Chapter 15 - 15 – Rocks vs Hajrudin

The bonfire festival had reached its climax. The intern of the White Wolf Pirates was about to face off against Hajrudin, son of the Giant King Harald! As soon as the news spread, the giants became excited. "Go Hajrudin! Don't embarrass our Giant race—don't lose to that little guy!" "Hajrudin is King Harald's son. There's no way he'll lose!" "Crush him, Hajrudin!" "..." A crowd of giants cheered for Hajrudin, making the twenty-year-old giant boy nervously grip his short sword. He couldn't help but swallow hard. "Tch, that old man really loves throwing trouble my way." Compared to Hajrudin, Rocks—already an adult—was far more composed. Though Rocks was also twenty, humans were considered adults at eighteen, while giants remained children until around fifty. If he were asked to fight a full-grown giant, Rocks would never agree. He wasn't stupid—he'd at least wait until he learned the Haki Magnus always talked about. But fighting a giant child? Now that was a different story. "So if I win, I get to learn 'Rokushiki (Six Powers)'?" Thinking back to Magnus's promise, Rocks immediately became serious. Win and he'd learn Rokushiki. Lose and... he'd be stuck mopping decks and scrubbing toilets on the ship. No way he could lose! "Harald, what are you doing?" Atop a wide, towering castle nestled on a cliff at the edge of the giant village, a tall, bald giant held a monocular telescope, secretly spying on the village below. As the voice behind him rang out, he hurriedly tucked the telescope away. "Ahem, just... surveying the people's livelihood." "It's Hajrudin, isn't it." The female giant behind him, her long wavy hair flowing, gave him a cold look. "I heard that White Wolf Pirate captain is back again?" "Yeah. But Magnus is different from most pirates—he doesn't have that kind of ambition." Harald recalled the first time he met Magnus ten years ago. Seeing the concern on his wife's face, he let out a booming laugh. "Don't worry. Even if he does try something, with his current age, he's hardly my match." At 150 years old, King Harald was in his prime. Magnus, at 70, was already aging fast. Compared to giants, human lifespans were far too short. "The times are changing. Maybe Dorry and Brogy's departure is an opportunity. Rather than looting, normal trade with other countries might be the better path." Harald glanced at Hajrudin, already clashing with Rocks below, then at his wife's noticeably swollen belly. "For the sake of our child..." "We must leave them a future of peace and stability." Back in the village: "RAHHH!" Hajrudin roared as he swung his wooden sword hard at Rocks. BOOM! The sword struck the ground, sending out spiderweb cracks from the impact. A drop of cold sweat rolled down Rocks's forehead. "Monster..." He's just a kid, but the strength behind that swing was terrifying. If not for his fast reflexes, Rocks might've been taken out with one strike. "Let's go, Hajrudin!" "He's on your right! That little guy is on your right!" "Look down, he's at your feet!" "..." Typical case of "the emperor's calm, but the eunuchs are panicking." Hajrudin himself wasn't flustered yet, but the spectating giants were getting riled up. Among them was the old giant Yorlur. "Shut up, all of you!" Arlur, holding a giant club several meters long, smacked the ground hard and shouted: "Hajrudin is a warrior of the Giant race. What we need to do is believe in him!" Though he said that confidently, Arlur's eyes showed concern. Because Rocks was too calm. Though Hajrudin's attacks seemed like they nearly hit every time, Rocks's expression said otherwise—he was clearly conserving energy. Given Hajrudin's massive frame—three times Rocks's height and far bulkier—a direct clash would be suicide. But Rocks never gave him that chance. "Phew... thank goodness." After dodging another of Hajrudin's swings, Rocks felt his still-full stamina and allowed himself a small smirk. Two months ago, dodging this much would've left him exhausted. But after enduring Magnus's hellish training, his stamina had multiplied. This level of combat? He could handle it easily now. "Still, if I want to win, I'll need something more..." While dodging, Rocks considered his options. Hajrudin was fighting in a typical, textbook giant style—slash, sweep, strike with a sword, block with a shield. Their size allowed them to overpower weaker, slower opponents with brute force. The key was speed. Just as Rocks was pondering how to break past Hajrudin's guard, a voice called out. "Oi, Rocks—remember when I tossed you into the ocean a few days ago?" "Huh?" The memory came flooding back—Magnus had thrown him into the sea, bound his hands, and dragged him behind the ship with a rope. Rocks's fists clenched. "He's wide open!" Seeing Rocks briefly distracted, Hajrudin's eyes lit up. He swung his wooden sword down hard. BANG! Dust exploded into the air. The familiar resistance told Hajrudin he'd missed again. Out of habit, he pulled back his sword and raised his shield. In truth, Hajrudin had been this close to hitting him. If he'd just dropped his sword and slammed his whole shield down, Rocks—who had rolled away at the last second—would've been done for. But that small misstep... "I get it now." Back when he was being dragged by the ship, Rocks had been forced to kick his legs constantly just to keep up with its speed—if he didn't, he'd drown. But that wasn't just swim training. It was training for— "Soru!" With a burst of wind, a blur rocketed through the smoke, kicking the ground dozens of times in a split second. The sudden surge of speed even startled Rocks himself. If he could barely keep up, Hajrudin didn't stand a chance. In a blink— Rocks bypassed both sword and shield, landed on Hajrudin's shoulder, and held a short blade to his neck. Giants had no Haki—without it, their defense was barely above a normal human's. At that moment, Hajrudin realized: He lost. (End of Chapter) [Check Out My P@treon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][[email protected]/euridome] [Thank You For Your Support!]