Thalrik's rage boiled over, uncontainable. As a general of the Elbaf giant nation, he'd never tolerate their land being invaded.
Besides, he wanted to test the strength of this so-called "new overlord" pirate crew. Were they really as tough as the rumors claimed?
A mere two or three years as a dominant force—there had to be some exaggeration!
Thalrik hefted his massive axe and charged, determined to gauge the true might of this overlord crew.
Giants feared nothing!
And his weapon was no ordinary trinket.
This was the Kratos War Axe, a symbol of Elbaf's mightiest warriors, earned through countless battles and bestowed by King Harald himself. Forged from the toughest trunk of the Adam Tree, its blade was infused with Gungnir Steel dust. It was the second-strongest weapon in Elbaf's arsenal!
Named after Kratos, the ancient hero of Elbaf—a beast of a man who slaughtered colossal Sea Kings. His fearsome reputation echoed through legends.
The Kratos War Axe took Elbaf's greatest smiths eighty-one years to craft, a sacred heirloom passed down to the strongest generals. Wielding it was proof of Thalrik's power.
With his towering frame, ferocious strength, and an unmatched divine weapon, Thalrik descended like a savage tiger, his furious glare fixed on the "puny" foe before him, ready to crush them!
...
Whitebeard Newgate's eyes narrowed, glinting red. His arms swelled like inflating balloons, muscles bulging. His naginata turned pitch-black, cloaked in Armament Haki. Crimson lightning crackled around him, the blade pulsing with the wild, destructive power of the Quake-Quake Fruit. He stomped forward, shattering the earth beneath his right foot.
The naginata swung in a blazing arc, meeting Thalrik's ferocious charge head-on. Newgate chose to clash directly with Elbaf's mightiest general, his Conqueror's Haki radiating raw dominance!
"Jahaha! I've never seen Newgate go all out like this! Looks like he's finally met his match!"
Golden Lion Shiki chomped his cigar, fists clenched. This aura, this power—was this Newgate's true strength?
Even Shiki had to admit there was a slight gap in their Haki and raw power. It only fueled his resolve to train harder—double the effort from now on!
BOOM!
The Kratos War Axe collided with the blackened naginata, but on closer inspection, they didn't even touch. Newgate's Ryuo Haki and Conqueror's Haki Coiling formed an invisible barrier, halting the axe's indestructible blade.
The impact unleashed a shockwave, rippling outward in relentless waves. The ground split, and a brutal gust swept Elbaf's elite warriors off their feet.
Rocky and the other giants perched atop the Giant Wall stared, dumbstruck. Was this the terrifying might of an overlord crew's top officer clashing with Elbaf's strongest general?
Rocky's dream of becoming Elbaf's king suddenly felt like a pipe dream. If a general was this strong, King Harald's power was beyond imagination!
"RAAAGH!"
Newgate and Thalrik roared, each facing a true rival. Holding back could mean defeat!
Their weapons sparked blinding light and a massive explosion, forcing both back. Newgate slid twenty meters, while Thalrik staggered fifty!
"You've got Conqueror's Haki and a Devil Fruit?!"
Thalrik panted, blood trickling from his mouth. The quake's force had pierced his Armament Haki, scorching his insides like fire.
What terrified him most was this man's mastery—not just Conqueror's Haki, but Conqueror's Haki Coiling! How was that possible?
How could a mere subordinate of an overlord crew wield such a rare technique? If someone told Thalrik this "Whitebeard" was the Hell Pirates' captain, he'd believe it!
Newgate glanced at his blackened naginata. Even with Armament Haki and Conqueror's Coiling, the alloy blade had a tiny nick from the enemy's axe!
The sheer force had chipped a Haki-clad blade—what kind of monstrous strength and weapon was this?
Newgate's eyes gleamed with desire as he studied the Kratos War Axe, its edge still shimmering coldly.
The weapon rankings—Twelve Supreme Grade, Twenty-One Great Grade—were ancient lists. Who knew how many legendary blades, swords, or axes had been overlooked?
Brook's Shichiseiken wasn't even on those lists, yet it matched any Supreme Grade Blade. The rankings hadn't been updated in ages. With so many new weapons forged across the world, who decided their grades?
Take Wano, a secluded nation, producing four Great Grade Blades, three forged in the last decade. Who was the fool ranking these weapons?
"Your axe is something else!"
Newgate's compliment to Thalrik only stoked the giant's fury.
What was that supposed to mean?
Was he dismissing Thalrik's skill, implying the Kratos War Axe was carrying him?
And was he openly coveting Elbaf's sacred heirloom? The nerve of these pirates, eyeing the Kratos War Axe!
"Damn you! You're the Hell Pirates' second-in-command, the vice-captain, right?"
Thalrik was shaken by Newgate's power. Someone this strong had to be the crew's top officer, maybe even rivaling the captain!
"Gurarara! Vice-captain? Nah, I'm just the Third Division Commander of the Hell Pirates!"
Newgate's laughter boomed. He thought of Redfield, who'd been eyeing the vice-captain spot. Redfield refused to lead a division, sticking close to Captain Brook.
Newgate respected Redfield's strength—his Conqueror's Haki outshone even Newgate's, and his Rumble-Rumble Fruit was as devastating as the Quake-Quake Fruit. A perfect blend of speed and destruction, a natural-type Devil Fruit to rival any!
"What?! You mean there are stronger guys above you?!"
Thalrik's jaw dropped, his mind reeling...
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+400 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg