Chapter 90: The Giant's Banquet! The Power Known as "Haki"!
At the edge of the jungle clearing in Small Garden, the setting sun was as red as blood, dyeing this island filled with ancient aura a magnificent orange-red.
At the foot of the distant volcano, the battle between those two behemoths continued.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Every collision of giant sword and battle-axe was accompanied by a deafening roar, with violent air currents sweeping around like a typhoon, making the earth tremble in pain.
The Straw Hat crew (except for Sanji, who was busy preparing food) and Vivi were sitting on rocks in the safe zone watching the battle.
Gulp...
Usopp held Crow Clay tightly in his arms as if he were holding his only life-saving straw.
He watched the world-destroying attacks in front of him, swallowed hard, and forced himself to puff out his chest and brag:
"It's really an exaggeration... but well, this level of destructive power is only about 30% of my strength as Usopp the Brave."
Clay, in his arms, rolled his eyes and looked at him like he was an idiot:
"Caw caw... do you have no shame?"
Nami, beside them, sighed helplessly and complained mercilessly:
"If your legs weren't shaking like a sieve while you speak, it might be a bit more convincing."
Finally, with one last earth-shattering bang.
"Rumble—!!"
The weapons in the hands of Dorry the Blue Ogre and Brogy the Red Ogre were knocked away at the same time.
The two mountain-like figures were exhausted at the same time and fell backward, crashing heavily to the ground and kicking up clouds of dust.
"The 714,396th... draw!!"
The two lay on the ground, looking at the sky, and let out heroic laughs:
"Gahahaha! Another draw, Brogy!"
"Gegagagaga! Looks like we can't settle it today either, Dorry!"
Just as the two were laughing.
"Whoosh—!"
A red shadow suddenly elongated. Luffy used his rubber arms like a slingshot to launch himself, landing steadily on the sweat-drenched shoulder of Dorry.
"Hey—! Big guys!!"
Luffy stood by the giant's ear, cupped his hands like a megaphone, and shouted:
"The fight's over, you must be hungry!!"
"Let's have a banquet!! My cook made lots and lots of dinosaur meat!!"
Dorry and Brogy looked at each other, the fatigue in their eyes instantly replaced by joy.
"Gahaha! Gegege! What an interesting little squirt!"
"Good!! Then let's have a banquet!! For the glory of Elbaf!!"
...
Night fell, and the stars were scattered across the sky.
A huge bonfire rose in the clearing, its flames licking the night sky.
The air was filled with the rich aroma of meat.
Sanji used the meat from those huge dinosaurs on the island to create an unprecedented super roast meat feast.
"Cheers!!!"
The giants raised their barrel-sized cups and took huge gulps, the wine flowing down their beards.
Under the firelight, Dorry and Brogy told stories about the glory of Elbaf, the homeland of giants.
They spoke of the warriors' faith and the story of how they had engaged in sacred duels day after day for a hundred years for a reason they had long forgotten.
"Waaaah... so touching..."
Usopp listened with tears in his eyes, his snot even flowing into his mouth:
"This is a man's romance! Elbaf... one day I will go there too!!"
Zoro held a wine bottle and looked at these two scarred but still heroic warriors, deep respect showing in his eyes:
"Is this the spirit of a pure warrior..."
After hearing the story, Luffy scratched his head with a look of regret:
"That's a shame... you two old guys are so interesting."
He looked at the giants and said seriously: "I originally wanted to invite you to join my ship and be my nakama."
Hearing Luffy's words, the two giants looked at each other and laughed in unison.
"Gahahaha!!"
"Gegagagaga!! You really are an interesting little squirt!!"
"Thump! Thump! Thump!!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Nami, Usopp, Zoro, and Sanji instantly erupted, each landing a punch in unison on Luffy's head, letting out angry roars:
"Why do you always want to do things that are impossible!"
"Are you trying to kill us!! The ship would be crushed and sink!! Idiot!!!"
"Our going merry doesn't want to retire this early!!"
...
On the other side of the bonfire.
Tatsuya sat cross-legged on the ground, having just finished a large piece of greasy dinosaur rib.
He glanced at his greasy hands, then at Clay, who was squatting on a rock nearby finishing his food.
Tatsuya casually reached out and grabbed Clay's shiny black wing.
Brush brush.
He rubbed his hands on Clay's smooth feathers, wiping away the grease until they were clean.
"Gah?!"
Clay snapped awake instantly. Looking at his oily, shiny wing, he cried out in grief and indignation: "Master?!! How could you do this to me!!"
Tatsuya ignored Clay's protest and stuffed a meat bone into its beak to shut it up.
Then, he looked up, his black eyes flashing with a serious light in the firelight as he looked at the two giants.
"Seniors."
"Though it's a bit forward, I have a question to ask."
He pointed to the distant mountain peak and ground that had been sliced through:
"That attack of yours just now that could split the earth and even cut through the air... it contained 'Haki', didn't it?"
"Haki?"
Hearing this unfamiliar term, Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji all stopped what they were doing and turned their heads in confusion.
"What's that? Is it tasty?" Luffy asked.
Tatsuya didn't answer directly but looked at his companions, his gaze becoming serious:
"Remember that smoke guy Smoker back in Loguetown?"
"In the Grand Line, monsters like them with bizarre abilities—even 'Logia' types whose bodies can turn into elements, making physical attacks completely ineffective—will become more and more common."
"Luffy's fists couldn't hit smoke, and Zoro's swords couldn't cut fluid."
"Facing such enemies, if we don't master a special power, we'll have no choice but to run."
"And the only way to fight them is to master—'Haki'."
"Haki..." Zoro touched the hilt of the sword at his waist, the feeling of powerlessness he felt against Smoker in Loguetown surfacing in his mind.
His gaze instantly became sharp, "I see... so it's a power that can cut through the 'intangible'."
"No wonder that smoke guy was so arrogant." Sanji also took a deep drag of his cigarette and exhaled a smoke ring, "It seems kicking alone isn't enough."
Luffy's eyes instantly lit up, and he jumped up, shouting at the giants:
"Haki?! Is that the thing that can hit the smoke guy?!"
"Teach us! Teach us! You two old guys!! I want to send that smoke guy flying!!"
Dorry and Brogy looked at Tatsuya with some surprise.
"Oh? I didn't expect a little guy like you to know about this."
Brogy put down his wine cup and said with a laugh:
"While we don't understand the complex theories of you humans or the classifications of 'Haki', in Elbaf, it is the innate spirit of a warrior!"
Dorry nodded and added with a solemn expression:
"It is the technique of turning one's own 'will' into invisible 'armor' and 'weapons'."
"Only those with the firmest convictions can stimulate this power, allowing them to strike the enemy's true form or even intimidate fierce beasts."
The two giants looked into Luffy's eyes, which were filled with desire and determination, and showed appreciative smiles:
"Since it's a request from a friend, and you saved our lives..."
"Fine! We will pass on our hundred years of combat experience to you!"
"How much you can grasp will depend on your own comprehension!"
At the end of the banquet.
The two giants raised their huge wine bowls toward the starry sky and toward this group of young pirates:
"To this delicious meal! And to your courage!"
"From today on, you are forever friends of Elbaf!!"
"Go conquer the sea! Straw Hat crew!!"
"Oh!!!"
Everyone raised their cups and let out a cheer that shook the clouds: "Cheers!!!"
The night grew deep.
Nami and Vivi had already fallen into a deep sleep.
But the main forces of the Straw Hat crew—Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Tatsuya, and Usopp—did not sleep.
Under the guidance of the giants, by the moonlight on this ancient island, they began their first... special training known as "Haki" since entering the Grand Line.
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