The overwhelming scene before them was a testament to the sheer power of the Blue Ogre, Dorry, and the Red Ogre, Brogy.
The raw clash of Armament Haki was something never revealed in the original story.
But Maude had long expected this.
Considering they could unleash Hakoku Sovereignty, a fearsome technique capable of piercing straight through the massive island-eating goldfish, the idea that they wouldn't possess Armament Haki was simply unthinkable to Maude.
Now, witnessing it firsthand, it was exactly as he had anticipated.
And this alone made his long journey to Little Garden worthwhile.
"Bring the ship to shore."
Maude's eyes gleamed with anticipation.
His desire to engage in battle wasn't just for the potential immense rewards, but also for the invaluable experience and insight he would gain from fighting these two giants.
Both reasons made this encounter priceless.
Hearing Maude's command, the helmsman of the Beautiful Pirates instinctively steered the Sleeping Forest White Steed toward the shore, despite not receiving direct orders from Cavendish.
"Wait here for me."
Maude leaped off the ship, heading straight toward the center of the island.
Bailey lay perched on Maude's shoulder, his eyes never once leaving the sight of Dorry and Brogy clashing in the heart of the island.
Watching the battle between these two giants, a rather unrealistic thought suddenly popped into his small head:
If only I could be that big too...
If he were to voice this thought to Maude,
Maude would certainly encourage him to pursue that idea.
After all, Devil Fruits rarely disappoint those who seek transformation.
As Maude disembarked, Cavendish, Gaya, and Philo followed closely behind.
As for the rest of the Beautiful Pirates, after witnessing the sheer scale of Dorry and Brogy's battle, they had absolutely no intention of leaving the safety of their ship.
Fortunately, Maude and Cavendish said nothing about it, allowing them to stay aboard without guilt.
"He's really going to fight those monsters..."
"Let's hope Captain Cavendish doesn't do anything reckless."
The Beautiful Pirates' crew silently watched as Maude and the others disappeared into the dense jungle.
...
Within the Jungle.
Maude and his group moved swiftly through the thick vegetation.
With the aid of Observation Haki, Maude could easily sense the presences lurking in the shadows of the jungle.
But at the moment, he had no interest in dealing with them.
"Maude, I, the great White Knight Cavendish, shall defeat those two giants in the most dazzling fashion!"
Cavendish suddenly drew his famed sword, Durandal.
Maude was momentarily stunned by the declaration.
Just as he was about to respond, Cavendish moved with a speed almost indistinguishable from his Kamaitachi persona, vanishing in an instant.
"Just wait to collect the bounty..."
Maude faintly heard Cavendish's parting words.
"What the hell is he trying to do?"
Maude's face darkened slightly.
Gaya chuckled. "It looks like little Cav thinks you came to Little Garden just to claim the bounties on the Blue Ogre and the Red Ogre. That's probably why he's so eager to act."
"Let's follow him. Hopefully, he doesn't get himself killed by the giants."
Maude sighed helplessly.
Gaya's remark helped him understand Cavendish's intentions.
The problem was—Cavendish had absolutely no idea what he was getting himself into.
Jumping into a battle of this caliber without being proficient in Armament Haki?
Did he have a death wish?
Maude shook his head slightly, then stepped forward, speeding ahead.
...
At the heart of Little Garden.
The fierce battle raged on, but it was nearing its conclusion.
Once again, Dorry and Brogy remained evenly matched, neither able to claim victory.
Without external interference, their duels were always all-out, with every strike aiming for a fatal blow. Yet, after hundreds—no, thousands—of battles, they had never even landed a serious injury on one another.
At its core, they understood each other too well.
Even if they fought for another hundred years, a decisive outcome would be unlikely.
But despite knowing this, they continued to fight.
This was the will of Elbaf.
Once a battle began, it could not be stopped.
The only way it could end was for one of them to fall.
"Looks like today won't settle anything either."
Brogy, wearing a spiked helmet and a fierce beard, took a step back while lowering his axe.
Just moments ago, he had attempted a decisive finishing strike, only for Dorry to see through it and counterattack.
Yet, in that very instant, Brogy had also seen through Dorry's move and dodged just in time to avoid being struck by his opponent's steel longsword.
Both had missed their chances to end the fight.
Thus, once again, their duel had ended in a draw.
"Gahahaha! Even though we didn't settle the score, it's been a long time since I've had such an exhilarating fight!"
Dorry threw his head back and laughed heartily.
The intense battle had completely burned away the lingering effects of the alcohol in his system.
The long-lost sensation of exhilaration filled him with unrestrained joy.
"Gahahaha!"
