'Cloud paths, mist ships...'
Bazel frowned, lowering his head. He felt like he had grasped something extremely important.
'That's it!'
'Sunstones!!!'
"You're asking me what Sunstones are?"
Jarul was clearly surprised by Bazel's leap in thinking. He was stunned for a few moments before slowly speaking.
"A very special type of ore. It can convert sunlight into a special energy, which can then be applied to various uses."
"The Rainbow Bridge you saw is just one of the uses of Sun Stones, but this thing also has a drawback."
"It cannot be used in weather without sunlight."
"In other words, if you plan to use the Rainbow Bridge inscribed with Sunstones as a bridge between Sky Islands and the land in the future, it might fail on rainy or snowy days."
"That's it!"
Bazel's face was full of excitement, but behind this excitement lay a contemplation others couldn't understand.
Solar Technology!!
He finally realized what he had overlooked!
Sunstone, this special ore that can convert sunlight into 'energy'!
Elbaf is known as the birthplace of war and the world's strongest nation. It definitely isn't just because of the terrifying strength of the giants here.
Supposedly…
The energy developed from Sunstones isn't only used for creating the Rainbow Bridge, but has other uses as well?
When he arrived in the Sun World, Bazel had seen many huge cannon barrels hidden among the canopy of the World Tree.
And in the original story, the massive Seastone chains that bound Loki...
It's important to know that Loki wasn't captured and brought back by Shanks and the Giants until 1516 of the Sea Circle Calendar.
By then, Wano Country had been under the control of the Beasts Pirates for twenty years.
It was impossible for them to send craftsmen to help the Giant Tribe forge Seastone chains.
Moreover, the chains that bound Loki weren't on a scale for normal humans.
This means the Giant Tribe has craftsmen skilled in forging!
They probably used the special energy of Sunstones to create those giant cannons and Seastone chains!
And for some reason, those special giant cannons couldn't be used on sailing ships…
A sudden flash of understanding crossed Bazel's eyes.
'Unable to leave Elbaf?'
'Unable to leave the World Tree!'
'This gigantic World Tree... are Sunstones a special existence dependent on the World Tree?!'
'Once this special ore leaves a certain range of the World Tree, the special energy inside it slowly dissipates.'
'When the energy is completely gone, the Sunstone turns into ordinary rock.'
'At most, it's just a harder ore.'
'And those giant cannons made with special energy… perhaps their power source is the sun itself!'
'Elbaf, as one of the few places that worships the Sun God Nika, having special 'Solar Technology' doesn't seem strange at all.'
'Sunstones can be used as transportation in peacetime and as a special energy source during war.'
With this thought, Bazel felt many ideas in his mind become clear.
'Why does the World Government want the power of the Giant Tribe? Why did Scopper Gaban choose to seclude himself in Elbaf after the Roger Pirates reached Laugh Tale?'
'It's all because of this World Tree itself!'
'No wonder Harald could easily offer to provide me with a batch of Sun Stones. So that's the reason.'
'It seems the top of this World Tree, that special place called the Heaven World, holds secrets beyond my current understanding.'
Perhaps the source of Sunstones is that place closest to the sun.
After figuring this out, Bazel calmly suppressed his reaction.
Despite Harald's current amiable appearance, and the conversation seemingly under his control, Bazel knew.
The Heaven World was absolutely a taboo for the Giants.
If he dared to mention anything related to the Heaven World or the legendary Devil Fruit, Harald would absolutely turn hostile without hesitation.
He was no longer the simple Giant King of the past, but a qualified politician.
He knew what face to use when dealing with him.
But if a taboo was touched, the Giant King would definitely revert to the overbearing Giant who once roamed the seas decades ago.
And then make him witness what true Giant's Power really is.
"Did you think of something?" Jarul asked at the right moment.
"No, just some ideas. I was previously worrying about the issue of new energy sources."
Speaking 90% truth and 10% falsehood is the way to gain the trust and goodwill of the person you're talking to.
Bazel knew this well, so he didn't lie completely on this matter.
