Kai's estimate was spot-on. Just as night fell across Little Garden, both giants awoke exactly as expected.
"Is dinner ready?"
Brogy's massive face leaned eagerly toward the crackling bonfire, eyes fixated hungrily on the sizzling roasted meat, unable to look away even for a moment.
"Perfect timing."
Kai smiled warmly, inviting them to join the feast with a welcoming gesture.
Dorry and Brogy dispensed with any pleasantries, each grabbing an enormous brachiosaurus leg and devouring it ravenously, their massive jaws making quick work of the tender meat.
Intense combat was incredibly draining for even giant warriors. They were absolutely famished.
Only after consuming roasted meat equivalent to Kuma's entire massive volume did both giants finally breathe long sighs of relief, strength visibly returning to their exhausted bodies.
"Gegyagyagya, Kai."
Brogy wiped his mouth clean with the back of his hand, asking with genuine curiosity, "Are all people in the New World as monstrously strong as you?"
Before Kai could formulate an answer, his loyal follower Sanji eagerly spoke up first, voice full of undeniable worship. "How could that possibly be? Kai-aniki is undoubtedly a man standing at the absolute world's pinnacle!"
Facing this shameless flattery, Kai didn't deny it but accepted it entirely with quiet confidence.
After awakening his Devil Fruit ability, though he hadn't quite reached world number one status yet, he was undeniably among the world's top-tier powerhouses. An Emperor-level fighter—that perfectly described him now.
Actually, so-called Emperor-level fighters weren't particularly rare in the grand scheme. Among pirates alone, the obvious ones included Kaido, Charlotte Linlin, Whitebeard, and Red Hair Shanks.
Additionally, the seas harbored numerous hidden pirates with unclear but definitely formidable strength levels.
Like the legendary Red Count currently imprisoned in Impel Down, Barrett whose current whereabouts remained unknown, the carefully biding-his-time Blackbeard, even the retired Dark King Rayleigh counted as one.
Roughly tallying up the numbers, there were quite a few genuinely powerful individuals fully capable of threatening him in serious combat.
And that was just considering pirates alone.
On the Marine side, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, Vice Admiral Garp, and the three Admirals certainly weren't pushovers either. Future additions might include powerhouses like Ryokugyu and Fujitora.
The World Government was even more unfathomably deep, with big boss Imu sitting mysteriously in the Room of Flowers at Pangaea Castle.
Even the seemingly fragile Five Elders, with their suspected immortal bodies, were extremely troublesome opponents who shouldn't be underestimated.
Plus the unknown-strength Holy Knights organization. Not to mention specific individuals, Garling and his connection to Shanks were definitely concerning.
Thinking it through systematically, the future looked rather intimidatingly bleak.
Kai's slightly inflated mindset from ability awakening instantly sobered with cold reality.
The revolution hadn't succeeded yet. He and his comrades still needed to work incredibly hard.
Fortunately, he could theoretically still advance to hypothetical second and third awakening stages by consuming more meteorites. There was still hope for growth.
Momentarily, Kai's desire to eat space rocks became incredibly, almost comically intense.
"I see."
Brogy didn't doubt the assessment for even a second. Defeating him and Dorry's absolute best combined attack in one overwhelming move was something even the legendary Giant King couldn't accomplish.
Dorry couldn't help sighing wistfully. "Gegegegege, seems many incredible new powerhouses have emerged on the seas during our absence. Brogy, we've been staying isolated here far too long."
"Speaking of which."
Violet seized the perfect opportunity to ask the question burning in everyone's minds. "Why exactly have you two been dueling for nearly a century? There must be some reason."
She truly couldn't discern any deep personal hatred or serious grudge between these two warriors.
Hearing this direct question, Dorry and Brogy exchanged meaningful glances and simultaneously scratched their heads in embarrassment.
Then both burst into their characteristic hearty laughter, saying in perfect unison, "We completely forgot such trivial things long ago!"
"Eh?!"
Everyone's eyes widened in absolute shock.
How could they possibly forget something that important?
Kai's mouth twitched with bemused recognition.
If he remembered the background story correctly, the original trigger was absurdly simple. A little girl once innocently asked Dorry and Brogy whose captured Sea King was bigger.
This was merely the girl's innocent remark, yet it sparked fierce competitive argument between the two proud warriors. Arguing and arguing, driven by competitive spirit and deeply ingrained warrior pride, they eventually decided to settle the matter through formal dueling.
Then they just kept fighting until today. Without outside intervention, they might genuinely grow old and die on this isolated island.
One simple question effectively killed two legendary warriors' productive lives.
Though truthfully, Dorry and Brogy didn't really seem to mind their chosen path at all.
They had dueled until now relying entirely on giant warrior faith and dedication to honor above all else.
Kai could only mentally shrug. Respect each race's unique cultural values and religious freedom, he supposed.
"Dorry, Brogy, tell me everything about Elbaf!"
Yamato raised her head eagerly, her voice full of barely contained impatient excitement. She was intensely interested in the legendary giant kingdom everyone spoke of with such reverence.
Dorry's eyes lit up. "Oh? You're genuinely interested in our homeland?"
Everyone showed various expressions but all looked expectant and genuinely curious, even the normally composed Kai included.
After all, this was the world's strongest nation they were discussing.
Through alternating narration from both enthusiastic giants, a magnificent living picture of Elbaf slowly unfolded before everyone's captivated attention.
The massive treasure tree Adam supporting the entire nation's three distinct levels, Elbaf's carefully structured three regions called the Celestial Realm, Solar Realm, and Underworld, the magnificent Rainbow Bridge capable of sailing large ships between levels, numerous giant villages each with varying architectural styles reflecting different eras...
Of course, as forthright warriors who valued simple pleasures, what they described most enthusiastically were the lively taverns scattered everywhere and the incredible fine wines flowing within them.
These unheard-of wonders left everyone yearning to visit someday.
Yamato's eyes widened like a small child hearing fantastical fairy tales for the first time, occasionally exclaiming delighted "Wow!" sounds.
Robin rested her chin thoughtfully on one elegant hand, occasionally jotting down careful notes in her personal journal.
Ace and Zoro listened with blood practically boiling in their veins, both wishing they could immediately set sail to adventure throughout Elbaf's legendary territories.
Kai pondered thoughtfully, carefully comparing this firsthand information with his own scattered metaknowledge of that mysterious nation.
After thoroughly introducing customs and unique culture, Dorry began carefully explaining Elbaf's deep historical roots and central religious faith to everyone gathered.
Brogy continued reverently, his massive voice carrying genuine worship. "We giants have worshipped the great Sun God for countless generations! So every winter solstice, we hold grand sacred festivals, fasting twelve full days to commemorate and show proper reverence."
"Sun God?"
This strikingly familiar divine title instantly triggered everyone's memory nerves as they simultaneously recalled when Kai had first mentioned the legendary Sun God Nika back on Fish-Man Island.
"It can't be that coincidental, right?"
Multiple pairs of eyes turned toward Kai with unspoken inquiry.
Kai nodded calmly, confirming everyone's growing suspicion. "The Sun God that giants have faithfully worshipped for countless generations is indeed Sun God Nika. However, Joy Boy himself wasn't actually the original Sun God that giants traditionally worshipped."
In that world-sweeping catastrophic war from the distant past, giant warriors had followed Joy Boy into desperate battle. The shared Sun God faith was very likely an important unifying reason for their alliance.
As for Joy Boy not being the actual Sun God giants had originally worshipped...
The logical reasoning was fairly simple when properly considered. The timing simply didn't match up correctly.
Calculating by giants' average three-hundred-year lifespan, the mysterious Void Century was merely their great-great-grandfather's historical era, not yet remotely ancient enough for proper religious deification.
The actual truth was most likely that before Joy Boy's active revolutionary era, the pirate world had experienced an even more ancient forgotten epoch. Devil Fruits, or rather the mysterious abilities these magical fruits represented, perhaps first appeared during that primordial era.
Brogy took a thoughtful while to fully understand the complex explanation, eventually smiling warmly at Kuma. "Gegyagyagya, never imagined we'd worship the exact same deity across such vast distances! What wonderful fate connects us!"
"I can even dance the Liberation Dance properly!"
Bonney proudly raised her little hand high, volunteering with infectious enthusiasm.
Without even finishing her excited sentence, she immediately began dancing gracefully around the roaring bonfire with genuine practiced flair.
"Oh!"
Dorry's eyes lit up with sudden recognition, his massive palm clapping thunderously. "That exact posture! I've definitely seen it depicted on ancient sacred murals carved into treasure tree Adam's oldest sections!"
"Is Sun God faith really this geographically widespread?"
As a trained professional archaeologist, Robin keenly sensed something genuinely unusual about this pattern.
Logically speaking, in this ocean-divided vast world where islands remained isolated, even one island's local faith spreading successfully to immediately neighboring islands was already remarkably difficult. How could the Sun God faith possibly traverse such impossibly vast distances to become shared legend among completely different races?
Elbaf existed in the dangerous New World, while Kuma's ancestral Buccaneer homeland was located in the extremely distant North Sea.
The sheer distance separating them meant countless people couldn't possibly cross it in their entire lifetimes, much less successfully spread religious faith.
Even with current somewhat advanced technology it remained quite difficult. Eight hundred years ago, or even in a more distant forgotten past, how did those ancient people possibly accomplish such widespread cultural transmission?
Plus that mysterious "world-sweeping war" Kai had mentioned previously. With ancient era technology levels, how could any warfare possibly affect the entire globe simultaneously?
Robin, absolutely full of burning questions, simply sought out Kai directly. He seemed to possess much special intelligence unavailable elsewhere, so she decided to get straight to the bottom of these mysteries.
"One question, one payment."
Kai winked at her playfully, mouth curving into a mischievous, knowing smile.
Robin, who had experienced countless intimate moments with Kai over their time together, naturally understood perfectly what the man meant. Her pretty face blushed crimson. She quickly scanned their surroundings carefully, confirming no one else was currently paying attention, then swiftly pecked Kai's cheek with soft lips.
"The payment I meant wasn't here in public."
Kai chuckled softly, leaning close to Robin's ear and whispering several explicit sentences describing exactly what he wanted.
"There... how could I possibly do that?!"
Robin's fair face instantly flushed as if blood might actually drip out, unable to help a low scandalized exclamation.
Under Kai's persistent gentle coaxing and shameless persuasion, Robin finally nodded reluctant agreement with mosquito-quiet voice.
Thoroughly satisfied, Kai stopped his teasing and provided an unexpected, paradigm-shifting answer. "Who says our current technology must necessarily be more advanced than the distant past?"
"What?" Robin's beautiful eyes widened in genuine intellectual shock.
This revolutionary viewpoint completely overturned her previous fundamental understanding of history.
Kai continued revealing carefully. "About detailed past history, my personal knowledge is honestly also quite limited. But I can confirm one crucial point with certainty. In the distant forgotten past, a group of visitors from beyond the stars with extremely high technological development once visited and influenced these seas."
"What you find impossibly difficult, true cross-sea communication, simply wasn't a significant problem for them at all."
That explained so much. No wonder pirate world technology development relied so heavily on archaeology and rediscovery.
Even acknowledged geniuses like Vegapunk found that many of his greatest achievements came directly from successful archaeological excavation and study.
Seeing Robin's desire to continue questioning endlessly, Kai raised his hand gently to stop her. "If you want to explore more hidden truth personally, I can definitely take you to find scattered historical Poneglyphs and ancient ruins throughout our journey. Much of the history I claim to know is honestly also educated guesswork. I won't mislead you with false certainty."
"Moreover." He changed approach with an encouraging warm smile. "Personally solving history's greatest mysteries yourself through dedicated research... isn't that far more intellectually fulfilling?"
Actually, in Kai's honest view, dwelling obsessively on past history was somewhat meaningless for practical purposes.
He sought the so-called One Piece treasure not for whatever material wealth it contained, but specifically for any information about Imu's possible critical weaknesses that might be recorded within.
All because Oda deliberately acted like an infuriating riddler, leaving Kai's heart perpetually uncertain about future threats.
Hearing this reasonable perspective, Robin could only temporarily suppress her surging overwhelming curiosity with visible effort.
But deep inside her scholar's heart, her burning desire to explore ancient forbidden history only intensified even more.
Meanwhile, the other conversation thread continued developing nearby.
Dorry and Brogy asked with some genuine hopeful anticipation. "By the way, how are the Giant Warrior Pirates doing now in the present day? Their fame and reputation should be even greater than during our active time, right?"
