Chapter 16 - 16 – The Clown... Was Me?!

"That was cheating! You're cheating!!" Because of Magnus's reminder, Hajrudin lost the match—and this made the old giant Yorlur so angry his face turned red. He almost stormed over to challenge Magnus to a duel. "Puhahaha! I just told Rocks not to hold back. Isn't going all out the greatest respect you can show your opponent?" Magnus laughed heartily. He admitted that without his prompt, it would've been much harder for Rocks to win that match. But it was Rocks's own ability in the first place—he would've figured it out eventually. Magnus had no doubt about that. "I'm sorry, Yorlur-dono... I lost!" The young giant bit his lip, teary-eyed and clearly on the verge of crying. "Don't be discouraged, Hajrudin." Arlur patted Hajrudin on the shoulder and comforted him. "You're still young. Once you reach adulthood, you'll become far stronger than you are now." "Un!" Hajrudin nodded firmly. "So?" Rocks walked up to Magnus. "Will you teach me Rokushiki (Six Powers) now?" In their two months together, Rocks had learned a lot from Magnus—including information about the legendary "Rokushiki." Like: Soru (Shave): explosive speed by stamping the ground rapidly. Tekkai (Iron Body): accelerating blood flow to harden the body like steel. Kami-e (Paper Art): free and fluid control of the body. Geppo (Moonwalk): walking on air by kicking rapidly. Rankyaku (Tempest Kick): slicing wind-blades formed from compressed air. Shigan (Finger Gun): launching finger strikes like bullets. Even Magnus had to admit—the person who invented Rokushiki was a genius. Mastering Rokushiki meant one had pushed their body to the limit—and qualified to learn Haki. "A promise is a promise. I won't go back on it." Magnus turned to Ripley. "You should come too. It's tough for a giant to master the full Rokushiki, but refining your body will help you awaken Haki." That's right—even though she was far stronger than Rocks, Ripley, having only recently come of age, hadn't yet mastered Haki. In fact, most giants couldn't. Their massive bodies gave them overwhelming strength—but also made it much harder to develop their potential. Just covering one arm in Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki) required tremendous energy. "Win or lose, a deal's a deal." After comforting Hajrudin, Arlur stroked his fluffy beard and said: "As long as King Harald agrees, we'll use the Adam Wood stored in our warehouse to help you build your new ship." Magnus's original ship, the Black Pearl, was already quite large—about sixty meters long and forty meters wide—easily spacious enough for dozens to live aboard. But if Ripley were to join, the ship would become way too cramped. Just her height alone was over twenty meters. On an average pirate ship, if she lay on the deck, there wouldn't be a single inch of space left. So the new ship needed to be over a hundred meters long. Magnus thought back to the cargo ships of his past life—hundreds of meters long and carrying hundreds of thousands of tons without issue. The only question now: Even if the giants built him a ship over a hundred meters long, would he be able to sail it? Just controlling the sails wouldn't be as simple as turning a steering wheel. Their crew was still far too small. Magnus glanced at Charlotte Linlin. She might be a future Yonkō (Emperor), but right now she was just a five-year-old little girl who couldn't walk away from desserts. The bonfire party had lasted from sunset to moonrise—several hours—and Linlin had been eating sweets the whole time. "So tasty!" She grinned with pure joy. "Grandpa Magnus, want some?" Seeing Magnus looking at her, Linlin offered a piece of cake with her sticky, dirty little hands. "Then I'll gladly accept." Magnus chuckled. Right now, Linlin was still at her most innocent. The future merciless Yonkō she would become—was like a completely different person. [Charlotte Linlin Affection -10] [Current Affection: 30 (Friendly)] Charlotte Linlin: Even though Grandpa ate my cake... he still seems like a nice person? The smile froze on Magnus's face. So you were just being polite?! The clown... was me?! Magnus sighed. Even if she wasn't yet violent like in the future, Linlin's food-possessiveness was already a problem. "Linlin, have you ever heard of ice cream?" "Ice cream?" "Yes, it's like cake—but only eaten in the summer." Magnus crushed a biscuit into a cone shape, then used his Mythical Zoan powers to instantly form a ball of shaved ice on top. When mixed with the cake, it became a simple form of ice cream. In Elbaf, June was sweltering. This world didn't have things like air conditioning in every house like his past life. Which meant... Ice cream was irresistibly attractive. "Want some, Linlin?" "Yes!!" The pudgy little girl nodded furiously. "I have a lot more—if you want it, you need to share with everyone and eat together." Magnus repeated the process and produced large amounts of ice cream. Just in time—since the giants had finished their meal and were ready for dessert. "So cold!" A giant girl took a cone from Linlin and licked it gently. Her eyes lit up in delight. "It's like summer's 'Samla'!" "Haha, just a little something I threw together. If you like it, I'll make more next time." Magnus beamed. Especially because after taking one bite, Charlotte Linlin's face lit up with a bright, happy smile. "So yummy!" "Grandpa Magnus, I want more!" "Nope. Too much ice cream in a short time will give you a headache." Even if giving in to her request might've earned more affection points, Magnus knew: spoiling a child only hurt them in the end. He didn't want Linlin to walk down the same path as in the other world. He had to set boundaries. And with his power, keeping a five-year-old Charlotte Linlin in line was beyond easy. The night passed quickly. Ever since his cell vitality had increased, Magnus found his sleep deeper and more restful. When he awoke, he felt completely refreshed. And the old giant Arlur brought some news. "Magnus-kid, come with me to Orst Castle." "His Majesty wants to see you." (End of Chapter) [Check Out My P@treon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][[email protected]/euridome] [Thank You For Your Support!]