Zoro's eyes slowly cracked open as consciousness gradually returned, dragging him up from the depths of exhausted sleep.
He found himself wrapped tightly in clean bandages, lying on an unfamiliar bed. Shusui rested quietly beside Wado Ichimonji near his pillow, both blades within easy reach. Dim lamplight cast warm, flickering halos throughout the small room, while outside the window, pitch darkness had already swallowed the sky. The sun had long since set.
At that moment, intermingled sounds drifted from outside. Laughter, music, the savory aroma of roasting meat. The combination piqued Zoro's curiosity enough to overcome his lingering exhaustion. He struggled to sit up, wincing at the pull of his wounds, then walked unsteadily toward the door.
Pushing it open, he was greeted by a grand feast spread across the clearing before the lighthouse.
Numerous wine barrels were stacked to one side, a massive bonfire crackled merrily at the center, and an enormous roasted fish hung suspended above the dancing flames. From the nearby strait, Laboon emitted joyful, rumbling calls that vibrated through the air.
Kai sat at the feast's center, surrounded by Violet, Kozuki Hiyori, Yamato, Robin, and Reiju.
Violet smiled as she fed Kai a piece of fruit, while Hiyori elegantly poured wine into his cup. Yamato was the most energetic by far, holding up a huge chunk of meat and saying something loudly that made Kai laugh with helpless indulgence.
Even Robin had set aside her usual work and books, sitting nearby and watching the scene with gentle eyes, occasionally chatting with Reiju beside her.
Bonney sat planted near the bonfire, eyes glued to the roasting fish as if through sheer willpower she could make it cook faster. She constantly chewed on freshly cooked meat while eagerly sharing what she deemed the most delicious pieces with Kuma beside her.
Kuma simply responded gently to his daughter's enthusiasm, occasionally wiping grease from her face with a handkerchief, his expression soft with paternal affection.
Brook played festive music on his violin while Crocus listened with serious appreciation, raising his glass in approval whenever the melody reached particularly exciting crescendos.
Ace and Sanji sat arm-in-arm by the wine barrels, several empty cups already scattered before them.
Though Sanji's eyes had gone bleary with drink, he still found the energy to criticize Ace for stealing food before it was properly ready, while Ace just laughed heartily, stuffing more meat in his mouth and mumbling cheerful rebuttals through the mouthfuls.
Just then, someone noticed the figure standing in the doorway.
"Moss-head! You finally decided to wake up?" Sanji shouted first, though his slurred tone carried obvious relief despite the habitual provocation.
"Zoro! Are you okay?" Ace struggled to swallow his enormous mouthful, waving enthusiastically with a bright, slightly unfocused smile.
Everyone's attention instantly shifted to Zoro, the festive atmosphere momentarily pausing.
Brook carefully set down his violin and bowed with elegant formality. "Zoro, I'm so glad you've awakened! I formally entrust Shusui to your care!"
Kai walked over with a wine glass in one hand and a large plate piled with meat in the other, offering them both to Zoro with an easy smile. "Your timing is perfect. The feast just started."
Zoro accepted the food and drink, his normally tense face showing a slight, genuine smile. "I'm just hungry."
"Then let's welcome Zoro back properly!"
Kai raised his glass high with a grin.
"Yeah!"
Everyone raised their glasses in enthusiastic response, laughing as they drained them in synchronized gulps. The feast atmosphere instantly became even more lively and boisterous.
Brook placed his violin lovingly under his chin once more, the bow dancing merrily across the strings. Soon, a passionate melody echoed under Twin Capes' star-filled night sky.
Yamato pulled Kai and the others into an enthusiastically awkward dance circle, none of them following any particular rhythm.
Kuma patiently taught Bonney the Buccaneer tribe's unique Liberation Dance, his massive hands guiding her small ones through the traditional movements.
Even Crocus, watching these energetic young people with fond nostalgia, found himself unconsciously drawn in and joined the chaotic dance circle.
"I was the best dancer on Roger's crew back in my day!" he declared proudly, spinning with surprising agility for his age.
