The ice beneath the battlefield cracked apart under the deafening sound of approaching footsteps.
Amidst the thick sea fog, a colossal elephant slowly revealed its true form.
Zunesha.
A giant elephant standing 35,000 meters tall emerged from the ocean, and every step it took created enormous waves that surged across the sea.
The Navy soldiers witnessing Zunesha for the first time were completely stunned.
Their eyes widened as they stared at the unimaginable creature before them, unable to comprehend that such a massive existence could truly exist in this world.
Compared to Zunesha, even the mighty Giants of Elbaf appeared no different from tiny insects.
Even Akainu and Aokiji could not maintain their previous expressions. Both of them looked at the enormous elephant with serious faces.
Aokiji raised his eyebrows and sighed.
"Ara Ara, this is a little too much."
Akainu narrowed his eyes.
"Joy Boy is on that ship."
Aokiji was slightly startled when he heard this.
He immediately shifted his attention and focused his gaze.
Beside Zunesha floated a completely black warship.
Despite the violent waves caused by the giant elephant's movement, the ship remained perfectly stable on the surface of the sea.
The massive hand that Joy Boy had extended earlier, the same hand that had rescued Loki, slowly returned to the deck of the black warship.
After clearly seeing the appearance of the ship, Aokiji frowned.
"Why does that ship look so similar to Pluton, the ancient weapon that was stopped at the Red Line?"
Akainu's expression did not change.
"Joy Boy lived eight hundred years ago. That ship should be the Pluton from that era. I do not know where he obtained it."
Hearing this, Aokiji slowly lowered his hands.
Half of his body gradually transformed into his elemental form.
He understood that he could no longer treat the situation casually.
A giant elephant reaching ten thousand meters in height, the ancient weapon Pluton, and Joy Boy himself.
The combined power of these three forces surpassed the previous Yonko crews.
Even the Pirate King's crew led by Roger in the past would not have been able to compare with such overwhelming power.
On the deck of the original Pluton, Loki slipped from Joy Boy's enormous hand and fell heavily onto the ground.
His body was covered in blood and dirt, and he looked extremely miserable.
At this moment, Loki's condition was terrible.
His breathing was weak, almost like a thread that could break at any moment.
He struggled to open his eyes and looked toward Joy Boy.
His gaze was filled with humiliation and unwillingness.
"J, Joy Boy, did you save me just so you could watch me make a fool of myself?"
Joy Boy looked down at Loki without any change in expression.
Behind him stood a group of Mink Tribe members, their bodies surrounded by a faint silver light.
Seeing that Joy Boy did not answer immediately, Loki gritted his teeth and tried to force himself up from the ground.
However, the moment he moved, intense pain spread throughout his entire body.
His strength disappeared, and he collapsed again.
At that moment, Joy Boy slowly stepped forward.
He looked at Loki's enormous face, which was covered with wounds and blood, and spoke softly.
"Loki, I truly did not misjudge you."
"What?"
Loki's eyes widened slightly.
"You said you did not misjudge me? Bastard! Have you always seen me as your subordinate?"
Joy Boy shook his head.
"No. You are a companion. I have never had subordinates."
A bitter smile appeared on Loki's face, a smile that looked even more unpleasant than crying.
"Companion..."
He laughed mockingly.
"Why does that word sound so disgusting to me? You are still as hypocritical as ever."
Pedro immediately became furious after hearing those words.
He stepped forward and stood in front of Loki, pointing at him angrily.
"You have already been defeated to this state, and you still refuse to admit anything! If Joy Boy had not saved you, you would already be dead! You truly are an ungrateful fool!"
However, Loki did not even glance at Pedro.
From beginning to end, his eyes remained fixed on Joy Boy, filled with ridicule.
As for Pedro, Loki completely ignored him.
To Loki, Pedro was nothing more than someone who followed Joy Boy.
That complete disregard hurt Pedro more than any insult could have.
"You..."
"Enough, Pedro."
Joy Boy interrupted him.
"Loki's people suffered heavy losses. His current emotions are understandable."
Even though Pedro was still furious, he suppressed his anger after hearing Joy Boy's words.
His expression became unpleasant, but he chose not to speak again.
This time, Loki finally looked toward Pedro.
A cold smile appeared on his face.
"He still has not forgotten his race, has he? Truly a good, obedient dog."
Pedro gave Loki a cold glance.
He stepped back several paces and turned his head away, choosing not to look at him.
However, deep inside, he wished he could use his claws to tear apart Loki's hateful expression.
Joy Boy sighed.
"Loki, why are you acting this way? We are all companions. Do you truly feel no guilt for insulting those who stand beside you?"
"Guilt?"
Loki's expression became cold.
"I killed my own father, and I have never felt any damned guilt until now."
"I am a god."
"Not a hypocritical false god like you."
Joy Boy looked at him.
"What about Dorry and Brogy?"
"They fought and died in front of you to protect you. Did you truly feel nothing when they sacrificed themselves?"
Loki's expression froze.
The scene of Dorry and Brogy's tragic deaths immediately appeared in his mind.
His face gradually became distorted.
He struggled against his injuries and attempted to stand.
"Stop saying meaningless things to me!"
"Gods do not owe anyone anything!"
"I will definitely avenge them!"
Joy Boy looked at Loki.
"With your current condition, do you still believe you have the strength to take revenge?"
Blood flowed from the corner of Loki's mouth.
He opened his eyes wide and glared at Joy Boy.
"The drumming sound just now was the so-called Drums of Liberation, wasn't it?"
"Those warriors who were severely injured and close to death stood up again."
"Why can they do it, but I cannot?"
After hearing this, the corner of Joy Boy's mouth moved slightly.
However, his expression quickly returned to normal.
"Because they trust me."
"Their hearts do not reject the Drums of Liberation. The sound naturally gives them encouragement, allowing them to recover enough strength to continue fighting."
Loki fell silent.
A moment later, he suddenly sneered.
"That kind of power must have a price, right?"
"Perhaps their lifespan?"
Joy Boy nodded.
"That is correct."
"This method reduces their lifespan, but it allows them to use their own strength to fight for a chance of survival on this battlefield instead of remaining helpless on the ground."
However, Joy Boy did not mention one thing.
The loss of lifespan came from the aging of the body itself, and it could not be reversed.
For a long-lived race like the Giant Tribe, the cost was even greater than it would be for ordinary humans.
Loki stared at him coldly.
"I doubt it is only about lifespan."
"If someone accepts the Drums of Liberation, it also means they acknowledge me from the bottom of their heart."
"And by doing so, they become the companions you talk about, don't they?"
This time, Joy Boy did not answer.
He only looked quietly into Loki's eyes.
He was waiting for Loki's final decision.
Loki narrowed his eyes.
"No matter how I look at you, your face is still disgusting to me."
He clicked his tongue.
"Tch."
"Fine."
"Bring it on."
=≠=
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