Chapter 118: The Mighty Nation of Elbaf

With Mr. 3’s surrender and confession, the whereabouts of all the pirates on the island were revealed. Since those men had been disloyal to him, Mr. 3 saw no reason to conceal their locations any longer.

Under the combined sweep of Lawlan and the two giants, all the pirates were swiftly wiped out, and the Little Garden once again returned to its former tranquility.

“Are you leaving now?” Broggy gazed wistfully at Lawlan aboard the warship docked by the shore of Little Garden. Though they had only known each other for half a day, he felt a genuine fondness for this human Navy officer. Not only had Lawlan left them plenty of fine wine, but he had also helped them resolve a troublesome issue.

“There are still injured aboard who need to see a doctor in the Kingdom of Drum, so we can’t afford to linger any longer. I’m sorry,” Lawlan replied, sharing the same reluctance. Aside from not having mastered the Elbaf fighting style, he had grown fond of these two straightforward giants. But Johnny was still suffering, and he couldn’t abandon him.

Over the past fortnight, the ship’s doctor had barely managed to bring Johnny back from the brink of death. Any further delay might mean the difference between life and death.

“To the east, there’s a giant goldfish waiting for you,” Eastly suddenly said.

“A great whale?” Nami blinked, puzzled. Wasn’t that just a sea creature? It wasn’t a sea beast or a Sea King; there seemed no reason to mention it specially.

“Not a great whale, a giant goldfish. You’ll see it when you sail there,” Eastly explained.

“But don’t worry. Eastly and I will take care of it. Just keep sailing straight ahead,” Broggy added.

“All right!” Lawlan agreed without hesitation, then ordered the Pengless to steer the warship away from Little Garden, heading straight in the direction Broggy had indicated.

As they gradually distanced themselves from Little Garden, Nami spotted a dark silhouette slowly surfacing on the sea. Now she understood why the two giants had emphasized it. It was indeed a colossal goldfish, so immense that the waste trailing behind it was as large as a small mountain on the island.

“Lawlan, are we really going straight through? We could just go around it since we have a permanent compass,” Nami said with concern.

If Lawlan had said this, she wouldn’t have doubted or worried. But these were two giants she had met only once before, and yet she found herself hesitant to believe them.

This goldfish was so enormous that even their warship seemed minuscule in comparison.

It reminded her of when she first met Eastly on the island—such a staggering difference in size that it erased all fear.

“I trust them,” Lawlan said earnestly.

“Then I trust you,” Nami nodded and turned back to the bridge, directing the sailors to keep the warship on a straight course.

“Eastly, your axe and your sword are about to break, aren’t they?” Broggy asked.

“Can’t bear to let them go?” Eastly responded.

“Of course not. This axe has fought alongside me for a hundred years! But if it means protecting Lawlan, I wouldn’t mind losing it.”

“Ha ha ha, only half a day and you feel that way already?”

“Aren’t you the same? I saw how well you got along with that swordsman.”

“You can never have too many comrades who see eye to eye.”

Standing on opposite banks of the river, Broggy gripped his giant axe tightly while Eastly held his massive sword, both watching the enormous goldfish slowly emerge from the water.

The giant goldfish seemed to notice the warship’s presence and opened its blood-red maw wide, voraciously swallowing everything on the surface—including the ship itself.

“Nami, Miss Nami, is this really safe?” a naval navigator asked nervously, eyeing the gaping mouth that darkened the sky.

“Do you think Colonel Lawlan would bring you here just to die?” Nami smiled.

“Of course not,” the navigator laughed, reassured.

Calming his nerves, he focused intently on steering the warship straight ahead, even though the path led into the gaping, endless belly of the goldfish.

“Elbaf—”

Once the warship had fully entered the goldfish’s mouth, Broggy and Eastly exchanged a glance and let out a fierce roar.

Suddenly, an overwhelming aura erupted.

Even during the brief buildup, the ground trembled violently and the sea churned restlessly.

After a moment’s charge, both swung their weapons simultaneously, sending massive waves crashing and sweeping away the towering ancient trees on the surrounding islands.

Before them, the blades of axe and sword cut through the sea as if tearing the ocean apart, carving a deep chasm across the vast waters.

As their strikes pressed forward, the trench in the water spread relentlessly ahead.

In an instant, the sea was turned upside down, countless fish crushed into pulp.

The giant goldfish, sensing the danger, struggled desperately to escape.

But the strikes came too swiftly; just as the goldfish reacted, the blades had already sliced through its body, cutting deep into the distance ahead.

Only hundreds of meters beyond the goldfish’s body did the powerful strike finally begin to dissipate.

“What… what is happening?” Nami’s face paled as she felt the violent changes in the sea around them.

Such drastic shifts could only mean one thing: a storm was approaching.

But they were inside the belly of a giant goldfish—how could a storm possibly arise here?

“Don’t worry. This is why I chose to trust them,” Lawlan said, pointing to the faint light beginning to appear overhead with a smile.

Nami slowly looked up and was utterly stunned by what she saw.

She was certain the warship had been swallowed by the giant goldfish, yet the dome overhead, resembling a great gate slowly descending to either side, defied belief.

Though skeptical, the scene before her forced her to accept it.

That slowly closing dome was, in fact, the body of the giant goldfish.

And the reason it had transformed this way was likely the doing of the two giants on the island.

Seeing Nami’s astonishment, Lawlan only smiled faintly, saying nothing more, though he too felt a surge of excitement.

Just moments ago, while checking his system, he had discovered a new entry had appeared on his panel.

In clear, bold characters were the six words: Elbaf Fighting Style.

Previously, his attribute panel only displayed his physical measurements and swordsmanship skills. Now, it had expanded.

Aside from the separate sections for Armament Haki and Observation Haki, each of the Navy’s Six Styles had its own category. Now, Elbaf Fighting Style had claimed one as well.

If not for the glaring level 1 indicator slightly dampening his mood, Lawlan might have burst with joy.

Back on Little Garden’s shore, Broggy and Eastly sat cross-legged on the ground, their massive axe and sword now reduced to shattered fragments beside them.

Watching the warship disappear into the distance, Broggy pulled out two barrels of wine, handing one to Eastly.

Just as they were about to toast and drink deeply, a distant volcano erupted, spewing thick smoke and ash skyward.

Exchanging a knowing smile, the two downed their wine in one gulp before immediately engaging in fierce combat once more, continuing their eternal battle.