So everyone sang wonderfully off-key songs and danced hilariously out-of-rhythm dances, spending a wonderful night under the stars. Laughter echoed across the waves, carrying far out to sea, where it mixed with Laboon's joyful calls.
All good things must eventually end.
The joyful time flew by like water through open fingers.
In what felt like a blink, it was time for Kai's group to say their goodbyes.
"Brook, want to join my crew? Come fulfill your unfinished dreams together."
Before departing, Kai extended the invitation with genuine sincerity.
"Yohoho~ Thank you for your kindness, truly." Brook's skeletal face somehow conveyed deep gratitude. "But I plan to stay here and spend my remaining years with the old man and Laboon. This is where I belong now."
Brook predictably declined, though his tone carried no regret. He was no longer young; his strength was far less than in his glory days. He could barely even match a talented youth like Zoro anymore. Why burden Kai's ambitious journey with an old skeleton past his prime?
"Alright then. Until we meet again!"
Kai didn't insist, having only tried on a whim anyway. Some people had already found their place in the world.
"Goodbye, everyone!"
"Laboon, train your Haki well! Make teacher Yamato proud!"
Amid mutual farewells and waving hands, Rayquaza slowly departed from Reverse Mountain's shadow, setting sail once more toward new horizons.
Behind them, Laboon released a long, mournful farewell call that echoed across the water like a whale's song of blessing.
"Next stop, Little Garden!"
"Let's go!"
Several days of smooth sailing later, an island covered with impossibly dense prehistoric forest gradually appeared before the crew.
On the island, six active volcanoes occasionally emitted wisps of gray smoke that stained the sky. Most eye-catching were two massive dinosaur skulls, each the size of a mountain, whose fierce, weathered contours dominated nearly half the island's skyline.
Little Garden.
That was this peculiar island's deceptively innocent name.
From appearance alone, it seemed like just another ordinary island on these seas, neither particularly large nor notably small.
But actually, it possessed some genuinely special features that set it apart.
For instance...
"Woo-hoo! Charge, my mighty steed!"
Yamato rode a tyrannosaur thundering through the forest like a war general, occasionally releasing excited shouts of pure joy that echoed through the prehistoric trees.
That's right. This island perfectly preserved ancient scenery from millions of years past, housing numerous species long extinct everywhere else in the world. Especially various species of dinosaurs that ruled this land like kings of a forgotten age.
If Kai were a paleontologist or biologist, he would be absolutely overjoyed by this living museum.
Unfortunately, his dinosaur knowledge was embarrassingly limited to the basics: T-Rex, Triceratops, Pteranodon, and similar famous varieties everyone knew.
Moreover, frankly speaking, the dinosaurs here were surprisingly weak. They didn't even match the mutated beasts on Golden Lion's IQ plant island, much less the true monsters inhabiting Rusukaina's deadly forests.
Still, thinking it over pragmatically, Kai ordered his subordinates to capture several of the fiercest specimens anyway.
After all, ancient Zoan Devil Fruit transformations were directly based on prehistoric creatures like these. Having Judge research actual living examples might prove unexpectedly useful for understanding artificial Zoan development.
He truly exhausted himself working for Beast Pirates' advancement.
"Kai-sama, I found the giants you mentioned."
Violet, who had been using her Stare-Stare Fruit ability to systematically observe the island's interior, suddenly exclaimed with delighted surprise.
"There are giants here?"
Robin was visibly startled, genuine surprise crossing her usually composed features. Giants honestly weren't a common race to encounter. They rarely appeared in the Four Seas, and sightings were considered remarkable events.
Robin's only previous giant encounter had been at age eight, during the World Government's devastating Buster Call that destroyed Ohara completely.
Thinking of this, barely noticeable sadness flashed through Robin's eyes like a passing shadow. The giant Saul had saved her life that terrible day, shielding her small body with his enormous form.
But he had died in that same Buster Call, consumed by flames meant for her.
Kai didn't notice Robin's subtle emotional shift, his lips already curving into an anticipatory smile as he waved everyone forward. "Then let's not waste time. Follow me."
Following Violet's precise guidance, the group proceeded deeper into the island's ancient heart.
As they approached their destination, a deafening roar suddenly split the air. The ground beneath their feet trembled slightly, like the world itself was breathing.
"Did a volcano erupt?" Hiyori looked up toward the distant peaks with concern.
A thick column of smoke was indeed rising dramatically from one of the distant volcanoes, painting the sky with ash.
This volcanic roar seemed to sound some kind of primal horn, echoing across the prehistoric landscape.
Immediately after, heavy footsteps like war drums came from nearby, dense yet powerfully rhythmic. Each step shook the earth.
Kai's eyes brightened with recognition and excitement. What a remarkable coincidence!
If he remembered correctly, the island's resident giants used volcanic eruptions as official duel signals, an ancient tradition from their warrior culture.
"It's starting. Quick, follow me."
His spirits visibly lifted as he strode quickly toward the approaching footsteps, practically vibrating with anticipation.
Though puzzled by his sudden enthusiasm, everyone immediately followed without question.
Soon they discovered two towering giants standing on opposite sides of a massive forest clearing, facing each other with palpable tension.
Both stood approximately twenty meters tall, casting shadows like small buildings.
The taller giant possessed a lean, battle-hardened build. He wore an iron-faced helmet, sported a long, well-maintained beard, and draped a dark blue cape dramatically over his armor. He wielded an enormous greatsword in his right hand with a massive round shield in his left.
The shorter giant had a distinctly round build that spoke of tremendous strength. He wore a horned iron helmet that framed his face, sported a bushy yellow beard, dressed in similar warrior's garb, and gripped a huge battle axe in his right hand with his own round shield in his left.
These two legendary figures were none other than the Giant Warrior Pirates' former captains.
Dorry and Brogy.
The Giant Warrior Pirates, composed entirely of elite Elbaf giant warriors, had once been world-famous a hundred years ago for their formidable strength and unmatched coordination.
Until one fateful day when their captains suddenly vanished without explanation, the crew's legend ended, and their absence became one of the sea's enduring mysteries.
Now, these two legendary captains stood before Kai in living flesh and blood. They were the key entry point in his carefully considered plan to gain the giants' friendship and, through them, potentially Elbaf's favor.
"How strange."
Yamato looked up curiously at the giants with her characteristic directness, then turned to Kai with genuine puzzlement. "They're not as tall as the Numbers back home, but their presence feels much stronger somehow!"
In her heart, Kai functioned like a walking encyclopedia. There was nothing he didn't know or couldn't explain.
This time, Yamato wasn't disappointed, as Kai readily provided the answer.
"Blue Ogre Dorry and Red Ogre Brogy. They're legendary pirates who each had 100-million-berry bounties a century ago. Naturally they'd be stronger than the Numbers, who are failed experiments."
A hundred million berries a hundred years ago held vastly more value than the same amount today. Inflation and changing times had dramatically altered what such bounties represented.
In fact, the Numbers, as failed ancient giant experiments, possessed inherent flaws beyond their impressive physical strength. Their enhanced brains simply didn't function properly, leaving them with limited intelligence.
In pure single combat, giant warriors might not always match a Number's raw brute strength. But two coordinated elite giant warriors fighting together could easily contend with or even decisively defeat a Number through superior tactics and teamwork.
Because giants inherited unique combination techniques passed down through generations. These special attacks could perfectly merge two warriors' power, achieving results far greater than the sum of their individual strengths.
This synergy was precisely why Kai wanted the giants' friendship so desperately.
Elbaf was indisputably the world's strongest nation in terms of average warrior quality. Giants naturally possessed tremendous strength upon reaching normal adulthood, without any special training required.
Elite warriors qualified to join prestigious crews like the Giant Warrior Pirates could easily serve as Marine Headquarters Vice Admirals on pure combat ability alone.
Though admittedly on the weaker end of that rank, this still powerfully demonstrated giant warriors' inherent value as fighters.
"A hundred years ago?" Bonney's eyes widened impossibly large, her young mind struggling with the concept. "Then they're at least over a hundred years old? But they still look so young and strong!"
Bonney gazed at the middle-aged-looking giants in genuine amazement, unable to reconcile their vigorous appearance with their actual age.
