Chapter 19 - 19 – Food Obsession: Charlotte Linlin’s Trial

Boom! A deep, muffled bang echoed. In the lowest depths of Elbaf—known as the Underworld—stood a snow-white werewolf. Before the wolf loomed a giant whose height resembled a living mountain. "No more, no more." As the giant prepared to strike again, the white wolf waved his hand, his snowy fur receding, his form shrinking from nearly three meters tall back to around two meters. "I feel like I'm the one getting the short end of the stick with this kind of sparring." Magnus smacked his lips. As an old man, sparring against a "young" giant like Harald wasn't all that beneficial. After all, their matches always stopped short of a full fight—there were no real winners or losers. Naturally, it was the younger fighter who benefited more. "This mission probably won't be completed any time soon." Magnus glanced at his system panel: [Sea Circle Calendar, 1480. June 30. After a two-month voyage, you've finally reached the land of giants—Elbaf.] [Mission 1: Defeat a Giant Warrior.] Elbaf's warriors are renowned worldwide. A former Emperor once said: If she could ally with the giants, she could rule the seas. [Reward: Giant Battle Technique – Hero's Spear!] (Completed) [Mission 2: Recruit Crew Members.] As the captain of a pirate crew, you can't go without loyal crewmates. *[Reward: Slight boost in cellular activity per crew member recruited.] (Current crew members: 2) [Mission 3: Defeat the Giant King Harald!] Unbelievable—Elbaf's giant king has agreed to a one-on-one fair duel. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. [Reward: Boost in Conqueror's Haki strength and cellular activity.] (Incomplete) This was the real reason Magnus had been sparring with Harald for half a year. Conqueror's Haki—Haōshoku no Haki (Supreme King's Haki)—was a rare power only a select few could awaken. And for it to grow stronger, one had to battle others who possessed it. Sparring wasn't enough. It had to be a fight to the death. Confidence forged through life-and-death battles was the nourishment that allowed Conqueror's Haki to grow. Magnus and Harald had clashed many times—Haki sparks included—but unless they genuinely fought to the finish, their Haki wouldn't evolve much further. It was easy to deceive your enemy. The hard part was deceiving yourself. "Kururururu! Magnus, I've got to go—Winter Solstice Festival's coming. If I don't get back soon, Mari will scold me again." Mentioning his wife, the fierce-faced Giant King actually showed a rare softness. "Get out of here already!" Magnus waved him off, feigning disgust. Having lived so many years, the one thing he couldn't stomach was couples flaunting their affection in front of him. Over the years, Magnus had encountered women he admired. But as a pirate, he knew better than to settle in one place. Unless he could bring them aboard his ship... Every meeting could end in permanent farewell. Deep down, Magnus was an old-fashioned man. He couldn't stand being cold and heartless. (Of course, mutual flings didn't count.) "Winter Solstice Festival, huh..." In Elbaf, the Winter Solstice Festival was a celebration of the sun, death, and resurrection. Before the festival, everyone in Elbaf would undergo a twelve-day fast—no food, only water. Magnus remembered that the last time they visited Elbaf, they'd left before the festival began. So he'd never experienced it firsthand. This time, however, he'd be staying long enough to witness multiple solstice festivals. Half a year had passed. Magnus's condition had drastically improved. He wasn't "young" again... ...but compared to six months ago, he now had the vitality of his sixty-year-old self. Back then, he could fight Giant King Harald for a full day and night, ending in a draw. Now, with Haōshoku no Haki awakened, Magnus was even stronger than ten years ago. Still, while Magnus had merely recovered, Harald had grown. At 150 years old, Harald was in the prime of his life by giant standards. A decade ago, he fought Magnus to a standstill—surely he'd made progress since then. Magnus even suspected that Harald was brushing up against a certain threshold... A realm only reached by admirals, Yonkō (Four Emperors), and the first mates of the most powerful pirate crews. In truth— The terrifying-looking Giant King wasn't that fond of combat. If he ever truly applied himself to training... He might have already broken through that threshold. Following after Harald, Magnus made his way back toward the village. "Go, Hajrudin!" "You got this, Rocks!" "Beat him down!" "..." Outside Lamb's House, Hajrudin and Rocks were sparring as usual. But compared to half a year ago, Rocks had grown far stronger. He no longer needed to rely solely on speed—now he could match Hajrudin in raw strength. "At this rate... is Rocks really going to surpass me?" Sparring with two adult giants at once, Lipley glanced at Rocks and suddenly felt a rising sense of crisis. "Hey, Ripley! Don't get distracted mid-fight!" "Yeah, don't underestimate us!" Two giants—one fat, one skinny—reminded Magnus of classic comedic duos. Former members of the Giant Warrior Pirates, they weren't weak by any means. Even with Magnus secretly training Ripley, defeating these veterans wouldn't be easy. Meanwhile, many of the female giants were preparing dough. Because of the upcoming fasting period, the giants traditionally made high-calorie desserts beforehand to help endure it. Everything seemed normal on the surface. But Magnus knew—the Winter Solstice would be a far greater trial for one person than anyone else. Charlotte Linlin. She suffered from a condition known as Food Obsession Syndrome. From birth, Linlin would lose consciousness and enter violent rages if she went too long without eating. That very illness was the reason her parents had abandoned her. But an illness could be treated. In the past six months, Magnus hadn't been idle. He'd written letters to doctors he once knew, inquiring about ways to cure Food Obsession Syndrome. And all answers came down to one thing: Willpower. Only by controlling her body with her will could Linlin overcome her condition. (End of Chapter) [Check Out My P@treon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][[email protected]/euridome] [Thank You For Your Support!]