The Treasure Tree Adam was incredibly tough—just selling a small portion of it on the black market could fetch a fortune.
The Oro Jackson of the Roger Pirates and the Thousand Sunny of the Straw Hat Pirates were both built using Adam wood.
Staring up at that towering tree, Klein couldn't help but feel a little crazy. He wanted to claim the entire Adam tree for himself.
Billions? Tens of billions of Berries?
Short-sighted!
This wasn't just a treasure—it was a mountain of gold!
"Cutting off a little piece... should be fine, right?" Klein muttered, stroking his chin.
The Giants were hailed as the "Strongest Nation in the World," but in the anime, they didn't seem that impressive.
Just three members of the God Knights had the Giants running in circles.
Across the whole race, only Harald and Loki, who carried ancient Giant blood, stood out in the last hundred years.
The others?
They looked huge and intimidating—but one hit and they crumbled like glass!
"Compared to the World Government, the Giants' strength really isn't much... Wonder when the devs will patch that in the game..."
"Otherwise, the immortality of both the Five Elders and the God Knights is just plain annoying."
Even though 'Mountain-Eater' Spark Jabba had seriously wounded Saint Somarz and disrupted his immortality, it only lasted for a moment. If you couldn't finish the job...
They would soon recover through that so-called "immortal body."
It was even more broken than future Kaido's insane healing factor!
Training on deck came to a halt.
"The legendary land of warriors... Elbaf. I really wonder what it's like." Gloriosa stroked her pet snake, her beautiful eyes gleaming with excitement.
Linlin giggled, her face plastered with a greedy grin. "Giants are super easy to get along with! I loved Osam the most—the flavor was unforgettable."
Os grinned wide. "Giant poop must be massive too—"
And just like that, the mood shattered completely.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Os felt his face burning. He muttered, "I mean, I'm just saying the obvious. Look at that tree—it's huge, so maybe—"
"Shut it!" Shakky cut in with a glare.
Suddenly—
The warship began to shake violently. Newgate's face darkened. "What's going on?!"
Splash!
Waves surged as a massive bulge rose from the sea—an enormous creature churning the ocean.
"A super-sized Sea King?!" Gloriosa gasped, eyes wide. "Watch out!!"
The warship looked like a mere ant next to this gigantic shark.
Even in the Calm Belt, this kind of size would make it one of the top Sea Kings.
"The ship's tipping!" A terrified Marine soldier shouted from the deck.
Klein's gaze sharpened. He instantly drew Amenonuhoko.
"Klein-sama," Shakky called out. "Use Conqueror's Haki. If you kill it with your blade, the smell of blood will attract even more monsters. That'll be a nightmare."
"Got it." Klein nodded. A crimson glow erupted from his eyes.
Black and red lightning crackled outward, forming an impenetrable net over the sky.
The Sea King trembled as if struck by lightning, frozen in fear, drenched in cold sweat.
"SCRAM!"
One thunderous shout, and it was gone—like a stray mutt that got caught yapping at the wrong man and tucked its tail between its legs.
The creature had been massive, while Klein looked tiny in comparison... but in that moment, the Sea King realized it was the prey.
With the danger passed, Klein furrowed his brow and ordered,
"Take the warship to a nearby uninhabited island. We don't need that many people for Elbaf."
Besides Marines, the ship also carried some orphans from Sphinx they'd picked up recently.
Klein pulled out a scroll from his coat and handed it to a Marine soldier.
"Only use this in a true emergency."
"Klein-sama, what counts as an emergency?"
"If your life is at risk—or someone you want to protect is in danger."
Having given his orders, Klein called out,
"Zeus!"
"Klein-sama~!" Zeus appeared with a flattering smile, floating up to him.
Klein patted Zeus. "Grow bigger. You're flying us to Elbaf."
"On it!"
Once Zeus enlarged, everyone leapt aboard. Klein landed lightly at the front, commanding like a captain, and grinned.
"Let's go—to Elbaf University!"
In front of the Giants, all other islands were basically vocational schools.
This time, Klein had brought along Newgate—a journey like this would surely expand his mind and heart.
Talent mattered, sure. But without experiences, even a genius could become a disappointment.
And that would be a joke.
Klein's eyes sparkled. 'Wonder when Newgate will grow a mustache. Without that crescent 'stache, something's just off.'
What's the defining feature of Newgate?
Obviously, the Dad Energy.
"Newgate! Make sure you tell us all about Elbaf when you're back!"
"..."
His friends cupped their hands around their mouths, calling out like megaphones.
The group soared toward Elbaf.
Soon, a massive building came into view.
"Hey—look at that! No wonder it's where the Giants live, the houses are huge!" Os shouted excitedly.
Newgate gazed ahead, a hint of competitiveness in his tiger eyes.
"Everyone says Giants are strong... I wonder how I stack up against someone my age?"
On the ship, only Klein and Linlin could match Newgate in pure strength—everyone else was far behind.
Linlin was still technically "human," without Giant blood, which made Newgate even more eager to test his might when he learned they were going to Elbaf.
"Special races have their advantages... but humans are the true rulers of the sea!" Klein declared confidently.
Fishmen, Giants, Lunarians—they all had innate strengths.
But humans?
They had numbers. And endless potential.
Even in a world full of pirates, war, and oppression—humans still dominate.
Why? Because humans... make more humans.
Klein turned to Charlotte. "Send Zeus, Red Dog, and Blue Rooster ahead to the snowy mountain to wait for us. I don't want the Homies drawing attention."
In a tavern made of giant lumber…
"Mom, I'm back!" cried Hajrudin, jogging in after his morning training.
Several Giants in the tavern laughed and teased him.
"Hey Hajrudin! You training seriously today?"
"If you want to be a warrior like Dorry or Brogy, you've gotta put in the work!"
"Speaking of which, did those two ever settle their fight?"
"..."
The tavern buzzed with conversation.
Hajrudin's mother, Ida, greeted him with a warm smile and a pat on the head.
"Tired from training?"
"Not at all!" Hajrudin grinned and raised a fist.
"I'm gonna become the pride of the Giants—just like Dorry and Brogy!"
Grrrgrrr...
His stomach growled. Ida chuckled.
"My son will definitely achieve his dream—but first, let's eat. You've got more training this afternoon."
"Mmm!" Hajrudin nodded firmly.
A moment later—
Klein and his group entered the tavern... and immediately felt like Tontatta Tribe walking into the human world. Everything was gigantic.
Same for Os, Gloriosa, and Shakky. Only Newgate and Linlin were physically large enough to look "normal."
They instantly caught the innkeeper's attention.
Ida called out,
"Hajrudin! Guests are here—go greet them!"
"Yes, Mother!" Helmet still on, Hajrudin jogged over.
"Welcome! What would you like to drink? We've got—"
His eyes lingered on Charlotte and Newgate, his mind racing.
'Do they have Giant blood too?'
'That boy… he's got pink hair like Linlin…'
"You guys order whatever you like," said Klein, sitting down at the "kids' table."
Internally, he muttered, 'Damn you, Oda. Making every side character seven feet tall—is that normal?'
Still, he had his mental fallback:
'At least the main characters are average height.'
Tall side characters? Who cares. The protagonist is fine.
The Straw Hat trio? All reasonable heights.
After ordering, Newgate couldn't help but ask,
"Hey... you the helmet guy—Hajrudin—wanna arm wrestle?"