Kai had to deliver them genuinely regrettable news. "Because of your sudden mysterious disappearance, the once ocean-shaking legendary Giant Warrior Pirates have long since completely collapsed and disbanded."
"Is that so? The Giant Warrior Pirates directly disbanded without us?"
Brogy murmured sadly, his massive hand unconsciously gripping the wine barrel significantly tighter.
Though he never regretted his personal choice to duel Dorry here on this island, hearing devastating news that their beloved crew carrying countless glorious memories and hard-won victories had ultimately disbanded still inevitably stirred deep sadness.
"The actual situation is considerably worse than simple disbandment."
Kai continued grimly. "Your loyal crewmen were systematically captured by Marine forces on their journey back to Elbaf and nearly executed collectively as dangerous criminals."
"What?!"
Dorry erupted in explosive fury, his massive hand instantly clenching his greatsword hilt with white-knuckled intensity. Prominent veins bulged visibly.
Brogy's facial cheek muscles also trembled violently with barely contained rage as he roared thunderously, "Damn Marines!"
"Don't get too excited yet, let me finish the complete story."
Kai raised his hand calmingly to settle both agitated giants. "I specifically said 'nearly' for an important reason. At that critical time, a nun named Carmel intervened dramatically, persuading Marine leadership that executing giant crewmen would inevitably provoke Elbaf's mad military retaliation, so Marines reluctantly released them all."
"So that's it! What a genuinely good person that nun was."
Dorry and Brogy immediately relaxed considerably, their tense massive bodies loosening. Their faces showed deeply grateful expressions toward this unknown benefactor.
"Quite the contrary, actually."
Kai shook his head grimly, his next words like ice water brutally pouring over their gratitude. "That entire event was just an elaborate play deliberately staged by Carmel and Marine leadership together, specifically intended to make her gain the giants' complete trust, thereby successfully infiltrating Elbaf and secretly selecting and supplying young giant soldiers for Marine and World Government purposes."
He paused deliberately, revealing an even darker truth. "Moreover, this so-called Nun Carmel was very far from any good person. She was actually an extremely skilled professional human trafficker."
"She sheltered homeless orphan children under the 'Sheep's House' charitable pretense, then systematically sold them to Marine recruiters or CP intelligence agencies for substantial profit."
It must be honestly admitted, Carmel's disguise was extraordinarily successful over decades.
With full credit for supposedly 'saving' the Giant Warrior Pirates from execution, she not only won all of Elbaf's friendship and trust but even established her 'Sheep's House' operation directly within Elbaf's sacred territory to seek the absolute safest protection for her dirty criminal business.
This cynically let naturally simple trusting giants unknowingly become her evil deeds' protective umbrella.
Simply exploiting giants' good nature to the absolute extreme.
"That absolute bastard!"
Dorry and Brogy's grateful feelings instantly transformed into towering righteous fury. Their previous "good person" evaluation was violently thrown away, both now wishing to immediately tear apart that contemptible villain who had so cruelly exploited their people's trusting nature.
Such utterly unprincipled scum actually existed in the world!
Yamato and the others were also righteously indignant at this revelation.
Even pirates should maintain basic fundamental righteousness and honor.
Deliberately attacking helpless children was the single most contemptible behavior imaginable!
"Don't worry yourselves; Carmel definitely got her just desserts eventually."
Kai shrugged casually. "She foolishly provoked one particular child she absolutely shouldn't have."
"Who?" Everyone's curiosity was immediately piqued intensely.
What price could any child possibly make the powerful Carmel pay?
Kai calmly stated the shocking answer. "That child was Charlotte Linlin. That's absolutely right, one of today's fearsome Four Emperors."
"Ah?!"
Everyone's jaws dropped simultaneously in complete shock.
The imposing, terrifying New World tyrant Charlotte Linlin actually had such a tragic past?
"That all happened approximately 56 years ago."
Kai recalled the timeline carefully. "At that time, Charlotte Linlin was cruelly abandoned by her own birth family specifically because of her abnormally massive body and seemingly insatiable appetite, then subsequently taken in by Carmel's operation."
