Rumble rumble rumble—!!!
At that very moment, a thunderous roar like exploding lightning suddenly echoed across the once-peaceful prehistoric island.
"W-What was that?!"
Startled, Usopp jerked his head back and immediately turned toward the source of the sound.
The others followed suit instinctively.
"Looks like… the real show is about to begin!"
Red suddenly grinned, peering through the dense jungle toward the distant sky.
Before anyone could fully react, the ground beneath them began to tremble violently.
Bang…! Bang…!
Heavy, rhythmic impacts—like cannonballs slamming down—boomed from deep within the island.
The next instant, two titanic roars rang out as though they had descended from the clouds themselves.
"Ah—take this, Brogy!!!"
"Gehehehe! This time, I'll defeat you for sure, Dorry!!!"
Before the Straw Hat crew's eyes, two gigantic figures charged in from opposite sides of the island like roaring locomotives—and then slammed into each other head-on!
BOOOOOM!!!
A terrifying pressure wave and deafening blast swept across the entire Little Garden, surging outward toward the distant sea.
In an instant, Red and the others felt violent winds buffet their bodies, forcing them to retreat again and again.
As the battle between the two giants intensified, the shaking ground made it nearly impossible for the weaker members—like Usopp and Nami—to even stand.
"Grassy Terrain!!!"
At that moment, a vast surge of Grass-type Pokémon energy erupted beneath Red's feet.
Lush green grass spread out instantly, transforming the ground into a verdant field.
With the cushioning effect of the grass, the violent vibrations beneath their feet weakened dramatically.
Luffy suddenly stretched out his arms and climbed to the top of the tallest nearby tree. His eyes gleamed with awe as he stared at the two distant giant warriors.
"So this is the strength of the Grand Line?!"
Zoro and Sanji both trembled slightly, their gazes fixed firmly on the sky beyond.
Still, having once witnessed Mihawk's serious strike, they weren't truly scared by the clash between two giants.
"Let's go take a look," Red said suddenly.
His proposal was immediately met with Luffy's energetic response.
"R-Right now?!"
Usopp's legs shook as he looked into the distance, all traces of his earlier excitement about giants gone.
Yet his mouth remained stubborn:
"They're fighting right now—wouldn't it be rude to barge in?"
"How about we wait until they finish, then go over?"
No way…Even my newest ammo wouldn't stand a chance against monsters like that!
Damn it… I'm still too weak!
Usopp kept smiling on the outside, but inside, his heart was drowning in inferiority.
Nearby, Nami had already assembled her Clima-Tact, but when she looked at those colossal figures, she still swallowed nervously.
Facing something that huge—just how many thunderclouds would she need to stack up to even hurt them?!
But before either of them could steel themselves, the grassy field beneath Red's feet extended outward, spreading toward the center of the battlefield.
After all, without the shock-absorbing effect of Grassy Terrain, Nami and the others wouldn't be able to move at all.
As for the two "temporary companions" at the back of the group—Vivi and Smoker…
They followed along toward the island's center together with the Straw Hats.
Yet in their hearts, the same thought rose simultaneously:
Do these people seriously not know the meaning of fear?!
...
...
Because they had to continuously spread Grassy Terrain, their advance was not particularly fast.
By the time they reached the edge of the battlefield, they happened to witness the two giants smashing their fists squarely into each other's faces.
Then, smiling at one another, they spoke in unison:
"Battle number 73,465…""—draw number 73,465!"
Their eyes rolled white. After staggering a few steps with fading consciousness—
BOOOOM!!!
Both giants collapsed heavily onto the ground.
The earth shook once more.
The battlefield itself had been utterly devastated by their clash.
Massive cracks spread across the ground, and all surrounding trees were flattened by the aftershocks, forming a vast empty clearing.
"Looks like we're too late," Luffy muttered in disappointment as he stared at the fallen giants.
His voice drifted on the breeze and slipped into their ears, slowly stirring them awake.
"Someone's here?!"
Dorry and Brogy opened their eyes at the same time, lifting heads as large as the Going Merry toward the source of the sound.
Under their gaze, the Straw Hat crew slowly emerged from the dense forest.
Seeing the giants turn toward him, Luffy bounced forward excitedly, landing right between them and laughing loudly.
"Whoa! You two are awesome!!!"
"Can I join you?!"
"I seriously can't wait to fight some true Grand Line powerhouses!!!"
"Hm?!"
Luffy's lively personality quickly infected the two giants.
Looking at this tiny human—smaller than their fingernails—who dared to boldly challenge them, Dorry and Brogy exchanged glances before bursting into laughter.
"Babababababa—!""Geigeigeigeigei~!"
Their distinctive laughter thundered into the sky like rolling lightning.
Despite being covered in wounds, the two giants slowly sat up.
Gone was the merciless killing intent from their earlier battle—now, their expressions were warm and friendly.
"Little guy, you've got some guts!""You actually want to join our fight?!"
"Bababababa~ We welcome challenges from the strong, but I'm afraid—"
"The war between me and this fool Dorry concerns the honor of Elbaf's warriors. Outsiders can't interfere!"
"So that's how it is…" Luffy sighed, disappointed once more.
But the very next second, he suddenly looked up.
"Then—"
"Let me challenge the two of you by myself!!!"
Luffy raised his head, fiery battle intent blazing in his eyes.
After witnessing the battle between such powerful warriors, he desperately wanted to fight someone—really fight, with everything he had.
Ever since entering the Grand Line, he'd been waiting for a battle like this!
"Kid! We can't just pretend we didn't hear that!"
"Elbaf warriors never refuse a challenge!!!"
A crushing presence surged from both giants, pressing down on Luffy like a massive mountain!
Yet faced with such overwhelming pressure, Luffy merely grinned.
"That's great!"
He lifted his hands behind his head and beamed.
"Then it's settled! Tomorrow at noon—same place, same time!"
"Let's have a real fight!"
"I'm not the kind of guy who takes advantage of wounded opponents!"
In an instant—
The entire clearing fell completely silent.
Only after a long pause did Dorry and Brogy's thunderous laughter erupt once more.
"Babababababa—!""Geigeigeigeigei~!"
Wiping tears of laughter from their eyes, the two giants looked at Luffy with newfound appreciation.
"It's been many years since we've met such an interesting brat!"
"Oh right—did you bring any booze?"
"Of course!" Luffy replied cheerfully. "You can't have a banquet without alcohol!"
"Though I don't really like drinking."
His answer immediately won the giants' heartfelt agreement.
"Exactly!""No booze, no banquet!!!"
"Oh, by the way—are those little guys your companions?"
Dorry suddenly looked toward Red and the others approaching from afar.
"Yep!" Luffy puffed out his chest proudly. "They're all really amazing pirates!"
"Zoro and Sanji wanted to challenge you too—but luckily, I got here first!"
"Hehe…"
As he spoke, Luffy rubbed his nose smugly.
The giants burst into laughter again.
Today, Little Garden seemed livelier than ever.
Their booming laughter pierced the clouds, spreading far across the surrounding seas.
(End of Chapter)