Chapter 273: The Warrior Who Broke Racial Barriers with Love
Elbaf, the Sun World.
Louis, Uta, and Gerd stepped off the giant Mist Ship, setting foot on the upper realm of Elbaf.
"There's a sea here, too?!" The moment she landed, Uta was captivated by the scenery, her purple eyes sparkling.
As far as she could see, tree branches as massive as mountains rose up into a white world, merging with endless island clouds to support a land in the sky far beyond human imagination. White "seawater" churned in the gaps between the clouds and branches, creating the thundering sound of crashing waves.
Louis's gaze fell on the churning "sea," and he recalled his past. He explained to the excited girl, "That's a Sea Cloud. Even in the sky, it only exists near massive sky islands. In the first ten years of my life, I only saw it a few times when Baal moved above one."
When he saw the girl eagerly stepping forward for a closer look, Louis grabbed her and pulled her back. "Don't get too close. The reason it's called a 'Sea Cloud' is that it has the same properties as the ocean. If a Devil Fruit user falls in, it's no different from falling into the real sea."
Uta fell silent for a moment, then stroked her chin. "So, you're saying Sea Clouds also have Seastone particles?"
"That's right." Gerd bent down again, scooping them up. "If a user touches a Sea Cloud, they'll become weak and helpless, just like in the ocean."
With that, Gerd temporarily pushed the chaotic thoughts from her mind and continued forward with them.
As she walked, a giant, sprawling village came into view. Wooden houses the size of tall buildings stood on the ground, and rivers snaked between them. Here and there, giantess homemakers could be seen by the rivers, beating clothes with ten-meter-long wooden clubs. The faint sound of them scolding rowdy children drifted on the air.
When the women saw Gerd on the other side of the river, they waved warmly. "Isn't that Gerd-kun?"
"Are you back to recruit warriors again?"
"You should take my kid to Terra, too!"
"I'm telling you, the Giant Race should be training their bodies and raising their battle power, not sitting in schools and libraries like King Harald wanted!"
"Exactly! What's the point of a mighty giant studying all day?!"
Gerd smiled and explained, "I'm not back to recruit this time. I'm here on other business."
"Is that so?" The giantesses didn't seem to mind and just watched her pass.
As Gerd left the village, Uta tapped her hand, her face full of curiosity. "Gerd, what kind of person was the previous king, Harald, anyway? His ideas and actions... they don't seem very 'giant-like' to me."
Hearing this, Gerd's expression once again became complex as she recalled the conversation between Loki and Louis. She sighed, meeting Uta's curious gaze. "King Harald... he was different from all the other giant kings before him."
"Instead of waging war on the seas, he hoped to connect and interact with the world through trade. A few years after Loki was born, his ideas changed again, becoming even more 'radical.' He began advocating for Elbaf to abandon its military power."
"He seemed to think that by making Elbaf's giants weaker, he could eliminate humanity's fear of us and better integrate into the world. As if to show his resolve, he even sawed off his own horns, the symbol of his ancient giant blood."
"About twenty years ago, he ordered the construction of schools in Elbaf, telling the children to stop their combat training and learn all kinds of knowledge instead."
"Then... about twelve years ago, Loki killed Harald and a hundred giant warriors in the palace, all to get his hands on a legendary Devil Fruit. Of course," Gerd's eyes clouded over as she remembered the giant pentagram deep in the castle, "that's just what Lord Jarl told us."
From that pentagram, it was clear the Celestial Dragons might have been involved. She just didn't know what role they had played in the tragedy.
"Hmm..." Uta fell into thought, the butterfly-shaped tie in her hair drooping. "Eliminate their own military power to integrate with the world? That sounds... not very rational."
"We thought so, too, at the time. But when we saw how many of the children were happy to learn, we didn't object," Gerd replied in a low voice. She explained that because giants live so long, Elbaf's current warriors were all in their prime. Even if the children who gave up combat were threatened decades later, the current generation could still step up and simply reintroduce warrior training to the next generation.
Their long lifespan gave them an extremely high margin for error. Even if a mistake was made, the elders could correct it. Gerd admitted that if Elbaf's warriors had been mostly old, they never would have followed the king's order.
