was worth it!"
The campfire crackled.
The giants listened quietly.
A satisfied smile appeared on their faces.
And the crew of the Jellyfish Pirates—
fell into deep thought.
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