A towering giant general, over twenty meters tall, rode a massive land dragon stretching sixty to seventy meters long, lumbering toward his destination at a steady pace. Behind him marched two columns of elite giants, ten in each, their presence radiating raw power. Their weapons gleamed with craftsmanship, and with just these twenty warriors, they could raze Giant Warrior Village to the ground. But their mission was narrower: to apprehend Dorry, Brogy, and Jarul and haul them back to King City for trial.
As for the other villagers, the giants wouldn't touch them. Self-inflicted slaughter was rare among their kind—most disputes were settled through martial duels, though injuries and deaths were inevitable. After all, the Elbaf giants were a battle-hungry race!
Despite eight hundred years of history, their population remained a mere few tens of thousands. Ordinary clansmen, unless guilty of grave crimes, were rarely put to death.
...
"General Thalrik, urgent intel!" Two slightly shorter giants, around eighteen or nineteen meters tall, rushed back from scouting ahead, their faces tense. "The Giant Warrior Village has changed completely—it's a full-fledged city now! Something's off. There might be other enemies!"
A city? The Giant Warrior Village had transformed into a fortified stronghold with sturdy stone walls, rivaling King City itself. It was as if they were declaring independence.
"A city?" Thalrik rubbed his chin, stunned. "Did those villagers strike it rich? Where'd they get the time and resources to build a city? Unless... has someone else taken over?"
The idea hit him hard. For the village to construct such a fortress, they must've allied with outsiders!
"Pick up the pace!" Thalrik barked. "If the Giant Warrior Village has thrown in with the Marines or pirates, I'll wipe them out myself!"
Thalrik could tolerate clansmen turning pirate or joining the Marines, but letting human forces meddle in Elbaf's sacred territory? Unacceptable.
...
When Thalrik's elite giant squad reached the village, the sheer scale of the fortress stunned him. It was more opulent than King City! The walls weren't just piled marble or granite like the capital's—they were smooth, built with cement from the outside seas.
While King City housed fewer than eight thousand giants, this village-turned-city could easily hold five thousand. How could a measly three or four hundred villagers need a fortress this grand?
Thalrik's breath grew heavy. If he could establish a second capital here, far from King City's oversight, he'd be a king in all but name—second only to King Harald himself!
As Elbaf's mightiest general, second only to Harald, Thalrik had once dreamed of the throne. But Harald, barely two hundred years old, was too powerful and would rule for another century at least. Seizing the crown was impossible.
But claiming Giant Warrior Village as a pseudo-kingdom? That was tempting. He could rule here, bring in a few thousand giants, and live like royalty!
Regret gnawed at him. If he'd known, he would've brought his entire army to seize this city swiftly. His orders were only to capture Dorry, Brogy, and Jarul—how had it come to this?
...
"Hey, you down there! You from King City?"
Rocky's voice boomed as he eyed the giant general, who stood frozen, his expression flickering. The village's recruitment teams hadn't returned from other settlements, yet here was a royal army. It was... unexpected.
"That's right!" Thalrik snapped, sizing up the unfamiliar young giant. Rocky's ornate alloy armor caught his eye—finer than Thalrik's own. A mere gate guard? "I'm General Thalrik, strongest under King Harald, here to arrest Dorry, Brogy, and Jarul. Who are you? Where are they? Open the gates, now!"
"Jarul's gone to the War God's embrace," Rocky replied firmly. "Dorry and Brogy are busy building our home. They're not going back to King City."
He didn't even open the gate. Strongest general? Hmph.
"You insolent brat!" Thalrik roared. "Who are you to defy King Harald's orders? Call Dorry and Brogy out and open the damn gates!"
Was this village staging a rebellion? Thalrik itched to storm in and teach these upstarts the might of King City's warriors. He also couldn't shake the suspicion that the village had allied with outside forces.
...
"Yohohoho! General Thalrik, is it? A pleasure to meet the so-called strongest general!" Brook's voice rang out from behind Rocky, cheerful yet sharp.
"I'm Brook, partner to Giant Warrior Village and sponsor of this fine city. I'm also its current overseer. We'll open the gates for you, but do me a favor—don't give my giant friend here a hard time!"
The moment Brook appeared, Thalrik and his elite squad tensed, weapons at the ready. Elbaf forbade outsiders, not even the World Government could set foot here, let alone pirates!
This wasn't just about arresting Dorry, Brogy, and Jarul anymore. A human's presence on Elbaf soil changed everything.
"Human!" Thalrik bellowed, fury igniting. "You've trespassed on Elbaf's sacred land! Who do you serve? Get out, now!"
Expel them, seize their city—Thalrik saw it clearly. Humans built better than giants, and this fortress was a prize, a luxurious capital he could claim for himself. Better than Harald's throne!
"And if I say no?"
Brook's skeletal grin vanished, his expression unreadable. But his eyes gleamed as they locked onto Thalrik's massive axe, radiating an aura as sharp as a Supreme Grade Blade.
That weapon had to be forged with Gungnir Steel! If they melted it down, they could extract the rare metal—enough to craft a new weapon for Newgate, maybe even upgrade the crew's arsenal!
"Newgate!" Brook called, his voice brimming with mischief. "Didn't you say you wanted a new naginata? This guy's axe is something else! Beat him, and it's yours. There might even be enough Steel left to hook the rest of the crew up with some shiny new gear!"
Brook's excitement was infectious. To stumble across Gungnir Steel so soon—even if it was just mixed into the axe's blade—was a jackpot!
Thalrik's aura and vitality were immense, stronger even than Skal. This general could take on all four of the Hell Pirates' top fighters!
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+400 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg