Ripley had only been joking.
In her eyes, Silas was an old man. There was no way he could possibly train with the same intensity that they did. But to her complete surprise, Silas actually leaped down from her shoulder, landing softly on the rocky ground.
"It's just training, right?" Silas gritted his teeth, forcing a smile that did not quite reach his eyes. He looked from Ripley to Rocks, his voice strained but firm. "Since my crew is training, then as the captain, I have to lead by example!"
And so, Ripley and Rocks watched in stunned silence as Silas stripped off his shirt and hoisted a massive boulder, several times larger than himself, onto his back. His lean body was a roadmap of scars, each one telling a story of a battle fought and won. His muscles were not bulky, but they were shockingly solid, looking as if they were carved from stone when tensed.
Even Silas himself was a little surprised. When had his body gotten into such good shape? Just a month ago, he had been sporting a modest beer belly. Now, apart from his aged face, his physical condition was no worse than that of a man in his prime.
Standing to the side, Rocks compared his own physique to the old man's and realized with a jolt that he had less muscle.
This was unacceptable.
Weighted training? I'll do it too!
Seeing Rocks also struggle to pick up a nearby boulder, Silas could not help but laugh. "Pfft-hahaha! Kid, you should know your own limits. With a rock that big, you might not even be able to walk."
"Shut up!" Rocks shot back, his face flushed with exertion.
Silas did not stop him. If you don't listen to your elders, you'll suffer the consequences, he thought with a smirk.
Amidst a chorus of playful banter and pained groans, the three of them, each bearing their own weight, advanced slowly but steadily toward the giants' village.
Meanwhile, in the heart of the village itself, news of their arrival had already spread.
"What? That bastard Silas is back!?"
An old giant, whose beard cascaded to the ground like a white waterfall, let out a deafening roar. "This time, I'm definitely going to kill that brat for daring to deceive my great-great-granddaughter!"
"Bokakakaka! Forget it, Yoruru. You're no match for that man now," laughed another equally ancient giant standing beside him. "We'd need Dorry and Brogy for that. Besides, we're old. It's not like Ripley actually ran off with him."
"Hmph! Ripley is meant to join our Giant Warrior Pirates!" Yoruru fumed. "When Dorry and Brogy return, I'll have them take her on a proper adventure!"
The giants' relationship with the White Wolf Pirates was one born from conflict. Ten years ago, when Silas's crew first landed on Elbaf, they had clashed with several villages before King Harald himself had stepped in to stop the dispute. The giants revered strength, and they held a grudging respect for Silas, who had been able to fight their king to a standstill. With the two strongest giant warriors, Dorry and Brogy, missing for thirty years, Silas had become a living legend to the younger generation, much to the fury of the old guard.
"What's Silas doing here this time? Hasn't he just left?" asked Yaruru, the giant with a beard as thick as a blanket.
"Lord Yaruru, it has been ten years," a nearby giant explained. "For the little people from the outside, ten years is a very long time. Captain Silas is getting on in years. Maybe he plans to retire here in Elbaf. He is an acquaintance of Sister Carmel, after all."
"It's only been ten years?" Yoruru snorted with dissatisfaction. "By the way, how long have Dorry and Brogy been gone? Why aren't they back yet? If only I were a hundred years younger!"
The old giant swung his longsword forcefully through the air, only to be met with a loud crack.
"My… my back!"
"Bokakakaka! Yoruru, I told you not to overdo it at your age!" Yaruru laughed heartily. "Everyone, let's prepare to welcome our old friend! By the way, Ripley went down to the Underworld, right?" he asked, suddenly remembering the message from Mado that had alerted them.
"It seems so. Mado said that Ripley will be coming back with Captain Silas and his crew."
"What!?" Yoruru, who was being helped into a house, froze. His eyes went wide with fury. "Silas! I'm going to kill that guy!"
The giants' village was once again thrown into chaos.
At the edge of the village, nestled amongst the towering structures, was a much smaller house. Inside, an old woman in a black nun's habit paced back and forth, a cigarette dangling from her lips. Her eyelid was twitching uncontrollably.
"Dammit, I have a bad feeling about this," she muttered.
Before she could figure out what was wrong, a child's panicked scream came from outside. "Mother, help me!"
A little giant girl was being chased by another girl of a similarly large stature. Nearby, several other children of normal human size watched the scene unfold.
"Linlin is going to kill me!"
Hearing the cry, the old nun abandoned her thoughts and hurried outside. "Linlin, stop fooling around! We need to get ready for dinner!"
"Dinner?" At the mention of food, the chubby little girl in a pink dress brightened up and ran over to the nun. "What are we having today? Is there cake?"
"No cake today, but we're having a wonderful carrot stew," the old nun said, a benevolent expression on her face as she looked at the hopeful children around her.
Just as she was about to lead them inside, a familiar voice called out, dripping with playful mockery.
"Pfft-hahaha! Carmel, you're the same as ever! But you've gotten even older than you were ten years ago. Now you're a complete old hag, haha!"
That voice.
Though it had been a long time, the moment she heard it, Carmel felt her blood pressure begin to spike. "Silas? Why haven't the Marines caught you and thrown you into Impel Down yet, you bastard?"
"Haha, the Marines can't catch me!" Silas replied, casually tossing the massive boulder from his shoulders. He grinned, his smile both playful and sharp. "It's been a long time. You haven't done anything to disappoint me, have you?"
"Mother!" a child's voice cried out from behind Carmel.
[Chapter Complete]
***
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