As Roger and Giant King Yorm were drinking together, Lorna, who was sitting beside Yorm, looked at Nicholas's group in the distance and asked Roger, "Roger, are those humans your companions as well?"
Roger was puzzled by Lorna's question. After all, weren't all the members of the Roger Pirates right beside him? But when he followed Lorna's gaze, he was stunned. And it wasn't just him—Rayleigh, Gaban, and the others nearby were also shocked. They hadn't expected to run into Nicholas here.
As for why their Observation Haki didn't detect Nicholas's group earlier, it was simple: they were guests of the giants. It wouldn't be polite to recklessly use their Observation Haki to scan the host's territory. Moreover, humans were so small among the giants that they hadn't noticed Nicholas at first glance.
"Companions? Sort of," Roger said, frowning. "But what's that guy doing here?"
Hearing this, Yorm became interested. He had experienced Roger's strength firsthand and knew that he was one of the few who could rival him in Elbaf. A human that Roger regarded so highly must also be a formidable warrior, which stirred Yorm's fighting spirit.
A nearby giant, who bore a striking resemblance to Yorm, glanced at Nicholas and his group before turning to Roger. "Are those guys strong?" he asked.
Roger looked at this giant prince and thought about Nicholas. With a peculiar expression, he replied, "Prince Loki, that guy caused a huge commotion at Mary Geoise and managed to escape alive even after someone from there intervened. What do you think?"
Hearing this, Yorm's eyes immediately lit up with interest. Although the giants of Elbaf were known for their might, no country could contain them, yet they were trapped on this island. Even though they had an alliance with the World Government and provided them with powerful warriors, they couldn't break this rule—a rule set by the very person Roger mentioned.
Recalling a legend passed down through generations of giant kings, Yorm stood up and strode toward Nicholas.
"I, Yorm, King of Giants, challenge you!"
Nicholas, taken aback by the sudden challenge, wasn't the only one surprised—so were his companions, Kasshi and Oimo. A fight? And a challenge from the Giant King at that?
Kasshi, recovering quickly, laughed and said to Nicholas, "What are you waiting for, Nicholas? Accept it! This is a great honor!"
Nicholas raised an eyebrow. Oimo solemnly added, "A challenge from the Giant King is the highest honor our people can bestow upon a guest."
"Alright then," Nicholas replied with a smile. He was curious to see how strong the leader of the world's most powerful military nation truly was.
News of Nicholas's impending battle with the Giant King quickly spread throughout the hall, and soon, all the giants who had been fighting left the arena, leaving the field to their king.
Outside the temple, in a plaza dominated by a statue of Elbaf's war god, Nicholas and Yorm faced each other.
The surrounding giants began to talk among themselves.
"Is Yorm really going to fight that human?"
"That little guy doesn't even seem as big as my fist. Why would Yorm fight someone like him?"
"Hahaha, are you feeling an itch on your head lately?"
"Yeah, why?"
"It means your brain is finally starting to grow."
This quip caused a wave of laughter among the giants.
"You…"
"Enough!"
A stern, elderly giant with white hair and a hunched back shouted, stopping the two who were about to fight. His words carried weight, and the two giants grudgingly lowered their fists.
"Don't underestimate smaller humans. Remember, they are the strongest in these seas. Even we giants are confined to Elbaf by them!"
The old giant's words struck a chord, and many of the giants fell silent. It was a harsh truth.
"Hey, Kasshi, is the Giant King really that strong?" Bonney asked, eyeing Yorm, who exuded an intimidating aura.
"The King is very strong. He stands at the pinnacle of our race," Kasshi replied proudly.
"The pinnacle of the giants?" Bonney murmured in surprise.
"So, he's really strong then," Yamato added, munching on a large piece of meat.
Katie, maintaining her cool demeanor, said, "But our captain is the strongest!"
From a distance, Queen Lorna glanced at Nicholas, then asked Rayleigh, "Just how strong is that man?"
Rayleigh grinned. "He's strong. Really strong! Years ago, he was already on par with the captain. As for now, I'm not sure, but Yorm won't be able to beat him."
Hearing Rayleigh's assessment, Lorna's expression grew serious. She knew Roger's strength well—enough to defeat Yorm. That small frame of Nicholas's concealed an unfathomable power!
On the field, Yorm's expression was grim. His enormous size and the aura he radiated made him look like a demon god from the depths of hell. His weapon was a massive double-edged battle-axe, crafted with much more care than the other giants' cruder weapons.
From Yorm's aura alone, Nicholas could tell he was on par with the emperors of the sea. Of course, Yorm's power was partly due to his giant lineage, but the sea emperors also had their own enhancements.
Elbaf was known as the world's strongest nation not just because of the giants' individual strength or their formidable army. It also had its own monsters to guard it.
"This should be interesting," Nicholas said with a sudden smile.
"Here I come!"
With a roar, Yorm charged. The ground beneath him cracked as his immense strength propelled his huge body forward like lightning. In an instant, he was in front of Nicholas, his battle-axe crackling with purple-red lightning as it slashed down toward him.
"Conqueror's Haki coating," Nicholas remarked, as his Armament Haki surged out, covering his arms. He crossed them in front of him to block the blow.
That Yorm could use Conqueror's Haki coating wasn't a surprise to Nicholas. While the giants were few in number, they would have long been conquered by the World Government if they didn't have someone with Conqueror's Haki. After all, the giants didn't have the geographical advantages that the Fish-Man Island enjoyed.
Boom!
The massive battle-axe collided with Nicholas's arms, unleashing black lightning and a powerful shockwave that shattered the ground beneath Nicholas's feet, spider-webbing cracks outward. The wind from the impact was so strong that the surrounding giants had to shield their faces with their arms.