No matter when, never underestimate the resilience of a top-tier fighter.
Even though the Giant King couldn't use Seimei Kikan (Life Return) to heal himself like Magnus, after eating his fill, he could still recover some stamina in a short time.
And so came this strike.
"Haōkoku (Sovereign Nation)!"
This was Elbaf's most powerful technique — even among the entire giant race, fewer than ten could ever master it.
As the Giant King, Harald of course knew it.
"Run!""Get out of the way!""It's too late!"
The Marines and CP0 agents stared in terror at Harald's swing. Even without a proper weapon, just wielding a giant tree, Harald showed them the kind of might only the most powerful in the seas could wield.
A raging wind howled forth.
Even Kong, Rona, and Grindwin, who were still fighting Magnus, looked grim. When they took Harald down before, they never let him get the chance to unleash this.
Because in the chaos of that battle, if Harald had used it, both Marines and his own royal guard would've been slaughtered.
But now — Harald no longer had any such qualms.
The sheer force of his blow seemed to suck the air from the earth, and even those nearby like Newgate could barely stand.
Rocks felt as though he, too, would be sent flying like a leaf.
It was a completely different sensation.
Magnus's Haōkoku was strong, but it fused with his mastery of kenjutsu and emphasized penetration.
Harald's was different.
A giant's ultimate move unleashed with a giant's body — a colossal shockwave wrapped in an overwhelming storm, like mountains collapsing and seas roaring.
Everything in its path was obliterated.
Those caught directly in the center, with no time to react, were ripped apart.
None could withstand it.
Even among the top-tier fighters present, none could guarantee they'd come out unscathed.
This was the wrath of the giants — the wrath of Elbaf!
From Elbaf's northwest to the coastline, Harald's blow tore through more than twenty kilometers of terrain. Hills and ridges were smashed into a massive trench, as if the whole island roared in fury.
Seeing a true top-tier fighter's full might for the first time, Newgate's heart pounded. He wished it were his hand unleashing such power.
"Hmph, that much… even our captain can do it!"
Rocks reflexively argued, though deep down he knew Magnus wasn't purely a brute-force fighter — he couldn't unleash something quite .
Yet to his surprise, Harald nodded.
"I'm only relying on my raw strength… at this point, I'm no longer a match for your captain."
A deep weariness filled Harald's eyes.
Before this battle, he still had a glimmer of hope to surpass Magnus — but now, that hope was gone.
For a power-type fighter like him, a crippled leg meant his foundation was gone — unstable footing, loss of full power, and speed severely hampered.
Even if he was still technically top-tier, in practice, even someone like Grindwin — a step below — would give him a hard fight.
Not to mention, even when fully healthy, he'd lost to Magnus in sparring before.
Harald felt a pang of despair.
Though he loved peace, he also understood that only with strength could you earn respect — equal trade required power.
Why had the World Government invaded them? Because they weren't strong enough.
But he knew he couldn't fall here.
He was Elbaf's king, the king of the giants — he still had to lead his people through this ordeal and defeat their enemies!
After his one strike, the land was left in ruins.
With no more top-tier fighters to oppose him, Harald alone shattered the Marines' and CP0's pursuit.
Faced with him, the enemy was gripped with despair.
Even though they guessed he might only have that one attack left — who dared gamble that he didn't have another?
Many Marines were reminded of the nightmare at Sphinx.
They clearly had the stronger elite force.
So why, when it counted, could they never press their advantage?
Because Kong, Rona, and Grindwin were all tied up.
The rescue of Giant King Harald was already a done deal. Even though he was still weakened, even an average Marine vice admiral could beat him now —
But with the White Wolf rookies and the giants guarding him with their lives, the Marines simply couldn't get him back.
At least there was one silver lining.
So far, Kong, Rona, and Grindwin were still in good shape. If they somehow let Magnus kill even one of them now — they might as well go home and farm vegetables.
"He's almost done for. That last recovery was his final card."
Grindwin admitted to himself he'd been bluffed earlier.
Even though they'd already heavily injured him, he suddenly recovered and even held them off one-on-two for a while — what kind of old man was this?
Luckily, after that recovery and several more minutes of all-out fighting, Magnus's condition was visibly deteriorating.
From one-on-two and holding even, to being unable to gain an edge in direct exchanges, and being pressed when surrounded.
Seimei Kikan healed his wounds — but not his stamina.
After over half an hour of brutal fighting…
If he weren't an animal-type fruit user, with tremendous vitality, he'd already have been taken down by their three-man team.
But even that kind of durability had its limits.
'Almost time,' Magnus thought. His breathing was ragged. His condition was even worse than they realized.
Fighting three at once was literally gambling with his life.
Now that Ripley and the others had rescued Harald — as long as they slipped back into Elbaf's interior and the Adam Tree's roots, even a Admiral couldn't find them right away.
It was time for him to retreat as well.
But the instant that thought arose, his fighting spirit faltered — and the other three noticed.
"Magnus, trying to run? You think I'll let you, after all this?"
Kong's eyes flared with rage.
"If you escape now, then everything we've done will have been for nothing! How can I face the Marines who've died here?"
But hearing Kong's words only stoked Magnus's anger in turn.
"Kong — was it me who invaded Elbaf? Was it me who ordered the Marines to attack the Land of Giants?"
"You little punk, stop pretending to be innocent!"
"Get this through your head — it's you lot who are in the wrong! You are the invaders!"
Magnus had thought his earlier words might make Kong reflect on what 'justice' really meant.
But in the end, he kept shouting about justice and order — while attacking like an invader.
"Hah… I should've known. Saying anything to a Celestial Dragon's dog is a waste of breath. You want my head? Then come and take it!"
Magnus's roar thundered over the island.
"If you think you can — then come and try! You hypocritical invaders!!"
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