Location: Little Garden
"Gebababa! Human! You're amazing!"
Red Ogre Brogy, his face bruised and swollen, raised his barrel of wine high.
"Gegyagyagya! That's right!" Blue Ogre Dorry, equally battered, clinked his barrel against Brogy's. "It's been a hundred years since we lost so thoroughly!"
Just moments ago, the two captains had teamed up. And once again, they were crushed.
Storm didn't use his Clay Titans this time. He used pure physical force—7-Star Strength amplified by 100x Speed. The impact was like a meteor strike.
"Calling me 'human' over and over..." Storm smiled, shaking his head. He grabbed a barrel and toasted them. "My name is Vongola Storm."
"Brogy!"
"Dorry!"
The three drank, laughter echoing through the prehistoric jungle.
"Brogy. Dorry."
Storm wiped his mouth and looked at them seriously.
"I know the Giant Warrior Pirates disbanded a hundred years ago. But the world is changing. Would you like to board my ship?"
He extended the invitation. Two 6-Star combatants with the backing of Elbaf would be invaluable.
"Gebababa! Storm, I like you!" Brogy laughed, then shook his head. "But my duel with Dorry isn't over. I can't leave Little Garden until I win."
"Gegyagya! Me too!" Dorry agreed. "A warrior's duel is sacred!"
For giants, a hundred years is nothing. They were in their prime. They would fight here for another century if left alone.
"What a pity," Storm sighed.
'Recruitment failed. But I can't let them waste away here.'
"Brogy, Dorry. Do you still care about your crew?"
The laughter stopped.
"Of course! They are our family!" the giants roared in unison.
"Do you know what happened to them after you left?"
Brogy and Dorry shook their heads. They had been isolated for a century.
"Let me tell you a story," Storm said, his voice dropping low.
"Fifty years ago, two of your crew members grew worried about you. They set sail to find their captains. Their names were Oimo and Kashii."
The giants leaned in, eyes wide. "Oimo... Kashii..."
"They were captured by the World Government," Storm lied—well, told the partial truth. "The Government tricked them. They told Oimo and Kashii that you two had been captured. They said if they guarded the Gates of Justice at Enies Lobby for 100 years, you would be set free."
"For fifty years, your loyal subordinates have been working as slaves for the Marines, guarding a gate, believing they are saving you."
Silence.
The air on Little Garden grew heavy.
"THE NAVY! DAMN GOVERNMENT!"
"HOW DARE THEY?! OIMO! KASHII!"
Brogy and Dorry exploded with rage. Their Haki flared, cracking the ground beneath them.
"Calm down!"
Storm activated his Awakening, turning the ground into sticky clay to hold them back.
"They are at Enies Lobby. If you want to save them, you can't just swim there."
The rage turned to grief. The two tough captains collapsed, tears streaming down their faces like waterfalls.
"Gebababa... Oimo..."
"Gegyagya... We failed them..."
SPLASH!
Giant tears flooded the clearing. It was literally a localized rainstorm.
"What the hell?!" Crocodile dodged a tear the size of a bathtub. "I hate water!"
Storm calmly raised a ceramic umbrella, shielding Robin.
After a few minutes, the crying stopped. The giants looked at Storm with burning eyes.
"Storm! You have a ship, right?"
"Give us a ride! We are going to destroy that... Enies Lobby!"
Location: The Baroque Gustave, At Sea
The ship—now carrying two massive Giants huddled on the deck—sailed away from Little Garden.
Inside the cabin, Crocodile peeked through the blinds at the monsters outside.
"White Dragon. Is what you said true?"
"If you suspect me, go check yourself," Storm sat on the sofa, relaxing. "Oimo and Kashii are guarding the main gate of Enies Lobby. That is a fact."
"I knew there were giants guarding the gate," Crocodile muttered. "I didn't know they were those giants."
"The World Government plays dirty," Storm smirked. "Tricking giants to secure Elbaf's loyalty... it's their standard operating procedure."
"Anyway, I can't escort them to Enies Lobby right now. I have other targets."
Storm looked at Crocodile.
"Old Fish, you handle the logistics. Get them pointed in the right direction. Once they smash Enies Lobby, the World Government will be too busy to look for us."
"Fine," Crocodile gritted his teeth. "I'll handle it."
He walked to his safe and pulled out a dossier.
"Here. The information you wanted."
Storm caught the file.
[Target: Hanafuda (The Lizard King)]
[Affiliation: Seven Warlords of the Sea]
[Location: Banaro Island]
"Excellent," Storm grinned. "The Lizard King. A Zoan-type Warlord. Perfect for farming."
Just as he opened the file, a sound broke the silence.
Pru-Pru-Pru... Pru-Pru-Pru...
It wasn't Storm's snail. It was Crocodile's Private Golden Den Den Mushi.
Crocodile froze. His expression tightened. He looked at Storm, then picked up the receiver.
Clatch.
The snail's face transformed. It didn't look like a normal person. It had a distinct, commanding aura.
"Crocodile."
A raspy, aged voice echoed in the cabin. It wasn't a request. It was a summons.
"You're not dead yet?"
Crocodile's eye twitched. "Who is this?"
"Don't play dumb."
The voice was cold, carrying the weight of the highest authority in the world.
The Five Elders.
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