Chapter 61: The Giants and the Gatekeeper's Secret Technique

“Oh my god!” Lili exclaimed, cold sweat already breaking out on the bare skin of her back. Buffon’s move was something she had helped him practice as a sparring partner—her ability to freely change the size of her body made her the perfect target for Buffon to hone his accuracy. Yet during their practice, Buffon had never used the full version; he always stopped after ensnaring her completely. So witnessing this complete net strangulation left Lili so shaken that only her body’s involuntary reactions could fully express her shock.

The others were rendered speechless. On the ship, they had assumed Buffon’s skill was merely auxiliary, never expecting such a devastating, wide-range attack. To ease the tension, Reiju tried to joke lightly, “Hmm, that knife work is impressive—so evenly sliced. With such a sous-chef, Lili, when we get to the volcano’s mouth, you’d better show off your volcanic cuisine skills!”

Though the joke was forced, it worked; Lili snapped out of her shock and, for once, responded seriously, “Yes! I’ll do my best.” Buffon, already standing ashore, shot a look at the crew on the ship, prompting them to leap down and begin gathering up the ingredients.

Once everything was tidied and the ship secured, leaving Saron and Brook aboard as guards, the rest followed Buffon toward the battlefield of the two giants, with Lili specially bringing her cooking gear. Braving gusts of volcanic wind, they arrived at the giants’ dueling ground. By then, the eruption had ended, and Dorry and Brogy, as agreed, ceased their combat and were about to return to their respective territories to rest.

Seeing them about to leave, Lili, now tiny and perched on Sauron's shoulder, leaped down, instantly reverting to her giant form and rushing forward. “Seniors, have you seen my father? His name is Pans Fry!” she shouted.

Dorry turned, laughing heartily, “Gahaha! The famous volcanic chef, eh? I’d love to meet him someday.” Hearing this, disappointment crossed Lili’s face—it was clear her father had never come here. Yet she did not forget the true reason she and her father had come.

“Seniors, Elder Yoruru has been killed, and Elder Aruru later left Elbaf. My father and I came here to find you, to rebuild the Giant Warrior Pirates and lead our people to reclaim dominance over the seas.”

Buffon perked up at this—he knew Yoruru had died at the hands of a young Big Mom, but news of Aruru leaving Elbaf was new to him. The two giants immediately asked in unison, “What happened?” With the difficulty of travel between islands on the Grand Line, it was clear they had no knowledge of these events.

Lili composed herself and explained earnestly, “Elder Yoruru was killed by Charlotte Linlin, now one of the Four Emperors, while she was still a child. Elder Aruru wanted to avenge him but was stopped. A few years ago, Prince Loki sought an alliance with her, proposing marriage to her daughter as a political union. Elder Aruru couldn’t accept this, so he left Elbaf alone.”

After Lili’s explanation, Buffon understood. Had the nun not intervened back then, he would have personally killed Linlin to avenge his friend who had fought alongside him for over three centuries. Now Loki wanted to marry the daughter of his friend's murderer—there was no way Aruru could accept that.

The two giants, upon hearing this, grew agitated. A hundred years ago, the four of them were captains of the Giant Warrior Pirates, but Dorry and Brogy had stayed behind on this ancient island to duel over a little girl’s question: “Who caught the bigger prey?” This ultimately led to the crew’s breakup; Yoruru and Aruru returned to Elbaf with the remaining members, and the pirate crew was dissolved.

Tracing the roots, the tragedy could indeed be blamed on these two. Yoruru and Aruru, among the oldest warriors in the world, were both 344 years old when Yoruru died 63 years ago—just one year younger than Aruru—so their status among giants was unquestionable. Now with Aruru gone, the remaining former crew in Elbaf likely stayed only because they lacked a leader.

If Dorry and Brogy returned and rallied the crew, found Aruru, and sought revenge against Big Mom together, Buffon thought it would not be difficult. The two pondered, then Dorry spoke, “Brogy, do you remember why we started fighting?”

“Pakakaka! It’s been a hundred years—who can remember?” Brogy laughed cheerfully.

“Gahahaha! Then let’s end our duel and wait for Fry to arrive. We’ll go back to Elbaf village together,” Dorry declared, handing a freshly slain plesiosaur to Lili for her volcanic cooking.

After a feast, the volcano erupted again. The two giants instinctively grabbed their weapons, ready to resume their duel, but recalled their earlier decision...

“Pakakaka! Dorry, why don’t we settle it once and for all? Just one decisive match!” Brogy suggested.

Dorry was about to agree when Buffon, who had remained silent, interrupted, “Seniors! You’ve fought for a century without a winner. How about I have a match with you instead?”

The two giants burst into laughter. “Gahahaha! Kid, are you sure you want to challenge us?” Dorry asked.

Brogy chimed in, “Kid, you’ll make me laugh my teeth out!” His tone was teasing rather than dismissive.

Reiju interjected, “Seniors, if Captain Buffon can last a few moves against you, wouldn’t that settle who’s stronger?”

Though she said this, in her heart she believed Buffon would hardly lose. These two had strength rivaling the Four Emperors, but their sluggish movements were their greatest flaw. She had seen Buffon’s speed firsthand—these giants simply couldn’t keep up.

“Good idea!” both agreed in unison.

“I’ll go first!” Brogy declared, swinging a massive axe straight down from above.

Buffon didn’t dodge; he wanted to feel firsthand just how powerful a pirate with a hundred-million bounty from a century ago truly was. Raising his right fist, left foot planted as a pivot, right foot braced, his whole body spun like a drill, ascending with a white spiral of energy!

“Yohohoho! Buffon’s as reckless as ever!” Brook remarked calmly.

Bajo added, “He used that move when sparring with me, but I wonder what it’s like at full power!”

Reiju’s face was covered in dark lines, silently thinking, “Is Captain Buffon really serious about matching strength with a giant?”

But the scene that unfolded instantly overturned her doubts. When Buffon’s punch collided with Brogy’s axe blade, a massive shockwave erupted. Reiju, sitting atop Lili’s shoulder, had to clutch Lili’s hair to avoid being swept off by the blast.

After the blow, Buffon landed, while Brogy staggered back two steps. Buffon calculated to himself, “Goalkeeper’s Secret Art: Spiral Strike—this move is solid, it actually pushed Brogy back two steps!”

“Pakakaka! Dorry, this kid’s strength is no less than yours!” Brogy said, swinging a shield horizontally in his other hand.

This time, Buffon didn’t take it head-on; instead, using his agility, he leapt onto the shield and charged up Brogy’s arm toward his head. Brogy began shaking his left arm, trying to shake Buffon off, but Buffon’s footwork was uncanny.

His body, running at high speed, kept his upper half motionless while his lower half shifted constantly left and right. Brogy couldn’t shake him off, and each step Buffon took sent a jolt of piercing pain through Brogy’s arm.

Witnessing this, Lili asked, “Reiju, what’s Captain Buffon’s move called? I think I saw him use it when sparring with you!”

Reiju smiled lightly, answering, “Goalkeeper’s Secret Art: Pendulum Shatter!”