Encyclopedia Kai patiently explained once more. "Because giants typically live around three hundred years naturally. About three times normal human lifespans. So a hundred years to them means they've only just entered their prime fighting years."
"That's incredible." Bonney murmured in awe. Three hundred years seemed impossibly distant to her young perspective, almost like eternity itself.
Just last year, she had genuinely wondered whether she would even reach her tenth birthday alive.
Just then, their undisguised conversation immediately caught both giants' sharp attention.
"Gegyagyagyagya, Dorry, we have visitors on the island!"
The round Brogy released hearty, booming laughter first, his voice echoing through the trees like rolling thunder.
"Gegegegege, how wonderfully rare."
Lean Dorry also laughed with genuine warmth, the sound shaking leaves from nearby branches.
Clearly, they had been isolated and lonely on this deserted island for far too long. Seeing Kai's group, they didn't even bother asking whether they were friends or potential foes. They just felt genuinely happy about this unexpected "liveliness" breaking their century-long routine.
"Hey there, visitors!"
Brogy bent his massive body closer with surprising gentleness for his size, eyes full of straightforward, childlike expectation. "Did you happen to bring any alcohol with you?"
Dorry also eagerly approached, his voice carrying desperate hope as he added, "We haven't tasted good alcohol in so terribly long. Could you possibly let us drink just a little?"
Kai blinked in surprise. Not asking about their background or intentions? Not demanding to know their purpose? Just immediately asking complete strangers for alcohol?
He didn't know whether to describe these giants as endearingly naive or supremely confident in their own strength.
Either way, they certainly possessed quite the romantic warrior spirit.
However, this suited Kai's purposes absolutely perfectly. He never feared people having needs or desires. He only feared people wanting nothing at all.
Kai immediately turned to Kuma with decisive generosity. "Sorry to trouble you, Kuma. Please bring all the alcohol from our ship's stores. Every last barrel. I want to treat these two giant friends to a proper feast."
In his words, Kai had already smoothly positioned himself as the giants' friend, claiming that relationship through sheer verbal assertion.
And as long as Dorry and Brogy didn't object to the presumption, who could possibly say otherwise?
"Friends, we'll drink together shortly with great pleasure!" Brogy straightened up to his full imposing height, his voice booming as he explained loudly, "But please retreat to a safe distance first. Dorry and I have reached our scheduled duel time!"
See? Kai's group had already seamlessly become the giants' recognized friends in their minds.
"Gegegegege."
Dorry gripped his legendary greatsword and battered round shield, looking across at his old friend and eternal opponent with eyes burning with pure fighting spirit that hadn't dimmed in a century. "Come, Brogy! This is our sixty-nine thousand, three hundred and fiftieth duel!"
"Let's fight with honor!"
Both giants quickly separated, creating proper dueling distance. Then they simultaneously released earth-shaking war cries that seemed to shake the very foundations of the island and charged directly at each other with ground-trembling force!
BOOM!
The greatsword and battle axe violently collided with each other's round shields in a meeting of legendary weapons, producing an earth-shattering impact that sent shockwaves radiating outward.
The powerful shockwave from their clash swept across the clearing like an invisible wall of force. The nearest trees were actually torn apart and sent flying, roots ripped from soil!
"Such exaggerated power!"
Hiyori raised her hand against the rushing gale that threatened to knock her back, exclaiming with genuine awe. "And they didn't even use Haki for that strike!"
Hearing this observation, Kai's face showed a somewhat complicated expression, caught between amusement and sympathy.
They probably genuinely didn't remember how to use it anymore, actually.
The reason they fought without Haki wasn't some tactical choice or warrior's pride. During their century-spanning marathon of sixty-thousand-plus duels, Dorry and Brogy had gradually forgotten not only the original reason they'd started fighting, but also the advanced combat techniques like Haki that they'd once mastered as legendary pirates.
Century-long routine and isolation had eroded skills that weren't constantly maintained.
But despite this limitation, watching them fight with such pure joy and undiminished warrior spirit after a hundred years of stalemate was genuinely inspiring in its own right.