Charlotte Linlin grinned with satisfaction after hearing Dorry's words. But Golden Lion Shiki, who had been hoping for a fight, frowned. Weren't these two giants supposed to attack Linlin on sight?
"Are they… the rare kind of giants that actually think before they act?" Shiki muttered.
Brook, however, wasn't celebrating just yet. He glanced at Redfield and silently asked: What are these two really planning?
Were they lying under pressure from the Hell Pirates? Or did they genuinely believe Jorul's death, tragic as it was, didn't warrant the entire Giant Tribe waging war on Linlin?
After all, not every fallen giant demands collective revenge. Countless giants have gone to sea as pirates. During the War of Hegemony, tons of them from Elbaf who joined the Ice Demon Pirates died. Yet no one blamed the entire enemy camp.
Some giants joined the Navy. Others aligned with various pirate crews—hell, even the Rocks Pirates had giants. They just made it a point to avoid fighting each other when possible, choosing instead to clash with outside enemies.
So to demand every giant hate Charlotte Linlin over Jorul's death? It was a stretch.
Still, it showed just how respected Jorul was. His influence hadn't faded. Maybe it was the work of his sworn brother Jarul, another former Giant Pirates captain, who had turned Elbaf against Linlin with years of propaganda.
"Brother Brook," Redfield whispered, his eyes glowing red, "they're not lying. Their hearts are torn. They want to return to Elbaf and verify the truth about Elder Jorul's death. If Linlin really did kill him… then they'll demand a duel. A clean fight to settle the grudge."
Redfield paused, then added, "They'll fight on behalf of Elbaf. If Linlin wins, the feud ends. If she loses, she dies to avenge Jorul."
Brook exhaled. "That's good. There's still hope for peace with Elbaf."
He smirked. "Let's knock 'em out and dig through their memories for Elbaf's martial arts techniques. No need to kill them… yet."
Brook had no issue burning the bridge with Elbaf if necessary—but if there was a shot at reconciliation, he was willing to take it. Linlin clearly preferred that route, too.
"Dorry, Brogy," Brook called out. "There's no point in you two fighting each other here. You should head back to Elbaf. Your inaction after the Giant Pirates disbanded scattered your crewmates. Some joined the Navy, others joined pirates—and one of them got tricked into becoming a damn guard dog on Enies Lobby!"
"Can't you two use your heads a little?"
The two giants stiffened. The mention of their comrades becoming marines or watchdogs made their tempers flare.
"You lie!" Dorry barked. "Why would our crew join the Navy?"
"Believe it or not, that's what happened," Brook replied coolly. "Now, I officially challenge both of you to a duel. The winner among you will be decided by me!"
Redfield raised a brow but said nothing. Brook wanted to stop them from wasting time, but he also had his eyes on recruiting the Elbaf warriors. With the Rocks Pirates rising, the Ice Demon Pirates might not last. Brook wanted a share of the spoils—and a giant army would be a hell of a boost.
Dorry and Brogy glanced at each other, then nodded.
"Fine. We accept your challenge."
They were both curious anyway—who was stronger? Once that was settled, they could head back to Elbaf and call their former allies to rebuild the Giant Pirates.
Shiki, off to the side, clicked his tongue. "Tch. Boring. Fooled by a few sweet words…"
Still, even he had his reasons. If Linlin could make peace with Elbaf, maybe he could recruit a few giants too. He was jealous of the Ice Demon Pirates' massive army. During the Battle of Marineford, even when the Navy went all-in, they only had a dozen giants—but each one was a beast, charging into battle without fear even when torn apart.
Brook, Dorry, and Brogy headed to an open area. Brook summoned his restored Underworld General, David Kyons. The ghost warrior clashed with both giants, pushing them back. Even Broki's weapon couldn't handle the force—Shiki had already damaged it during an earlier scuffle.
Brook recalled the Underworld General. "Time to end this myself."
With a flash of movement, he shattered Dorry greatsword, making the giant roar in frustration. Then Brook went full offense, hammering the two into unconsciousness before they could even activate their Conqueror's Clash.
"Redfield, dig into their memories. Find Elbaf's martial arts training," Brook ordered. "Also, grab those broken weapons. Vegapunk's gonna forge some new ones—add alloy, make 'em better. It'll be a goodwill gift."
If Elbaf refused reconciliation in the end, so be it. Linlin might be sad, but Brook would just raid Elbaf himself.
Conflict breeds division. Not every giant would hold the same grudge. If some joined the Navy and others turned pirate, then Elbaf was already split into factions. Brook was confident he could find a friendly camp.
"Where strength rules, friends are easy to make," he muttered.
Following that thought, Brook had the Hell Pirates help the giants build a massive raft out of trees from the island. They even added food, water, and the reforged weapons. With Shiki's Float-Float Fruit and the muscle of Linlin and Newgate, it was easy work.
The next day, Dorry and Brogy woke up on the raft, confused but fully supplied.
Brook stood above them and spoke without emotion. "Dorry, you're stronger. That's the verdict. Now go home. Tell Elbaf the truth. Settle this."
Before they could argue, Newgate created a small tsunami, pushing the raft out to sea.
As for whether they had a Log Pose or how they'd reach Elbaf—Brook didn't give a damn.
He had other plans now.
It was time to head for the West Blue.
------------------------
Flying Toward the Golden Island
Charlotte Linlin was absolutely ecstatic. For once, she saw a chance to reconcile with the giants and finally live in peace with them.
And all of this was thanks to Brook.
"Here, Brother Brook, try some fruit~"
Linlin grinned as she offered Brook a giant chunk of fruit, one so big it dwarfed his head. But Brook, ever unfazed, opened his rubbery mouth wide and chomped it down in a single bite. Linlin clapped her hands with delight.
Meanwhile, Vegapunk was hard at work again. After collecting tons of dinosaur blood and tissue samples, he wasn't about to let the two fainted giants off the hook. He quietly drew several buckets of their blood.
One of the side projects Brook had assigned him was something called the "Giantification Experiment." It wasn't high on the list of priorities, but Vegapunk figured—why not? He'd study it when time allowed.
Interestingly, the martial arts style used by the giants of Elbaf seemed tailor-made for physically powerful "small giants" like Newgate and Linlin. On the other hand, warriors like Shiki and Redfield were more focused on speed and finesse. They couldn't fully utilize Elbaf's power techniques, but they could still adapt elements of it into their swordsmanship.
Even tough fish-men like shipwright Tom found the giants' techniques worth learning. Kaido and Fisher Tiger eagerly volunteered to train in it too. With Brook's permission, everyone aboard was allowed to explore all kinds of training.
Three types of Haki—including Advanced Armament—combined with the Navy's Six Styles, Elbaf martial arts, Fishman Karate and Judo, and even sword arts from Wano Country. Brook ordered Redfield to compile and organize them all into a proper system for the ship.
This diverse skill library became the foundation of the Hell Pirates, leaving Kaido, the greenhorn, wide-eyed and speechless. He could barely swing a club properly, yet here he was, thrown into elite-level training. He chose the explosive Elbaf martial arts and threw himself into training hard, hoping to awaken his Conqueror's Haki as soon as possible.
Brook skimmed through the compiled training systems. What remained was the most elusive—Advanced Conqueror's Haki Infusion. In the New World, only Rocks, Diger, and the Old Ice Demon had mastered it. But who should Brook challenge next?
Saracha had been begging his so-called "ally" Diger to teach him Advanced Conqueror's Haki. He wanted to strengthen himself enough to fight Rocks. But Diger wasn't budging. He refused to pass the technique down unless Rocks was at his doorstep and ready to crush him.
Saracha was furious, but powerless to do anything.
Diger, meanwhile, was sweating bullets. He didn't have a single person under his command who had awakened Conqueror's Haki. Yet the Hell Pirates had several. That fact drove him mad with jealousy.
At Twin Capes, Before Reverse Mountain
At the Twin Capes, Lighthouse reclined in a beach chair, flipping through a medical book. With two newspapers a day and barely any action, life had gotten a bit too peaceful for him.
To kill time, he'd started reading medical books left behind by the Hell Pirates. At first, he barely understood anything. But a year later, he was practically an expert—and genuinely fascinated.
He was even ready to start clinical trials. The only problem? No patients. So for now, he remained a doctor in theory, not in practice.
Ever since the New World's chaos started making headlines, more pirates had chosen to stay in the Four Seas. As a result, fewer ships attempted to pass through Reverse Mountain, making Lighthouse's job... very quiet.
Not that he minded. The rookie pirates that did make it here weren't worth his attention. If any of them thought about messing with the Twin Capes, he'd make sure they understood why the flowers were so red.
Guarding the lighthouse came with perks too. He had more than enough food and could even make some extra cash. Not every pirate ship survived the trip through Reverse Mountain. Those wrecks left behind plenty of supplies—and money.
Lighthouse jokingly called it "free luxury express delivery."
Now it made sense how Crocus had so much money for medical books and research gear. Being the lighthouse keeper had its hidden perks.
Lighthouse hummed as he read, enjoying the peace. Suddenly, the sky darkened. He looked up and blinked. A golden island—gleaming like treasure—hovered above.
He immediately recognized it.
The Hell Pirates' Golden Island.
Last time they showed up, Brook had taken Crocus with him. Were they back to pick him up too? His heart pounded with excitement. Retirement on Golden Island didn't sound half bad.
But no. He couldn't just leave. He'd promised Crocus to protect the Twin Capes. He had to stick to his word. He was a man of principle.
Still... if Crocus did send someone to take over the job, and insisted that Lighthouse retire... well, he wouldn't refuse too hard. After all, he was only in his early 40s.
"Uncle Lighthouse!"
Crocus leapt from the golden airship and wrapped his arms around him.
"Crocus! Look at you—strong as ever. What brings you back?" Lighthouse smiled, but deep down he was hoping the visit meant retirement plans.
"We're heading to the West Blue and just passing by," Crocus said with a grin. "I can't stay too long, or the Navy might link us and cause trouble for you."
He unloaded a few crates—rare potions, defensive poisons, gold, and two personal guides for training Haki. Then, with a final wave, he boarded the ship and vanished into the sky once more.
Lighthouse stood still, watching the Golden Island drift over the mountain and out of sight. He sighed.
"Damn brat didn't even let me visit," he muttered. He had been daydreaming about a peaceful retirement, only to realize they were just passing through.
Still, he glanced at the gifts Crocus had left behind and smiled. Maybe he really was meant for a slower life here.
Meanwhile, back on the Golden Island, Crocus couldn't help but laugh. He knew Lighthouse wasn't cut out for pirate life.
"I'm sorry, Uncle," he said softly, the smile never leaving his face. "But I'm glad you're still guarding that lighthouse."
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