"Everything proceeded fine initially, but during an important giant winter solstice festival, five-year-old Charlotte Linlin's dangerous eating disorder suddenly triggered because she hadn't eaten nearly enough. Giants desperately tried stopping her violent rampage but couldn't match her raw strength. The giant hero Jorul was instantly killed in the chaos, and the entire village was systematically destroyed. Carmel had no choice but to completely relocate Sheep's House away from Elbaf forever."
Hearing this horrifying account, audible gasps echoed around the campfire as everyone simultaneously swallowed hard.
"Five years old..."
"Could instantly kill a giant hero and single-handedly destroy entire villages?"
What kind of terrifying natural-born monster was that?!
Kai spread his hands helplessly. Talent sometimes was simply this unreasonably distributed.
Charlotte Linlin's current tremendous strength was actually still being held back by her constantly bearing numerous children over decades.
Who knew how powerful a 'Hardworking Linlin' who focused purely on training might become?
"Elder Jorul... was killed so easily?"
Dorry and Brogy's faces showed profound disbelief, shock, and overwhelming grief.
The waterfall-bearded Jorul was once a respected Giant Warrior Pirates captain and a deeply revered hero idol in their hearts.
Such a legendarily powerful warrior actually just got casually defeated and killed so carelessly by a child?
"She's so pitiful."
Perhaps being similar age, both big eaters, and both troubled by special uncontrollable "illnesses," Bonney strongly empathized with Charlotte Linlin's tragic childhood experiences.
First ruthlessly abandoned by biological parents who should have protected her, then violently expelled after causing unintentional disaster from an uncontrollable illness.
Such profound loneliness and crushing despair... just imagining it felt suffocating.
Bonney unconsciously gripped Kuma's broad warm palm tightly, raising her small face with reddening eyes. Her voice carried a barely noticeable tremor. "Papa, Bonney will try eating less from now on. You won't ever abandon Bonney, will you?"
Kuma's protective heart was instantly seized by the helpless vulnerable Bonney before him.
Indescribable sourness surged powerfully within his chest, like forcibly biting an unripe green plum. The sourness choked in his throat, lingering endlessly and refusing to fade.
Kuma's broad gentle palm caressed Bonney's head tenderly, eyes absolutely full of pure adoration and unshakeable determination. "Little silly girl, how could Papa ever abandon Bonney? You're Papa's single most precious treasure in this entire world. Never say such foolish things again, understand? Remember this: never starve yourself at any time for any reason, understand?"
"Mm! I understand completely, Papa!"
Feeling her father's absolutely unreserved unconditional love, Bonney's temporary gloom instantly dispersed like morning fog. Her face bloomed with a reassured brilliant smile again.
The disturbing story about Charlotte Linlin and Carmel continued developing.
"When Linlin turned six years old, Carmel and all the Sheep's House orphans prepared a special birthday party celebration for her."
Kai deliberately paused, using an urban legend-style eerie tone. "At the party, Linlin went far too wild eating and went completely berserk again. When she finally woke the next day, Nun Carmel and all of Sheep's House children had completely vanished without any trace. And from then on, they never appeared anywhere in this world again."
Just then, a mysteriously cold wind swept past the bonfire. Flames violently flickered several times, casting uncertain dancing shadows on everyone's faces.
Many people unconsciously shivered despite the fire's warmth.
"Ah!"
Bonney, genuinely frightened, buried herself protectively in Kuma's embrace, small arms tightly encircling her father.
"K-Kai-aniki..."
Sanji's face visibly paled. As a cook, his ominous mental association between "enthusiastic eating" and "people disappeared" made his stomach churn nauseously. "Y-you mean... the nun and other children... were... were all eaten?"
"Who knows the real truth? Only Streusen, who was present that day knows what actually happened. Even Charlotte Linlin herself has completely blank memory of that entire period."
Facing everyone's desperate verification attempts, Kai just spread his hands in a deliberately wash-my-hands-of-it attitude.
Oda never explicitly drew it clearly, so where would he definitively know?
Kai complained internally with frustration.
Maybe CP0 agents secretly dealt with the problematic nun, and children were forcibly taken away, while Linlin coincidentally ate the Soul-Soul Devil Fruit that mysteriously appeared during the chaos?
That alternative explanation could also make logical sense.
It ultimately depended on whether one wanted to interpret events darkly or not.