"You're asking about Loki? That guy's a cursed freak!"
"Loki? He only brings disaster!"
"I heard it was Loki who cursed the queen to death!"
"A few years ago, the disaster in Elbaf was caused by him too!"
"Before the queen died, she even predicted he'd be the one to kill King Harald!"
"·····"
The tavern exploded into noise. Stories about Prince Loki had spread to every village in Elbaf over the years.
Since his birth, the country had been plagued by disasters.
But these incidents had stayed within Elbaf, never making their way across the seas.
Which explained Hajruddin's dramatic reaction.
Of course, it wasn't just the other giants in the tavern who were curious—Gloriosa, Shakky, and Newgate, who had been traveling with Klein, were also intrigued.
"You don't need to worry about that," Klein said, eyes cool and calm. "If you believe he's cursed and brings disaster to Elbaf, then I'll just take him away."
To others, his words sounded almost foolish.
Yet the giants didn't stop him—if anything, they hoped he would take Loki away. In recent years, the frequent disasters—fires, storms, cold waves—had plunged Elbaf into a historic low point.
And the blame for all of it?
It all fell on the so-called Cursed Prince—Loki.
A faint glint flashed in Shakky's beautiful eyes as she thought to herself:
'Anyone who catches Klein-sama's eye… can't be ordinary. He must be...'
'...another monster.'
Whether it was Linlin or Newgate, all of them had shown extraordinary talent and potential.
Ida's expression shifted, and her hand slipped—sending a barrel of ale rolling across the floor.
"Harald won't agree to this."
"Loki's agreement is enough." Klein's tone hardened, his calm face barely hiding the anger simmering beneath.
This pirate world was twisted—where fathers neglected their own children was nothing new.
That's why Whitebeard Newgate stood out, radiating a rare light of fatherly love.
But Harald—now praised as Elbaf's greatest king—what right did he have to call himself a 'father'?
Even a man raises his dog with more care than he raised his son.
And this so-called greatest king—might just be soaked in seawater too.
Hajruddin stared at Klein, hope flickering in his eyes. "You're going to take... Loki?"
"That's right."
Klein burst into wild laughter:
"Being stuck on one island narrows your vision. If you want to step onto the grand stage, you have to leave this island."
"Dragon or worm—prove it with your skill (or cheat ability)!"
There's no rehearsal in life. The pirate world is the grand stage—if you've got guts, come and show it.
In this world, sailing out to sea was the fastest way to grow—no exceptions.
Hajruddin felt his heart stir at Klein's words. He nearly blurted out: 'I want to go to sea too!'
Outside the tavern.
Footsteps echoed in sync with a sweet voice:
"Hajruddin, time for training…"
A golden-haired woman named Gerz stepped into the tavern and immediately froze.
Terror flashed in her eyes. Her pupils trembled.
Her gaze landed on Charlotte—and for a moment, her appearance overlapped with Linlin's in her mind, like two photos merging.
In her head, memories rushed forward unbidden—memories of when Linlin's eating disorder exploded and destroyed the Elbaf village.
And worse...
She was the one who gravely injured the revered Elbaf elder Jorul—leading to his death.
"Gerz?!" Linlin's eyes sparkled. Seeing her childhood friend again, she rushed forward in excitement.
Klein raised a hand to his forehead.
"Figures. The worst-case scenario still happened. Everything I told her to be careful about—gone."
But Gerz's face had gone completely pale. Cold sweat drenched her forehead as she backed away in horror.
"You... you're Linlin!?"
"Heehee, Gerz, you still remember me?"
Linlin didn't seem to notice Gerz's fear at all.
But that sentence—
Sent the entire tavern into chaos!
"Linlin?! The monster who killed Elder Jorul!?"
"Wasn't that a girl? Why does she look like..."
"·····"
Hajruddin and Ida both looked stunned.
"The thing I didn't want to happen… still happened." Klein shook his head and stood up.
"Oi, it's time to go."
"BASTARD!!" a giant roared, veins bulging with rage.
"The one who hurt Elder Joruk can't just walk out of here!"
"She destroyed the whole village! There's no way we're letting her go without paying for it!" Another giant slammed his mug down and stepped in front of Linlin.
He reached out to grab her by the shoulder, trying to restrain her.
But Linlin, trained under Klein, moved like lightning—grabbing his wrist like it was nothing. Her grip clamped down like iron.
He couldn't move.
"Hiss—just like the rumors say, terrifying strength!" The giant broke out in cold sweat. No matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't break free.
Just then, another giant charged forward, his arm whipping up a gust of wind.
"Lights out!" Klein's voice suddenly echoed through the tavern.
It was like a thunderclap on a clear day.
BZZZT—CRACKLE—
Black-and-red lightning burst forth like a living creature, knocking all the giants unconscious in an instant.
Ida and Hajruddin stood frozen in shock.
Klein stepped over the fallen giants with his group.
"Oi, Charlotte. Let's go. We'll meet again another time."
The group disappeared into the island's interior, leaving the tavern behind.
Hajruddin couldn't get Klein's figure out of his mind.
'That was... Conqueror's Haki... and not just any kind…'
He looked at the unconscious giants, wide-eyed. Even giants had been knocked out.
How powerful did your Conqueror's Haki have to be to do that?
"Unreal..."
Ida's palms were drenched in sweat.
"That guy... he's going to be someone terrifying one day. The world will know his name."
This level of Conqueror's Haki—she'd only felt it before from Harald himself.
Back then, traveling alongside Harald on his adventures, she knew just how rare and terrifying such a level of Haki could be.
It meant—
He was strong. Incredibly strong.
"He wants to take Loki… but Harald won't agree. I hope—please—I hope they don't..." Ida's gentle eyes were filled with worry.
"This is bad..." Gerz trembled, face ashen as she collapsed to the ground.
"Linlin… Linlin's back… and she brought backup..."
"What are we going to do!?"
Back when Linlin was just five, she could already destroy an entire Elbaf village. And now, for some unknown reason, she'd even become a man.
Whatever the cause...
She had a terrible feeling in her gut. Something bad was going to happen. Maybe another disaster was coming to Elbaf.
Elsewhere...
Out at sea, a dramatic chase was playing out.
One pursued.
The other fled—without wings, yet still flying!
"Shiki!! If you've got the guts, stop and face me like a man!! Fight me fair and square to the death!!"
On the warship, Kong stood atop a cannon like a hawk, eyes locked on the pirate ship in the sky.
And on that pirate ship stood a man with two katana at his waist and a golden lion-like mane.
"Jiehahahaha—" Shiki chomped his cigar, grinning wildly.
"Kong, you've been acting like a damn rabid dog lately. What the hell got you so worked up?"