Brogy, too, shared the same sentiment.
And it was all thanks to the powerful liquor gifted to them by those tiny humans.
After a moment, both Dorry and Brogy suddenly ceased their laughter and turned their gazes toward a grassy clearing in the distance.
There, Cavendish stood with his sword drawn, tilting his head back to stare up at the towering forms of Dorry and Brogy.
"Another little one has arrived."
"Decent eyes."
Dorry and Brogy looked down at Cavendish, their expressions indifferent.
Had their duel still been ongoing, and had Cavendish interrupted them, they wouldn't have hesitated to swat him like a fly.
Lately, they had been continuously pestered by humans.
However, since their duel had just ended, and since Cavendish hadn't interfered, they spared him for the moment.
"Let's head back, Brogy."
Dorry could sense Cavendish's hostility.
But in his current good mood, he couldn't be bothered to bicker with Cavendish. Instead, he simply called out to Brogy before turning to walk toward the massive Sea King's skeleton in the east.
"Gahaha..."
Brogy laughed heartily and turned to walk toward the equally colossal Sea King's skeleton in the west.
The two giants went their separate ways, completely ignoring Cavendish's presence.
"You dare ignore me?!"
Cavendish's expression turned cold as he immediately assumed an attack stance.
Before Maude, he wouldn't dare call himself "this young master."
But in front of others? Not only did he have the confidence—no, the self-admiration—but he embraced it fully!
"Beautiful Blade: Stardust Rotation!"
Cavendish's flowing golden hair lifted as if caught in an invisible breeze, and his golden eyes gleamed with a phantom-like shimmer. In an instant, he slashed at Dorry, unleashing a spiraling sword aura wreathed in stardust-like energy.
The spiraling sword strike moved with blinding speed, striking Dorry squarely on the back in the blink of an eye.
Boom!
The impact of the sword aura rippled outward. Dorry let out a muffled grunt as he stumbled forward two steps.
His heavy footfalls caused the ground to tremble slightly.
After successfully landing a hit on Dorry, Cavendish didn't pause. With a graceful twist of his waist, he slashed toward Brogy, sending another Stardust Rotation his way.
The spiraling sword aura, shimmering with specks of light, struck Brogy's back just as it had Dorry's.
A wave of force erupted from the impact, and Brogy, like Dorry, staggered two steps forward under the pressure of the attack.
As the residual force dissipated, the two giants, who had been struck almost simultaneously, slowly turned around, their eyes simmering with anger as they fixed their gaze on Cavendish—who was still posing dramatically after his attack.
"That stung a little."
Dorry and Brogy each rubbed their backs.
The Stardust Rotation had only inflicted superficial injuries—nothing more than a trivial scratch to them.
Wounds like these? They had suffered countless times before in their 70,000 duels.
Seeing Dorry and Brogy remain unfazed, Cavendish frowned.
Clearly, he had underestimated the defensive prowess of these two giants.
"I was hoping to take you both down before Maude arrived..."
Cavendish realized he had oversimplified the situation.
Against opponents of this caliber, imposing a time limit on himself was simply unrealistic.
Dorry and Brogy had no interest in Cavendish's mutterings.
Slightly irritated, the two giants abruptly swung their weapons, cleaving straight toward him.
The colossal, weighty blades descended with an overwhelming force, cutting through the air so powerfully that it seemed to compress the very space around them.
Like mountains crashing down!
"So fast! No... it's the sheer pressure making me sluggish...!"
Cavendish's expression shifted as he hastily retreated.
BOOM!
The furious slash of the longsword and battle-axe struck the plains with terrifying force.
The raw power behind the attack sent tremors through the entire island.
The shockwave that followed kicked up a cloud of dust and debris, which surged toward Cavendish even as he retreated.
A split second later, Cavendish was sent flying through the dust cloud, hurtling over ten meters before crashing to the ground.
Upon impact, he tumbled dozens of times before finally coming to a stop.
"Such monstrous strength..."
Cavendish had no time to worry about his now-disheveled appearance. He immediately got to his feet, staring in shock at Dorry and Brogy—whose single attack had unleashed such devastating power.
At that moment, Maude and his group arrived at the plains from the dense forest, witnessing the scene firsthand.
"At the moment of impact, did they release their Armament Haki externally with precise timing? Or... is this the fundamental principle behind 'Hakoku'?"
Maude tilted his head up at Dorry and Brogy, deep in thought.
This technique—
He wanted to master it!
-------
Want to read waaaay ahead of schedule? Head over to my Patreon ——— patreon(.)com/EmperorGarus [remove the parenthesis ( )]
There are more than 200 advance chapters available for you!