Chapter 219: Chapter 219: Ancient Island, Little Garden
Brook only hoped Vegapunk could step up his game. He wanted those artificial Devil Fruits to outshine Caesar’s shoddy work.
Sure, they might not rival the Pink Dragon Fruit that little pervert Momonosuke chomped down, but at least they shouldn’t saddle users with dual consciousness or grotesque, permanent half-beast forms. Every artificial fruit user so far seemed stuck in beast mode, unable to revert to human shape!
"Listen up, everyone! This trip isn’t just about me recharging my soul power. We need to collect samples from every ancient dinosaur species for Vegapunk’s research!
This island’s old—real old. The viruses and bugs here are ancient too, and some might be untreatable by modern medicine. Stay sharp!
Oh, and one more thing: two giants live here, locked in a duel. They’re the former captains of the Giant Warrior Pirates, each with a 100-million-Belly bounty from forty or fifty years back. Find them fast!"
At Brook’s command, the crew disembarked from the Golden Ark. Even the newest member, Kaido, bounced with excitement, ready for adventure. Vegapunk joined them on the ground, eager to study the island’s wildlife firsthand.
Little Mermaid Ariel stayed aboard the Golden Ark, along with Antonio and Vegapunk’s parents, who watched the crew’s movements via screens.
Antonio’s flock of a dozen News Coo seagulls, paired with camera Den Den Mushi, had gotten the hang of live-streaming missions. They gathered intel while feeding footage to Mortomas for his archives.
...\
On the island, Ashura Jakun led the samurai and musket teams, collecting dinosaur blood and stockpiling meat—a two-for-one deal.
Under the crushing pressure of Charlotte Linlin and Brook’s unleashed auras, ancient beasts scattered in panic. Linlin siphoned their lifespans with her Soul-Soul powers, and Brook finished them off with a single, soul-chilling strike.
The rear support team handled the cleanup: harvesting blood, carving corpses into ingredients. Redfield, Golden Lion Shiki, and Newgate, however, had no interest in slaughtering animals. They set off to track down the giants.
Rookie crewmates Tiger and Kaido sparred with ancient beasts, honing their combat skills. Fishman Tom kept watch, ready to step in if things went south.
Ship doctor Crocus and scientist Vegapunk teamed up to study the island’s toxins and creatures, with sniper Silva covering their backs.
Vampire Shakky and Siren Stussy slipped off to explore the island on their own. As Mythical Zoan users, no one worried about them.
Back at base, head chef Streusen got to work with local ingredients, whipping up a dinosaur feast. Soon, mouthwatering aromas wafted across the ancient island, tempting every nose in range!
Memory Seahorse, perched atop his Qilin Lion, soared overhead, scanning for something to pique his interest—like a flight-granting Devil Fruit or a winged lackey.
...\
The island’s commotion didn’t go unnoticed. Blue Ogre Dorry and Red Ogre Brogy, stirred by the chaos, grabbed their battered longsword and giant axe and emerged from their camps.
They saw birds fleeing the forest, heard the anguished roars of beasts, and watched trees topple in waves, kicking up clouds of dust.
"Brogy, looks like some serious players just rolled into island!"
Blue Ogre Dorry, his long beard swaying, called out to Red Ogre Brogy, whose leopard-like eyes and steel-bristled mustache gleamed fiercely.
As former captains of the Giant Warrior Pirates fifty years ago, they mastered Elbaf’s signature techniques. Their combined Hakoku could pierce a goldfish the size of an island.
Even Big Mom and Kaido had cribbed the giants’ moves, crafting a joint technique called Hakai that could wipe out the Supernova Alliance in a flash. Zoro barely lasted a second against it, buying just enough time for Luffy, Kid, and the others to escape—at the cost of heavy wounds.
"Dorry, the volcano’s quiet today. Let’s pause our duel and check out who’s causing this ruckus!"
Red Ogre Brogy bellowed back. Despite dueling for over forty years over some kid’s boneheaded question, they remained true Elbaf brothers at heart.
Blue Ogre Dorry nodded, and the two thundered toward the noisy ancient forest. But their massive footsteps didn’t go unheard. A few figures zeroed in on them.
A bolt of lightning crackled atop a tall tree, revealing a human shape. A wild-haired blond man floated down from the sky. From the forest, a pint-sized giant leaped forward, landing before the towering duo.
"Gurarara! Been a while since I felt this small next to someone! Still, you’re no match for the Ice Demon Pirates’ snow giants!"
At six-and-a-half meters, Whitebeard Newgate stood before the twenty-meter-tall Dorry and Brogy, grinning at his own "shortness."
"Jahaha! You must be Blue Ogre Dorry and Red Ogre Brogy, captains of the Giant Warrior Pirates, right?"
If Brook hadn’t mentioned Charlotte Linlin’s beef with the giants, Golden Lion Shiki would’ve tried recruiting them himself. Word was, a five-or-six-year-old Linlin accidentally killed the previous-previous Giant Warrior Pirates captain, 344-year-old Jorul, in Elbaf, sparking the giants’ grudge against her.
Dorry and Brogy, dueling in Little Garden, likely hadn’t heard the news yet. Otherwise, they’d be charging back to Elbaf to avenge their hero Jorul.
"Hahaha! That’s us! What’s your business with us?"
Sensing no goodwill, Dorry and Brogy exchanged a glance, their guard up. These three were no pushovers—dangerous foes.
"Gurarara! How ’bout a test of strength?"
Before Shiki could speak, Newgate jumped in. Everyone raved about the giants’ legendary power, but Newgate, gifted with freakish strength himself, wanted to see how he stacked up against them.
"You’re here to challenge us? Perfect! No duel today, so we’ll take you on!"
The giants, honest and battle-hungry, never backed down from a fight. A "little giant" like Newgate daring to test their strength?
Seeing Newgate gear up to arm-wrestle giants, I knew my own strength couldn’t compare. Still, I wasn’t about to let him hog the spotlight.
"They say Elbaf’s martial arts are something else. One of you, step up and face me!"
Golden Lion Shiki wagged a finger, taunting the giants. Redfield, arms crossed like an icy mountain, watched the brewing showdown with a cool gaze.
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