An Oni in God's Valley

As Greenbull and Kuzan rejoined Koa and Joichiro, both Dorry and Brogy suddenly felt a surge of strength radiating from Koa's direction. Though the rest of the crew was used to this presence by now, the two giants, seasoned warriors from a nation that revered power, were immediately aware of it. Even without Koa actively releasing his Haki, his aura was unmistakable.

After a few more minutes of walking through the thick jungle, the giants finally laid eyes on him.

Their attention immediately snapped to the two prominent horns protruding from Koa's head.

"Ooohhh... What a strong presence! Gababababababa!" Brogy bellowed with excitement as he approached. His booming voice echoed through the trees.

Koa looked up, eyes wide in awe. Despite having seen towering individuals before—Roger himself being over eight feet tall, and Big Mom practically a mountain—this was different. This was the first time Koa had truly met real giants, the kind of legendary beings whose footsteps shaped continents. He knew there were different classes of giants depending on lineage and strength, with figures like Prince Loki standing at the peak... and monsters like Oars, the fabled Continent Puller, towering even above them.

"Wow... It's an honor to officially meet the captains of the Giant Warrior Pirates," Koa said with genuine admiration. "The world thinks you're both long dead. But I guess no one's ever been strong enough to put either of you down, huh?"

"Gyagagaga! No one's matched our strength yet—especially not when we fight together!" Dorry roared with laughter.

Brogy nodded, pounding a fist against his chest. "Gababa! They can try, but we'll always be standing."

Koa grinned, stepping forward with a gleam of excitement in his eyes.

"Oh? I'd love to see what that legendary strength feels like. Care for a little sparring session?"

There was a beat of silence—then both giants exploded into laughter again.

"Gyagagagaga!"

"Gababababa!"

"We'll give you a taste of our might, little warrior!"

Koa laughed too, already pulling both his axes from his back. His blood was boiling with anticipation. Greenbull's eyes lit up with excitement—it would be the first time he'd witness Koa fight without holding back. Kuzan, on the other hand, went quiet, his brows furrowed. He'd seen glimpses of Koa's power before… and part of him wasn't sure it was a good idea for anyone to draw out that full strength—not even giants. Joichiro simply leaned forward with interest, curious to see his captain's limits.

"Alright then," Koa said with a sharp grin.

With a burst of power, he leapt into the air and shot off toward a large open plain near a lava flow—an ideal battlefield. Dorry and Brogy followed behind, their massive frames crashing through the trees as they prepared for a legendary clash.

Axes were drawn. Weapons readied.

The ground was about to tremble.

The first to move was Koa, as he was the challenger. Out of courtesy, he used only around fifty percent of his strength as he swung both axes toward the two giants. He wanted to test their power. When he did, both Brogy and Dorry moved to meet his attack.

One thing became immediately clear: both Brogy and Dorry were weaker than he had expected. Koa couldn't tell if it was because of his overwhelming strength or because the giants had regressed, but their strikes didn't match the standards of a true powerhouse in the New World.

It seems I overestimated them a little bit, Koa thought as the spar continued.

Brogy and Dorry could feel it too—Koa was massively holding back. There was no passion behind his strikes. As born warriors, this was deeply disappointing. They couldn't help but wonder if their strength had truly regressed over the years. Even if Koa was strong, at their peak, he shouldn't have had to hold back this much.

But something was changing.

With each strike they threw, they grew stronger, faster. Their old instincts were awakening. It was as if the warrior spirits within them were slowly being reawakened.

Koa noticed it too. With every exchange, they became quicker, heavier in strike, more precise. A wide smile crept onto his face—this was exactly what he wanted.

The longer the three fought, the stronger the giants became. After more than three hours of intense battle, the spectators were still locked onto the fight, utterly captivated—especially Greenbull and Joichiro. Greenbull admired Koa's strength openly, while Joichiro was amazed at how a man barely ten feet tall could hold his own against two titanic warriors.

"Boss is amazing, isn't he?" Greenbull said to Kuzan and Joichiro, eyes never leaving the fight.

"Yeah. We've got to become stronger to be worthy of calling ourselves his crew," Joichiro added.

"That's not his full strength," Kuzan said quietly.

"Really? How do you know that?" Greenbull asked, curious.

"Because I've seen a glimpse of it," Kuzan replied, his expression serious. "And it's something I'll never forget."

The fight continued until Koa felt both Brogy and Dorry had returned to their prime strength.

"I think it's time to end the sparring match, don't you think?" Koa said, leaping back as he readied his weapons for a final blow.

"Gyagagagaga!"

"Gababababa!"

"Yes, it seems that way," both Dorry and Brogy laughed as they prepared for the final clash. They pulled their weapons back, aiming at Koa, who now gripped his axes tightly, ready to use the signature move of his former captain for the first time since leaving the Roger Pirates.

"HAKOKU SOVEREIGNTY!!!"

Brogy and Dorry unleashed a colossal flying slash toward Koa.

Koa responded with his own:

"Divine Departure!"

Using his Conqueror's Haki infusion, Koa unleashed the mighty technique. As the two attacks collided, Koa's attack immediately overpowered the giants' Hakoku Sovereignty, blasting them backward with overwhelming force.

The spectators stood in stunned silence, jaws dropped. They had always known Koa was strong, but this was the first time they truly saw the terrifying extent of his power.

"…How did you survive that?" Greenbull muttered, glancing at Kuzan, who wore a grim expression.

"I'm pretty sure what I experienced was weaker than that," Kuzan replied.

And for the first time, both Greenbull and Kuzan silently agreed on one thing:

They were still far too weak to be called the wings of their captain.