Makoto sought out Elbaf's current highest administrator… Jarul.
This elderly giant elder gazed grimly into the distance, lost in thought.
"Yo."
Makoto smiled and walked over, sitting down beside him.
"I thought you might try to ambush me while I was sleeping."
Jarul remained silent.
He wasn't that stupid.
For a master who had trained Observation Haki to its peak, a sneak attack was simply impossible.
And… if he dared to attack recklessly, Makoto would surely dye Elbaf red.
"What exactly do you want?"
Jarul finally spoke, his voice low and hoarse.
"Straightforward."
Makoto smiled and said bluntly:
"The purpose of my visit to Elbaf… is that Devil Fruit passed down through your nation for generations."
Jarul's face immediately darkened.
"Impossible."
Jarul's tone was resolute, "You kill our king, and now you want to steal our nation's treasure passed down for generations… you're going too far."
Makoto waved his hand nonchalantly, "After all these years, no giant has ever been able to eat that thing. It's just sitting there anyway, so you might as well give it to me."
Jarul gritted his teeth, still unwilling to agree.
They wanted revenge against Makoto. If he got that Devil Fruit, he would be even harder to deal with.
The two sides were at an impasse.
Just then, a gentle female voice came from the side.
"Elder Jarul, please agree."
Makoto and Jarul turned their heads simultaneously.
Harald's widow… Ida.
She wore a simple and elegant long dress. Her features were far from stunning, but her temperament was extremely gentle.
"Queen?!"
Jarul was very surprised, not understanding why the queen would agree.
Ida approached, bowed slightly, then looked at Makoto, her tone calm.
"If we don't agree, Nishikawa-sama will surely make Elbaf run red with blood. I don't want to see more of our people die."
Makoto smiled and praised, "As expected of the queen, you're much more reasonable than certain old men."
Makoto then turned to look at Jarul, saying lightly:
"Don't think of me as a murderer, okay? Even if you stubbornly refuse, the most I'll do is take care of the giants who stand in my way. The giants who don't attack me… I won't do anything to them."
At that moment, Pochita, following at Makoto's feet, suddenly spoke in human language, "Makoto-kun didn't intend to kill that big guy back then. The big guy insisted on fighting Makoto-kun, so he got killed."
Everyone was startled by Pochita suddenly speaking human language.
Jarul's eyes widened, and Ida also looked surprised.
"Th-this... this dog can actually talk?"
Pochita couldn't be bothered to explain further.
Makoto waved his hand, signaling Pochita not to bother explaining to these people.
Makoto stretched and said, "Lead the way."
Ida was silent for a moment, then nodded.
Under Ida's guidance, Makoto led his group of female players, the Rocks Pirates' remnants, and a large number of the Kuja Pirates, grandly arriving at Aurust Castle, where Harald had lived during his lifetime.
"That Devil Fruit is hidden deep within the castle, guarded by a divine weapon that has protected Elbaf for tens of thousands of years."
Ida explained as she walked.
Hearing this explanation, the group was a bit puzzled.
'A weapon guarding a Devil Fruit? What was going on?'
Makoto explained to them: "It's a weapon that ate a Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit and gained self-awareness. Only those recognized by it can eat that fruit."
The women understood.
But they couldn't help wondering, 'How could a weapon eat a Devil Fruit?'
Finally, Ida led the group to a huge stone door.
She stopped, turned to Makoto, and said, "Nishikawa-sama, Ragnir and that fruit are inside."
Makoto nodded, turned to look at the Aizono sisters behind him.
"Airi, Marina, come with me. Everyone else stay outside."
"Yes!"
Airi and Marina answered in unison, their faces showing both nervousness and excitement.
When they heard that Makoto planned to let that girl Airi eat that Devil Fruit, Kaido and the others couldn't help but inwardly marvel: 'You sure spend big on your women!'
After this period of instruction, everyone in the Rocks Pirates had come to understand the abilities of Makoto's women.
In the eyes of Kaido and the others, the only ones with potential to become top-tier strong were a very few like Saeko, Kotonoha, Reze, and Ran.
The Aizono sisters were clearly not in that category.
Yet Makoto wanted to give such a terrifying fruit to that little blonde girl.
That's just too extravagant.
Just before entering the door, Makoto turned back and said to Ida.
"As long as Elbaf doesn't provoke me, I won't do anything to them."
Ida remained silent.
The stone door slowly opened.
Makoto led the Aizono sisters into the room.
The room was huge, as large as several football fields.
The walls were covered with portraits of successive kings of Elbaf.
At the end of the room, there was a stone platform, and on it sat a treasure chest.
What was inside needed no further explanation.
And in front of the stone platform, a giant iron hammer floated.
The hammer was pitch black all over, radiating a cold, sharp gleam.
As if it had a life of its own, it trembled slightly in the air, emitting a low hum.
Just as the three entered the room, the iron hammer suddenly flew towards them.
Extremely fast, with a whooshing sound of wind.
Makoto immediately manifested his Susanoo. A gray-black energy skeleton instantly took shape, its crossed arms blocking in front of him.
Boom—!!!
The hammer struck Susanoo's arms, producing a deafening sound.
The entire castle shook with the impact.
Airi and Marina hugged each other in fear, their faces pale.
The surface of Susanoo was covered with dense, fine cracks.
"It's rare to see something that can crack Susanoo this much with one hit."
Makoto commented.
"This is Ragnir?"
Marina was astonished, unable to stop herself from asking.
'Was I qualified to use such a powerful weapon?'
The great iron hammer named Ragnir, as if possessing self-awareness, spun around to put distance between itself and Susanoo.
Then, its surface was coated with ice.
Ragnir once again unleashed astonishing power, charging at Makoto with bone-chilling cold.
Makoto formed hand seals, his right eye turning into the pattern of the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.
"Fire Release: Amaterasu Flame Dragon Bullet!"
Black flames surged from his palm, transforming into a roaring black dragon, charging at Ragnir.
Inextinguishable flame.
Unmeltable ice.
Two opposing forces collided mid-air.
Boom—!!!
The clash of ice and fire produced an ear-splitting roar.
The entire castle shook violently. Cracks spread across the walls, and rubble fell from the ceiling.
The Aizono sisters huddled behind Makoto, stunned.
Ragnir was knocked flying backward by the dragon, smashing a large crater into the wall.
But the next second, it flew out again, the ice on its hammer body thicker than before.
The dragon pounced again.
Ice and fire, colliding again and again.
The entire castle trembled.
The people outside looked at each other, not knowing what was happening inside.