An Oni in God's Valley

As the day passed, the duel between Dorry and Brogy came to a temporary halt—the eruption of the volcano signaled their daily pause. With synchronized movements, the two giants returned to their respective camps.

Seizing the opportunity, Kuzan approached Dorry, while Greenbull eagerly made his way toward Brogy. Meanwhile, deeper within the forest, Koa and Joichiro were hunting down several prehistoric beasts. Koa had a plan—he wanted to feed the giants as a gesture of goodwill and, more importantly, to ask them to teach him Hakkoku, the formidable battle cry technique of the giants. He believed that, if he could infuse it with Conqueror's Haki, it could evolve into a technique even more powerful than the standard one used by Elbaf warriors.

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"Wow, that was amazing! How you managed to go head-to-head with that other big dude… I want to be that strong too, so I can be more useful to my boss," Greenbull said with admiration, his eyes wide as he gazed up at Brogy.

Brogy looked down at the small boy in surprise. "Who are you, little one? Where are your parents?" he asked, scratching his head, clearly confused by the child's presence on such a dangerous island.

"Oh, I don't have any parents," Greenbull replied cheerfully. "But my boss is taking good care of me! Do you want to meet him? We're a pirate crew and have a cook who can make amazing food. You can eat as much as you want—but you have to join our crew!"

Brogy let out a booming laugh. "Join another crew? Nah, I already have one. That other giant you saw earlier—Dorry—is my co-captain. We are the captains of the Giant Warrior Pirates, and we don't serve under anyone else!"

Greenbull pouted slightly, but then his expression shifted. "Really? That's cool… then could you teach me how to get stronger? There's someone I want to beat in our crew so I can become the right-hand man of my boss!"

Brogy gave him a hearty slap on the back—gentle by giant standards, but enough to nearly knock Greenbull off his feet. "Haha! So, you've got guts, kid! I like that! I'll teach you what I can!"

The two continued talking as Brogy began recounting tales of his exploits—slaying sea kings with a single blow, dueling Dorry for over a century, and leading raids in the name of Elbaf. With each story, Greenbull's eyes grew wider, full of admiration. He was convinced now: Brogy was the stronger of the two giants, and the perfect mentor to help him grow stronger.

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While Brogy and Greenbull were chatting, Kuzan and Dorry were also deep in conversation, though their topic was quite different. It revolved around something they both held dear: alcohol.

"So, how long have you been staying on this remote island now?" Kuzan asked, genuinely curious as he sat atop a boulder, a relaxed expression on his face.

Dorry let out a hearty laugh. "Heh! I can't remember the exact year, but I'd say it's been over sixty years since we started dueling. Maybe more. Time kind of blends together after a while… but it's not less than that."

Kuzan whistled. "Wow. Sixty years of the same fight every day? Doesn't it get boring? No pubs, no taverns, no new drinks—and no one to sell them either. Don't you miss the buzz of a good bottle of sake or rum?"

Dorry shrugged with a grin. "I've gotten used to it. The thrill of the fight keeps me going."

Kuzan chuckled, shaking his head. "You know what? Come with me. Meet my captain. I'm sure he won't mind. We've got a chef onboard who makes amazing food—and I've got a stash of drinks that'll make you forget how long you've been on this island."

Dorry rubbed his beard thoughtfully. "Hmm… I don't see why not. One drink won't hurt."

With a loud stomp, he stood up. "Alright, lead the way!"

What Kuzan didn't know, however, was that Greenbull had already extended a similar invitation to Brogy. Unknowingly, both giants were now making their way toward the same camp, led by two very different crewmates with the same goal: to share food, drink, and maybe—just maybe—make some allies out of legends.

Kuzan climbed up onto Dorry's shoulder, casually lounging as the giant began walking. As they made their way toward the Koa Pirates' camp, they suddenly spotted another towering figure approaching from the opposite direction—Brogy, with Greenbull walking enthusiastically in front of him.

Both pairs came to a brief halt, locking eyes across the distance.

Then, without a word, the two giants broke into a sprint.

"First one there wins!" they shouted in unison, their thunderous steps shaking the ground beneath them.

Kuzan, ever the opportunist, decided to cheat a little. With a smirk, he placed his hand on Dorry's shoulder and froze the ground ahead of them into a smooth ice path.

"Alright, slide! Let's go, Dorry!" he yelled, turning the race into a literal icebreaker.

But Greenbull wasn't going to let that slide—literally or figuratively.

"Oh no you don't!" he shouted. Slamming his hands onto the ground, thick vines and roots erupted from the earth and tangled across the frozen path, creating a natural barricade. Dorry's footing slipped, and with a massive crash, he fell face-first into the forest floor, shaking the island with the impact.

At the same time, Greenbull had his idea for gaining an edge. He summoned a massive sunflower with spinning petals behind Brogy's back, attempting to launch him through the air like a propeller-powered rocket.

It worked—for about two seconds.

The sheer weight of the giant was too much for the plant's structure to handle, and with a loud snap, the sunflower collapsed mid-launch, sending Brogy crashing to the ground with a thunderous thud.

Both giants now lay sprawled across the forest, trees flattened and birds fleeing in every direction. The jungle had erupted into chaos from the two accidental earthquakes caused by the friendly race gone wrong.

Koa, still out hunting with Joichiro, raised an eyebrow as the distant sound of destruction echoed through the island.

"…I'll take a wild guess and say that was our crew," he muttered.