Chapter 24: Linlin's 50 Million Berries Bounty!
At the shore of the island, a massive ship built specially for the giants of Elbaf was moored, its colossal hull towering like a fortress over the waves. The pirate flag above it—a skull marked with Elbaf's insignia—fluttered proudly in the sea breeze.
On the shore, Roy stood facing the children of the Sheep's House one last time. He waved with a bright smile, the wind tugging at his red hair.
The children had learned to fend for themselves, and the giants of the village provided them with all the daily necessities they could ever need. There was no longer any reason for Roy to worry.
As Hajrudin watched with a look that said finally free, Roy stepped aboard the giant ship and turned back with a grin.
"Goodbye! Wait for me to come back~!" he called, waving cheerfully.
"Go already," Hajrudin sighed, folding his arms. "Honestly, what kind of kid wants to travel the sea at your age?"
"Who told you he's a kid?" Gerth chuckled. "He's already stronger than you!"
"Hey—!" Hajrudin's face turned red as the giants erupted into laughter.
"Let's set sail!" a giant crewman shouted, pulling the massive anchor free.
The ship creaked, the sails unfurled, and soon the vessel began to glide across the ocean. The island slowly disappeared behind them, swallowed by the horizon.
---
At the bow, Roy sat cross-legged atop the ship's enormous figurehead, his sword resting beside him. The sea breeze brushed against his face as he gazed at the endless stretch of blue.
Eight hundred years ago—
That was when he had first transmigrated.
According to the old man who once took him in, Roy's "hometown" was in the West Blue. The man had been an adventurer in his youth, a traveler who had seen every corner of the world before age caught up to him.
Roy had borrowed that story for himself. He told Redding that he wanted to return to his homeland—the West Blue—to see it with his own eyes.
"Oh? So little Roy's from the West Blue?" a giant sailor asked, tilting his head. "And he was brought to the New World as a baby, then abandoned? Poor kid."
"What's your plan then, Roy?" another giant chimed in with a grin. "Find a girl from the West Blue and start a family? Or maybe set sail one day to become a world-famous pirate—or even the strongest swordsman alive?"
The giants loved to talk. When they weren't boasting about the legendary Giant Pirates of the past, they were gossiping about Roy—the little human boy with monstrous defense and an even more ridiculous level of talent.
And every time, their stories about him grew more absurd.
Roy bit into a large piece of meat, pretending not to notice the way they were all grinning at him.
"If I ever tried to take the title of 'Strongest,' Hajrudin and the others would probably lose their minds."
"Pfft—!"
The entire crew burst into laughter, their booming voices shaking the air. The sound of their laughter rolled across the ocean like thunder.
"Hahaha! That's true!" one of the giants wheezed. "That little brat Hajrudin would cry if he heard that!"
Redding, who had been quietly listening, finally burst out laughing too. "I trained Hajrudin hoping he'd bring glory to the giants, but who would've thought…" He grinned broadly at Roy. "The disciple I least expected became the most talented of all!"
"Hahaha! Poor Hajrudin, always the punching bag!" another giant added.
Roy sighed, resting his chin on his hand. Is it really okay to mock your student like that?
The laughter continued until the ship rocked with it.
No one even remembered what Roy's future ambitions were supposed to be anymore.
He leaned back, staring at the clouds with a faint smile.
My goal is simple—to build a happy life surrounded by beautiful girls.
Then again, maybe it was better to say he was going out to save those poor girls.
A real gentleman, after all, always rescues damsels in distress.
Truly, a noble calling.
He chuckled to himself. This is what you call a qualified Aquaman.
The sky was clear, the sea endless, and white seagulls soared across the horizon—
Wait.
Roy froze.
Seagulls?
Damn it! Morgans isn't even born yet!
The World Economic News Agency hadn't been established. There were no newspaper seagulls yet. In this era, even reading the news was a luxury.
He sighed dramatically. "So much for getting updates on the world…"
---
A few days later—
In the New World, on an island crawling with pirates, Redding's ship docked at the harbor. One giant stayed behind to guard the ship while the others went into town to restock supplies.
Roy followed his master through the bustling port city.
The streets were packed with pirates, traders, and mercenaries. The air smelled of salt, alcohol, and tension.
Although the nun had been a liar and a trafficker, her lessons about trade hadn't gone to waste. The warriors of Elbaf had learned the value of buying and selling instead of simply plundering. They now earned their way through mercenary work—honorably, for the most part.
Roy had wanted to explore the town alone, but Redding refused.
"You'll get scammed the moment I turn my back," the giant said bluntly.
Roy scowled. "I'm not that easy to fool!"
"I don't care what you think," Redding replied with a smirk. "I care what I think."
Roy sighed in defeat. It was impossible to argue with that logic.
Still, he couldn't help but glance around curiously. The pirates and bounty hunters gave their group a wide berth—understandably so.
With a squad of Elbaf giants around, no one dared to start trouble.
But how can this count as real experience if I'm surrounded by bodyguards? Roy thought in frustration.
He was about to complain when something caught his eye.
A newspaper.
Roy picked it up, flipping through the bounty pages—
and froze.
Charlotte Linlin.
Her smiling face stared back at him, and below it was a figure that made him whistle softly.
50,000,000 Berries.
"Linlin's already become a pirate," Roy muttered, eyes narrowing slightly.
It seemed that, just as in the original history, Streusen hadn't been killed by her. They'd gone to sea together, driving away the marines who'd come to buy children—and formed their own pirate crew.
Redding leaned over, glanced once, then turned away without a word. The crew, too, fell silent.
It wasn't the number that bothered them—it was the face.
No one in Elbaf had any fondness left for that girl.
"I heard she's been plundering islands all across the New World," someone nearby whispered. "A monster in a little girl's body."
"Yeah… a real demon. She should've been wiped out already."
"Keep your voice down," another warned. "They say she's terrifying."
Roy ignored the chatter and folded the newspaper.
Everyone makes their own choices—and bears their own consequences.
Linlin had chosen her path, and now she had to walk it to the end.
"Let's go," Roy said finally, glancing up at Redding.
The giant nodded. "Done shopping already?"
"Yeah. There's nothing interesting here anyway."
As they turned to leave, Roy smirked faintly.
Between him and the towering giants around him, it was honestly hard to tell—
Was it the giants protecting him… or the human protecting the giants?
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