"Elder Jarul, you just said Sunstones can convert sunlight into special energy and then form a rainbow, right?"
"If, and I mean if, could it be converted into a power source for other things?"
Tom's eyes widened instantly beside him, and he looked at Jarul with bated breath.
'That's right!'
'If sunlight could be converted into energy, then Water 7 would be saved!!!'
'We could build Water 7 into an unsinkable giant ship!'
'Paired with the special energy conversion device of Sunstones, no matter how many Aqua Lagunas they encountered in the future, Water 7 could definitely ride the waves!'
"This..." Jarul looked troubled, the frequency of his hand stroking his beard increasing significantly.
"Forgive my bluntness, but it's probably very difficult. The structure of Sunstones is very special, and I can't guarantee that."
"If you're still determined, you can have your scientists try to research it."
"You might be pleasantly surprised."
"Bazel!"
Tom grabbed Bazel's shoulders, his eyes full of hope, "You must have Acier research this special conversion device! With it, I can build Water 7 into a giant ship!"
"Paired with new energy, it will definitely allow that island to stand forever on the sea!"
"And the energy problem of sea cars can also be solved with it, just by adding an energy storage device."
"In sunny weather, it automatically stores energy. As long as the device doesn't break, sea cars could theoretically sail endlessly!"
'Ensure the device doesn't break?'
Bazel's expression turned strange.
Guaranteeing quality and longevity wasn't his goal.
If a sea car could easily last ten or twenty years, how would he make money?
They should require annual inspections and periodic replacement of new devices. Otherwise, if problems occur, the Beasts Energy Company takes no responsibility.
They also must set a service life… for example, after 8 or 9 years, the sea car must be scrapped.
If you still want to use one, please purchase a new Beasts car.
Don't ask why.
The answer is component aging. If you want an early death, keep driving it.
'Heh, I really am a money-making genius.'
Looking at Bazel grinning foolishly, Tom let go of his shoulders, glancing suspiciously at his own hands.
'Did I shake him silly?'
"Cough."
"Sorry, my thoughts wandered a bit just now. Having too many heads also has its annoyances. Please understand."
After blaming the Yamata no Orochi Fruit, Bazel picked up his wine bowl and clinked glasses repeatedly with Harald.
"Come, come, drink! Today, we don't leave until we're drunk!"
Early the next morning, the drunks in the study of Aurust Castle hadn't sobered up yet.
In contrast, the Beasts Pirates outside Western Village were bustling with activity.
Hanafuda had somehow found a teacher's outfit, holding a wooden stick, with a large blackboard behind him.
"You little brats listen to me!"
"Yes, Hanafuda-sensei!"
Seven or eight giant children sat up straight, holding notebooks the size of a human.
"So-called adventure is men setting sail with the fearless belief of certain death!"
"Sensei~"
A giant girl raised her hand and asked, "Can girls go on adventures too?"
"That's a good question!"
The praised giant girl giggled and sat back down.
Hanafuda first gave the 'little' girl a thumbs-up for encouragement.
"Girls can also go to sea if they have the same belief! But I must warn you brats."
"Setting sail isn't a game of house!"
"Once you choose to take this step, it means you have to say goodbye to your parents and family. You might not see them for many years!"
"Don't come crying to me later wanting to go home! I couldn't bear the shame!"
"…"
Not far away, Toki watched Hanafuda teaching the giant children, covering her face in pain.
"This idiot~"
"He himself can barely recognize a few big words! Where does he get the courage to teach giant children?!"
"Bazel would be so shocked his jaw would hit the floor if he knew."
"Don't worry about it. Western Village hasn't been this lively in a long time, hahaha~"
Sitting nearby, Gerd carefully poked Olga's slightly chubby cheek with her finger.
Olga stared with dead fish eyes, "I'm not a toy. Please maintain basic respect for human childr…"
King muttered with deadpan tone, "A two-hundred-year-old granny trying to act young."
Olga clenched her fists, her hair rising without wind, and a demon seemed to appear behind her.
"Bastard King, don't you run! This time I'm definitely going to bite your butt off!!!"