As the Straw Hats chatted with Dorry and Brogy, the rest of Elbaf gradually stirred.
Nearly half the village, previously trapped in a deep illusion cast by Shirogai, slowly regained consciousness.
One giant touched his neck in disbelief, then shouted with relief,
"Ah! I am still alive!"
He looked at another giant nearby and laughed excitedly,
"Ulf, you are alive too!"
Ulf frowned, still dazed.
"How can that be? I clearly rember being torn apart by a monster…"
He scanned the surroundings. Elbaf stood peaceful and untouched, no flas, no destruction, no monsters.
"What exactly did we experience? It feels real, yet distant…"
The other giants exchanged confused looks. They rembered fighting desperately against an invading evil force, only to be killed one after another.
Yet now, everything felt like a fading dream.
"Arlulu, were we dreaming?"
Unable to make sense of it, they turned to Elder Arlulu.
The old giant stroked his beard calmly.
"That is correct. You all experienced an extrely vivid illusion. Elbaf was never invaded, and your deaths were nothing more than nightmares."
His tone grew more serious.
"However, you should reflect on what those deaths revealed. Your combat awareness, your discipline, your training, all of it has grown lax."
He glanced over the village.
"Elbaf has known peace for too long. If this continues, the title of the strongest warrior nation may fade under your watch."
Unfortunately, his warning barely registered.
The giants were far too relieved, laughing and celebrating their survival.
"It was just a dream? It felt so real!"
"The pain, the fear, it all felt real… though it is already fading…"
"Hahaha! Dying and coming back feels incredible! I am going to eat until I burst!"
Relief spread across the village.
Still, fragnts of that illusion lingered.
The monstrous creatures they had faced reminded them of a certain individual.
Loki, the so-called cursed prince of Elbaf.
Even as a child, Loki had displayed terrifying strength. He had subdued massive beasts and unleashed them upon the village as twisted pranks, causing destruction, fires, and chaos.
Many believed he was the root of Elbaf's unrest.
If not for him, the kingdom might have shed its violent image long ago and stood proudly as a nation of strength and honor.
That had once been the vision of King Harald.
A vision that ended with his death at his own son's hands.
…
anwhile, the village had already erupted into celebration.
Giant chefs carried enormous platters of roasted at, shouting enthusiastically,
"Fresh venison! Co and eat, little human guests!"
"Ow! This is amazing!"
Luffy sat atop the table, devouring a mountain of at with unstoppable enthusiasm.
In monts, he had already eaten deep into it, tunneling through the pile as he chewed happily.
"This is so good! The texture is incredible! It is only slightly below Shirogai's and Sanji's cooking!"
The giant children stared in shock.
"He ate that much already?"
"That portion could feed all of us!"
Their eyes widened in disbelief.
"So this is the appetite of a little human…"
Nearby, other giants gathered around the crew, fascinated.
Few humans ever visited Elbaf, let alone famous pirates.
Around Shirogai, a group of giants stood with curiosity and respect.
"Shirogai San, how does your force travel through the sky?"
"Do your ships sail on clouds like ours sail on the rainbow roads?"
"We heard you can stand on clouds. Can giants do that too?"
Their voices carried excitent and admiration.
Shirogai remained relaxed, listening with a faint smile, his usual nonchalant deanor intact.
Not far away, Nami had beco the center of attention.
She was drinking alongside several giants, each holding a cup.
For the giants, it was normal.
For Nami, each cup was the size of a barrel.
Yet she drank without hesitation.
"I did not expect a human woman to drink like this!"
"Her tolerance is incredible!"
The giants watched in amazent as Nami outdrank them one after another.
Nami smirked slightly, clearly enjoying herself.
"So this is the navigator of the Straw Hats. Impressive!"
Elsewhere, Usopp was surrounded by giants eager to hear stories.
"You ca from Fish-Man Island, ten thousand ters under the sea?"
"That is right!"
Usopp puffed up proudly.
"I have seen the underwater world. It is beautiful, like a dream!"
He gestured dramatically.
"And those massive sea monsters bigger than you? I fought them. I took down three with my own hands!"
"Woooah!!!"
The giants were completely captivated.
"Warrior Usopp!"
Their admiration only fueled his confidence further.
anwhile, Luffy leaned back with a full stomach, surrounded by more giants.
"You are Straw Hat Luffy, the one who caused chaos at Marineford?"
"Hehehe, that is !"
"We saw your transformation through the Den Den Mushi projection!"
The giants leaned in with excitent.
"Your form resembles Nika, the Sun God from our legends. White hair, white clothes, surrounded by clouds, always laughing…"
They looked at him expectantly.
"Can you show us that transformation now?"
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