Louis didn't interject, but he agreed with Uta. Trying to gain the world's approval by eliminating one's own power was a joke. In his previous life, there was a country that had done just that—giving up its ultimate "truth" to gain recognition. In the end, that country was screwed over terribly.
As time passed, Gerd brought them to the very place they had just discussed: the school.
A giant walrus model hung over the entrance of the "Walrus School." Huge swings were set up, and the giant classrooms were shaped like sailboats and cradles. In a large open area, giant children, all about Kolon's size, were gathered, seemingly playing house.
Seeing Gerd, the giant kids all turned.
"It looks like Big Sis Gerd!"
"Gerd-neechan!"
The kids all ran over and surrounded her. A little giant girl with a horned helmet and an adorable, babyish face named Irfa looked up with big, watery eyes. "Big Sis Gerd, can you turn into a giant lion and give us a ride again?"
The other kids' eyes lit up. They didn't speak, but their hopeful expressions said it all.
Uta, perched on Gerd's hand, felt her heart melt. "So cute!!"
Gerd, however, looked apologetic. "Sorry, kids, I have to show my captain around today."
"Your captain?! The legendary Emperor?!" The children weren't scared at all. Instead, they stood on their tiptoes, trying to get a look at Gerd's palm.
Uta looked at the children, all so much bigger than her, her eyes shining. She leaped right off Gerd's hand, landing in the middle of them.
She took a deep breath, a perfect smile on her face. "I'm Uta, the musician of the Archangel Pirates!"
When Uta spoke, the children froze, and then the place exploded.
"It's Princess Uta!!"
"Awesome! It's really her!!"
The kids all crouched down, surrounding her, their eyes gleaming with excitement.
Uta was surprised, then clapped her hands, her smile bright and captivating. "I see! So you're my fans?"
"Yes!" The kids nodded so fast their heads were a blur.
Louis, sitting in Gerd's palm, watched the children. Noticing the horns on several of their heads, he fell into thought. Children with ancient giant blood? Their size isn't much different from the others. Loki growing to 60 meters really is ridiculous...
Just then, the sound of heavy footsteps approached.
Louis looked up. A tall, curvaceous giantess with orange hair, a blue tattoo on her right side, and a revealing outfit was walking toward them, smiling. "Gerd, long time no see!"
"Lipuri." Gerd clearly knew the woman and smiled in greeting.
Lipuri then bent over, resting her hands on her thighs, and brought her face close to Louis. "I've heard so much about you. The Emperor, Archangel, Louis. I'm Kolon's mother, and one of the teachers here."
On the ground, Uta froze, instinctively looking up. She was met with the sight of... imposing... assets, which swayed slightly as Lipuri spoke.
"..."
"A pleasure to meet you, Lipuri," Louis replied politely.
Lipuri smiled. "Mr. Louis, you're even easier to talk to than the rumors said."
"I hear that a lot," Louis didn't deny it.
Next, Lipuri looked down at Uta, who was now playing with the children, her eyes full of undisguised affection. She gently scooped Uta up, who didn't resist. Her smile became mischievous. "So, you're Shanks's daughter, Uta?"
"That's right! You know Shanks, too?" Uta tilted her head. For some reason, it felt like a lot of people in Elbaf knew Shanks.
At this, Lipuri's smile widened, and she said something that made Uta's head spin. "More than know him. In terms of seniority... you could call Shanks my junior!"
"Huh?!" Uta was floored. She'd never heard about a giant being on the Roger Pirates.
Ignoring Uta's confusion, Lipuri looked back at Louis, her tone becoming pleading. "Mr. Louis, would you be willing to come with me to meet someone?"
Louis's expression was thoughtful. He had a good idea who she meant. He nodded. "Lead the way."
Lipuri said goodbye to the children, then led Gerd, Louis, and Uta onto another Mist Ship to head to a different area.
On the Mist Ship, Uta sat on a giant-sized barrel, swinging her legs, trying to figure out how Lipuri could possibly be Shanks's "senior."
After about ten minutes, as the ship passed a branch of the Treasure Tree Adam, Uta frowned and looked over. Louis also turned, a knowing look on his face.
As the mist cleared, an old man was revealed on a branch. He wore a flowery shirt, big shorts, and had a wild mane of white hair. One foot was propped on a higher piece of bark, and he had a giant axe resting on his shoulder. A wild grin was on his aged face.
Gerd started. "Mr. Shan?!" She'd had a feeling, but she couldn't understand why Mr. Shan would choose to meet Captain Louis here.
The old man pushed his sunglasses up. "We finally meet! Archangel Louis... Siren Uta..."
In the next second, he pushed off with his right leg and vanished. He reappeared instantly, having already torn through the clouds, charging at the ship.
Lipuri sighed, shaking her head with a look of resignation.
As he moved, his shirt and white hair whipped in the wind. "Even in Elbaf, I hear news of you all the time! I expected a lot, but you still manage to shock me!"
The old man swung the axe off his shoulder. It instantly turned black, crackling with terrifying Haki lightning. A moment later, the old man and his fearsome axe were right in their faces.
Uta's eyes narrowed. The aura around her changed completely. A dark, flame-like smoke swirled into existence, and colorful feathers began to sprout from her outstretched arms.
"You can already turn into a Harpy?!" Gaban's face changed. "Your illusory song can't control me, but... I wouldn't enjoy taking one of your screeches head-on..."
Gerd and Lipuri both looked stressed. "Wait, Miss Uta! He's not an enemy!" / "Mr. Shan isn't an enemy!"
Uta frowned and glanced at Louis. Getting his nod, she slowly closed her mouth.
In the next instant, the old man landed on the ship. He shot past Uta, axe in hand, aiming straight for Louis.
"My name is Scopper Gaban, known as 'Mountain Eater,' the left hand of the Roger Pirates, and—" Gaban, now just a few meters away, laughed wildly, his teeth flashing. The terrifying axe swung...
"...I surrender!"
A blade, pulsing with an ominous green light, was already at his neck. Gaban instantly dropped his axe and threw his hands up.
He looked at Louis, who had appeared in front of him in an instant, and gave an awkward laugh. "Just a joke, hahaha—"
"That wasn't funny at all!" A giant, white fist descended from the sky and slammed Gaban on the head, planting him face-first into the deck.
Louis sheathed his sword, crossing his arms and looking thoughtfully at the downed man.
On the barrel, Uta, back to normal, resumed swinging her legs. "Gaban, eh? So, the number three of the Roger Pirates."
After a long moment, Gaban sat up, rubbing a lump on his head that was almost as big as his fist. "That really hurt, Lipuri! Are you trying to kill me?"
Lipuri stood with her hands on her hips. "What was that? Attacking Uta-chan and Mr. Louis the moment you arrive? Have you lost your mind?"
Gaban laughed awkwardly. "It's a normal pirate greeting...!" He remembered how Roger and the other legends used to clash with Conqueror's Haki as a sign of respect.
He looked up at Louis, his eyes filled with a strange respect. "You're even more terrifying than the rumors, Louis-bro! Even I only saw a blur and barely managed to stop."
Just then, Lipuri bent down, picked Gaban up, and smiled at Louis and Uta. "This is Scopper Gaban, a member of the Roger Pirates. He's also my husband, and Kolon's father. He settled down in Elbaf after his journeys."
Uta nodded. "I just heard—"
Then she froze. Her eyes went wide, her expression cracking. "Wait, what did you just say?! Gaban is your... husband? Kolon's... father?!"
Uta was paralyzed, her jaw dropped, her mind reeling.
Nearby, Louis, despite already knowing, still felt a ripple of shock seeing the couple in person. He couldn't help but shoot Gaban a look of pure respect.
Seeing Uta's reaction, Lipuri just giggled, then lifted Gaban up and gave him a kiss.
"..."
That snapped Uta out of her shock. "Gaban... you... a human... and a giant..." She felt her head spin, smoke practically steaming from her ears as she babbled incoherently.
After a long moment, Uta's eyes went blank. She staggered back to Louis's side and simply... gave up thinking. She had blue-screened from the sheer amount of information.
Louis shook his head and patted her red-and-white hair. Feeling the familiar, warm hand, Uta gradually rebooted, and the light returned to her eyes.
A new question popped into her head. "If Kolon is your son, why does he look exactly like a normal giant kid?"
"That's because Kolon inherited more giant blood," Gaban waved his hand, the worldly-wise expert. "That's how it is for most first-generation hybrids. If Kolon marries another giant-hybrid, and his descendants do the same, then somewhere down the line, their descendants will get smaller and awaken special abilities. Namely... the Buccaneer Race."
Gaban pushed up his glasses. "History is full of warriors like me who broke racial barriers with love. Many races were born from their descendants. For example, the Buccaneers, the Longarm-Longleg Tribes, the Tontatta, the Fish-Man Giants, and..." Gaban's gaze shifted to Louis. "...the recently emerged Lunarian subspecies, the Flügel."
Before anyone could react, Gaban laughed. "See, Uta-chan? Louis-bro isn't shocked like you! That's because his father is a warrior who broke racial barriers with love, just like me! I knew Louis's father. He was a Lunarian. When we showed up on the sky island Baal, he was chasing a girl from one of the Skypiean branches."
Uta was stunned. She hadn't even thought of that.
Louis raised an eyebrow, his expression... subtle. "That's a bit of an inappropriate comparison," he said tactfully. He felt that a Lunarian and a Skypiean was nowhere near as ridiculous as a human and a giant.
Gaban just waved it off. "I know what you're thinking. But there are plenty of people like me in history. In fact..." Gaban's face filled with admiration. "There are those whose love was even braver, even deeper than ours."
"WHAT?!" Uta shrieked.
Even Louis felt a dark line form on his forehead. There's an even bigger master?
He had a sinking feeling he knew what Gaban was referring to. Sure enough, Gaban's next words confirmed it.
"Those who loved humans... and Ancient Giants. Their descendants... are the Oni."
"..."
After a long silence, Louis forcibly changed the subject. "Gaban, you didn't ask Lipuri to bring me here just to discuss this, did you?"
Gaban blinked, then smacked his fist into his palm. "Oh yeah! I almost forgot the important stuff!"
"So, what's the important stuff?" Uta asked.
"To chat," Gaban said, scratching his head with a brilliant smile, "and to see Shanks's cute daughter."
Louis: "..."
Uta stared blankly, then crossed her arms, deadpan. "And here I thought it was something serious. How is that different from what we were just doing?"
GAlan considered this. "In that case," he said, hopping onto the barrel, "should we go back to the last topic?"
"..."
Uta was completely speechless. Even Louis didn't know what to say and had to resist facepalming.
Lipuri's face fell into shadow. Her fists clenched, veins popping. The next second, her giant fist once again slammed Gaban's head, blasting him into the deck.
"THAT'S ENOUGH OUT OF YOU!!"
"..."
A moment later, Gaban, covered in lumps, shakily sat up, now very quiet. Gerd just shook her head and began rowing toward their original destination.
After a while, the now-subdued Gaban looked at Louis's incredibly young face and sighed. "This world... it's really unreasonable."
Uta, leaning against Louis, let out a yawn. "What's unreasonable?" Even if Gaban was her senior, his behavior made it impossible to treat him as one.
Gaban's only answer was two words: "Louis."
Uta raised an eyebrow, but before she could ask, Gerd called out. "We're here! Prepare to land!"
Minutes later, the giant Mist Ship slowly landed in a massive giant village. As Louis and the others disembarked, giants began to gather.
Unlike the women and children from before, these were all strong, adult warriors carrying heavy, varied weapons. Among the towering figures were some very familiar faces.
"Gababababa!"
"Gyegegegege!"
"Ohoho, Louis! Uta! We meet again!"
Two boisterous laughs rang out, pulling Louis and Uta back years, to memories of Little Garden and Enies Lobby.
Grand Line, Alabasta.
A slender, winged figure streaked across the sky. A blue, crystal-like object, trailing flames, fell from the heavens and embedded itself deep in the endless sea of sand.
Half an hour later, the crystal, buried in the sand, began to throb and emit a strange light. An irregular crack tore open in the middle of the desert, revealing a star-filled portal.
A fully-armed figure stepped out. Behind her, a young man and woman with horns, and a petite girl with a green ring device on her arm and obvious mechanical structures on her body, followed closely.
After the portal vanished, the armed figure raised a hand and removed her gas mask, revealing a beautiful face and long, pinned-up white hair.
Yelena looked up at the flight trail left in the sky and murmured to herself, "Jibril-kun's route finally passed over Alabasta."
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