Meanwhile, in the pool at Mary Geoise, Carl was still leisurely enjoying Sugar's service. Through his sunglasses, he gazed into the distant sky, the corners of his lips subtly curling into a smile.
Lucia spoke softly,
"Young Master, word just came in. Akainu and Aokiji have joined forces. With those two working together, if Joy Boy doesn't reveal himself soon, the Giant Warrior Pirates won't be able to hold out much longer."
Carl casually brushed his hand through Lucia's long, purple hair and said indifferently,
"No need to rush. The Giant Warrior Pirates are merely the vanguard. Joy Boy has yet to appear. We just need to be patient—he'll reveal himself in due time."
He reached out, stroking Sugar's hair with a light chuckle.
"Until then, why not enjoy the calm before the storm?"
...
Back on the battlefield at sea, Aokiji arrived and immediately unleashed "Ice Age," freezing the entire ocean within sight. The giants had no escape.
Brogy's face was deathly pale as he forced himself to stand. Taking a direct hit from Akainu should have been fatal. However, thanks to his massive size, while the magma had pierced through him, it hadn't struck a vital point.
Still, the attack had left him gravely wounded, and the only thing keeping him standing was sheer willpower.
Aokiji glanced at Brogy, his gaze briefly sweeping over the gaping wound in his abdomen. He asked coolly,
"Still want to fight?"
It wasn't admiration in his voice—Aokiji immediately followed up with,
"How stubborn."
Before the words even fully left his lips, Aokiji vanished, appearing instantly in front of Brogy. Even at full strength, the giant would have struggled to react, let alone in his current, near-fatal condition.
Instinctively, Brogy raised his sword in a desperate attempt at defense. But against Aokiji's Ice-Ice Fruit powers, it was meaningless.
With minimal movement, Aokiji simply pressed his hand against the massive sword blocking his path.
He exhaled, releasing a chilling breath, and spoke evenly,
"Ice Time."
Crack, crack, crack...
Thick layers of ice rapidly spread from Aokiji's hand, instantly encasing both Brogy's sword and one of his arms in solid frost.
Brogy, refusing to be subdued so easily, gritted his teeth. As the ice threatened to reach his shoulder, he clenched his free hand into a fist and smashed his own frozen arm to pieces, shattering it into fragments.
The sacrifice allowed him to break free, but it was merely a temporary reprieve. Aokiji still stood before him, watching with an unreadable expression.
"Pfft!"
Not far away, Dorry coughed up a mouthful of blood, his face half-charred from Akainu's attack. Stumbling backward, he barely managed to reach Brogy's side.
The two warriors had regrouped—but both were at their limits.
Beyond the main battlefield, the remaining giants were rapidly dwindling under the overwhelming force of the Marines.
Despite their formidable size and strength, the Giant Warrior Pirates' warships were no match for the Navy's heavily armed vessels, both in durability and firepower.
And while the giants were powerful individually, their simple-mindedness put them at a severe disadvantage against the well-trained, coordinated elite forces of the Navy.
All across the frozen battlefield, the wails of fallen giants echoed through the air.
Hearing their comrades' agonized cries, Brogy and Dorry felt a pain far deeper than any physical wound.
Brogy, overcome with despair, spat out another mouthful of blood, nearly collapsing on the spot.
Dorry hurriedly caught his swaying comrade and shouted urgently,
"Brogy! You'd better not die on me, or I'll laugh at you in the afterlife!"
Blinking hard to clear his vision, Brogy gasped weakly,
"The Marines… their strength is… too much. Today, the giants… might truly be… finished."
Dorry's face twisted with anguish. Gritting his teeth, he turned his gaze toward Akainu and Aokiji, who were slowly approaching.
After a moment of silence, he suddenly bellowed with all the strength he had left,
"Loki! Are you really just going to sit there and watch our people be wiped out!?"
His roar made both Akainu and Aokiji pause. Aokiji tilted his head slightly, eyeing the two battered giants before him.
"Loki? Who's that supposed to be?"
Akainu, his face expressionless, replied coldly,
"It doesn't matter who he is. Anyone who opposes justice must be eradicated."
Aokiji gave a small nod of indifference and raised his hand. A wave of icy mist began to swirl around him as he prepared to unleash "Ice Time Capsule" and bring this battle to an end.
Just as he was about to strike, his brows furrowed slightly.
In a flash, Aokiji vanished from his spot. At the same time, Akainu spun around, launching a massive magma fist to intercept an incoming, blazing golden fireball.
Boom!
A deafening explosion erupted, followed by thick, black smoke engulfing what remained of the already shattered warship.
When the smoke cleared, half of the ship had been obliterated. The broken hull was scorched black, and golden flames still burned along its edges.
Akainu landed on the frozen sea below, shaking off the residual magma from his arm. As he dispelled his elemental transformation, his expression darkened.
A massive ice sculpture had risen beside him—Aokiji, frozen in his own element.
Frowning, Akainu lifted his now-uncloaked hand. His black glove had been incinerated, revealing slightly reddened, burned skin underneath.
Seeing this, Aokiji raised an eyebrow.
It was a minor burn, but for Akainu—a Magma-Magma Fruit user—to suffer such a wound was unheard of.
Akainu himself was visibly unsettled. Slowly, he looked up into the sky.
Hovering high above was a towering figure—a giant.
Prince Loki of Elbaf.
Gazing down at the fallen Brogy and Dorry, Loki's expression was impassive as he finally spoke.
"How disgraceful. Now do you see? Without me, your so-called Giant Warrior Pirates are nothing."
Dorry was too exhausted to argue. He heaved for breath before forcing out a reply.
"If you truly are the Sun God of our people, then prove it now! Not with words—but with action!"
Loki scoffed, unimpressed.
"Pathetic attempt at a provocation… But—"
"ICE PHEASANT BEAK!"
Crack!
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+160 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg