The locals truly weren't very friendly. Giants, armed with swords, axes, and shields, nervously watched the approaching pirate ship. "Rocks Pirates! Why have you come to this country?!"
Even the proud, battle-hardened giants of Elbaf had to be cautious when facing the Rocks Pirates.
Rocks strode to the bow of the ship. "Harald, lower the Rainbow Bridge for me!"
Buzz!
Black lightning instantly surged skyward from Rocks' body, and the atmosphere began to tremble violently. The colossal Adam Wood seemed to be caught in a gale, swaying slightly. The giants on the shore, needless to say, instantly frothed at the mouth and fainted.
The Conqueror's Haki lightning instantly spanned the sky, striking a castle in the Sun Realm, on the second level of Elbaf.
Boom!
The entire castle shook violently, and the giant guards within screamed continuously. After a long while, a sigh finally came from deep within the castle. "Lower the Rainbow Bridge."
Outside the port.
"Hoo-hoo! How exaggerated!" Roa exclaimed, looking up. "There's probably no one else on the Blue Sea with Conqueror's Haki of this level, right?"
One person's ambition shaking an entire country—this was the man standing at the pinnacle of the sea! Roger might even be a bit weaker. Could Im, who had been traumatized by Joy Boy, achieve this level?
So, when would his own Conqueror's Haki awaken? After the version update, with Haki gaining the power to resist and even nullify Devil Fruit abilities, Conqueror's Haki had become even more sought after. Conqueror's Haki was good; one had to master it!
Whitebeard, behind Rocks, also showed a hint of awe in his eyes. Rocks was stronger than everyone else; it was precisely this unparalleled strength that made the unruly monsters willing to follow him. However, this power was no longer out of reach; rather, it was close at hand.
Therefore, the collapse of the Rocks Pirates was imminent, if not for the upcoming great war. "War, Rocks, how far can you go?" Whitebeard was somewhat expectant.
"Here it comes," Rocks withdrew his Conqueror's Haki and calmly looked up. "Just wait a little longer."
So they waited a little longer. Something was falling from the sky.
"Oh! It's a rainbow!" Roa's eyes suddenly lit up. He saw a rainbow descending from the sky. A fantastical bridge, a convergence of seven colors, stretched down from the Sun Realm on the second level of Elbaf, its end perfectly landing in the port.
"Is this the Rainbow Bridge?" Roa marveled. "This world truly never disappoints!"
"Let's go." At Rocks' command, the pirate ship sailed directly towards the Rainbow Bridge. It was incredibly peculiar. The slope of the rainbow could only be described as steep, yet the pirate ship smoothly moved from the sea onto the rainbow, then proceeded upwards without any obstruction, more illogical than the Reverse Mountain's canal.
Roa used his ability to transform into a flying tiger and flew directly onto the rainbow, running alongside the large ship. "How interesting!" This thing was actually drawn by a magical stone called Sunstone, literally drawing a rainbow. Elbaf was truly a wondrous place.
Following the rainbow upwards, they quickly reached the sky above Elbaf's Sun Realm. Below was the canopy of the middle layer, where a small village nestled on the incredibly thick branches of the Treasure Tree Adam. Of course, it was small to giants, but from Roa's perspective, each house was no different from a small mountain. This was Elbaf, the world's strongest warrior nation.
The end of the rainbow was outside a massive castle. The pirate ship slowly landed on the open ground outside the castle, where giants were already waiting.
"Rocks!" A giant, seemingly a castle guard, armed with a battle-axe and a greatsword, yelled at the top of his lungs, "King Harald told us to wait for you here!"
"Let's go, let the idiots realize the truth." Rocks leaped from the ship's bow. Roa and Whitebeard followed closely behind.
"Lead the way." The captain's tone was cool. The giants seemed somewhat unwilling to see the three of them, but still turned around. "Follow us."
But just then.
"It's you, isn't it! Rocks!" A figure excitedly ran out from behind the castle gate. "That commotion just now was caused by you, right?!"
"Oh?" Roa raised an eyebrow. It was indeed a giant, but a young one. His height was around fourteen or fifteen meters, significantly taller than Auntie Linlin, but considered small among giants. Especially, this young giant had a pair of horns on his forehead.
"Ancient Giant race bloodline?" Whitebeard softly murmured. Giants with ancient giant bloodlines were often much taller than their kin.
"Harald's eldest son," Rocks replied indifferently.
Loki? Roa scrutinized the young giant blocking their way. Even at a young age, his eyes were wrapped in bandages, and he dragged a huge black spiked club. The cursed prince, the giant race's regicide, Elbaf's disgrace... he was twenty-five this year, wasn't he? Giants lived three times longer than humans, so their growth period was also three times as long. Converting that to human age, this guy was about the same age as him?
"Prince Loki! Why are you here?" The giant guards seemed uneasy. This cursed prince usually stayed in the underworld, battling beasts known as "Mountain Lords," and rarely returned to the castle because no one liked him. Why today, of all days...
Loki ignored the guards, dragging his spiked club and approaching Rocks, looking down at the man in front of him. "I know you! Everyone says you're the most terrifying pirate in the world, leading the most terrifying pirate crew! Even in Elbaf, your name is known to all!"
"Hey! Rocks! Let me join your pirate crew too! I'm Loki! I'm the Sun God of Elbaf! I'm a warrior who will lead Elbaf to conquer the world in the future!"
"Sun God?" Rocks' mouth twitched. "I'm not interested in kids' games. Get lost."
"You're refusing me?" Loki was greatly shocked. "Are you refusing me, Loki?"
"My ship doesn't need kids. Don't make me say it a third time." Rocks' eyes had grown dangerous.
Roa chuckled. The captain, that guy, was a true egalitarian. Whether old or young, man or woman, if they angered him, he'd kill them all the same.
"Kid?" Loki instantly looked at Roa—though his eyes were bandaged, he indeed made the gesture. "Isn't this guy a kid too?"
Rocks paused, then a strange smile played on his lips. "Interesting. How about this: if you can defeat this kid, I'll let you join the crew."
"It's a deal then!" Along with a high-pitched laugh, the massive spiked club was already swung directly at Roa.
"What about my opinion?" Roa instantly retreated, transforming into a shadow and darting away to create distance. "Captain, what does this have to do with me?"
Boom! The heavy iron club directly smashed a huge hole in the wooden ground.
"Kid, if you lose, I'll kill you," Rocks said calmly.
"You're really making things difficult!" Roa hadn't expected to have a role in this.
"Don't run!" Loki excitedly pursued him.
"Seriously," Roa sighed. "Just fought the Marines yesterday, and now I have to fight again today?"
"Forget it, come and protect me." From the deck of the pirate ship behind them, several dark figures shot forth.